I used everything you gave me... living large with joy

It's like jumping off a cliff without a parachute...

You'd better hope you sprout wings real fast on the way down :)

That is a little how I feel today, as I write this, my first post as a new contributing author here at Joyful, Jubilant Learning. I'm setting the intention that all will be well and then taking a running leap and hurling myself out there - arms flung wide and a grin on my face.

Rosa gave me the push I needed to get going. Otherwise I just know it would have been much, much longer before I put words here for you to read.

Rosa tagged me, and it seems appropriate that I respond here at JJLN... as a whole lot of my answer goes into what I am doing here.

The tag I have chosen to accept is challenging, to say the least. As Rosa put it:

Just so happens that the meme also fits perfectly with our value of the month, ‘Imi ola, to create your own destiny, by intentionally crafting your best possible life. Goals which entice and excite you are an important part of ‘Imi ola, and I’m a big believer in visioning. Why? It works for me.

Ahhh… goals which entice and excite you – I love how Rosa put that. But more, as I read it and dissect it, I realize – why would you have any other sort of goal? For is that not what goals are all about?

And so, today I am writing here about creating my own destiny, about crafting goals for my life and my business that will make my life resound with the joy of living on purpose, true to purpose.

I have been in a state of flux about my life and my goals recently. It all started with my annual sabbatical in January – for here in Queensland, it’s hot, the kids are on holidays and life slows down at that time of year. And it came to me that projects and goals that I had been madly planning & working on for last year weren’t where I was meant to be. It was a huge learning process for me, for I learned to let go of those dreams (without something else to immediately fill the void) and trust that I would find my true path (yes, another jumping off a cliff exercise - seems I am attracting them this year:).

One of the things that brought me out of the slump, and helped me to clarify my intentions and ‘wake up’ came out of my agreement to write a book review for A March Love Affair with Books here on JJLN. The book I chose was Do Less, Achieve More… (a book I had picked up at a bookshop and read during my beach holiday in January). The book itself had a profound effect on me, and led eventually to my redefining my personal version of ‘success’ (rather than what I saw as success in other people).

In the writing of that review, I came to understand better the heart of Chin-Ning Chu’s message and adopt it as my own personal mantra.

Goal - Do Less, Achieve More as my way of life, keep a calm mind amidst the storm. Avoid busyness for the sake of doing, and clear the way to achieve more.

In the wonderful comments from JJLN community members in response to the review I found a couple of real gems and a totally unexpected light bulb moment. Blaine Collins wrote (in part)

“I sense that your review is aligned...

in harmony...

with the essence of the book.

Reading the (sub)title of the book calms me.
Reading your review of the book calms me.”

Then followed a couple of emails between us, and that light bulb realization that what people get from me is Calm.

Of course, this wasn’t the first sign – in fact looking back there had been so many signs, but I had been oblivious to them somehow. It took what Blaine said for that light bulb to come on.

After this light bulb, of course, has come a time of consolidation and introspection. I’ve been wrapped up in working out how this might look and what it will mean to my life and my business.

This quote, by the wonderful Erma Bombeck, says it all, really:

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me".

Living Large so I can say I have lived my best possible life – would mean for me:

• To fully use my talents and abilities for the good of all I come into contact with
• To raise healthy, happy, contributing adults and be the best mother that I know how to be
• To relish in the joy and harmony that is my marriage – 21 years and counting
• To live fully in the present, noticing miracles and moments…
• To continue to learn and grow and contribute until I take my last breath
  

So, what would YOUR life lived in the best possible way look like?

---

Karen Wallace is thrilled to be a new contributing author to JJLN, and can be found down-under noticing miracles and living passionately at The Clearing Space.

Comments

[Chris Owen]

Woohoo!!!!
Well there's no doubt this bird's arrived.
Her feathers might be a bit messy after all that cliff-jumping but she certainly learned how to fly on her way down!
Karen
We've talked about many things and I have NEVER told you that CALM is exactly what I get from you and appreciate most about you. You help pull me back when my balloon string loosens and it all threatens to fly away.
Couldn't be more delighted that you've joined the band!
As to how my life lived to the best of my opportunities, THAT's a whole other topic!

[Rosa Say]

This is such warm and wonderful way of responding to that tag Karen! Thank you for your heart in sharing this story of being with us, and welcome to JJL - truly looking forward to having more of your words grace these pages!

[Blaine Collins]

Karen,

You indicated last month that the "calm" comment meant more than I could possibly know. This post goes a long way in sharing your thoughts. Thanks for Living Large and sharing.

You seem to already be meeting one of your goals: "To live fully in the present, noticing miracles and moments…"

[Karen Wallace]

Chris, Rosa, Blaine - thank you from the bottom of my heart for your warm welcome - it is such an honour to join the JJLN community.

Chris - what can I say? You're my cheer squad, my business partner and most of all, my friend. Thank you for all you do.

Rosa - without you I wouldn't be here - and I too look forward to being here more.

Blaine - to you I owe such a huge thank you, for you opened the box for me. It was truly a miracle that the synchronicities meshed as they did. I hope to bring something to you in return one of these days. With huge gratefulness!!

[Steve Sherlock]

Welcome aboard Karen... I think it appropriate you start with eagle's wings... one of the on-going themes here is the way of the geese... birds of a feather flock together... in the learning world, eagles and geese can learn together...

Honk! Honk!

[Karen Wallace]

Steve, thanks for your honks and your kind welcome - I never thought about the why of chosing wings in my opening post, but now I see the significance.. I am so looking forward to learning together and lifting each of us higher and higher... and honking encouragement at every turn.

I'll be modelling myself on you for the encouragement part... you're a real master at that! Thank you.