 One of the questions I like to ask people is this: “What’s one thing you love to do, but you’re not doing it now?” The answer ranges, from meditation, going to the beach, spending time with friends, going salsa dancing, and the list goes on. Then, I follow up with this question: “What’s the biggest reason you’re not doing it now?” Almost always, the answer I hear is, “It’s because I’m so busy, and I don’t have time.” Is time really the biggest barrier to you doing what you love to do? I saw a quote on Facebook recently where someone posted, “If you have time for Facebook, you have time to meditate.” I’ll bet that if you chronicled every moment of your day, you would have a real eye opener for how you really spend your time. (I actually did this a couple months ago where I wrote down in a little journal how I spent each minute everyday, for a whole week, and I was quite surprised at how much time I looked at social media and my emails!) So if time isn’t necessarily the main reason most people don’t engage in the activities they love, then what is? Is it priorities? Discipline? Commitment? You see, for most people, time isn’t your real barrier. What stops you and many others from spending your time doing things you love is that you most likely found a comfortable place and way of life called “your comfort zone.” Here's what staying in your comfort zone looks like: “I’m so tired from work. I just need to chill out on the couch and watch Netflix.” “I have to do my laundry, and other things around the house. Who has time for anything else?” “It’s too much work to go out and do this. Maybe next month I’ll do something.” I get it. There really is something to being a creature of comfort and not having to expend too much energy. And making some space in your calendar means having to change up some things. It takes effort and focus to embrace some new behaviors and ways of being. Change isn’t always easy. But guess what? Not changing your behaviors also has its costs. Whether or not you realize it, staying in your comfort zone has a price. What do you give up by staying in your comfort zone? Are you letting dreams and goals slowly slip away? Are you giving up the possibility of more joy, more vibrancy and more connection in your life? One of the common sentiments that I hear from people when they seek my life coaching services is how they wish they would’ve made changes years ago. Regret is a horrible feeling to carry around, especially when you feel like you’ve been letting life pass you by. Please, don't take what I'm saying here as a reprimand or a lecture. I’m merely making a point. You get to choose how you live your life. You are the architect of your life choices. And, if you know that doing things you love would help give you more meaning and fulfillment in your life, why not make the choice to do more of those things? Imagine what your life could feel like if you felt more joyous, more flow, and more at ease. That’s what is always available to you, if you so choose. With that, here’s your coaching assignment for the week:
How would your life feel if you created your weeks to include more and more of the activities that you love and make you feel good? How much of that good feeling would roll over into all areas of your life? My vision is that you live more and more of your life with ease, flow and joy. It doesn’t have to happen all at once. All it takes is a first step. Can you take one step today? Abundant Blessings and Namaste. ** I'd love to hear your thoughts about today's article. Please feel free to leave a comment below. And...if you didn’t see my announcement, I’ll be giving my World Premiere TED-Style Talk called “Living Life Unapologetically” this coming Wednesday June 19 @ 6pm in downtown Los Angeles. If you know of anyone who might be interested in attending, please feel free to share this link with them to find out more and to register: https://living-life-unapologetically.eventbrite.com  Three weeks ago, my business coach, Shawn Shepheard, gave me an assignment: “Watch a 10 minute video of The Last Lecture, write down your thoughts, and then think about what you would say if you had to deliver your last lecture.” If you’re not familiar with the Last Lecture, the idea was popularized because of aCarnegie Mellon University professor named Randy Pausch. Apparently, professors at Carnegie Mellon were often given a challenge to give a lecture on what important lessons they would share with the world if they knew it was their last opportunity to do so. They called it the Last Lecture. Randy Pausch decided to take on the challenge. But soon after, he found out that he had metastasized pancreatic cancer, and was given the diagnosis that he had a few months to live. As Randy realized, this really could be his Last Lecture. At first, he hesitated in giving the lecture, but eventually, he decided to do it anyway. The video of his lecture spread all over the internet and reached millions. His words were translated in multiple languages, and his message was ultimately captured in a book. Oprah Winfrey caught wind of his lecture and had him deliver a 10-minute version of it on her show, which helped to deliver his life lessons to many more homes throughout the world. If you’re wondering why Shawn gave