What is in the way of your path? The Year of Flight

Are you feeling like you don’t have what it takes to get ahead?
Take a look at this List: Millionaires without high school diplomas

Are you being vague about your writing gifts?:
Ask Yourself a WTF Question to Hone Your Pitch (and Your Writing)

I was asked this past weekend by a student what I meant when I branded 2011 The Year of Flight.

To be clear, I wish to say the future can begin right now. You are only grounded by your fears. You can be rooted in love and courage. What if there were no excuses and you could go for your dreams? Would you?

Despite my inequities, I live my Life as hard as I can. I am the product of an urban Hispanic working class household. This was before being Latin was considered chic. Most of my childhood and young adulthood was filled with people impugning my worth. Yet, here I stand proud and who the hell knows where my critics and bullies are?

The Year of Flight is an intention to tackle all those fears, concerns and excuses that, legitimately and illegitimately, bind us. Being grounded is a wonderful thing unless that grounding causes one to feel shackled to the ground.

Do you ever wonder whether or not you are fulfilling your Life’s purpose?
I do. I work every day to see how much more I can give. How can I be better at my profession? Is there an experience that I believe can enrich my Life? These are the questions I ask myself and then I move forward to get answers. Do you ask yourself similar questions or are you too busy judging yourself? Do you leave more room for criticism than praise? Shame has never brought about change.

Make requests of others and seek NOW opportunities. The access to any room begins with a knock on the door. Knock at your own door and let yourself in.

When presented with a wonderful opportunity, do you immediately find a reason, a justification or an excuse to deny yourself it?
I”ve been there and done that. I fight the urge to do that again. If I fear I don’t have enough time, I turn the TV off. If I am afraid I will be embarrassed by my lack of knowledge, I do my research and get educated so I can hold my end of a conversation or agreement. If I worry about money, I work harder to find new sources of revenue and income streams. In some countries you don’t have freedom to choose. Living in a free society we have choice. In most cases, you are only limited by your imagination and self-determination.

For example: When I was unemployed a while back, I went for job interview after job interview and nothing materialized.   Eventually, I took any job so I could feel productive. Working, earning money, receiving acknowledgement is a confidence booster. One insignificant job opened the door to new people and new opportunities that I didn’t imagine coming my way.

Invest in yourself.

Do feelings of inadequacy cause you to play small and not get what you want?
Who doesn’t? Self-preservation sometimes backfires.  To avoid being hurt we sometimes refuse to try. Love comes to the brave. Braving disappoint and heartbreak happens to us all. Suffering doesn’t discriminate. Take the time to learn the emotional tools you need to pick yourself up and dust yourself off.

I remember reading this great quote from Jim Carrey: “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”

Know where you learned the messages that hold you back and that will help to clear the mental clutter that is blocking the view of bigger and brighter things.

Do you feel lost and hopeless?
Sometimes you really need to get lost to find yourself. Sometimes you work to get everything you want and you realize what you were hoping for is not there. There is no panacea. The older you get the harder it is to move forward. All said, Life still moves forward with or without our consent. Whether it be love or money, you can fight the odds and win. Winning may look like something you never imagined. Be prepared to readjust your vision but by all means have vision even if you need to borrow someone else’s.

Do you truly accept yourself at every given age?
Accepting your insecurities is a life long process. Aging is not for wimps because you spend the first half of your life mastering your gifts and then you spend the second half accepting that they will fade and leave you. There you are, again, dealing with yourself. If you refuse to deal with yourself, I promise you will be harsh with everyone around you. Then you can get a show on FOX News Network. Make friends with your self, not with your demons.

Do you believe in a world with over 6 billion people you have all the friends you need to know for your lifetime?
I used to believe I had all the friends I needed and could grow no more. There was only so much time in a day. I realize this is arrogant and foolish. What I think I was really saying is the world revolves around me and I’m stingy with my time. It takes a lot of courage to hold a stranger’s hand, look him/her in the eye, reveal yourself and know you will inevitably let go and not see them again. If you are wise, you can take a bit of them with you, give a bit of yourself away and be fortified by the experience.

Taking Flight means exactly that. Feet on the ground, head held high and spirit soaring. You can dictate how you process everything and for one year try to engage in fantasy and play. It’s an experiment. Isn’t all of Life an experiment anyway? We are entitled to a do-over.

- Erwin

P.S. This is what can be possible when fear takes a holiday.