The Road to Independence.

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The Road to Independence is not always straight.  The Road to Independence is not always just a one-way road.  The road that each of us takes to our own independence will be as varied as the sands of a beach.  The problem that most people experience is that they are trying to take someone else's road and not their own.  Today I want to encourage you to forget what others have done, what they might be doing, and follow your own road.  It is in following what has been ordained for you that you will get to the place where you will be the person you were always intended to be.

When I was younger and very impressionable I would try to emulate others around me.  If I knew someone who was popular or successful I would try to be a mirror image of them.  Sadly what this did was cause me to loose my own identity.  My personality is perfectly suited for the things that I am supposed to do in this life.  There is no need to change who I am, because who I am is the person that I was created to be.  When we try to be something we are not we will get into all kinds of trouble.  When we try to fabricate a life for ourselves and not be satisfied with the life you were placed into, that is the time that you are going to run into trouble.

Everyone's road to their own independence will be marked with signs.  These signs will always tell you what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.  Our challenge is being aware of the signs and then when awareness comes, do something with the information.  You can sit around and do nothing, but then you have no one else to blame when things are not the way you desire them to be.  I've had periods in my life when I wanted others to do for me the things I should have been doing all along.  There have been moments when I felt as though the world owed me big time and I was going to wait for what was owed to me to be deposited in my lap.  Trust me, most of the time all you will be doing by waiting is wasting a huge amount of time.

There will be days when your own road to independence might seem almost impossible to travel.  A dip here, a crest over there, a detour, and just maybe a road block with no alternative route to travel.  Trust me when I tell you that your road is perfectly suited for you, and if you will be mindful of this fact, you will be able to navigate the changes that might be in front of you.  I've traveled many roads in my life, and I am so thankful that I didn't give up.  I love my life.  I love who I am and what I do.  I love that I have had the opportunities I've had, and I look forward to more opportunities in the future.  Had I tried to travel someone else's road I can assure you that I would not be where I am at today.

Your personal Road to Independence is just for you.  What you were created to do can only be done by you.  If you are the only one who can do what you were created to do, why would you want to travel someone else's road and not your own?  If you desire the freedom to be who you were intended to be, why would you subject yourself to being tied down to others expectations?  If you desire to walk in your destiny, why would you allow yourself to be pigeoned holed into being someone or something that you are not?  It's easy to ask these questions.  What isn't easy is answering them truthfully.  That being said, the only way to live life to the fullest is for you to be open and truthful when it comes to being yourself.  I've purposely held back sharing some of my dreams because I was almost embarrassed by them.  I'm not embarrassed because they are crazy or stupid but rather because my visions are so huge.  I let my fear or concern of what others might think stop me from moving full speed ahead on those things that I really wanted to do.  You see, I allowed myself to travel someone else's road and not my own.

Please, please, please believe me when I tell you that you are the only one who can accomplish those things you were sent here to accomplish.  Certainly there may be others who will do things similar to you, but it won't be identical because you and others are totally different people.  I have an identical twin brother and although we share the same DNA, his destiny is different then mine, and mine is different then his.  We may look the same, sound the same, have identical mannerisms, but our destinies are different, and the roads we travel will be different.

You may have started down your Road to Independence, and if you are like most people, you will not be able to see the end.  What lurks around the next bend is something that you will have to wait to see until you get to the bend.  The end of your road is way to far down the horizon to be worried about when or if you will get to the end of the road. Trust me, the end of the road is never the prize.  The prize is in navigating your own road, and doing it in your own way.  There will be people around you who can help, but the wise will understand that this is just a helpful hand and not intended to be your life jacket.  I encourage each of you to take a step back and try to identify if you are in fact on your own road or simply occupying someone else's space.  It may be more comfortable to occupy a road that has already been explored and conquered, but it will never be the road that will take you to your destiny.  There are no short-cuts when it comes to discovering and walking in your destiny.

Your Road to independence is just waiting for you to take a stroll down a very exciting and fulfilling path. I promise you that once you begin to take this journey, there is very little that will stop you from wanting to complete the journey.  I wish you well on your travels and I look forward to hearing about what gates or doors may have been opened for you as you trek across this magnificent universe.