Sometimes the universe whispers subtle messages and you have to make certain you are listening carefully so that you don’t miss them…
Other times you get a message while travelling on business, three feet tall on the wall in your hotel room that you can’t miss because it is right there smack dab in front of you staring you in the face. You know it is time to listen.
This was my experience.
And, interestingly enough, I couldn’t agree more with the message on the sign, “Life is about Creating Yourself”, but obviously everything happens for a reason and so I must have been in need of some sort of reminder. I realize now that it is one thing to agree with this principle, and another thing to actually do all you can to live by it. I think that was what I needed to be reminded of that day.
“Life is about creating yourself” is not a principle everyone subscribes to and acts on. There are many people that believe they have been created with certain attributes that determine who they are and what they will become. They may have decided they are by nature one way or another. Or, they may have allowed other people to define and shape their perception of what they can and can not do. They may even allow what they have accomplished or not accomplished in the past, to define for them what they are currently capable of. They don’t believe they really have any control over who they become and what happens in their life. They don’t really believe they have the ability to create themselves or shape their future.
However, isn’t this one of the most limiting views that people can have? Isn’t there an alternaview we should notice?
Why should we ever let anyone or anything else define our reality? Why should we relinquish control over creating ourselves and shaping our future when we really do have this ability?
“Life is About Creating Yourself” is a call to action for everyone. It is about realizing that we have the ability to craft and shape who we are and what we experience in this world. We have the ability to decide what we believe in, what we do, and also how we perceive and absorb those things around us. We get to choose how we will act on our desires and interests and what actions we take to become that person we envision and desire. All of that boils down to the reality that we actually do have the ability to create ourselves. We just have to find a way to believe in that alternaview and act on it.
We have more control than we may have initially thought and the question we must continually ask ourselves is are we taking advantage of our ability to create ourselves?
And, in order to genuinely be able to respond in the affirmative to that question, we have to:
(1) Be willing to do anything and everything we can to determine what our true interests and desire are and where we should be going. We have to be willing to devote the time and energy that is required and ask ourselves those tough questions over and over again until we find our answer. What is my purpose? What am I supposed to be doing? What am I interested in? What are my unique skills and what can I contribute? We have to be willing to figure things out for ourselves.
And then…
(2) Be willing to clear away any thoughts that may be holding us back. We have to be open to reprogramming ourselves.
A common barrier for people are limiting thoughts and you have to commit to removing them and chipping away at any thoughts that may be holding you back. If life is all about creating yourself, then there is really no reason to assume anything about yourself based on the traits you think you inherited. There is no reason to have any doubts about what you are currently capable of based on what you have accomplished in the past. You have to be on the lookout for those limiting thoughts that may creep up from time to time and get rid of them. Allow your desires to shape your reality without being limited by what you may have thought in the past was realistic.
And, finally…
(3) Be willing to do anything and everything we can to move forward. Give it our all…
Commit to our pursuit and start taking steps in the direction we desire to go. We have to dedicate ourselves to our journey and this means we are taking actions everyday that will move us in the right direction. We keep our vision at the top of our mind and everyday we are doing something in support of it. We are continually making progress and committed to completing the things we need to do. We are willing to do whatever it takes, to work a little harder and to go that extra mile consistently and continually.
“Life is about Creating Yourself” was my reminder that day in my hotel room. Perhaps there is a reason that you are also now looking at this same sign. Sometimes we all can benefit from a little push in the right direction because we are traveling down a long road and it can be easy to become tired or distracted from time to time.
We have the ability to take control, figure out what we were really meant to do, believe that we are more than capable of achieving it, and then do everything we know we should to make that vision a reality. Perhaps this sign can do for you what it did for me and serve as additional inspiration and confirmation of that reality.
You have the ability to create the life you desire. All you have to do is realize that is indeed the case and then continually choose to do something about it. Life really is about Creating Yourself…that is the alternaview.
Subscribe to CYT and
receive a FREE copy of
Volumes 1 & 2 of
The Best of CYT
Hi Sibyl
Welcome to CYT and thank you so much for your article. I couldn’t agree more with what you are saying here and believe that we can indeed create our life, carve out a life that we want and make it work for us.
