Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life… therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated.
Viktor Frankl
What would it take for you to have more confidence, in your ability to:
make things happen, attract what you deserve, and build your days to fill your cup with peace, love, and abundance?
We’ve become so engrossed in absorbing information from others, that we forget the wisdom that exists within.
There’s so much talk about “the next big thing”, “well, so-and-so said”, and “I heard that”…
As information gatherers, it can become almost too easy to rely on sitting back to listen for what others are telling us is “right.”
There is no silver bullet – it doesn’t matter who you heard it from, who said it, or who tested it. Another person’s truth is never going to be your own.
What happens when we try and build our compass and maps using other people’s stories?
We lose ourselves.
Taking back your power requires elbow-grease. There’s just no easy way around it. If you want confidence, increased self-esteem, and life-conviction,
it requires you to take ownership and responsibility for what is your life and your life alone.
It doesn’t matter what Tony Robbins says, Oprah Winfrey points out – it doesn’t even matter what Lau Tzu or Buddha whispered to be true.
When you listen with an open heart, it also requires you to stand in your power.
Understand that your life requires you to write it. There’s no plagiarizing here.
Here are some simple things that you can do to make sure you filter this reality through your lenses, not someone else’s:
- Yin & Yang. Focus on polarities. For every nugget of truth that exists, is another perspective that balances life. I was brought up in a religious home, and was taught that if I didn’t follow fall into line and allowed the fear of rotting in hell to influence my actions, I would spend all of eternity in suffering. It wasn’t until graduate school that I really began questioning whether there might be an alternative – an alternative explanation for why life exists, one that aligned with my values and my truth. It turns out, religion wasn’t for me after all. Instead, I choose to search for what vibes with my essence and core and integrating what makes sense for me. It requires constant questioning and contrasting thoughts, beliefs, and realities. Ask yourself – for every piece of advice, suggestion, or explanation you receive: what’s an alternative?
- Turn the tides. Create significant ripples in your life by putting things into practice. If you hear a “guru” preaching about the benefits of mindfulness meditation, try it. If a coworker proclaims stretching has increased her energy, try it. What resonates requires practice. Try it on for size, and see if it fits. I tried P90x. I also tried yoga. Neither felt right. Instead, I mix and match things that work for my body: sprints, weights, and boxing. It will continue to change, I’m sure… but for now, I know this makes sense because I’ve tried it, and chose to follow my smile in doing what makes me feel vibrant. Make what you practice your own, add your own variations, or simply toss it if it ain’t for you.
- Give back. When you share what you have (time, resources, knowledge), you help expand this world. When you expand this world, you’re helping to co-create human existence, in this very moment. And when that happens, you begin to realize what it means for you to share your unique talents, skills, and light with the world around you. Paradoxically, by giving back, the world mirrors back to you who you really are. I’ve tried volunteering at all sorts of places in college. The one that resonated most? Volunteering in a prison – I didn’t know why at that point in time, but it turns out, I have a past life related to this experience. Which explains why I value justice and truth. Give back and find yourself.
What does it mean to lead a life that’s yours? One that you define, co-create, and experience? It means you don’t allow this life to go to waste.