Bloom Where You're Planted

I read with great interest Business Insider's Jeff Bezos story (Jeff Bezos' Early Life and Rise To Wealth) on his rise to becoming the second richest man in the technology world. Despite his seemingly unattractive temperament, and like him or not: the guy was honestly made for great things. What comes clearly through is that he took no safe roads and mostly traveled along those much less traveled.

In short, the guy is brilliant and whatever he focused on, even early in life, he's turned into gold. 

Wish we were all made that way. 

The thing is...many of us would want to think that we can duplicate Bezos' path and get the same results. This would be so wrong.

I strongly believe in destiny. 

Some people are born to achieve great things, despite whatever they may have lacked in the circumstances surrounding their early lives.

Steve Jobs of Apple, inc., also was similarly destined for a great life. Jobs, like Bezos, had a biological parent (s) who disappeared early in his life. Yet, he rose.

Circumstances are just that: conditions which we can maintain, transcend or sink below. It's all about what's on the inside and no one, nor condition, can take that away from you. Believe that. 

Oprah Winfrey, certainly, will always come to mind
 when we look for examples of people
who have transcended the circumstances
of their birth.

Some people may try to bury your light through disparagement, hostility and just pure evil acts. But they won't be able to stop you from achieving your goals, and letting your light shine, unless you buy into their garbage, 

You must allow the force that is within you to lead you through every obstacle other people place in your way, every hateful act or word they direct at you. What is important is that you must be running your own race and not looking over your shoulder to see what another person, who is set up to run a different race, is doing.

That's obviously the key to winning in both Bezos' and Jobs' trajectory. They blazed their own path! They created their standards for excellence and allowed those to lead them into the highest levels of achievement.

As I become more focused on observing my and other people's walk through life, I see far too many people trying to compare and contrast their success with those of others and always seeking an advantage by wanting to know "how."

Sometimes, the other person is not even capable of explaining how they arrived where they did...they just followed the road. 


They followed their destiny!

Creating a well laid out path for many may be their way of achieving success. But it also may stifle their ability to create, especially outside the box they have so carefully built for themselves. Then, they look over at the other person and see the JOY in their hearts and souls and wonder why they have not been similarly blessed.

We know at a certain point in life that our fortunes can rise or fall based on the steps we take in each moment, at every cross road. The best we can do when we have to make a choice, then, is to follow our heart.

That's where we will be rewarded with JOY, instead of emptiness: by following our heart...which leads to our fulfilling our destiny!
And following our hearts will not always be an easy thing to do. There are many who followed their hearts and were led into failure after failure. The key here is to know whose dream it is that you're following.
(See this: "Successful People Who Failed At First." 

"Do what you love and the money will follow," is an adage we often hear.

I was reminded of this when a few months ago I encountered the brilliance of a truly dynamic and joyous young woman coming into her stride at Accenture. Without a doubt I see the trajectory of light shining above her, and based on the little I know of her, I know she will continue to follow it. This young woman truly loves Math and figuring things out. (I believe she holds a degree in Systems Engineering.) What impressed me even more than her brilliance is the loveliness of the spirit that also shines through her. 
Go Alexandria! 

Even if we're a tree of a different color and are not similarly blessed with brilliance, we should get to know own skills, abilities and talents.

Once we ascertain those, I urge you to bloom where you're planted. 

Your light, your joy of life, will always shine through, leading you to a path of good. 

All images of the lit tree were taken
at a recent "Roars & Pours" event at the
Phoenix Zoo.

And if at the end of your days that light is all you could contribute to the world, then ...
"so mote it be."

That was your destiny!

Namaste'
Che'