Monthly Archives: September 2017

How You can help make the world a better place

When you find yourself in an argument, it can be hard to figure out who’s right and who’s wrong.

And, typically, it’s very easy to defend your position and in the process, work to make the other person’s position wrong.

Wars, divorce, betrayals…. and all kinds of painful human experiences are caused by the unwillingness to be wrong.

One of the most mind-blowing truths…. that it may be hard to comprehend… is that everything someone else has does…. was done because at least some part of them believes that there is a positive motive for their behavior.

It’s VERY easy to reject this idea… and bring to mind the most violent, cruel or abusive behavior and say… “What about THIS…” And… the answer is… YES…. even people who did THAT had a partially positive intention for their actions.

And… most likely that positive intention is survival.

They thought that on some level, their behavior would help them survive.

The problem is… survival is not the sole purpose of life.

Yes, each of us must get to a level where our basic needs are taken care of.

And, until we can get there, it’s VERY difficult and almost impossible to consider the effects of our actions on others.

Why?

Because if we consciously (meaning we KNOW IT) or unconsciously (meaning we DON’T KNOW IT CONSCIOUSLY) believe that our survival is threatened…. then our fight/flight/flee response kicks in and we focus on taking care of ourselves, first.

It’s a basic human nervous system response. And, it makes sense.

If we cannot survive, then we are not safe. If we are not safe, then we will die.

Thus… when we are in this contracted place… we will defend our “rightness” and do whatever we can to prove their “wrongness” because on a level of survival… being “wrong” is equated to death.

So, people who have hurt you in the past did so because on some level… most likely an unconscious level… they believed that that behavior would ward off a threat and help them survive.

It makes no conscious sense… but when we get into the unconscious and deep patterns of the human nervous system, we see that when we are traumatized, when we are in fight or flight, when we are in any kind of survival trance… our first and most automatic response is one of survival… even at the expense of others.

Thus, we cannot solve the problems that this survival only thinking brings from that same place of survival. We must find a solution based on higher emotional states or states of “consciousness.”

This is what Einstein meant when he said, “You cannot solve a problem on the same level of awareness that created it.”

Thus, the solution to every problem is not making “them” wrong, but in raising YOUR emotional state.

Which means that the fear you see in the world, the hate you see in the world… the anger or the lack that you see in the world… are actually emotional states that you are experiencing within your own self.

Which means that the work for you is not just “OUT THERE” but first and foremost “IN HERE.”

If you want to help marginalized people, then work to heal parts of yourself that feel marginalized.

If you want to help the world step out of economic lack, then work to heal the parts of yourself that are lack-oriented and step into abundance.

If you wish to end the xenophobia in the world, then work to heal your own xenophobic wounds so that you can love those that hate you.

If we could but focus on healing in ourselves the pain we see in the world, then the world would be in less pain.

Why?

Because at the end of the day… the only person who can make the choice for you to get better is YOU.

And this is true for the billions of people on the planet. Yes, we must work to make the world a better place. And, YOU are a part of the world.

So, if you want to make the world a better place, start with healing you own inner world. From there, you will have more and more power to create positive change in the outer world. World peace…. solving world hunger…. solving the polarization and xenophobia… will not come from systems outside of you… rather… the solutions to what you see in the world must start within you.

When we heal the internal conditions that are the root cause of the external problems we see, the external problems will dissolve away on their own accord.

If you want to heal the world, start with healing yourself.

And as you heal and improve your own emotional state… you will have greater and greater power to help others do the same.

Heaven on Earth is indeed and inside job.

Don’t wait for the world to go first… it’s YOUR job to lead the way.

Remember to get out there, take action and make it real!

Do you feel like a burden sometimes?

I want to share something with you.

Lend me your ear and let me whisper this truth into your heart…

Your needs… wants and desires are valid.

Your success is not a burden to others.

In fact, your success only adds to the lives of others.

It’s possible that you grew up needing to be the “responsible” one… it’s possible that you had to parent your parents, instead of being the child.

