The cost of not following your passion part 1
Potential is being left on the table, if you are not living your unique Human Design by following what excites you, nourishing your innate skills, and taking action in ways that are natural to you.
What is the exception?
We’ve lived in a world filled with limiting beliefs such as: easy means mediocre; excitement is temporary; you need to strengthen your weaknesses to be competitive.…
We have learned that money, success, satisfaction and fulfilment, are only reached in certain ways and, that sacrifice is always necessary to achieve anything worthwhile. Consequently, we assume that the fortune of ticking all success indicators by following your passions, can only be the luck of a few. Achieving a fulfilling and abundant life by following what excites you and doing it your way, is the exception. Isn’t this what we’ve seen and been told?
Now, being aware of these beliefs, it’s evident that the exception isn’t achieving greatness by pursuing what excites you, but the actual pursuit of excitement. It seems the exception is those who quiet outside voices and expectations, listen more attentively to their inner desires and, moreover, take aligned action.
Are you comfortable?
Being “comfortable” often keeps us away from our desires. Instead, by moving into the unknown, following your joy, you’ll evolve into being more you.
If we are not achieving societal metrics of success, our learned strategy is to keep on pushing, sacrificing and working hard. This is regardless of whether we like what we do or not. Now, if we are reaching those metrics, by doing something that doesn’t excite us or in ways not true to us, then we are trapped in that uncomfortable “comfort” we’ve been sold to be a “good life”.
In both scenarios we are disconnected from our truth. Being over stressed, tired, sleepless, overwhelmed and with time for nothing but work, are all signs of that disconnection.
So, do you still think that “the greater the sacrifice, the greater the reward”? The only real thing you are sacrificing is yourself. The cost is too high. Your full potential is not being deployed. Everyone loses. Society doesn’t receive your gifts, and you don’t receive the abundant meaningful retribution that comes from offering them.
Are you afraid of being fully you?
We trade our inner uniqueness for external validation, because frightened parts of us -that believe being our authentic self is a risk to our bonds of affection- allow this to happen.
That search for external validation is an endless journey of wanting to be loved, accepted and liked because of ephemeral external accomplishments. Of course, those are all human needs, but the only way for us to really feel and believe that, is by being our true self. Otherwise, some part of us will always doubt “would they love/respect/see me for just being me?”.
When our behavior is determined by how we believe we are appreciated by others, the attention is on reaching external power and validation, instead of inner power and self-belonging. This significantly constrains the manifestation of our potential.
Our energy, focus and attention are on the outside when we base our value on:
- Our achievements
- Our looks
- Our bank account
- Our title
- Our social status
- Our ”level” of spirituality
By choosing to courageously show up more as our true selves instead of hiding, defending, proving and protecting, we start showing our subconscious it is safe to be us. We start proving to our system that being more authentic is not a risk to our relevant bonds of affection. Some people, conditions and “opportunities” might fall apart, but you will know for sure that those that stay and the new ones that emerge are for real.
Why is this urgent?
“You cannot solve an internal problem with external action” Sri Kumar Rao
Why do we suffer? When we are disconnected from the truth of ourselves, we suffer. When we don’t allow ourselves to feel pain, and suppress the emotions, we suffer. When we ignore the pain of being in deep uncomfortable “comfortable” situations, we suffer.
We think that once we achieve something in the outside we’ll be at peace. Not so.
We have learned that by ticking all external indicators of success we’ll achieve joy, fulfilment and peace of mind. However, we often find that nothing is ever enough. We reach goals, yet to find that sense of emptiness. Why is that? Because rather than looking within and cultivating our joy, fulfilment and peace of mind, we are looking for outside sources to provide us with those. However, all that can ONLY be found inside. And, from there, everything that you achieve on the outside will be infused with that authentic energy of being more connected to yourself.
The thing is, that once we go within, we will find our truth. Truth liberates us. Such freedom is unfamiliar, thus, frightening. Going within requires great courage, because you can’t undo knowing the truth, and the pain of not acting on it is unbearable. Once you know it, you must take action. We understand that. So, we’ll keep looking for answers on the outside, until we feel courageous enough; or the discomfort of the “comfort” is insufferable; or the rug is pulled and we are left with no other alternative; or until our body loudly says “NO more”.
So, now what? What if you don’t know what excites you? What if you don’t know what your natural skills are? How can you start taking action to live your unique Human Design?
I will tell you in my next blog! (Go to part 2)
