I'm Here

I remember driving up Pacific Coast Highway over 20 years ago, listening to the song by Michael W. Smith called, "Place in this World." I listened to it over and over again. The lyrics include: "The wind is moving, but I am standing still....a life of pages, waiting to be filled. A heart that's hopeful, a head that's full of dreams. Feels like I'm looking for a reason, roaming through the night to find my place in this world." That song really inspired me and spoke to the confusion I carried within me at the time. I wondered why am I here and what is my place in this world? We all want to feel like we have some purpose. Ultimately as well, we want to be loved and appreciated for who we are. As trite as that may sound, being loved for who we are is the ultimate quest. When I watch couples fight, the underlying issue is "you don't see me and love me for who I am." Finding our place in this world is our individual quest to figure out why we are here. Love is one reason we are all here. The journey is to transcend pain, conflict, roles and losses to ultimately love who we are and share our love with others. Yeah, we have to learn how to manage life including egos, power, money, responsibilities, fear, doubt and the myriad of ups and downs. Those are no easy mountains to climb, and often people get mighty lost along the way. As I have searched for myself, I have discovered my place in this world. It is not a location on a map or achieving something. Yes, I needed to discover my own self worth and my path led to education and counseling others in a career that is very fulfilling. My journey didn't stop there though. I could have settled in to endless years counseling individuals but my path led me to other adventures as well. Because I was open to transforming, I started a youth day camp, and run events that benefit local girls. I'm still counseling, but my career continues to shift because I allowed myself to grow. The key though is to always honor who I am. The more I have followed my intuition, the more "right" life feels. Everything became synchronistic and "signs" were everywhere with each step I took. That is how I knew that I had honored my place in this world. My journey continues to unfold each day, but I continue to trust my intuition and embrace who I am. I guess you could say, like in the movie "Yes Man," since I say yes to life. I was scared and confused 20 plus years ago, as I listened to that song, but I was extremely hopeful. Hope really did light the way. My place in this world is the knowledge that I am meant to be here at this point in history. We all are. When I was 18, the year 2015 seemed like an eternity away. Now it is an exciting time filled with changes, growth and transformation on a societal level. Everywhere I look, people are shifting in major ways. The crossroads for everyone is the choice of freedom or increased pain. Your place in this world is up to you, but finding peace within and valuing yourself is of the utmost importance. "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go and do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive"....(Howard Thurman).