You Cheated, You Lied….”*

Lance Armstrong….What lessons can we learn from his fall.

His burning desire for acclaim was a result of not believing that he truly matters and has value.  That lack of belief created the desire for recognition at any cost.

“One who desires the attention of others, has not yet found himself.” – Rabbi Shlomo Wolfe

To believe that you have value begins by recognizing and believing that the world was created for a purpose, and therefore you were uniquely created with a part in the uncovering of that purpose.  Otherwise, is to say that you are just another grain of sand in the desert.  That belief leads to feelings of worthlessness, insecurity, and low self-esteem.  That feeling of meaninglessness leads you far away from climbing your mountain.

“It is meaningless to talk about one’s purpose in life if there is no purpose for the existence of the world.” – Rabbi Abraham Twerski

“Temptation rushes in to fill the vacuum of meaninglessness. We must fight temptation with meaning.”  —   Rabbi Shraga Silverstein

First you recognize and  then continuously remind yourself that you have been given the gift of life.  You have been given that gift for you to bring your gift/purpose to life.  Accomplishing your purpose and mission is ultimately for the benefit of all.  It is much more valuable to all than one standing on a podium receiving trophies and medals solely for the acclaim.  Those awards only really matter if they are consistent with ones purpose.

You may not know your unique purpose, but if you cheat you will never find it.  Using the gifts you were given to reach your full potential is the greatest accomplishment.  We are all like musicians in a great symphony.  When we each play our instrument to its fullest potential, we will hear the most resonant music we all yearn for.

“Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.” – Rumi

“Whatever satisfies the soul is truth.” – Walt Whitman

“The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.” – Vince Lombardi 

“We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from life.” – William Osler 

To be continued….

*Song by The Shields 1958