Inspiraelevation

Acceptance and commitment to design are the keys in this year, 2020.

1st goal is to accept yourself in entirety.

Walk boldly, and don’t be ashamed of those things that make you human, embrace them.

“How you feel about your abilities shapes your willingness to tackle challenges and finish difficult tasks. It is a crucial element in your motivation and confidence (Gladwell).

Shore up your strengths and work to shift your weaknesses, use them to build an advantage.

It is time to stop building the dreams of others but to be the architect of your own dreams.

Go from becoming to being.

It is more than possible for we are light. We are energy. We have been gifted with the mental power to achieve if we believe.

Determine who you are, what you want, and act.

Gladwell Malcolm (2013). David & Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling 

     Giants. NewYork: NY, Penguin Books.

I grew up wanting to be somebody wanting to do something great in the world. I never quite knew what that entailed. I never quite knew what the word greatness meant.

What would it look like when I got there?

What would be the exact route?

I just knew it was required of me and not only did I need to acquire it but I wanted it. I did not want to be just another blip on the radar of life.

That’s the thing when you are young no one quite tells you how to be great just that you should strive to be. You are left to look around you for the answers.

And in this life, if you don’t have a direction early on most will make you feel as if you might as well just settle for a life of average.

That was problematic for me.

But, I did not know what would make me great.  And time seemed to pass quickly. So, I looked to others.

I had many people tell me what great wasn’t. And I knew I never wanted to be those things because in my limited understanding that would assuredly make me a failure.

I just never had clarity.

I had the will.

I had hope.

Ironically,  the things I most wanted to do were the things that I was told I should give up on because I would never be great at them. Therefore, I struggled.

And those voices stayed with me.

Beware of the opinions of others. Never let it occupy to much space in your mind.

My purpose was fueled by the desires, expectations, and beliefs of others.

 “You are great at this not so great at that.”

“You will never be able to that.”

“You should do this instead.”

Because I let others walk through my mind with their dirty footprints, I lived most of my young life with a healthy dose of skepticism and fear.

I constantly held myself back.

Sometimes fear is all it takes.

I was driven but uncertain.

When I stepped out but failed those voices would play in my head and mock me. And I became more and more afraid that those voices were right about me. I was in constant conflict with myself.

At times I would tap into my inner strength and fight against the grain to prove those voices wrong. Sometimes I would win but more often than not I would fail. It was a vicious cycle that fed my fear. That made my dreams shrink a little.

This cycle continued throughout my life.

My hopes would swell and then an obstacle would pop up.  And every time my dreams got smaller and smaller. At some points in my life, I stopped dreaming altogether.

But, I didn’t stop moving through life. 

 At the same time, my life kept expanding. This kept me grounded and moving. It kept my dreams from drying up altogether.

Upon having children I  slowly began to realize that my life was suddenly not just an experience for me any longer but it was a lesson for my children. But it took me a while to fully recognize it. 

And the lessons I taught in my growing process weren’t very good ones.

Be Careful with how you live your life someone is always watching.

Because I know longer dreamed out loud and in color, because I folded my dreams within myself and just kept on moving, I  was telling them in no uncertain words it was okay to do the same.

Now sometimes, I look at my children and I am deeply saddened.

I am not even sure they know what the importance of dreaming is. I am not sure they know how to reach or even have the desire to do so.

I see them moving through life but that is what they are just doing, just moving, just riding the wave.

But, I want more for them and for others.

Never too late to start dreaming! It’s never too late to set an example!

Here I am trying to not only fulfill a dream but to leave a lasting legacy.

 Choosing to dream is about more than just me or you being great its about extending a lifeline. It’s about leaving a legacy that will inspire others to be more, do more, and reach beyond what they believe is their potential. 

That is how I want to create the change I wish to see in the world.

From time to time we all require a check-up, to assess if everything is working correctly, to ensure that there is no illness or hidden issues that require our attention. This applies to every aspect of our lives.

Sometimes when we look close enough, ask the right questions, we can get to the root of our ills. We can identify those things that are holding us back. And then cut ourselves loose from those things that don’t benefit us.
If not cut away, those things metastasize and can cause problems in other parts of our lives.

A few months ago, I had to make such a decision.

I was given the opportunity to be a part of a start-up.

Although there was promise, something was missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Anxiety ran deep. I found myself frustrated a lot. I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but despite the possibilities, I just wasn’t driven.

The real revelation came after two amazing opportunities presented themselves. These opportunities were just what was needed to give the start-up a good push. To take advantage of these opportunities would take a bit of work, however, they were excellent opportunities that could mean big things for the start-up. I took the ideas and presented them to the small company.

Given our goals and needs, I thought the opportunities would drum up excitement. But that was far from the case. In fact, the proposals just sat there. No one made a move to take advantage of the opportunities. Some weeks passed. When the members met again the same issues that would have been addressed by taking advantage of the proposals was still on the table. At that point, my frustration exploded. It was then I realized there was a problem, one in which I needed to excise.

I could not be a part of the startup any longer. I was not motivated. Nothing moved me. The frustration was greater than the vision. Sorely, nothing moved the others in the start-up either. Apathy spread like a virus and it was seeping into other areas of my life.

I had to excise that from my life. I was much better for it.

As I write this, I hope that the others will have had the courage to do the same. Because, what you are not driven by, will drive you, and not in a good way.

We all need from time to time to stop and assess the health of the things we are involved in. This will ensure that we remain whole, healthy, and happy.

If you are not willing to do what it takes to realize a dream.

If an opportunity does not fire you up?

If you let opportunities that could propel your dreams just slip through your fingers, you have to ask yourself an important question.

Is this really what I want?

Not until you can ask yourself the important questions, get rid of those things holding you back, and be willing to take advantage of the opportunities given you; then you will not be successful in the endeavors you put forth.

 

 

Sometimes the hardest thing is to come to terms with, is reality. There is a big gap between how we see ourselves and who we actually are.

Acceptance is not always easy.

Many people talk about gaining acceptance from others. But one of the hardest things is learning to accept yourself, being happy with who you are, and not giving in to the pressure to conform.

It is truly difficult.

 

I have heard so many stories recently about people who have had to come to terms with something in their lives.

In every story, these people speak of the struggle before the triumph. They recount tears,  fears, anxiety, and the feeling of inadequacy before the victory.

The struggle is real.

And then, there are some that make self-acceptance seem easy. They try to tell you how you should feel. How you should be right then and right there.

But we all travel our own individual journeys. Don’t let anyone make you feel less than because you have not made it to the stage of total acceptance.

Even total acceptance is a process.

While victory, success, or happiness may be on the other side, it takes a lot of strength to get there. And,  you are certainly not weak because it is taking you a little bit longer. You are not less than because you have not reached the level that others have.

It’s okay if it takes time. It’s okay if your journey is a little bit longer.

 

Just be sure to love yourself along the way.

Do the hard things a little bit at a time.

Take one step.

Make one move.

Remember, you don’t walk alone.
And sometimes if you have to stop for a little bit, stop and rest.