By Natalie Rivera
What would it take to live a vibrant, thriving, healthy life?
What would it take for you to feel confident you’re on the right path?
What would it take for you to respect and honor the person you see looking back at you in the mirror?
What would it take for you to live in integrity—in alignment with your true, authentic self?
Those can be earth shattering questions for people who have cut themselves off from their TRUE self for a long time. Even those of us who are actively on a path of self-awareness, rediscovery, and purposeful living are often held back by unconscious beliefs lingering beneath the surface.
Let’s be real: Most of us are NOT currently living the life we really want.
We sabotage ourselves. We limit our possibilities. We give in to fear. We settle. Some of us try with all our might to stuff it all down—our deepest desires, our scariest fears, and most passionate dreams—like beach balls held beneath the surface of the water. We can feel the pressure of our truths eagerly pushing against our stubborn hands, aching to be free.
When life gets messy, and we have too many beach balls to juggle below, we just can’t hold it all anymore.
We’ve all experienced this—when one of our repressed “balls” pops up in our face.
Our inner truths cannot be held down for long, and when we try, we lose our vitality, our joy, and our remembrance of our destiny.
So, what would it take to be living—fully living? It takes discovering our inner truths, releasing our limiting beliefs, and embracing our greater purpose.
Knowing yourself. Taking the time to get to know your true self—away from distractions and self-distractions. In order to genuinely tap into your deepest longings and desires and passions (especially those that have been pushed down), you must first get all other people out of your head. Release the limitations others place on you. Identify the beliefs you use to hold yourself back, identify where and who they came from, and release them.
Feeding yourself. Being the keeper of your inner and outer environment. Carefully selecting all inputs—whether the food you eat or the thoughts and beliefs you consume through entertainment, the influence of family and friends, or the places you go. Stop feeding the lies of your limitations and start feeding your soul.
Empowering yourself. Doing what you love isn’t a novelty, it’s a necessity. Life is meant to be enjoyed! Your destiny awaits, and you can only reach your potential by answering your inner calling. What do you feel called to? What is your purpose? How do you know? Ask yourself: What do you love? Care about deeply? What fulfills you to your core? What makes you feel alive?
Honoring yourself. Paying attention to your emotional and physical bodies. Checking in with yourself before making any decision and choosing in accordance with your truth. When you make decisions that honor yourself, you feel a sense of power and self-respect that lights you up from within.
As Michael Bernard Beckwith, the profound leader of the Agape Spiritual Center, says,
“The Answer is You!”
I do not have the answers for you. No inspirational teacher has the answers. YOU do.
Within every “problem” in your life there lies a question waiting to be asked. Within every question there is an answer waiting to be revealed. Within every answer there’s an action calling to be taken. Within every action, there is a way of living that is dreaming of being fully lived!
The key to living your best life lies within the questions you ask yourself.
I leave you with the following questions, which if asked honestly and openly, can unlock your hidden riches!
- What would it take for you to say “yes” to life? To stop holding yourself back? What or who are you using as your excuse not to live YOUR life?
- What would it take for you to say “no” to that which doesn’t serve you? To the actions and sacrifices and limitations that you say “yes” to when you really mean “no”—out of guilt, obligation, pressure, habit, or not knowing you have a CHOICE? What beliefs do you hold that you use as your excuse to keep yourself down out of trying to please others’ desires, needs or opinions?
- What would it take for you to stand in your power? What would you have to let go? Who would you have to forgive? What gifts and talents and passions would you have to embrace? Who and what do you give your power away to? Are you ready to take it back?
- What would it take?
Natalie Rivera is a firestarter, speaker and entrepreneur. She is passionate about empowering others to GET REAL and live authentically. After a decade of living a life that wasn’t hers and developing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Natalie let go of everything and completely transformed. Through her journey to healing she rediscovered her true self and greater purpose—to inspire others to transform their lives. Natalie “retired” from the rat race at 24, put herself through school as a freelance designer, created a non-profit teen center, and later created Transformation Services, Inc., which offers motivational speaking, curriculum development, life coaching, event management, and publishing. She is also the Publisher of Transformation Magazine. Visit www.joeelandnatalie.com.