Loading tweets...
I don’t open all my email. I look at the subject line and skim what has come in overnight. One that came in yesterday said this in the subject line: Carol Look on Abudnance, Shirley McLaine and Marianne Williamson WOW. Now, I had already heard the Marianne Williamson call last week, and it was awesome. I was guided to open this one to find out about why Shirley McLaine was in the newsletter.
I found a link to the “Living On Purpose Telesummit”. I did a double-take. Hey, I’m running a living on purpose blog, I thought as I clicked on the link. My email said Shirley McLaine will be a speaker at this telesummit, but she’s not listed on the web page. After glancing over the speakers to appear and realizing I only have heard of three of them, I have concluded that I’m absolutely no expert on living on purpose. So, I’ll give you the link so you can learn from the experts.
http://livingonpurposetelesummit.com/ The tagline says “Wake up inspired, live fearlessly.”
I believe the first step to living on purpose is to NOT live unconsciously. The first step involves catching yourself when you go on autopilot. Sounds simple. Just try to count the times you switch into autopilot during one day. You’ll lose count after a couple of hours unless you’ve cultivated laser focusing ability. I always say to start with small habits, like cleaning your own hair from the bathtub before you get out of the shower, or putting the toothpaste top on before you let go of the tube. (hmmph, can you guess my pet peeves? It’s like my housemates each thinks he has the whole house to himself and he’s not sharing a bathroom…)
Okay, so you’ve started small. You’ve brought a bit of awareness to your day. Expand it a bit, and begin thinking about the things that you normally gloss over. Where does that homeless man I pass each day sleep? How can everybody act like nothing’s wrong when there are natural disasters and wars happening all over the globe? I wish I could teach that mom not to be so harsh with her kids. Who integrates prisoners back into society once they’ve been released? EEK! What are you willing to do about those thoughts? That’s why it’s so much easier to gloss over them and store them away in the back of your mind.
I’m going to switch gears and give a short overview of Marianne Williamson’s presentation that I heard last week:
Those who hate, hate with great conviction. Some of us who love, though, do it when it’s convenient. It’s time to evolve the concept of love. As a mother says to her children, “that misbehavior won’t happen in my house,” so shall the women of America evolve to be able to widen the definition of our house to the community- we won’t have that (starving children) in our house (the city, state, country…). You cannot bomb away hate, but love can transform hate.
Marianne’s newest event in Los Angeles will be February 26 2010, and it’s called Sister Giant: Rousing the Sleeping Giant of American Womanhood. She’s going to force us to think about the things we normally gloss over. She’s going to ask us what we’re willing to do about those feelings that arise.
The two purposeful links I’ve brought you today both talk about waking up. Let’s wake up on purpose.
6 comments
Terrill Welch says:
January 24, 2010 at 12:50 am (UTC -7 )
Jessica I smiled at my unconscious self as I read your post. I was so unconscious the other day that I went for my afternoon walk with two different shoes on – for two miles – without noticing. Now, these shoes could never be mistaken for a pair. One was a white running shoe. The other was a brown rockport. Nope! One of these was definitely NOT like the other. In self-defense of my unconsciousness, I do wear both of these pairs of shoes (as pairs) when I go walking. I was so preoccupied with my thinking that I didn’t notice until I stepped in some mud. The good news was my socks matched. Love your article.
Jessica says:
January 25, 2010 at 11:16 am (UTC -7 )
Hi Terrill! I may as well have said, ‘start with small habits, like making sure you’re wearing matching shoes and socks.’ I’m laughing too because on occasion I do not have matching socks on. There is a funny video entry out there on tv somewhere…a man is videotaping himself driving to his wife’s work and he has two mismatched shoes in the passenger seat. His wife comes out the door of her workplace wearing the other mismatched shoes as a pair. She laughs as she removes one shoe and puts on the appropriate shoe to make a pair. You’re not the only one who hasn’t noticed she’s not wearing a matched pair!
Kathy says:
January 26, 2010 at 6:29 am (UTC -7 )
The first step involves catching yourself when you go on autopilot.
Love what you said! How many times during the day do we go on autopilot? I think you’ve just described what I try (and don’t succeed) most days. To wake up to the parts where I’m sound asleep and just moving.
As for wearing two different shoes: been there, done that! At a rally, of all places, back in the 80s. Grabbed two shoes at the bottom of the closet at 4:30 a.m. in the dark and put them on. What embarrassment! ha ha, we’re all so funny…
Terrill Welch says:
January 27, 2010 at 12:32 am (UTC -7 )
Well, I feel much better Jessica and Kathy to be in such good company when going on autopilot. Maybe it is moments of unaware mismatches that allow us to then be most aware. I have a friend who says that we are most aware just at that exact moment when we notice that we were unaware. At least I am sticking with that for now because was I ever aware when I looked down and saw my feet had two very different shoes. My skin tingled all over right down to the roots of the hairs on my scalp. I could hear my breath as it came in and out of my lungs. I was awake!
Maryse says:
January 27, 2010 at 5:49 am (UTC -7 )
Living on purpose means being true to oneself. It takes a decision to do so and lots of practice. I just found you on Twitter and now follow you. I would love a follow back if you’re so inclined. Thanks!
Maryse
Jessica says:
January 27, 2010 at 9:34 am (UTC -7 )
Kathy: Great comment. Getting dressed in the dark is usually the culprit for mismatched clothing.
Terrill: Another great comment! “we are most aware just at the exact moment when we notice we were unaware.” Just like a painter uses chiaroscuro to make us aware of the light in the painting. It is in the moments of awareness of extreme contrast that we see what needs to be seen.
And Maryse: Nice to meet you. Thank you for your definition of living on purpose; I always enjoy hearing how others define it. It DOES take a decision to live on purpose, and I agree, it takes a lot of practice. I heard something like this on a recent call “are you living life by defining it or by default?” If we don’t make the actual decision, we fall into a default life.