In general, I believe that the "how" of things should be left to the universe. That is to say that, once you've committed to do something, the next step will naturally present itself, and then the next step after that, and so forth. It is not necessary to see the finish line, or to become an expert navigator before beginning the trek. It does occur to me though that anyone who has not yet experienced a sense of personal power in their own life might benefit from a push-off point.
It's easy enough to be invited to take ownership of your life. It's also pretty easy to consider how great life would be if you accepted that invitation. I think we can all agree, though, that it's another thing entirely to take that first step. So, we're there. We're in the driver's seat of our lives, we've got a positive frame of mind, and the key is in the ignition. Now what? For most people, now is right about when things get really tough. We start to think some pretty heavy thoughts. "What if I'm no good at this?" "What if I try, and it goes really well for a while, and then something terrible happens and I lose all my progress?" "What if this whole thing is just hogwash?" "My life was okay before. Maybe this will be too hard, or maybe it won't even be worth it." "Maybe I should just count my blessings and not be greedy for a better life."
Woah! We haven't even moved yet, and we've got this whole journey pegged as a sham or, even more astounding, we're convincing ourselves that a path toward personal empowerment is one that we don't deserve taking. Friends, there's a reason why we are met with such inner confusion and negativity the instant we decide to engage our potential. That reason is the one and only actual limitation we as people exhibit. It is called self-doubt. I've never met a person immune to it. But I have met people who overcame it.
Have you ever been fired or laid off from a job? If not, I'm sure you know someone who has. The feeling is terrible. Not much makes us appear less in control of our own lives. Our finances, as well as a certain sense of our identity are most often dependent on our jobs. How incredible that it can all be taken away in an instant. And even more incredible? Someone else - often just one person such as a supervisor or department head - had the power to make such a huge decision about your life.
I'd like you to consider something now. When it comes to your life and how you live it, YOU are that one person. You can take stock of your life, the faculties and principles you employ, and lay off the ones that are not serving you. Let me take a minute to state this very clearly. You are the boss of how you live your life and, if you so choose, you can terminate your self-doubt.
I had a friend in college who once said something to me that I found quite profound. She was dealing with a situation she found rather frustrating and, at one point, she threw up her hands and said, "Why do I let all these things rent space in my head for free?" Although her statement initially came from a place of agitation, it didn't take long for her to see the simple truth of what she'd said. She realized that she had been holding on to thoughts - about others and about herself - that did not help her lead a happy life. She kept those thoughts in her head, calling them hers and allowing them to be a part of who she was, but they offered nothing useful in return.
Friends, I want to say unequivocally that it is possible to live a life unaflicted by self-doubt. That is not to say you will never experience insecure moments. What I am saying, though, is that how you choose to respond to those moments and, ultimately, how long they last, is entirely up to you.
I want to come at this from a place of love. So let me pause for a moment and think of the kindest way to put this...
It's time to wake up now, my friend. The world is waiting for you and you have been sleeping in a bed of self-made limitation. The truth is this: you are an eternal, limitless being whose life creations are wanted and needed by those around you. You can throw off the blanket of self-doubt that has held your potential at bay. You can rise from your slumber and bless this world with whatever offerings you feel destined to give. You can.
And, potentially, there are millions of people who hope that you do...
Just what I needed to read this morning. Thank you.
ReplyDelete