It’s possible that you thought… or still think… that if you express your thoughts, ideas or needs that it will be a burden to other people.

Why?

Because it’s possible that when you were growing up the adults or family in your life would shame you or guilt you or make an effort to wrong you for having needs.

They would ask… “What about me?”

And, then you may have caved in. And… in doing so abandoned yourself to please them.

And….this may have become a habit that you practice to this very day.

Let’s make a deal… today that pattern is over.

Your needs… Your wants… Your desires… Your wants… Matter.

Could you allow yourself to be taken care of?

Could you allow yourself to receive?

Could you allow yourself to raise your standards with who you allow into your life and only allow in people who… over time… bring you energy… not drain it?

Could you decide to set a boundary with anyone who is chronically draining you?

Could you ask qualified and trusted people for help?

Could you be open to the idea that the best way to find qualified and trusted people is first to start trusting intuitive yourself?

Would you be willing to… instead of trusting your fear and doubting your intuition…

Would you be willing to trust your intuition and doubt your fear?

What if… today… you started to ASK for what you want… and speak up.

Use your voice.

Still love others.

Still, take care of the people you care about.

But… just add a dash of YOU to the equation.

What movie would YOU want to see?

Where would YOU like to go for dinner?

What time would YOU like to go to bed and wake up?

What is YOUR favorite vacation spot?

What show would YOU like to watch?

What do YOU think is the best way forward?

Feel free to share yourself. Feel free to speak up. Feel free to surround yourself with people who will consider and incorporate your preferences and desires into the equation.

You are not a burden.

You’re a gift.

But, you can only be the gift when you speak up.

Speak up with love. Speak up with courage. Speak up with faith. Speak up… now.

Remember to get out there, take action and make it real!

The quickest way to find this Love is to Love yourself

When you Love someone or something, it’s a glorious thing.

You can love your pet, a friend, your Country, a romantic partner and even all of humanity.

And… there is one thing that is most important in your Love..

To include yourself. When you see the Universe for what it truly is… one Infinite whole… you realize that when you Love yourself, you are Loving others. And when you Love others, you are Loving yourself.

However, it’s vital that you Love yourself first. This is important for a few reasons. Consider cancer in the body.

Cancer is when a group of cells go rogue and start to make the whole body sick.

You could say… from a certain point of view… that cancer cells are akin to self-hate.

These cells grow and grow and grow… with no concern for the whole.

Cancer cells seem to lack the understanding that as they grow out of control, they create a toxic and lethal outcome for the whole body that they are a part of.

You can think of your own self-hate or negative self-talk in a similar way.

When you are in a chronic negative place, your negativity is something that grows and grows… within you and around you.

It rubs off on others… And others who are susceptive to negative energy are attracted to you.

And, in this way… the negativity spreads… and does damage not only to you, but to the whole.

This is why Christ’s top two commandments are:

1. Love God with all your Heart, Mind and Soul.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

These commandments are essentially one in and same.

If the Universe is a collective WHOLE… then Loving God is Loving the Whole.

And, you and all your neighbors are also a part of that collective Whole.

So, when you are Loving yourself, you are also Loving your neighbor.

When you are Loving your neighbor, you are Loving yourself.

The quickest way to find this Love is to Love yourself.

Not in a selfish way… selfish focus is not Love.

That is greed… or vanity… However, all the saints have said it in more ways that one… God is within you.

Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within.

So, contrary to what you may have learned or been told by fundamentalist dogma… with you Love yourself… that is Loving God.

Not only is God within you… God made you.

To Love yourself is to Love God… and God’s effort to create you.

This Self Love… Self-Knowledge… Self Understanding allows you to tap into your inner wisdom.

This inner wisdom resides in your Heart.

When you make peace with the voices of irrational fear and chronic negativity… you stop this cycle within yourself.

As you stop this cycle within yourself… you are like one cell that goes from cancerous to healthy.

A cascade of healthy cells turning from cancerous to healthy is how cancer goes into remission.

And just like with cancer… in order for the cell to stop spreading and growing… we just cut off it’s source of supply.

