The Real You Wants Out of the Cage: 27APRIL2018
About This Project
So many of us are searching for that sweet spot in life. That spot in life where your soul is on fire, your passion is ignited, and your love is bubbling over. That place where we feel like our realest selves all of the time. That place where we live in such cool comfort that we never have to put on a show – never having to wonder what other people think of us – walking through life with the true innate sense of confidence that just makes you think ‘damn. it’s good to be alive.’ But how do we get there? How do we get to that sweet place? Well, like any good mountain climb or vigorous trek (nature parallels life in so many ways), its going to take a good bit of work to get there – aside from the scrapes, bruises, callouses, and mental challenges the journey will involve – it is also going to involve some risk. This short commentary is about embracing the risk – and by reading this article you will have taken one more step towards reaching that sweet spot you yearn for – you will be one step closer to the peak of the mountain:
~~~~~ The best way to get to that ‘sweet spot’ – that mountain peak – that place where your soul is ignited and you feel deep contentment waking up every day is to FIND YOUR PURPOSE – find out exactly what God has put you on this Earth to do – and then passionately and unabashedly pour yourself into it. (Hint: most of us weren’t put here to work in soul sapping cubicles or on mind numbing assembly lines).
You remember that one teacher you had back in school who was just so kind and joyful every single day? That joy came because she found her purpose in life – to teach young children – and so she loved coming to work every day and you could just feel the way she poured herself into the classroom. Have you ever heard the zeal in the late Steve Irwin (Crocodile Hunter’s) voice as he studied different animal species? Felt the contentment in the late Bob Ross’ voice as he painted? Or the joy in the late Julia Child’s voice when she was cooking? You can truly observe their fervor for life through their craft.
These are but a few of those restless souls who found their purpose in this world and poured themselves into it. And YOU have a specific purpose as well.
Now, don’t worry, I know what you are thinking right now: “That’s great. But what if I don’t know what my purpose is? How do I find my thing like those other people did?”. No problem – we’re about to get there. You’re already on your way – the fact that you are reading this article means you want to get there and care to get there – and that is a big step. Because many tired souls are completely fine living on the shoreline and sleepwalking through life. So, you’re already ahead of the game.
Now, how do you find your ‘thing’ – where do you find that purpose to pour yourself into? You have to do the following:
Take that huge risk. Do that thing that is scaring you. Do that thing that you want to be doing deep down inside but you haven’t because you are scared to take the risk and leave your comfort zone – that thing that you know you should be doing but you have come up with a million reasons and excuses not to.
Army Ranger Pat Tillman (if you don’t know his amazing story google it) said:
“Somewhere inside, we hear a voice. It leads us in the direction of who we wish to become. But it is up to us whether or not to follow it.”
You have to follow that inner voice even if it is uncomfortable. You have to take that risk. You have to do that thing even if it scares you. Do it. Seriously, just do it. Ignore comfort.
The desire for comfort is built into our DNA and our deepest instincts as a survival mechanism; You see, for our hunting and gathering ancestors, to leave the cave or the shelter or the community involved significant risk – risk that they would be taken by a predator, or the weather, or an enemy tribe or countless other things. In other words, the yearning for comfort is a survival mechanism that is built into you. If your greatest goal is to merely survive this life – then FOLLOW that instinct which calls you towards comfort. BUT if you want to thrive in life rather than merely survive life – if you desire more than to just have your basic needs met – to have more than just ‘eat, sleep, work, repeat’ – if you want to truly live this life to the absolute depths it can be lived and experience this ride from the deepest parts of your bone marrow – then you need to ignore the call for comfort and take that risk.
You will never become your realest self if you don’t take that risk. Examples of this truth can be seen all around us – the muscle that is never used will become weak and degenerative; the bird that does not leave the nest will never learn to fly and will eventually starve to death; the male big horn sheep who never challenges another male to a battle of ramming heads together at 20mph will never never get to experience sex with a female; the piece of coal that is never subjected to pressure will never become a diamond – it will remain a lump of coal forever. And the YOU who never takes a risk or abandons comfort will never be the realest truest version of yourself.
So, please do that thing now. You know what it is deep down – it could be anything from moving cross country to joining the military to talking to that stranger on the bus to moving out of your parents to enrolling in that college course. Whatever. I don’t know what your thing is – but you do. So do it now. Please do it now. If you want to have the soul on fire, deep sense of contentment, passion ignited life, listen to your inner voice and go take that risk now.
AND once you’ve taken that risk – I want you to take a picture of yourself doing it/with it/or some how describing the risk and post it on the community page. FIVE winners will be chosen and interviewed & highlighted on our site and given a free redhalo package (book, shirt, gloves). AND everyone who takes some risk or goes out and does that thing they’ve been scared to do in order to create positive change – will be one step closer to becoming the realest version of his or her self and living the most content soul-filled life of your dreams.
— Justin James 27APRIL2018