Express yourself – your desires and passions – and take action. Your life depends on it!
What passions in your heart are sleeping or dying? If they’re dying, know that little bits of you are dying with them.
I’m currently watching someone who is physically dying of a very serious disease. Throughout their life they have allowed themselves to be controlled by what society dictated they should do, what their families said they should do, being the person they thought they should be.
In doing so, they have allowed their passions and dreams to wither and die. They never allowed themselves to take action on their passions for fear of what others would think.
They’re wondering if their life had any meaning.
For a brief time their sickness freed them of the chains of what they should do, and they began to do things to lift their spirits – things they never would have done before they got sick. Suddenly they started to get better.
Rather than sticking with the things that brought them joy, they felt that, since they were feeling better, they should go back to doing the things that they felt others expected of them.
As soon as they started doing those things again, they quickly got ill again.
Acting on their passions is what was keeping them alive, giving them the spirit of life back. It was giving them a reason to live. But as soon as they went back to the mundane existence of what others expected, that spirit left and the illness got worse.
Thoughts Are Things
How much do you censor your own thoughts and actions based on what you think others expect of you?
Do you have passions and dreams that lie dormant because you think others would consider them crazy, weird, irresponsible, stupid or risky?
I’ve been reading a growing body of scientific research called Epigenetics that says that our genetics and environment play a much smaller role in our physical health than previously believed.
What’s more powerful? Our thoughts and beliefs.
Our thoughts and beliefs about ourselves and the world actually dictate how the cells in our bodies grow and die.
Western medicine likes to dismiss this despite innumerable accounts that prove it. Bits of proof like the placebo effect and people who “miraculously” cure themselves of cancer and other “incurable” diseases.
If you’re suppressing the expression of your True Self, you’re creating a breeding ground for your cells to become sick or malignant by suppressing their growth.
This is what has happened to the person I referred to above. No one in their family has the same illness. Their parents were over twenty years older than they are when they died. They haven’t lived in a physically toxic environment. There’s no “medical reason” for them to have this illness.
Express Your True Self
If you’re suppressing the expression of your True Self for fear of some sort of lack of acceptance from others, you’re acting on your belief that other people’s opinions are more important to you than your own physical and emotional health.
Unfortunately, there are so many beliefs in our society that reinforce this debilitating idea. I would argue that this is the leading cause of cancer and overuse of antidepressants.
So cut the crap! Who cares what other people think about you? They have as much power over you as you give them. If they pull you down for doing what you love, find new friends (and family, for that matter).
Do what you love! Be crazy! Have fun!
Whether it’s bungee jumping and sky diving or taking a knitting class and meeting your neighbors, get out there and start doing something – anything – that makes your heart sing.
When your heart sings, your cells sing. When your cells sing, your whole body sings. And when that happens – surprise! – you’re happier and healthier.
But…But…But
If you’re still sitting there in a ball of fear about all the “what if’s,” consider what the next five, ten and twenty years of your life will feel like if you do nothing. Will you still be here? Will you feel vibrant? Will you be wishing you had done something – anything – way back when?
The most effective question you can ask yourself is, “What’s the worst that could possibly happen?”
If the answer isn’t yours or someone else’s eminent death, then it’s not that bad. Really.
You don’t have to overhaul your life (go for it, if you want!).
You don’t have to move thousands of miles away (if you don’t change, your life won’t change regardless of where you are).
Start with a baby step.
Google your passion to see how other people are implementing it into their lives.
Go to Meetup.com and find other people in your area with the same passions and go to their meetings.
Sign up for a class.
Teach yourself something new. You can learn anything on the internet.
“Live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time.” ~Viktor E. Frankl
Don’t let your heart, dreams, passions, cells, body and spirit wither and die.
Do something that lights your fire NOW!
Live like your life depends on it. It does.
What step are you taking today to move you closer to fully expressing your True Self?
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Commented: 01/20/2013 at 9:23 pm
Not doing what I loved had killed me inside, worse still, I didn’t know, was a bit of an awakening.
But your friend should not blame anything that she did wrong on her illness.
I hope that she finds love and peace within herself.
I’ve started with baby steps, the first being to learn how to forgive myself.
Though a baby step it took months of daily meta meditation to feel a baby result.
Priska recently posted..Can Positive Thinking distort your view of reality and make life appear worse?
Commented: 01/21/2013 at 5:48 am
Congrats to you, Priska, for have the patience and determination to keep taking baby steps until you saw your baby result.
While it’s a road of lots of baby steps, I’m finding that, as I implement more mindfulness (a critical component of which is no judgment) into my life, forgiveness becomes much less of an issue. Forgiveness implies a negative judgment in the past that we’re trying to undo. With no judgment, there’s nothing to forgive. We simply start from where we are, in the present moment, and live life from there. Easier said than done, I know. But it’s a different perspective on the topic.
Many blessings to you!
