Living Your Noble Purpose

“A common jar of clay can never become a noble masterpiece, unless it is broken by its master, refined in fire, and renewed.” – Sharif Khan There is a passage in scriptures that I have always found troubling. It reads: “Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?” [Romans 9: 20-21]. It troubles me, because no matter how hard I try to live a nobler life, I look to the brilliant stars above me and wonder if my life has already been written ‘for common use.’ Haven’t we all wondered at times if we were destined for greatness or gloominess? Is our destiny sealed by a written fate or is our outer-world but a reflection of our inner-world determined by our thoughts and will? Can the common jar of clay become a noble masterpiece? Can the wild bush become a walnut tree? History dictates that the common jar of clay will always remain a common jar of clay; it can never become a noble masterpiece on its own accord. Ancient relics that have been buried for thousands of centuries have remained relatively the same after being uncovered by archaeologists. Likewise, nature dictates that wild bush seed will always yield wild bush, and nothing else. The jar of clay, the wild bush, they cannot change because they have no will. If they do have a will, it is very weak, and so bound by their make. Or, depending on how you look at it, very strong, because they are determined to be who they were born to be. Either way you look at it, they cannot change because it is not in their nature – they cannot think for themselves. Humans on the other hand do have a will, and a much stronger one at that: we can choose to kill someone or save a life, we can study in our field of endeavor or choose a life of crime, we can work out to become an Olympic athlete, or we can pig out and eventually die of a heart attack. As humans, the big difference is that we all have the faculty of reasoning and can significantly change the environment around us. Although many of us have heard numerous examples in life where people from complete poverty and everything working against them beat the odds to become great, we still, in our heart of hearts, skeptically ask ourselves the question, “Can a pauper become a prince?” Can we really, truly change our character? Intellectually, it would seem the answer is no. But my intuition tells me yes. Or is it the part of me that hopes and dreams and wishes, but always falls short, because it is just that - a dream, and nothing more? The part of me that marketers love to take advantage of: you too can become a bestselling author, an academy award winning actor, an Olympic athlete, if you take our program, pill or practice. Yet we have seen paupers turn into princes have we not? Sidney Poitier, the legendary actor, grew up in extreme poverty to become a shining prince and take home an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in acting and filmmaking; John Steinbeck was a university drop out who worked as a sales clerk, farm laborer, ranch hand, and factory worker, and yet became a literary giant who won both the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize for Literature. Mother Teresa was a nun who taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta, but later experienced ‘a call within a call’ becoming a world leader who won the Nobel Prize for Peace and earning the tribute, “Saint of the Gutters.” It would seem then that these examples defy scriptures; that the pottery for common use has become pottery for noble purposes. But it is easy to forget that the maker that makes us for one purpose, can also break us, and re-make us for another. The potter can break common clay, refine it and purify it in fire, in spirit, and recreate a noble masterpiece. The forester can burn an entire expanse of wild bush land and plant in that same soil a new seed. Any person who has achieved greatness has been ‘broken-in.’ They have encountered life situations that have broken them, humbled them, brought them to their knees, and cut their egos down to size, shattering their limited conception of self. It is in these moments of breaking that they have learned to persevere. It’s God’s way of making the wise foolish, and fools wise. We are all clay in the potter’s hands. And the world breaks everyone. All of us have experienced situations in life that have tested us severely. Crap happens...but if it didn’t, we’d all be constipated. It’s a good thing! But if we refuse to humble ourselves, refuse to take risks in life, refuse to see our own worst faults, stubbornly refuse to learn from our failures, and keep repeating the same mistakes, the crap piles up pretty fast! And that can be very painful. We have only ourselves to blame for being put to common use and settling for mediocrity. If we were to read the scriptures more deeply, we would realize that the maker is in us, for it clearly states, “Behold the Kingdom of God is within you!” [Luke 17:21] And so living a life of noble purpose requires surrendering to the master within – letting go and letting great. Only by willing to be broken and humbled can we be rebuilt in far stronger spiritual clay. For as Hemingway once wrote, “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially." About the Author: Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com; sharif@herosoul.com) is a freelance writer, inspirational keynote speaker, and author of the leadership bestseller, "Psychology of the Hero Soul." He also publishes his success blog at http://www.sharifkhan.blogpsot.com. To contact Sharif, call 416-417-1259. Read more articles by: Sharif Khan Article Source: www.iSnare.com Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

