“You don’t understand! I will never be able to have a relationship again!” shouted Shawn.
Shawn was angry, disappointed, and hurt with where he found himself in life. As he saw it, his life was over. He had lost all hope for the future he desired and had dreamed of for so many years. Especially now, Shawn was certain there was no way to ever have an intimate relationship again, no way to have love.
Six months earlier, Shawn had been diagnosed with AIDS.
From the moment he received the news, Shawn stopped living and loving. He could only see what he considered to be his past mistakes and shortcomings, sometimes blaming himself, sometimes blaming others.
Shawn was unable to create anything from his past that provided him with an ounce of hope, joy, or connection. For him, life was over!
In our blog post last week, we looked back on our past with the purpose of looking for and acknowledging those things we miss, along with identifying the things we want to improve in our life.
It is now time for you to choose three things from last week’s exercise that you would like to create in your life going forward. Then, decide how you can take one small step right now to begin creating these things in your life.
If you struggle with planning for the future, it’s quite possible that you’ve fallen into the “wait until…” rut.
That rut looks something like this:
- You would like to try a new restaurant but you’re waiting for someone to dine with.
- You’d love to travel more but you’re waiting for a partner to join you.
- You’d like to update your wardrobe but you’re waiting until you lose those last few pounds.
- Or maybe you’d like to start dating again but you’re waiting for someone to take the lead and approach you…
Does any of this sound familiar?
If so, then you simply MUST read this post so you can stop letting life pass you by and start living!
After you’ve read our guide on how to stop waiting and start living, I’d like to encourage you to change your perception of the “future.”
More often than not, we place too much weight on the meaning of the future.
We think planning for the future requires lofty goals and ambitious dreams…
Reality check time:
The future is just any point in time that has not yet come, and that’s IT!
Yes, even tomorrow counts! 😉
If making a list of things you want in your future seems overwhelming, start small! What are 3 things you want this week, or this month, heck, even tomorrow that you can put into motion today?
This is all it takes for you to realize that in any moment, you have the power to create a better tomorrow.
As for Shawn’s better tomorrow…
I asked him if he thought he was the only person with AIDS. He rolled his eyes and said, “No, of course not!”
I replied, “Then why are you acting like it?”
Suddenly, a smile of hope emerged on his previously expressionless face. What happened next?
Shawn began creating again! He got involved with his local AIDS community…
And guess what? He met someone and fell in love. He found someone to share the rest of his life with.
Sadly, Shawn passed away more than 5 years ago, but his example of “don’t ever stop loving and living” carries on. I know if Shawn were here today, he would shout again and boldly say:
“There is always a way to create the desires of your heart, regardless of your circumstances! Now, do yourself a favor and allow yourself to live!”
Remember, you have the power to create…use it while you are alive!
Here is something new you can do different right away! Join our Daily Dose of Love Challenge Community.
Tom and I offer a Facebook Live to this group every Friday at 4 p.m. PST. We share a weekly challenge activity sure to increase the love in your life and expand on the benefits and the power behind these powerful weekly activities as well.
We will also be there to answer any questions that have come up for you, celebrate your victories and support you through tough times.
It is our small way to remind you that you can create for yourself a life filled with all the things you long for.