Welcome back and I am glad you came to visit. What an odd title. Painting your Portrait {aka} This is Not a Dress Rehearsal. The title sounds like a mystery novel made into a movie. However, I am not talking about something made in Hollywood. Look a little closer. That is right. I am talking about your and my life. Our lives are precious. We get to choose how we experience the journey. Choice gives us the responsibility to get involved with our lives. Wow. You mean I get to choose. Most definitely!
You may say to yourself or to other people, “You don’t know what I have too…” or “You don’t know how I…” or “If you only knew I …” To be honest with you, I have made similar statements during my life time. My challenge was to stop making excuses and begin living life on life’s terms. I would also encourage you to stop letting your “what”, “how”, and “only” be the reason why you hesitate.
If you believe you are stuck in a box, learn how to be happy in that box. If you can not find contentment in that box, use your creative energy to use the box to your advantage. Let gratitude be the vehicle you use to explore beyond the box.
Gratitude
Throughout much of my life, I minimized the “small things” as being insignificant. The idea of finding joy and wonder each day seemed pointless. Because I believed that my good was never quite good enough, I would not allow myself to find the joy that came through being grateful. I allowed myself to be persuaded that being grateful could only be experienced through achieving perfection. Consequently, I believed that achieving the spectacular was the only way that I could find satisfaction and contentment. I allowed myself to be distracted, rather than relishing what I could learn on my journey.
In my attempt to overcompensate (to be more than I could be), I was unable to recognize that life was a process and I was on a journey. The principle of progress not perfection was obscured by grit determination. In reality, I desperately needed to have my existence stamped by the approval of others. Pursuing approval and validation consequently obscured my intrinsic ability to celebrate life itself. My permission to be grateful became dependent on matters that were out of my control.
Through identifying and addressing limiting scripts, I came to understand that the above attitude pervasively undermined my ability to find delight. I now realize that gratitude can be experienced in each moment. As I decide to use all my senses, I find myself resonating with this present moment. My being comprehends wonder and I am in awe. I find myself celebrating in the now. Exuberance no longer needs to be reserved for the spectacular, nor do I need to wait for the applause from anyone.
Through making this decision, I find delight. When I look for the obscure, the shutter of my soul opens and I am enlightened. The eyes of my heart are able to behold what was once hidden from my awareness. Gratitude takes on new meaning and purpose. I find myself ushered into the light of living. As I continue in this light, I dedicate myself to the process of being. Being grateful adds true meaning to my life, whereas seeking approval and validation from others will only cultivate disillusionment.
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