Within my blogs, there are many posts and many people don't have the time to read and sort through the different subjects of posts. Some funny, serious, analytical, cultural, food related, psychology, and religion. Therefore, I decided to select some of my favorite posts to share in different categories with this one being Purpose.
They can be found in the following blogs:
http://40b430.blogspot.com/ http://andthisismorocco.blogspot.com/
http://bollywoodtraveladventures.blogspot.com/
http://therealicelandia.blogspot.com
Intervention
As a brave soul, I let my curiosity take me into places I should not always be in. This always happens with the desire to learn about people. Also, to make myself available to them as people gravitate towards me and his spirit. People want to share intimate details about their life, they want advice, they want help, they want acknowledgement, they want to learn, they want to feel good, and they want to feel cared about and loved.
With this said, in the isolated villages of Belize, I went wondering through the village to see a worn down house with a porch full of brown wooden boards all in a pile. Behind it, I found a man passed out with no shirt and a beer bottle laying on the ground. I tapped him on the shoulder and he quickly jumped up. I greeted him kindly and he was disoriented with his own place and my presence. He kept touching his hair as he was demonstrated care in his appearance.
I told him he has nice hair and he enjoyed the compliment. Still he said, "Excuse me" and turned away to fix his hair and He looked Filipino, but clearly he was Mayan livingin a small Indigenous Mayan village. He was thin, but had weight in his belly, a dark tan and wrinkled and beat up khaki cargo shorts. He had a nice kind face and feet with no shoes.
He presented with paranoia and anxiety and he said loudly, "Who sent you here?"
He was stuttering and said, "Did the police send you?"
He couldn't understand why I was there and I simply told him,
"I just want to talk to you."
I patted his shoulder and smiled and we sat down on the steps to the house. With some down to earth conversation-he opened up a bit. The house with the open room, the wooden boards is his house that he owns with his wife. The beer bottles spread throughout the yard amongst mangos and coconuts also belonged to him. His wife takes care of him and loves him even with all the drinking. After a few questions, his drinking problem quickly rose to the surface. We discussed his alcohol consumption, habits, reason for drinking, impact on family, etc. He opened up and shared his desires to quit (most addicts are great manipulators saying they will quit and they never do).
Will this man quit after our interaction? Probably not. Is it helpful to acknowledge this man and give him some positive motivation while listening to his story? Yes!
To confirm, his interest in quitting drinking, he took the empty beer bottles on the ground and threw them away. It was confirmation to the way he felt about our talking-mutual respect and He then asked me to come towards the tree and I did. He cut a mango for me; then cut a big coconut for me to drink and one for himself.
There we were outside the formal setting of social work, in the village, sharing a coconut and a one hour session together.
It's hard to come up with substitute behaviors for a client living in a village-it's limited. However, the inspiration and religious component is priceless. When I asked if he believed in Jesus, he shook his head and said, "Yes, oh yes." When I gave my inspiration speech about life and living it fully, he nodded his head in agreement and in tune with the spiritual self he had inside. When the body lives well, our life finds a way to live well too.
It was lunchtime and time for him to go home to his wife. His smile, his handshake, and his heart thanked me.
One great moment in a sea of many PRIS
Hunger Deliveries and A Homeless Potential
Another element that had been added this trip was the giving and sharing of food. This practicing of fasting in Morocco lead me to understand how it feels to have an empty stomach. Discipline was built when it comes to food and participating in Ramadan taking days to fast. When it comes to the food and this city, this turned out to be my main project in front of the church where the homeless were sitting. It was clear I needed to spend some time here. There were many people to initiate conversation with and there were many mouths to feed. This was my project to feed these mouths.
The vendors were selling some nice tacos and tamales with a salad for $1. The drinks, which consist of bags filled with a juice or an artificial drink of color were just .25 cents. This is very common for everyone is Central America to drink from small plastic bags filled with a juice and some ice.
