Living Your Personal Legend

[cigi]

I just read a fantastic book called The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Here's a quick summary:

The Alchemist presents a simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. Brazilian storyteller Paulo Coehlo introduces Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. And so he's off: leaving Spain to literally follow his dream.

Along the way he meets many spiritual messengers, who come in unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. In one of the Englishman's books, Santiago first learns about the alchemists--men who believed that if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties, and what was left would be the "Soul of the World." Of course he does eventually meet an alchemist, and the ensuing student-teacher relationship clarifies much of the boy's misguided agenda, while also emboldening him to stay true to his dreams. "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night. "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

This book was so powerful for me - it tells of living your "Personal Legend"- but it left me with a lingering question....

Is it worse to have no potential at all or to refuse to realize the potential one has? I mean I was once on a very different path than I am now. I thought I knew what my "Personal Legend" was supposed to be. Little by little I changed the course of that & now I am traveling 180* from where I originally intended to go.

That is not a complaint, just a practical observation of my circumstances. I wouldn't again choose that earlier path anyway, but I wonder if a Personal Legend is an ever-evolving entity, or if you really only get 1 shot at the overall thing you're supposed to do. Maybe life keeps presenting you with an opportunity to live your Legend, just in slightly different ways.

Hahaha....Or maybe I'm just spending too much time thinking these days... ;)

[Nightprincessa]

That is a great book, cigi. Paulo Coelho is an excellent author!


I wouldn't again choose that earlier path anyway, but I wonder if a Personal Legend is an ever-evolving entity, or if you really only get 1 shot at the overall thing you're supposed to do. Maybe life keeps presenting you with an opportunity to live your Legend, just in slightly different ways.

Hahaha....Or maybe I'm just spending too much time thinking these days... ;)

You can't go back to who you were because you have expanded. But your IB thought you needed to go through that to get to where you are now.

Yes, life will keep presenting you with the opportunity to live what your IB, the broader you, is wanting you to experience... it is the one who has all the answers and knows what you want and need even if sometimes you're not consciously aware of it.

It's a game. Your IB gives you the contrast so that you define what you want consciously and finally arrive at what your IB has always known to be what you really want. But it wants to give you the thrill of playing the game and enjoying the ride to where you're going.... and in the process realize that you are creating it all. That it is all YOU!

[Dance of Joy]

This is how I see it: if what I am doing feels good (if I am joyful), I am fulfilling my intention for this life.

To be honest, I don't really understand the question here. There is no one thing you were supposed to do. There is only the now moment and the question is, 'are you joyful now?' If not, change up what you are doing.

Love,
Christine

[Nightprincessa]

Yes, Christine, that's exactly what it is. :dance:

To sum it all up, just flow with it... enjoy the contrast and let your IB guide you. That's how all you want flows to you. :heart:

[Dance of Joy]

Hhhahha... I love what you wrote above, Tika.

To add to what I said:

Contrast makes you ask (vibrationally, doesn't matter if you notice or not).
You don't have to ever even think of what you want again. Source already knows.
The expanded version of you goes there.
You follow (by being joyful and following your inspiration to act).
Or you don't follow.

[cigi]

Now don't get me wrong, my peeps. Musing over the greater questions in my life gives me great joy (damn, I sound like Simon) & if anyone nows how to make contrast her friend - it's me. Hell, I create it on purpose just for the entertainment value. ^^

I'm just at something of a cross-road - spiritually & in circumstance. There are many joyful paths I can take at this point. Nothing more to it. I guess my question about the *potential* aspect of it all is me wondering "aloud" which direction to go and how far.

Your responses are always insightful & I appreciate you all for them.

[cigi]

That is an great book, cigi. Paulo Coelho's is an excellent author!

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He is, Tika & he has a great blog, too. I just found it today & he seems to be posing many of the same questions I have been. Thanks for actually having read the material I referenced. I guess it puts the question into better context.

And Bethy - thanks for just GETTING it. :heart:

[Deva]

I just want to say I agree w/ Tika & Christine, these days I live letting my heart lead. So I know I am always doing the thing I am supposed to be doing in this moment because of the way it feels..

I find in every moment I am inspired to do something.. read, sleep, eat, go out, call someone.. and much, much more and the inspiration always comes in that moment

Life is nothing but this moment right now, and the next and the next.. so if u are going to take score, score how you are feeling right now

Dont worry about how you fit into overall/intellectual plans.. what u are doing right now is perfect.. you are in the perfect place and all of source is supporting you to move to whatever/ wherever u need to.. but the movement happen in the moment.. :D

Now :D

The beautiful now!