What supplies cancer cells with fuel to grow?

Sugar.

What supplies your negative mindset with fuel to grow?

Self-hatred.

So, the answer is not to hate those in the world who you disagree with.

Or to make others wrong.

The great key to life is to seek inwardly for what you blame outwardly.

To Love the parts of yourself that you hate in others.

This brings you the most power.

The most Grace.

The most healing.

Life is a hologram. What is in you is in the world, what is in the world is in you.

When you judge others… it is because you are actually judging yourself.

When you Love others… it is because you are actually Loving yourself.

When you Hate others.. it is because you actually are hating yourself.

As it is within you… so you will see it in the world. As you see it in the world… so it is within you.

So… today… instead of casting blame on others, instead of looking outwardly for what is wrong… seek to remove the sawdust from your own eye… so that you can see clearly.

Be kind to yourself. Be generous to yourself.

Seek the answers within you.

And you will end your search.

The answer to the worldly problems you see is not more blame, more hate or more fear.

It is… Love.

Start with you.

Remember to get out there, take action and make it real!

Is it Time to restart?

In six weeks last fall I dropped 55 pounds because I finally cracked the code on my body and what it really needs.

It was a game changer.

$200k spent over two years trying to figure it out.

Tests. Doctors. Nutritionists. Labs.

Finally, I figured out what my body needs and what I can do to help become as healthy as possible.

NOTE: I am writing about my very personal weight loss journey, I know that there are many coaches/nutritionists and weight experts in this community… I am not soliciting advice from you, and while I appreciate your concern, I am 100% happy with the coaches/mentors and people in my life who are guiding me in this process, so please know that while I am soooo grateful for your concern or to share your knowledge with me…. I’m all set. This note is not a call for more tips…

When I arrived home from Bali – I stopped the weight loss process.

Almost like taking a breather. A little pit stop.

Mostly because I had just moved and getting into a routine was difficult.

And I was happy with the weight I had attained. I’ve maintained a state of health and there are no signs of pre-diabetes in my blood work, which is awesome! Since January I’ve remained the same weight, and it’s been awesome to maintain that weight loss.

Now, I am picking up where I left off and restarting phase 2.

I am happy with my progress and enjoying the fruits of my hard work.

A couple of days ago I met with my nutritionist, Kevin Libby and we created a plan for the next 50 pounds.

Looking at me you wouldn’t think that there are 50 pounds to lose, but… I’m almost 6’5.

That spreads out a lot on this tall frame.

What’s so exciting about this next round of dropping weight is that I am feeling so centered about it.

Kevin isn’t into restriction or hating your body. Kevin and I are working together to actually give my body what it needs, and there is no feeling of restriction.

Some of the primary ingredients for my continued weight loss is focusing on de-stressing my life even more, as well as getting ample sleep.

So, sleep and de-stressing are some of my top priorities right now.

And, the best supplement, drug and “weight loss secret” there is is… FOOD.

What I actually eat.

I’ve maintained my weight, which is healthy.

It’s not good for the body to be in weight loss mode for too long. So, I maintained.

Now, I’m dropping again.

And, I am at peace with it. I think my favorite thing about this journey is being at peace with my plate.

I have mostly reconciled my adversarial relationship with food.

Of course, cravings come in every once in a while, but I have the tools and the knowledge to know how to handle them.

I was thinking about posting my routine, but I didn’t want to impose on you.

You see, each person is different, so I am hesitating to post my routine.

But, if I get enough responses I’ll post my whole routine – with the caveat that it’s my routine, which may or may not work for you.

One of the dangers I found in the fitness space is thinking that one size fits all.

It doesn’t.

So, I had to find my groove, but I’d be happy to share what I learned with you.

If you’re interested in that… just comment, and I’ll write something up if I get enough interest in this topic.

And… in the spirit of round 2… what can you re-start in your life?

It’s almost October… which means we are nearing the end of 2017.

Are there any commitments or goals you put down that it’s time to pick up?

What are they? Is it time for you to restart?

