Why Time

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Be yourself

There is something so magical, so beautiful when you are being yourself. When was the last time you really felt alive, a deeper sense of passion and purpose coursing through your veins? I meet so many people that live their life through the eyes of others. At some point  in time, you knew who you were, what you stood for and who you wanted to be. Then, somewhere along the way, you stopped believing in you. You allowed others to form their opinions of you and those outside voices became the only sounds that mattered. You conditioned yourself to listen to the external voices and opinions of how and who you should be. You let others point a finger at you and tell you you're no good. Their lack of respect for themselves became an energy that your willing to receive. Their needs became more important than yours. Your identity became defined by what you did for others and what others say about you. 

You're greater than that. You know deep inside who you truly are and what happens when you start living YOUR life your way. Your brilliant life is not theirs to live, they have their own. This is your time to be, do and live the way you design it. When you are being yourself, you are feeling alive and on purpose for your life. You start attracting the people and the relationships that need to be there to support you and lift you up. 

Be yourself, because everyone else is taken. 

Don't miss out

When I was in my early teens, I was focused on pursuing a tennis scholarship. Everything about my way of being was focused on this sport and my pursuit of excellence. I lived and breathed this sport, from the moment I woke up to the last thought of the day, being a tennis  star consumed my mind.  My identity was defined by tennis and my ranking in Ontario. When I moved to Mississauga in grade 11, I quickly made friends as a result of this identity. 

As the years passed, I developed more and more severe back injuries that kept me from the game and my pursuit of a US scholarship. What occupied almost my entire child hood and early teens is no longer a part of my identity. I missed out on the opportunities to connect with my peers. I turned down parties and time with friends in exchange for endless hours of practice. I was so consumed with excelling in this sport that I missed out on the game of life. I didn't know how to be present to the wonderful people around me. Although this sport taught me valuable lessons of persistence and passion, it also taught me to look up, pause and be present to all of the beauty in the world. It taught me to breathe in my one precious life and to not miss the moments that take our breath away, sitting on the porch with my love, laughing with my daughters, shining a light on others and inspiring them in times of darkness. 

Life is filled with incredible moments that when you let it, will sweep you off your feet and take your breath away. Being present in every moment, helps you taste, sense and feel everything around you. Pursue your dreams with passion and purpose. Create greater meaning and outcomes for yourself, live with no limits , do it all now as if you had only a short time to live.  Chart the path you crave. Leap into your journey. Taste and drink in every moment along the way. 

Be this moment and you won't miss any more of them.