At some point in our lives some of us begin to question our calling, our purpose and our passion. Sometimes those questions we have and the answers we seek become clouded and influenced by the societies in which we live. We allow money, others judgments, the pleasures and the pressures of society to influence our path instead of discovering our own.
“If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise.” ~Johann von Goethe
I am at the point in my journey when I begin to question choices and the paths I am taking. Fortunately, by the incredible Grace of God, our life experiences are a part of our journey and teach us even more about ourselves, they don’t count as strikes against us. My Purpose… To Explore, To Discover, To Learn, To Grow. My journey is my passion and purpose, as well as the journeys of my children. Do you agree?
“Learn to… be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not.” ~Henri Frederic Amiel
With this life theory, I battle with a guilt of sorts, a feeling of selfishness- however I am quick to push it out of my mind. I believe the guilt comes from the external, not internal, worrying about the judgment of others and societal pressures of being the typical “Super Mom”, “Super Wife”, “Super Woman”. Truth be told, I am Super Mom, Super Wife and Super Woman and so are you! From the outside in Women are bundled into a stereotype of who society thinks they should be and how they should live, and unfortunately we are not always strong enough to break those stereotypes. We are all super in our own way if we believe we are! As women we have so many facets of our lives, experiences, responsibilities, outlooks, expectations, approaches, pressures and influences- we are all different! What is a stereotype anyway? A generic term for a lack of true adjectives!
“There is just one life for each of us: our own.” ~Euripides
We are all different, no external judgment could possibly be accurate, therefore it should not influence us and prevent us from living! No one can see inside your soul, your heart and read your mind- EVER! Life is about being comfortable with yourself…Life is about Living Passionately, Growing Internally, Being Selfish, Not Living Externally. We have to learn to recognize those influences that could be altering our paths of passion!
If we lived our lives in the same way, how would the world have culture? Would our children grow up to be Artists, Chefs, Writers, Computer Scientists, Engineers, Biologists, Doctors, Entertainers, Accountants, Archaeologists, Government Officials, Historians? Or would our society would be over run by “Prototypes”, instead of passion filled souls? I believe we are born with natural strengths, and interests we acquire through experience and exposure… That is how our passions are discovered!
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” ~Dr. Seuss
As parents it is our job To Explore, To Discover, To Learn, To Grow with our Children. We infuse our children with the confidence to find their passion through Experiences, Journeys, Teachings, Guidance and Reasonable Freedom. Through living we will influence our children to live passionate lives of purpose, not Prototype! Remember, what would our world be like without souls and minds from every walk of life? Would we have those who loved to educate? Museums brimming with art and artifacts? Restaurants with incredible food? Movies to watch? Books to read? Sports to watch? Doctors to keep us healthy? Wonderful wines to try? Of course not! Would we be able to express our individuality?
My personal journey is my purpose and passion. I am choosing a journey that is right for me- not right for everyone. I am making a decision not to live my life based on the external judgment, but the internal judgment. I am taking a journey through life and making steps towards my calling and purpose. The invisible, the internal, the untold, the unknown… Those are all the secrets locked inside of my soul! Unlocking them one by one, discovering everything there is to know about myself, my world and my family throughout my journey. The paths I take along the way help me grow, learn valuable lessons and enable me to influence the lives of my children and others! Are you paving your own path? You influence someone everyday!
To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955
My encouragement to you is to live your life selfishly in a sense. Learn about yourself, live your life passionately, and learn to let go of the external pressures of society as you live. Learn to enjoy things for yourself a little more and do not feel guilty!! Gradually Let Go, Take it All in, Be Yourself, then Pass it On!
Best Wishes to All for a Life of Passion! Emily Arnim
