PrintGet out the box of tissues and watch this young man on China’s Got Talent. He lost his arms at the age of ten after being accidentally electrocuted while playing with a friend. After overcoming his initial depression, he formulated a philosophy for his life that is sure to take him to unimaginable heights. We all have many challenges in our lives, and there is no person who has it easy, regardless of how things may appear on the outside. Thing is, there is no stopping a person with a goal, a drive, a positive outlook, and the willingness to put the work in, no matter what. In the case of this young man, the loss of his arms compelled him to learn to do everything with his feet – including playing the piano. Watch this true champion of life and get inspired. Often, what at first seems like an obstacle, if looked a properly, is really the beginning of an opportunity.
Posts Tagged purpose
“Everyone enjoys doing the kind of work for which he is best suited.”
Napoleon Hill
Discover Who You Really Are
Jan 29
“Live with passion.”
- Tony Robbins
Be who you were born to be. You were destined for greatness from the start. It is absolutely critical that you believe with all your heart that you are destined to be great, and to do great things. You have the power to influence the world around you by discovering who you really are. There is something inside of you that defines you to you. That is the thing which makes you stand out from all others; the thing which only you can do the way you do it.
My thing is empowering others. Here’s the truly incredible thing… by empowering others, I become empowered myself. In other words, by doing the thing that I am DESIGNED to do, I feed the engine that does the doing. My passion for the thing that is unique to me, is the fuel that causes me to continue to do it. And it continuously enhances my ability to do it better, because I am self motivated to want to do it better. That is also what makes it something that I can’t not do.
That is why it is imperative that each individual, each soul search for the something they were built for. It is my absolute belief that each of us is brilliant at something, and that it is not only our privilege, but our responsibility to pursue and engage in that something, until we become it. Then we must share it with the world in some form of useful service.
If you have not yet discovered what that thing is, your first order of business is to do that. By the way, the thing you are the most motivated to do (even in your spare time) may change as you reach different stages of your life. That is perfectly ok. There is no rule that says you may only be passionate about one thing. It is very likely though, that the things for which you have the most enthusiasm will probably have a common theme.
My common theme is EMPOWERMENT, but it manifests itself in different ways. In my martial arts studio, empowerment comes in the forms of a fitter and healthier body, a calmer and more focused mind, and an inner self that is disciplined and confident. In my karate league, empowerment comes in the form of testing yourself against an opponent for the sole purpose of improving yourself. In my public speaking, empowerment comes in the form of giving people of all ages real tools for unlocking their own potential.
Your common theme may be something different. I frequently help my personal coaching clients discover for themselves what it is that gets them up in the morning. Some discover it earlier than others. My best friend growing up knew from the time we were in about fourth or fifth grade that he would be a doctor. Guess what he is today? Yep, he’s a doctor.
Others don’t discover until they are much later in life what their true passion is. And sadly, some, for fear of criticism or some other form of paralysis never discover their true purpose in life. Even worse, some know deep inside what it is, but never act on it, and take it with them to the grave.
My philosophy is: get in all the living you can, while you are alive. There will be no do-overs at the end. And the best way to live up to your potential in life, is to do the thing you really want to do, and to do it all out. (Disclaimer: this does not include things that are against the law or that intentionally damage other people, or the earth.) That aside, you are a genius. There is something that nobody else can do like you. Stop silencing that inner voice that is screaming at you, discover what it is, and do it. Use it as a way to improve yourself, and share it with others so that they may do the same. You and the universe will be glad you did.
Photo: *eddie
This is an enjoyable parody of the popular ‘reality’ type shows where people compete to be deemed ‘ok’ by a panel of judges they seem to admire and fear. I admit, I am a fan of American Idol, although my schedule does not let me watch it that often. Jumping right on that bandwagon, it seems that every possible field has some version of this show format, where people tremble before a group of power crazed judges, hoping they can fit in.
Clearly, those in this video are good sports, and are mocking this process, while acknowledging the ‘guido’ stereotype so often portrayed in ‘wiseguy’ movies. I could not help but chuckle along – the point of this video, clearly – while also enjoying the Brooklyn/North Jersey vernacular, as I was born in Brooklyn, and raised in Jersey.
My other thought was that too many people never take the time to ask themselves who they really are, and would rather spend their time trying hopelessly to fit in, or be like some self-concocted image of somebody else. Here is a concept: try being yourself! There is nothing interesting about a second rate imitation. By the way, identification with a group does not mean you are a clone. You can be both part of a group, and also maintain your own personal identity. The point I am making, is that whoever you are, and whatever group or groups you belong to, you should find your own voice and style.
If it is your dream to become a ‘guido’, or a singer, or a designer, or whatever, do it in a way that is unique to you. This is true for everything. Don’t try to sound like another singer, try to sound like you. Don’t be a ridiculous Sopranos clone, do it your own way. There is a huge difference in the price of an original painting, versus an imitation. The same is true for a Gucci handbag. The same is true for you.