Join me in round 2… and let’s follow through on 2017 and make it epic.

And most importantly…. let’s have fun… like this guy…

Remember to get out there, take action and make it real!

In a tiff? The fast (and unexpected) way to resolve conflict…

Are there people in your life who you just can’t seem to understand?

Perhaps they act in a way that is totally strange to you and no matter how hard you try to make it work, it seems like they just don’t get it?

Over the last decade or more, as I’ve worked with clients, I hear all kinds of different stories about past and current relationships and how they go awry.

One of the common phrases is that there is a lack of “integrity.” Integrity is one of those words that gets thrown around personal growth conferences, therapists offices and in the general self-help lexicon.

Integrity is seen as one of the most important virtues one can have.

And – the lack of integrity in a relationship can be a part of its downfall.

But, the closer I’ve looked at many disagreements, I’ve seen that there is something else going on entirely.

If you’ve ever had a miff with someone who was “out of integrity” – I have a second opinion for you.

Now… before I got further, please know that if there is some kind of major violation of trust, or conscious action to break a promise… what I’m about to share with you doesn’t apply to that. YES – there are breaches of integrity, but there’s also this…

Many times what’s seen as a breach in integrity is simply misaligned or unexpressed expectations and/or values.

Lemme explain…

If one person in a relationship has the expectation that “love” is physical touch, they could feel that their partner is out of integrity if they are not touching them, holding their hand, etc.

If one person values freedom and another person values security, no matter how much “integrity” there is… there is going to be conflict.

So, before you go about assuming that someone you know is out of integrity, don’t rush to judgment… instead… dive deeper.

Many times, if you’re not getting along as your work, in a relationship or friendship – the simple fact is… your values may be clashing.

There is nothing wrong with this… the wise thing to do is to surround yourself with people who share similar values.

Another wise thing to do is to wonder…. “do I have any unclear or unspoken expectations?”

Many times people in this world don’t know what to give you or to help with if you are not clear about what you need.

Now, if you’re in a marriage and someone in the marriage violates a vow – that is a breach of integrity to that vow.

But, the reason why that vow was broken may be because your values are changing or there are unexpressed expectations.

If you can see much of the conflict in your life as a chance to get clear on expectations of both sides and also make sure that you’re operating with the same values… it takes a lot of the blame and judgment out of conflict resolution.

So, over to you… Is there anyone that you have a dispute or conflict with?

What are you valuing in this situation?

What are they valuing?

And… do you have any uncommunicated expectations? Do they?

Reply back and let me know… the answers to these questions can help bring about a faster resolution.

And the faster you can resolve this, the faster you can move on to bigger and better things.

I’m cheering for you!

Remember to get out there, take action and make it real!

Is discovering your life’s purpose the missing piece to your success?

It’s normal in the course of a human life to try for a goal and fall short.

It could be a business goal; it could be a romantic goal, a wellness/health goal, a family goal or a financial goal.

One of the greatest tensions in human existence is the tension between the life we desire and our current circumstances.

This life, after all, is a process of becoming.

From the moment of our conception, we are in the process of becoming.

First, we become an infant, then a child, a teenager and then an adult.

As we age, we become (hopefully) wise, and as we approach death, we are in the process of becoming Spirit again.

Birth, life, death and rebirth… this is the cycle.

The aim of life is to be happy right where you are.

Now, what I just wrote was a simple sentence… but let me say it again because it’s important…

The aim of life is to be happy right where you are.

Happy in birth, happy in life and happy in death. Happy in rebirth.

And while our mortal body dies once in a lifetime, our dreams can die daily.

Our hopes can die daily. Our goals can die daily. Our vision for a better future can die daily.

The path of success is to learn to navigate the deaths of meaningful things in our lives with Grace and a solid mindset.

The teachings of the Buddha remind us that the root of suffering is attachment.

This isn’t to say that you cannot or should not Love.

This isn’t to say that you should not form relationships.

Or get your hopes up.

However, the aim of life is to increase our flexibility.