Paige Burkes recently posted..How To Use a Basic Bodily Function to Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Commented: 02/16/2013 at 11:43 am
Hi Paige,
I wonder if you might be able to help me get my mind and soul on the right track. I started a new job 5 months ago. I have been trying my best but I get so overwhelmed that I make mistakes. The work load is too much and my boss is one of those who is always screaming and swearing. He had one of his melt down’s again and swearing and shouting for me to get out of his company. I was shocked and went to another director to express what just happened. I did leave and I’m not to sure that it was the right thing to do.
I haven’t slept in days and I’m always questioning my past decisions. I’m so sad and hurt. Don’t know what to do…. I have to go back to work which makes me anxious, stressed and emotional.
Hope you would be able to help.
Regards Natasha
Commented: 02/17/2013 at 4:27 pm
Natasha,
This is a tough situation. In today’s tight job market, it’s hard to leave a job but you don’t deserve this treatment. If the abuse you’re experiencing is only from your boss, I would suggest speaking with someone in human resources to report your boss (you can do this anonymously). After taking this first step, see if there are other positions available in the company. It’s usually easier to switch to different departments within the same company than go to a new company.
If the company you’re with condones this sort of behavior, you would be doing yourself a big favor by leaving and finding another job as quickly as possible. I know people who have ended up in therapy and in the hospital because they felt that they couldn’t do anything about the verbal and emotional abuse they received at work.
You always have a choice. You didn’t choose to work for someone who has so many personal issues that they don’t know how to handle.
This isn’t your fault. You deserve respect. Your boss has many issues and those issues have nothing to do with you.
You might want to read my article on dealing with difficult people (see Popular Posts on the right).
Know that there is an amazing and exciting job waiting for you with a supportive and awesome boss. Go out and get it – today.
Commented: 01/21/2013 at 6:32 am
i definitely feel there is a big link between health/wellness and sickness with emotional baggages and lack of spiritual bridge. i’m happy to be on a path of passion. i live in a really weird place for it (a ghetto/somewhat of a slum area) but i’m happier than when i was stuck in chains at a corporate job.
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Commented: 01/22/2013 at 5:29 am
If you’re on a path of passion, Janet, it doesn’t really matter where you live. I recently watched the movie “Happy” by Marci Shimoff. It opens with happy people around the world who live in slums and (in western eyes) in poverty. They talk about why they have everything they need and couldn’t be happier. I’d venture to guess that many of them are much happier than many people in the US living in McMansions.
Follow the path that works for you, regardless of how anyone else judges it. Hugs!!
Paige Burkes recently posted..The Art of Mindful Holiday Binging
Commented: 01/21/2013 at 11:17 am
Paige: Hey! I just recently read your interview so I am back for more enlightenment! ( : Congrats on the interview by the way, I am sure many people will benefit from it across the world! This post was interesting and I had a pleasure reading it. You are a good writer!
I would say that I do not know everything and I know there are people in this world that know more than me. I would only do what I love if it was what was right. I might love to kill people (Not in actuality), but I wouldn’t do it even if it was what I loved because it just isn’t right. I try keep an open mind to what other people think about me so long as what they think is righteous. And, that would have to be something I agree with or something that could be proven to me before I would make any changes to my life. But, I do care, but only when I am in the wrong and the other person is right. It’s hard not to justify things in our own minds so I just try to stay as open minded as possible because I still have a lot to learn, you know?
Best Wishes,
William Veasley
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Commented: 01/22/2013 at 5:37 am
Thank you so much William and thanks for checking out my interview at Zen Mama!
To me, the whole concept of “right and wrong” is a form of judgment. In some countries, killing people is more “right” than it is here in the US. We can say that there are general, moral right’s and wrong’s but everyone interprets things differently. Everyone is living their own version of reality. If I don’t agree with someone, I know we simply have differing opinions and that’s fine with me. I don’t take what others think of me or anything else personally. They have their opinions and I have mine and it really doesn’t matter if they match or not. As the saying goes: Would you rather be right or happy? I choose happy.
Thanks again William! You’re awesome!
Paige Burkes recently posted..Your Best Weapon in an Argument
Commented: 01/23/2013 at 5:40 pm
We live but one life — ours.
If we don’t live it as we choose, then we don’t really live it. So screw what others think. Their problems are their problems. Don’t make them yours.
If you live life on your terms, you will live a happy and healthy life.
Cheers!
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Commented: 01/24/2013 at 5:45 am
Straight to the point Trevor – exactly! I’ve read that seeking the acceptance of others begins when we’re born as we require the acceptance (i.e. food and nurturing) of our parents to give us life for the first few years. With something so hardcore being ingrained in us since birth, it’s hard to turn it off. But with practice, as you’ve pointed out, it’s necessary for a happy and healthy life.
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Commented: 01/23/2013 at 9:40 pm
Love this, Paige!
