Dare to Be Different

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary." - Sir Cecil Beaton




All too often we play out our lives according to someone else's definition of what's "right". Does "right" even exist? How can there be only one acceptable model to live by? In a world inhabited by people from innumerable backgrounds and experiences, each past unique, we cannot expect one way of living to suit everyone. Conceptually we understand this, but why is it that we scowl at an unconventional lifestyle or idea? Next time your crazy cousin tells you he is running off to Borneo to live among the orangutans or your kooky co-worker tells you she is quitting her job to pursue pottery making, before you begin passing judgments on these decisions, ask yourself - why do I want their lifestyle choices to mirror my own?
You might have to take a deeper look at the reason for your own beliefs. Where did they even come from? How are they serving me?

Dare to be different. Define your own life. Live your dream.

Decisions

(Image: Activegarage.com)

Indecision has been my biggest nemesis. My brain starts whirling a million miles and hour, analyzing the decision from all angles and agonizing over what the "right" decision would be. Getting out of my head and into my heart is a journey I am now taking on as I focus on listening to my feelings instead of my thoughts.
That being said.....
Yesterday I was faced with making the decision of whether or not I should take a teaching job at a school here in Austin. I have been looking for a position and I would get to teach Art and World Cultures, which sounded perfect for me! However, on my first day shadowing the existing teacher, I felt as though a serpent rose up from inside of me screaming "uh-uh, this doesn't feel right,....No!" These strong oppositional feelings to a position I believed I wanted sent me into a feeling of distress and failure. Why can't I find a job I love? Do I really have the luxury of holding out for something better? Are these feelings just confirming my indecisiveness and I should just Suck-It-Up?
To cut to the chase, I didn't take the job. To have accepted the position would have felt like punishment - it was wrong and I knew it - but for awhile now I have lived with this belief hanging over me that says I need to struggle in order to get what I want in life, and that work shouldn't be joyful. But have you ever considered that the idea that struggling and requirement in order to obtain happiness, financial security, and love is simply an illusion and not actually true?
Could you accept the idea that you already are loved without having to do anything? That you already have happiness, resting in and around you, poised and ready to be activated with your simple attention? Or that everything you need, right now, in this moment, you already have - without any requirements or demands asked of you?
These concepts can be difficult to accept because we are so conditioned to believe the illusion. But what if, even just for today, you could release the struggle, let go of the striving, and accept openly and deservingly all the joy, love, and security already available to you in your life?

Inspiration You Wear

(Image from Jac Vanek)

Last time I posted I discussed how we all need to keep a little inspiration in view so that we can see it daily, and act from that inspired place. What about a piece of inspiration that you wear on your body? I found this T-shirt called "The Rules" and it's message really makes me want to throw caution to the wind and live fully.

What about you? Do you have anything you wear that inspires you or gives you that limitless feeling?

What's Your Manifesto?

If someone were to write a manifesto according to how you lived your life, would you like what it said? Would it resonate with how you desire to live?
Sometimes I find myself caught up in idealistic thoughts about how to live, but the decisions I make don't always match up with those ideals.  What would it take to start making decisions based upon your personal manifesto for life? Well, the first step would be to actually have a manifesto. Deliberately write down the things, thoughts, and ways of being that you value, then post it somewhere conspicuous so that you will be reminded of it everyday. Often all we need is a little inspiration and a gentle reminder in order to start making decisions that are inline with what we believe.
Don't know where to start? Here is a manifesto that I love.

(The Holstee Manifesto - holstee.com)