How to Sing Better: Believe in Yourself

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”
Lao Tzu

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Lao Tzu

Many years ago, I got a call from one of my students. Knowing I have a propensity for collecting abandoned animals (especially beagles), she told me a small and frightened beagle had been found in her Atlanta neighborhood.

He was rail thin, had a broken tooth, worms, ticks, fleas, and rope burns around his neck. He was terrified of people and was only captured when befriended by her dog.

He was obviously fleeing a terrible life.

He had no tags, and no one had ever claimed him.

I took one look in his soulful brown eyes and knew I had to help even though I already had three dogs at the time. I was struck by the idea that he was doing the only thing he knew to do.

He was taking action to escape an obviously abusive situation. I was humbled by his courage in striking out into the unknown, even though he was terrified.

I took him home.

He spent the first couple of weeks in his new home huddled under the back steps, afraid to come inside the house. He was afraid of everything: people, noises, the wind, movements.

Today I am reminded of that small frightened being as I watch Prince Rumi as he is now called (I named him after the 13^TH-century Persian poet).

His job is official polite greeter of students, mailmen, and all visitors. He has his own bed but prefers mine. He loves the sun deck. He is safe at last and happy, though easily startled by loud noises or exclamations like “ouch!” (he really picks up on emotions).

If there is ever a bad vibe in the room (even on TV), he gets up and simply walks out of the room. Because he wants to be happy.

The moral of the story? What can we learn from Prince Rumi?

     1. When you are stuck in a bad situation and feel like you have a rope around your neck, figure out a way to take action, even if you don’t know what will happen next and can’t see how to make it work. Just take the next step.

     2. Tell yourself: I know I deserve better than this, and I know I can do better than this, even if I don’t exactly know how I will do it yet!

     3. Know that life can turn on a dime, and the universe (or whatever you want to call it) will help those that help themselves. Doing anything is better than doing nothing! Don’t stay stuck. Strike out, and great forces will come to your aid when you least expect it.

     4. You are not your current situation. You, like Prince Rumi, can find a better situation. Start now. The Force IS actually with you! And you CAN change your life.

When we long for something better than what we have, that is a signal to us from our unconquerable soul that where we are right now is not congruent with our true nature, which is always evolving.

When we don’t keep up to speed with our internal development, we feel pain, longing, dissatisfaction, or a sense that we are missing something.

I call this Divine Dissatisfaction. It’s the nudge from the Universe, or God, or our spirit, or whatever you want to call it, that should propel us forward to new accomplishments, if we listen to it.

When we don’t listen to it and do not act, because we have a long list of excuses as to why it is impossible to change, we become unhappy.

So, if you are unhappy with the current state of your affairs, that is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s only a bad thing if we limit ourselves by saying that’s the way it is, and it can’t be changed. Then we start to get depressed and feel trapped.

The difference between the way it is now and the way it should be can inspire us to greater achievement if we let it, and if we train our thoughts to focus on what we want, and don’t allow ourselves to wallow around in the negative and discouraging thoughts of what we perceive as our current reality.

Here’s the exciting news; your current reality is no more real than a dream you had last night. It’s just the result of all the thoughts you have thought and the actions you have taken so far.

So, to change that reality, focus on what you want. Then take actions that are congruent with the life you would like to be living.

Don’t allow defeatist, negative thoughts to take up space in your head. Ever.

Hit the mental delete button!    Just take one step. And then another. You don’t have to see all the steps ahead; just start.  You will get there……..Prince Rumi did.

“Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid”
Basil King

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it”.
Geothe

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