When it came time of 9am and 12noon, these were the times of delivery. The church bells gave me a reminder as my schedule was a bit disorganized in this city.
When it came to my giving, I tried to give to those who demonstrated real need. Children and their mothers, older men in their 50s and 60s (main population present), and the occasional youth. They discussed their hardships, but I tried to focus on their faith and how far that could take them. One’s faith can move mountains and it can provide a sense of security when feeling lost and hopeless. It was nice to bring in their faith sitting in front of the church. They truly just loved the attention and the fact that they were talking to someone from America. It’s not common for them to have this interaction. It’s something interesting and new for them, which is great and I positively encourage others to consider.
Many were thankful and a few took the food and disappeared. I tried to monitor who I gave to as there were some who had plenty of food in their bags or already had eaten. It was about addressing the need of those hungry and assessing that through exploring the neighborhoods and areas daily. Sometimes I did not get the therapy time or the motivational talk I desired, but one piece was accomplished.
Some people looked at me as if I was doing such a great thing. I will continue to say for a lifetime that….
“I just do what I am called to do-nothing less and everything more." PRIS
Isn’t it interesting how those who are suffering or underprivileged park themselves right in front of the churches?
They could be sitting near the grocery store, on a street corner, or near a food stand. Instead most of them stay right in front of the church in this city and many cities.
Do they expect a donation from people coming out? Or are they just feeling themselves closer to god?
Those spirits that are selfless, loving, caring-they might be the ones gravitating to a home-to a place they belong. They may feel a sense of comfort being around the church. It may protect them and keep them safe. The presence of it in front of them may make them feel hope. The people coming out make them imagine what their life could be like. A life with church, family, and a job. A life they can still achieve if they keep the faith and work to their potential whether than being a street vendor or shining shoes. They should do something to stay productive instead of being idol. Being productive is the key to success and this is the largest problem with this population being idol. God keeps them safe, but they need to do their part...
Often we get the question, “What do you do?” and usually people respond with one response. “I am a doctor, I am a lawyer, and I am a social worker.” As I get older and wiser, I realize I do not want to define myself by one title because I have multiple interests and talents and all of us do on various levels. These talents, abilities, strengths may be similar or vary greatly. For many, there may be one common denominator and mine is people.
I love philosophy, history, art, photography, therapy, and education. All of these are connected between living and breathing and people. Capturing moments, feeling alive, and being of service to others, making connections in history, and connecting with peoples real experiences in art and photography. What is your common denominator?
Who said we have to define ourselves in one certain manner? We are human beings with various interests and we should be able to pursue them all. I recently talked with an amazing fellow Chicagoan and she was talking about Dubai and being able to explore your creativity, ideas, and goals.
In Dubai, you can have your ideas come to real life with financing and property given. In America, many have creative ideas that are stuck in a bubble because “they do not have the money” or they are afraid to break free from the socially constructed 9-5. It is a shame because people of all races, economic statuses, and cultures have great ideas, but they are not supported by America. Not just in America, but cultures all over prevent human beings from growth and are not empowering them to grow. America lets you think outside of the box and explore your dreams, but it does not give you money to do it. Dubai supports their people, which creates a wonderland of creations. An underwater hotel, the tallest skyscraper, snow in the dessert? It is letting people take creativity to the highest level.
Do not let your career consume your being. You might be blessed to be working a job that is your passion or it may just be a paycheck. Explore your real interests, passions, strengths, and skills. Maybe you love hiking/trekking and you think a lot about being a tour guide-then go try it out for a few months. Your job will not let you take the time off? Then quit or keep the job and work on your passion part time, but your passion deserves your full time attention. Crunching numbers, financial analysis, IT, and marketing is not going there. It will always be there for you, especially if you have the education and experiences to back it up.
