I was driving to see Berta yesterday and my iPod was randomly shuffling through songs.  (As an aside…. I always seem most inspired by music) The universe always picks out what I need when I need it.

The first song was Bruce Springsteen “Born to Run”. Now that song just kicks ass any way ya look at it. But, as I was reflecting my upcoming 50th birthday, it kinda spoke to me. Bruce encouraged me to remember that I was born to Kick Ass! That I was born to push myself to the edge and often just a little over the edge. He reminded me that it was my position and birthright to run and not let ANYONE hold me back! Good message

Next up – and I know this is a shocker that it’s even on my iPod – Miley Cyrus “The Climb”!

Now I’m not a huge fan of teen pop, but my wife loves this one. I never really paid attention to the lyrics… yesterday I did!

Miley encouraged me to reflect on my journey. I realized that often my life has seemed like an uphill climb. Between business associates going off the deep end, family members being well… family members, health issues, etc etc… it just seems like I have been pushing hard for 50 years. And I have!

But I also looked at all of my accomplishments. I looked at all I have learned. I looked at all I had taught.

I have had an amazing Climb! I have accomplished a lot more than I  was ever expected too! I’ve had a lot of challenges but have usually hit them head on and often won… but Miley reminds that we’ll lose sometimes… and that’s OK. It’s part of the climb. Thanks a lot Miley!

The last song on my short ride was Kenny Loggins “Danger Zone”. I’ll bet you remember that as one of the hit songs from one of my favorite fluff films – “Top Gun”. This song always get’s me revving the engines! It reminded me that while I am on this climb that I have to push myself into and past the Danger Zone. I get stopped dead in my tracks sometimes by fear. And I’m starting to recognize that as a warning sign… not a stop sign! I’m starting to develop startegies to deal with the fear and get past it! It’s a really big push for me, and I have to thank Kenny Loggins for reminding me that getting past my fears is part of the equation for success!

It’s great to be 50 years old. I can’t wait to see what the next 50 brings!

Remember – Just “do you”… and remember to kick ass at doing you!

“Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear. That’s why it’s such a powerful weapon.”

This is a quote from the movie Invictus. Nelson Mandela just took over the country of South Africa as the president after 27 years in prison. He was imprisoned by the people he was now to lead. Mandela decided to integrate the  country, including his security forces When the white capital SAS security guard showed up for work, the black Mandela security guards were shocked! How could they work together?  These were the people that imprison them, these were the people that tortured them, these were the people that raided their village and killed their families.

Mandela asked them to forgive. “Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear. That’s why it’s such a powerful weapon.”

This was just at the beginning of the movie, but it was such an important message for me. Forgiveness. Such a simple thing, but so hard to do.

It’s so easy to harbor hate and anger. For some reason, it just feels right. Someone has wronged us…  we should be angry with  them. If they don’t apologize  – we don’t forgive them. If we don’t think they’re giving us a genuine apology we don’t forgive them. It’s our righteous way. Actually… It’s our ego talking.

Have you ever been angry at someone for a long time, maybe so long that you almost forgot why you are angry with them? I’ve been there. Harboring my righteous anger.

If you think about it, who is that anger hurting. It’s quite possible the person you’re angry with, doesn’t even  remember that you’re angry with them, maybe, never even knew you are angry with them.

So who are you hurting?

It’s simple, the only person getting hurt is you!.

Perhaps  someone has really wronged you, maybe they really hurt you. I challenge you to think this way; is it possible, that they never really intended to hurt you, but were only doing what they thought was right to preserve themselves.

In the above example I talk about the persecution of the black people in South Africa for decades I challenge that the white population that they were persecuting when Mandela was released from prison maybe forgot what started the persecution 27 years before! Heck, some of them may never have even been born then! But, they were raised angry! They were raised to persecute! They were raised to discriminate!

Were they wrong to do this? Well… of course they were wrong. But, it’s what they were taught and raised to believe was right. So consciously, I think, what they were doing was self-preservation and what they thought was right… not something to really wrong the black people. Does this make them any more right? No. But maybe it gives you a reason, to forgive them.

