Life isnt about finding yourself.

Life is about creating yourself, are the words of

George Bernard Shaw that serve as a great reminder for living a life with passion.
ursuing personal passions act as a gateway to satisfying the souls hunger for living. !t is
imperative that one follows through with his or her passion"s# because it is good for the
soul. $hile the %ourney to creating oneself can be simplified by saying one should focus
on doing the things that ma&e a person happy, it would not consider the flipside to
happiness or instant gratification. 'appiness is only one human condition that begins to
scratch the surface of the comple(ity of ones soul. eople go through painful e(periences
such as heartache and hardships, which are necessary evils in the %ourney each person
tre&s. !f it were not for both the happy and sad tears, it would be nearly impossible to
understand who you are and appreciate what you have. )here is an unlimited amount of
opportunities life has to offer and there is no reason why one shouldnt get out there "in
the world# and sei*e it. inpointing every single piece to the pu**le &nown as life would
be e(tremely difficult and if all of the answers were available, this paper would be null
and void. 'owever, it is up to each individual to find the parts that fit best for them. !n an
effort to guide those who wish to pursue a life filled with meaning, there are a few steps
to ta&e that will direct them to their intended path or direction. Some may argue that there
are certain approaches in achieving serendipity without encompassing these simple
suggestions but why ma&e things harder than they already are+ !n order to live life to the
fullest there are three guiding principles to &eep in mind, which are to try new things, to
give bac& to others, and to live in the moment. ,ne might say, !ts easier said than
done, but give it a shot, what have you got to lose e(cept for finding yourself+
-arious bloggers and travel enthusiasts will try to persuade people to believe that
things have a specific way of getting done, which can complicate the whole process of
self discovery, by urging people to buy their boo& to learn more about it. !ts complete
and utter bogus. )hey are trying to sell this idea that people need their guidance, in order
to guide themselves. but dont buy into it/ 0a&e your own decisions1 dont let others
ma&e them for you. )here are some people in this world who will try to put themselves in
a position of power over others, and sadly, they often succeed because they ta&e
advantage of the ones whom are vulnerable. -ulnerability is a wea&ness only to those that
allow it. 2leanor 3oosevelt is famously 4uoted for saying 5o one can ma&e you feel
inferior without your consent. !t happens all the time, where people fall into the trap
where they are lead to believe they are helpless wanderers, which must find themselves
by following the same steps and %ourney that others found successful. 6oshua 7ields
0illburn has a different idea about passions, which he writes in his blog titled 87ollow
9our assion is :rappy ;dvice. 0illburn writes that not enough time and energy is
spent cultivating our passions, and not everyone necessarily has one to easily call on.
2ach and every single person on 2arth is different1 therefore, a person who claims that
following in their same footsteps, which lead them to be satisfied with life, will wor& for
others is very presumptuous and pompous. 7or e(ample, 0artha Bec& writes an article,
which ,prah features on her website, discussing her approach to creating the life you
really want. Bec& assumes that these specific and detailed steps will wor& for everyone.
She leaves little room for ad%ustment to circumstance, which dismisses a large
demographic. <o not be fooled by people li&e Bec& that will try to weasel their way into
your mind and prey on your moments of confusion or lac& of direction. !t is desirable to
find inner peace within ones soul without someone holding his or her hand every step of
the way. 'ave faith in yourself to be successful because the reward will always outweigh
any ris&s on the path to spiritual fulfillment.