In the discipline of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), it’s known that the person who is the most flexible will emerge successful in the long run. In NLP, there are things called “Pre-suppositions” which are assumptions that the discipline makes about the nature of life.

One such pre-supposition is that of flexibility, which is as follows:

“The person with the most flexibility will have more choices and therefore have the most influence in any system. A choice is better than no choice, and more choices are certainly better than less choices. Similarly, if what you are doing is not working, do something else. This highlights the need to change one’s behavior and do something else, again and again, if need be, until the desired outcome is achieved. In other words, one must be able to change readily to meet new circumstances.”

So, if you have set a goal and it has not come into being yet, consider that you must become more flexible in your approach.

Consider that perhaps your mindset is too rigid, and you are too attached to a certain outcome, that, if released, would clear a path to a greater and greater outcome.

When your body is flexible, you are able to move with more Grace and ease.

When your mind is flexible, you are able to achieve happiness, fulfillment, and success with greater ease.

It’s so easy to be attached to past hurtful or disappointing outcomes and assume that your future will be the same as the past.

Yet – the future will only be the same as the past if we bring the past into the future.

How do you ensure that you do not bring your past into your future?

You make peace with it in the present moment.

And the fastest way to do that is to discover your life’s purpose.

When you know your life’s purpose and bring it to life, everything changes.

The only difference between someone who is overwhelmed, stuck, frustrated with a lack of results, not experiencing abundance or fulfilling work/career and someone who has an abundant life, meaningful relationships, fulfilling work and is able to provice security for their loved ones…

Is that the person who is living an abundant life has discovered their life’s purpose and are living it each day.

When you discover your life’s purpose, everything changes.

Abundance comes…

Fulfilling work comes..

Security for your loved ones comes…

You know your priorities and what to focus on…

The aim is to be flexible in your approach and dedicate yourself to discovering your life’s purpose and then living it each day.

If you don’t know what your life’s purpose is, or would like help discovering it or re-fining it… or if you feel like your purpose is in progress but isn’t quite alive yet…

Reply to this email and let me know.

If I get enough replies to this email, I’ll put together a training for you on your life’s purpose… how to discover it… how to refine it… how to bring it to life.

Is that something you want?

If so, just reply to this email and let me know…

Remember – be flexible in your approach.

Be mindful of your past limiting beliefs that do not belong in your future.

And enjoy the process of birth, life, death, and rebirth – each phase of existence has a gift.

And, when you know your purpose, you can enjoy the ride in true abundance.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you Mastin!

As always, remember to get out there, take action and make it real!

Getting Real About My Learning Disorder (And A Tool That Can Help)

Learning has been hard for me my whole life. Right now, it’s fall and we are in full swing getting back to school. This time of year was always hard for me, because I immediately felt behind in school. I didn’t learn as fast or the same way as the other kids, I thought I was dumb, slow or just not smart.

I had undiagnosed ADHD, dyslexia and multiple traumatic brain injuries at the time. It was until much later (and dropping out of college) that I learned about my brain and why it was so hard for me to get through school, and part of the reason why I dropped out of college.

Today, I want to take the first step and share a little bit about my experience with ADHD/dyslexia and TBI’s. And, I want to make you aware of an amazing resource called Understood.org.

>Access Understood.org here.

If you are a parent or student or anyone who has learning disabilities, Understood is a must have resource. This is not an ad. It’s back to school and I am thinking of all the parents and children who may not have the tools they need to identify and overcome a learning disability.

While I now see my ADHD/dyslexia and TBI’s as a gift, it sure didn’t feel that way back then.

Comment below, do you or someone you know have a learning disability? How has it hurt you/them? How was it been a blessing and a gift? Let me know.

I hope my story inspires you to take action, to have compassion and to use the tools from Understood.org.

Remember to get out there, take action and make it real.

Your biggest supporter,

Mastin

P.S. If you know anyone with a learning disorder that could use tools and mentorship, please send them a link to this blog. You may just change their life.

Show your love, lead by example

I am so blown away by the love of this community.

