Who are you? Leaving out any specifics of your human and ego identity, YOU are a singular, perfectly unique, limitless ball of potential. You are so far beyond what I lovingly call your “meat suit”. Don’t get me wrong, your physical identity is beautiful, clever, cool and stylish. But I’m talking about the higher YOU. That calmer, all-knowing, confident and focused YOU. That part of you who remembers: You’ve been a 280 foot Sequoia inside a 4 mm seed since conception.
YOU are the living, breathing incarnation of what Deepak Chopra calls “pure potentiality”. We all are. When challenges arise, no one can get in your head and trigger your memory on this. Only YOU can. When you factor in the unique social advantages you were born into, and better yet the disadvantages you have overcome, your singular value to the rest of us explodes. Nature and nurture continually refine your offering. THAT is how important you are to the rest of us, and to the expansion of All That Is.
The only problem is that we get so hell bent on not believing any of this. The world around us is determined to hook our attention, and mold us toward its own ends. Part of us wants to believe the fear mongers, the haters, the well-intentioned worriers, sworn “protectors” of our well being, and the media. All of that noise can seem really compelling, and important. But it’s only distraction from our potential.
Marketers will tell you you’re ugly and then sell you beauty. Tell you you’re ill and sell you wellness. Tell you you’re limited and sell you a sense of freedom. Tell you you’re aging and sell you youth.
We are blessed to have family and friends who love us, who typically see us for who we really are and what we’re trying to become. I love and appreciate all of their input, encouragement, and critical advice. It has helped shape, influence, guide, and improve me.
But I can’t help feeling like Dr. Emmitt Brown at the end of the first Back to The Future. I blast back down the street, process some of the world’s garbage in my Mr. Fusion home energy reactor, and start hovering. Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads. My parents couldn’t hand me a fully charted course, because one didn’t exist. I probably love them more for that than the countless opportunities and gifts they’ve given me. We get to swing our machetes like crazy fools in this jungle every day, carving out our own path. “Oh, but that sounds hard, and scary.” But doesn’t it also kinda ROCK?
Your success can only be personally defined. My favorite, most simple definition of success comes from Earl Nightengale. He was one of 12 surviving Marines aboard the USS Arizona that was attacked by the Japanese in Pearl Harbor in 1941. He went on to become a world famous broadcaster and motivator, writing and performing more than 7000 radio broadcasts. His most famous audio program, entitled “The Strangest Secret” is considered a cornerstone of personal development and was ripped off for the Law of Attraction DVD “The Secret” a few years ago. Its premise is simple: “We become what we think about most of the time.” Anyway, Nightengale defined success as “the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” Here’s the Lesson: only YOU can evaluate and measure your progress, and only YOU can define your worthy ideal.
There are a lot of well-meaning people who think they know what’s best for you, but they are wrong. You must draw your own map. You must write your own score. This is your immense, singular gift to the world. This is your contribution. You should be wide open to new knowledge and opportunity. You should listen lovingly to the input of your parents, teachers, and peers as they share their dreams for your life. Genuinely thank them.
And then ask yourself if the input they’ve offered truly resonates with YOU, based on your own continued assessment and reassessment of who you really are. Think critically from your deeper place of knowing. I swear to you that YOU are in there somewhere. I see YOU when you laugh your ass off, close a big sale, when you rock the house, ace a test, and fall in love. That part of me can’t help but notice the 1.21 gigawatts of YOU, because it’s the dragon I’m chasing. It’s all I try to look for.
A 300 foot Sequoia tree produces 11,000 cones on average, each of which contains hundreds of seeds with that ridiculous potential. Only a precious few achieve that height. It takes a delicate chemistry of earth, oxygen, water, and fire. Even the park rangers let these 3000 year-old trees burn.
Once you spot your opening in the canopy, sink your feet deep in the ground. Welcome the fire. Welcome the wind and rain.
It’s all here to help you remember who YOU really are.
Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.
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Please leave a comment with any ideas on my next topic. Thanks.
8 Responses
hey kc, this is really incredible stuff brother. thank you so much for the much needed LIFT! SOLID.
Kris this was a fantastic addition to my day!!! Really love what you've assembled here. It's very moving and inspiring. Wasn't this a music site? LOL
Sometimes your message just knocks me over. You bring it up every so often but then every once in a while (like today) you clobber me with it. It's beautiful, and well-crafted.
Thanks for putting some light back in the world KC.
Ryan
I'm feelin you Doc Brown!
Wow Kris – fabulous, excellent post!! Keep bringing it brother, you got it going on!!
Thanks, been thinking of you. Hope you're on the mend. Can't wait to see you guys. -kc
I realize that this was written 6 months ago, but damn….I'm glad to have stumbled upon the rantings of a sequoia. I'm running a lot these days and always dreaming…looking for an opening in the canopy.
Thanks,
Bill
Hey KC love it man