Believing With Your Heart

I noticed a sign yesterday morning with some powerful words that read, "believe with your heart".  It made me think about the many instances in which we allow ourselves to proceed with a particular task that we know is innately close to us and we know that deep down in our heart it is something that we want to do.  When our inner soul speaks to us with a particular message, we normally hear something that we know is rightfully truthful to ourselves.  Many of the worlds greatest leaders and change makers had this quality, that became the compass which led them on their journey.  Change can be difficult for an individual, however, when you think about changing the world, most would say that this could be an insurmountable task.  Yet, we have plenty of examples of people through out time that took on this challenge which became part of history.  As I thought about all of this, I too was thinking that all of these people that helped change the world, had this core belief in their heart that what they were doing was not only the right thing to do, it was part of the reason of why they were in this world to begin with.  There are plenty of books that speak to the issue of defining your life's purpose, as it can be a challenge of a lifetime for many.  However, what it may all come down to is the belief in someone's heart that created the circumstance for which they decided to transform not only themselves, but the world around them as well.  Fulfilling your life's purpose can be disorienting at times.  We all have instances where we have some type of doubt about ourselves or our circumstances that make us question where we are and at times more directly, who have we become.  Validation for our accomplishments can sometimes arrive via others who tell you that you are doing a great job.  I particularly like the moments where someone tells me that they connected to something I said or wrote.  It is in those moments that I feel that I am doing what I am supposed to, which then provides me that peace of mind about where I am headed.  Remember to listen to what your inner voice tells you during those quiet moments when you are still and give yourself permission to follow what that guiding presence is telling you to do.  Also, don't forget to look for those validating moments when someone or something occurs that demonstrate to you that you are in fact where you are supposed to be.  Having strong beliefs is one thing, however, one should not forget that following the strong beliefs in your heart are also part of your purpose for being here.    

Life's Toolbox

When we are young we are taught many lessons by those who raise us.  Most of  what we learn becomes our foundation of tools that we will use at one point or another throughout our lifetime.  As young children we are all sponges when it comes to absorbing all that is new and emulating those who were our role models, which primarily were our parents and immediate family.  Many of us were taught great qualities such as; kindness, compassion and honesty along with hard work and determination.  We were given lots of tools that became part of our life's toolbox which defined who we grew up to be as adults.  How we were provided each of these things was usually through a lesson that may have been intentional or not, however, the outcome always had a moral to the story.  As time went by, our sphere of influence shifted from the family to friends or other outside entities that we might have felt a strong connection to.  Those outside forces either helped reinforce what was taught to us by our first teachers or sometimes they provided us with alternative ways of doing things that were not necessarily what was right.  I remember a great lesson that came via the honesty tool, when my older neighbor who I thought was really cool and I wanted to be like, took me to the local Boys and Girls Club one afternoon after school.  My grandmother at the time was helping raise me and although she did not think it was a good idea to let me go across town with the neighbor, I promised to be back at home at a specific time.  Time for a young kid is not necessarily precise and especially if you are out having fun, everything seems to go by in an instant.  I ended up staying well past my intended time and since these were the days before cell phones, my grandmother had no way of contacting me until I got home.  I can recall the feeling of having fun quickly shifting as I turned the last corner before I got to my house.  All of sudden, I wanted to come up with all of these great excuses which all lacked any bit of honesty.  When we finally arrived at home my neighbor waved goodbye as he made his way up to his house and then I looked at the door towards my house, where I saw my grandmother standing outside.  I could see that there was relief and also disappointment in her eyes and all of the potential excuses or lies that I had thought of in my head came to a screeching halt.  I knew then and there that I could not handle the look of disappointing my grandmother or anyone else for that matter and after I walked in the house with her, I knew that this lesson would forever remain in my toolbox.  Usually the longer you live, the bigger the toolbox and it is interesting to look back at how we obtained some of these fine tuned instruments via our life lessons.  As you think about your intended future, think about what you have accumulated in your lifetime and how you can expand and share these great tools with others.  Whether it is speaking to a small child or a new acquaintance, I challenge you to continue to tell your stories of how you acquired your toolbox.  You will be pleasantly surprised to reminisce about what you have accomplished and the many lessons it took for you get to your current state in life.      

