“Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks.
Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned;
Perhaps she won’t suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow.
But when the person looks back – and at some point everyone looks back –
She will hear her heart, saying,
‘What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days?
What have you done with the talents God bestowed on you?’” – Paulo Coelho
This morning as I was driving into work I was fortunate enough to see a beautifully bright and burning red sunrise. I looked over and there it was, a glowing red circle just peeking into the morning sky; I knew then and there that this was going to be a good day; this was a sign. I could feel the burning from the pit of my stomach all the way up into the deepest cavity of my chest (and I’m not describing heartburn). This burning sensation is caused by the desire of my passions. I was overwhelmed by the excitement that had suddenly flooded my entire soul; I wanted to stop the car at that exact moment, pull over and write feverishly what I had been feeling (now thinking about it, I wish I would have done just that). But by no coincidence whatsoever, I found myself confronted with these emotions later in the day as I discussed such matters like dream jobs, hobbies etc… with my mom. As we were driving home from a delicious dinner, she asked me, “Does it ever bother you that I’m not like you? You’re first thought is always thinking about what you can do for others and mine seems to be what I want to do for myself”
I was horrified; I never intend to make anyone feel like less of a person for the choices they make versus the choices that I make, let alone my own mother, however here she was asking me this difficult question. ‘How do you respond?’ I thought to myself. ‘The only way you know how.’ came my reply. “Of course it does not bother me that we are different people and choose to live our lives differently. Something that you must remember is that you are who you are for a reason; there is only one you, and you were created for a very special purpose. Your purpose and my purpose are not one and the same, therefore our choices will differ. Live the life that God created for you and that is to be yourself. You cannot try to be someone that you are not and fulfill your role in this life. As Martin Luther King once said, “If you were meant to be a street sweeper then sweep streets so well that others will say, here lived a great street sweeper…” I went on to tell her that when you partake in an activity for the sake of another person then you are not doing a service to anyone, you must choose to partake in service that is right for you, not right because it’s left by someone else.
Sometimes I think that we tend to get caught up in the spider web of words, entangled in pointless meanings and definitions, never truly able to find our way out to the real truth behind the word. As I told my mom, just because what you are doing does not have the word, “volunteer” or “mission” or “service” either preceding or ensuing it, it does not mean that what you are doing is not worthy, or enough, or making a difference. When you choose to live the life that God created you for you are doing all those things, you’re volunteering your heart and soul to allow others in; you’re fulfilling your mission on this Earth and you are being a service to others as you give them permission to be live the life that they were designed to live. Follow your heart, listen to your soul and never give up on your dreams. You are who you are for a reason and we all must remember that because of that, this world is a wonderfully unique place!
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” – Lao Tzu
“I wondered what gifts we don’t put into the world because we are afraid of the response we might get.” – Patti Digh Life is a Verb
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