I’ve been reading many of the survey responses to discovering your life’s purpose and how to bring it to life.

What’s so apparent is how much you love the people you love.

Your children. Your parents. Your peeps.

Answer after answer that I read showed how far you would go to make sure that your people are taken care of.

Stephanie said:

“I feel obligated to maintain a steady income to support my kids. I tell myself that when they are out of the house, then I can figure out what I want for myself.”

Stephanie, I want to talk to you today.

And… anyone else who feels like their purpose isn’t quite here yet.

Let me get this out upfront:

The BEST way to take care of your Loved ones is to live your life as an EXAMPLE of what’s possible.

Your only true obligation in this life is to discover your purpose and live it each day.

When you consider what action to take, what next step to make… and what the priorities of your life are…

It’s important to pay attention to the questions you are asking yourself.

Perhaps one of the greatest questions you can ask yourself when it comes to taking care of your loved ones is this…

“How can I best set an example of what’s possible?”

You see, your loved ones watch what you DO, far greater than what you say.

Your children model your behavior, not your words.

So, this means to take the best care of your loved ones; you’ve got to take the best care of yourself.

Do you want your children to discover and live their purpose?

Then discover and live yours.

Do you want your loved ones to be able to have financial security for the future?

Then tap into the abundance that comes when you bring your purpose to life.

Do you want to take great care of your father/mother and help them retire and have a great quality of life?

Then bring your purpose to life.

Discovering my purpose is what allowed me to have enough funds to pay for rehab for my mother, which was a life-saving moment.

Discovering my purpose is what allowed us to buy a house for loved ones when their home was condemned due to mold.

If you are waiting until they “grow up,” “move out” or for “one day when” you think things will get better… you are not taking the best care of your loved ones.

You are not setting an example of living your best life.

In order to take the best care of your loved ones, you must grow, you must stretch… you must discover your life’s purpose and then dedicate yourself to bringing it to life.

By bringing your purpose to life, you set the example for your children or your parents.

By finding your purpose, you open up the abundance that you know is meant for you, but seems to be alluding you.

By discovering your purpose, you show your loved ones you mean business.

Do not delay your dreams.

Do not set an example of living on the “horizon” for “one day.” They are watching you and they are taking their ques from you.

Whether you know it or not… you are a leader and they are watching your every move.

Instead of saving for a rainy day, invest in a sunny future. Invest in yourself.

Invest in your purpose.

Make discovering your purpose your #1 intention.

Let no excuse get in the way.

Let no limiting belief stop you.

Do whatever you need to do to overcome the fear/trauma/hurt and worry from your past…. and make today and every day forward a day where you are dedicated to brining your purpose to life.

Do not allow any past hurt/trauma/pain or fear stop you. Instead, consider that the trauma of your past is a prerequisite for your purpose.

You were being prepared for THIS.

When you bring your purpose to life…

That’s when abundance comes.

That’s when you have true personal freedom.

That’s when you create true security for your loved ones.

That’s when you set an example for everyone you love about what’ possible.

Within you is power, greatness and the ability to be a role model of what living your purpose looks like.

Have you been focusing on what’s most important… or just being distracted by what’s in front of you?

Make if your intention to make what’s in front of you most important – that is discovering your purpose and bringing it to life.

The only difference between someone who has true freedom, who has work and a career they love, who experiences a truly abundant life… who takes care of their loved ones and gives them the ultimate security…

And someone who is distracted, overwhelmed, not feeling free, waiting until “later” and always worried if they will be able to take care of their loved ones is just one thing…

Those who experience true freedom, abundance and the security to take care of the people that they love know their life’s purpose and are living it each day.

If you’ve tried a lot of different things and it hasn’t worked out, or if you thought you knew what your purpose was and lost it… or if you aren’t sure you have a purpose… or if you know what your purpose, but it’s in process and not quite here yet… that’s okay.

If you really love your peeps, then get about the business of bringing your purpose to life.

Don’t hide behind your loved ones and use them as a reason why you can’t risk/grow and become more.