Seeing that sign was obviously a message to you and you took it with both hands and acted on the message and that has to be applauded.
Thanks you again, I know you’ll get a warm welcome from the CYT readers.
Steve:
Thank you again for the opportunity to contribute to CYT. Your guest posts are always so great and I feel privileged to be a part of your guest author community.
You are so right that seeing that sign was definitely a message to me. Every time I see this picture, I am reminded of that message and what it meant to me that night when I first noticed it. Life really is about creating yourself and to me that means you have to take advantage of that truth and the opportunity to create yourself every single day.
Thank again for everything Steve. I really appreciate your support.
Sibyl
“There are many people that believe they have been created with certain attributes that determine who they are and what they will become.”
This is what is what i personally refer to as the, “talent myth”. As soon as someone does well for themselves others will say look at so and so he’s so lucky and talented.
Meanwhile that person might have spent years of hard work shaping and molding himself into something worth while.
At the end of the day hard work and discipline will take you further than any amount of talent.
.-= Joe´s last blog ..#20 Parkinson’s Law =-.
Joe:
Thanks for the comment and the new term “talent myth”. I really like that term and couldn’t agree more that people make assumptions about people and their accomplishments that overlook how much people are involved with crafting and shaping their own success. As you mentioned, when you really examine people and their success stories, you will always find that they believed they could accomplish what they wanted to and did anything and everything necessary to make their dream a reality. Thanks again for the comment and sharing your thoughts on the post. Sibyl-alternaview
Alternaview – I love that play on words!
I’m right there with you Sibyl, when you wrote that all we have to do is REALIZE and then CHOOSE to do something. It truly is all within us to make positive changes in our lives. So often all it takes is a shake from someone or something (like you article) to stir someone into action. Unfortunately, for most it’s usually a tragedy that jolts them into action. So keep doing what you’re doing, you never know who you may stir – great post!
.-= Ryan Jenkins´s last blog ..Ep#8: Get Intentional – Serving/HumilityServing comes in… =-.
Ryan:
Thanks for the comment and I am so glad you like the term alternaview. As you said, it really is within us all to make change in our lives, we just have to choose to do so and then get really serious about making things happen. I am definitely hoping this post will start some positive momentum for people. The sign in my hotel room was definitely a little shake and a push that I needed. Thank you again for the comment. I am glad you liked the post.
Sibyl
I’m willing…I’m willing;)
Tess:
I love your comment … music to my ears. Being open and willing to creating yourself will really take you a long way. Thanks for the comment.
Hey Sibyl,
The title of this post sound exactly like part of one of my favorite George Bernard Shaw quotes: “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself”.
And just like the quote, it didn’t disappoint. I think few people understand this idea. They go to isolated temples to find themselves, when they can create themselves even in the most crowded urban area.
Eduard:
Thanks for the comment. Now that you say it, I think that sign was probably created based on that quote from George Bernard Shaw. Thanks for sharing that information.
Thank you also for the kind words about the post. I am glad you enjoyed it. I agree that it is easy to fall into the trap of not really understanding that we all can create our own reality. At first glance it just seems to good to be true. But, once we do realize we have this within us, the sky is the limit. Thanks again for the comment. I really appreciate it.
I loved the article. Very inspiring.
You are absolutly right Sibyl. We create our life and we have always to push ourselves and never give up. We have to push ourselves until we achieve our goals and desires.
Thanks for sharing Sibyl
.-= Dia´s last blog ..Power of expectation =-.
Dia:
Thank you for the comment. I couldn’t agree more that we have to keep going and going until we achieve our goals and desires. I think once we understand that we really do have the ability to shape our future by deciding what our goals are and going after them, life unfolds for us in so many amazing ways. Thank you again for the comment. I really appreciate it.
