How do we make paradigm-altering changes in our lives that are sustainable and do not compromise what is important to you and who you are?
Yes, the journey of discovery and exploration and the euphoria of lightbulbs and epiphanies can be magical. We hear of so many of these stories and they are gloriously inspiring. They get us pumped up, excited and ready to sprint to the finish line. What we seldom hear about is the boredom of practicality, the tediousness of having to be patient, the unattractiveness of taking detours and the reality that happiness is much more of a marathon than a sprint.
Actually, it is less like a marathon and more like the cross country run that Forrest Gump embarks on in the movie by the same name. He just runs because he’s working through stuff and he runs for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days and 6 hours.
I have started an exercise between a few close friends where we interview each other 3 or 4 times a year to try to capture the intimate details of our experiences. And yet, even in those interviews, I find it impossible to capture the magnitude of the effort it takes. All I can say is that it takes making choices every moment of the day on where I’m going to spend my energy, having a plan so I can change it, staying connected to what my soul is telling me, working on myself, being gentle with myself, reframing every experience into a learning one, nurturing relationships, taking care of my body, heart, mind and spirit … and mostly, staying open to the possibility of joy every single day. That means saying yes when I’m terrified and trusting that I will learn something.
People have asked me what the magic formula is, and there are days I wish there was a magic formula. But there isn’t. All I know is that I have to just keep making the choice to take the next step forward with my eyes and heart open. That’s sort of what Forrest Gump did. He didn’t really start running with an end in mind. He just wanted to run. I started with one goal and I embarked on that journey so that I could see the next goal, and then the next. Somewhere along the way, I realized that it was the journey that I enjoyed more than the goal; the goal was the means to an end, and the end was the journey - the opportunity to learn, to look deeper into my soul and to just be one with myself.
And deep in each of our souls, there resides the will, the means and all the courage you need to continue to make those paradigm-altering changes to your life.
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My name is Eu Jin. I embarked on a career as a professional actor after 20 years in the corporate world. I am a big advocate of personal growth in the performing arts. I dedicate time and energy in performing arts education, specifically in the arena of practical approaches to inner health because I believe that this lays the groundwork for a sustainable career as an artiste.
If you would like to engage in a conversation about a healthy inner life practice, please leave me a message on the "Contact" page of my website and a way to contact you. Thank you!