We have to come up with new, fresh ways to respond to our being. Any ideas, thoughts? Do you get tired of answering the same question, "What do you do??” Most people do not ask you after that question, "Are you happy?" "Do you enjoy it?" My belief is that your job response is frequently associated with your identity-who are you are as a person. This does not have to be the case. Explore your interests, talents, abilities, and redefine yourself. Next time you are asked this question-share what you really love and what you are truly passionate about, but if you are living in your passion-awesome- keep living in your purpose!=)
I have met people who are so well connected, they could probably help me get a job in multiple fields. It is overwhelming the amount of social networking that goes on and how people come in and out of your lives leaving footprints on your heart, leaving your mind stimulated/changed, inspiring, empowering, and educating you.
This is what makes traveling so amazing-THE INTERPERSONAL INTERACTION. I cannot reinforce this point anymore. It is NOT about drinking, partying, touristy destinations place to place, etc. These things come along time to time and it is fine, but that is not what the traveling is about.
The opportunity comes my way from country to country and it just about finding that job where I can travel all over and follow a mission that is meaningful. I have wonderful people asking me to stay longer in various cities and offering to help me find work or build connections. But I have my own mission when traveling, which is inspiring and empowering others to believe in their purpose and passion. People laugh when they hear my email and without me currently being connected to a corporate job people just think I am going around partying and watching the clouds.
On a daily basis, I have meaningful interactions with people and acknowledge them as human beings. While this is not important to most people, it is important to me and this mission of mine is not documented, but maybe it should be so people can understand the importance of believing in your purpose and educating others on their potential.
I am never alone and I am floating among seas and seas of opportunity… I have no fear about finding a job or not having money anymore. I am learning to let go of the focus on materialism and that is when good things come your way. Focusing on money creates stress and rather than stress- I just want happiness.
“I want to celebrate and live my life to the fullest potential. How about you?"
Shhhh Don’t Tell a Word.....
Over the years, if I had a dollar for every time someone said, “Please do not tell anyone else or I have never told this to anyone.” I would be one rich, psychologist. Working together with my higher power, he brings me certain clients and people for reasons and I am always happy to help.
You will see me at a party sitting and talking to someone for one hour and as time goes by I still look at them with genuine interest and caring-this is living in your purpose. It is wonderful to be able to listen, coach, and help so many people throughout my lifetime that is still just beginning.
Building a real empathy and caring towards another and allowing them to feel comfortable in the shared space is a significant part of the therapeutic relationship. When people do feel like this, they will reveal things you cannot imagine, things that make you wonder how long they have been bottled up inside, things that make you concerned for how this impacts themselves and others, how they feel when they go to sleep at night and they are alone, and how they cope.
With the label of therapist, social worker- people feel that they can confide in you because this is your profession of course. Although, with the people that come across my path, there are many that God wants me to meet, help, and share my energy and heart with. Or even little interaction with local people that make them smile or make their day a bit happier- it is all worth my while.
2nd and 3rd Place
When a person is living in their purpose, they are in first place. Discontentment, Dissatisfaction, or Unhappiness with life or self-it fades away into the distance. One does not have to feel regret because they never pursued their purpose. They get to believe that what was impossible is now possible .They will have an authentic definition of passion rather than a version defined by societal norms. They are in closer identification with who they are and what they want rather than society deciding what is best for them.
It can be perceived that purpose has to be a job, but it can be anything that connects one with their true self and passion. The small stuff that gets overlooked in life can serve as a platform for purpose. Being a mother, starting a support group, caring for a parent, being a core volunteer at church-there is purpose that lies everywhere, but people do not consciously identify with the beauty of what they are doing. Andrew may teach a writing class because he enjoys teaching. Taking it a step further may not be in his consciousness. He works in marketing and hasn’t painted in years. Many don’t have the time to explore what they love because it’s just not a priority in their schedule. The great things they do get overlooked and the purpose does not develop. Second place is where they remain.
What about those who do not get the chance to live out their purpose? There are millions of people in the world who are just living for their basic needs, working for their family, and not following through on their actual life purpose. This is the sad reality of life and the pressures of society to “work” to “pay the bills.”