Sibyl
Sibyl,
Thanks so much for this timely article. I am currently ridding myself of limiting beliefs that I’ve allowed to drive my life. This helps keep the message alive that we are ultimately responsible for how our lives proceed. Have a problem? Look within yourself. I am constantly amazed how many skins we need to shed in order see that we ourselves allowed the skins to grow and define who and what we are. Being the creator of my life is a freeing experience; I no longer wish to be at the mercy of what others think I should do and be. As far as talents; I’ve always wanted to write fantasy and poetry. The poetry I write; the fantasy has been harder because of the beliefs I’ve absorbed. My Self is who I really am and my thoughts, feelings, and actions are the way it expresses itself in this existence. I am still that Self ultimately. Thank you for the reinforcement. Love and Light
Lauren:
Thank you so much for the comment. I really thought what you said was important about shedding our skins that have been created by the limiting beliefs we have bought into. I think it is so easy to overlook these limiting beliefs and the reality is that they can serve as major obstacles and hold you back. You really do have to make a concerted effort to chip away at them one belief at a time. It is a process, but the rewards are so worth it. There is a reason that you have always wanted to write fantasy and poetry and I am so glad to hear that you aren’t dismissing that interest and that you are going after what you want. That is what it really is all about. Thanks again for the comment.
Sibyl
I absolutely love this empowering, motivating article. You did a great job of reminding us that we are in control of our own destiny. Thanks for sharing this, Sybil and Steven.
.-= Nea | Self Improvement Saga´s last blog ..Why Breaking Bad Habits Just Got Easier =-.
Nea: Thank you for the comment and I am really glad that you enjoyed the post. We really are in control of our own destiny and shaping and molding our future. It is good to hear that the post served as a good reminder of that reality. Thank you again for the comment. I really appreciate it.
Sibyl
I agree that believing that you can make a change and become who you want to be. I however also think that a huge factor in this goal is to know your skills. Find out what you are good at, identify your dreams and passion, and merge these things together. This will give you a clearer perspective of what you want your life to really be.
.-= Julius´s last blog ..A Workbook to Help You Make Your Site More Accessible =-.
Julius: Thank you for the comment. I couldn’t agree more that a major part of actually being able to shape and mold your future requires figuring out exactly where you want to go and merging that with what you are good at. It is so important to play into your strengths and know exactly what they are and they often point you right in the direction of your ultimate dreams and desires. Thank you again for the comment. I really appreciate it.
Sibyl
Our life is fully in our control even if we don’t realise it sometimes. It just takes bit of effort and sometimes a bit of help from others to push us in the way we need to go to grow as human beings and make the world a much better place.
We all definitely need one another also.
.-= Eric´s last blog ..Lets Help Each Other: Monthly Experience (April – May) =-.
Eric: Thank you for the comment. I think you make an important point about the fact that sometimes we really do need to put forth a little bit of extra effort and take advantage of our ability to control and shape our life. It may mean that we have to do things outside of our comfort zone and push ourselves from time to time. However, once we really do start taking advantage of our ability to shape our lives, I think we will be amazed at the results we can create. Thank you again for the comment.
Sibyl
Exactly right! Change is not always easy and getting out of your comfort zone can be hard but the more you do it and pay attention to the amazing results that come about from it, the easier it will actually become to do and the bigger results you’ll see happening in life.
Thanks for your reply!
.-= Eric´s last blog ..Lets Help Each Other: Monthly Experience (April – May) =-.
Hi Sibyl,
Nice article, for many people they think that success is about all kind of techniques and secrets, etc. But in reality none of these things are really going to help you as much as your beliefs. This may seem like a bold statement but it’s very true. If we don’t belief in ourselves that we can success, then we can’t success. Just that simple!
.-= Ben Tien´s last blog ..NLP Pattern of Persuasion Explanation =-.
Ben: Thanks for the comment. I appreciate how you broke things down and kept things simple … sometimes that is what it is all about. And, as you so clearly put it, if you don’t believe in yourself, then you are holding yourself back and making it even more challenging to succeed. Limiting beliefs really have to be seriously dealt with because if they are not they serve as obstructions to our ability to really shape and create the life we want. Thanks again for the comment.
