I love this pro-active, empowering statement. “Life is less about finding yourself, it is more about creating yourself!”
Perhaps we aren’t always free to create the exact circumstances in our life, people, places, events and things happen which are outside our direct control - however, we are certainly able to decide what meaning we give to those situations. This alone, can dramatically change our perspective and experience in those times. Let us select meanings that empower us and bring life and find it within ourselves to be thankful for what we do have.
Wow! Who would you (and I) truly love to be? What type of person would we like to be? What would we be doing, giving, creating, sharing, as that person? How would we operate and interact with others as that person? What beliefs would we uphold and nurture in our life?
Thought provoking questions which I love to share with you, simply because I love sharing. I especially love sharing those things which have been of positive input and insight for my own understanding and journey.
Remember: be kind and gentle with yourself.
Being our best self is not about being perfect.
Indeed, we cannot and after all, what does perfect mean to you - and me?? Why would we choose to place this pressure upon ourselves - or others. If we do our best for any given day, that is enough. If we are unwell, tired, stressed, overwhelmed etc etc our best may not be the same as our best was yesterday.
Remember, to do your best at any given moment in time - that is enough. Congratulate and celebrate if you have done the very best you could today. Who could ask for more than our best? (Hmmm: ‘probably only that little monkey chatter voice inside our heads, which feeds the negativity’???)
At different phases and stages of our lives, we are different people in so many ways. Certainly, this has been my own experience. At 75 years young (hee hee hee), I am a different version of myself, than I was at say, 16, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65. Constantly evolving and growing, desiring now to be more of the person I would love to create and be.
In the process of gaining life years and experiences, we will most likely ‘find’ the person we have always been and come to be at peace with ourselves and the world around us. What a beautiful gift.
However, it would have been interesting indeed, to have become aware that we could have a hand in our own life experiences, at an earlier phase! Now, that is something which may give us pause to think upon and perhaps share with our own families, loved ones and those we feel drawn to.
Of course, much of what the world now recognizes as mindfulness, awakening and awareness, was not common knowledge for most people until more recent times.
What if when we were choosing a career, life partner, raising our children, caring for parents, facing illness, death of loved ones, or any other life situation or condition we were experiencing, we were aware we could choose how we got to experience that moment in time???
What would we have chosen, or now choose, if we knew WE were creating our own LIFE experience? HMMMM! Interesting thought.
I do not spend too much time dwelling on what could have been, rather, I look to the here and now, giving thanks and living life to the full each day.
I think most of us have experienced the good, and the not so good times, the happy and the sad times, the ideal behaviour and the not so ideal behaviour, the wise and not so wise choices we have made. This is all a part of our journey in life. If we can become the observers and not the judges, we create an opportunity to choose to begin creating the very best version of ourselves we would love to be, if that is where our heart and spirit is leading us.
With age and experience we have learnt from trial and error, success and failure, who we would now like to be and how we would now prefer to be living. I am aware some people do not like the word ‘failure’. It really is just feedback: when something didn’t go as we would have hoped, wished, desired or planned. It does not define who we are, the same as our past does not define who we are.
WE get to define who we are, by learning from mistakes and choosing differently.
I love how when Thomas Edison was asked about his many ‘failures’ when discovering how the incandescent light bulb would work effectively - and there were hundreds of these instances - he responded by stating, “There were no failures. It was all feedback. Not this way. There is another, better way.”
Note: He did not think or appear to entertain the thought - It cannot be done. Give up! Merely, there is and will be, a different way to achieve a more positive, effective outcome in what he believed was possible.
What an incredible belief and mindset to work with and from. It constantly amazes me how remarkable these people were, and so many still are, today. It appears to us looking on, that no amount of setbacks, seemingly impossible odds, disappointments or disbelief and mockery from others, deter them in their pursuits. Of course, we don’t see their own inward struggles and trials. Perhaps we would admire them even more if we had that insight. However, we do get to benefit and be inspired by their feats and successes.
We often revere these heroes and heroines, feeling as though us ‘mere mortals’ watching and standing in awe on the side lines, could never achieve such lofty heights in our own lives. I believe this is a lie we tell ourselves.
Each of us is capable of far more than we may believe or imagine. We don’t need to be climbing tall mountains and sailing unchartered seas to conquer our own fears, doubts and negativity. We are the heroes of our own story and can most definitely choose to be a better version of ourselves today than we were yesterday. Now, to me, that is an achievable goal worth pursuing.
I love philosophy and psychology, especially for myself and how I may choose to act, react or feel, in different situations. I often say, “Hmmm! How interesting! Now, why did you feel, act or react in that way, Elaine?” I then use 3 words in my desire to do something differently - UP UNTIL NOW!
Up Until Now, I may have thought, felt, acted, reacted thus ??? I now choose. I then choose something of a more positive vibrational frequency to live from, with more love, forgiveness, kindness and understanding This enables me to step back into the space and place of being the person I desire and choose to be, here and now, living from kindness, love, peace and non judgment.
How does this make me feel? Pretty darn fantastic, I must say! haa haa My life experience has become one of gratitude, love, forgiveness, peace and joy with lots of fun, laughter and giggling, no matter what is happening around me.
UP UNTIL NOW! This is a choice I get to make in every situation, circumstance and condition and one that colours my world moment to moment, not based on outside influences, rather on my choices from within. After all, this is really the only place where any significant change can take place, for each of us - deep within our spirit selves.
Not to use absolutes - however, Do I ALWAYS choose what is best. Not Always! However, I have found that by using the tools, making choices that appeal to my better/higher self, it becomes easier to step quickly back into that space and place.
These choices are like using a muscle. If we don’t use our legs and arms, they become useless to us and won’t function to their full capacity. The more we positively use our power of choice, the easier it will become, no matter what!
Taking appropriate action, along with making positive choices is life changing, empowering and keeps us wanting more for ourselves and others.
God, the Universe, Divine Spirit, are grateful for YOU and Me! Feel gratitude for everything in life, even those things that are not how you would hope and wish for. Cherish the preciousness of life and everyone and everything, thus you will be blessed beyond measure and cherished in return.
It inspires me to observe people who don’t have the use of all their physical or mental earthly attributes and yet these incredible souls manage to do, create, go, be and give in ways that are truly amazing and awe inspiring.
I am so thankful for everyone and everything that have contributed to my life journey and brought me to the space and place I am privileged to live in today, right here and now - the ups the downs, the smiles, the frowns and everything in between. You have helped make me the person I am free to choose to be, today! What a gift.
I have known many years of ill health after an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, requiring life saving emergency surgery which did not go well, leading to hormonal haywire and health challenges! Like you, I have experienced relationship struggles, heartaches and trials, lost loved ones, lived, loved, laughed and cried my heart out! I know that without the influence and belief of so many people, I would perhaps experience a different lifestyle to the ‘dream’ I now am blessed to live.
I feel my life has been a gift to me by those who sacrificed much, loved deeply, endured hardships and lived to the best of their ability.
I honour myself, my family, my predecessors, ancestors, my Creator, all that is known and unknown, who have given me the gift of life, to live to the very best of my ability, warts and all and enjoy this earthly journey to the max!
I love my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
My heart’s desire is for each of us to choose to live with love, forgiveness, gratitude, joy, abundance, loads of fun, laugher and giggling, constantly counting our blessings and giving thanks - no matter what!