me this assignment, I had shared with him that in the prior weekend, I had three very distinct opportunities to speak to groups of people. I served as the officiant for a Celebration of Life / Memorial service. I spoke on stage at the Sunday service of my spiritual center. And then I led my monthly LGBTQA spiritual group. Each time I spoke, I really enjoyed myself. When I’m in front of people, giving a message I believe in or leading them through some heart-felt process, I feel connected to something bigger than me. And, as participants have told me time and again, the love, connection and feeling of inspiration in the room are always palpable. Shawn reflected to me, “I hear you saying that you love doing this." "What if you did more of this?" Shawn mused. "And what if you did this with a message that you really wanted to share with the world?” If you were given the opportunity to deliver your last lecture, what would you say? What stories would you pick from the vastness of life you’ve experienced? What lessons would rise above others that give you almost a feeling of urgency to share? You see, I believe you have a story that wants to be shared with the world. Maybe it doesn’t have to go viral. Perhaps it’s a story that is only meant to be shared with one or two people. Sometimes the story is an actual story, with words to be written or vocalized, maybe even with music. Or, the story could be something to be shared through action, like engaging in a worthy cause or making the world a better place, where you are called to be the instrument by which the story expresses. As Shawn’s coaching assignment made me realize, I have a story (actually, I have a few stories!) that I feel called to share with the world. And Shawn, being the loving business coach that he is, who continually nudges me past my comfort zone, gave me an added challenge: “Once you figure out what you would say for your last lecture, would you be willing to deliver this talk in the next 40 days?” “Darn it,” I thought to myself. “You mean, not only do I have to think about what I would say for my last lecture, but now I have to deliver it, in no less than 40 days?” As life’s synchronicity would have it, I soon came across a quote from the late great poet Maya Angelou, who so appropriately stated: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” And so…guess what? Drum roll please…. I’m happy to announce that I’ll be delivering my version of my Last Lecture, what I’m calling a TED-style talk, on the evening of June 19th in downtown Los Angeles. And the title of my talk? Living Life Unapologetically.  Am I excited? Yes. Am I scared? Yes. With all that range of emotions I’m feeling, I know that I can’t keep this untold story inside me. Despite the fear and the doubt that creeps up as I think about this, I’m already following my own life lessons in what it means to live life unapologetically. And I invite you to support me in my sharing the world premiere of my signature talk. If you happen to be in Los Angeles on the evening of June 19th and are free, I’d love for you to be there. Click on the link below to learn more about and to RSVP: https://living-life-unapologetically.eventbrite.com And if you can’t make it, share this with someone who you think might be able to attend. Also know that I’ll continue to share this message. One way or another, I’m confident you’ll be able to hear it. For your coaching assignment this week, give some thought to these questions:
Write them down. Journal them in a notebook. And if you feel so inspired, share your story with at least one person, in whatever way you feel called. Trust me…the world will be all the better for it because only you can share your message with the world, in a way that only you can. And someone out there in this world needs to hear your message. Are you willing to share it? Abundant Blessings and Namaste. ** I'd love to hear your thoughts about today's article. Please feel free to leave a comment below. A little about me... My unique ability is helping people figure out what’s really holding them back and to fully support them in a safe and sacred space, with the result of people feeling excited about life and believing they can claim the driver’s seat of their lives. I've been called the "Aha Whisperer." If you’re feeling the need for support in creating a life filled with more spaciousness, purpose and joy, I offer a complimentary life coaching consultation that may provide you with the insight and resources you need in this moment. To learn more about this, click here.  This past weekend, Richard and I traveled to Sedona, Arizona, where I had the honor and blessing to officiate the wedding of our dear friends Beth Ann and Travis. The wedding was scheduled for 5:45pm on Saturday evening, so Richard and I had the entire morning and afternoon to discover parts of Sedona we hadn’t explored before. I googled “Top Things to Do in Sedona” and scrolled through the list…Cathedral Rock, Chapel of the Holy Cross, vortexes, hiking trails. We already visited most of these places on our last trip. And then I saw it…Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park, a place “for prayer, meditation, healing, and the experience of peace in a sacred space.” Stupa? I had never heard the term. This was a perfect opportunity to learn, and I’m always open for some prayer, meditation and peace. After breakfast, we put on our hiking shoes, got in the car, and drove up a hill through a neighborhood of houses. Google Maps then veered us onto a dirt road. We parked our car in a lot made up entirely of Sedona’s infamous red dirt, got out of the car, and spotted the sign to follow a trail through the trees. Immediately, I had a feeling of calm and peace wash over me. Have you ever entered into a space and innately knew it was sacred? This is what I felt upon coming to this place. Along the dirt trail, prayer flags were strewn across trees to guide our path.  