Inspired to Reality

Often times I see people struggling with what they want to do with their lives. They are either trying to decide on what to train for or stuck in an unfulfilling job. They feel lost. But there is always a common denominator I see when observing them. They always try to define their world by what they see around them. They look through college course catalogs looking for a fit, or maybe look through the want ads looking for something interesting. Some find temporary answers by this process, but for some I can’t help but wonder if they just settle.

The problem with this approach is it only works when you have things that are the same or even just similar….we are fortunately all unique. Yes, we may all share similar characteristics and experiences, but no two people on the planet share the exact same combination of those characteristics and experiences.

That is why I believe one of the main reasons for unhappiness in people is they try to be something that they are not. Mohandas K. Gandhi once said:

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

It is that balance that fills us with purpose and eliminates the conflict in our hearts. So why is it so hard just to be ourselves? Mostly it is fear. It is comfortable to do something that is known. It is easy to follow the crowd. There are books to read to hear how other people did something. Magazines that show what to wear and how to look and TV shows to tell us what to say. There are classes to go to and predefined paths that can be taken. Paths that have sometimes been well worn and well traveled. Sadly, so many take those paths but look back and always wonder.. “What if?” While other stand motionless unable to decide on which way to go.

What do you have to fear if you were made specifically to do what you were intended to do? In fact, is there any competition for someone to be you? No, since you are the only one that can be that person. So I say let that person out. Let them decide what training or experience you need. Let what is on the inside dictate what comes on the outside….not the other way around. Redefine life on your terms, not by other people’s standards. Don’t worry about what your family and friends think…you have to be the one comfortable in your own skin. Your happiness can only be defined by your standards.

I can say from my own experience that many of my friends and family were shocked by my initial actions. I quit a well-paying job, moved to a remote part of the country and took up farming as a hobby. But it was my life that needed the change….not theirs. Once I did so, I became filled with happiness and optimism. I felt that I could do anything I put my mind to. I cannot say that the task was easy, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat because I am doing what I was made to do and I have never felt more alive. I even created my own company founded on that same uniqueness.

My favorite question from people now is “What do you do?” I just reply, “I wish it was that easy to define.” Then I go into a long list of all the different areas of work I do. I think of the many jobs we have today that did not exist a few years ago. I look to the past and I see the same cycle. At one time, blacksmiths were the pioneers of their time. We can also count on even more new jobs being defined in the future.

So I ask you to honestly ask yourself, “Who are you?” Are you the next inventor that will redefine the world? Are you the next best selling author? Are you a mother or a father? Are you a friend? You define who you are, but there is no doubt there is a reason for your existence. And no matter what others may think or say, you are important and needed in this world. It is just your responsibility to define that place.

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