HELP WANTED: YOU to UNLOCK and LIVE your PASSION! May 22, 2013Expert BlogsOff

“I want you to look inside yourself and find your passion; get in-tune with your authentic self, and start walking that journey in your life and career; build upon it and create your life legacy one day at a time,” I recently told a large group at a keynote presentation on business growth and innovation. Everyone wins in this dynamic yet, unfortunately, many people do not give themselves the gift to go on the journey to look deep and make some changes. No longer do you need to “put on your game face” to get through the day at work only to finally take a breath of relief when you get into the car or on the train home. While all the challenges and job changes and losses have been emotionally challenging and worrisome for all, the gift in all this is that many people now have time to do some true soul searching and get everything clicking towards their true self. NOW is the time to take a breath, a pause, and determine what you want your life to be about. NOW is the time! You owe yourself the gift!

Opening up this gift that just arrived in front of you can be scary and also requires some time to sort through all the “stuff” inside, but you can speed it up if you ask some of your closest friends, colleagues (your network) some simple questions about you and, as you talk about it, seek out others in their network that may help you find this. Ask them for coffee and learn, learn from them on what they did to find their true essence and truly start to live it.

Here are three simple questions you can ask each person in your network and their networks:

1. What is it that they see as your biggest strength/talent?

2. If they had a magic wand and could put you in a role or job that was “truly you” through and through, what would it be and why?

3. How would they describe your best talents if they had to market you for a job? Why?

Then ask yourself three questions and write down the answers on paper:

1. What is it that you completely lose track of time when you do it and makes you feel happy?

2. What is it that gives you so much energy you feel like you can physically and emotionally take on any challenge?

3. If you could do one or two things for the rest of your life and money was no object, what would you do? Why?

Some may say, “It’s selfish to focus on yourself.” However, in this case, the most selfish thing you can do is rationalize NOT spending the hard time on yourself, looking inside for what may have been locked up your entire life, perhaps because you didn’t give yourself enough credit for deserving this in your life! You gave up the gift of you living your legacy to the fullest in life. “But it’s what I have always done, ” is something I hear frequently. But when you ask them if its okay to rationalize harmful habits like overeating, alcoholism, or smoking that they quickly agree. You are giving up complete happiness for yourself, your family, and more likely thousands of others who never got the opportunity to have you light their candle either. They are waiting for you to lead yourself.

Another reality is that as women, regardless of whether we are at home with the family or busy in our career, are innately built and cultured to selflessly focus on always helping everyone around us. While this is a heart fulfilling effort, most of the time, the effort goes unnoticed or, in some cases, is taken for granted, or just taken with no credit given at all. We have all done this and continue to do it; yet we say nothing and continue to seek any moment we can to help a stranger get through the grocery line, spend our night hours re-building the business model to profitability for the big presentation the next day, making sure we have plenty of laundry soap, someone’s favorite hummus in the refrigerator, and picking up all the toys in the living room after a big children’s play session. While this is very heartwarming and noble, it takes women in particular away from the time to really focus on what you are great at, what gives you so much energy you can’t stop doing it, what your talents are, what your legacy in the world should be when you are sitting at your “dock by the bay.” Your voice is not heard! And, that is not okay at all!

In fact, if we took the time, if we sought insights from those who know us, if we really got in touch with the unique and beautiful components of who we were created to be, we could actually, ironically help more people in bigger ways, accomplish more needed change in the world, and be even more fulfilled because we would have linked our passion with others who share the same, and unlocked the potential of many, many amazing souls who were seeking exactly the same thing you were!

With all the humpty dumpty’s that have fallen and the organizations in a mess from arrogance, greed, and not enough women in the discussions when some of these decisions were being carried out, the time is NOW. In fact, I would argue if you don’t take a moment to seek out the true essence of your truth and start walking down the road towards making you whole, you are being selfish because you are holding others back from finding theirs. They are waiting for you to lead, and lead from a position of strength yourself! And lead we can, in a completely different, authentic, business savvy and empowering way ladies. You have had it the entire time; it’s time for you to take a breath and let your passion, your light, your true spirit shine as brightly as a hot Mexican sunshine. Light up those around you and bring even more beauty and amazing ideas to action as you were meant to do in your life!

You got it baby, start leading your own destiny and let it shine! Let your voice be heard!

By Julie Gilbert

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