Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. ~Harriet Tubman
In a recent interview, I was asked, "If today were my last day on earth, and I could share 500 words with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others..."
What a challenge! Here was my 500 word response (as seen on "Inspire Me Today"):
Hope is the knowledge that change is possible, even when it seems hard to imagine. In a world that very much feels like it has been thrown into a cuisinart, there are so many opportunities to be part of the solution. You bring a unique combination of heart and talent to the world that no one else possesses! While the world tends to favor the status quo and conformity, there is so much fun to be had in the experience of living, growing and finding the courage to live a purpose driven, rewarding life.
It won't be without challenges and growing pains, but it is those very challenges and your ability to overcome them that will give you such a tremendous confidence in your own capabilities to adapt to change and succeed! If you embrace the journey, fulfillment will come in knowing that you are doing what you are here to do. You will learn that every stage of your life prepares you for this work - every accomplishment and every setback, a lesson to be learned, making you complete as you evolve in your role of advocating for your life's work and message.
Sometimes the biggest challenge may be believing in your own ability to overcome challenges and to affect remarkable change - in a world that constantly messages otherwise. It is a challenge to silence the noise and the headlines that are constantly pushing the status quo, reinforcing conformity and the norm, and to hear your heart speak. It therefore requires tremendous discipline, strength, courage and tenacity to silence the cultural "noise" in order that you may hear the message that is inspiring you from within.
And as you listen, weighing the pros and cons of whether or not to embark on your purpose driven mission, ask yourself, "What do I have to lose?" Sure, maybe you'd lose "face". But more importantly, ask yourself, "What do I have to gain?" A sense of purpose, of being, of fulfillment, of energy... that will inspire your life and the lives of those around you!
But be aware that those around you may feel threatened by the energy and emotion that you feel towards your life's work, perhaps having not yet found that same energy themselves. They may feel threatened or displaced by your newfound "love affair," as jealous as if you'd betrayed them with a newfound love.
So surround yourself with those that share your passion and embrace them as family. And be grateful for everyone, the naysayers who challenge you and strengthen your resolve and courage, to the support system that nourishes you. Attitude and gratitude can work wonders! And as you write your life's story, it is so important to not make "the perfect" the enemy of "the good". Allow yourself the grace to do all that you can with what you have and embrace the change that the journey brings! And think of the stories that you will one day have to tell of the life you lived!