When I was young, certainly there were times when I wouldn’t have thought I’d be where I am today.
I was challenged in many ways physically, emotionally, and culturally — as many people are to greater or lesser degrees.
But after decades of ‘chasing success’ and trying too hard to prove my worth to too many people, I finally hit that make-or-break moment that propelled me to choose ME. Endured a lot of pain to get there, but what counts is that I did. Yes, it sounds selfish, if conventionally interpreted. But it was actually the most self-full, self-fulfilling, self-loving thing I’ve ever done. I’m more in love with life, more grateful for my life, and more powerful in creating my future than I ever thought possible way back when.
If I Can Do It…
Go ahead, finish the sentence — you know you know the words! Sure, it’s cliché, but it’s also the absolute truth. If any one person can do a specific thing, then anyone can do that thing. Key ingredient needed? Utter. Belief. In. You. You don’t even have to go to the store to buy it because you already have it. It is just behind the curtain, ready to come on stage. The examples of this truth are numerous, in every field of endeavor from the arts to the sciences, from sports to business, and everywhere in between. Think of the fodder they’ve provided for Oscar-winning films.
An Inspiring Life
I adore people doing inspiring things and unabashedly living their dreams. One recent story that floored me is that of Englishman Tony Giles. You probably have never heard of him. He’s not the CEO of a billion-dollar tech company. He’s not a famous actor, rapper or athlete. I don’t even know what he does for a living. So, why is Tony so incredible? Despite the fact that he is blind and partially deaf since birth, he’s traveled on his own to more than 125 countries on 7 continents in 17 years! Do you hear that? That’s the sound of this global expatriate of 30 years, who’s lived in 8 countries, veritably tipping her hat, beret and sombrero to the amazing Tony the Traveler!
Most of us have full use of all of our faculties, and yet we focus on our fears and feelings of lack instead of all our groovy gifts and astonishing abundance. Tony didn’t wallow in “Why me?!” or fear anything or anyone that could hold him back from his dream of traveling the world, even though he couldn’t “see” the sights. But geez, he enjoyed them in every dimension that mattered and got all the help he needed when he needed it. Talk about trust… and possibilities! Too few of us trust… or believe… that completely.
Read more about Tony here: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/despite-being-blind-and-partially-deaf-man-has-traveled-solo-to-125-countries-on-7-continents/
Live The Life You’ve Imagined
Thank you, Henry David Thoreau. His full words of encouragement — Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. — grace my home and office on rocks, blocks and fridge magnets! It’s sad that so many of us humans drag ourselves through boatloads of trials and tribulations before taking the jump in the direction of our dreams. We come into the world as fearless little beings of unbridled curiosity — only to be conditioned by our environment to live “small, safe, secure”… and powerless lives.
Are you blinded by fear? Deaf to the song in your heart? Go on, then, live as is. Forget HD, why not settle for SD? Why would rockin’-a-tune be fun when you could enjoy fingernails on a chalkboard? Rather than devouring tiramisu, wouldn’t a bowl of plain rice be better?
You see, my new dream — My Why, my raison d’être — is to inspire others to discover their innate power, to see what they’ve turned their back on, and to hear the sound of their heart belting out their own rock opera!
I’m living my own Technicolor, sugar-coated, jazzin’ dream of dreams. Don’t you want to, too?! If so, ping me for singing lessons.