Sibyl
Hi Sibyl,
I appreciate your article, these tips would be perfect for me when I wake up in the morning–a time during the day to which I don’t feel like doing anything!
Cheers!
–Parker
.-= Parker Lee | howtomingle.com´s last blog ..Greetings–from Amsterdam! =-.
Parker:
Thanks for the comment. Don’t you just love that 5AM wake up call? I definitely understand the need for a little extra push and motivation in the morning. I have been working on learning how to embrace the morning for years. It has been a slow and developing process. I am glad that you appreciated the article. Thanks again for the comment.
Sibyl
Thank you for the article and the perspective of being constantly in the process of creating.
RE: “Talent Myth” As I think about talents it certainly seems that the “creating” we do isn’t done in a vacuum but from the talents, insights, perspectives, values and drive in each one of us. What I mean is that as we acknowledge our talents – the activities which truly invigorate us – and learn the applied skills sets in these areas we will experience success at multiple levels. However, the inner transformation will certainly reveal itself in the way we apply ourselves to our passion and our relationships.
I just wanted to weigh in about not dismissing innate talents and the hard work of developing them into strengths.
Mark: Thanks for the comment and weighing in. You make a very important point about not dismissing talents or overlooking strengths. I do think it is important to identify your talents and strengths because often times they can point you in the right direction and give you the answers you may have been looking for in terms of what you ultimately should be working on creating in your life. I think that is a very important insight and really ads value to this post. It actually would have been great to include that insight into step #1. Thank you again for the insightful comment. I really do appreciate you taking the time to weigh in.
Sibyl
Thanks, Sibyl, for such an amazing post. I really like it! Especially I like your title: Life is about creating yourself. Even the title tells us everything.
Thanks for this! Nice article!
.-= Roman Soluk´s last blog ..Drinking enough water =-.
Roman: Thanks for the comment and the kind words. I am so glad that you enjoyed the post. Life really is all about creating yourself … one day at a time. Thanks again for the taking the time to leave a comment. I really appreciate it.
Sibyl
that’s a very inspiring post sibyl, thanks for sharing it
.-= Farouk´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at =-.
“You have the ability to create the life you desire.” I think that sums it up. It’s up to each of us to take back control over our destiny. What an exciting thought!
.-= Claire – Gratitude Connection´s last blog ..Today I’m grateful for… =-.
Claire: Thank you for the comment. Isn’t it great to realize that we really do have the ability to shape and control our future? I think having this realization and really understanding the magnitude of it is a process, but as we become more confident in it as time passes, we really are able to take advantage of it in the most amazing ways. Thanks again for the comment. I really appreciate it.
Sibyl
Farouk:
Hey. Hope you have been doing well. Thank you for the comment and the kind words about the post. I am so glad that you enjoyed it and felt inspired. It is always great to hear your thoughts on my post. Thanks again for the comment.
Sibyl
Great post Sibyl ! Isn’t it awesome how much power and choice we all really have ?
.-= Rocky | R O C K O N O V A.COM´s last blog ..3 Reasons Why You Should Teach What You Learn =-.
Rocky:
Always good to hear from you. Thank you for the comment and I am so glad that you liked the post. I think you put it best … it really is awesome how much power and control we have to create the life we want. Thanks again for the comment.
Sibyl
“Sometimes we all can benefit from a little push in the right direction because we are traveling down a long road and it can be easy to become tired or distracted from time to time.”
Cannot agree more. Sometimes life has a way of forcing changes that we otherwise would not have made, thus recreating ourselves.
.-= Colleen´s last blog ..Tagaris Summer Concert Series =-.
Collen: Thank you for the comment. So glad that you agree and feel the same way. Isn’t it interesting how life will some how have certain things point us in one direction just so things can fall into place in the future. It really is about believing and trusting in that reality. Thanks again for the comment.
Sibyl
Sibyl, this is a very thought-provoking post. It reinforces that we need to have clear and attainable goals and stay focused on achieving them.
.-= John Soares´s last blog ..6 Ways to Save Time With Errands =-.
