There are so many things I want to do in this lifetime. It seems that with the passing of each year, I gain a greater appreciation for myself and for all that my life has to offer. When younger I struggle as to who I was and worked too much on gaining the approval of others. Now the struggle seems less personal and I feel a positive sense of self-acceptance. Ram Dass a great teacher puts it this way, “When I was younger I was run by my neurotic desires and emotions. Now that I am older I just sit and have tea with them.”
Life along the way has its ability to grow you and I as human beings. We come into this journey very small and fragile. Growing into our adult size bodies can come with lots of bumps and bruises. Then we go out into the world of career and try to accomplish what we think we should. We create a family and become responsible and try to do the right thing. This right thing is very conditioned and somewhere along the way we may actually question who we are, what we want, and can we be ok with being our unique self?
This questioning is a very important phase. This is when you as an individual is reborn. You know there is something different in you that won’t let you be part of the mass conditioned herd. If you have ever read Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, then that is what I am talking about. You step into a place of self-exploration and you leave the pack behind. This takes courage and an acceptance of self despite your differences from others. Joseph Campbell calls this the Hero’s Journey. This journey is one of following you unique expression and purpose. No one else ever has had you unique calling, your exact purpose.
Now at this point in your life, you want to realize this purpose as much as possible. If you have separated yourself from the group think, you know there are things to do and you feel you are here to do your part. The planet, your country, your family all need you to be you as fully as you can be. There is an expansive heart and a great inner strength in you waiting to be called into action.
Start with a radical acceptance of who you are. There is simply no one else like you on the planet. Stand in front of the mirror and realize your uniqueness. Look into you eyes and recognize the special genius you were given to accomplish your mission. You might be a great people connector, a visionary, a leader, a source of inspiration to others, an innovator, a creative artist, a compassionate human being, an idea generator, a social change artist, a master investor and money maker, a philanthropist, a kind friend, a peaceful spirit, a teacher of consciousness, a builder of dreams, or any of an unlimited number of other possibilities.
Most likely you are now growing into this mission and the realization of who you are and where you want to go with this life. Everything else is secondary to you pursuit of this self-realization. Yes those you love are very important. Your love for them however is lessened if your love for yourself and your journey is compromised.
Consider this, if you were to commit fully to this heart filled purpose, what would you do today to move your mission forward? What do you need to do to take this life of yours to the next level of realization? Where as a person do you need to grow to accomplish what you are here to do?
Know this without a doubt: you were given all the tools you need from Day One to accomplish what you are here to do. Trust yourself; pay attention to you inner callings, your intuitive knowing and you will always be shown the way. A radical self-acceptance of all you are and all you are guided to be is what is called for here. Are you ready? Of course you are.
Here are few inspirational quotes from the great mystic poet Rumi. Enjoy, expand and realize.
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.”
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
“Only from the heart can you touch the sky.”
“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.”
“You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?”