Laurens van de Post told us, “Life
is its own journey, presupposes its own change and movement, and one tries to
arrest them at one’s eternal peril.” I first came across this quote when I was
a student at Dalhousie University, and it has stayed with me ever since.
And this journey … There have
been character-building times when the very essence of who I am has been
challenged. I had to stop and ask myself some hard questions: Am I where I want
to be? Am I being true to who I am? If not, what’s changed? And how can I get
myself back on track? There have also been good times when I’ve felt like I’ve
made it to the top of Mount Everest —
I had arrived at the top of my game and the world could hear me roar.
I thought that it was time to, once again, take stock of life, my life: Am I the person I had always hoped to be? Am I moving confidently in
the direction of my dreams? Am I being true to myself, and the values I hold
dear? With the assistance of Awaken the
Giant Within, by Anthony Robbins, I was able to evaluate my life. After reading
the book and completing the exercises that were most relevant to me, I was
reassured that my life is on track. I am
happy — with my
life and where I am. Is there room for improvement? Are there changes I could
make? Absolutely!
Am I the person I had always hoped to be? Yes. And as I continue
on this journey, I hope to remain faithful to my credo: Speak in truth. Act
with integrity. React with conviction.
Be committed. Love unconditionally.
Smile. Laugh often and
much. Balance home and work. Look beyond what I
can see and see beyond. Believe in myself. Believe in others.
Prioritize
and do what must be done and enjoy.
Am I moving confidently in the direction of my dreams? Yes and no. I
realized some time ago that my confidence had been shaken a bit after the publication
of my first novel. While I kept writing, I stopped submitting my work for
publication. Rejection became an almost in surmountable fear. But I understood
that the key to my “recovery” lay in my writing. I had kept on writing, day in and
day out. I continued to do what I wanted to do and felt called to do. Do you
know what? In the last week alone I’ve submitted a novel manuscript to five
publishers. Writing is my passion, my life, my modus operandi, and I’m going to work tirelessly and stubbornly to
achieve my dream.
Am I being true to myself and the values I hold dear? Ninety-nine
percent of the time, yes. When I asked myself, “What was most important to me
in life?” the values that guide my life were these: Creativity, Cheerfulness,
Love, Health, Honesty, Intelligence, Happiness, Gratefulness/Thanksgiving,
Passion, Success/Accomplishment, Financial Security, Awareness and Influence. These
are my values, and they keep my
grounded and hold me accountable for who I am and how I want to live my life.
I love how Marianne Williamson
puts it in A Return to Love: “Our
deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are
powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens
us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?'
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small
does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that
other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as
children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light
shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are
liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Glad you are on track! Thank you for taking us on the journey with you. We are very proud of you.
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