Finding Your Voice

Today I want to bring up a topic that is close to my heart and answers the question most often asked of me.

"What do you do that makes you so passionate about what you  do every day?"

I will give you the answers here. But first, let me ask you some questions:

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

What would you do if your days were numbered?

How can you make the world a better place?

Fast-forward 10 years--would you still do what you do today? Is this where you want to be?

Most people go through life on autopilot, doing what they think they're supposed to do, in order to get what they think they want, or what they're told they should want. But in order to get what we really want, we first have to find our voice.

"You are not a robot. You are a human being with choices. Don't let the noises around you program you just like a robot. Build your life, not just your resume."

Answering these questions becomes critical in helping us find our 'real' voice because:

We are defined by the STORIES we believe and keep telling ourselves.

We are defined by the VOICES we listen to.

We are defined by the PEOPLE that we allow into our 'SPACE'.  Be careful who you let in.

There are three VOICES that we are attracted to:

The VOICE of our 'THOUGHTS'-- our 'MIND'-- Self-talk

The VOICE of our 'SOUL'-- our Spiritual Being, our Creator

The VOICE around "Us"-- The 'NOISE' of other people's opinions, social media, emails, parents, friends, colleagues, many others, the world in general, distractions of life.

In order to find our real voice, we must first mute the noise around us to get to the real voice inside our soul, so we can hear what is telling us. Outside noise and self-talk, (whether it's positive or negative,) prevents us from hearing our real voice. We have to find a way to quiet these thoughts and distractions to connect with our soul.

Removing the noise requires INTENTIONALITY - it won't happen by autopilot. 

You have to do the work.

While there are many ways to do this, (meditation, prayer, etc.,) I have five things I do consistently every day to bring out the best and connect with my inner voice.

I call it the RULE OF 5. Your rule of 5 may be different from mine. That's OK. What's important is to find what works for you and practice it consistently every day. Waking up early daily gives me the time to have some "ME" time and remove the noise from my head, so I can focus on what matters most in life.

These are the five things I do daily every morning without fail, that allow me to perform at my best:

1.       I reflect, think and pray.

2.       I read and write. 

3.       I connect. 

4.       I inspire.

5.       I create.

One of my favorite quotes is: "Detachment is not that you should own nothing, but that nothing should own you."

Don't let the 'NOISE' around you become the VOICE in your life. 

Who are you listening to? Which voice has the most priority and more control in your life?  Are your daily habits in alignment with the daily voice of your soul? Most importantly, what do you do to reduce the noise daily? How do you remove the doubts from your mind?

Utilizing the Rule of 5 has helped me for years, and it can help you remove the noise around you so you can get connected to the real voice within you. If you let the noise and the self-talk take over, particularly negative self-talk, that's who you eventually will become. Find your five things that matters the most and create your own Rule of 5.

Another important lesson that I have learned is that we should review and refine our intentions daily. Each time you refine your intentions, you are planting new seeds (sometimes mixed up with weeds) which they will become your new habits. 

Remember:

Seeds: Passion, Purpose, Love, Compassion.

Weeds: Anger, hate, jealousy, envy, comparison, competition. It's important to find the time daily to plant the seeds so they can grow and you can clear out the weeds.
 

These things also reflect the important relationship between our HEAD, HEART AND HANDS. The HEAD gives us clarity of VISION; The HEART gives us COMPASSION and the reason for achieving our VISION. Our HANDS helps us to take ACTION, provide service, and pay it forward.

By reviewing and reflecting daily, we begin to cut through the noise and get more connected to the voice inside. This is how we would discover our real voice.  Once we find it, we find our real purpose and passion.  Why is this so important?

Because "when your purpose and passion are in alignment, your work becomes your calling, your mindset becomes 20/20 in clarity and your life becomes your dream." That is how you become inspired and unstoppable. Don't let the noise around you distract you from listening to the voice within you. Find your voice so you can help others find their voice. And remember, sometimes the best way to learn is to unlearn some old habits.

Farshad Asl www.farshadasl.com