If you’re not familiar with prayer flags, they’re used in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Each flag has prayers inscribed on them. The flags are colorful and rectangular in shape, and are held along a string so they can hang in the air. The Tibetan belief in hanging the prayer flags is that the wind blows the prayers and mantras in order to spread their blessings into the space. As I walked, I saw the words Compassion, Love, Peace, Joy and others written on some of the flags. A gentle breeze greeted us. The wind infused the air with the prayers and mantras of the flags. After a short hike, I spotted a large structure ahead. This must be the Stupa! A leveled clearing housed the dome-shaped structure, and at the entrance to the clearing were metal cylindrical Prayer Wheels, that I placed my hand on and spun to offer my own blessing and prayer to the space.  A nearby sign described the Stupa and the park: In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, a Stupa is a shrine that contains relics and prayers. This particular Stupa housed millions of prayers, as well as holy texts and sacred objects. The purpose of the Stupa is to multiply and broadcast the power of prayer, and to aid in meditation and spiritual transformation. The sign also instructed us in how to interact with the Stupa, through circumambulation or pradakhshina, which we followed. Richard and I slowly walked clockwise around the Stupa three times, offering heartfelt prayers for ourselves, our loved ones and the world. Afterwards, we sat down, closed our eyes, and meditated. At my spiritual center, the Global Truth Center in Westlake Village, CA, one of the weekly rituals we engage in at our Sunday service is called the Flames of Faith. For the Flames of Faith ritual, we light a candle to recognize the faith and the teachings of each of the world’s major religious traditions. We also acknowledge the faith traditions that are yet to emerge, and we light a final candle to reflect our own ongoing and unfolding personal faith journey. Especially in these times that we live in, it’s important to learn about various faith traditions. As we learn about the multitude of faith traditions, we cultivate a greater respect of religious diversity. We also recognize both where our beliefs and ideas converge, and where we may have a difference of understanding. Sometimes, when we learn about another religious tradition or spiritual practice we may not be familiar with, we become clearer about our own path and what we truly believe.  After sitting in meditation for a while, Richard and I spent another hour or so walking the trails, encountering many more prayer flags, another smaller Stupa and a Medicine Wheel. By the time we left, my heart felt full. I expressed gratitude for the feeling of reconnection with myself and with Mother Earth around me. This feeling lasted throughout the day and into the night. I brought this fullness of Joy and Connection with me to the wedding ceremony, and shared it with everyone present.  And I’m sure that same feeling of Joy and Connection passed on and continued. Where in your life are you willing to explore a path you’re not familiar with? Are you open to learning? Are you willing to be surprised? You don’t even have to travel all the way to Sedona, Arizona. An adventure could be had right in your very city, waiting for your own discovery. Abundant Blessings and Namaste. ** I'd love to hear your thoughts about today's article. Please feel free to leave a comment below. A little about me... My unique ability is helping people figure out what’s really holding them back and to fully support them in a safe and sacred space, with the result of people feeling excited about life and believing they can claim the driver’s seat of their lives. I've been called the "Aha Whisperer." If you’re feeling the need for support in creating a life filled with more spaciousness, purpose and joy, I offer a complimentary life coaching consultation that may provide you with the insight and resources you need in this moment. To learn more about this, click here. |
About JoselitoJoselito is a spiritual life coach helping people create a purposeful, spiritual path to career and financial freedom. Popular Blog Articles Beware (Be Aware of) these 5 Unhelpful Money Stories How my body told me to quit my job How I was offered an all-expenses paid cruise after making my Vision Board Today I choose to live my GREATNESS You are not your stories. You are the story-teller. Your job is not your Source. Archives
May 2019
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