My friend Sam shared this on her blog last week and I loved it so much I asked if I could share it with you guys – enjoy!
Today I wanted to share a very short (3 min 27 sec) talk from a TED conference held in February of this year. The speaker’s idea for getting out of a rut and creating change in your life is incredibly simple and therefore easy to implement.
The Dakini Grace philosophy is one of creating sustainable change in people’s lives. It’s not about waiting and hoping for a different lifestyle. It’s not about putting off life changes until you’ve had the next baby, bought the next house or retired from your job.
It’s about starting now by starting simply.
We don’t need to know how we’re going to deal with every turn in the road before we take the first step. We simply need to be willing to actually take that step. And then to step again. And again.
As we build momentum, personal growth comes from taking the time to notice the joy, the satisfaction that is always available when you choose to be fully present in your life. As we step into that, the goal becomes less significant and the journey everything. For it’s the journey which teaches us; which changes us.
Let’s say you always wanted to be a novelist but don’t yet know what you want to write about and/or don’t know anything about the publishing industry. Of course you don’t. You don’t need to know that yet. All you need to know is that there is a pull to write something, anything and to listen to that voice. Then honour it by writing. Write a blog. A diary. A monthly article for a local newspaper. Engage in the writing project mentioned in the video below.
The next steps are revealed from there. Sometimes they lead to great novels and sometimes they lead you somewhere else entirely. The point is this; you could be 105 years old and still be talking about writing that novel or you could be the person who tried it and allowed yourself to be taken wherever that led.
Whether it led to J.K Rowling status or whether your book will always be destined for the discount bin in the bookstore is irrelevant. The point is you took the step and in so doing, it changed you in some way. Because of that, you are the person I want to be seated next to, while we enjoy the early bird dinner special when we’re 105, and not the person who always spoke about writing and yet managed to suppress their most cherished dreams for over a century.
Dreams need a champion.
They need someone to pay attention to that quiet voice which says, ‘I want to be born into the world, I want to be created!’ They will use anyone who is willing to support them. Dreams are not picky like that. They don’t wait for the person with the best qualifications, the most beautiful appearance or the most sublime singing voice. They wait only for willingness. For someone who is ready to take the first step and co-create. And that is who they partner with, irrespective of race, creed, gender, physical ability, educational status, or even your certainty that the dream was intended for you and you alone.
So tell me, will you partner with a dream today?
To watch the TED talk click here.
Samantha Nolan Smith is simply fabulous in every way – if you want to find out more about her, go to her website at www.dakinigrace.com.
Love
Donna.x