What would happen if you found a hummingbird that didn't sing? Don't you think it would be odd, a beautiful bird that was known for singing, and yet it just didn't sing? I am sure you would look at that bird and think it was odd, or like something was wrong with it because the hummingbird is supposed to sing.
When we know the role that people are supposed to play, it becomes clear very quickly when something isn't the way it is supposed to be. We identify that something is not quite right, and we figure out how to remedy the situation. When someone is not clear about the role that they play, or when their purpose is not clear, things are way more difficult. When you aren't clear about your purpose it is easy not to ask the important questions you need to ask to figure out what you should be doing. You begin to decide what you should do next by the invitations you receive or by volunteering or doing those things you have mastered instead of the things you enjoy. For instance, you are an amazing accountant, you are good at it, but you don't love it, it's just something you do well. But, whenever that accounting slot opens up you jump right in, but that's not where you should be because that is not what you are passionate about.
When you live a life out of obligation, it is not only frustrating, it is also draining. There are people in this world who spend their entire lives without ever discovering their passion. That is not only sad, but it also means that each of us was cheated out of what that person was responsible for delivering to this world. One more person whose gifts were never realized and whose gift we never had the chance to experience, the invention the never was the book that was never written, the technological advance that we never got to see, and the medical advancement or cure for the disease that so many people desperately need.
It's the end of 2012, and it is the great time for assessments and reflections. How are you doing, really? Is that job rewarding, or is it just paying the bills? Are you ready to figure out what is next, or will you keep just moving along?
Yesterday I ran into an old client whom I worked with over 6 years ago. I was just starting, and I was pretty "green". They didn't remember me, but I remembered their faces as soon as I saw them. I asked how they were doing, and the glee and happiness on my face when I heard how well they were doing was palatable. A success story, not mine but theirs and that made me happy. My work is never about me, it's always about them. When they succeed, I succeed, Mission Accomplished!
What makes you smile, and when you look over your life what do you do that goes BEYOND you? The gift that was deposited in you is supposed to come out, not eventually or when it is convenient, but now! Our days are numbered, and our steps are ordered by the Lord, but we have to make the decision to pursue our passions and do what we have to in order make our lives what they were always meant to be, full of passion and purpose. You could make a million dollars, and create amazing masterpieces with your talent. If you never walk in your purpose none of that will matter, and you will reach the end of your life with tons of stuff and no fulfillment. Take some time this year and think about your life, evaluate it, know that you don't ever have to stay on a dead end road. There are always options you just have to be willing to exercise them!
Aida Ingram, is the CEO of An Inspired You, an author, marketing strategist, and Business and Life Coach. She believes people should LIVE their legacy. She teaches people how to create lives, which honor their values,gifts and abilities, while creating wealth. She specializes in business development, marketing, and bringing creative ideas to market. Visit her website: http://www.aninspiredyou.com/home.html and look on Facebook at An Inspired You. Join her mailing list http://eepurl.com/h8Q0g for valuable tips.
