Article

Is there something missing in your life?

You know the feeling.  That nagging voice that asks over and over again.  It may even be louder right now – as you approach a brand new year.

We’re so busy with our lives – juggling all the balls – that we often don’t hear that inner spirit, imploring us to follow our passion and fulfill our purpose in life.

Huh?  Who’s got time to focus on stuff like that?

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As a writer and television host I’ve interviewed a lot of people about the concept of living life fully.  The same theme always emerges:  Why does it take a life-threatening illness or accident for us to appreciate life as we go along?

We’ve all heard the stories of released hostages who are so grateful just to see the blue sky and touch the green grass.  Similarly, after a bout of flu, we’re so  thankful to be feeling normal.  And then after we recover, we find ourselves complaining again about trivial things. Is the line at the grocery store really that terrible?

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not suggesting we strive to live continuously by the platitudes of “stop and smell the roses.”  After all, it’s the contrasts in life that create the depth of our experiences and weave the rich tapestries.

Awareness is the key.  If we go about our daily lives ignoring our inner messages, those gnawing questions will likely come up again and again.

Are you settling for less in a relationship or a job?  Will you ever be able to communicate with your kids?   Is your comfort zone becoming too comfortable?

Many of us put off our dreams because fear keeps us frozen – fear of failure, rejection, embarrassment, not being good enough.  Or the dream seems so unreachable and overwhelming.

What’s one thing you could do today to feed your soul?  It doesn’t take much.  Often, our inner spirits are so starved they’re happy with a few crumbs.  Maybe you could surf the Internet to find an article on something that’s been speaking to you.  Or go to a bookstore or the library.

And then the real fun begins.  You’ll start to notice things all around you that speak to your passion – a blurb on the radio or a passage in a book – those amazing “coincidences.”  In psychology, this is known as reticular memory.  It’s the same principle that kicks in when you buy a new car.  All of a sudden you see the same car everywhere because you’re focused on it and are “tuning in.”

Did you know you have about 60,000 thoughts a day?   Our thoughts lead to our beliefs, which drive our behaviors and result in our circumstances.

Most of the time, though, we try to change the circumstances first – without going back to the beginning of the cycle to examine our thoughts and beliefs.  And that’s a formula for self -sabotage!

So, if you’re feeling there’s something missing in your life, try tuning in to that inner voice.  New Year’s resolutions often don’t work because we try to change a circumstance in our lives (being overweight, being a smoker, stuck in a dead-end job, being in a bad relationship) without changing the corresponding thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that preceded the circumstance.

Feed your soul.  And that nagging voice of “something’s missing” will be replaced with clarity.