Give Yourself Permission
The Zen Master poured his visitor’s teacup full and then kept pouring.
The visitor watched until he could no longer restrain himself.
“It’s overfull,” he exclaimed. “No more will go in.”
“Like this cup,” the Zen Master replied, “you are full of your own opinions and assumptions. How can you learn your truth until you first empty your cup?”
Every epiphany has a common point. Regardless of the specific event or whatever triggers the enquiry, something happens that awakens our consciousness or reminds us that we have drifting.
In our heart of hearts, we know that we have to stop and take stock. It can be any number of events and there is no particular age when it happens.
Perhaps, it’s getting caught in a corporate restructuring. Maybe it’s the loss of someone you loved dearly, through death or divorce. Perhaps it’s a financial failure or an unexpected, life-threatening illness. For some it is the ticking of the clock.
Then again, maybe it’s none of the above; it’s just a deep-in-your-soul feeling that you’re off the track and it’s time to get real while there is time.
One day, whatever it is, you realize that you are all caught up in a life that is no longer yours. You started out with your own dreams and plans, and dutifully followed suit, but along the way, someone or something hijacked them.
It’s at this point when you begin the long, slow process of growing into fuller maturity and becoming more human. For whatever reason, experience, education and observation begin to converge and life suddenly starts coming together in a manner it never had before.
Until you reach this point, the surface questions are no more than idle chatter cluttering up your mind. Life’s daily routines and the idleness of the media seem to take on an unwarranted importance that only serve to further distract you from what you think is truly important.
Everything looks all right, but it feels all wrong.
Are your bored to death with all the old stories? Do I have this right, you wonder? Could someone have switch the script when I wasn’t watching?
If this resonating, the Zen Master may have had it right. There’s a good chance that your cup, too, is running over the brim and a rethink is in order.
Life is moving at lightening speed. Change is rampant. It’s giving many pause to stop and take a look at themselves and at what they’re doing. More to the point, why?
Could a personal reinvention be on order, or at the very least, a new challenge?
None of us are who we were when we first started out. We reinvented ourselves many times along the way and every time took on a new challenge.
Perhaps, it’s time again. By stretching the limits of what you have allowed yourself to do in the past, you were able to do more than you ever thought possible. You can do it again you know.
Maybe you have have been thinking about a new business, moving to a new city, going back to school, or making other changes in your business or personal life.
Regardless of what it is, if you are hungry enough, are willing to work for it and pay the price, you can do it.
You only get one life. Resolve today, right now, that you are going to live it on your terms and honour yourself.
