No. 42 - Taking The Gifts They Are Offered

It seems for the last one hundred years or so I’ve heard the stories of one persons desire for some great need to be met, or another persons need for some particular desire to be addressed. I’ve thought much on this over the past few years and, while I haven’t yet lived to be one hundred (that was said to exaggerate the point), my experiences since embarking upon my quest to realize my dreams has taught me quite a bit. Though each day is filled with myriad opportunities to glean insight and information with every breath, I have not allowed myself to become overwhelmed. On the contrary, I consider these many moments of clarity a blessing and I cherish the knowledge that is discovered by contemplating them.

I recall years ago when I first placed my feet upon this path. I recall the high passion that virtually over stimulated my perception, causing me to know I would be a success because this was more than just a shift in career.. it was a calling. I remember being able to see the manifestation of my success in my minds eye. There must have been a thousand reasons why I should believe in myself and move towards this vision… and only one why I should not. (I’ll get back to that in a little while). As I reflect upon that moment in time it’s easy to see how some could think I was being foolish, naïve, selfish, or just plain stupid. After all, who – in their right mind (or even in their left mind, for that matter) would abandon societal norms to do something with no “real” stability attached to it?

In considering the course my journey has traversed I have to tell you it has been and continues to be the most liberating, challenging, fulfilling, frustrating, and rewarding experience I have ever had – or will ever have – in my life. You see, one of the major realizations that I’ve been reminded of throughout my journey is that I am fully alive. My awareness, sense of self, understanding of my capabilities, faith in God, and capacity to Love have grown beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I carry with me, in every moment, a sense of self that cannot be countered. I have grown to know that I have a profound and very deep love for self that requires that I respect – and expect other to respect – my self, my family, and my community without inhibition. This self that I have become is the embodiment of what, in my opinion, it means to be a Man.

Yet within my mind I’ve wondered at the many conversations I’ve had with those in my circle. I’ve reflected upon the hundreds of meetings I’ve sat in hearing the same rhetoric over and over again. I’ve wondered why so many have talked about doing things for the community – or for themselves – yet months and even years later there has been no movement towards realizing their spoken goals. In my newfound awareness I’ve come to see why this is the case. For the most part there are two reasons many are unable to move beyond the rhetoric they espouse, to action.

First – and this gets back to the reference I made above – there is really only one reason one should not believe in oneself. And while my rationale may seem a bit foreign to some, it is my hope it resonates with many. My experience has shown me the only reason we should not believe in ourselves in if we are dead. That simple. I believe as long as there is breath in our lungs, life in our bodies, thought in our minds, or hope in our hearts we have all the reason and capacity we need to believe in ourselves.

Secondly, I have learned that when we ask for a thing from the Universe, and when we sincerely want this thing in our lives, the Universe will bring it into existence. Call it the will of God, call it the blessings of the Universe, or call it good karma… whichever works for the individual. Regardless of which perspective works for you I can assure you there are many miracles in life that are offered to meet our prayerful needs or our faithful desires if we but open our eyes to see them. They are all around us.

Now for the tricky part… It is true we will get that which we seek. It is true our prayers will be answered. And just as importantly, it is true these blessings will go nowhere if all we do is look at them when they are offered. I once read somewhere “Faith without Works is Dead…” I’m a firm believer in this truth. What it means to me is this: Answers to our prayers come to us all the time. They are the Gifts that confirm to us there is a higher being, and that our prayers do resonate throughout the Universe. These answers are the tangible proof that we are indeed on the right path in our individual journey to (and through) a more abundant and enriching life.

These Gifts can come in many forms: Moments of clarity, Awareness, getting a call from someone about a project or an event that requires your service, an unexpected check, etc. If we could stop a moment and allow ourselves to consider all that we DO have then I believe we would all be able to see and appreciate the truth that we are moving steadfast towards our goals.

The thing that has caused so many to talk, and talk, and talk, and talk is not that their prayers or desires are going unanswered. They are simply not Taking The Gifts They Are Offered.