Are you driven? Or, are you drawn? The pathway of being driven often leaves us feeling exhausted, stressed out, and unfulfilled – always searching for the next best thing. To be drawn, however, is where the magic lies. Diana Wentworth, Founder Inside Edge Foundation for Education, international keynote speaker, author of seven best-selling and award-winning books, and co-author of two Chicken Soup for the Soul titles, shares the power of what it means to be drawn rather than driven.
“We’ve evolved into a time when we can experience a much more intimate, interactive, expansive relationship with the unknown,”
explains Diana Wentworth.
The Essence Within
We are all familiar with the term ‘soul,’ but what does it mean, and how can we connect with it to support us to live our lives to our fullest potential? “I refer to the soul as essence. It is the elixir that lights up the core of someone’s being. It is your purpose based on your gifts to bring forth in this life; what you are here to exemplify from your purest, truest place,” says Wentworth.
In her 80 years, Wentworth has experienced the profound magic that can occur when we feel and listen to the power of being drawn to people, experiences, and places. Some might refer to this as luck; however, Wentworth understands that the magic that continues to unfold in her life is a result of learning to listen, connect with her essence, ask for what she wants and then allow
herself to be drawn to the next best step to achieve her goals.
Just like a seed being drawn out of the Earth to bloom into the sunlight, so must we allow ourselves to be drawn to the next thing that will lead us forward.
Put the Drive in Park
Our modern way of living has us stepping further and further away from our true selves and falling into the trap of running faster and faster in pursuit of the next best thing. But what if we just stopped, even just for a moment? What if there was a way for us to remember who we truly were, park the pursuit of ‘more,’ and embrace the magic of ‘being’?
“The clear, easier path emerging in these dark times takes the work out of it. All that is required is a shift of perception. You need only discern and create a partnership with all that is available to us now and become completely open and receptive to your highest good,” says Wentworth.
Studies have shown that we have a minuscule 17 seconds to capture a negative thought and turn it into something more positive. As is natural human behavior, our first thoughts in the morning are often centered around survival. Thoughts about all the things we have to do that day, the things we don’t want to do, situations we dread but know we must do; thoughts like these tend to start running rampant in our minds as soon as we open our eyes. It can be easy to get overwhelmed by stress and even easier to fall into victimhood, but we must learn to
take control and set the stage of our day for wonder rather than woe.
Wonder instead how great the day can turn out or how you can lift someone’s spirits. Turn your thoughts instead to a place that lifts you and makes you feel light and full of possibilities. “From that place, that feeling of wonderment, you become a flowing fountain nourishing the world with your unique gifts,” says Wentworth.
There are many ways in which we can learn to shift our thoughts. Start your day with an app such as NuCalm or a journaling session. “You need only ask for what you want, listen and discern the highest answer to that,” explains Wentworth. As you move through your day, you only need 20 minutes to realign yourself.
Take a 20-minute walk in nature, breathe deeply and/or listen to a short meditation. You will be surprised at the power that this has to support you in choosing your mental state – because that is what it is, a choice. You get to choose. You must expect magic.
“Invisible help is not only available but standing by for eager directions!” says Wentworth. So start small and go from there. The more you follow the feeling of being drawn, the more magic you discover. And who doesn’t want more magic in their lives?