In America, people are truly blessed with a wide variety of choices and majors in almost any field you desire. In a place like Morocco, Turkey, and India-the choices are limited and you are left with your second or third place over your first. You may never get to your 1st because there is no demand for the job and the education is scare or completely unavailable. You can go to another country to study, but is most likely is expensive, competitive, and you require a specific visa. These factors are discouraging barriers to dreams their heart desires. A person may have a purpose that they are one hundred percent dedicated, but there are low chances of it happening. These beautiful people are placed in third because their own environment hinders their potential.
In America, we have obstacles, but we have higher amount of resources, higher potential for growth, better economy, increased number of jobs-the differences are quite significant. If we have all these benefits to living in America then why are the majority of people not taking advantage of what they are given? People are acting based off their needs and what they think they want rather than what creates a spark within their soul. They follow a great career path and figure out that is not where their passion lies. Sadly, those jobs that are catering to the societal motto “make more money and live a happier life”-people believe this is their American dream. The materialistic lifestyle taps into a person’s consciousness and passion and purpose is mistaken for financial gain. Happiness is perceived as having nice “things” rather than an internal feeling from within.
On the other hand, there is the word “change.” It’s common for a person to stay in a job they randomly start because they are “comfortable.” The people are nice, it’s convenient, it’s not great pay, but they have a family to support. Betty finds a sales job off Craigslist and she stays there for ten years. She can’t stand all the calls, but she doesn’t want to look for another job. People wonder how they would earn money off their purpose, how to become a leader, make a business plan, feel shame going back to school in their older years, and the fear that they cannot or will not succeed. They talk about making a change and their desire to work as a teacher, architect, a tour guide in a national park, but they do not take action. And actions speak louder than words. They remain in second place because their fear keeps them at second place.
Even though, all of these components make it difficult to push through to our purpose. The good news to everyone in second and third place is that there is always…hope. The wondering eyes hungry for something different, a new life, a fresh start, an authentic passion-there is hope. The smiles that lights up on one’s face when they interact or witness their purpose-there is hope. For those whose circumstances will constantly hinder them from reaching their purpose…there is hope and potential to make it to first place. Facing ones fears, identifying with feelings, tuning into what makes one happy, pushing aside materialism, utilizing resources, and acknowledging privilege. Staying focused on persistence, passion, commitment, and believing in one’s purpose-that is an admirable way of living extending your dreams throughout a lifetime.
Don’t Stop Believing
When you are a psychoanalyst, you are constantly observing and analyzing people, places, things, and one more thing-you. You analyze yourself in your daily interactions and how you work as a professional. You have to analyze and reflect on your work for it to get better. That goes with any profession as one should always be learning more about themselves and their work.
With my current project, I was doing a self-assessment on how things were going and I was not quite satisfied. The youth were not showing up because the timing was too early. I was spending time with the parents and I was not sure if our session was just talk or they would actually try out what we discussed.
While children are often playing outside, their kids are always on the street-always. They are often beating each other with sticks or crawling in the mud. They had 1.5 months of summer vacation left so I challenged them to think of activities they can do together i.e. pull weeds, sell lemonade, do household tasks together, and help out their Mom as much as they can
When I came home I went for a run, came back for dinner, and just felt disenchanted. While I am supposed to be working in my purpose, it just doesn't feel like enough sometimes. I am challenging this population. They are responding well to me, but I just need a confirmation.......
The next day....
The next morning I was biking to work at 815am. Usually, there are not many people up at that time in the homes of the two mothers. In the house of the women with 10 kids, I passed by to see five of them outside pulling weeds.
Her older kids are on summer break and they hardly ever wake up early, but they woke up to pull weeds. The best part is that they listened to her request when they could have just ignored her.
They were so proud as they looked up and waived at me. I smiled at them and then I looked straight up at the sky and said, "Thank you." He knows when I just need that jump start to keep me going.
