What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
>> 5 January 2009
Today one of my articles was included in the Carnival of Personal Development.
This is where I came across The Path to Purpose posted by Erin Pavlina (wife of Steve Pavlina).
Now I am not a supporter of the paranormal, but her article struck a cord.
Last year in July I wrote about having a bucket list. It made me thoughtful to see that I have realised two of the things listed (I visited my friend in Spain and painted, a little). Should I say only? In a way yes, because I have not done much in order to achieve the other things. I have been thinking a lot about writing a book, having my own bookshop and starting a charity. But thinking doesn't get me anywhere unless I DO something with it.
Erin wrote that she asked her husband for help when she felt stuck in a rut. His answer was a question: "What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?"
WOW! I have read many suggestions, questions and tips and tricks on how to live the life you're meant to live, how to find the purpose you're on this earth for. But nothing has ever hit me like this question.
Steve also suggested an exercise which Erin calls the Heart, Body, Mind, and Soul exercise. Steve discusses this in his article, Living Congruently. The exercise asks you to answer these four questions:
- What do you want to do? (desire)
- What can you do? (ability)
- What should you do? (purpose)
- What must you do? (need)
He continues to say that when you experience misalignment between these four areas/questions, the natural tendency is to slow down… sometimes to a crawl. You’ll feel like you have all these ideas pulling you in different directions, but you aren’t fully satisfying any of them. Your mind knows that continuing to work hard is likely to be futile and won’t solve the real problem of incongruence. It knows it’s time for you to stop, ask directions, and choose the path of alignment.
The result is: Work = play = love.
That sounded so tempting to me that I have started to write down my WANT/DESIRE list. Tomorrow I will move on to the CAN list...
So, what would you do if you couldn't fail? Are you doing it? Why not?
3 comments:
Hi Mimi,
What would I do? I would write more. And yet, it's hard to give up security - for the unknown... This is so near and dear to my heart, and yet...one of those things that really challenges me...
Mimi....I think the really important thing is what one would do despite all odds against success, that pursuit that is so much a part of ourself that we cannot do otherwise.
Blessings to you and all you hold dear,
CG
@ Lance: So true. I would open a bookshop, write a book, paint, something like that. But I am scared and somehow stuck in my comfort zones. Can I make a living doing what I like? These are the questions that pop up.
@ CG Walters: you are right. On the other hand, there are things we are not doing because we are scared (of failure, of the opinion of others etc). So if those fears did not materialise, what would we do? I agree that what we're doing despite is much a part of ourself. But I am convinced that many people are stuck because they are afraid.
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