John: Thank you for the comment. I am glad that you enjoyed the post. I couldn’t agree more that it is important to have clear and attainable goals and stay focused on them. I know that sometimes a large part of our journey is discovering what those goals should be and figuring out how to be move toward them, but once we gain that clarity, everything begins to unfold the way it should. Thank you again for the comment. I really appreciate it.
Sibyl another cracker from you. To me it’s how you started this post when referring to the subtle whispers from the Universe. If we would but listen instead of bustle we would be guided to our destined direction. But in the noise of life we follow the crowd rather than follow or hear our gut instinct. Intuition is a force not tapped into yet by the masses, but maybe soon….??
.-= John Sherry´s last blog ..The Treasures of Life’s Simple Pleasures =-.
John: Always so good to hear from you. I am glad that you enjoyed the post. Intuition is such an important thing and of course as you mentioned, it is easy to fall into the trap of following the crowd and not listening to our own intuition. For me, listening to my intuition has been something that I have really tried to focus on and gotten gradually more and more accustomed to doing. I think it is a process that develops over time and once you really understand that as long as you really listen and hear it, it will never lead you astray. Thanks for the comment John. I really appreciate it.
“Sometimes the universe whispers subtle messages and you have to make certain you are listening carefully so that you don’t miss them…”
What a powerful opening. It is extremely important to understand the life you have is the life you create. Circumstances may come and create challenges but there is power in having the will to keep moving forward no matter the obstacle.
Recently my partner wrote a post about “listening to the universe” it was called Lost in Translation. Great Post
.-= Frank´s last blog ..Lost in Translation =-.
Frank: Thank you for the comment and the kind words. I really like how you put it … there is power in having the will to keep moving forward. I think this is such a great insight because you really do have to always keep moving forward even when you are confronted with challenges or you are feeling a little complacent. I am very interested in checking out your partner’s post about listening to the universe. Thanks for passing it along and thanks for the comment. I really appreciate it.
Sibyl
Hi Sibyl,
This is great. So many people many people do not realize that real happiness is the result of creating yourself as you want to be. To our great delight OR disappointment we are always experiencing self-creation. Long ago I realized the Self I was creating had me dreading yet another day. It was a great revelation to realize I could also create a Self whose company I enjoy day and night, someone I love representing me out there in the world, and at home with family and friends. It is wise to continually ask, what is the ideal Self I would choose to be if I decided to awaken to a new ME?
Great conversation.
rob
Rob: Thanks for the comment. I think you made a really good point about being aware of how you are creating yourself. The reality is that you are always going to impact who you are and what you become based on your beliefs about yourself and your actions. If you are not aware of this reality, you can really end up creating something that is the exact opposite of anything you desire. Great additional insight Rob. Thanks for sharing it.
Sibyl
Hi Sibyl,
This is a great post! I particularly like “Be willing to clear away any thoughts that may be holding us back. We have to be open to reprogramming ourselves.”
This ties in very nicely with my favorite quote “Every facet, every compartment of your mind is to be programmed by you. If you don’t take your rightful responsibility and program your own mind, the world will program it for you.”
If we don’t clear away any limiting thoughts and reprogram ourselves someone or something will, i.e. TV, newspaper, gossip, etc.
Great set of reminders to live by everyday!
Gregg: That is really a great quote you shared. I can see why it is your favorite. I couldn’t agree more. Every compartment of our mind needs to be programmed and we have got to take advantage of this ability because otherwise we are susceptible and can possibly be programmed an an undesirable and unhelpful way. I think it really is all about understanding the magnitude of our ability to program ourselves and then doing what we can every single day to make certain we are taking advantage of that ability and using it properly. Thanks so much for sharing that quote and thanks for the comment.
Sibyl
Sibyl, I love to hear stories of people receiving messages and then actually listening to those messages. So often people don’t pay enough attention, even when the message is smacking them in the face. Creating myself is an ongoing process for me. As I tread my path through life, I constantly come across new ideas, thoughts, techniques, or lessons, and from those I can make small changes in a constant string of re-creation.