Don't stop believing and keep the faith in people-they won't disappoint keep your faith in them. PRIS
They can be found in the following blogs:
http://40b430.blogspot.com/ http://andthisismorocco.blogspot.com/
http://bollywoodtraveladventures.blogspot.com/
http://therealicelandia.blogspot.com
Intervention
As a brave soul, I let my curiosity take me into places I should not always be in. This always happens with the desire to learn about people. Also, to make myself available to them as people gravitate towards me and his spirit. People want to share intimate details about their life, they want advice, they want help, they want acknowledgement, they want to learn, they want to feel good, and they want to feel cared about and loved.
With this said, in the isolated villages of Belize, I went wondering through the village to see a worn down house with a porch full of brown wooden boards all in a pile. Behind it, I found a man passed out with no shirt and a beer bottle laying on the ground. I tapped him on the shoulder and he quickly jumped up. I greeted him kindly and he was disoriented with his own place and my presence. He kept touching his hair as he was demonstrated care in his appearance.
I told him he has nice hair and he enjoyed the compliment. Still he said, "Excuse me" and turned away to fix his hair and He looked Filipino, but clearly he was Mayan livingin a small Indigenous Mayan village. He was thin, but had weight in his belly, a dark tan and wrinkled and beat up khaki cargo shorts. He had a nice kind face and feet with no shoes.
He presented with paranoia and anxiety and he said loudly, "Who sent you here?"
He was stuttering and said, "Did the police send you?"
He couldn't understand why I was there and I simply told him,
"I just want to talk to you."
I patted his shoulder and smiled and we sat down on the steps to the house. With some down to earth conversation-he opened up a bit. The house with the open room, the wooden boards is his house that he owns with his wife. The beer bottles spread throughout the yard amongst mangos and coconuts also belonged to him. His wife takes care of him and loves him even with all the drinking. After a few questions, his drinking problem quickly rose to the surface. We discussed his alcohol consumption, habits, reason for drinking, impact on family, etc. He opened up and shared his desires to quit (most addicts are great manipulators saying they will quit and they never do).
Will this man quit after our interaction? Probably not. Is it helpful to acknowledge this man and give him some positive motivation while listening to his story? Yes!
To confirm, his interest in quitting drinking, he took the empty beer bottles on the ground and threw them away. It was confirmation to the way he felt about our talking-mutual respect and He then asked me to come towards the tree and I did. He cut a mango for me; then cut a big coconut for me to drink and one for himself.
There we were outside the formal setting of social work, in the village, sharing a coconut and a one hour session together.
It's hard to come up with substitute behaviors for a client living in a village-it's limited. However, the inspiration and religious component is priceless. When I asked if he believed in Jesus, he shook his head and said, "Yes, oh yes." When I gave my inspiration speech about life and living it fully, he nodded his head in agreement and in tune with the spiritual self he had inside. When the body lives well, our life finds a way to live well too.
It was lunchtime and time for him to go home to his wife. His smile, his handshake, and his heart thanked me.
One great moment in a sea of many PRIS
Hunger Deliveries and A Homeless Potential
Another element that had been added this trip was the giving and sharing of food. This practicing of fasting in Morocco lead me to understand how it feels to have an empty stomach. Discipline was built when it comes to food and participating in Ramadan taking days to fast. When it comes to the food and this city, this turned out to be my main project in front of the church where the homeless were sitting. It was clear I needed to spend some time here. There were many people to initiate conversation with and there were many mouths to feed. This was my project to feed these mouths.
The vendors were selling some nice tacos and tamales with a salad for $1. The drinks, which consist of bags filled with a juice or an artificial drink of color were just .25 cents. This is very common for everyone is Central America to drink from small plastic bags filled with a juice and some ice.
When it came time of 9am and 12noon, these were the times of delivery. The church bells gave me a reminder as my schedule was a bit disorganized in this city.
