individuality

I found myself last night watching ‘Monsters University’ – wearing 3D glasses, eating popcorn and surrounded by little kids (and other adults that love a good animated flick!).

I originally went just to relax and have a laugh, but it ended up being a little more than that. I was impressed with the key lessons in the game of life that were sprinkled throughout the story.

A little unexpected side order of enlightenment to my entertainment! And a good example of art imitating life.

life lessons from a monster

harness your strengths: utilise what you’re great at, the things you naturally do the BEST. You will get much further in life by harnessing your strengths, instead of trying to improve on your weaknesses.

ditch the mould, be unique: don’t focus on trying to be like everyone else, or what society expects of you. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Instead, focus on being the full expression of YOU. We all have a unique gift to offer the world, and we flourish when we find and use that gifting. Life works best when we celebrate our uniqueness, our differences. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, be true to who you are, always.

do what you love: follow your passions, do what makes your heart sing. There is a power that comes from focusing on what lights you up inside. Do what you love – even if you fail at the first attempt, failing is good for the soul and builds endurance. Everyone has some kind of capability that can be tapped into and allowed to let flourish. (To read my post on living your passion, click here)

believe!: determination and self conviction will get you everywhere. Ignore the nay-sayers, the pessimists, and the downright bullies in life. Believe in yourself whole heartedly. You never know what you are capable of unless you try. Change your thoughts, and you will change your world.

Not everything in life will go according to your plan. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be happy or find new dreams.

You will make a new plan, a better plan, one that is more aligned with your unique calling in life.

I truly believe that everyone has their own purpose, their life work.

Sometimes you just have to forget the path you think has been laid out for you and follow your own.

The following quote jumped off the page of a book I read recently –

“Live your passion. What does that mean anyway? It means that when you get up in the morning, you are pumped because you get to talk about or work with or do the thing that interests you the most in the world. You don’t live for vacations because you don’t need a break from what you’re doing – working, playing, and relaxing are one and the same. You don’t even pay attention to how many hours you’re working because to you, it’s not really work. You’re making money, but you’d do whatever it is you’re doing for free.” – Gary Vaynerchuk

What are your passions?

Are you living them?

If not, what is holding you back?

Your are made up of a unique set of passions, things that speak to your soul and light you up. Your passions make you feel truly alive, and self-expressed. You are your best version of yourself when living them.

What would your life look like if you chose to harness these passions? What if you actually got paid to do what you love? What kind of personal power and freedom would be possible for you?

Some people have the archaic belief that they will never make any money doing what they love, but in today’s world this has never been further from the truth. People all over the world today are earning a living doing exactly that. With the rise of the information society, and social media people can now monetize their passions, hobbies, and interests like never before. We spend the majority of our lives at work, why not spend it doing what you love most?

My Dad always told me ‘do what makes you happy, and you’ll be great at it’. This is something that has always resonated with me.

Do what you love. Follow your heart. Success will follow.

It’s as simple as that.

You owe it to yourself, life is too short not too.