What could be better than a gift from the heart of a much loved friend?
After a year and more of feeling torn about having the freedom I have always wanted and believed would give me joy, I was gifted a diary titled “Do What You Love”. The title opened something inside me and all of a sudden I had all the permission I could ever need or want to “do what (I) you love”.
I realise that I have harboured feelings of guilt about having the freedom to enjoy myself and do what I want! For so much of our early lives we have the pressure to perform, to provide, to care for others, many of us have forgotten what it is that brings us joy. Such is the conditioning that we have where we are taught to do our duty and work hard and do for others.
It’s important to recognise that things such as having a routine and needing to have tasks to do to keep us busy, afford us a framework of safety to live in. For some, this is what they have chosen, for to move beyond this controlled (albeit controlled by themselves) environment is challenging.
Stop for a moment. Imagine there is nothing calling your time, expertise or attention !
Some days I find myself standing still and thinking, ‘I have the choice to do anything I want to do. What would make me the most happy?’ Now I have to admit that I often have an overwhelming feeling arise – I have no idea what the answer to this question is. However, over time and with a deal of feeling challenged to ‘stay grounded’ in myself and self discipline to not return to a routine pattern of doing routine tasks, I am increasingly finding out what I love doing. Increasingly, I am using the mind and time space I have created to do these things.
It is Love and gratitude that brings us joy – Love for the Earth, the Elements, all Living Beings, Others and Ourselves – knowing and loving ourselves by using our unique gifts is a good place to start. Regardless of our birth circumstances, we were all born to be happy and spread joy in the World. Coming to know ourselves well and use our gifts is the key to making this happen within the circumstances we find ourselves. We have so much to be grateful for. Earth is a place of enormous beauty. Its whole is a complex ecosystem, of which we humans are all a part, works because it is finely tuned to a balance of give and take – a lesson we humans need to be more acutely aware of!
I wish you the joy and feelings of fulfilment from knowing yourself well and doing what you LOVE!
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