You owe it to them and to yourself to take the leap and jump into the life that’s waiting for you.

It’s time to remove the hidden blocks keeping you stuck, accelerate your results and bring your purpose to life.

Not sometime in the future… but right… NOW.

You’ve got this. And I’ll be right there with you.

Remember to get out there, take action and make it real!

Path to discovering your life’s purpose

As Mark Twain said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why.”

When you find out why you were born, that’s when you discover your life’s purpose.

Most of our problems in life are a symptom of not knowing, or living, our purpose.

Imagine for a moment a scenario….

That… you were intentionally made, by a Loving Creator for a special and unique Purpose.

You came to earth, experienced fear and mild to intense trauma and in that process forgot Who you are and Where you came from.

Then, because you wanted Love, safety, and security… you decided not to listen to your Higher Wisdom, to doubt that you even have any intuition and to focus on things that bring you financial security, but not fulfillment or joy.

Because of this…. you feel like you have FOMO (the Fear of Missing out), but aren’t even sure what you’re missing out on.

You just know that there’s something more.

You can feel it, but you can’t quite put your finger on it.

You have brief moments of remembering Who you are and Where you came from.

Maybe it’s an inspiring moment in a film, or when some great moment is achieved in sports, the Olympics or in a book that you read.

But, because life is filled with an overload of content/information and distraction, you quickly forget again.

And, over a period, the Light within you that is your Purpose gets dimmer and dimmer.

It never goes out, but it does get small enough to forget that it’s there. So, you’re not being used for your Purpose.

You’re not in alignment with why you were born, you are ignoring your intuition, and you are putting your life on hold.

Maybe you have kids, or a job that helps you just “exist” or a pet.

And you love your kids, your pet and you are grateful that you can put food on the table… but something is missing.

Your relationship is void of passion.

Perhaps you and your “twin flame” are just roommates now.

Or… you decided not to get into another relationship because you wanted to focus on your career…

But your career is just to pay the bills.

It’s not purposeful work. You start to want more.

You want to help your parents retire and be taken care of for the rest of your life.

You want to set a better example for your children because you notice that they have picked up some of your bad habits.

You have a favorite Instagram account that you pretend is your life.

Those images of Europe, Asia and living a life of time/money/travel freedom… it’s your daydream.

You pretend that that is your life.

But… these moments are fleeting…

A day comes where you notice you are having a hard time paying attention to your Survival Job.

You feel anxious. Nervous.

So, you go to someone who can write you a prescription to feel better.

Chances are… they don’t scan your brain… and they don’t do an inventory of your life choices…. they don’t ask if you are living your Purpose.

They just pay attention to the symptoms.

Anxious. Inattentive. Nervous. Sad.

They label you “bipolar,” “ADD” or “depressed” and give you a pill or two.

You take the pills.

For a moment, you have hope… maybe this will help me feel better.

But soon, those pills don’t work.

And now you’re hooked on them and need them just to feel normal.

You take on the names that those pill writers called you.

You are now just a bipolar/ADD/depressed person who needs to take pills to be normal.

You smile to strangers, but on the inside… you wish that they could see that you’re in an existential crisis.

But, you have to keep it together. You can’t be vulnerable. You can’t be real.

The self-help teachers told you that when you talk about bad things, negative stuff or your problems that you will “attract” more of them.

So, you stuff them down. You get a new peer group of best friends you always make you feel better:

Caffeine, Alcohol, and Sugar

You put on some weight at first. But then more weight.

Why?

Because that “one drink a week” has turned into a nightly affair.

You wake up hungover and take more pills and more Caffeine just to have enough energy to get in the shower.

One day, you arrive at your job… and it hits you…

Maybe this is as good as it gets. Maybe this is all you deserve. Maybe you’re just here to “exist” or “survive.”

All that hogwash about purpose, it’s just for special people.

You unfollowed your favorite Instagram account because they posted a photo from your dream travel destination… and you decided that it’s just a pipedream.

And… you keep your head down and just keep existing.

