I bet we’ve all said – and heard others say – statements like this:
“I have to straighten my finances out before I can even think of starting my own business.”
“I really need to resolve the issues in my marriage before moving to where I really want to live.”
“I need to settle into my new job before I can really commit to a diet and exercise program.”
“I’ll write my book once I’ve figured out where my career is going.”
All of these statements are different versions of “Before I can have the life I want, I have to first become someone else.” And this approach to life absolutely doesn’t work.
Actively working on creating the life we want IS what transforms us into the “someone else” we long to be. Starting our own business may well be the very thing that straightens out our finances. Moving may resolve the marital issues. Diet and exercise may create the confidence needed for the new job. Writing the book may be the very thing that brings clarity about the career. Heck, writing books may BE the career we’ve been looking past!
We become inspired with goals and dreams because they are the very thing that will expand and shift our state of Being towards a more complete expression of our Divinity. Let’s be clear: The Divinity is already there. We don’t have to do anything FIRST to express it. We don’t have to become more deserving, or better, or more accomplished or educated. Our own Divinity is directing us towards its self-expression. We just don’t dare believe that it is truly ours, right now, trying to moving us forward towards a life of joy and fulfillment.
Is there anything you think you need to do FIRST – before you can create what you really want? What if you just skipped ahead to the good stuff right now? Maybe taking even a single step towards your desired circumstance is the key to resolving everything that appears to be in your way. Maybe you are more ready than you think.
Blessings,
Andrea
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post, Andrea!
I think a lot of what is holding us back is simply fear. We can imagine all kinds of scenarios in which something we want to do might fail – but we refuse to turn the tables and vividly imagine what life would be like if we succeeded! Fear of failure/fear of success – same diff, right? Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t?
Better to acknowledge the fear and do it anyway!
Fast forward to the end of your life and imagine what it would like if you didn’t take action on your dreams… would you regret it? You bet you will.
I often fall into the trap that I have to do something else FIRST. You have work first before you can play. You have to eat your peas first before you get dessert. Why? Because someone else said so?!
Thank goodness I have a bt of a rebellious streak
Blessings,
Keena
Andrea, your post encourages readers to identift with, “a life of joy and fulfillment,” and this is a very meaningful gesture. Many people are unaware that chasing of goals is unnecessary. From the moment they stop focusing on the future as a desirable destintation, they can begin to realize joy is here now. As a person evolves to believe every experience is meaningful for what it is, then he would not assume he had to skip through anything to get to “the good stuff.” As you say, people are more ready than they think. Sitting quietly doing nothing can trigger unexpected, consciousness or revelations.
Andrea, I loved your post!
Procrastination comes in so many forms! We all have times when we believe we are living “…until ____ happens”, not realizing that our ONLY option is just living NOW. I say, “get support, take action and live your life fully…NOW”!
I think I’ll take my own advice, and yours…onward to the “good stuff”! Thanks for this important reminder to get me thinking…and keep me moving!
Lisa Dennys
http://www.lisa@IntegratedWellnessInt.com
I really needed to read this. I have been in a stuck zone lately and I have been second-guessing my instincts, and trying to qualify them using fear-based standards.
You are right; the first thing I need to do (apart from reading this again) is to engage and enjoy consistent action on my intuition and inspiration, and to be more open to that inner excitement we feel when we are on the right track.
Thanks for this post. It brings up for me how, for a long time, I was convinced that I had to “earn” a great relationship — I had to make enough money, get impressive enough credentials, have a nice enough car, and so on. But then I started to see that feeling as if I’m enough where I am is actually key to having the kind of relationship I want.
I have started living the life I want…I am broadening my “circle” and reaching out and letting people into what I do and what I can offer them…without the fear of rejection (alot of work put in this one) thanks for the uplifting.. kick in the pants.. get going article…smiles Brenda
Yogananda was fond of quoting the words of Jesus rather emphaticly, “Seek First the Kingdom of God, and all this shall be added to you.”
For when you have the Full (Purna), what will you be lacking?
Yeah, I know, I’m a one note song.
We are on the same frequency Andrea. My daily inspiration yesterday was about taking a vacation on “Someday Isle (I’ll)”… if we want to truly live our life to its fullest potential, we need to come back home to reality and take action.
Thanks for reinforcing this Andrea!
How timely! This is exactly what I needed to hear now. Thank you so much Andrea.
Much Love to you,
Rose.
Nice article. I think it was Krishnamurti who said that when we stop the constant “becoming” then we can just be. In my experience, as we become truly present, and release the past, we are in place of utter, goal-less stillness. From this place, life simply flows. Life knows how to live much better than the ego does. All we have to do is to learn to get out of the way.
As others have said, this is exactly what I needed to hear right now! Thank you!! I am currently going through a period of intense changes, and this post has helped open my eyes. I’ve been thinking of several things that I need to do “first”, such as saving up some money, finding a new job, etc. I don’t know if I have the courage to just “up and go”, but at least you’ve helped shift my thinking in the right direction!
Andrea – Two sentences stand out for me:
“Let’s be clear: The Divinity is already there. We don’t have to do anything FIRST to express it.”
These words bring it all home. There is no separation, even though our minds create it. Remembering my Divinity gives me pause. Business as usual doesn’t have the same pull when I pause and remember.
Thank you for your succinct clarity.
Oh, Someday — the word/ the name alone insures that it can’t be today.
“Someday, after I’ve…”
“Someday, when…”
“One day, as soon as…”
One day does something similar.
Conditional future happiness… and joy only happens in the present.
Practicing what I preach, I’ve looked at some of the more subtle ways this creeps into my thoughts and language. It’s not always so obvious. Thanks for the reminder to be on alert for these conditional “if/then” beliefs.
Slade