
The weathered map, tattered and worn around the edges, leads the treasure-seeker on a mysterious and winding path, gathering one clue after another on her way toward the buried treasure. Each clue leads to the next one, and on she goes, unsure of how one clue connects to another, but trusting somehow that if she follows the map, she will eventually arrive at the place where ‘X’ marks the spot, where the treasure she seeks lies buried; hidden. Waiting for her to unearth it and bring it into the light of day.
Like the treasure-seeker with her weathered map, you might find yourself at times unsure of how to find your way to your ‘pot of gold’; to living a life that you truly love. But even when you think you don’t know where to look for the clues - even when you have no idea what might be in that treasure chest of yours (when you don’t even know what it is that you want to be doing) - know this:
Your dreams and loves are laying, like buried treasure, in your heart.
They are there – waiting patiently - ready for you to unearth them. Sometimes they are buried under years of neglect, under messages from yourself or others that ‘you can’t make a career out of that’, or ‘that’s not a realistic way to make a living’. Well-meaning family, friends, teachers or mentors may have told you – sometimes overtly in a direct message, but more often, subtly, through the underlying messages their own lives demonstrated - all the things they thought that were not possible, that were not realistic. Things that were maybe do-able by other people, but definitely not by them. Not by you.
Maybe they were wrong.
Nobody else knows what you are capable of, and when your dreams include things that you love to do, other resources spring to life that can’t help but to draw those dreams into reality. Tenacity, dedication and perseverance are the tools that the ‘dreamer’ finds magically in her tool belt when she starts to pursue her dreams. Passion, joy and sheer delight are the fuel that keeps her going when she starts to take action on her dreams. She starts to feel more alive, more vibrant, more energized, more connected. She feels more peaceful, more content, more ‘on purpose’. Happier.
You will too. And your joy will spread and spill over into other parts of your life, into other relationships, into the lives of those you encounter.
Part of the incredible conversations we are having in the Do What You Love Telesymposium are about finding that buried treasure. Unearthing the chest of jewels and gold that already lies, waiting, in your heart. At the time of writing this post, we’ve had just two speakers thus far grace the virtual stage of the telesymposium, but both Sue Rasmussen and Carrie Klassen made a point of noting that the things they are doing now – things that they love – were things that they already were doing as young children. One knew then that this was what she wanted to do for her life’s work; the other didn’t realize it at the time (at least didn’t realize that what she loved could possibly become a career), but in hindsight she can see clearly that this work was always in her nature. It was always what she was drawn to.
Let’s go on a treasure hunt.
Grab a sheet of paper, and as soon as you can, carve out just twenty or thirty minutes for yourself in a place where you won’t be interrupted. We’re going to start drawing your treasure map. The clues that we uncover will start to lead you to your buried treasure. Don’t even think about this (yet) in terms of a career or a vocation of any kind. Just take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, and remember…
What did you love to do as a child? What kinds of things would completely absorb you, make you totally lose track of time, and make the world around you disappear? What kinds of things would grab and hold your attention for a delightful, invigorating stretch of time? Include all of your senses: what kinds of things did you love to look at? To touch? What smells did you love? What sounds were music to your ears? Did you like to be indoors or outdoors? Did you love to be active – running, jumping, dancing – or did you love to curl up in quieter activities – reading, drawing, crafting? What kinds of feelings made you feel the best? The most alive, the most comforted?
Your map doesn’t have to look at all logical or linear at this point; in fact, the less logical and linear, the better. Draw pictures, write words, use up the whole page and don’t worry for a moment about categorizing things. Just get the things you loved down on paper. On today’s call with Kate Gardner of CreativeActs, we’ll find out the steps you can take to start turning these clues into your personal treasure map.
If you haven’t already, do register for the series, because even if you can’t listen to the (free) live calls, you’ll be able to listen to the recordings online afterwards (still free!) for 48 hours, and you also have the option of buying the mp3 and/or transcript collection to listen to or read at your own convenience.
What kinds of things are on your treasure map? Leave a comment below and let me know.