When it came to my giving, I tried to give to those who demonstrated real need. Children and their mothers, older men in their 50s and 60s (main population present), and the occasional youth. They discussed their hardships, but I tried to focus on their faith and how far that could take them. One’s faith can move mountains and it can provide a sense of security when feeling lost and hopeless. It was nice to bring in their faith sitting in front of the church. They truly just loved the attention and the fact that they were talking to someone from America. It’s not common for them to have this interaction. It’s something interesting and new for them, which is great and I positively encourage others to consider.
Many were thankful and a few took the food and disappeared. I tried to monitor who I gave to as there were some who had plenty of food in their bags or already had eaten. It was about addressing the need of those hungry and assessing that through exploring the neighborhoods and areas daily. Sometimes I did not get the therapy time or the motivational talk I desired, but one piece was accomplished.
Some people looked at me as if I was doing such a great thing. I will continue to say for a lifetime that….
“I just do what I am called to do-nothing less and everything more." PRIS
Isn’t it interesting how those who are suffering or underprivileged park themselves right in front of the churches?
They could be sitting near the grocery store, on a street corner, or near a food stand. Instead most of them stay right in front of the church in this city and many cities.
Do they expect a donation from people coming out? Or are they just feeling themselves closer to god?
Those spirits that are selfless, loving, caring-they might be the ones gravitating to a home-to a place they belong. They may feel a sense of comfort being around the church. It may protect them and keep them safe. The presence of it in front of them may make them feel hope. The people coming out make them imagine what their life could be like. A life with church, family, and a job. A life they can still achieve if they keep the faith and work to their potential whether than being a street vendor or shining shoes. They should do something to stay productive instead of being idol. Being productive is the key to success and this is the largest problem with this population being idol. God keeps them safe, but they need to do their part...
Often we get the question, “What do you do?” and usually people respond with one response. “I am a doctor, I am a lawyer, and I am a social worker.” As I get older and wiser, I realize I do not want to define myself by one title because I have multiple interests and talents and all of us do on various levels. These talents, abilities, strengths may be similar or vary greatly. For many, there may be one common denominator and mine is people.
I love philosophy, history, art, photography, therapy, and education. All of these are connected between living and breathing and people. Capturing moments, feeling alive, and being of service to others, making connections in history, and connecting with peoples real experiences in art and photography. What is your common denominator?
Who said we have to define ourselves in one certain manner? We are human beings with various interests and we should be able to pursue them all. I recently talked with an amazing fellow Chicagoan and she was talking about Dubai and being able to explore your creativity, ideas, and goals.
In Dubai, you can have your ideas come to real life with financing and property given. In America, many have creative ideas that are stuck in a bubble because “they do not have the money” or they are afraid to break free from the socially constructed 9-5. It is a shame because people of all races, economic statuses, and cultures have great ideas, but they are not supported by America. Not just in America, but cultures all over prevent human beings from growth and are not empowering them to grow. America lets you think outside of the box and explore your dreams, but it does not give you money to do it. Dubai supports their people, which creates a wonderland of creations. An underwater hotel, the tallest skyscraper, snow in the dessert? It is letting people take creativity to the highest level.
Do not let your career consume your being. You might be blessed to be working a job that is your passion or it may just be a paycheck. Explore your real interests, passions, strengths, and skills. Maybe you love hiking/trekking and you think a lot about being a tour guide-then go try it out for a few months. Your job will not let you take the time off? Then quit or keep the job and work on your passion part time, but your passion deserves your full time attention. Crunching numbers, financial analysis, IT, and marketing is not going there. It will always be there for you, especially if you have the education and experiences to back it up.
