While I am immensely grateful for everything in my life, I know I do not bring any reverence to daily activities. I am go-g0-go without pausing to slow down or enjoy any of it. I see everything as a to-do list. A colleague told me to see life as a marathon not a sprint and that we are in it for the long haul and to enjoy the scenery and experience (as in a marathon) instead of just trying to get to the finish line (as in a sprint). I have to truly incorporate this into my life. Everyone that knows me well has been telling me this. Thank you for the question; another much needed reminder.

I know I am unique. I believe God looked into my mother’s womb and specially wove me and wrote every day of my life. I believe I am unique and that God has a plan for me. An Eastern philosopher put this differently “God has knelt down in whatever spot you are right now and put an X on it with your name on it. You are here because you are meant to be here, it was designed by the Divine One”. While I firmly believe I am unique, I have not been able to identify who I am and what I might share with the world. I ask myself this question very often but fail to come up with an answer. I don’t have any talents I can easily identify that will add value to the world. I know I am funny and my friends and colleagues laugh especially when I make fun of myself but that’s hardly adding value. I truly dont know how to understand who I am and what I might share. Any suggestions on how I can identify this will be truly welcome. Thank you all.

I am a very direct person and will often comment or correct and essentially point out any BS when I see it. I am seen as hard on others. A very close friend told me I am hard on others because I am hard on myself and that if I treat myself with gentleness and kindness, I will also be more diplomatic with others and not call things out as much as I do. In recent times, I am trying to bite my tongue, not comment or point out nonsense when I see it. If people make excuses, I let them make excuses. I tell myself this is their personality and it’s good to see their personality in action but I dont need to let them know, I know. Knowledge is valuable and knowing how they are is more important than telling them I know. I am not always successful biting my tongue. Today I did not manage at all. I need to work on this very actively and then see how it transforms my relationships with others and myself.

I am growing in a few ways:
1. paying attention to what my body needs i.e. more strength training and stretching, less cardio.
2. being aware of my thoughts, catching myself when I’m judging others in my head.
3. being consciously grateful. Voicing my gratitude in my head and on this website.
4. Reading and pondering on the daily question and reading all the responses.
5. Trying to tap into what sparks joy in my life, rather than what I must do because I think it must be done.

I’ve had severe back pain from Degenerative Disc Disease for over a year. And Eczema which causes itching and flare ups that I cant seem to get in control. Both these pains are a message that I need to change something within myself for my betterment. Someone in this group said recently that issues are a way of life aligning us towards what is best for us. I have to listen to the message and implement what actions it is telling me to take. I am grateful everyday for everything. This is nothing compared to severe physical, emotional or other other that many others have. When someone asks me how’s life, I always say “could be better, could be worse”. Life is relative and all changing. Gratitude can be a constant.

If I believed that everything this is happening can be for my learning, I would lean into the situation and look to learn and grow and evolve from it. I believe I need to be silent and go inside and look within to find out what any current event in my life is teaching me. Whether it’s a problem or a conversation or an experience, what do I need to learn from it. I need to be silent and listen to it. I am more aware and conscious of my thought and thought patter than before. I catch myself when I am judgmental or hard on people or have negative thoughts. However I am not yet at the point where I can turn that consciousness into action, into change.

Living life from the knowledge that we are all from the same source means knowing that at the very deepest level we are all the same even though we have different personalities, mindsets etc. If we can constantly remind ourselves that we have all come from the same source we may be able to remember to be more accepting of the certain friends, colleagues, family that annoy or irritate us. On a larger level, if every single person truly believed the we all came from the same source, there would be no war, conflict, hatred. Peace would finally have a chance.