Patience and Purpose — It’s Truly Up To You
Right now, no matter what some may say, it’s your turn at the wheel…your chance to create meaning in life. Not just for yourSelf, but for everyone. Whether you believe we only get one shot, or many, the ball’s in your court.
If this sounds like a really BIG order, you heard it correctly. You’re up to create meaning in life for the sake of all. Every bit of meaning you create contributes, the big and the small.
This isn’t about discussing the meaning of life. Creating meaning’s different, more immediate, more pragmatic. This is about living up to your destiny.
If you allow it, you’re destined to create value. Your purpose is the value that you’re here to create…in each moment.
Go ahead, look around. Do you see the opportunities to help? There are good prospects all over.
Want to help people? Increase connection. Build confidence. Share what you can, whether it’s wisdom, physical assistance, or material resources. If you’re open to it, you’ll see the opportunity.
Want to help the environment? Do your research. Stand by your decision to recycle, compost and support responsible companies and products. Pass this along to those you love, it’s for everyone’s sake.
Authentic value is yours to give. No matter your age, education, or position, you face the opportunity to create value in each moment. True, it takes commitment. Each morning, you can begin by setting an intention. Set yours to value-creative.
The opportunity to live into purpose can appear as simply as picking up a thing that someone dropped and handing it to them. You might not immediately grasp its importance.
What You’re Doing Deserves You Here
What you’re doing is worthwhile and deserves your mindful attention. Otherwise, you dilute the value that’s yours to give, as well as the life experience that’s yours to live.
You know what it feels like. Wandering away from the moment when you’re driving so you have no recollection how you got here. Even when you’re interested, it’s easy to find yourSelf doing something else. You’re at your nephew’s 3rd grade play. What about checking Facebook? How about looking up the price on those socks you like? If only you had a juice from your fridge. Oh, you’re out. What else needs to go on the shopping list?
The opportunity to live into purpose can appear as simply as picking up a thing that someone dropped and handing it to them. You might not immediately grasp its importance. Perhaps they have trouble bending and would suffer. Maybe they’d be worrying about it, instead of paying attention to driving, and someone else would suffer. You just don’t know, but when the Universe serves up experience, it makes sense to pay attention. If not you, who?
Sometimes, it’s about being there, 100%, with those you love. You might be at dinner with your soulmate, listening to a friend’s problems, or even playing with your kids. When you’re sitting in the Theatre of a Life Lived, looking back at it all, will you wish you’d checked your inbox more, or how many comments your post received? You’ll want to see the romantic dinner, the compassionate conversation, the laughing child.
You go where the Universe, which is also you, sends you, and face your opportunity to live into purpose in the current moment. Mindfulness isn’t blinders, it’s openness to what’s really going on. All the good stuff happens here. Come to peace with being here to experience it.
The risk is letting the lizard run its own show. That pesky little lizard can become over-stimulated and start running “fight or flight” in overdrive.
IN The Moment’s Different Than FOR The Moment
Living IN the moment is different than living FOR the moment. Don’t fret. Another one is coming up right after this one. The unexpected and delightful live here with you. Make space. Everything doesn’t have to happen right now.
You know what it’s like when you don’t give yourSelf the space. All you can see are the problems. Sometimes what you see isn’t even an actual problem…it’s a projection called fear of loss. Ever had a gift from the Universe sitting right in front of you, and all you could see was a day when you might lose it?
The issue isn’t the signal itself. The most primitive part of your brain exists because it can deliver such a valuable signal. The lizard brain is there to protect and project the need for “fight or flight” when the buffaloes are stampeding.
But the buffaloes don’t stampede that often. The risk is letting the lizard run its own show. That pesky little lizard can become over-stimulated and start running “fight or flight” in overdrive.
It’s why you live IN the moment. You can be mindful in the moment. Rather than FOR the moment. This isn’t the last one.
Even if you seize the day, all day, everyday, things take time. Plant the seeds when you have the opportunity. Then, give yourSelf the space and peace so the seeds can grow.
What is your conscious goal? Fighting or thriving?
Make Value, Not War, With Your Life
What you bring to life is what you’ll bring into your life. Have faith, you’re paying it forward into the Universe, which is also you.
Got a problem with someone? You can hold onto it and let it fester. You can also try to solve it. But you’ve got to be honest with yourSelf. Sometimes, you’re just blowing into the wind because what you really want is to change another person, rather than solve an issue. It doesn’t work that way. You can’t force someone to change. It’s got to be their choice. Everyone’s a force of nature, just like the wind. You don’t rage at the wind when it blows or spend energy trying to change it.
People are who they are. You can have compassion, but it’s got to begin with you. You’ve got to have compassion for yourSelf to know true compassion for others. Start here and see where it gets you.
