Day 16: 25.7 miles/1:32
“There is a big difference between the roles we have played in our lives and living the truth of who we really are.”
Life has done this to a lot of people-confused who we really are with what we think we are. Somewhere in the journey of life, we start doing the things we are supposed or expected to do and start becoming something that others think we should be. The outcome of this activity is that instead of really being who we are, we start to play the role that we have created for ourselves through the influences of others. In some cases, this denial of self is the reason we simply cannot enjoy life or feel happy with what is going on. For the person who is supposed to be celebrating these accomplishments is really the actor playing a role on stage and not the person being themselves. In order to truly live our passion, we need to find a way to get off the stage, stop playing this role, and get in contact with those activities, beliefs, and behaviors that are true to who we really are.
The shifting economy has caused millions to lose their jobs, their homes, their wealth, and their relationships. At the same time, there are many people that have found that once they were relieved of the pressures of maintaining this life style, they were now free to explore and engage in activities, programs, careers, and businesses they had always wanted. This hasn’t worked for everyone yet , for there are still those who do not know what to do when they aren’t playing the role they have played their entire life. Once they do, they will discover the great opportunities they have waiting for them as they begin to engage in programs that are part of their real self.
For each of you getting off the stage, off the grid and to understand who you are and what you are is a great place to start. Try not to put titles and functions to those things that excite or energize your passion; doing that will only force you to find another role to play. Simply go through the process of identifying those aspects of your life, the activities, the conversations, the experiences, or the events that have truly excited and energized you. Take a moment to understand what it was about those experiences that you enjoyed.
Finally, explore the consistency with which these experiences repeat themselves and ask yourself why am I not doing more things like that? You will receive some clear insights into activities that you really have a passion for and it will allow you to look for opportunities to do more of them. And, when you catch yourself using your role as a reason to block the opportunity to engage in this more often, think of how you can minimize the adverse influences of the role and maximize the opportunities to do what you do best and enjoy the most. When you accomplish this, you are on the way to freeing yourself of roles and responsibilities that have kept you from becoming who you were meant to be.