,ne of the first ways a person can begin to e(plore the endless opportunities that
are available is by trying new things. !t is within the very nature of humans to cling and
attach to the way things are because it is comfortable. 'owever, familiarity with our
surroundings and peers brings a sense of complacency and contentment that inhibits us
from reaching our full potential. $hy should we settle when we &now that there is better+
)here are so many places to see, foods to eat, cultures to emerge ourselves into that one is
actually depriving his or herself by not e(periencing it all. )he bloggers and travel
enthusiasts aforementioned would often agree to try new things but provide tips and
advice on which are best to focus on. )he beauty of living life is embracing all of the
bumps in the road, too. ,ne should figure what wor&s best for them by trial and error
because part of the %ourney in life is growing from our mista&es. )hese tips might be
shortcuts but one would be selling his or herself short by %umping to the end result
without surviving the hiccups. Lara ar&er showcases == !nspiring Stories of eople
$ho Left 5ormal Life and 2mbar&ed on an ;dventure in an article written on
Bu**7eed, which tells eleven different peoples %ourneys to happiness by stepping out of
their comfort *one. ,ne woman, for e(ample, left corporate law to pursue traveling in
2urope while writing a blog about all of the foods she eats. 3alph $aldo 2merson said,
Life is a %ourney, not a destination. >ltimately the ending destination is the same for
everyone . death. 9et, our lives have the potential for a very rewarding %ourney. $e grow
and learn things about ourselves by going into unchartered territory and stepping outside
of our comfort *one. )raveling, for e(ample, is a great way to open the mind and free the
spirit. )he earth we live on is so rich with natural beauty that we are not familiar with.
0a&e it your mission to see these foreign places for yourself instead of living vicariously
through the words and pictures of others who actually embar&ed on their %ourney. <ana
0c0ahan writes in her article, ; $ord is $orth a )housand ictures? $hy ! am )a&ing
a -acation from 7aceBoo&, !nstagram, and )witter ,n 0y -acation, that she spent more
time worrying about posting her moments from vacation than fully e(periencing it all.
She advises the readers to detach themselves from their social networ&s while going out
because it is a crutch. !n our modern society, more people are concerned with how many
li&es they will receive if they ta&e a picture while hi&ing, rather than en%oying the hi&e
itself. ;lthough it would be a blessing and spiritually beneficial to travel abroad, it isnt
always within immediate means or financial budgets. Get creative and venture out in the
community where you live. 5o one should limit themselves because they dont thin& they
can do it. Stop ma&ing e(cuses and find a solution. )here are is an e(ponential amount of
new things for one to do that is outside the everyday norm. Go to the beach and watch the
sunset. ic& up a language by meeting someone in another country. )a&e the time to
finally learn how to play the guitar after putting it off for so many years. <ont hold
yourself bac& out of fear of the un&nown but instead go willingly towards it. ,thers will
tell you to e(perience life the way they had, by going to the same countries, eating the
same food, dancing the same way they once did, but dont relive their %ourney . ma&e
your own/
)his %ourney that &eeps being mentioned does not necessarily need to be ta&en
alone. 7riends, family and lovers complete the void within our soul but they shouldnt be
the whole reason for ones happiness. !n order to truly love others, one must, first, love
thyself, which is why it is pertinent to step out of ones comfort *one. ,nce we have a
newfound peace within our soul, it is then a great chance to e(tend our services, to reach
out and spar& something within others, which can snowball to create a sort of &armic
balance in the universe. ; great way to undoubtedly bring %oy to the soul is by helping
others, especially those who are less fortunate. $hen a person goes out of their way to
help someone else, it has the power to put a smile on both parties face and restore faith in
humanity. >nfortunately, our world today often turns a blind eye and %udges those who
dont thrive and survive. Simple acts of &indness, out of the goodness of your heart can
be the gesture needed to turn someones day around. )hat being said, one shouldnt do
something for another person only because it will benefit them in some way but rather
help the person without e(pecting anything in return. !t is sad to thin& how many people
feel burdened or obligated to ta&e care of their elderly parents, or relatives, and would
rather not do it. )he healing power of &indness comes only when it is pure and genuine.
