“What God chose for you to do is at the intersection where your greatest joy and the worlds greatest need meet.”
~Frederick Buechner (paraphrased)

Have you ever asked yourself the question, “why was I born?”  Not in the “I’m worthless so why I am here,” moments, but in the true “what is it I am supposed to do while I am here” moments?  We have all at least wondered that once in our lives.

I had a time in my life where I used to feel as if there was something I was supposed to do but I wasn’t’ doing it.  Almost as if I missed my calling.  It showed up and I somehow just let it pass by.

I used to hate that feeling.  I cried at night over it.  I used to pray for God to give me an answer as to what he wanted me to do with my life.  A friend told me once that God’s gift to us was life and our gift back to God was what we did with that life.  I felt as if I was failing God miserably.

He answered my prayer one day in the form of chronic ulcerative colitis.  For eight months I felt like I was in the military.  What God did to me in those eight miserable months where I almost lost my life was break me down and then build me back up…kind of like what they do at boot camp.  I soon realized I wasn’t missing my calling…it was calling me alright; I just didn’t have the self-worth and self-esteem to hear it.  We do not take care of what we do not value and I did not value myself at all…so not only was I a mess, but my life was a mess!

I realized as I reflected during those eight months (and I had a LOT of time to reflect) that every job I had over my life time lead me to my “path.”  From working at an ice cream shop at age 13 learning customer service and entrepreneurial skills to being a restaurant manager where I learned how to masterfully watch and manage people of many personalities.  Each one served a purpose.  When I was sick I realized that I could not go back to the job I had at the time as a corporate trainer and I also realized I had to change my beliefs, my thinking and my self-esteem level if I was going to do anything and continue living.  I did not feel I was good enough to deserve a good “job.”  How would I ever be good enough?  What I soon realized was how I was going to be good enough was to help others believe that THEY were good enough…helping others raise their self-esteem and feel worthy of a good life so they did not have to get sick like I did to realize THEY are God’s precious gift and deserve the best life ever!

Your path is undefined.  You create it by embracing every waking moment.  You have to decide what you want your life to look like and then take one step at a time to getting it.  If you want to lose weight, order a side salad instead of fries…that is one small step.  You cannot start your journey if you have one foot in the boat and one foot still on the shore… you will go nowhere.  Stop playing it safe and put both feet in the boat and let the ocean of life guide you.  Cherish every moment, every conversation, every breath you take and every feeling you feel.  Let those individual moments be your map to linking your joy to the needs of the world.

Be present.  It is called the “present” because it is truly a gift.  Put the fear aside and open your gift…you’ll never know what wonderful blessings are waiting for you until you do!

“There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love; there’s only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen.” ~Wayne Dyer

Walking my path one step at a time,

Chris

For more information on Chris Sopa International, Inc. go to www.ChrisSopa.com.