Just Be Awesome: Who Am I & Why Am I Here?

It seems that most people can struggle with these two questions: Who am I & Why am I here.? Starting as teenagers, we are finding out who we are separate from our parents and family. We go into college and/or into the work force with the hopes that we know who we are. We know enough to choose a major, then a job, and ideally a career we'll continue on for the rest of our lives. Then when we get "there", we ask ourselves, "Why am I here? This isn't me!". Even if we have a good life, and we're overall content and happy with our job and home life, we may still ask some form of these questions, having guilt for having these feelings.

This can lead to frustration, resentment, and confusion for us because we can't "figure it out", wondering why we feel this way. Those who are depressed or disheartened may struggle even further. An article I read in the Elephant Journal illustrates what we may be missing stating, "Where we have stopped dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories, or finding comfort in silence is where we have experienced the loss of soul".

This is where we need to be awesome again! Life runs at such as a fast pace. We're always on the go, thinking of our next task, worrying about our next deadline, stressed about our to do list. We have lost what gives us joy, what gives us purpose...we've "lost our soul". We have forgotten what's important in who we are and what we do because of all the chaos and noise around us and in our heads. Our energy is zapped and we're drained of our vitality and zone out during our downtime because we're on fast forward most of the time. Our bodies are spent and are minds are frazzled.

What got me here and why I started doing this is because I had reached the point where I was tired of faking it; pretending I had it all together when I was really exhausted! I started to ask myself these questions wondering, "Is this really it? Is this as good as it gets?". I'd feel bad for having these thoughts because I am truly blessed---I have a wonderful life with amazing family and friends. I attend church fairly regularly and believe that God has my back.

So why was I still in a funk? As people we tend to over-think things instead of just quieting our minds & looking inward into what gives us joy. Therefore, we miss out on what gives us the peace we need in order to feel genuine and truly content without any conditions. Maybe the question we need to ask ourselves now is, "What kind of life do I want to lead?" In her best-selling book, Thrive: The Third Metric, Arianna Huffington states that we need to redefine our definition of success to mean more than money and power. The third metric of success is to thrive and learn to optimize the quality of our lives.

I believe that most of us are sleep-deprived and even the most religious of us can't hear God's voice because of our fatigue and busy minds. Thrive: The Third Metric, quotes a sleep study out of Standford that found that athletes who got more sleep enhanced their performance levels. The athletes also stated that their moods were lifted and they had less fatigue, suggesting they were sleep-deprived, operating on a sub-optimal level. The researcher concluded that, "They'd accumulated sleep-debt...it's not that they couldn't function, they were doing fine, but they might not have been at their full potential". 

Lack of sleep. This is what prevents us from being our optimal awesome selves! We need to stop our stubbornness, get our priorities straight, and get some quality sleep in order to clear our minds. Then we need to learn how to enjoy life again, finding what truly brings us joy!

When I look at my dog Kona, I see a being with unconditional love and patience. A creature who is just happy to see you when you get home, jumping & wagging his tail, and just so excited when you play with him and take him on a walk. Kona knows who he is (a dog), and why he is here (to bring a smile to those around him). Simple, basic, that's all. There's nothing contrived or fake about his intentions, nothing forced, just pure joy when he's with the people he loves, doing the things he loves. And that's why God made a dog... To remind us to just be...
And God made a dog (Video)

If you want to find your awesome optimal self, join me on a 30-Day Joylife Training Journey here. I hope you think about and consider getting more sleep, even if you don't think you need it. Tell me your thoughts and as always, find what gives you joy in your life.

  <3 Cheryl Joy