Lily
MLK several years ago said "I have a dream!" He then continued to speak, motivating and inspiring a nation and ultimately changing the way we all live. I believe we all have a dream! A dream being, how you see living your life, the way life itself should be! I think many of us can agree that although your life may be good, it is not the dream that we envision. As we continue to move up the ladder and acquire bigger homes, better cars, gadgets and jewels somewhere along the way we still find ourselves feeling a piece missing... What could it possibly be? A beautiful life, family and finances = check! But yet still grasping for something?! I had thought about this question so much. I had a successful career for many years as a corporate recruiter and then mortgage broker. I had attended seminar after seminar learning goal setting skills, sales techniques, business building skills; being motivated by the world's finest. Yet there was still something missing. Something that had nothing to do with money.
Jump ahead several years and along comes my beautiful daughter Lily. When I first found out I was pregnant, shocked would be the understatement of my life. But in hindsight I should have known. I write in my notebooks back to front, I never wrote anything without writing the ending first and I read magazines back to front and then front to back. I am as backwards as they come. Having Lily brought new meaning to my life and that desire to succeed. Now more than ever because someone else relied on me. I wanted to show her that the world is hers for the taking. But I found myself feeling no desire or inspiration to go to work. To sit in my office. But I knew I needed to do something: 1. Because I would never be able to just be home; I have way too much energy! 2. I was a mom and now a wife but I still wanted to be Christi. I just had no clue what that meant. This paralyzed me for a long time! I thought back to my seminar days. Flipping through my mind's filing cabinet like Spongebob cranked up on crabby patties. GOALS! I write a goal list, do a vision board and that will get me where I need to go. Really??? Really Christi?! The only problem is I am an end 1st, beginning next person. So having no idea what I wanted to do I had no flippin' clue what my goals were besides buying and doing a bunch of stuff. So I just started doing a ton of stuff that I enjoyed and working my bucket list. My motto: When all else fails just keep busy, don't make rash decisions and just be! Living in this state of action and being, inspired me. Life, inspired me! Then BAM! (said in Emeril's fashion) things started snowballing and things started to happen. It was nuts! Several roads of my life were taking off. Did Red Bull finally give me wings?? There was/is so much going on in my life, moving in every direction that if I try to think about everything all at once I swear my brain melts a little.
Had I found the key, the answer to finding my purpose; what I need to do to? Action and Being! Of course! It's the ABC's of life! But what was C? Today I know, that C is Caring. I found if I was living my days in this ABC way I was inspired and happy. It seemed like life and opportunity were finding me at every stop. My purpose pirouetting in front of me. Either the Lucky Charms I was eating for breakfast really were magical or my new-found inspiration and appreciation for life were a powerful energy! I no longer felt like I had to find the way. The way was finding me by having no preconceived notions, not limiting myself & by trying new things.
A,B,C... 1,2,3
ACTION! Just keep moving, keep walking YOUR road. Sometimes I walk and sometimes I run. Depends on the day. Just 1 step a day keeps you moving; 1 productive task.
BE! The difference between what works for me and what my seminars taught me is I never look too far ahead. Sometimes the journey is overwhelming so why stress out about what it is you can't yet see. Take it as it comes! Appreciate what is in front of you today, what & who are at your side. If you are always straining to see the horizon you are blind to what is up close. Notice the details of your life. When you look far in the distance you can't make out details. Things appear smaller so they seem harder to achieve. You then lose inspiration. Inspiration in everyday living will keep you walking that road. I promise! Enjoy what each step brings.
CARE! Care about each other, your community, your world! We need to care more! I often times hear the "Take care of yourself first because no one else will" rant and I do believe that to some extent: Financial, Health, etc Yes we need to handle our responsibilities; Keep our houses in order. We should be able to take care of ourselves. But we need to care about what we teach our children, how we live our life, the footprint we leave.
The missing "something" is making a mark; finding your purpose. Fulfilling YOUR dream of how your life should be... at least for me.