You will be much more interesting when you discover who you are, and be that without apologizing, rather than a cheap imitation of anyone else.
This is an incredible example of finding one’s purpose in the world. In this case the one finding her purpose is a dog. She was initially being trained as a service dog for a home-bound disabled person. Although she started off stellar, her hunting drive was too strong, and made her unable to work in that capacity. By following the natural tendencies of the dog, however, her trainers realized that she had an incredible ability to work as a service dog for a teenage disabled surfer. She not only took to it instantly, but loved it, and excelled at it. Imagine, rather than trying to pigeon-hole the dog into something for which she was clearly not suited, they allowed her to be herself, and discovered her personal area of genius.
Imagine if we as humans did the same for ourselves. We so often limit ourselves in the name of being ‘reasonable’, only to leave our true area of genius completely untapped. Most people are so terrified of what others will say about them if they dare step outside of their box, that they never activate the potential that lies within them. It has been often said that you can’t put a square peg in a round hole, or vice versa, but that is precisely what most people do with their lives.
On the other hand, here is a dog who, with the help of a few caring individuals, discovers her true calling in life. Not only that, but she inspires and empowers the lives of others by the simple beauty of being what she was designed to be.
Have you considered what you were designed to be? Are you making the best use of your natural talents? Are you doing what you love to do? I would love to hear your comments on this subject.
P.s. watch the video, it is truly remarkable!
Quote of the Week – 1/17/10
Jan 17
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
Epictetus
Sometimes it seems that there is way too much information coming at us at once. It can make a person freeze in their tracks, not knowing what to focus on first, or how to decipher what is important information versus what to ignore.
The key thing is to constantly be honest with oneself about what we are truly interested in rather than what we think will make us interesting to others. The fact is that being interested is way more interesting than trying to be interesting for its own sake. Those who are truly successful are typically those who love what they do, and therefore can’t stop doing it. When we face the mountain of information that is always in front of us from that place, it makes it much easier to decide what to do first. Whatever is in alignment with what we love, and where we want to go with it, gets selected. All else either goes on the back burner, or better yet, gets cleared out to make room for more of what supports our personal missions.
That said, I am off to write a follow up letter to those who attended an event I just did. When I am done with that, I will proceed with an online course to help me improve my copy writing skills.
Send me comments about what you are up to, or if there is something I can help you with.
Are you dissatisfied with your life?
Do you feel like there is something missing, but can’t put your finger on it?
My name is Joel A Levy. I help people figure out what they are supposed to be doing here in the world, and how to get it done. See, I believe that each of us is here on a unique mission, and that it is through fulfilling that mission that we repair the world around us, and ultimately, ourselves.
This is what we were put here to do. As such, each of us is wired with a unique combination of skills and interests in order to assist us in fulfilling our life’s mission.
I have three critically important questions to ask you:
- What are you doing to make the world a better place?
- Are you doing the work that you were put on this earth to do?
- What are you doing with the potential you were given?
Take your time in reading these questions, because unlocking the answers to them will reveal you to yourself, perhaps for the very first time.
My belief is that question number two is the real key. Until you are doing the work you were meant to do, you will not be making the contribution to the world that you are capable of. You may experience some success in other fields, but something will always be missing for you. But when you link into who you really are, and the work that supports that, your success will be infinite, and every day will be a blessing.
Similarly, until you are engaged in your life’s work, you will personally slide along laterally at best. Once you are doing the thing for which you were born, you will necessarily grow and develop to the fullest of your potential. That is because you will no longer need forced discipline to do it. This work is your passion, and you will not want to stop doing it. As such, you will improve yourself through it constantly as time goes on, and through your passion, you will use this work to make the world a better place.
I get a real charge out of helping someone discover who they really are, and being able to honestly answer the three questions I posed to you before.
If you want answers to those questions, and what to do about them when you find them, then we were destined to cross paths. I am very easy to get in touch with. I look forward to getting started with you.
What Teachers Make
Oct 21
In 1999, Taylor Mali wrote a poem called What Teachers Make that is so wonderful it “has been elevated/reduced to the level of Inspirational Cyber Spam”.
It is an excellent poem about the impact that a teacher can have on the life of a child. In so doing, teachers are in a unique position to fulfill the mission of improving themselves and improving the world!
To find your purpose in life: Find something for which you have unlimited enthusiasm, and that is also healthy and legal. Surrender yourself to it, work at it, excel at it, and love every minute of it. Pay it forward in the form of useful service to others.
Major Clue: You can even charge for your service, and make a great living at it.
Really Important: Never stop learning, growing, and committing yourself to your passion.
Key Point: If you don’t know what your passion and purpose are, your first order of business it to find out!
Hint: What is it that you always find yourself doing, whether you get paid for it or not?? That may be your passion and your purpose for being!