If you were to drive in America, we drive on the right hand side of the road. If you take a holiday in the UK, and you drive on the right-hand side of the road, never knowing that in the UK, they drive on the left-hand side of the road, are you wrong?

Yes, technically you are wrong. You’ll cause accidents. But it’s all you were ever taught! So could you be forgiven for driving on the right-hand side of the road. Sure. Though… once you realize that you should be driving on the left inside the road, you need to learn to drive on the left-hand side of the road. Otherwise, there will be accidents.

Question… Are you harboring anger against people that have wronged you that may not even realize they did anything wrong. Is it possible that you never expressed you’re anger with them? If so…perhaps they don’t even realize they should ask for your forgiveness.

Just an idea… Maybe it’s time to offer forgiveness more freely. Maybe it’s time to stop harboring such anger. Maybe it’s time to stop hurting yourself by harboring this anger.

Imagine a day without anger. A day without that seething anger that you may be harboring against someone or some group of people for years. Try just letting go of that and forgiving them.

Now your initial gut instinct and knee-jerk reaction, could be righteous. “I have a right to be angry!” “I have a reason to be angry!”  And that may be so…

But who is the anger really hurting? It’s hurting you. Especially, if the other person or party you’re angry at doesn’t even know you’re angry with, or perhaps doesn’t even care that your angry with them!

Make a list of the people you’re angry with. Maybe it’s a shortlist, maybe it’s a long list. Try and remember why you’re angry with them. Pick one person, and forgive them.

You don’t have to make a big production of forgiving them. In your heart, just forgive them. Let it go. Just think to yourself, “It’s silly for me still to be angry with Pete. It was so long ago and it’s water under the bridge. We all make mistakes!” And let go of the anger, take  deep breath and just let it go….

Now doesn’t that feel better! I know, this is easier said than done. But it’s so important, anger is such a dangerous fearful emotion. It is my belief, that anger causes a lot of illness, a lot of pain.

Please try this, I know it may be difficult… But if you really, really, do this. If you really forgive those who harbor anger against you… You WILL  eliminate fear and pain. Good luck!

Living Upward: The Real in Reality

By no means am I immune to or ignorant of the realities that life heaps upon all of us, nor do I want to be. But with this new intentional, purposeful life that is taking shape around me and within me, I’m realizing that there’s nothing …

Publish Date: 05/20/2010 10:37

http://lisaperdue.blogspot.com/2010/05/real-in-reality.html

Does Your Attitude Keep You From Having Quality of Life?

Quality of life is accomplished when attentive attention, goal setting, and purposeful action are organized into an active agreement. Happiness, well being, since of accomplishment, good health, purposeful acts, are all part of your …

Publish Date: 05/19/2010 22:21

http://ekodok.com/does-your-attitude-keep-you-from-having-quality-of-life.html

Purposeful Leadership: Self Leadership: Lead yourself to success

Finally, live life with an open mind and remember that oftentimes other people know you better than you know yourself. Listen to what they are really saying about you and then lead yourself to become what you were created to be. …

Publish Date: 02/25/2010 11:01

http://blog.purposefulpartnerships.com/2010/02/self-leadership-lead-yourself-to-success.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PurposefulLeadership+(Purposeful+Leadership)

We Live for a Purpose, No?

So don’t bother saving a spot for someone who won’t make an effort to stay.” It is, very well said. I should start to open up lots for important people in my life and important events to come by. All for a purposeful life. …

Publish Date: 04/24/2010 14:13

http://thyshackles.livejournal.com/24699.html

ARE YOU LIVING A PURPOSEFUL LIFE?

