Why are you here?

Why are you here? 

I'm not talking about why you are here reading this, or why you are where you are in longitude/latitude of space/time.

Why are you here in this body? Why are you here on this Earth, at the perfect?

 Do you know there's never been such an abundance of opportunity for anyone who is willing to serve rather than just gain? If so,  I invite you to stop for a moment and feel that in your heart before continuing to read. 

Do you know also know that the greats were great not because they were more special, but because they took action in spite of fear?

The purpose of life we desire, the passion, the answer to the first question, "Why are you here?" is found when you can step into uncertainty, step into fear, and do what it is you REALLY want to do, and not what sort-of calls to your heart.

Now I don't believe people when they say, "I don't know what I want to do with my life…" And when I am told this I ask people two questions:

1.) Imagine it's one year from now, what would have had to have happened for this year to be the most wildly fulfilling and or successful year ever? (touch your heart when you have an answer).

2.) Second, what would you do if you had no limits, if you simply knew you couldn't fail, if you had the resources, the time, and whatever else the mind way comes up with…? (I invite you to touch your heart again and feel the answer you came up with).

All of us on some level know the answer to these questions. And if it were me and I couldn't find those answers right now, I wouldn't move from where I was today until I figured out the answers and wrote them down, at least malleable answers that could give me a starting place….

So what prevents us from knowing the answer, to pursuing the journey; fear.

It's not a lack of action, because even in-action becomes action after a period of time, even not-doing becomes our doing at a certain point. This is because we are always choosing, it's just that we're either choosing to inspire ourselves or expire ourselves, in everything…. our career, our food, our daily schedule, our goals, our commitments, our time management….

Each of those and so much more are either bringing us closer to the meaning of life, or further away…. they are either aligned with our dreams, or counter-productive to the realization of them….

So there are three final questions…. What is it you want to remember about your life, your experience, yourself? How can you get there? When will you begin?

Jack Ducey

http://jakeducey.com

Hoedown from Rodeo

Eleanor Stewart, "I created a music video for the Classical music work 'Hoedown' from the Rodeo Suite by Aaron Copland. It is a stop motion animation in which various characters, inspired by Cowboy and Western films, come to life from the musical score. It was made for my final year degree in Visual Communication at the Glasgow School of Art."

My thoughts … An incredible composition of music, art and animation; reminiscent of the wild wild west. I hope this artist is acknowledged with awards - it’s that good.

Hoedown from Rodeo

Top 10 Stories of 2012 - Story #2 - Finding A Job..when You Least Expect It!

Top 10 Stories of 2012 - Story #2 - Finding A Job..when You Least Expect It!
--posted by emackaroni83 on Dec 30, 2012

So I haven't held a job since April of 2011 due to multiple health issues. I currently draw disability but am having trouble finding money at the end of the month so I decided I would look for a partime job.

So I haven't held a job since April of 2011 due to multiple health issues. I currently draw disability but am having trouble finding money at the end of the month so I decided I would look for a partime job.

I have been applying, interviewing, etc since July with no prospects. I haVe been told mostly that I am overqualified, or they need fulltime etc. I had been getting pretty discouraged. I started my randomn act of kindness way back in February for me personally, not to get anything back but a good feeling. With no job prospects and with the winter coming meaning higher utility costs etc I had been feeling pretty down and gloomy. I was actually asking myself why cant someone be kind enough to take me on as an employee.

This past Tuesday evening it was freezing cold outside and going on 9pm as I was waiting at a city bus stop. Just as the bus pulled up a young woman walked up to the bus stop. She had a tshirt, capris, and flip-flops on. She also was wearing several hospital bracelets. I asked her her name and if she had a coat or anywhere to go. She quickly told me she had lost her apartment because she lost her job then got very sick and was put in the hospital. She has no family in the area and didnt even know where she was going to sleep tonight.
I dug in my purse and took out some bus tickets, and $5.00 so she could get something to eat. I then took off my jacket and tennis shoes and gave them to her. I said these are a little big but they should keep you warm. She looked at me and said "Arent you gonna be cold?" I told her me being cold for 15 minutes until I get to my place is worth it if I know you will be a little warmer for wherever you end up. She cried and thanked me with a hug. I just told her to pass it on.

Then after I got on the bus thats when the miracle of spreading kindness happened. I stepped up to pay the fare and the bus driver says "Mam, I saw what you just did and your fare is on me. even though technically we arent suppose to let you get on the bus without shoes he said with a wink".

I went to sit down and this lady who was dressed in a very professional business suit calls me over to her seat. She says "I wanna know the name of the person who just did the most inspiring thing I have ever seen" I told her my name and she is like "What can I do for you to give back what I just witnessed?' I jokingly said a paying job would be nice. She said I might be able to work something out. She asked for my name and number and said she would call me the next day.

The next day she calls me and says that she has a part time administrative assistant position open in her company and wants me to come in and meet with the manager today. It turned out the lady was the head HR person for this company.

I went in for the interview and got a call this afternoon. I start Monday morning at 9am!

Thank you all for inspiring me to keep passing the kindness on! I never expected to get so much back in return!

Social Intelligence

 
Social Intelligence
by Daniel Goleman

[Listen to Audio!]

One day, late for a meeting in midtown Manhattan, I was looking for a shortcut. So I walked into an indoor atrium on the ground floor of a skyscraper, planning to use an exit door I had spotted on the other side that would give me a faster route through the block.

But as soon as I reached the building's lobby, with its banks of elevators, a uniformed guard stormed over to me, waving his arms and yelling, "You can't walk through here!"

"Why not?" I asked, puzzled.

"Private property! It's private property!" he shouted, visibly agitated.

I seemed to have inadvertently intruded into an unmarked security zone. "It would help," I suggested in a shaky attempt to infuse a bit of reasoning, "if there were a sign on the door saying 'Do Not Enter.' "

My remark made him even angrier. "Get out! Get out!" he screamed.

Unsettled, I hastily beat my retreat, his anger reverberating in my own gut for the next several blocks.

When someone dumps their toxic feelings on us – explodes in anger or threats, shows disgust or contempt–they activate in us circuitry for those very same distressing emotions. Their act has potent neurological consequences: emotions are contagious. We "catch" strong emotions much as we do a rhinovirus – and so can come down with the emotional equivalent of a cold.

Every interaction has an emotional subtext. Along with whatever else we are doing, we can make each other feel a little better, or even a lot better, or a little worse – or a lot worse, as happened to me. Beyond what transpires in the moment, we can retain a mood that stays with us long after the direct encounter ends – an emotional afterglow (or afterglower, in my case).

These tacit transactions drive what amounts to an emotional economy, the net inner gains and losses we experience with a given person, or in a given conversation, or on any given day. By evening the net balance of feelings we have exchanged largely determines what kind of day – "good" or "bad" – we feel we've had.