Life can be brutal and unforgiving, and I assure you there are unforeseen challenges right around the corner. There are those heart-wrenching days in life when your back is against the wall, and it feels like the world is on your shoulders. You may be someone who is walking a path of greatness afraid, uncertain and "Alone." Maybe you had to let go of relationships to protect your energy; that is okay not everyone will walk this walk with you. Not everyone will be in a place in life to offer support or guidance. Most people are battling their own spiritual battles, fears, and self-doubt. Not everyone is on a path towards self- discovery, self-improvement, and a life of authenticity that adds value to this world. There are people motivated by greed, pride, money, fame and are willing to settle for a life of mediocrity.
What is living a life of mediocrity mean to me? Well, I believe you can have all the financial resources in the world but unless you are using your talents and gifts that God gave you to contribute something meaningful to this world you are living a life of mediocrity.
Why is this important? I believe it is important because we are all born with "Greatness" but "Greatness" doesn't just happen in a person's life. We have to be consistent in our endevour to want to grow, learn, heal and love. When life beats us down and believe me, it will. We can retreat from the world and search within ourselves on how to manage uncertainty, fear and change with grace, wisdom and courage.
We have to remember to remind ourselves "Whose child am I?" and "Why are we here?" The practice of self-reflective inquisitive inquiry will be your saving grace. There will be times when you will have to consciously shift your internal dialogue and say,
"I will not settle for a life of mediocrity. I take responsibility for my happiness. I make a conscious choice to live my dreams. I will have an inspiring existence of infinite potential. I can master myself and love others, and I choose to walk a path of "Greatness."
We can replace self-sabotage thinking with more esteem building dialogue. The practice and discipline of "Great Thought." requires effort and commitment. What is Great Thought? "Great Thought" is a powerful internal narration that can shift your subconsciousness manifesting a life of "Greatness." It is the dialogue we have with ourselves that can contribute to our growth instead of our detriment.
We are all faced with character building moments. I recently lost my mentor during the same week I had prepared to launch my company. I began to isolate and allowed myself to be held captive by worry, fear, and other self-destructive thoughts. It was very confusing time for me emotionally because I had finally reached a goal that I had been working on for the last year; and instead of celebrating my success, I began to withdrawal, grieving silently from the world. In my sadness, I began to combat thoughts of unworthiness, rejection and even failure. I began to allow self-doubt to creep in, stealing my joy of all I had accomplished.... basically extracting the good, minimizing my success and burdening my heart with unreasonable expectations.
I sat in the suffering for a good bit but then I remembered, I have a spiritual responsibility to myself, that I want to be better than the person I was yesterday, that I am committed to my self-growth, self-love, self-improvement and not self-destruction. So then, I decided to use self-inquiry asking myself, "Whose child am I?" I began to practice "Great Thought" and consciously shift my internal dialogue. I remembered I am not willing to live a life of mediocrity, I have been blessed with talents and gifts. So I peeled myself up from the bed and said, "I've got a Dream to live." Then all the fear subsided, the sadness ceased, and gratitude filled my heart, mind, and soul.
Our thoughts can keep us from our Dreams if we let them. We have to remember that "Greatness" requires a certain amount of dedication and relentless determination. That to achieve "Greatness" we have to push through the pain, grow through the struggle and remain steadfast on our journey. We have to tell ourselves that unworthiness, rejection, and failure are not in our thought vocabulary.
I am so grateful for my mentor and the time we shared together. God took someone I loved so dearly, who played a significant role in how I love today, at the same exact time as my gifts and talents of love would be revealed through my company. She loved me until I was capable of loving myself. Now that I have the ability to love myself, I am capable of loving others. She was strong, fearless, and instrumental in my growth. I am sad, and I do miss her, but I owe it to her and myself to celebrate this small victory.
Practice 1
I am more than the visual reflection in the mirror
I am wisdom
I am grace
I have the capacity of intelligent thought
I have the power of reasoning
I am the master of my emotions
I can retrain my mind to be successful
I am harnessing the power of a story that ends with greatness
Acknowledge your greatness take notice of your gifts and talents. Be brave, stay strong and practice the discipline of "Great Thought."
"Picture taking at my Grad School Graduation Party 2015"