Am I living a purposeful life? I often ask myself this question? My answer may vary depending on the day, month or even the year that I ask myself this question. At times my answer is yes, at times my answer is no and at times my answer …

Publish Date: 04/18/2010 15:27

http://weownourdreams.blogspot.com/2010/04/are-you-living-purposeful-life.html

‘The Universal Law of Allowing- Wisdom’ (Chp 4) By Dorothy Ratusny.MP4

Dorothy Ratusny, A Psychotherapist and the Author of two books: ‘Live Your Life’s Purpose: A guidebook for creating and living a purposeful life’ and ‘The Purpose of Love: A guiebook for defining and cultivating your most significant relationship’ di…

Wayne Dyer – Ambition to Meaning – The Shift (Part 7 of 12)

Dr. Wayne Dyer – Ambition to Meaning – The Shift ([Part 7 of 12) how to find the path to our Spiritual Purpose and therefore our Greatest JOY. Filmed on coastal Californias spectacular Monterey Peninsula, The Shift captures every persons mid-life lon…

So I gotta a say.. I’m kinda pissed.  For the last few weeks my hands and arms have been really, really stiff and hurting.  So much that it’s hard to get dressed in the morning and typing is a REAL chore! Many will say – “Well… that’s part and parcel with Rheumatoid Arthritis!” ( I’ve had RA since I was about 20 years old… I’m a few decades older now!)

But ya know what…It doesn’t seem like it’s my bones anymore, it seems like it’s my Muscles! I get massaged regularly. Deep almost masochistic massage… very painful but it really is exactly what I need. I get Reiki twice a week and am trying to exercise more… but the pain persists… My Reiki Master Berta Prevosti tells me I’m releasing old anger and sadness… Now I don’t really get the whole Reiki thing, but I know it’s really helpful. I have a lot of faith!

I’ve been on a journey of growth and self exploration for about 10 years… I would have thought I would have gotten where I need to get buy now… but I’m learning that the journey is it’s own end. And when push comes to shove… I LOVE this journey! I LOVE growing! I LOVE helping others grow!

And that’s what keeps me going through really tough times like this. I have a passion. I know what my passion is. It’s kinda funny, but when I’m in service with others, a LOT of my pain goes away…

Do you really know your purpose. Do you really understand what you are here for. Now I’m not perfect with this yet, but I’m getting a lot better! I think many of us walk around and through life in quiet desperation, some of us realize that “there must be more to life than this”… some of us feel that we have peaked, and just figure that their purpose is to maintain status quo… I challenge that there is more for all of us. The power to have more is in our hands. No one can give it to you, you need to take it!

So what is your purpose. Maybe you’re not sure. Let me know if you’d like me to write more on how I found my purpose….

When you find yours will you be as excited as Steve Martin in this Clip?

Talk to me… What is your special purpose… How did you find it?

One of the things I have had a hard time NOT noticing is that a lot of us end up where we are in life without a plan, very unintentionally.

For a long time, my path was very random, I would seize opportunity when it showed itself. I would start a job, get promoted a bit, get promoted again, and then get unhappy and leave.

This was a trend and a mistake many companies make… Many companies take their top sales guys and turn them into sales managers… This is often the end of the road for the sales guy. The sales guy loved being in contact with the people, he loved selling, now he pushes papers around on his desk and screams at his sales guys. It’s a sill trend and if more managers thought ahead they would leave a good sales guy where he belongs… SELLING!

So I ended up looking in the help wanted ads (In those days Craig did not have a list of jobs for me!) I found another opportunity and started the cycle over again..

I realized one day that I was in this pattern and needed to create my life on purpose. Since the accidental life is so common I decided I would share my thoughts and help some of ya that realize… “Hey…. this is not where I want to be. I’m not happy and I’m ready to take the steps to find out what I am really supposed to be doing!”

Your first tip… You can be or do just about anything you want to do.

The questions is…

Should you be doing it?

Dare to Dream

Take an hour today and make up a list of what you really dream of being.

I know this may be a stretch for some of you as I have found, many of us have forgotten how to dream. Let go of who you are today.

Just imagine… “if money and time were no object what would really bring you joy and happiness”. It could be a physical thing like a new vacation home in Key West, maybe it’s a new profession… this will be different for everyone.

Have fun with this exercise. It’s a small step, but an important step to developing and planning to have an unreasonably wonderful, joyous life.

Please let me know what you are dreaming of in the comments below, Lets all get wild and crazy and dream today!

I’ll start off…
I dream of living, year round, in my wonderful home in Key West where I am inspired to work every day helping my Clients achieve every dream and goal they have! I know if I help they they will help me achieve my dreams!