Living with Purpose on Purpose

You are not alone 

 

While finishing up a chapter in “The Journey Back to You”, I was listening to Good Morning America. Vanessa Williams was being interviewed about her new book titled “You Have No Idea”. She said, “People judge you, people assume…You have no idea what I’ve gone through.”  In the book, she confesses about being molested when she was ten by an eighteen year old.  Hearing that, as I typed the final paragraph, I thought “everybody has a story.”  In addition to the tragic events in her childhood, She continued to experience adversity and setbacks into her adult years.  After being crowned Ms. America in 1983, nude photos of her were posted in Penthouse magazine and she was asked to resign her post.  Despite all the tragedies she endured, Vanessa Williams went on to become a well known and respected entertainer; as a successful singer, and actor.

 How often have you thought that you’re the only one, who has gone through some traumatic experience?  How often have you said to yourself and maybe others, “you don’t know what I’ve been through.”    Well you’re right, we don’t know what you’ve been through, but guess what, you’re not alone.  Everyone has a story, no one is exempt.  It doesn’t matter about your background or upbringing or what your financial status is or whether you’re famous or not, everyone has a story.  You are not alone.  Here’s the good news, if anyone ever overcome their past and fulfilled their dreams, guess what, so can you! 

 I know that may be hard for you to believe, but it’s true.  While researching for this post, I came across the biography of, writer, producer, director, actor Tyler Perry.  As a teenager, Tyler Perry suffered from depression, attempted suicide resulting from child abuse and at one point was homeless, living in his car.   And yet, Perry emerged not only as one of the most recognizable names in entertainment, but as a media brand unto himself.  (Yahoo.com)  Talk about overcoming adversity!

Too often we allow our past to dictate what our future would look like, we either stop trying to achieve goals or we never set them; we allow our past to have a “choke hold” on our dreams.  We bombard our minds with our own negative self talk and tell ourselves that we are not capable of becoming the person we would like to become or have the life we dream of having and before you know it, time has passed, you’re older and wonder how in the world did you get where you are, and why haven’t you done more with your life? 

 I’m going to share a well known secret with you, it’s well known, because I know you’ve heard it before, because I’ve heard it over and over again myself, by every inspirational/motivational speaker on the planet; no matter where you are in life, no matter what your age or whether you did or did not get that “all powerful” degree, YOU CAN LIVE A LIFE OF PURPOSE!  You can, but you have to do it on purpose. 

 We take away our power and potential before we even get started and resign ourselves to lives of defeat, poverty and worse yet, conformity.  And, we blame it all on our past, our upbringing.  That’s bull!  Whatever you experienced in the past should be used only as a guidepost; it should never regulate your future.  People who have lost themselves are always looking back.  They can’t imagine a future because the past is so vivid, so real.  But, it’s vivid; it’s real, because you give it life!    

 Until you put your past in its proper place, notice I didn’t say forget your past, but put it in its proper place, and allow your reality to evolve into your present, you will never know the real you, the person who has endured all the hardships, all the pains of the past and is still standing.  That person, if given a chance to be, is strong and obviously resilient with true potential and a bright future.  That other person, the “victim” you keep looking back at, wanting to protect, the one who suffered all the pain and heartache, that person no longer lives there.  Give yourself a chance at life, stop living from your past and start living for your future!

The question then, is how?  How do we use the experiences of the past, moving forward?  The key is how we perceive the past; the past should be used for growth.  The past should never dictate our future.  Instead of telling ourselves that what we experienced was so awful that we just can’t move forward.  We need to change the way we view our past and start telling ourselves that we are more than conquerers. 

Take a moment and think about when and how you’ve allowed your past to dictate your future. 

 Ask yourself:

                 1. Does what happened in my past really define me?

                2. Am I now, at this moment, the same person who went through those experiences?

 What you’ll find is that you are not the same person; you’re the person who endured. 

 Trust me, God has equipped us with everything we need to endure hard times and everything we need to become the person He’s called us to be.  There is nothing that could happen to you that could stop you from becoming the person you were created to be, NOTHING!  You have all that you need to become your highest and best self!  Now, that said, there is someone who could keep you from becoming the person you were destined to be……..YOU.  Yes you!  

 Follow me on this journey and find your way back to the person you were meant to be!  Make a decision now and subscribe to receive weekly messages to live life with purpose on purpose©

Next week :   “What’s That in Your Hand”

Grace and Peace