“To be or not to be – that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And, by opposing, end them.” – William Shakespeare, Hamlet
There’s a story about an oil platform on fire in the middle of the North Atlantic. A desperate worker stares out at the frigid North Atlantic and bemoans his choice. Face guaranteed death on the platform, or to jump in the ocean and die of hypothermia? He jumps. As fate would have it, a passing ship saves his life.
In life, there’s always a burning platform. Something so compelling that it forces you to make a tortuous decision.
Just as this oil worker made the impossible choice, we all have an equally important decision. Whether to follow our heart (our passion), versus succumbing to our fears and choosing to follow the ‘safe’ route. The sad reality is that many of us are taking the safe route. We don’t see the burning platform. Or maybe we CHOOSE not to see it. Don’t be fooled. The burning platform is there. The burning platform is a life without purpose.
We have the ability to choose more, to jump off the platform. To choose to follow what makes you want to get up in the morning. To choose that which gives your life meaning. To choose to be your SuperHuman.
Despite this, many of us choose to stay on the platform, unaware of the consequences.
In Bronnie Ware’s book – ‘Top 5 Regrets of the Dying’ – she outlines what those at death’s door wish they had done:
- I wish I hadn’t worked so hard
- I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
- I wish I had let myself be happier
- I wish I had the courage to express my true self
- I wish I’d lived a life true to my dreams, instead of what others expected of me
If you think about it, it’s powerful to put yourself in their shoes and understand what these answers mean. These answers are the juxtaposition to the way they lived their lives. I would venture that these answers may represent the juxtaposition of your life as well.
I’m not yet on my deathbed. So, the shear finality of life hasn’t yet grasped me, but seeing these regrets in context seems to ring home for me.
I believe that deep down we all know these to be true. Why we convince ourselves that our lives will be different (without taking action) befuddles me.
We need to choose different than what has gotten us here. The good news is that there will always be a passing ship (your purpose) to save you if you choose to follow your heart. When you follow your passion and live your purpose, you CANNOT lose. This is a mathematical certainty.
It’s time to choose better…
Maybe at this point the only thing you do know is that you’re not fulfilled. Your Sunday night blues turn into miserable Monday mornings – unhappy, unfulfilled and unmotivated? You know that your fears are keeping you from even attempting to live a more meaningful life.
For many of us, it’s the the fear of poverty, or the risk of losing our livelihood, that holds us back from striving for more. But what is your life worth? Is there a monetary value you would put on the last 30, 40, or 50 years of your life? Even if you think there is, your future self might beg to differ.
What is purpose?
Many people throw around the word purpose without grasping its meaning. Wiki defines purpose as, ‘the reason for which something exists.’
I believe that when you live your purpose, you’re experiencing growth towards a meaningful goal. Some would also define this as true happiness.
As you change over time, this purpose may change. It’s not black and white. The process of helping you hone in on your purpose will make it that much easier to notice when circumstances change.
Meet your SuperHuman DNA!
In our Be Your SuperHuman workshop we’ve created a model for your SuperHuman DNA.
This model illustrates all the main aspects required to live your purpose. Remember that living your PURPOSE is a choice, not a dream. This model will help you get there.
Let’s first take a look at corners of your SuperHuman DNA. Think of them as the building block of your DNA, namely, Challenge, Skill, and Passion.
Challenge is when you’re pushed beyond your comfort zone. Challenges catalyze growth and growth is a building block of happiness.
Skill refers to what skills you need to live your purpose. You may possess these skills or need to obtain them. Without these necessary skills, you cannot effectively live your purpose.
Now for Passion. This the a doosy. This is what gets you up in the morning. This is what gets your heart pumping. Without passion we simply exist. Where challenge and skill are more obvious to assess, passion is often elusive. Passion takes the most work.
While you may not know what your ‘passion’ is, you definitely know what you don’t want in life. There are ways to start narrowing your focus, guiding you towards your best life.
The beauty in the SuperHuman DNA model is the interdependencies of these 3 building blocks of the DNA. Think of these interdependencies as incomplete strands of DNA, where Purpose is your complete DNA.
It’s everyone’s right…
We all have unique abilities to share with the world. We all have a potential that, when tapped, can create amazing things. When you choose to focus your energy into this power, this uniqueness, you are creating your best life. All your decisions will be the right ones, at the right time, because you will be living with integrity. You will be living a life true to yourself. You CANNOT lose.
Please join us on this journey at our Be Your SuperHuman workshop at the Spoke Club in Toronto on May 19th! Click here for more details https://www.beyoursuperhuman.com/.
Cover Image: © The Things I Wish I Knew