.-= Eric | Eden Journal´s last blog ..Smile, It’s Contagious – Glow, It’s Infectious =-.
Eric:
I think what you said about a constant string of re-creation was interesting. It really is all about making consistent positive changes and living and learning. Thank you again for the comment.
Thank you for the comment. It is interesting how we are usually getting signs and pointers, but we really have to listen and pay attention. I have been focusing on trying to be able to tune in and catch as many of these signs and messages as possible. Of course this one was very hard to overlook
A poignant reminder at any time.
I truly enjoy reliving and elaborating upon the vision of the future I will be on a regular basis. It helps to keep my moving towards who I want to be (Which is truly a particular expression of myself).
Jarrod:
Thank you for the comment. I am glad that you thought the post was a good reminder on why we should always take advantage of our ability to create and shape our future. As you said, it is all about moving toward who you want to be and making progress everyday. Thanks again for the comment.
Sibyl
Sibyl,
Your words are right on target for how to change our opinion of ourselves and what we can be. In addition to your great suggestions, I recommend that people take a look at what they considered “failures” and relabel them “learning opportunities” and then ask themselves: “What did I learn from this?” Sometimes, the lesson is how NOT to do something, sometimes it’s that they are smarter, stronger and more capable than they thought, sometimes it’s that they can survive a “failure” and go on. In any case, they have gained knowledge, and any time a person learns something, it’s a positive experience. So how can it be considered a “failure”?
.-= Nancy Christie´s last blog ..“Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one’s levels of aspiration and expectation.”—Jack Nicklaus, My Story =-.
Love the article Sibyl – you are right. It is unfortunate that most people keep blaming the world around them for what they have and what they don’t have. They sit in the comfort of their own suffering and feel underdone by the universe.
I’ve always subscribed to the rule that it’s far better to spend your time being happy than to be in any other emotion.
Digressing a bit – but my point is that if more people realized that their life IS in their hands, we’d have a lot more happy people around
)
Great brand name BTW – alternaview!!!
.-= Anita´s last blog ..Great Inspirational Quotes – What ‘Clicks’ With You? =-.
Anita: Thanks for the comment. I couldn’t agree more that life would be so much better for everyone that realized they really do have more control than they may think over their future. This is one of those realizations that really can help you take your life to amazing places. Thanks again for the comment. I really appreciate it.
Sibyl
Sibyl- great post. Often, the stresses of everyday life- family, job, finances, etc- can set up barriers to working towards our true selves. It is easy to get caught in the whirlpool of stress and self-defeatism that can prevent us from becoming the best versions of ourselves. As a Director for a Success Center for an online university, my potential students hit these barriers all the time, and often, they seem insurmountable. When you’ve had a tough day at the office, who can think about going back to school? Is it fair to focus on yourself, financially and emotionally, when you have two kids who have to go to college someday? My answer to this is YES. The very “obstacles” in the way of achieving your true self are the very things or people that will benefit from your happiness. Are you really giving your whole self to your career or your family if you aren’t happy with where you are in your own life? The people who are able to give more of themselves to others are those who are able to focus on themselves. They have more to give! It is a long, hard road becoming your true self. It is, however, what is going to make you more able to give more to those who are so important in your life- including yourself.
Bethany Irvin
Director, Success Center- Chicago
American InterContinental University
Bethany:
Thank you so much for the comment. I thought you made a really good point about really taking advantage of shaping and crating your future and it will put you in a better position to give more to other people. I also agree that you have to be careful that you are not your own impediment and standing in your own way. Once you really realize that you can create and shape your future and then move all of the obstacles out of the way, it is amazing what you can accomplish. Thanks again for the comment and all the insights you shared. I really appreciate it.
How true this post is. Sometimes people wait for that next thing in their life to find happiness or success. But what they don’t realize is that they themselves create thier life.
Excellent words of wisdom! Thanks for sharing.
Cathy: Thanks so much for the comment. I think you summed it up very nicely … why wait to find happiness when it is right there for you to grab and create. It is all about taking advantage of the opportunities and your ability to really create your own reality.