Helen Keller once remarked that there was one thing she knew of that was worse than being blind; it was to be able to see but have no vision. In case you do not know the story of Helen Keller, she was less than two years old when she suddenly came down with a fever that left her unconscious. The fever left just as suddenly. But she was left blinded and, very soon after, also became deaf. Despite these handicaps, she went on to live a passionate, meaningful and important life. You can read a brief biography here http://www.rnib.org.uk/wesupply/fctsheet/keller.htm This is one of my own favorite and oft repeated sayings, A person without a definite purpose in life is more handicapped than the most disadvantaged or disabled. This is the sad, sad, sad truth about most peoples lives They have eyes that work; they can see, but they have no vision. They have ears that work; they can hear, but choose not to listen. They have a tongue that works; they can speak, but have nothing to say. The vast majority of people lead mediocre and purposeless lives. They are stuck in this mediocrity because they have no vision for their lives. They are mired in this mediocrity because they refuse to listen to the quiet internal voice that keeps telling them that there must be a better way. They are trapped in mediocrity because they have not the courage to gather their voice and speak their truth; instead they mumble/repeat the inanities learned from the likewise mediocre folks they hang around with as they fulfill the oft repeated truism, misery loves company. Thoreau wrote that most people lead lives of quiet desperation. People are so desperate for a vision to lead their lives by that they follow mendacious politicians that are even more mediocre than they themselves are. People are so desperate for a message to give meaning to their lives that they buy into whatever story they are fed. Desperate and mediocre people hang around in packs sharing the BS, lies and stories hoping to find succor in being a part of the commonality of mediocrity. Happy, successful, fulfilled, self-destined and self-motivated people do not mind solitude and quiet. They have no need to fill up empty hours with noise to cover up the still quiet internal voice. They have no need to stuff their days with the eye candy of television to hide from the fact that they have no inner vision. They have no need to continuously chatter loud inanities in an attempt to disguise their lack of message. Thoreau also wrote, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear." Do you want to come to the end of your life only to find that you have not lived; you have only merely existed? If you want to be fulfilled, to live a happy life, to be successful and to have prosperity, then you must develop your own vision and your own message. You must become your own disciple and follow your own truth. Turn off your television and turn on your inner vision. Find or create your own vision. Without this vision, you cannot see where you are going and it is most unlikely that you will ever end where you want to be. Your life will have meaning and purpose only when you assign it a message. Stop buying into other peoples stories. Write your own script. Examine your core beliefs and discard those that do not serve you. You will be fulfilled only when you discover or design your own truth and then, live it. Only you can decide what is true and meaningful for you. Happiness is not found in any philosophy that is offered to you. It is not on sale at the mall or superstore. No one can give it to you. It is only found within your own heart. Are you after prosperity? An abundance of all the good things that life has to offer? A way out of mediocrity? You will find that life offers you prosperity as soon as you use your will to create a congruency of ideal (vision), word (thought) and deed (action). It really is up to you. Take responsibility now for your life. |
