So often we reach outside of ourselves to validate our heart's desires. If we don't receive confirmation, we question and doubt ourselves. We may even reject our dreams and pursue only those things others want for us. We may hear our mother's or father's voice, our friend's voice, or that of our partner's. And if all of these voices conflict, we are really confused. If they all line up yet still don't line up with our desires, then we likely think everyone else must be right, and what we want must be too far fetched or just plain wrong.
But the refreshing news is that we each have all we need to make the decisions that are best for our own lives. We have an inner voice or conscience, and it most often steers us in the right direction. The problem is we are taught from a young age that we can't be trusted. We are often conditioned by our parents and other authority figures to trust them but not to trust our very own selves. Essentially, we learn to drown out that inner voice, to trust the outer ones, until we reach a point where we can barely even hear the little voice inside telling us which path to take.
I certainly am not declaring we should shoo off everyone who loves us and wants what is best for us, but I am adamantly saying that what they think is best for us is not always what is actually best for us. "Best" means different things to different people, and I would venture to say the majority of people's idea of best is what is safe and doesn't require much faith. I would go even further to say alot of people make decisions based on fear and don't even realize it. And the problem with fear is that it is never based on reality. It stems from our thoughts of the worst case scenario, a case that doesn't happen 99% of the time. And by choosing a life of decisions based on such fear, we are robbing ourselves of the joy, excitement, adventure, and empowerment that could be ours had we made a different choice.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to rob myself. I don't want to live a life of safety. I often wondered why I've been sort of the one to go against the grain, to do things others wouldn't do, and for so long I thought it was rebellious and self-centered, but I've come to realize it's because I want more for my life than the status quo. The status quo is absolutely boring to me. If we were meant to live such a mundane life, we'd just be existing and not really living. Sure, you can be safe, go to your 9 to 5 job, take care of your family and have a very happy life. But imagine the life you could have if you dared to fulfill your heart's desires and lived out your childhood fancies. Imagine the possibilities and then make a choice to follow through. No excuses. Just live.
What a nice post, I often hear a voice that is not mine coming out of my mouth. It is often when speaking to my kids and it always makes me feel so sad. I have been trying to work on it but it can be so hard. You seem to always post things that are so relevant in my life.
Posted by: Sam | 02/03/2010 at 09:24 AM