Next time you go to the hairdresser, ask if they have ever seen two people whose hair is exactly the same. The answer will be no, because every single person on this planet is different.
We all see things from a unique perspective. Our point of view may be informed or ignorant, it may be prejudiced or open – but it’s our own. It will be influenced by others, partially or wholly, but it is still unique. If your view of the world is different to others, then so must your opinion, and that makes you very valuable.
Every single one of us has a contribution to make and we can each make a difference. This is the purpose of our life. It is unique to each of us. I cannot do the things that you can do, in quite the way that you can do them. Therefore your life has meaning and purpose.
Every single one of us makes our contribution by doing a very important job, one for which we have within us all the talents, skills and abilities we require.
The rewards for identifying and pursuing our individual path are magnificent indeed – inner peace, contentment, love, happiness, success and peace of mind. Unfortunately, many road blocks have been created to prevent us pursuing our life’s work, many barriers erected to prevent us from being ourselves.
For countless centuries we have been told ‘you’re nothing special’, or ‘don’t do it your way because that’s not good enough’. Others have said ‘you can’t do that because you’re not clever enough, or pretty enough, or tall enough, or slim enough, or rich enough, or white enough, or black enough, or you are a woman, or you are too old or too young’. The uncaring have told us ‘don’t put yourself first, what do you know anyway?’
We’ve constantly been told to put others first, and ourselves last and we’ve been told to place our trust in those that clearly don’t deserve it, and then to act surprised when they let us down.
Another illusion is the benefit of conformity and uniformity. The ‘greys’ that run our world continue to stifle creation and innovation at every turn. They task teachers with measuring a child’s intelligence over and over again, completely overlooking the fact that every single beautiful child has something special within them that the common ground of ‘testing’ will almost certainly never reveal.
To be part of a group, to be uniform or to conform, prevents our individual growth. It prevents us fulfilling our individual potential, it stops us becoming all that we can be, it prevents us following our path and it stands in the way of us achieving our fulfillment. Lasting happiness and deep peace of mind come from going your own way.
The biggest and most influential groups are religions, all of which encourage their followers to act en masse, without recognition of uniqueness, life purpose or individuality. All faiths state that in order to achieve happiness and fulfillment we need do nothing at all, other than believe. Religions say follow their way and do as they say and all will be well. But these religions fail to recognize the most basic of truths – that the mould was broken after each one of us was made.
As such, may we long be protected from those people that ‘mean well’, for on its own it simply isn’t enough. By spending time getting ourselves right, and then keeping ourselves right – we place ourselves in the best possible position to be of lasting and genuine help to many others.
This message is one of peace and love. If you are unique then you are valuable, incomparable, not better or worse, not thinner or fatter, not clever or stupid – but just you, wonderful, amazing, beautiful you, someone whose life has never existed before and will never exist again. Because you hold part of the Key of Life, one piece of the jigsaw puzzle, I will do everything I can to make sure you fulfil your life’s purpose, so that I can fulfil mine.
It is true that we are all members of our community, citizens of our country, and of the world. But we are all those things second and unique stars first. Stars with a unique ability to prosper and grow, as well as our own special talent for putting our foot in it.
But rather than deflate at this thought, our ability to screw up and get things wrong, always in a big way, always at the worst possible time, is actually to be celebrated, for our mistakes provide the opportunities to learn, develop and grow. We should congratulate ourselves when things go well, rather than give thanks to the stars, and when things go wrong we need simply to learn the lesson – nothing more. Michael Jordan, the American basketball player, said “I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the winning shot, and missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is precisely why I succeed.”
Armed with this knowledge, to step toward our fulfilment and begin down our own path we must first recognize that life is simple. It’s just us humans that make it complicated.
Talent and ability always begins with an interest. If you are interested in, or stimulated by something, if it rings a bell, or strikes a chord that it is a signpost from your higher self, showing you where to go next. Interest always reveals ability. That’s how you can begin to make a difference, by doing something because you want to, because your higher self sees the benefit, not because someone else told you to. You cannot possibly know where this path will lead you, except to say that it will open up your life in the most profound ways. Today will be better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today, because you are doing it your way and instead of wishing you were someone and somewhere else, you will finally accept that who you are is good enough.
Richard Abbot
Richard Abbot offers guidance and direction to seekers after truth across the globe. His website www.yourwayforward.co.uk is packed full of opportunities for growth and development. He has been pursuing his path since 1989.
I have always believed that it is very important to tell our children from a young age that they are special and that they can achieve anything. Taking away a belief that you are worthy is so limiting. You are so right when you say that we are told to put other first, but we really should turn our attention to the self. Not in a selfish way, but in a loving way which helps you develop and continue to be as wonderful as the universe intends you to be.