George Bernard Shaw said: “Two things define you. Your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.”
It is my belief that you live your life in three parts. The first 20 years is the learning phase, that is the Know thyself part. The second is the earning phase which is controlling yourself, seeking your fortune, fame and glory.
The last is the returning phase or giving of thyself. This should be the piece de resistance of your life. It should be when your tapestry spreads out to show the full glory of your life and having lived.
Many of us sell ourselves short by buying into the attitudes and beliefs of those around us. My late wife had a story of what society believed she could accomplish with her life.
Society at that time said women should only be housewives, secretaries or teachers. Her Dad asked her what she wanted to be when she graduated from high school. Her response was to be a teacher.
His response was you can do a lot better than that. He challenged her with that statement, and she went on to become a lawyer in a world which at that time didn’t accept women lawyers.
It was not the easy path. Being one of the first Woman lawyers she struggled to be accepted, hired and not be dismissed. So how do you define yourself?
In your learning phase did you buy into definitions that limited you and what you could do in life? In your earning phase did you buy into definitions that your experiences would not be valuable to anyone after a certain point in your life?
Have you examined the limits you have mentally placed on your life’s mission? Is your Tapestry growing in color and size or is it becoming tattered and colorless?
I will start discussing the chapters as I read them. I hope you will pick up the book “Live Life in Crescendo” by Covey and Haller and read along with me. Let me know if you agree with my thoughts.
I am still working on my course, and I will keep you abreast as to how the process goes. If you want to participate in this process and join my first class please send me an email to www.bobchuckpatterson@yahoo.com
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