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Living
Boldly® e-Zine Archives
Living
the Promise
January 02, 2004
Life is a promise. Fulfill it.
-- Mother Teresa
When you think of the word "promise", what comes to mind? The American
Heritage Dictionary primarily defines "promise" as "A declaration assuring that
one will or will not do something; a vow". This is probably the most commonly
used definition; in fact, don't you frequently promise (yourself or others) you
will do something or not do something? At the start of every new year, many
people make promises to themselves in the form of New Year's Resolutions: we
promise to lose weight, exercise more, be kinder, give more to charity, and so
on. And then we normally break those promises within weeks or even days, and
then spend some time kicking ourselves about "failing". What a waste of energy,
to make those kinds of empty promises!
But there are other meanings
in the word "promise" that I'd like you to consider. "Indication of something
favorable to come; expectation; indication of future excellence or success" are
several of the additional definitions. In fact, tracing the origins of the word
"promise" takes us back to a Latin word, "promittere" which means "to send
forth".
Now, go back and read Mother Theresa's quote again - these
words are short, to the point, and very powerful. I recently came across this
quote and was deeply inspired and moved by the idea of life being about a
PROMISE FULFILLED... the kind of promise that speaks to us of the expectations
of something favorable coming, of excellence and success. To me, this is a very
compelling and uplifting concept.
We often talk about "things
happening for a reason" and "everyone being here for a purpose". And many of us
have a belief in some sort of Higher Power or order in the Universe that guides
us in our lives. I'd like to think that it's that same Higher Power, whatever
you choose to call it, that "promised" us the opportunity to use our lives in a
way that fills us with meaning and purpose. In other words, getting back to the
Latin root, we were SENT FORTH in this life with certain gifts, talents, and
abilities that we can use to fulfill that expectation of excellence and
success, each in our own way. We were given the promise, but it's entirely up
to us what we choose to do with that promise.
So, for those of you
that may be asking yourself where you want to go from here in 2004, I have a
suggestion for you. LIVE THE PROMISE. What if the purpose for our lives is to
find and fulfill our own unique, individual PROMISE -- that thing that is
special and magnificent within each of us that cries out to be expressed? What
if each one of us has that promise within us, and all we really need to do is
support that promise with consistent action, to have a satisfying, meaningful
life? After all, isn't that what we all want for ourselves?
What if
you began, starting right now at the beginning of this new year, to live your
life like a promise to be fulfilled? What if you made it your mission to first
discover what you love doing and being, and then to LIVE that every single day
by taking actions that will support the promise?
Are you ready to stop
wishing for your life to be different, be better? Are you ready to stop whining
and complaining about whatever doesn't seem fair or just? Are you ready to stop
worrying about what other people around you are doing or not doing based on
your expectations of them, and instead start expecting more of YOURSELF? What
would your life be like if you could live your life without wasting your energy
with all of that stuff, and instead put that energy into fulfilling your own
special promise in the world?
And more importantly, what could the
WORLD be like if we EACH made it our priority to fulfill our personal life
promise?
Your job isn't to be the next Mother Theresa. It isn't to be
perfect or to create the illusion of perfection so that other people will love
and admire you. It isn't to collect more "stuff" in your life, to have a bigger
house, a flashier car, or send your kids to an ivy league school. It isn't to
be the #1 salesperson in your company or the #1 broker in your firm or the #1
best-selling author. Your job is to focus on fulfilling the promise of your
life. As you begin a new year, take that with you into your daily life, and see
how your perspective changes.
My New Year's wish for you is that in
2004, you move even one step closer to discovering and fulfilling your Life
Promise, because in doing so you will make the world a more wonderous place to
be for all of us.
You
might not know exactly what your Life Promise looks like, so the first step is
to work on discovering it. Here are a few tips you can use to get you started
in the right direction:
1. Make a list of what you love doing and what
you feel you do really well. Then, create a plan to use those skills every day,
even in small ways, and see where that leads you. It might lead to work you
find really meaningful; it might lead to you doing something that will make a
significant difference to another person; or it might simply create more
lightness and fun in your own life. No matter what the outcome, when you focus
on using your gifts daily and on putting more of what you love into your life,
you won't go wrong!
2. Make an investment in yourself this year
through private coaching, group coaching, or additional training or education.
Most people spend more on cigarettes, their cars, magazines, weight loss
gimmicks that don't work, and clothes or toys they don't really need, than they
do on developing themselves from the inside out. No one truly succeeds on their
own, so find the right partners to help you create success on your own terms.
Coaching and continous learning is the way you invest in getting more of what
you want in your life, so take some classes, hire a coach, and put yourself
first for a change! (See the special coaching offer in this newsletter for some
possibilities!)
3. Figure out what isn't working in your life, and
create a plan to change it. Whether it's too much clutter sapping your energy,
too much financial debt draining your reserves, or relationships that simply
aren't supporting you or fulfilling you -- whatever it is, it's time to get
really honest with yourself about the things that just are not working well for
you. It's not about changing other people, it's about figuring out what works
for you and taking action to make the changes YOU need to make.
For permission to reprint this article, please contact me.
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