Failure teaches us more than success. It forces us to face the difficult questions in life and tests our commitment to achieving those things we call our goals. Our vision. Until recently I did not allow myself to explore anger.
I have failed at many things. Because of this I could choose to sit at the bar and complain about all the bad things that have happened in my life. I could choose to see myself as a victim.
This Does Not Fit With My Vision
Or my reality.
You see, I am strong and can bear the weight of the challenges life brings.
I know that I can make it through anything life puts to me and I will be ok.
Additionally, I also know once life has given me a challenge, forces me to face a difficult question, I am committed to doing the work that will allow me to learn the lesson that is now available to me.
Critically, I choose to learn these lessons once because I know life has a funny way of letting us try again if we do not get it right the first time.
I personally struggle sometimes to let go.
I have certain things that I love, find comfort in.
I seek security and I understand where that drive comes from within me. I am slow sometimes to step away from that thing that I know must go of so I can grow into the person I need to be for the next steps forward in my life.
Additionally, I feel discomfort when I am faced with the question: what are you willing to sacrifice now that will bring you to a bigger pay off in the future? I know there is learning in failure and growth comes from discomfort and I am still slow to take the leap.
We could take this question and reframe it. What is it I need to receive to make this worth my while? Get intimate with your vision.
What Are You Holding On To?
Be honest.
There are many things and people failing in our world today. It has been sad to watch.
Not just sad, some of what I have learned in the past year, the past two years, has made me really fucking angry. I am angry that people who should have been trustworthy are not, truth has been hidden and very bad things have been created in our world.
Created by people who thought they were smarter than the rest of us. This enrages me and makes we want to fight for people and freedom. It makes me want to work to build something better to end the pain we are seeing.
Neither of those feelings are bad things, in fact they are very good things. Yet they do come from anger. Anger can be a very strong driving force and should be directed into constructive pursuits. Anger does not have to lead to hate. It is the choice of what you do with that dark energy that determines the outcome.
Anger stuffed down inside, anger judged, leads to defeat, exhaustion and distress. Conquer your anger and direct the energy into good.
…anger is OK, but it has to serve the interests of the heart…
Berkeley Breathed
What Can You Use Anger For?
We are not always honest about our true feelings. We seem to be in an endless pursuit of happiness. Happy does not define the human experience. We have a wide range of emotions and experiences in life. We are meant to feel discomfort because that drives us to change. People do not change when they are comfortable, we tend to get stuck in comfort. Staying in a job we hate because it pays all our bills and allows us to shop and vacation is being stuck. A job will never make you happy. Shopping and that weeklong vacation bring temporary gratification. This is escape.
What about being alive? Really alive. What if you could have wealth beyond your current imagination? What if you could make a positive impact in the world and that endeavor brought you life like you had never experienced before?
What if you and I are creating the world of tomorrow, but to do this we need to let go of those things we know are stopping us. What if the grandkids we have not met yet are relying on our creativity and vision to develop a new world for them to thrive in?
Start With This Question:
What will you do today that makes you really feel alive?
And Take That Step
And ask again tomorrow and take that step.
With time you will build momentum, possibly driven by fear and sacrifice, but now you are feeling and living and growing. Now you have found your purpose.
What do you need to receive to make it worth your while? Write your own cheque today.
Life is about experiences, do not miss out on experiencing your feelings in the journey.
Additionally, all of our posts in the True Best Self Series can be found here.
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