Taking the Vulnerable Path to Achieve Authentic Long-term Success

Leap and the net will appear.
                
          —JOHN BURROUGHS

When we allow ourselves to be the victim of our fears—meaning we allow our fears of failure, judgment, pain, rejection, or the unknown to stop us from going confidently after what we want and dream of—our hearts remain closed, which literally blocks us from receiving the very things we’ve been seeking. In other words, when we allow our fears to drive our choices, the actions we do not take and the opportunities we allow to pass us by are symbolic of us rejecting the life we genuinely desire.

Conversely, when we find the courage to face our fears directly, to go after what we want and dream of, and thus jump into the unfamiliar territories that are calling out to us, our hearts literally open, which then renders us ready to finally receive what we’ve been waiting and longing to feel, achieve and experience. Once we finally love and value ourselves enough to trust the promises that life is continually whispering into our ears, it is time for us to take the risk, to step out beyond the cold-comfort that we know we’re not satisfied with, and to open our hearts to the high quality life we’ve always been destined to live.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.   —THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Commitment to Remain Openhearted

Authentic long-term success, whether it’s in life, love, business, health, or spiritual awakening, is the direct result of our commitment to remain openhearted and vulnerable. In my experience, all successful endeavors—whether the goal is to love myself unconditionally, to fulfill my life’s purpose, to build a thriving business, to express my attraction to a woman, to create a healthy relationship, or to find inner peace and freedom—each one boils down to my willingness to overcome rejection and the fear of being rejected.


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In other words, I have found that it is the persistence to continually jump, to push the edge of my comfort zone, to wear my heart on my sleeve, to express the truth in my heart, and to continually go after all I want and dream of—no matter what—that opens the door to my deepest desires in life.

Never Settle for Less

All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was only vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes and make them their reality.  —THOMAS E. LAWRENCE

In order to fulfill our life’s purpose, we’re all called to consciously create a life that reflects a unique, free, and full expression of who and what we truly are. In other words, as our love for ourselves truly becomes unconditional and full, the next step in our self-mastery and personal evolution is always the realization of our greatest potential.

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
                                                     
—ARISTOTLE

Creating a life that truly reflects our greatest potential demands that we hold a conscious intention within our heart and mind not to settle for anything less than we’re worthy, deserving, or capable of in any aspect of our lives. In loving ourselves unconditionally an inner resolve naturally emerges that cannot and will not settle for anything less than the joy, abundance, passion, and freedom that come when our lives truly demonstrate our inherent greatness.

Knowing this, what we focus our attention on in life is what we get, whether we consciously want it or not. So along with the intention to realize our greatest potential comes the task of deliberately focusing all our attention on the manifestation of it. Consciously creating a life that is deeply aligned with our heart and extremely liberating for our soul does not happen by chance. It happens because we intentionally focus on creating it with every choice we make and every breath we take.

Lasting Happiness And Profound Fulfillment

Deep in our hearts we all know that to live each day with unconditional love, compassion, and kindness for ourselves and to express the beauty and wisdom inherent to our soul’s true nature, is a life that brings the lasting happiness and profound fulfillment we’re all looking for. To live each day abundantly and vibrantly in such a way that we feel interconnected with all life, at one with the entire universe, and at home in God is a life that truly reflects the purpose for which we were born.

The inner success and wealth that we all desire can only become our reality as we love ourselves and thus fill ourselves with the health, peace, and joy that are more valuable than any form of external achievement, material gain, or recognition. When we know without doubt that we’ve done and are doing all that we can each day to live our lives to the fullest, with intention, purpose, and awareness, we know our destiny is our reality and our liberation is here. When every belief, thought, emotion, action, and spoken word born within us is grounded in unconditional love for ourselves, other people, and all life, then we know with certainty that we have mastered unconditional self-love.

The evolutionary force of the universe is always driving the love within us to heal us and fulfill us completely from the inside out. Like a river that eventually flows back into the vast ocean, so too are we always being led home to the source of love, freedom, and infinite possibility from which we come. Just like caterpillars that have no choice but to become butterflies, you and I ultimately have no choice but to bring the love that we are fully into this world.

It’s Merely A Matter Of Time

Every single one of us is destined to liberate ourselves from our suffering, fulfill our life’s purpose, and realize our greatest potential both personally and professionally, but we must know this, claim this, and wholeheartedly commit to bringing it forth. Please don’t set yourself up for a life of regret that’s full of I-could-haves or I-should-haves. Please love yourself enough now to break free into the bliss and joy that are your birthright. Please go after what you want and love in life and never settle for less than you know you are capable of.

Above all else, please never settle for a relationship with yourself or anyone else that is not based on and full of the unconditional love, kindness, and respect that you deserve. You were not born to suffer, so if you’ve truly had enough sickness, misery, and unhealthy compromise, you can and will heal yourself while you simultaneously create the magnificent, awakened, and self-actualized life you have always been destined to live.

Heal Yourself Now Questions

If you knew that you would die one year from today, what would you focus your time and energy on? What would you go do, see, and experience? Who would you call or reconnect with? Who would you forgive? Who would you spend more quality time with?

What does your most liberated and joyful life look like? What do you imagine the life of your dreams to feel like? What steps do you know you need to take in order to make your larger vision and dream your reality? Why are you avoiding these steps? When will you stop making excuses and finally go after what you believe in, value, want, and love?

Where in your life are you settling for less than you know you are capable of?

Where and with whom in your life are you still compromising yourself and denying your greatness?

Once again, are you waiting for your children to age, your parents to die, or your intimate relationship to end before you start living your life the way you want to? If so, why?

When is enough truly enough? When will you say enough settling, enough compromising, enough sickness, enough misery, and enough living in fear?

If not now, then when? If not today, then when?

Love Yourself Now Affirmations

I was born to live my life to the fullest.

I deserve the best in every aspect of my life.

I deserve to be happy.

I am always supported and protected.

I have everything I need within me to create a fulfilling life that I love.

Subtitles by InnerSelf

©2013, 2015. Reprinted with permission of the author.

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You Were Not Born to Suffer: Love Yourself Back to Inner Peace, Health, Happiness & Fulfillment by Blake D. Bauer.You Were Not Born to Suffer: Love Yourself Back to Inner Peace, Health, Happiness & Fulfillment
by Blake D. Bauer.

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About the Author

Blake BauerBlake Bauer is a Chicago native whose fascinating life experiences led him to take the path of teacher. Remarkably young yet gifted with extraordinary wisdom he has become an internationally recognized author, counselor, and alternative medicine practitioner. Blake has traveled worldwide training with notable spiritual teachers, healers, and masters and has acquired a formal education in psychology, Chinese medicine, nutrition, herbal remedies, hypnosis as well as other forms of traditional healing and alternative medicine. Visit his website at www.unconditional-selflove.com

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