PART 2: LIVE YOUR POTENTIAL

Following on from Part 1 of “Live Your Potential”…

Always be clear and willing to do ANYTHING:

We are all looking for clarity in our lives. We want to know what we’re meant to do, in big ways and in small ways. This level of knowledge is attainable, provided we meet one important prerequisite – a willingness to do that which is uncomfortable. We won’t have clarity about what we need to do if we aren’t willing to do anything it takes, no matter what it is.

There’s a story in the bible about the Israelites in the desert. God would make a cloud appear, and they would follow it. One day it would go this way, one day it would go that way. Sometimes it would stop in one place for a month, sometimes a week, sometimes for a day, but they had total clarity. The cloud was their guide, and they trusted this completely.

In an ideal world that sounds great, right? Get up in the morning; feeling a little uncertain of what to do, then the cloud appears… boom! and we follow. We know that that’s exactly what we need to do. That’s our purpose. That’s where we’re supposed to be. Sounds great, right?

Hmmm… think about it this way: The Israelites follow the cloud as it moves through the sky across the desert when it finally stops. They open their tents, set up camp, unpack, they start cooking dinner… Oop! The cloud’s on the move again. Up they get… they pack up, and follow the cloud. The cloud stops, they unpack, start preparing their camp and it starts again… or maybe they don’t unpack anticipating the move, only to be sedentary for a month, and so on, and so on, and so on.

Let’s say, in our modern world we’re making coffee, getting the kids ready for school, making their breakfast – they’re ravenous and just as we’re about to sit down and eat… Oop! Cloud’s on the move. Time to go. No time to eat, MUST follow the cloud… Would we really like that? Who’s willing to do that? I’m not willing to do that, not after nor before my cup of morning soy chai latte!

We want to have clarity, yes, but we cannot rely on anything or anyone else to give it to us. You need to ask yourself: If achieving my purpose requires going outside of my comfort zone, am I still willing to do it? How far will I go? There is a distinct link between willingness to do what’s uncomfortable and the ability to receive clarity.

Ask yourself one question: is my mindset comfort first, or purpose first? The answer to that question will bring you clarity – the place we’re at in our minds will determine whether or not we achieve that clarity. The way the world is set up will actually show you what you desire to do and what you’re willing to do to attain it. It all depends on how willing you actually are, because when purpose is greater than comfort that equals clarity.

Like a math equation:

Purpose > Comfort = CLARITY

It is very easy to look at somebody who may seem to have it all; strength, a flourishing career, good health and we are left begging the question, “Oh, my God, why can’t I have what they have?”

But do we know the effort they put into it? Do we know what they actually did to achieve that? It’s easy to see them after so many years and say, “Oh, look, look, it was so easy.” We don’t know what their life was like 10 years before that, or 15 years, or 20 years. We just don’t know.

We all have that potential to reveal our greatness. We all can do that. They’re not any different. To quote one of my favorite men, my husband, Michael Berg, “Greatness is not reserved for the great; the great are those who have risen to meet their destiny.” Those whom we deem as amazing – the role models that we look up to – are not any greater than we are. They just applied the formula: When things arose, they were willing to go the extra mile, whether failure followed, they pressed on, they did anything, and they were in it, committed. We all have that greatness within us.

Opposition:

How do we KNOW if the work we’re doing is right? How do we KNOW if we’re on the right path, or making the right decisions? The biggest indication is OPPOSITION. Sounds strange I know.

The Rav and Karen are perfect examples of going against nature, being willing to do ANYTHING in spite of opposition. When they set out to open the Kabbalah Centre, Kabbalah was not popular. It was not supposed to be taught to women, it was exclusively reserved for pious academics. The Rav and Karen set out on their path – they tried to open Kabbalah to the masses. There was enormous opposition. Yes, things came up for them. But they were willing to do anything. They faced a lot of adversity – they’d have to move from place to place – they didn’t have family or friends. They didn’t have very much money. But they were willing to do whatever it took; they had a clear vision, clear purpose and a lot of opposition every which way they looked.

As the years went by, the opposition was less and less overt, and things settled in. Instead of feeling relieved, the Rav grew concerned. The Rav knew that when you want to make a big change in the world, and you want to affect the world, there has to be opposition. As soon as it got too quiet, the Rav wasn’t very comfortable.

Those who reach great heights went against the grain. They stood up for what they believed in. And while it may be in the best interests of others for you not to find yourself, it only has to be in your own best interest and in the Creator’s best interest. That’s it.

JOURNAL:

Write down something you feel that you need to do to go against your nature?
Ask yourself: what is my mindset? Is it comfort over purpose? Or purpose over comfort?
Write down what your opposition is.