I attempted to find a Middle Eastern dancer in a lovers embrace, holding hands with a man for my picture...some type of image that would reflect more than one side of me in relation to this article I'm sharing with you, so let's just pretend he's lying on a blanket with a picnic basket below looking up into the sky, lol! What do I want to see in my life? What do I envision? I envision myself holding onto the things I love to do (continuing my studies in dance for example), that are unique to me, yet without failing to let go of the importance of what love means to me and all that I have to share with a romantic partner. I know I've made the mistake in the past of thinking I can only have one or the other; passions in dance and/or career, or love. I have closed myself off thinking that I cannot manage both and therefore do not deserve both, hence, not realizing my full potential in either area of my life. This daily meditation from Living Life Fully that I have attached to share with you has inspired me to reflect on what it is that I have been (or haven't been) doing to see my dreams realized. The two most important things to me in life is to do something that I love for a living, therefore better serving myself which will allow me to better serve others AND to be in a loving, strong, joyful and healthy relationship and build a family. Opportunities of exceling in the first category and also finding love have both been presented in my life and I have shied away from them, but why, if both is what I want? It's because I'm at a constant tug of war of which to choose when I really should be practicing the balance of both in my life; we all deserve to love, it truly is the strongest and most positive motivating force; we all deserve to do something we love, that's what will make us feel our best and be our best for the world and people around us. There are several factors involved with my slow progression and they are all attached to fear; fear of doing well and being labeled as showy and my humility no longer being seen, fear of not doing what I love in my life, fear of romance taking away my identity, yet fear of never finding that romantic love, fear of loss, fear of losing simplicity in my life if I succeed in my professional endeavors, fear of living a life that is mundane and not fulfilling my dreams if I give in to love and it fails...fear, fear, fear and more fear, fears that contradict one another and the horrible idea that just one thing should possess all of my energy. I have allowed so much fear to attack the things that I love, which in nature is simply beautiful, so there is no reason to fear it.
My Conclusion:
We are presented opportunities for a reason, and it is because we ARE worthy. Whether or not we neglect other aspects of our lives lie in our own hands because we are the ones in the driver seat and responsible for the decisions we make. Therefore, when we fear these things, what we truly are fearing are ourselves. Let LOVE be the vehicle you drive in and not FEAR. Try to let go of what others may be thinking of you. You can still be successful without being arrogant and doing well doesn't make you a show off. You can still have healthy and loving relationships while maintaining a career if that's what you want. And we ALL deserve it, but it's up to us. As the saying goes, "it could all be so simple, but we'd rather make it hard." As of right now, I'm going to eliminate the latter part of that statement and work hard at keeping it that way and put all my loving energy into reaching my full potential and I wish the same for you! xoxo everyone :)
Meditation from Living Life Fully Pasted Below
Today's Quotation:
Become aware that you already possess all the inner wisdom, strength, and creativity needed to make your dreams come true. This is hard for most of us to realize because the source of this unlimited personal power is buried so deeply beneath the bills, the car pool, the deadlines, the business trip, and the dirty laundry that we have difficulty accessing it in our daily lives. When we can't access our inner resources, we come to the flawed conclusion that happiness and fulfillment come only from external events. That's because external events usually bring with them some sort of change. . . . We can learn to be the catalysts for our own change. . . . you already possess all you need to be genuinely happy.
Sarah Ban Breathnach
Today's Meditation:
Why haven't I given myself credit for the qualities that I possess? Have I been afraid of being arrogant? Of seeming to think myself as superior to others? Have I been trying to be humble and modest, while all the time sabotaging my potential because I wouldn't admit just how truly valuable I am as a human being? Have I let the things of daily life bring me down so much that I've been trapped under a mountain of worries and stress-causing problems? If so, what a tragedy that is! Not just for me, but for the people in my life who might have benefited greatly if I had reached my full potential. There are many people who might have been more encouraged, more confident in themselves and in me, more relaxed and at ease because I was close to reaching my potential rather than struggling to try to escape from all the problems that were keeping me down. My "unlimited personal power" that Breathnach talks about has been limited by outside sources and my own limited perspective, rather than allowed to be a major part of who I am. My own choices play a large part in this, I know. I'm probably going to leave my current job because there's no empowerment there for me at all--I'm strongly limited in what I can do. But for the last four years, I've watched my ability to help others diminish significantly, and I have to choose between continuing to do work that limits me and moving on to something that's more promising, even if it means sacrificing things like insurance and pay into my retirement account. It's not the job that's keeping me unsatisfied, but the fact that I haven't left the job to look for something else that allows me to reach my potential. Personally, I haven't grown up with influences that focused on my personal power and potential, so I've had a hard time focusing on it as an adult. It's a lot of work, to be honest, but work that's well worth it. You are a very valuable person, just as valuable as world leaders and doctors and lawyers and other people who are constantly in the news. Your value may not manifest itself in the world arena, but when it does manifest itself, you can be sure that it provides a great boost to people other than yourself. Strive to reach your potential, not just for yourself, but for the others who will be positively affected by your actions when you've acknowledged just how valuable you truly are.
Questions to ponder:
1. What kinds of things keep you from seeing your own value?
2. Can you think of any concrete methods for pulling yourself away from the influence of these things and focusing your energy on more positive things?
3. Do you believe that you possess all you need to be genuinely happy? If not, are the things that are missing outside things or inner things?
For further thought:
You cannot fail at being yourself. A cat doesn't try to be a tiger, and you shouldn't try to be something you aren't. You are a process, not a product. Your job is to discover what you are and to create that creature. You still won't be perfect, but success isn't about perfection--it is about authenticity. You are a success if you are being your real, authentic self.
Bernie Siegel
