 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.  Joselito and Richard enjoying the champagne waterfall on the cruise ship. The other week, Richard and I went on a 7-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera and, as you can imagine, we had a blast. (I mean, who wouldn’t love going to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, with all-you-can-eat-food and entertainment galore?) On the final morning when all the passengers were grabbing food left and right at the buffet, knowing full well that we all would have to make our own food when we returned home, I ran across a gentleman who we had chatted with at different points of the cruise. “How are you feeling this morning?” I asked. “Happy,” he replied, with a big smile on his face. Pausing for a few seconds, he continued, “I’m happy that we had such a great cruise…and I’m happy that we’re going home.” His comment now gave me pause. I expected to hear him say how bummed he was that the cruise was now over and that he wished it could go on for at least another week. Yet, here he was, happy to be going back home. In my spiritual life coaching practice, one of my main areas of focus is working with professionals who are unhappy with the work they’re doing and who want to be doing something else more meaningful and fulfilling. When I meet with a new client, one of the first questions I usually ask is this: “If you had all the money in the world, what would you see yourself doing? How would you be spending your time?” Here’s the answer (or some variation of it) that I hear more often than not: “I see myself laying on the beach, or traveling all over the world, enjoying my days. I don’t have to work at all.” It’s a great response. You might be raising your hand yourself, saying, “Yes, please. I’ll have some of that for my life too!” But at some point, after you go to the beach, day after day, for days on end… Or after you travel from one part of the world to another, and then go to another part of the world, and then go to another part of the world… …you come to realize that the unlimited vacation you might have thought was the best thing in the world all of a sudden has reached its limit. How much vacation can you handle? Richard and I experienced this last summer when we traveled to Europe for the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam. After spending a week in Amsterdam, we decided to tack on another week in Madrid to visit his dear friend Helena and her family. And since we were going to Spain, we might as well go to Barcelona, so we added another week. And as we looked at the map some more, we realized that Portugal was too close to pass up and so we included Lisbon in the itinerary, adding another week. In total, we spent a whole month in Europe. A whole month! I’ll be honest…we were ready to leave after two weeks. Why would we want to leave, you might be wondering? Well, we missed our home, sleeping in our own bed, making meals with the foods we found familiar, seeing our family and friends, going to Dodger baseball games and attending music concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. And we also missed doing our work, because we both see each of our work as a service that really is helping to make the world a better place. You see, when I hear people say that they would like to spend all their days on vacation, it says to me that they’re probably feeling out of balance with their lives. If you could imagine your life symbolized as a whole pie, and you had different areas of life represented as different slices of the pie (like work being one slice, relationships being another, play, money, health, spiritual growth, and so on), which slices of pie would be the largest for you in terms of the time and energy you spend in those areas? For many people, work is usually the biggest slice of the pie, and play/travel/fun is a much tinier piece. That’s why the idea of spending all your days on the beach, or traveling, or having fun, seems alluring because that part of your life is craving energy and attention. But if you decided to swing the other way and make play/travel/fun the vast majority of your pie, you might feel a sense of imbalance with that arrangement too. Ultimately, the questions that I offer to my clients move beyond the “if you had all the money in the world, what would you do?” and venture to this inquiry: “What areas of life are important to you, and in what ways are you being called to give energy to each of these areas in your life?” These questions are the essence behind achieving what’s usually referred to as “work-life balance,” the notion that you can be intentional in creating a life where you feel more balanced and at ease. So my question for you today is: Where in your life are you called to give some energy and attention, particularly an area that might be feeling neglected? Once you figure that out, your homework assignment is to figure out one small thing you can do to start giving some energy and attention to that area of life. If you're craving fun and play, maybe take an afternoon and go to the beach or a hike. If you're feeling the need for connection in your relationships, why not call up a friend you haven’t seen in a while and go out to dinner. If your body is wanting some movement, you can sign up for a yoga class. Find an idea and activity that bring you a smile. You’ll know it when you feel it. When I think about the man I chatted with at the buffet line on the cruise, I could sense that he had a good handle of how “work-life balance” operates in his life. He had a big smile on his face when I spoke with him. He really enjoyed his cruise, and he knew he was ready to get off the ship and go home. Like him, there’s a part of you that knows that you are ready to go and change it up. Now go and do that. And watch your whole life start to smile. 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
August 2020
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