What is your conscious goal? Fighting or thriving? Remember, when you create value, no matter who the immediate recipient is, that act accrues benefit to you as well. You might not see it right away, but you know how you feel when you fix something. It’s very different than breaking something. Fix it, and you feel good. Break it, and you’re left with a mess to clean up.
When someone’s looking to start a fight, you can stand tall like a tree without getting drawn into their angry game. Ask, “what’s really going on here?” Then be who YOU want to be. Your integrity is who you are, and you’ll stand by what’s right. You’ve set your intention to value-creative, so create. If what you want is love and respect, stand for love and respect. Instead of meeting anger with anger and making a mess, transform the shadow and create the fix. Make value, not war, in your life.
Compassion makes you porous. What you face, whatever you face, flows through you, and is transformed.
Wait For It…There, You’ve Done It.
Wait for it, and you’ve exercised your ability to listen with all your senses. There’s so much to take in, and the only time you hear is when you listen. It’s the essence of openness. Let it all come in, flow through you, and process it with compassion.
Compassion makes you porous. What you face, whatever you face, flows through you, and is transformed. Give it nothing to push against, and it can’t carry you away. You learn what you need without attachment to, or detachment from, those pesky expectations of the future, or memories of the past. Tender-heartedness opens to the juicy goodness of the current moment.
Truth is the raw material from which you weave, through the talent and skill that’s authentically yours. There’s no more durable, breathable or useful fabric out there.
But it takes discipline to be mindful. You have to come back to it at every chance. It’s easy to get distracted, but once experiencing it, you realize its value, and mindfulness becomes a potential achievement in every current moment.
Don’t beat yourSelf up if you miss it. See this happening, and you have the opportunity to stop it. That’s a mindfulness opportunity. Now, you’ve achieved it. Try again!
You can either create your beautiful life, or let events create you. There’s a right way to do things, and you’ve seen it pay, over and over. Be patient, have faith, and you’ll see this through.
The thing is, in the long-term, the zero sum game adds up to a total score of zero, as no one really wins promoting destruction.
Don’t Know If I’m Virtuous Yet, But I’m Trying…
You may not achieve patience in every moment. You probably won’t. The virtuous part comes when you keep on keeping on. Some people seem to live to strike up fights. Maybe they have problems at home, at work, or in their perceptions of themSelves. The bottom line is, they’re fearful, angry, and in a sharing mood.
It’s easy to get drawn into that game unless you’re mindful. You know the feeling. You hear something, either directly or indirectly, and you’re heart starts beating fast. The signal’s clear, so tune in with all your senses. Feel yourSelf attaching to that fear and anger, though it’s not even yours? Someone’s decided to play the game of destruction, the zero sum game, where one must lose for another to win. The thing is, in the long-term, the zero sum game adds up to a total score of zero, as no one really wins promoting destruction.
If you want to live in a world defined by love and beauty, you’ve got to set your intention and create it…that’s creating value. Understand why this is strength, and share it…that’s worthwhile.
For those who strive for life defined by war, it’s not your bag. Their fear-based attitudes and postures are infectious. One lizard brain engages another, and pretty soon, it’s everywhere and we’re all fighting or flying. Stop it at your doorstep.
It’s got to start with you, and spread from you, in every opportunity you get…that’s purpose.
The next time that fear and anger comes in, respond rather than react…that’s mindfulness.
No matter what, remain open rather than closed…that’s mindfulness. If you go off track, don’t beat yourSelf up when you’re not mindful…that’s mindfulness. Everything exists. Make more of what you want to see, instead of that which you don’t.
…AND, oh yeah…
If this piece has value for you, I’d be honored if you’d recommend it
by love-tapping that ole heart down there. You’ll be making it possible for others to take part in your orientation.
Thanks for your time and energy here today!
This is Tao of Yummi, Sutra 51. We publish the full 6-frame strip of conscious cartoonery, once a week, here on The Coffeelicious.
The Tao of Yummi is a serial conscious cartoon strip about finding your way to the delightful and unexpected through purpose and mindfulness. If you’re living into purpose and mindful in the moment, you’ll open to the infinite love, inspiration and creativity that is already yours.
Infinite love and gratitude to the muses in my life, as ever, to Kris Smith, @Amy Nelder, Peter Rutter, Jan Kadrie, Kaleo Sallas, Meika Cooper, Laura Hoffman, Joni Woolard, Korbin von Stentzsch, Malia Henriks, Alex Tanassi, Rose McNenny Schmoller, Ben Cooper, Danna Colman, Srinath, Neal Gorenflo, John Heinsen, Glase Lomond, Derek Sivers, Jay Lauf, Max Schorr, Ben Goldhirsh, Casey Caplowe and Amy Jo Martin!
