How Gaps Grow
A recent Revolution Me! post, Consciously Creating Commitments, dealt with aligning our commitments and our convictions to create lives that reflect our values from the inside out. More often than not, we fall out of alignment by dedicating our time, money and energy with little thought to the things that are most important, allowing gaps to grow between our commitments and our convictions.
A number of people wrote me to ask about why is it that we can envision the lives we want – but somehow, it remains just out of reach? Why it is so hard to bridge the gap between what we want and where we are now?
There are many reasons inertia holds us to the status quo, the most common deal with the past. Do you see yourself in any of the categories below?
Consciously Creating Commitments
What in your life is most important to you right now? Are there activities that invigorate you, relationships that fill you up, something about how you live your life that brings you joy?
In the past month, how much time, energy and money have devoted to those things you consider most important in your life?
What we often find is that the things that receive a disproportionate amount of our time, energy and money have little to do with the things we most value in life. We dispense these vital and limited resources with little thought or planning. The demands of busy personal and professional lives take over and we find ourselves on autopilot. We base our commitments on the expectations of others, the roles we play or simply habit. Usually, it takes a significant life change or a crisis to alert us that our priorities are out of alignment.
How much thought do you give to your commitments?
When we consciously decide where to allocate our most precious resources, we can make commitments that match our convictions and the things that matter most in our lives can come front and center.
Aligning our commitments and our convictions can bring focus to our daily lives and allows us to present to the world a clear sense who we are and what we value.
It takes a little more work and greater resolve to build our lives from the inside out – but the benefits are happier and more balanced days. Sounds like a worthwhile investment!
What’s Next?
I hear it all the time…”I don’t know what I want to do next.” It is the refrain of successful businesspeople ready for the next challenge, women return to work after raising children, new retirees, the recently unemployed, professionals ready for a career change, and those facing a wide range of personal or professional transitions.
I love hearing those words…it’s when I know that the before me person is on the edge of something wonderful. Recognizing that you are ready for the ‘next‘ is the very first step in creating your own personal revolution. Even if you don’t know what your ‘next‘ is — you can still start the groundwork.
For many of us, deciding a major in college, selecting a vocation, even chosing an industry is a process for which we are sorely unprepared. The process is so daunting the first time around that we hesitate to engage in it again. How do we decide what it is we want to do next? Even with the best of intentions, we most often find ourselves recreating the same set of circumstances in a new place rather than trying on something outside of our comfort zone. It isn’t always a conscious thing, but more of an active inertia.
Deciding what’s next for you can be an adventure! You can try on different hats, express sides of yourself that have long been buried and explore anything you’ve ever dreamed. So think big – What do you love doing? What would you like to try? What do people always say you are good at? Do you have a hobby you are passionate about? Go ahead, give it a try – step out in some new shoes!
For inspiration check out Paolo Nutini “New Shoes” on iTunes.
A Renewed Vision of Yourself
There are things we tell ourselves about our strengths and our talents. Perhaps that we are good at certain things and have no aptitude at others. My father is an artist and both my sisters inherited some of his talent. For years, I told myself I was the only daughter without artistic ability. I couldn’t even draw stick figures!
When I turned thirty, I decided it was time to discover my creativity. I chose sculpting. I found a studio, selected a stone and enrolled in a class. I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing, I just jumped in. It was frightening and liberating all at once – especially when I discovered the class was made up of experienced sculptors!
I had many fits and starts. In fact, there were days when I just stared at the stone without knowing what to do. Slowly, things started to evolve. And to my great surprise, I found I not only had an artistic voice, I really enjoyed expressing it!
Sculpting allowed me to see myself in a new light. Pushing past my fear of looking foolish and my ingrained perceptions gave me freedom that extended beyond the studio walls.
Have you overcome a fear of not being good at something to find a hidden talent? What do you tell yourself you aren’t good at but you would like to explore? Why not stop dreaming and forge a renewed vision of yourself today?
