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A father kneeled before his son. He gently stroked the boy’s hair and smiled at him with pride.
“You are such a good boy.”
The son nodded his head, hungry for his father’s praise. He looked up to him, this strong omniscient man. The child adored him. He would do everything for his father’s approval.
“Don’t be like that no good friend of yours, you hear? He only roams around doing nothing. He will never amount to anything! But you. You will go places! You will become a distinguished lawyer and earn tons of money.”
Again, the boy nodded eagerly and ran into his room. He had to study. He had to prove to his father that he is worthy of his love.
Years passed and both the boy and his no good friend went to college. The boy exceeded and made his father even prouder. But his friend struggled and eventually had to drop out of college.
“See? My father was right! He really is no good,” he snorted haughtily.
Even more, years passed and the boy, now a young man and a distinguished lawyer is sitting on a bench in a park. He is eating a stale sandwich, but he doesn’t notice it. He is glaring into the distance. An empty look in his eyes brings to light a painful truth. He is not happy. He doesn’t like what he does for his living; he doesn’t like how he lives. He doesn’t like who he is. In reality, he doesn’t even know who he is!
A pigeon flies over his head and sits on a branch above him. It coos and discretely poops on his shoulder. The last straw! The man starts to cry unstoppably.
He is always working, never taking rest. He never does anything fun. His wife doesn’t love him. And quite frankly, he doesn’t love her either. He only married her, because his father said it is time to get serious. That it is appropriate for a man of his status to have a wife. Not just any wife, oh, no! The one from a respected family.
Earlier that day he met his childhood friend. A small business owner, but he still takes life as a play. He roams around the world. From one of his previous journeys, he brought his new wife with him. What a wife! Ten years older, Philippine woman with two children from her previous relationship. Nevertheless, the friend is thriving.
The saddened lawyer never in his life met such an exuberant person. His childhood friend, that no good drop-out-of-college emanated genuine joy, happiness, and zest for life.
Naturally, the man asked his friend what is his secret. After all, he did drop out of school, so his prospects of success weren’t pleasurable.
The friend grinned in amusement. He leaned towards the man and revealed his wisdom.
***
I. Dream. Dream Big.
“Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” ~Napolean Hill
What’s the richest & wealthiest place on the planet?.....(Drum Roll please)………………….
The GraveYard.
It’s overflowing with unfulfilled ideas & dreams, all lost to the void.
To Dream is to live many lives within this Infinitesimally fleeting One. To Dream Big is to leave a Legacy for future generations to follow. Are you willing to lay your dreams & ideas to the grave? or Are you willing to soar higher than any before you?
II. Family is Power
“I would see the world Burn & my soul claimed to eternal Torment, rather than endure a single moment of their Pain.” ~Alfonzowords
When the world shrieks & groans at you, a moment with Family is a moment of strength. They will shelter you, harbor you, support you, fight you, drain you, empower you & altogether love you, Unconditionally. They only require the chance.
III. Love is a Kaleidoscope
"There are all kinds of love in this world but never the same love twice." ~F. Scott Fitzgerald
Love comes in all shapes, size, colors & above all else, it is delivered unto thee in Free Will. Follow your Heart as often as you can with as much bravery as you can muster. No worth is found later in that safe choice laid out for you on a platter of silvers. Heart-Throbbing, Mind-Numbing, Life-Altering, Passion-Entwining, Maddening-Inducing, Love is the stuff of legend. It will bind you, release you, conquer you, enlighten you & breathe for you. Never miss that opportunity to say
“Love you.”
IV. There is no I in We
“Help others get what they want & you will automatically get what you want.” ~Zig Ziglar
For a long time, I laid waste to every sentence that began with “We”. I alone felt compelled to soar ever higher and look down from the skies. Such a daft-dingbat, wallow-bee was I. It is only through Equality that we learn true Humility. Everyone is Me & I am Everyone, yet we are All unique. Today I stand with my fellow man & woman, naked in shame over past deeds but honest & true to every future hour that I live. Adamant in my will to be considerate, empathic & most of all, humble to all that enter my life. In hope, I wish it for you as well. Everyone matters.
