A teacher cannot give you the truth. The truth is already in you. You only need to open yourself – body, mind and heart – so that his or her teachings will penetrate your own seeds of understanding and enlightenment. If you let the words enter you, the soil and the seeds will do the rest of the work.”
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
It’s a cleansing rainstorm here complete with the thunder and lightening spectacular. Just before it began, I finally put the cucumbers in the ground. I also have mint, romaine lettuce, cilantro, parsley, basil, culantro, a tomato plant, passion fruit, dwarf papaya and macadamia trees. I’m unsure how well they’ll thrive with the sandy soil we have here. I though I’d try planting some pepper & date seeds in pots.
I’ve spent the past 4 years living out a suitcase! I’ve yet to “grow & establish roots” in any one location that has felt permanent during this time. Hence why, this is the first time I’ve been able to plant a small garden. Of course, I do have a home I can return to with family in the sunshine state so, I’m not destitute – though, even this doesn’t feel like it’s where I’ll be for long. The miracle of a seed sprouting and transforming into Mother Earth’s Bounty ~ a live plant, tree, or herb and that has the power to nourish and sustain another life while regenerating if cared for properly. Is there any doubt or wonder how we don’t see ourselves in this same way?
As I hear the rain falling, I think of all the amazing insights I’ve had over the past week. Some people have been fortunate to hear them spew forth in conversation while I scurried to write them down just to keep up with it all. I’ve recognized how far I’ve evolved over the course of my life through all my experiences and where I am today. Compared to what many may have viewed as my most successful professional moments, my life was not nearly as vibrant and fulfilling as it is now!
Let me ask you all to ask yourself these questions:
~ How do you view your life?
~ Are you happy and fulfilled?
~ Can you map out your life and see a theme or any repeated patterns?
~ Do you recognize yourself from where you were 10, maybe 15, or 20 years ago?
~ Did you set Goals for yourself? And, did you achieve them?
~ Do you see what thoughts/seeds were planted in your life and how they grew?
~ How were they cared for or tended to?
Sometimes we need to step back and review our life.
Make a list of all of your accomplishments and, if you were goal-oriented, if you achieved what you’d set out to do. How did it feel when you achieved each of your GOALS, accomplishments?
Write down your barrier thoughts, and then consider ways to reinterpret the situation. In the process, ask yourself questions like… What else could this situation or experience mean? Can anything good come from it? Does it present any opportunities for me? What lessons can I learn and apply to the future? Did I develop any strengths as a result?
~ Sonja Lyubomirsky from The How of Happiness
I remember many times over the course of my life making lists of goals and I achieved them all. It felt amazing at the time and even looking back, I am so grateful for the strategy of setting and accomplishing. But then, at one point I found myself at a loss ~ I hadn’t made any new goals!
At that moment I knew I really needed to reevaluate My Life!
I know I’m not the only person who has gone through this sense of feeling lost in the world and not knowing what to do so I invite you to consider taking the time to reexamine your life.
Sit down with pen and sheets of paper ~ write everything that comes to mind everything you ever wanted to do in your life on one page, or more in many cases. *** Don’t worry if it sounds silly because “no thing” is impossible! On another page, write down all the things you have done you never thought you’d do. Now, this may take some time but be patient with yourself!
When you’re ready, look over both & put stars with the ones that correspond and match each other. Do you come up with any you didn’t achieve on your first list? Are there things you have done you never even considered on your second list?
How does this exercise make you feel? I suggest keeping a journal to track how you feel so you can determine if it resonates with who you are and if it will aid in serving your passion, your Purpose.
Many years ago someone said to me, “Marianne, you’re so hard on yourself. And the reason you’re so had on yourself is because you’re so easy on yourself.” It was one of the wisest things anyone has ever told me, and it has guided me ever since.
Sometimes we’re too easy on ourselves, lacking self-discipline and giving ourselves slack and in places where we simply shouldn’t. Then we’re loaded with guilt and suffering! The only way to end the torture of self-condemnation is to try to live a life that earns your self-respect.
~ Marianne Williamson
Now, there’s something you can do to reignite your passion. Set aside time for YOU, make an appointment with yourself ~ this can be daily, weekly, or however you feel will most benefit you but most importantly, it must be honored, respected, and a date and time you will be present for YOU. Not everyone can meditate, as this is when I find my most inspirational messages come through, but what I suggest is find books, videos, audios of people who inspire you and you would want to glean wisdom from.
I’ll use an example of one, Jack Canfield is one I admire. I’d read the Chicken Soup for the Soul books and never realized his story until one day in the library I came across The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. There is a wealth of information in this book and I highly recommend it, there is also an audio version if you prefer. If you click the link to his website, you can register for a free mentorship and get access to free Goal-setting tools.
I also have attended Anthony Robbins‘ Date With Destiny and this really catapulted many of my shifts. It was exactly what I needed to start to recognize where my life story had originated, how much was mine and how much was emulated from my parents. For me, as with many others, there was a LOT of Healing I needed to work on ~ and I still am working on this now!
I know there are plenty of motivational resources available that will resonate with you. If you are interested in more of what I’m using or have used in the past, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments.
Everything, a horse, a vine, is created for some duty. For what task, then, were you yourself created? A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for.
A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for.
~ Marcus Aurelius
I invite you to find what modality works for you because once you start making shifts in your own life, everything will take on a new perspective and the world will feel like a new place filled with opportunity! It’s all about planting the seeds of change and cultivating them so they can grow.
Your mind will be like its habitual thoughts; for the soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts. Soak it then in such trains of thoughts as, for example: Where life is possible at all, a right life is possible.
~ Marcus Aurelius
I hope my writings inspire you to find ways to reignite the spark you may be missing or just excite you with endless possibilites, as I know I’m always looking for ways to maintain my childlike enthusiasm and keep motivated.
As gold or silver first covered with Earth, and then cleaned shines full of light, so the embodied man seeing the Truth of the Atman (soul) as one, attains the Goal and becomes sorrowless.
~ Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
I wish you much success in actively finding and refining your Life’s Purpose through Planting Positive Seeds of Thought and Action, by Seeking your Soul’s Passion, establishing Goals and setting milestones, Nurturing YourSelf, and Growing from the Process, aka, Your Journey!
~♥~ May the In~Spirit~ation Rise from Within YOU! ~♥~
♥ ♥ ♥
~ Lana
For more ideas on how to cultivate your Purpose, check out these 12 Happiness Activities on Brian Johnson’s en*theos site
We think in generalities; we live in detail.
~ Alfred North Whitehead
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