Today I had a pretty amazing "aha moment" and I want to share it with you. It may be a bit off topic...but then again maybe not.
This morning, I wrote the following post on Facebook:
"Good Parents vs. Extraordinary Parents
There are a lot of good parents out there and I applaud all of them because as we all know, it's not an easy job. But n my opinion, being an extraordinary parent is on another level and requires a person to not just look out for their own child but to look out for ALL of the children that they come in contact with - within their neighborhood, community, school, sports teams and other activities - everywhere. It's so disappointing when I witness parents on the sidelines at a soccer game or in the stands at a little league game who cheer only for their own kids. Some do not even try to learn the names of the other kids on the team. It's so important to support and encourage all of the kids. It fosters a sense of community for both adults and children and it teaches our kids that it's not just about them and that every single person is important. I am lucky enough to live in a town where I see that happening much more than in other places and for that I am very grateful. My kids experience a sense of belonging and security as a direct result of that which leads to more self-confidence and independence. Be extraordinary!"
Afterwards, I couldn't get the word "extraordinary" out of my head. It seemed significant to me in some way but I couldn't quite figure out why. Then, out of nowhere, it hit me.
For the past year, I have been wishing and praying and hoping to be normal again, to have my normal, comfortable, familiar life back. I miss my ordinary life. But as much as I may WANT an ordinary life, it's becoming more and more clear to me that I was not meant to live an ordinary life. It's just not in the cards for me.
I realized in that moment of clarity, that maybe not being ordinary is not so bad...because what is the opposite of ordinary? Yep. Extraordinary. I never thought of extraordinary as a negative thing so maybe having a life that is not ordinary is not negative either. Maybe (gulp!) it's actually a good thing!
Wow - what a concept! Perhaps I am stating the obvious. Maybe I am the last one to the party and everyone reading this is saying, "Duh!". But to me, this was a connection of dots that had not been connected for me in that way before. I finally saw the picture clearly. It makes sense to me now.
But I am NOT saying that I am special in any way - not at all. Quite the opposite, actually. I think every single one of us was born to live an extraordinary life. It's just a matter of figuring out which flavor of extraordinary is meant to be yours. Our constant quest to be like everyone else, to blend in and be the same actually goes against what is in the divine plan of the universe. We all have different gifts, different paths and different things to teach the world.
It is within our challenges that we learn what exactly it is that we are meant to teach the world. Hardships and struggles are actually opportunities for each one of us to learn what that "thing" is and then teach the world about something important, something that needs to be taught. We are meant to share our experiences with the world and use them to encourage and inspire others - that's the whole point!
It is eye-opening, exciting and terrifying all at the same to time to make this connection in my mind. Being extraordinary takes courage and I would be lying if I said I don't feel a certain amount of fear. But I do believe that the extraordinary is where the magic happens.
Today I made the intention to stop resisting and to start surrendering to living my extraordinary life...and to let it unfold unhindered.
Be extraordinary and let the magic happen!
This morning, I wrote the following post on Facebook:
"Good Parents vs. Extraordinary Parents
There are a lot of good parents out there and I applaud all of them because as we all know, it's not an easy job. But n my opinion, being an extraordinary parent is on another level and requires a person to not just look out for their own child but to look out for ALL of the children that they come in contact with - within their neighborhood, community, school, sports teams and other activities - everywhere. It's so disappointing when I witness parents on the sidelines at a soccer game or in the stands at a little league game who cheer only for their own kids. Some do not even try to learn the names of the other kids on the team. It's so important to support and encourage all of the kids. It fosters a sense of community for both adults and children and it teaches our kids that it's not just about them and that every single person is important. I am lucky enough to live in a town where I see that happening much more than in other places and for that I am very grateful. My kids experience a sense of belonging and security as a direct result of that which leads to more self-confidence and independence. Be extraordinary!"
Afterwards, I couldn't get the word "extraordinary" out of my head. It seemed significant to me in some way but I couldn't quite figure out why. Then, out of nowhere, it hit me.
For the past year, I have been wishing and praying and hoping to be normal again, to have my normal, comfortable, familiar life back. I miss my ordinary life. But as much as I may WANT an ordinary life, it's becoming more and more clear to me that I was not meant to live an ordinary life. It's just not in the cards for me.
I realized in that moment of clarity, that maybe not being ordinary is not so bad...because what is the opposite of ordinary? Yep. Extraordinary. I never thought of extraordinary as a negative thing so maybe having a life that is not ordinary is not negative either. Maybe (gulp!) it's actually a good thing!
Wow - what a concept! Perhaps I am stating the obvious. Maybe I am the last one to the party and everyone reading this is saying, "Duh!". But to me, this was a connection of dots that had not been connected for me in that way before. I finally saw the picture clearly. It makes sense to me now.
But I am NOT saying that I am special in any way - not at all. Quite the opposite, actually. I think every single one of us was born to live an extraordinary life. It's just a matter of figuring out which flavor of extraordinary is meant to be yours. Our constant quest to be like everyone else, to blend in and be the same actually goes against what is in the divine plan of the universe. We all have different gifts, different paths and different things to teach the world.
It is within our challenges that we learn what exactly it is that we are meant to teach the world. Hardships and struggles are actually opportunities for each one of us to learn what that "thing" is and then teach the world about something important, something that needs to be taught. We are meant to share our experiences with the world and use them to encourage and inspire others - that's the whole point!
It is eye-opening, exciting and terrifying all at the same to time to make this connection in my mind. Being extraordinary takes courage and I would be lying if I said I don't feel a certain amount of fear. But I do believe that the extraordinary is where the magic happens.
Today I made the intention to stop resisting and to start surrendering to living my extraordinary life...and to let it unfold unhindered.
Be extraordinary and let the magic happen!
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