Marching To Your Own Beat

I was stuck in traffic yesterday heading home from the beach and for a period of time there was a car in front of me with the license plate that indicated that they marched to the beat of their own drum.  I read it repeatedly over the course of our slow journey up the highway and it caused me to think about what that could mean to myself and others.  I first thought about the fact that one can opt to be a complete individual and not be part of the same crowd.  It got me thinking to when I was growing up in school, in particular junior and high school years.  If you were not a very popular kid, chances are that those years were filled with lots of memories of trying to fit in.  I had that great experience myself as I can easily recall the feeling of being out of place and not part of the cool crowd.   I did not realize it until much later in my college years where I believe I flourished, that the majority of people felt  the same way about their high school years.  Those  challenging years taught me a lot about who I wanted to be and which attributes I wanted for myself, while determining which one's I would never want to replicate.  You can say that I marched to the beat of my own drum back then, however, my younger self would have not been able to figure this out for quite some time.  Conversely, I loved my college years, in that I was introduced to a myriad of people that really marched to their own music and they showed me that this was completely normal.  Coming from a small town with little exposure to many different cultures, it was a wonderful experience for me to realize that there were so many different types of people that came from such varied walks of life. They all had different styles and nobody was really trying to imitate anyone else.  This was a revelation to me, as for the prior many years I was part of a culture where fitting in and looking like the mainstream was the optimal goal.  As much as I enjoy thinking about those periods of time in my life, I am forever grateful for all of those experiences as they made me who I am today.  The license plate yesterday was a great reminder about how we should embrace everyone who is different from us.  The music that we hear in our ears is composed of the different notes that speak to each and everyone of us, in their own unique way.  The next time you think about your life and what would be trendy to buy, think about being different and standing out based upon your own style and convictions.  In your own life, look for the many ways in which your unique attributes create and transform how you are living the rest of your life. Remember that walking to the beat of your own drum, means that you are confident in who you are and where you are going.  Whether the world agrees with you or not should never be your issue, it will be simply theirs.    

Stretch Beyond Your Boundaries

Complacency in life can lead us to go through days and nights without paying much attention to the details that define the moments through out those periods.  We can rest here at times when we feel we have achieved a goal or a level of comfort that keeps us from taking the next step.  I believe in our youth we tend to be more adventurous and seek to stretch the limits of what our own personal boundaries were.  Then as we settle into adulthood, the stretching may become less apparent over time and we then settle into a daily groove of sorts.  What we cannot afford is to not keep growing and striving to be better, as there is always something new to learn on any given day.  I find it interesting how much information and data our brains can retain and then we hear from scientists who study brain functions that we are not even close to full utilization of this vital organ.  It would be quite interesting to see what we could do to our own capacity, if we were to utilize more of our brain and elevate ourselves into a higher state of being.  However, since those can be conversations and goals that may take a longer period of time to achieve, we should focus on what is at hand on a more immediate basis.  There are usually one or two things that you would like to address personally that perhaps can be done within a more reachable time table.  Do not think about how long the process may take or how much effort you must put into things, instead focus on the feeling of achievement that you will feel once you have accomplished your task.  Then walk backwards from that feeling and allow yourself to plan steps that will get you to that ultimate goal.  Very few people are able to achieve long term plans overnight, it usually requires effort and work.  Stretching yourself to achieve some personal goals should be a common effort that takes place as often as the day changes.  Don't be comfortable with being complacent, as there are too many things that are worth achieving.  Whether it is financial security, optimal health or improved relationships with those that you care for, one can work on many items of interest.  Therefore be resolved to put in some of that work now as you continue to stretch your boundaries.  Remember that your personal growth and capacity has limitless possibilities and ultimately you can live a more peaceful existence when you feel that you have accomplished what you had set out to do.

Awaken

I was visiting my nephew yesterday morning and happened to be there when he first got up.  I picked him up from his crib, as he was not immediately happy to be awake, yet he knew he did not want to stay in his bed.  He came with me and as we sat down in the living room, he put his head on my shoulders as he was not quite convinced that he should be up and about just yet.  It took him a while before he warmed up to the idea that perhaps he should move forward with his morning and then the bundle of energy truly awoke as he scampered about the house not long after.  I thought about this moment and how it mirrors our own stages in life, when we are not fully engaged as we seek to awaken our inner selves.  Sometimes we get caught up in the day to day struggles of living, which can take us from working to caring for family, to this seemingly endless cycle that goes along a lot faster than we are aware of.  At times we can easily loose sight about staying in the present and we may sometimes forget to enjoy the everyday moments that bring us happiness or joy.  At different periods in our lives we may be faced with certain dilemmas that evoke that moment of change that had been needed for quite sometime.  It is interesting how life can make us awaken to these instances, whether we felt prepared for them or not.  It is easy to get caught up in the routine of our lives and before we know it, months have turned into years that have accrued as time has sculpted out your personal history.  We forget that as the living authors of our lives, we can determine what the next experience will be as we plan for the next great stage in our lives.  Therefore, we have to do our best in remembering to be present in the day that we are given and absorb it like a thirsty flower absorbs the morning dew.  When we make a concerted effort to embrace the many things in the day that can bring us joy, our lives become much more fulfilled and at the end of a  long day one can recall much to be thankful for.   So if you are one of those individuals that are going on about your days or weeks without paying a lot of attention to the details of your own life, make it a point to do so.  You will find much more to be grateful for and realize that there are many things that are bringing you closer to who you really are, while crafting the life experiences that you are most attracted to.