We are what we think

We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts, we make our world.
-Buddha

Thanks to the Buddha for keeping it real. We've all heard the quote "whether you think you can or can't, you're right," and it's the truth. Our entire realities are made up purely of perceptions, and most of our perceptions are clouded by past experiences and hurts so we are rarely even perceiving clearly.

What if you took can't out of your vocabulary, what might be different? Last year I played an experiment with myself of not only saying yes to every opportunity I could, but committing to following through with them. My motto during that time was "lets make it happen" and do you know what? I did. It was one of my best years ever, and the most fun! Our perceived limitations are only as real as we let them be, but our strength and courage are also as strong as we believe them to be.

Believe you are everything, that this world was made for you to succeed. Why? Because it's true.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

What did you want to be when you grew up? I was lucky enough to have parents that told me and more importantly believed that I could be anything I wanted to be. Sadly, I think they were hoping that I would fulfill my dreams of becoming the President of Canada instead of becoming a yoga teacher, but I think they're over it by now...

Growing up I also had a passion for fashion design and hoped that one day I would have my clothes walking down a runway in a posh Paris studio. I'm not so interested in fashion anymore, but when I listen, there's the same passion and purpose that my life is meant for something big. When I was younger, it was more about the fame and glamor of the fashion professions, now, it's quieter, more soulful, and more urgent than ever before. I, probably just like you, know I was put here for something important. I believe this life is precious and short and although life is strong it is also very fragile because it can be drastically changed or taken from me at any moment. I have no illusion that death is always near, just like birth, and perhaps that is where my urgency has set in.

What happened to our childhood hopes and dreams? Did we let society convince us that we were meant simply hope for the best and clock in and out each day and never hope for more? What was it that drove your heart when you were young, and what happened to your dream? Is it still the same, or is it now something different? All of us, when we get quiet enough to listen to the echos in our own hearts, we know we are meant for something more. So today, I challenge you to uncover what inspires you to be and give your best, and take one small step off the road that's known towards one of your dreams, whatever that may be. Find your luminous truth, and let it shine.