We have to come up with new, fresh ways to respond to our being. Any ideas, thoughts? Do you get tired of answering the same question, "What do you do??” Most people do not ask you after that question, "Are you happy?" "Do you enjoy it?" My belief is that your job response is frequently associated with your identity-who are you are as a person. This does not have to be the case. Explore your interests, talents, abilities, and redefine yourself. Next time you are asked this question-share what you really love and what you are truly passionate about, but if you are living in your passion-awesome- keep living in your purpose!=)
I have met people who are so well connected, they could probably help me get a job in multiple fields. It is overwhelming the amount of social networking that goes on and how people come in and out of your lives leaving footprints on your heart, leaving your mind stimulated/changed, inspiring, empowering, and educating you.
This is what makes traveling so amazing-THE INTERPERSONAL INTERACTION. I cannot reinforce this point anymore. It is NOT about drinking, partying, touristy destinations place to place, etc. These things come along time to time and it is fine, but that is not what the traveling is about.
The opportunity comes my way from country to country and it just about finding that job where I can travel all over and follow a mission that is meaningful. I have wonderful people asking me to stay longer in various cities and offering to help me find work or build connections. But I have my own mission when traveling, which is inspiring and empowering others to believe in their purpose and passion. People laugh when they hear my email and without me currently being connected to a corporate job people just think I am going around partying and watching the clouds.
On a daily basis, I have meaningful interactions with people and acknowledge them as human beings. While this is not important to most people, it is important to me and this mission of mine is not documented, but maybe it should be so people can understand the importance of believing in your purpose and educating others on their potential.
I am never alone and I am floating among seas and seas of opportunity… I have no fear about finding a job or not having money anymore. I am learning to let go of the focus on materialism and that is when good things come your way. Focusing on money creates stress and rather than stress- I just want happiness.
“I want to celebrate and live my life to the fullest potential. How about you?"
Shhhh Don’t Tell a Word.....
Over the years, if I had a dollar for every time someone said, “Please do not tell anyone else or I have never told this to anyone.” I would be one rich, psychologist. Working together with my higher power, he brings me certain clients and people for reasons and I am always happy to help.
You will see me at a party sitting and talking to someone for one hour and as time goes by I still look at them with genuine interest and caring-this is living in your purpose. It is wonderful to be able to listen, coach, and help so many people throughout my lifetime that is still just beginning.
Building a real empathy and caring towards another and allowing them to feel comfortable in the shared space is a significant part of the therapeutic relationship. When people do feel like this, they will reveal things you cannot imagine, things that make you wonder how long they have been bottled up inside, things that make you concerned for how this impacts themselves and others, how they feel when they go to sleep at night and they are alone, and how they cope.
With the label of therapist, social worker- people feel that they can confide in you because this is your profession of course. Although, with the people that come across my path, there are many that God wants me to meet, help, and share my energy and heart with. Or even little interaction with local people that make them smile or make their day a bit happier- it is all worth my while.
2nd and 3rd Place
When a person is living in their purpose, they are in first place. Discontentment, Dissatisfaction, or Unhappiness with life or self-it fades away into the distance. One does not have to feel regret because they never pursued their purpose. They get to believe that what was impossible is now possible .They will have an authentic definition of passion rather than a version defined by societal norms. They are in closer identification with who they are and what they want rather than society deciding what is best for them.
It can be perceived that purpose has to be a job, but it can be anything that connects one with their true self and passion. The small stuff that gets overlooked in life can serve as a platform for purpose. Being a mother, starting a support group, caring for a parent, being a core volunteer at church-there is purpose that lies everywhere, but people do not consciously identify with the beauty of what they are doing. Andrew may teach a writing class because he enjoys teaching. Taking it a step further may not be in his consciousness. He works in marketing and hasn’t painted in years. Many don’t have the time to explore what they love because it’s just not a priority in their schedule. The great things they do get overlooked and the purpose does not develop. Second place is where they remain.
What about those who do not get the chance to live out their purpose? There are millions of people in the world who are just living for their basic needs, working for their family, and not following through on their actual life purpose. This is the sad reality of life and the pressures of society to “work” to “pay the bills.”
