Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

Have you seen Rome? I remember just unbelievable beauty. And a vibe in the air that felt (to me) even more intense than New York City. There were people EVERYWHERE. The streets were jam-packed with cars and motorcycles. And in other places like The Spanish Steps, life seemed to grind to a halt with people just hanging out, some singing, someone giving away puppies, and others just drinking and talking with no particular sense of responsibility or urgency about anything. (I suppose this isn't terribly different from fraternity parties I attended way back when - maybe my nostalgia was just kicking in!) I have to assume that Rome definitely took some time to build and develop its spirit. Plus if I remember ANYTHING from social studies (you can't even pay me to play trivial pursuit), it began long, long ago as a small city and transformed into a big empire and all that. Yes, Rome was built one incremental step at a time.

I have to remind myself of this often. I dream big and then get frustrated when I find myself unable to quickly follow-through on my plans. In my life, I don't recall any overnight, miracle successes. I took one-day-at-a-time. And looking back, most of my fun was working with other people in the preparation, whether it was practicing marching (yep, former band geek here), school play rehearsals, even dating - all those daily rituals led up to the natural conclusions of winning a band championship, giving a really great acting performance, and getting married! I suppose in the back of my mind I wanted those things, but they would have been terribly bittersweet if I suffered the whole process through just waiting for the end result.

My baby reminds me to appreciate where I am right now, to "play" versus "push" my way through life. That the wrapping paper is to be tasted just as much as the gift! :) To really enjoy every moment in my life even if it doesn't seem to be supporting a "goal" I've set for myself.

So on the eve of this New Year, as I've pondered and pondered how humongous and unrealistic I could make my goals this year (smile), I've decided to consider instead how to take smaller, incremental steps each day, that make me truly happy.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Happy New Year, my friends!

How to "Discover" Your Life Purpose

We each have a calling. We neglect it because we think in order to do so means we can't attend to daily life, or worse, that we must radically alter our lifestyles in order to follow our life's passions. It doesn't need to be so dramatic. Just do one small thing each day to honor your intuitive heart. Following those internal messages will develop your intuitive hunches. We do not have to make life a struggle. We always, always have a choice in how we decide to frame our situations.

So how do we honor our life purpose? What sorts of activities begin to let our souls inspire us? Think fun, fun, fun. Play with children. With pets. Write poems. Cook a wacky dinner. Plant a wild garden. Buy an outfit that reflects your personality and stop worrying about whether it's in season. Follow your own impulses. Set your own trends. Whenever you think to give advice, reflect that advice towards yourself and see what it means for you. Watch and read comedies. Laugh as often as possible. Don't just be yourself...be your childlike self. Start a blog. Dress up, even if there's not a "real" occasion to. Be a total nerd. Love your friends. Make new friends. Giggle. Smile. Always ask yourself, what if I had no worries, what would I do?

Life Purpose will then evolve and be revealed to you with each nurturing step you take. It's not an overnight process but a momentum of series of revelations that in time may begin to form a picture.

The litmus test? If you find yourself living in the moment in dizzying happiness, you're following your passion and purpose. If you're fighting for rewards and recognition, struggling to survive, doing things because they're expected of you or society, family or friends tell you, "you should," spend some time alone and think about what small things you can do today to be blissfully happy.