V. What Is within You
“The two most Important days in your life are, the day you were Born & the day you find out WHY you were born.” ~Mark Twain
Personal Development is akin to finding the True Divinity within the Real world. It is beyond our comprehension yet wholly underrated & misbegotten. The most important key is to find your WHY, which stands for: What Hurts You. What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning, what makes you push past all limits, what activates you to action above all else. Is it your child, your partner, your parents, you family, or even yourself? Make it as an emotional answer as you can. Remember it always & forever. Read more, listen more, and watch more. Never settle for a “full cup”, always be willing to learn & grow. Personal Development is the greatest “Life-Hack”, greatest wake-up call & altogether the greatest resource you could ever have.
VI. Haters, gonna Hate
“Evil Prevails when good men do nothing.” ~Edmund Burke
Human nature is to grow up wanting to belong, to be liked, respected & valued but naught for your integrity & happiness, shall you sacrifice. There is a reason that only 1 percent of the world is Wealthy in every sense of the word. It is because the other 99 percent aren’t willing to go the distance. Every excuse, reason & logic is used to define their rooted routines. And that is Ok, it is their choice & theirs alone. But when you decide, when you find your WHY and make it your absolute Dream, they all fade away like a puff of smoke. The melody that you compose will sing louder than all the 99 percent voices combined. You cannot please everyone but you can accept them for who they are. We are here to serve mankind and not oppress any one voice, regardless of the tone.
VII. Your Story is your Own
“This is ten percent Luck, twenty percent Skill
Fifteen percent concentrated Power of Will
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent Pain
And a hund’ed percent reason to remember the Name!” ~Fort Minor, Remember the Name
Everyone is Us & We are Everyone, yet we are All unique. Within each of us lies a journey, a song, a story for the ages. It is only by living it that we can truly unravel the wisdom that comes with it. You are strong, a creator, a guardian, a light in the darkness & candle to the wind. Burn bright, burn eternal, burn warmly & in awe of the beauty that exists all around you. Reach out, share your story. For there is no Greater agony than bearing a Story Untold within You. A friend will listen, a friend will care. Family will listen, family will care. But a stranger will listen, and a stranger will bare. You will touch their souls, irrevocably. Go forth now, be better than the person you were yesterday. Live a life of Dreams & Family, of Love & Community, of Wealth & Acceptance. Uncover that story you belong to, unveil the magic that is within you. And if nothing else, Believe. Believe that your One True Self, can shape this world for the better.
***
The young lawyer’s friend followed his heart. He was not filled with his parents’ expectations for him, as the man was. He paid attention to his own dreams, desires, and aspirations and he wasn’t afraid to take the necessary steps toward achieving them. Along the way he had fun and enjoyed the whole process. He took 100% responsibility for his life and turned it into something worth living.
On the other hand, the lawyer made his father’s vision of him for his own. He went after what his father said was good for him. He forgot altogether about his own wishes and succumbed to father’s visions for his life. He didn’t share them with his father. Hence, he was miserable in life.
Who do you want to be?
********************************
Authors Note
I'm beyond jazzed to introduce you to the guest blogger who helped me rock this post on Life Lessons. We pooled out experiences to give you this short story & the listed 7 Life Lessons. After the success of the post I did with the ever-talented
Sumarie, I had been searching for another megastar to work with. Lo' & behold, I found her and it took me only one paragraph to fall in love with her writing style & voice. Both powerful in its own right, I marveled at the strong message she brought forth. So without ado, I give you.
Nina Obran:
After being single practically all her life Nina embarked on a journey of self-discovery and personal development in order to make peace with herself and find the love of her life. She wrote a book 7 Daily Habits for Singles Not to Be Single Anymore (link:
http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Habits-Singles-Single-Anymore-ebook/dp/B01DVUVY3C) to help herself with this endeavor. Living what she preaches she is not single anymore!
You can find her at
www.ninaobran.com.
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