"What if the question is not why I am so infrequently the person I really want to be, but why do I so infrequently want to be the person I really am?" ~ Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Note: Changes to the Sunday Thoughts will be coming soon. Enter your name and email address in the Jungle 2.0 box (to the right) to get the expanded Sunday Thoughts, be notified of other exciting offerings, and be the first to receive the Jungle of Life e-book.
Lance writes stories from his heart, aiming to inspire and motivate, as you align more fully with YOUR true peak. When he's not here, you can find him hanging out with his family, riding a bike, or just generally acting goofy.
Sign up for the Thoughts from the Treehouse newsletter and get additional inspiration in your email inbox!
(Visited 75 times, 1 visits today)
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s a great question to wrestle with today. No one is ever 100% genuine because that would require total honesty and I’m not sure anyone is that honest. Most of us tell lies to ourselves and others, even if they’re just lies of omission, so maybe that’s where it all starts? And before you know it you’re hiding the good bits as well as the bad bits?
Dave,
Where it all starts…yes, perhaps that is it…
What are we hiding? What am I hiding?
Hi Lance,
I love Oriah’s writing, I thoroughly enjoy her books! For me, the moments I am not “who I want to be” are because I’ve assigned an expectation to who I think I should be instead of allowing for my self to unfold naturally…And also any time I feel “less than” that is my signal that fear is present..my solution is to grow my faith and to celebrate the positive. To open my heart fully to the moment as it is rather than how I may wish it was..and to manifest change. When I open my heart to love, *I am love*..and I am always enough, exactly as I am, in the moment I am in..
Joy´s Last Fabulous Post ..Self Love Series- Intro and Let Your Colors Burst!
Joy,
Each of us, yes, is most definitely enough.
And this concept of letting ourselves unfold naturally..when we do this, when we “listen to our heart”…we are led to a very beautiful place (even if those places are sometimes challenging).
Joy, you shine so beautifully at opening your heart, and because of that…you have touched my soul…
A question to ponder. 🙂
Lynn´s Last Fabulous Post ..Figo- thank you note and I wish you enough
Hi Lance,
I love Oriah’s writing, I thoroughly enjoy her books! For me, the moments I am not “who I want to be” are because I’ve assigned an expectation to who I think I should be instead of allowing for my self to unfold naturally…And also any time I feel “less than” that is my signal that fear is present..my solution is to grow my faith and to celebrate the positive. To open my heart fully to the moment as it is rather than how I may wish it was..and to manifest change. When I open my heart to love, *I am love*..and I am always enough, exactly as I am, in the moment I am in..
I enjoy the words of Oriah Mountain Dreamer too. She certainly shares many thought-provoking questions. These questions can potentially help create breakthroughs.
Evelyn Lim´s Last Fabulous Post ..Shift Your Current Scarcity Paradigm
Lance, This quote has got me thinking….really really thinking deep deep thoughts…hmmmm
And, I did sign up for your awesome Jungle 2.0!!! I excitedly await thy newsletter 🙂
Sundays aren’t complete till I get my dose of Jungle from my favorite Lance.
So Much love,
Z~
Zeenat{Positive Provocations}´s Last Fabulous Post ..Simplicity and Spirituality – Raoka
Zeenat,
Thank you so much for your beautiful support!!
Much love to you…always…
Wow… such a relevant and timely topic. I’ve already copied this quote and plan to send it to a friend, with whom I’ve been having these conversations lately. Thank you, dear friend, for highlighting things in perfect ways.
Much love to you,
Megan
Megan,
I find these words from Oriah Mountain Dreamer to be deeply profound…
Much love and big hugs, dear friend…
You always have me thinking & this is a great one Lance!
Looking forward to the new changes!
Jody,
Those changes…they are getting closer!! (now…I must really get back to work on them!)
Swee synchronicity – the angel card I drew this morning was “Self Acceptance”. A double-dose I suppose in case I missed the message the first time 😉 Thanks Lance!
Hilda´s Last Fabulous Post ..Expect the Best
Hilda,
Synchronicity … is such a beautiful thing.
And I just love those words…’angel card”….
The answer to that question is lack of self accpetance. I’ll be working on this until the day I die! In a culture obsessed with beauty and youth I struggle with aging. How’s that for honesty Lance?!?
Tess The Bold Life´s Last Fabulous Post ..50 Quotes to Inspire the Dreamers of 2011
Tess,
That is very much, a deep level of honesty. And I love that you stated this here. I would be lying if I said that it didn’t affect me to some degree, too. (see…your bringing out the honesty in me, too!!)
