Applied Happiness Coaching

'Be Yourself' by Jane Laurie

“There comes a time in every man’s education where he realizes that envy is ignorance, imitation is suicide, and society is in conspiracy against each one of its members.”   -  Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quote means so much to me because it speaks volumes about people, and how they mistakenly chase someone else’s dream – always hoping to achieve the status of a stranger.  Envy and imitation are blind choices of self sabotage.  The bottom line I get from this quote is to be yourself, and chase the dream you want, and remember that the world can be your oyster, but it can also be your hell.  When you find someone or something that makes you happy naturally, embrace it with open arms and genuine eyes.

From time to time, people come into your life to teach you lessons, give you love, give you challenges, make you feel safe, or make you experience and/or understand loss – the reasons are never quite clear in the beginning.  Once in a great while, however, a person will come into your life and make you feel invincible.  Bathing in his or her energy, you will be completely yourself – sometimes for the first time in years.  I was gifted with the addition of one such person a few wees ago.

I have always been pretty versatile in my talents, accomplishments, and social abilities – I know how to wear a lot of hats to get ahead in as much as I can.  When I walked in a met her for the first time, I felt her energy move around me, and I took the opportunity to play around in it.  Over the following days we spent few hours apart, and I would pause and reflect – realizing that I had not attempted to chase any other passions than my own.  I have been able to be completely myself in her wake, and I’m learning to embrace that freedom.

It’s a funny thing when you meet someone that communicates in a language you don’t hear – when vibrations massage the greatest parts of you, encouraging you to just remain naturally… you. Too many people chase after the perfect guy, or the perfect girl, only to find they’re chasing after a person that they aren’t truly themselves with.  We all know someone we tried as hard as we could to please and love, but it just didn’t work out, and it left us wandering around in a false identity.  While it’s a good lesson to learn, too few actually learn it.

Here are the cliff notes of that lesson:  Don’t ever chase a dream that’s not your own.  Don’t ever settle for a person that believes you’re only good IF (fill in erroneous variable) – you’re worth more than that.  Believe you’re wonderful and worthy of love – both to give and receive.  When you find someone that makes you feel invincible when you’re just being yourself, follow that feeling forever.  Life is too short to hate what you do, or who you’ve become after years of striving to be someone you’re not to please someone you love.

You are naturally, effortlessly beautiful, and perfect exactly the way you are – yes, I’m talking to you.

Peace, Love, and a Million successes to you.

Blake

The last few months have been an absolutely incredible journey through the collective consciousness of the world around me.  I’ve watched plans start, grow, flourish, and live on.  I’ve also watched plans spark, burst into flame, and get left smoldering in the back yard – literally.  The best thing that has happened in these months is the addition of some amazing people, and the sharing of some pretty powerful vibrations.

My long-time best friend, David, came out to Chicago from Connecticut – this, in itself, is a wonderful change of pace.  It’s been two years since I last saw him, and it was rejuvenating to spend time with him.  David bring with him an unyielding stream of accepting, positive energy.  Through all his struggles, pitfalls, or battles with his circumstances, he’s always had the ability to wash it off and move forward, appreciating the people and sparks of greatness around him.  His ability to walk on the water above shipwrecks makes his energy miraculous.  David is a genuinely stellar human being, and is destined for greatness.

I have met artists and performers from all walks of life, and spoken to them about their struggle, and their aspirations, inspiration, and moments of greatness.  I have been gifted with the privilege of befriending and bonding with some amazing talent in this incredible city including two young ladies that pour their souls into the music they write – radiating such emotion through vocal harmonies and guitar strums that even stone walls move to the melody.

To top it all off, I happened to meet a particular someone that floats my boat (if you know what I mean).  Through a connection with David, I met someone whose energy is so powerful, it can be felt and isolated in a crowded room.  Almost immediately, I was turned on to the vibrations of her being.  Since that day, we’ve played off each others’ radiance, and it feels like home.

I guess the lesson here is to connect to people that appreciate life and the people in it, and recognize the brilliance around you – in the people, the places, the circumstance – the everything.  One day you could go golfing and walk into a room filled to the brim with energy…radiating from only one pair of eyes.  It happened to me, and it can happen to you.

Peace, Love, and a Million of successes to you all.