My thoughts: One who lives only to please others, never realizing who they are and what their purpose is, really isn’t living at all
Putting on a Facade
Imagine living your life only to please others – waking up day after day clothing yourself in a facade that looks good and right to others but leaves you feeling uncomfortable and most of all, unhappy. You do this until you have some time alone when you can take off the mask. After all, it never really fits quite right anyway. Finally, you can relax, at least during these moments.
Take the Facade Off
Maybe your facade consist of putting on a happy face while going to a job day in and day out that you hate, knowing deep down inside there is so much more for you. Maybe it is remaining in an unfulfilling relationship with someone that you love but don’t really like as a person (and if you are being honest, you know they don’t really like you either). Maybe it’s pretending to live a lifestyle that doesn’t align with the truth of who you are. Whatever it is, you know you are not happy and although wearing this damn facade is uncomfortable, you do it anyway, going through the motions every single day just to please others.
For those who are still living to please everyone but yourself, know that you deserve to live your life out loud. For those who have previously lived according to society’s standards or to please other people, but have finally had enough and said to hell with living this way, congratulations, you are now living out loud and know just how freeing it is to live life on your own terms.
Be Authentic
We are designed to live a full life in every sense of the word. We were made to live our lives out loud. So, what does it really mean to live out loud? It means living according to who you are at your core. It means maximizing your innate gift and sharing that gift with the world. In doing so, you become more of who you are and, in the process, will help to enrich other people’s lives in a way you never knew was possible. If you, in the effort to people-please, must dumb down your personality or feel that you can’t be your authentic self, it is a sure bet that you are not living out loud. Millions of people spend their entire life living within the confines of society’s standards because of fear. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, or fear of not being good enough. The truth is fear is just an illusion. Who are the individuals that set these standards? Who made these so-called rules that we are supposed to abide by, or else? To that I say, “Or else what?”
Have a Vision
Live your life out loud. Start now, don’t wait; make the decision to live life on your own terms in every area. If there is something that you always wanted to do and have a natural skill in that area, accompanied with passion and purpose, then you should pursue it. Sadly, other people’s opinions have resulted in millions of people having no clue as to why they can’t seem to get it together. Subconsciously self-sabotaging out of fear of failure [or success]. This is like wishing a slow death upon the spirit you were created to be and bring into full expression.
When people have no vision for their life, they lack purpose. Without a vision, people lose themselves and die a slow internal death. The result is a world that appears to be going crazy – filled with people who live a life void of fulfillment. This lack of vision has unfortunately, created a culture of people-watchers.
We now have a society that pays more attention to the success of other people. These people spend hours in “wishful thinking” mode instead of going after what they truly want out of life. They are that group of people who choose instead, to live vicariously through other people because it gives them a feeling of temporary fulfillment. It is a dangerous way to live because once that high is gone, they return to being an observer, looking for the next “life” that so calls “Gives Them Life!”. Spending hours observing and wishing they could have a life like “so and so” sadly leaves so many people unaware of their own potential and abilities that, if discovered, would leave no time for such mediocre activities. If this sounds like you, stop. Just stop already. You deserve to live out loud too.
Know Your Purpose
When I first started writing on this topic, ironically, it exposed a light on parts of my own life where I have not been living out loud. For many years I didn’t know exactly what my purpose was, hence, the reason I am so passionate about encouraging others to find theirs. By fulfilling my purpose, I uncover more of who I am. In the hopes of inspiring someone else, I have inspired myself as well. That’s how it works when you live your life out loud.
You will expand when you take a chance on yourself. You owe it to yourself to live the best life you can create. I encourage you to find that thing you love to do and do it. Boldly and apologetically, be who you were created to be. Think outside the box because you were never created to live within the confines of what society or anyone else thinks. We are all Divinely designed to be unique in every way possible. Even if you do the same thing that someone else does, no one will do it like you because there is no one on the planet quite like you.
Live On Purpose Out Loud
We are purposefully created to share our gifts with the world. If everyone was to live their life out loud, collectively we would create a beautiful world. The reason for such chaos in the world is the vast majority of people haven’t figured out what their purpose is – they lack vision.
If you are wondering what your purpose is, it may be a good idea to take some time out and think about what you love to do. What makes you feel alive? What’s that thing – that idea that’s never really left you, despite the years passing by? Brainstorm and write those ideas down; start taking the steps to start living your life out loud. The moment you decide to be 100% true to who you are and do what you were called to do will also be the moment you truly start to live. It may not be easy to live your life out loud (nothing worth having ever is) but I guarantee, you won’t regret it. Everyone is born with a gift and for a purpose. Your job is to recognize who you are, what your gift is, discover what you are passionate about, find your purpose, and chase after it as if your life depends on it because it does and because you deserve it.
