The only way you can succeed in life is if you can get through the times you want to give up; and the only way to have the willpower to endure is to be doing something you are passionate about and believe in with your life. Seek what brings you joy, what you talk about to everyone, what you wish you could do, what you would do for free. Do not what you would do if you knew you would not fail but rather do what you want to do even if you fail. That is your life purpose.
That is where you will find success, even if not in your lifetime. Some great art and writing is not recognised as such for hundreds of years after the artist dies. Are you willing to do what you know you need to do, without recognition? That, that my friend is your calling.
Be positive, yes. But sitting at home reciting affirmations you don’t really believe—or heck even ones you do believe—will not get you success in life. You must do. You must act. You must take action.
Be aware that life is a play with many acts. You may create many things in your lifetime. There is no one single thing every person must find to be great. Your greatness is not defined by being the greatest talent in the room. You may be a great friend and mother. That alone is something the world really needs. Do not look to get rich, do not look to become famous, for you may achieve both only to see neither is what you really wanted.
Your greatness may not come from your job, you may have a modest job that provides well that you enjoy enough. No one can tell you that you must leave that to pursue your dreams. You only work eight hours a day. That leaves you lots of time for creativity and passion pursuing.
The struggle to rise is one of life’s most fulfilling, exciting, and enjoyable pursuits. You may not think so now, but I can tell you that once you reach your goal the satisfaction is short lived. It becomes a, “is this all?” sort of feeling. Humanity was meant to be challenged. We are happiest when we are growing, working, involved, passionate and full of purpose. The struggle is the beauty.
The best part of this is that we are all evolving. No one gets to “arrive.” No one is ever so perfect, so complete and so fulfilled that they never need to work or create or learn again. In fact, it is opposite. The more we learn the more we realise that we don’t know what we don’t know. The universe is so massive we will always be propelled forward into our next new adventure. So, enjoy where you are now and what you are doing now, for one day it will be done and you may miss the simpler times.
There is what we think is going to happen, and what happens. It is very important we are clear on what we want before either of these things materializes. Imagine dedicating a decade of your life to something that in the end you did not want. What if you arrive only to find out what you thought was going to be there—love, happiness, fame—is not there. Are you still okay with what you did?
We seek answers, but the magic is in the questions. Ask. Never stop asking. Is what you are hearing true? What if it is not? Then what?
The best place to find clarify, to hear this inner voice, is in silence.
When is the last time you where bored? Childhood? You need to allow yourself quite time to think, walk, bathe, sit outside alone and just allow your mind to think. So many people do not even know what they think because they have never taken the time to sit still and be.
Read for goodness sake, read actual books. Remember that everything your reading may not be true. Question what you read. Take what feels right and leave the rest. You will not—I hope—agree with every word every author writes. That is good.
Sit down with a book instead of your electronics and see what you can fill yourself up with. Wisdom from the ages. You will appear wise for your age when you read. You will learn things the “quick fix -10 minute simplified You-tube video” is never going to teach you. Pick up a real book.
Write. Write knowing no one else is going to read it. This is a great way to sort out your thoughts. It doesn’t have to make sense. You do not have to know what you are going to write, it will come to you, through you. I had no idea what I was going to write when I sat down to write this today, I only knew that if I showed up the words would too.
End your search for the cause of happiness and know that it is in you, now. Happiness is not something we find in situations and material goods. It is in us, available for us every moment. We choose to be happy. In every situation, we choose how we feel. No one can make you angry or happy. Only you can.
Okay, my finger tips hurt from my neurology problems, so I shall end here today. I hope I have given you some things to think about and inspiration. Make today great. XO -ce