Live your life on Purpose

"If you were meant to cure cancer or write a symphony or crack cold fusion and you don't do it, you not only hurt yourself, even destroy yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet."

"You shame the angels who watch over you and you spite the Almighty, who created you and only you with your unique gifts, for the sole purpose of nudging the human race one millimeter farther along its path back to God."

"Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It's a gift to the world and every being in it. Don't cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you've got."

THE WAR OF ART
Steven Pressfield

Transformation

Introduction

I realized recently that much of The 100th Human and the Keys are about that moment of breakthrough. This moment fascinates me. It is that ah-ha moment when a new way, a new idea or a shift takes place in your consciousness and things are not the same afterwards. Each of the previous 8 Keys can open doorways within our hearts and minds to new opportunities for these types of breakthroughs. The final key accelerates the process illuminating several hurdles on our way to the transformations we seek. As we explore this process and these ideas we are empowered to chose the path toward breakthrough - the upward spiral leading to greater awareness, purpose, happiness and peace.

In the 100th human there was a final transformation for all mankind - a shift in consciousness that forever changed who we are - a global awakening. While this type of shift exits in our consciousness, the real shifts are within each of us, are usually not so global (though occasionally they may feel like it) and can happen as often as we are open to them.

Together we will explore this final Key which encapsulates so many ideas all at once that it was impossible for me to separate them. Forgiveness leads to and comes from deep Love. Reverence also springs forth from Love and security in that Love. Love itself, the true Power of the Universe, is not something we can pin down with a few words. It is a power beyond any language. It can only be felt, and its essence is pure Connection.

I was asked once why I didn't include Love as one of the Keys. The reason is because Love is the power behind every Key. It is the connection that leads us to our Purpose, it is the connection to God we discover when in Silence. It is the connection to Infinite Possibilities. It is the connection that reveals our Unity with all others and all things. It is the connection that reveals our true Identity. It is the connection to the moment providing real Freedom. It is the connection we feel when we are in a state of Gratitude. And here in the final Key - Transformation - We surrender into the Love and the connection we know when we Forgive. Love opens our hearts to see and revere the God in each of us. Love is the Power, the Connector and the Result. Love is all there is.

Gratitude First and Last

Have gratitude first. Don't wait for something to happen to feel grateful. Feel gratitude first and then look around at how many things you already have. Gratitude isn't a result of fortunate things magically showing up in your life. Gratitude is an attitude, a state of being, which when adopted illuminates all the magic that already exists in every day of your life.

Decide to be grateful today and everyday no matter what. Don't treat gratitude as a result you have to wait for. Adopt it as your natural way of thinking and being. Be grateful first thing each morning as you awaken to infinite possible blessings and teachings.

Then at the end of each day, be grateful for what the day brought. Be thankful for all you learned, all you did, all you have and all you are.

When we have gratitude no matter what then we are blessed no matter what. Let your life begin and end in gratitude.

Gratitude followed by Health and Happiness

Scientific studies show that those people who spend more time being grateful, saying thank you and focusing on appreciation are happier and healthier people.*

If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. If I spend time focusing on all the people, things and circumstances in my life that I am grateful for, my mood changes, I feel happy. If I spend time focusing on all the people, things and circumstances in my life that I do not like or do not want, I feel overwhelmed, angry and depressed. Happiness follows focus.

Our physical health has long been proven to be affected if not caused by our emotional health. Patience recovering from serious injury, surgery or illness have shown quicker recovery times and less pain if they have a positive outlook on life.

So what does it really take to be healthy and happy? We can start with a good practice of gratitude. Spend time each day thinking of all the people and things you are thankful for. Write them down in a gratitude journal. Focus or meditate on them. Let the gratitude fill your heart. Even a few minutes a day can make a difference. Practicing gratitude means a making a consistent effort to focus on things you are thankful for each day.

Don’t accept less than a happy and healthy life – it is too short. Try practicing gratitude instead!

* http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/a_thnx_a_day_keeps_the_doctor_away
* http://www.amazon.com/Thanks-Practicing-Gratitude-Make-Happier/dp/0547085737
 

Grateful for Morning

Have you noticed that the night can bring up dark thoughts? Have you awakened in the middle of the night, laying in bed thinking of everything that is, can or will go wrong in your life?

Dark deeds are also done at night. Shootings, domestic violence, and other crimes are far more prevalent at night. In the dark the boogie man lurks. Where we cannot see, our imagination will fill in with all manner of evil. Most of us are just a little afraid of the dark and the unknown terrors that hide there.

We also have cycles in our lives. Winter comes and brings long nights both literally and metaphorically. We have down times, dry times, sad times and dark times. We experience the loss of joy, the death of a loved one, a violent storm that crushes our homes. Dreams will dissipate, freedoms will be usurped, small and profound failures will come. You will get sick, or fall and so will your family members.

In the course of your life, all manner of bad, dark and terrible things will happen. So why even try? Why not curl up in the fetal position and give up on life if all those bad things will happen?

Because morning always follows night! Morning will come. The sun will rise. The beautiful, warm light of the sun will come up in the east and chase away the last remaining shadows of the night. All your dark thoughts will flee. You will smile and even laugh again.

With the dawn comes hope. With the light comes life. With the sun come infinite possibilities for growth and renewal. Spring always follows winter. Plants will sprout. Children will be born. New ideas will surface. Opportunities bring success following close behind. The storms pass. Healing happens.

Be grateful for the morning; be grateful for the warm light upon your face.  Be grateful for the chance to live another day. Know that no matter how dark things are or can be, the morning always comes!

Grateful for Connection

Yesterday I attended a funeral of a dear older friend. BJ was one of the kindest, gentlest spirits I have ever met. As I sat in the service thinking of the few short years I had known BJ, I marveled at how people come in and out of our lives but touch us forever. BJ touched me and my family greatly.

In reality, we can not survive modern life alone any more than we could survive alone in the past ages of man. Alone we are too vulnerable and weak to withstand what life brings our way. But with the help of others, we become stronger and more adaptable. We are hard-wired for connection and it is a good thing; because it is key to our very survival.

As I look back on my life I see many people who have come in for a time. Each one taught me things, each one helped me, each one made me a stronger and better person from experiencing their presence.

It is not only our physical beings that needs the help and fortification of others. It is also our mental, emotional and spiritual beings which are enhanced and made more whole as we interact and share our lives together.

Today, I am so very grateful for my connection to BJ and all the richness that she brought to me and everyone who knew her. And I am grateful for my connection to all the others before her and who will come in my future. Connection to others makes life livable, full and blessed.

Challenges

One of the hardest things to be grateful for is our challenges in life. We naturally want to avoid challenges, trials and difficulties. As parents we want our children to have an easy time of growing up. We only want those people around us that are complimentary and easy to get along with.

But it is the challenges that teach us the most. It is the trails that give us opportunity to become stronger more resilient human beings. It's those really difficult people that can make us think, cause us to define our objections and become more clear on who we are and what we will stand for.

Our responses to challenges and trials are what defines us. When we persevere and overcome we know our capacity and our worth. We should be very grateful for all the difficulties we have experienced for they have chance to become who we are.

When we are in the middle of difficult moments, it is hard to be grateful for them. But once we are on the other side, have overcome, we should reflect and allow gratitude to be part of our response and our process.

We shouldn't go looking for challenges, but when they come our way, we should see them as what they are: opportunities for growth. And growth is something to be grateful for!