Giving up power to other people in how we live our lives seems like a universal truism. I heard a joke the other night that underscores it perfectly.
The joke was about a very elderly Jewish couple–both 95 years old. They go to the court house to get a divorce. The judge, in a state of disbelief, asks them what on Earth prompted them to get a divorce at this age. They tell him they had to wait for the last of their children to die.
And here is a true story from my days at United Airlines. A woman had been waiting for 50 years to go to Hawaii. Her husband had put her off year after year after year. Finally he agreed. On the flight, he had a heart attack and died. The aircraft had to make an unscheduled stop in Utah to unload the dead body.
When the plane was ready to resume the flight, the crew was surprised to see the wife get back on the aircraft and take her seat. When they asked her why she wasn’t staying with the body, she replied that she had allowed him to keep her from this trip for 50 years and she wasn’t going to let him do it anymore.
Why do we fall into this trap? Is it because we are afraid of discovering our own destiny? Is it because we don’t trust ourselves?
When we live our life in accordance to the dictates of other people we are not being true to ourselves. We are not following our intuition. We are refusing to take responsibility.
Following someone else’s bliss just doesn’t cut it. It is a waste of a lifetime. Giving up power in how you live your life will never get you anywhere.
Enthusiasm is the building block of greatness, not indentured servitude. Enthusiasm comes from our dreams, from the indwelling spirit. Not being true to you means living a lie.
Giving Up Power Benefits Nobody
When you are true to yourself the whole world benefits. For only when you are true to yourself is the genius that is in you set loose. Trust yourself. Follow your bliss.
Can you imagine a world where everyone follows his or her bliss? The energy and passion would lift the vibratory rate of the whole planet.
Everyone has a duty to find his or her purpose in life. Nobody can be you better than you can be you. You are a gift to the world. Don’t deprive the world of it. That would be a big loss.
There is a big difference between waking up in the morning when you are living a life dedicated to fulfilling your purpose as opposed to following the wishes of parents, or friends, or a school social worker. The former is a life experience; the latter is a life sentence.
If smiles are helpful to other people, how much more helpful is a life inspired to reach its highest aspirations? Inspiration is contagious. I like the way JFK expressed it in his inaugural address: “The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it. And the glow from that fire can truly light the world.”
Would a world of happy people mean a world of peace? It would have to be a step in that direction. Do you remember how you felt the last time you did something that you loved? You probably felt much more alive than when you were doing something that you didn’t love.
Why are we in a human body if not for the experience of being alive? What are your choices? Do you choose that which enlivens or that which numbs? Giving up power over your life to someone else should never be an option.
Your lifetime is an opportunity. Don’t wait until you’re 95-years-old to realize it.