So many people have something burning inside of them, simmering, waiting, and like you said, dying unrealized, untried, maybe even unidentified in too many hearts. A piece of people die when their dreams and hopes and desires and passions fade into nothingness. Thanks for reminding us of that fact, Paige.
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Commented: 01/24/2013 at 5:48 am
Hopefully the happiness work that you and I and so many others do will help people to realize that their hopes, dreams, passions and desires were planted in their soul for a reason. We were all meant to express these things in our own unique ways to bless the world and create more joy for ourselves and others.
Ken – Thanks for all the awesome things you do every day!
Paige Burkes recently posted..Instigate Your Life’s Work (3 Simple but Essential Steps for Creating the Only Thing That Matters)
Commented: 01/24/2013 at 1:34 pm
I agree Paige. When we combine our sense of purpose with our unique strengths and our specific values along with holding on to our dreams, passions and desires, we will see that there is nobody on this planet exactly like our us It is like, there are things for you to do that nobody else can do as well as you. There are people waiting to hear your message, read your words, feel your touch, be uplifted by your smile, and be encouraged by your story.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post Paige!
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Commented: 01/24/2013 at 7:25 pm
Thank you so much Patricia! I couldn’t agree with you more. I get so frustrated when our society reinforces that we’re not supposed to stick out or be different. This belief is literally killing us. It is everyone’s uniqueness that makes the world such a beautiful place.
This is why I don’t believe in the concept of competition. Ten people can be selling the same thing and a group of customers will choose who they want to buy from based on how in sync they feel with the seller. We each have our own unique ways of doing things, areas we focus on. There can’t be competition if no two sellers are alike. The buying process is much more about relationship management these days, regardless of what you’re selling. With social media, it’s much easier to know much more about who we’re buying from so it’s not just about what we’re buying.
If you come up with a business idea that makes your heart sing, don’t tell yourself not to do it just because someone else is already doing it. Turn your idea into reality and make friends with others doing the same thing. Work together to support each other and watch everyone’s businesses flourish. From personal experience, I know this to be true.
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Commented: 01/24/2013 at 2:06 pm
I am not surprised by the growing evidence to support the link between our health and our thoughts. I know that the major health issues I’ve had in my life (thankfully few) were directly linked to non-physical things that were going on. It’s contrary to much of our Western conditioning, but it’s been understood in other cultures for thousands of years.
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Commented: 01/24/2013 at 7:30 pm
Galen,
I’ve had the same experiences with any health issues that I’ve experienced. Whenever anything ails me, I pull out my copy of Louise Hay’s book, Heal Your Body A to Z. It’s an alphabetical listing of almost any physical issue with the emotional cause listed next to it. I’ll meditate on the emotional issue to figure out what’s really going on. As soon as I clear the emotional issue, the physical issue magically resolves itself very soon thereafter. I figure that if she can heal herself of cancer using this, I can use what she learned to heal a sore back, hacking cough, headache or any other minor issue.
Watching documentaries about Ayurvedic medicine makes me shake my head about how counter-productive most of Western medicine is. Once again, getting back to such simple solutions can lead to dramatically better results.
Paige Burkes recently posted..To Create an Amazing Life, Scare Your Monkey Mind
Commented: 02/28/2013 at 4:32 am
Doing what we love creates a sense of well-being and purpose. But, when we ignore our calling and passion, it creates an inner conflict. I think this conflict is the reason why a lot of people feel stressed and unhappy in life.
Thanks for sharing, Paige!
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Commented: 02/28/2013 at 7:28 pm
Exactly Gaori! It’s that conflict between what we know is right for us and what we think society expects of us. These things are usually very different. Our innate desire to be accepted tends to drive us to follow the call of societal expectations while our heart is screaming otherwise.
Unfortunately, it usually takes a while to learn that we’ll never truly be accepted by anyone else until we learn to accept ourselves exactly as we are right now. And, the funny thing is, once we achieve that, being accepted by others doesn’t really matter anymore.
Thanks so much for your comment!
Paige Burkes recently posted..My Beliefs Have Hijacked My Brain
Commented: 04/16/2013 at 8:22 am
I also find this placebo thing fascinating. You can see how powerful the mind is, how it can condition the body and cure diseases without medication. “Doing what you love and getting paid for it” for it maybe a cliche but it really is a powerful factor in making our lives colorful.
Love the personal touch in your blog here Paige!
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Commented: 04/17/2013 at 10:12 pm
Thanks so much Kylie! The mind-body connection runs much deeper than most medical “experts” believe. And our individual beliefs are incredibly powerful in determining our overall health.
Being able to do what you love and get paid for it is also a belief. There’s so much in our society that programs us to believe that this isn’t possible. But evidence in the form of thousands of people actually doing it proves that it’s possible. You usually find what you’re looking for. Make sure you’re being mindful of what you’re seeking.
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