The Art Of Creating Powerful Intentions

Intentions are indeed very powerful if they are created in the right way. There are a few basic rules you will want to understand, otherwise your intentions may simply evaporate, or even backfire. By backfire, I mean they create just the opposite of what you wanted. The Purpose of Making Intentions We use intention to guide our attention in a new direction, in order to create a new or different reality. For example, maybe you’d like to change your job. Most people would start with the intent to have a better job, as the old one doesn’t satisfy anymore. However, trouble may be brewing here already… If you move on from something you don’t like, to something you prefer, you may deny your current situation. In order to make successful intentions, it is important to deal with the current situation first, and do some analytical thinking about it. Understand that you created this situation, so don’t blame anybody else for it. Take full responsibility, and understand that you are the only person responsible for the current circumstances. Do away with any judgments of your current situation, until you can see it from a neutral perspective. There was a point in your life when it was the perfect decision. Don’t compare the now with the past, as you have since had new experiences and gained a different viewpoint. This is a common mistake in thinking; it is like a loophole in the mind. You jump from one time-line into another time-line, and then compare them. This leads to false conclusions. Besides that, leave the past; don’t reinvent it. Evaluate Your Current Situation If you look at your current situation without judgments, you empower yourself. Only from a neutral standpoint can you make a powerful new decision. This new decision will be based on deliberate intent instead of reaction to circumstances. This is where choice and free will comes in. Now, at the point of being neutral, you can ask yourself the following questions: * What do I like about my current job? * What do I want to improve in my next job? * What would be the perfect job for me? * What would I like to feel from my next job? * What am I good at? * In which areas is this job supporting me to live my full potential? Write down the answers to these questions, and start to craft a few full sentences out from your answers. Include all the positive points. Make these sentences as precise as possible. It could read like this: “My next job is exciting; it flows with me, makes me happy, and I am able to learn and grow with it. When you are done, read it out loud. If you have trouble saying the sentence, or even memorizing it, then it is not ready. Simply take a few moments and refine it. Overcoming Pitfalls when Creating Intentions Intentions are formed in your conscious mind; however, it’s your subconscious that receives these commands and creates the necessary opportunities in your life. In other words, your conscious mind deciding on this new opportunity creates a new reality. * Use only positive words * Include a time frame * Remove negations * Be precise Here is a simple test. Don’t think about a blue elephant! What happened? You thought about the blue elephant, you may even imagined it. The subconscious does not work analytically; it cannot understand words like ‘don’t’ or ‘not.’ It works mostly in images, sounds, and smells. You want to avoid use of any negative words in your intentions. Always formulate your intentions in such a way that they reflect the outcome of what you’d like to create. Example of how not to do it: - I don’t want to have so much responsibility. Better Example: - In my new job I feel comfortable with my responsibility. Including a Time Frame: There is a difference between creating in your own universe or in the physical world. When you create inside yourself there is no time involved - your consciousness is timeless! For example, if you’d like to change your attitude toward your boss, you don’t need to set a time frame. You can simply create the intention: “I appreciate my boss,” or, “I value my boss’ viewpoints and beliefs.” It will work instantly if there is no other belief or intention in its way. When you deal with the physical world, setting a time frame becomes important. The physical world works within time and space. If you build a new house, first you have a plan, and then you move dirt, assemble wood, install plumbing, and move furniture, until the house is complete. It takes time and effort. So if you make your intention but you leave out the time frame - your intention becomes doubtful. Example: “I am working in my dream job.” Well, you would say right away – I’m not. It sounds more like an affirmation than an intention. Include the time frame, and this example turns into: “6 months from now I am working in my dream job.” Pay attention to any reactions you have when you formulate your intention. Your mind may interfere and tell you: “No way, I will never get this,” or “this is impossible.” If you encounter these instant judgments, formulate your intentions differently, so that they feel more do-able. Sometimes you may want to break a big intention into smaller pieces. For example: “In 2 weeks I am a Millionaire” is an intention that may not work for most people. However, an intention like: “Every day I have more money to spend” may bring you there. New Years Intentions Vs. Birthday Intentions Many people make new year’s resolutions on first night, which is a good thing. However, making them on your birthday is more efficient. Why is this? A new year is an artificial point of time, it just means that one year passed, and is not related to you in any way – it’s impersonal. If you make your new year’s resolution on your birthday, it is personal, because on this specific day the sun is in the same position as it was when you were born. Astrologers call this point a sun-sun conjunction. It is a very powerful point in time, as a new individual cycle for you starts. May all your dreams come true. About the Author: Thomas Herold is the founder and CEO of Dream Manifesto. To learn more about creating your dreams with the Dream Manifestation Wizard software visit: Dream Manifesto - The Quantum Method for Manifesting Your Dreams Read more articles by: Thomas Herold Article Source: www.iSnare.com Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit