Living With Purpose
I am a person, a real, honest to God human being with purpose and value. I am made of flesh and blood, heart and soul. My journey in life has taken me through both hills and valleys, sunshine and rain. At times I wanted to curl up in a ball and let life pass me by and times when I raced blindly and without fear into the unknown.
Along the way, my journey of self-awareness and self-discovery brought me understanding and acceptance that there was an unseen force at work. That force propels me towards people who take my hand and guide me on my journey to finding purpose in my life. Obstacles placed in my way sometimes force me to take a turn I would not have chosen for myself. Upon my arrival at these often unfamiliar places, I come face to face with my fear of discovering who I really am.
"There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~ Anaïs Nin
My Truth
Like many of you, I have chased religion like a Beagle on the trail of a rabbit. I’ve tiptoed through the philosophy of almost every religion and found there are some uniformly basic truths present in each of them. I have concluded that I am spiritual, not religious. I believe in God, one God, and that God is the guiding force in my life.
I do not believe that perfection exists anywhere but in nature and therefore, I accept that I am not and will not ever be - perfect. I have no misconceptions about my importance or value in the world yet I know that my life has a purpose and the journey is leading me to the discovery of that purpose. The young girl who thought it was her job to please everyone and solve every problem no longer exists. She has matured and with each challenge in life, she has come closer to knowing who she is, and, who she isn’t. It is all part of the journey.
Who I am NOT
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood. I am not a slave. You cannot make me do what you want by threatening or punishing me.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood. I am not a toy. You cannot leave me on a shelf until you need me to impress your friends.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood. I am not a bottomless well. You cannot draw water from me day after day without replenishing my source.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood. I am not a computer that you can program. My code was written before I was born.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood. I am not a machine with parts you can replace when they break. My parts must be repaired or healed, with time and love.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood. I am not a puppet. You cannot pull my strings to make me perform.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood. I am not a sheep. I will not follow you blindly without questioning the path you have chosen.
Who I AM
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood. I laugh when I am happy and when I am scared.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood, a person who cries when I am sad and when I am happy.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood, a daughter, born out of love, who honors you for giving me life and a daughter who will take care of you when you can no longer care for yourself.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood, a big sister who loved you even when you teased and picked on me and loves you more now for the man you have become.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood, an aunt, who held you when you were small and opened a special place in my heart that is yours alone.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood, a friend who will hold your hand and walk through the fire with you; the one you can share your heart with trusting that I will never betray your trust.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood, a person who loves deeply and without judgment for the choices you make.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood, with fears just like you.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood, a person who makes mistakes often and is not too proud to apologize and try to make it right.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood, who loves nature and strives to conserve and protect its beauty.
- I am a person, made of flesh and blood, who cares about people and will hold the hand of the one who is scared and wipe away the tears of the one who is sad.
“When you follow your bliss... doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors; and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else.” – Joseph Campbell
Confronting Self and Looking Beyond
I am a person, made of flesh and blood, who looks in the mirror and is comfortable with what I see. I am honest about my age,the gray hairs, my weight, the wrinkles. I have earned them all.
But it is not enough to be comfortable with the physical appearance.I am more than that visual image. I have a heart and a spirit that must be satisfied too. I cannot reach my full potential until I have become friends with the physical, the desires of the heart, and the purpose of the spirit. The three must learn to live in harmony with each other. It may seem to be a lofty goal but the reward is infinite.
When the physical, the heart, and the soul dwell harmoniously, we awaken to the existence of a higher power, the force that is beckoning us to reach our greatest potential. That is true bliss.
- To Change This World
To change this world, we have to begin with ourselves. The common thread among humans is that we all have strengths and weakness. We all want our children and grandchildren to have a bright future. If we do not want to live in a war-torn country, the - H.O.W. - Organizing for Human Rights and Social Just...
H.O.W. - Humanity One World, is organizing writers to promote social justice and end human rights abuse. Take a look at what we want to do and then get involved. - Hubpages.com, You Set The Standard High!
Hubpages.com is the best place on the web for new writers to learn from more experienced writers. The tools for measuring success are easy to use and motivate new writers to write better and more often.
Thanks to you, I am on my way.
I am a seeker, a seeker of self awareness and a seeker of answers to all of life's mystery. As Joseph Campbell said so eloquently, when you follow your bliss, doors will open.
In May of 2012, I ventured into this place called Hubpages with no real experience in writing for an audience. I had no expectations. In fact, I thought it was a bit of folly for me to give it a try. I wrote a few hubs and received some encouraging feedback. I was inspired to keep going. Looking back, I now know with certainty that it was no accident that I came here.
I followed my heart; a heart that loved the power of words, and doors began to open. They were not doors to fame or fortune. They were the doors to hearts; hearts that opened in friendship and support. You know who you are.
I am humbled and grateful. My experience here has been beautiful and the friendships I have made are precious gifts. You, my friends, are the proof that there is more good in this world than evil. You are the proof that people are kind and loving and willing to offer a hand up instead of turning a blind eye. I am proud and honored to walk among you. Your hearts are the doorway to me finding my bliss and I thank you.
© 2012 Linda Crist, All rights reserved.