:D

:dance:

[Chamber]

Fantastic book....and I'm only 4-5 chapters in. Yay for audiobooks and internet piracy. :clap:

[Deva]

rofl rofl rofl Chris, I share that sentiment! :D

[cigi]

i feel GREAT right now not being a spiritual passivist.

Powerful. Well said.

I suppose I shouldn't have created a thread based on a particular piece of literature & expected people who actually have an idea of what I was talking about to answer....

And yes, Shari - everything I am doing in my NOW is indeed perfect. Even questioning the meaning of things that provoke thought. Thank you for that reminder.

[Dance of Joy]

Awww hon, I have read the book. And I completely respect where you are and the questioning you are doing. I also enjoyed speaking my opinion on the matter, which I so rarely do. I usually back away from any kind of debate. So I am rather pleased with myself for piping up. I don't understand the question from my own perspective, meaning ~ I am not in that place.

Love you, :love:
Christine

[Chamber]

I think comes down to the difference between passion and happiness.

I could sit on my ass all day and 'manufacture' being happy about it.

But I have passions....things I want to do....things I want to be...things I want to have. It's not always a striving to attain...most of the time it's simply the act itself.

So I think it's more about living with purpose and intent. Not simply being yourself...but being your BEST self. To create the piece of artwork you desire your life to be.

As opposed to "Well if I just maintain happiness...when I die it'll be all good...cuz I was happy."

Simply being happy can get boring. I want fire...passion and ecstasy and excitement and fucking FIRE.

Ok...here it is...outta my ass...

Expand and explore the subtleties and nuances of being. Creation is a process...not a state. Create a life in the state of well being.

[Osho Rewa]

"And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."
[/quote]

Christy this is so beautiful, resonates much with me

[cigi]

Simply being happy can get boring. I want fire...passion and ecstasy and excitement and fucking FIRE.



I agree 100% Chris.


Here's a great quote from Coelho's blog that really struck me because of the similarity to my "Costume" thread:

Today I want to discuss a book written by Arthur Miller called “The Crucible”.
It is about a witch hunt that took place in Salem, Massachusetts. Girls were accused of witchcraft and were burnt at the stake. On a side note, I’ve been to Salem and saw little souvenir shops selling images of this horrible episode.
Yet what I want to discuss here is this : I have the feeling that we are coming back to the witch hunt.
Anyone who dares to be different or doesn’t follow the “manual of good behavior” is blamed as a witch, a fool or a crazy … And I believe this context inhibits people of following their personal legend.

Now I just wish I could combine the 2 threads...

[Dance of Joy]

Christy,

I am loving watching your expansion of late ~ the ahas, the new insights...

Expansion is delicious. :heart: :heart: :hug:

Love,
Christine

[Dance of Joy]

Anyone who dares to be different or doesn’t follow the “manual of good behavior” is blamed as a witch, a fool or a crazy … And I believe this context inhibits people of following their personal legend.

Now that you know what you don't want, what do you want? If you want things to be different, you must take your attention from this and put it where things are where you want them to be, if only in your imagination.

Nothing ever inhibits anyone, unless they give their attention to it. We are perfectly free in all moments to choose our behaviour and our reality.

Love,
Christine

[Izzy]

Simply being happy can get boring. I want fire...passion and ecstasy and excitement and fucking FIRE.



I agree 100% Chris.



I think it is all about your own perspective...For example, I think that being happy includes being passionate.

So, for me being JUST happy is also BEING passionate about what I do. If the passion weren't there, the happiness would not be there either. I do agree with the fire bit. I love to feel excitement, and I am always looking for the next best thing to do that will give me that feeling. And I find HAPPINESS that way.

[Izzy]

Yet what I want to discuss here is this : I have the feeling that we are coming back to the witch hunt.
Anyone who dares to be different or doesn’t follow the “manual of good behavior” is blamed as a witch, a fool or a crazy … And I believe this context inhibits people of following their personal legend.

You get what you focus on. There are plenty of people who dare to be different and are considered idols or heroes. Different thought processes I guess?

[Nightprincessa]

Sometimes I'm a witch, a bitch, a thoughie, a sweetie, a pervert, a smart-ass, a sex object, a demon, an angel, a vampire, an alien... etc etc...

But... I'm always me!
Life is a party.... a costume party...

FUN FUN FUN

And as long as you know who you really are, FEEL GOOD, and are doing it all for THE FUN AND JOY of it...

IT'S HELLA GOOD!!!

Burn me at the stake anytime!!!..... YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY :clap: :dance: