I got the music in me... I got the music in me... I got the music in me!
Someday. Someday I’m going to lose weight. Someday I’m going to get into shape. Someday I’m going to write that book, start
that business, make that phone call, apply for that job, make that change. Someday. Someday is a disease that will take your dreams
to the grave with you. I used to sit on
the sidelines of my own life thinking “after I lose weight then I will ______.
(Fill in the blank) How much of my own
life did I truly miss out on because I was waiting for someday to arrive? I spent way too much time getting ready to
live. What if this blog intervention
never happened in my life? What if time
ran out? What if I got to the end of my
life’s journey and wondered if I screwed it all up? I don’t know when my time is up but I do know
today I am one day closer. I
better make it count.
Don’t die with your music still inside you.
Listen to your intuitive inner voice and find what passion stirs your soul.
Listen to that inner voice, and don’t get to the end of your life and say,
‘What if my whole life has been wrong?” Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
When I
die and come face to face with God, I want Him to look at me, smile and say,
“You got it right, girl! Well
done!” I want to make certain I live up
to my fullest potential and I don’t run out of time getting ready to live. I don’t want it to be too late because I’m
still preparing to do it right. We truly
never know when our time is up. The
music inside us is our potential. We may
think we’re not ready but we need to sing before time runs out. A performance that’s not my best is better
than a performance that doesn’t happen because I’m trying to perfect it. If I’m always getting ready, I’ll
never get around to actually doing and “someday” will never come. The homeless happy guy at the end of Pretty
Woman asks a great question. “Hey,
what’s your dream?” That’s the question
I ask myself this week. What’s my
dream? C.S. Lewis said, “You are never
too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” What’s my passion? What’s your passion?
The
word passion is derived from the Latin word meaning to suffer. What are you willing to suffer for? This weekend we are heading to Dan’s first
State Power Lifting competition since he came out of retirement. His last competition was 12 ½ years
ago. He’s suffered through
painful and grueling work outs for months in preparation for this weekend’s
competition. Clearly fitness and power
lifting are his passion. What am I
willing to suffer for? Years ago my true
passion was dance and I would suffer to dance on pointe. That’s ballet and you dance on the very tips
of your toes in special shoes. We would
practice for hours with each and every toe bandaged from bloodied
blisters. I lived and breathed dance for
years but lost my passion for it over the past 30 years. Now that my “someday when I lose weight” excuse is gone I am trying to
find out what my passion is now. How do
we find our passion?
God
gave us all special gifts. I believe
figuring out what our gift is and sharing that gift with the world is our gift
back to God. Finding our passion can
help us determine our gifts. Everyone
has an unique gift, something that is your true identity fueled by our
deepest passions and sense of purpose. This week I searched ways to find our passion
or at least a place to start. Here are six
exercises to begin my quest. I pray to God to show me the way to find these answers. I ask for guidance to lead me down the right path.
Remember when:
Think back as far as you can to kindergarten days or before. The purpose is to take you back before external influences or fears entered the picture. What did you do? What are your greatest memories? What was the most fun? Finding a common thread may lead to something that can fit into your adult world and leave a clue to your authentic self.
Lost in the moment:
What activities do you do that you just lose track of time? What are you doing when you don’t think at all about eating, sleeping, the time or checking your phone? This could point to strong interests and deep passions. Perhaps they happen during particular times at work or when you are doing a hobby you enjoy.
What activities do you do that you just lose track of time? What are you doing when you don’t think at all about eating, sleeping, the time or checking your phone? This could point to strong interests and deep passions. Perhaps they happen during particular times at work or when you are doing a hobby you enjoy.
Phone a friend:
Ask others. Friends and family may observe things in you that you don’t see in yourself. Perhaps their thoughts may confirm things you’ve thought about for yourself or make you see something you never thought of before. Maybe their observations provide clarity for you because of negative self-talk. Questions that will offer clues: "What makes me unique? What do you think I do particularly well? What is my strongest skill or characteristic?”
Ask others. Friends and family may observe things in you that you don’t see in yourself. Perhaps their thoughts may confirm things you’ve thought about for yourself or make you see something you never thought of before. Maybe their observations provide clarity for you because of negative self-talk. Questions that will offer clues: "What makes me unique? What do you think I do particularly well? What is my strongest skill or characteristic?”
Write it out:
Journaling helps to provide insights to your inner thoughts and feelings. I find what works amazingly well is to pray first and then just write, non-stop for a certain number of pages. I started with a minimum of three pages to just see what comes out. Sometimes it feels like someone else takes over the pen and I'm amazed at what appears on the paper.
Journaling helps to provide insights to your inner thoughts and feelings. I find what works amazingly well is to pray first and then just write, non-stop for a certain number of pages. I started with a minimum of three pages to just see what comes out. Sometimes it feels like someone else takes over the pen and I'm amazed at what appears on the paper.
I Dream of Genie:
You are handed a magic lamp. When you rub this lamp a genie appears. He grants you 5 experiences of whatever you want in your life. Make a list of what you say to your genie. This list provides more clues. These experiences on some level represent your true values, your interests, and your passions.
You are handed a magic lamp. When you rub this lamp a genie appears. He grants you 5 experiences of whatever you want in your life. Make a list of what you say to your genie. This list provides more clues. These experiences on some level represent your true values, your interests, and your passions.
The Butterfly Effect:
When was the last time you felt positive butterflies in your tummy from excited anticipation? What were you about to do? These butterfly projects or activities may represent your gift.
These exercises helped me realize that I enjoy doing creative things. Time disappears when I am writing, painting or working on a project to re-purpose some old Goodwill furniture find and turn it into a special treasure for my home. In all honesty, I'm still working on my list of 5 experiences from the Genie. That's a tough one. I did ask Dan questions about what makes me unique, what do I do well and what are my strongest skills. I never thought of compassion and empathy for others as one of my strongest skills but he sees that in me. I can honestly say that this blog is the first thing in a very long time that I've felt true passion for. I get butterflies in my tummy each week when I'm about to post a new post and share my feelings from that week with others. I don't get too nervous, worried what people will think feeling, as much as anticipation and hope that something I may say may help someone else struggling with the same thing as me that week. That feels good. I'm going to follow the passion for my blog and see where the road leads.
I know Dan is excited and nervous about the meet this weekend. His mission is to inspire other young athletes to show them that drug free is the way to go and that through God, all things are possible. I see the young guys from the gym flock to him because the weights he lifts are quite impressive at any age, what alone at 51. I've watched God bring all of these young people into his life to coach and mentor. Their eyes light up when they ask Dan for advice and they even call him "Coach." All of this happened the moment Dan heard the calling from God to step our of his comfort zone and into his passion, his gift, his dream. No matter what happens this weekend Dan's already won.
Eleanor
Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their
dreams.” I think that often dreams seem impossible. If we believe in them hard enough they grow from possible to inevitable. Maslow said,
“You will either step forward into growth or you will step back into
safety.” I'm making it my mission to keep stepping out of my comfort zone and into my dream because I no longer will say "someday." I may sing completely off key and perhaps sing the wrong song at first but I have to get this music out of me!
Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.
~Dr. Steve Maraboli
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