…self acceptance…I’m working on that…
Hi Lance! Great question – why do I so infrequently want to be the person I really am? For me is about finding who I really am inside and finding ways to express my true nature. 🙂 Not always so easy but worth every minute of it.
Thanks for this beautiful reminder on Sunday! Loving blessings!
Andrea DeBell – britetalk´s Last Fabulous Post ..How to Find your Purpose in Life
Andrea,
…and not always easy to “dig deeper” into who we are, within….
Yes, so worth it…
Much love to you…
Wow. That is some insightful thinking. We all want to change, to be better (or whatever -er that you care to use). But do we really feel comfortable in our own skin? That is something I wrestle with. I never feel enough, but maybe that is just some outside influence beating me up. Why do I succumb to that? Why not be happy with who I am where I am with what I have? Tough questions. No easy answers. I have to chew on this one some more…
Enjoy the day.
Erin
Erin Prais-Hintz´s Last Fabulous Post ..Drawing Cats
Erin,
Ahhh…yes, those outside influences. Doing what we think we “should” to match an expected appearance. I know. And yet, our “own skin”…this is truly us. And when we are there, when we are in alignment with our heart…doesn’t that feel so good, too.
Erin, I wish you enough…always…
When I first saw the picture, I thought it was a trailing line up to an exploded fireworks. I thought it was pretty and bright. Now I see the outline of the person (on a screen bigger than a phone!). Still really cool.
I think sometimes I just have my mind set on being who other people think I should be, and I don’t recreate me, based on me, and who I AM, what I BELIEVE. It’s a work in progress. It’s an illusion like the image double I saw above. And I hope to one day emerge in all my glory and all my confidence.
Angelia Sims Hardy´s Last Fabulous Post ..Cloudy with a Chance of Chili
Angelia,
I believe very much, that is exactly it – we become who we believe others expect us to be. And in that, we limit what is possible within us…as that can be taking us away from what our heart speaks.
When we’re in that place, though, living from our heart – it really is such a beautiful place, isn’t it…
Shine, dear friend!! In fact, you already do….
It is with undying gratitude and humbleness that I say that I am frequently the person that I want to be. It is not a gift but has taken considerable effort. Maybe it will be easier next life..or not 🙂
Dr. J,
…and what a great place to “be”….
That’s a powerful question, a powerful quote, and a powerful message.
I saw Narnia this past weekend, and there was a theme in there about wanting to be who you already are versus wishing yourself away.
J.D. Meier´s Last Fabulous Post ..Five-Minute Thinks
Nice one! So true that we spend so much energy trying to ‘fix’ what our weaknesses, and comparatively little nurturing our strengths
Marianne,
I love how you have stated this – because this is so deeply true.
And it’s our strengths that truly are just that – strengths. When we really focus on those, what wonderful things can happen!
this could be one to meditate on for a very long time, Lance!
And, so easy to be accepting of what other people truly are, deep within, but yet not accepting of the little, wonderful things that make up our own being…as we have discussed before!
Looking forward to exploring the jungle even more in 2011! Thanks for all you do, Lance!
Love,
Jen
Little Lessons Under the Big Sky´s Last Fabulous Post ..The Color of My Den
Jen,
There is much within these few words…much to soak into our souls.
I know how deeply you “get” this…
Love to you…always,
Lance
Ooooo, a Jungle e-book. It’ll be a good ‘un, I know! I’ll for sure be a-signing and a-singing up.
— Jannie Hill Country Dreamer
xoxo
Jannie Funster´s Last Fabulous Post ..Laguna Gloria- Austin Texas
Hey Country Dreamer,
Woohoo!! You are AWESOME!!
xoxo
@Tess I agree… it’s called lack of self acceptance and this is what I should improve in myself.
Ann Karen´s Last Fabulous Post ..Importance of Social Media
Oh Lance, wow! What a thought. For me, I think that I can be too hard on myself. I think that on some days I am the person I was meant to be. Unfortunately I don’t appreciate THAT person. While I do think that we should always strive for something better, to be better. I do think there are times when it’s OK to just, be. And more importantly to BE happy with who we are and to appreciate all that we are! I also think that what makes it hard to be me, is comparing myself to others and wanting to be them instead! 🙂 But that’s a whole post on it’s own!
I hope that you are doing well my friend!!!!
Hugs!
Nat
Natalia´s Last Fabulous Post ..to gym or not to gym
Natalia,
What deeply important and meaningful points you bring up. That “comparison game” can be a real bugger – and take on a path that is not in line with who we are (…and I know I have been there…).
Thank you so much for all of this, dear friend.
Much love and big hugs,
Lance