All the while, trying to convince yourself that you don’t know what your purpose is… that you aren’t sure.

And that the only way you would even admit that you have a purpose or could life a life of purpose… you would need a clear financial plan in place first.

You are treating your purpose (and God) like your own personal Jerry McGuire….

you scream: “SHOW ME THE MONEY!”

But, you can’t see how you could possibly make money living your purpose, so you keep telling yourself you don’t have one, or that you don’t know what it is.

Eventually… life gets worse. It shrinks.

A few bad things happen in a row that makes you question whether there is a God at all.. and why would such a God allow these kinds of things to happen.

And, eventually… life gets smaller and smaller and smaller… until you arrive at an important moment in your life.

A moment will come when you will be stirred by unexpected events.

A part of you will die, and you will begin to search for the elixir to bring this part of you back to life.

You will seek this elixir in friends, lovers, enemies, books, religions, foreign countries, heroes, songs, rituals, and jobs.

But no matter where you look, the treasure will evade you.

All will seem lost.

You will lose all hope that this magic potion even exists.

It will be the darkest of nights, and the promise of certain death will lead you to the abyss of despair.

But, staring into this abyss, you will begin to see the dim light of your own illumined soul.

Your radiance will transform the abyss itself into the elusive elixir of life.

And for the first time, you will realize that all the while… it was your own Light that you were searching for.

Then you have a massive AHA moment.

“My Purpose is the most important thing for me to find.”

You realize that there is no perfect map with a blueprint and checklist of how you will make money.

You realize that your Purpose is something that you discover, bit by bit, a little each day.

You realize that the self-help gurus were wrong… fear is not the opposite of Love… Fear is a sign that you are getting closer to your Purpose.

And, when you realize this… you realize that no pill can give you purpose, no wine can give you purpose… and no amount of chocolate can give you purpose.

And then… in a flash… you realize that THIS is the second most important day of your life.

You realize that you were born for a unique Purpose… and that you just need to take a page from Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz… you need to gather yourself… gather your Heart… your Brains… and your Courage… and realize that you’ve always had the power.

You don’t have literal red slippers to take you home, but you have something even better…

The redemption of each new moment to make a new choice.

And on this day, the second most important day of your life… you choose to discover your Purpose… bit by bit… piece by piece. And from that moment forward… you return Home to your Heart… to your Creator… to discovering your Purpose a little more each day.

You realize that those weren’t panic attacks, they were messages from your Higher Wisdom to get moving.

You realize that you had anxiety because you weren’t doing the very thing you were born to do.

You realize that anyone who is not living their purpose but instead forcing themselves to do boring/repetitive work that isn’t fulfilling would have ADD, too.

You realize each day that you don’t have a problem focusing on the things you LOVE to do, in fact, you wish that life would slow down because when you are in the Zone of your purpose… life and time is flying by.

You realize that the real cause of your problems wasn’t being bi-polar, or depressed or having ADD…

You realize that you’ve been misdiagnosed. You didn’t have ADD… you had PDD.

Purpose Deficit Disorder

And you realize that ADD/Depression/BiPolar and most of those other labels where covering up the real issue.

Maybe you’re still on your pills, but you realize that they are there to help FUEL your purpose… but pills are NOT your purpose in and of themselves.

You realize that Bi-Polar was just trying to contain your uniqueness and creativity in a box… and now you are unleashed…

You realize that part of your de-pression was re-pression.

So you start to express yourself.

You realize that your ADD wasn’t that at all.

You realize that you’re a creative genius whose been focused on boring tasks.

You have a hard time paying attention to what doesn’t matter, but when you are in your zone of Purpose, your attention is locked in.

And… in the end… you are grateful for the journey… because now you have empathy… experience… and an understanding of the suffering that exists on this planet… and from this moment forward… you dedicate yourself to healing the wounds within you… connecting with your Higher Power each and every day… and helping others heal their suffering.

And in that moment, you realize… everything you went through… has meaning.

And you’re grateful for all of it.

Remember to get out there, take action and make it real!