On Courage & strength
Marianne Williamson once wrote: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do...It is not in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
A lot of us underestimate our will power, or the power of our mind, and the true courage hidden within. Recently I read a LinkedIn post about the will power and entrepreneurship, by Gijs van Wulfen.
It is a great example that not intellect or inspirational ideas have the ability to influence, and change the lives of many, but the will power, and courage of one to push forward, against all odds, to make those dreams a reality. Some people fear not the failure, but what if something we attempt will actually work out, and we are successful. Why do some fear their own strength? Why do we not let ourselves become amazing to ourselves, and to our true potential?
"You have the power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." ~ Marcus Aurelius
Why concentrate on the pain of the past when we can allow ourselves to the joys that we will experience in the future? But why wait for the future? Why not experience joy now? In the present…instead of the future? Why do we bother with being limited by constraints of time? Why do we limit ourselves by the “when” factor, does it have to be a conditional statement? As in, we will be happy when we buy, or get, or achieve something? Are our lives just conditional statements of some programming language? What happens after we reach that goal we so dearly desired? How long does that “happiness” last us? What happens if we do not achieve it? If we do achieve it, do we not feel the lack of “something” afterwards? And seek a new goal? Why do we tie happiness to a thing, event or a person, and think that it shall bring happiness to our lives? Why not just enjoy the moment? To be present, alive, and in the here-and now! In this very present moment…which one? This one…ups you just missed it, now it is already in the past…wait for it...wait for it…here comes another one…oh you missed it yet again, so capture that moment...
Our “modern” ways of thinking limit us; we have deadlines, timetables, schedules, clocks, and counters. Yes they are important and so crucial in the corporate environments. But what if we forget them all in our own lives? What would happen if we were to disassociate ourselves from those constraints, and limitations? From the supposed control over what we think we can control.
With the observation of the now, an important one relating to happiness needs to exist as well. Contentment. We would probably not want to be in the now while unhappy…oh so boring that would be…Just imagine the dullness…or wait, better not. Happiness is a better choice. Sometimes the happiness we seek is hidden behind an obstacle, a door. Which requires us to gather all our might to open it, but without a key its is impossible. We search for that key around the world, far and near, yet we sometimes fail to realize that that key is within us. Only then it shall unlock that power! Only then we may achieve happiness that we truly seek. Courage to deny ourselves what we so readily would accept, in order to enjoy things as they are, and be grateful for them! Some situations take time, we are not all alike, or on equal levels. Some might need more time than others to recognize where to search for the key. The hardships we face can be problems, or they can be opportunities. Opportunities to learn, and better ourselves. We should be thankful for them. For the wisdom they bring. For the moments are fleeting, and each one is so valuable.
Sometimes we make mistakes...and we ponder what could have been. Admitting to ones ignorance is the first step in realizing what went wrong. Understanding the circumstances that lead us to one's decision, or act, not another, and the why? What could have been...Yet the book of the past is already writ, the one we have in front of us, has blank pages. What we do with it depends on our choices. Do we wish to write a drama, or a fantasy, or maybe, just maybe make reality fantastic. The power lies within having the courage to decide, and the choices we make matters, so do the people around us that are affected by those choices. Hopefully the choices made will bring out the good in us, and others. So that they may be of value to many more.
IF YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE, THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO DO IS WAKE UP! ~ J. M. POWER
Some may never wake up, some maybe woke up already, and some others maybe take a bit longer to wake up...and patience is needed. Patience to find courage within one self. Sometimes we are tested to the breaking point in order to be able to see what we are capable of achieving. Only then we are able to reach our goals, and surpass them, hopefully helping others on their way, so that they could learn, and grow, and be able to achieve their own dreams.
"The tiny seed knew that in order to grow it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light." ~ Sandra Kring
Semper ascende superius!