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 would never 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 skydiving 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 imminent 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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Create the life you want: Combine the law of attraction with mindfulness

The law of attraction suggests that our positive or negative thoughts bring about positive or negative experiences.  My latest book, The Mindful Guide to Law of Attraction, pairs that belief with the powerful practices of mindfulness. Through intentional breathing, writing, and engaging, you’ll hone a method for manifesting health, wealth, and love―the elements of happiness.

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The Mindful Guide to the Law of Attraction  

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