Be True to Yourself

Many of us are living a lie. We are settling for what is available and not doing what we love or even like. In my opinion the worst thing is doing something that brings us no satisfaction or fulfillment. Necessity may dictate that we engage in an activity that is available. The economic climate of the day, and the need to make money are real. The bills have to be paid, the children’s unending needs have to be met. These are the realities that we face on a daily basis. However, I do believe that we can make room in our lives for things that bring us emotional fulfillment. If we are really fortunate they can also bring us financial benefits. Work at the God- given gifts and talents with which we have been blessed. They’ve been given to us for a purpose. We should not sell ourselves short by thinking that we are unable to pursue the things that complete us.

There is no greater pleasure than getting up everyday, looking forward to the day’s challenges, surprises and unforseen circumstances. I was just looking at a very interesting documentary about lightning. The documentary was very informative and interesting. Something, however, struck me just as much as the information being given. A photographer, whose job is to take pictures of the lightning, showed such an excitement and a delight for what he does, inspite of the danger that is associated with the job. I was intrigued by the level of joy and fulfillment that he obviously received from doing what he loved. Whenever life becomes a drudgery and mundane, its purpose is meaningless. To spend  everyday hating what we do, will evoke feelings of bitterness,resentment, and unthankfulness.

Doing what we like may entail many things such as spending time developing innate talent, we may have to put aside time to do it. We may need to leave out things that drain us of our energy and start to invest in activities that replenish us. The demands of life can, and do take from us much more than they add ;therefore it is necessary to involve ourselves in pastimes that rejuvenate. It is our responsibility to do all we can to improve the quality of our lives and in turn this may cause us to bring about positive change to our environment. What we do affects us and others around us; the outcome depends on our approach and attitude with which we do it.

I feel blessed and fortunate that my job brings me fulfillment. but if it didn’t I know that I would do my utmost to bring balance to my life by finding what brought me contentment. Many times we confuse financial security with satisfaction, I am not advocating that poverty or eking out a meagre existence will automatically bring gratification, nevertheless, we have many examples of the rich and famous who have committed suicide inspite of their economic status. There is no substitute for realizing goals and dreams. We may not do all that we want but, I think it’s a great achievement when we realize at least one goal.