!nstead of adding pressure of doing what should be done, dont thin& about it . %ust do it/
)heres 0ore to Life )han Being 'appy, is an article published in )he ;tlantic by
2mily Smith, which argues that man shouldnt focus on doing the things that ma&es him
happy but instead living a life with meaning. )his approach suggests through pursuing a
life filled with meaning, one transcends the present moment and the need to receive
instant gratification . or happiness. ; valid point, although, it should be considered
necessary to find a balance between these two ends of the spectrum. )he beauty of
putting others before yourself is that the deed could ine(plicably lead a person to learn
more about his or herself by ta&ing themselves out of the e4uation. !ts something that
could only truly be understood if e(perienced. !n the articled titled @A $ays to ay !t
7orward, ;ngel :hernoff provides si(ty e(amples for people to give bac& and pay it
forward. )he concept of paying it forward means to do something nice for one person,
who would then repay someone else because of the &indness they received. )here are
more than si(ty opportunities to help others, %ust find what wor&s best for you. -olunteer
at a shelter, help the sic& or elderly "%ust because#, pay for the persons coffee that is in
line behind you at Starbuc&s . put someone before yourself for once. Gandhi beautifully
said, )he best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. !t is a
privileging and humbling e(perience to truly understand what he means by that.
2veryone should set a personal goal to be able to relate to the Gandhis message. ;ll it
ta&es is one persons thoughtfulness to create a domino effect.
$hile ta&ing into consideration that one should try new things and help others,
there also needs to be an emphasis on living in the moment. !n todays society, it is too
easy to become distracted by social media and technological devices, that one can lose
sight of things right in front of them "both in the literal and figurative sense#. !t would be
challenging to completely disconnect oneself from these pieces of technology but not
totally impossible. )hese tools, for which we communicate, fre4uently, should not replace
human interaction and contact with the outside world. )urn the reality )- off, put the
ihones away, logout of 7aceboo& and !nstagram for a few hours out of the day and live
in the moment. Sources which thrive on these mediums, might say otherwise. 7or
e(ample, 7aceboo& is ma&ing an effort to convey to its users that the site allows people to
see where their friends go and what theyre doing. But why should we wrap ourselves up
in the lives others are living, while we %ust sit bac& and watch+ Be a go.getter. Set out to
live your own life, not your 7aceboo& friends life. ;lso, by becoming too attached to
these inhibiting social crutches, we arent en%oying each otherBs company, or the company
of ourselves for that matter. Cate Brats&eir describes )he 'abits of Supremely 'appy
eople in her article featured on The Huffington Post. She mentions that a lot of people
who were happy wor&ed on their spiritual connection through mediation and spent
more time listening to others rather than wrapped up in their own thoughts. Brats&eir
reminds us all that time is scarce and precious . dont waste it in front of a screen, living
through other peoples moments. Be spontaneous and open the bottle of wine that has
been ageing in your fridge for months "or years#. Be at home within your body and
e(ercise, and even better if this occurred outdoors. Laugh more. Stress less. -isit family
and friends, and appreciate the time spent with them. Life is way too short to dwell on
what other people are doing. Snap bac& into reality, it will trigger something within you
that ma&es you feel more complete and satisfied.
$e have all had our own fair share of disappointments in life but dont let those
moments define you. Grow from the pain and suffering, and learn to appreciate the love
and happiness. !n the end its the life a person lived that matters, and nothing else. )heres
no room for negativity and e(cuses on this new path of living. <o not be fooled by the
people who will try to persuade you that you need to do it their way because you will
only be living their life, not yours. !n life, there are always going to be things outside of
your control but dont allow those moments to brea& your soul and spirit. !n )he 0ind.
Body.Soul :onnection, written by Culreet :haudhary, he mentions that all three of
these aspects are interwoven. :haudhary notes that people dont usually see the
connection between their mind, body, and soul, but if it is understood as one entity it
could be beneficial. !n order for the mind to heal, the soul must heal, etc. Be in tune with
yourself and pay attention to all signs. 9ou are in control of your happiness. <o things
because you want to not because you are told to. Life isnt a drawing for which you need
to color in the lines . color outside of the lines because that is where we discover the most
about ourselves. 2(perience all the world has to offer, selflessly give bac&, and live in the
moment. !f you choose to open.heartedly pursue your passions, you will ultimately
discover the depth of your soul.