In America, people are truly blessed with a wide variety of choices and majors in almost any field you desire. In a place like Morocco, Turkey, and India-the choices are limited and you are left with your second or third place over your first. You may never get to your 1st because there is no demand for the job and the education is scare or completely unavailable. You can go to another country to study, but is most likely is expensive, competitive, and you require a specific visa. These factors are discouraging barriers to dreams their heart desires. A person may have a purpose that they are one hundred percent dedicated, but there are low chances of it happening. These beautiful people are placed in third because their own environment hinders their potential.
In America, we have obstacles, but we have higher amount of resources, higher potential for growth, better economy, increased number of jobs-the differences are quite significant. If we have all these benefits to living in America then why are the majority of people not taking advantage of what they are given? People are acting based off their needs and what they think they want rather than what creates a spark within their soul. They follow a great career path and figure out that is not where their passion lies. Sadly, those jobs that are catering to the societal motto “make more money and live a happier life”-people believe this is their American dream. The materialistic lifestyle taps into a person’s consciousness and passion and purpose is mistaken for financial gain. Happiness is perceived as having nice “things” rather than an internal feeling from within.
On the other hand, there is the word “change.” It’s common for a person to stay in a job they randomly start because they are “comfortable.” The people are nice, it’s convenient, it’s not great pay, but they have a family to support. Betty finds a sales job off Craigslist and she stays there for ten years. She can’t stand all the calls, but she doesn’t want to look for another job. People wonder how they would earn money off their purpose, how to become a leader, make a business plan, feel shame going back to school in their older years, and the fear that they cannot or will not succeed. They talk about making a change and their desire to work as a teacher, architect, a tour guide in a national park, but they do not take action. And actions speak louder than words. They remain in second place because their fear keeps them at second place.
Even though, all of these components make it difficult to push through to our purpose. The good news to everyone in second and third place is that there is always…hope. The wondering eyes hungry for something different, a new life, a fresh start, an authentic passion-there is hope. The smiles that lights up on one’s face when they interact or witness their purpose-there is hope. For those whose circumstances will constantly hinder them from reaching their purpose…there is hope and potential to make it to first place. Facing ones fears, identifying with feelings, tuning into what makes one happy, pushing aside materialism, utilizing resources, and acknowledging privilege. Staying focused on persistence, passion, commitment, and believing in one’s purpose-that is an admirable way of living extending your dreams throughout a lifetime.
Don’t Stop Believing
When you are a psychoanalyst, you are constantly observing and analyzing people, places, things, and one more thing-you. You analyze yourself in your daily interactions and how you work as a professional. You have to analyze and reflect on your work for it to get better. That goes with any profession as one should always be learning more about themselves and their work.
With my current project, I was doing a self-assessment on how things were going and I was not quite satisfied. The youth were not showing up because the timing was too early. I was spending time with the parents and I was not sure if our session was just talk or they would actually try out what we discussed.
While children are often playing outside, their kids are always on the street-always. They are often beating each other with sticks or crawling in the mud. They had 1.5 months of summer vacation left so I challenged them to think of activities they can do together i.e. pull weeds, sell lemonade, do household tasks together, and help out their Mom as much as they can
When I came home I went for a run, came back for dinner, and just felt disenchanted. While I am supposed to be working in my purpose, it just doesn't feel like enough sometimes. I am challenging this population. They are responding well to me, but I just need a confirmation.......
The next day....
The next morning I was biking to work at 815am. Usually, there are not many people up at that time in the homes of the two mothers. In the house of the women with 10 kids, I passed by to see five of them outside pulling weeds.
Her older kids are on summer break and they hardly ever wake up early, but they woke up to pull weeds. The best part is that they listened to her request when they could have just ignored her.
They were so proud as they looked up and waived at me. I smiled at them and then I looked straight up at the sky and said, "Thank you." He knows when I just need that jump start to keep me going.
Don't stop believing and keep the faith in people-they won't disappoint keep your faith in them. PRIS
