Do you have all of your life planned out? Do you have rigid hopes and dreams of exactly how you would like to live in the future?
Are you still working hard to make sure all of those hopes and dreams come true?
How has that gone for you so far?
How many of them have come true?
It is not a bad thing to hope and dream. It is actually good to dream and dream big. However, some of us hustle so much and get into a daily grind of stressing ourselves out to achieve those dreams that we not only never achieve those dreams, but we never fully experience the joys of life. We have a picture in our minds of what we want in life, hold on to it rigidly, and do anything it takes to realize those dreams.
How is that routine working out for you so far?
First of all, what are those hopes and dreams you're planning for? A mansion, luxury cars, a luxury boat, designer stuff, jewelry for the wifey, lavish parties, exotic vacations, a good education for yourself and your kids, waitstaff, chefs, chauffeurs…money to show off to others in any way you can?
What is the reason you're working so hard, planning all of the above, and making sure they all come true?
Not everything I listed above is grandiose. Most of the list is, but some are reasonable.
Vacations, in my opinion, are good experiences to invest in. They help us relax and rest our souls and spirits, and we get to experience other cultures and ways of living.
A good education is also necessary for a bright future and for more choices and opportunities.
Everything else is grandiose, but we don't realize that until it is sometimes too late, and we spend our whole lives acquiring stuff and planning and planning so rigidly, it costs us life's joys and annuls our true life purposes.
We must plan some areas of our lives and leave some parts unplanned.
In my opinion, the parts we should plan are in only two categories:
- The basic necessities of life—a good education, comfortable shelter, nutritious meals, clean water to drink, exercise several times a week, times of rest and solitude to connect with our
souls and spirits, and positive/healthy/solid/life-building relationships. The people we associate with pave our life paths, whether we want to admit it or not. Some will add here a savings plan
for future expenses, and a retirement plan.
- Influencing other people positively. We must find a person/people to pour into their lives consistently.
Everything else, in my opinion, should be left unplanned and open. This is the part where we experience what I call the “Flow.”
Flow is allowing positive life energies to be attracted to you. Allowing yourself to be a part of the natural pace of life. Letting go of control and praying to be used for your true and divine life calling. Creativity can only exist when you leave some parts of your life unplanned.
Let go, and you'll let in positivity.
So if you're focusing on the two planned aspects above and let go of all the material desires and obstacles—keeping up with the Joneses and the unending rat race—you will find the Flow of Life. Everything you are on this earth for will flow to you in its own time, and you will experience joy and your life purpose in its fullness.
Some of us never experience Flow because we are hustling too much, all in the hope of owning the best of the best. Material possessions and competing with others has never, and will never bring, anyone permanent happiness.
No two lives will be the same. We are all born with different gifts, and our paths will be different. Hustling to be like someone else is a complete waste of time. Find your own Flow in Life, and you will then truly live a life of purpose.
In my 30s, I subconsciously entered into the rat race. Planning, planning, planning…to have 5–10 practices all over the US. Hoping for big homes. Planning for a lavish lifestyle. Nowhere in there did I include influencing people. I was teaching medical students, but not really with a conscious desire to touch their lives. I didn't really value my self-care and self-love. Life consisted of long days of go go go. Many things had to give and change in my life, and in my late 30s, I gradually started to see the light, and I really started to get it. I began to read books on spirituality and started journaling, and I realized my life needed some changes.
Here I am in my late 40s, and I feel so much better, like I'm living my purpose. All I had to do was the above points I made. I reprioritized my life, let go of negative company, and started to experience Flow.
Start planning to unplan some parts of your life, and your true purpose will then be attracted to you.
May you find permanent happiness as you begin to let go of controlling every area of your life.