Do you ever get the feeling that you are spinning your wheels?
You know you are doing your best, but still, it feels as though you are only going through the motions.
Perhaps what you actually feel is you are not doing what you were meant to do.
The Yellow Brick Road
For whatever reason it seems like you’re not making any progress, you’ve reached a plateau and that’s it.
It’s a letdown, because you know deep down that you could be doing so much better.
You were meant for more.
You were meant for greatness.
You have a special feeling inside of you.
It’s a feeling that compels you to continue even when you believe all is lost, that your moment has passed and there’s no reason to continue striving.
But you do. You continue.
You do not continue because anyone tells you to, although some have.
No – you continue because you can’t help it.
No matter how many times you quit, no matter how many times you give up, something makes you get back up and try again.
It’s true. You know it is.
Indeed, you have a very special feeling inside of you.
But if you’re honest, that special feeling scares you a little.
It tugs, it pulls, it beckons, and it scares you, because it indicates you are not living to your potential and each day that goes by is another day you didn’t reach your destiny.
For many, destiny is considered a dangerous belief because it’s a mythical destination far, far away and there is no roadmap to get there.
Maybe it doesn’t exist at all.
What if I told you there is a yellow brick road?
There is. But the first thing you’ve got to do is stop being so hard on yourself. I don’t mean hard on yourself in the sense you shouldn’t strive to improve or not to stretch further than you ever have before.
No. I am talking about that other hard-on-yourself.
Think about it.
Yes. That one.
As humans we have the terrible habit of putting ourselves down and chastising ourselves for not achieving or accomplishing this or that, even if we don’t know exactly what it is we should be doing.
We beat ourselves up day in and day out, instead of realizing that we are on a wonderful journey, a journey we are privileged to be traveling.
Tomorrow is another day.
Think about tomorrow.
Think about all the things you can do tomorrow, such as start a new book or prep a new canvas or maybe just go for a walk and enjoy the word’s natural art all around you.
What if you didn’t have tomorrow to look forward to?
Just for a day, just one, try not to be so hard on yourself and give yourself credit for the work you already do.
Practice gratefulness simply for being here, for the ability to still wield a pen or a brush.
Your destiny awaits you, follow your passion and you will get there.
The way to follow your passion is to listen to the special feeling you have inside of you, it’s there and if you remove your fears for only a moment you will hear it loud and clear.
Listen. Listen closely. Don’t block it, ignore it or tell yourself you’re not good enough, because you are.
It will help if you realize how precious the journey is.
No matter how hard things have been, no matter the obstacles, the doubts or the fears, open yourself up to realizing that each and every day is a gift.
What if there were no tomorrows?
Live today to its fullest, do the best you can and be kind to yourself.
The special feeling inside that I mentioned, it’s special because it lets you know that you are meant for greatness. Not for riches or fame, although those may come.
You are meant for greatness.
Greatness is living today to its fullest, doing the very best we can and when we lay our heads down to rest, we might whisper:
I am thankful for today. I wasn’t perfect, but I did my best. Today was a great day and tomorrow will be even better.
You will rock the world.
We all have the desire to do something special, to create art that will rock the world.
You can, and you will. But you’ll have to let down your guard and be kind to yourself, grateful for what you already have and what you are already doing.
My advice is to treasure each day you’re privileged to have and do the best you can in the time you’ve been given.
Don’t rush and don’t give in to your doubts and fears.
I don’t think there’s any artist of any value who doesn’t doubt what they’re doing. (Click to tweet.)
~Francis Ford Coppola
Do your best every day and you will create your best work. I promise.
Follow the yellow brick road:
- Be in the moment. Take notice of today, all aspects of it. Take the pressure off of getting something or somewhere and enjoy the journey.
- Take nothing for granted. Everything happens for a reason.
- Practice gratefulness simply for being you. You are meant to be you. Whatever you create can only come from you and there was never a better you than who you are right now.
- Use affirmations (upcoming post) to condition your mind and remind yourself that you are good enough. You are doing work that matters.
- You are greatness. Accept this truth.
There have been times I have been so hard on myself that I wasted days, weeks, months, and even years, reprimanding myself for not being good enough.
The thing is, being hard on ourselves is natural and normal, and most of us were taught that being uncompromising and hard is the only way to be successful.
But really, all we are doing is building more pressure which leads to frustration, anxiety and creating work we are not (and cannot) be happy with, and frankly, when consumed with so much pressure the journey becomes dispassionate and empty.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Remove a little pressure today, a little more tomorrow and eventually you’ll be where you want to be, living life to its fullest by enjoying it and living in the moment.
If you’re in a rush, the quicker way is to help others through their fears, doubts and difficulties. I won’t explain this, because if you do it you’ll find out why soon enough. One word: Magical.
Now go, be great, because you already are. Rock the world.
Oh, and by the way:
Your destiny is already here. You’re in it. It’s called: Today.
What are you going to enjoy creating today? Share in the comments.
Bryan
