Take a chance on doing what you love

“You can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.” Jim Carrey

I am not a huge fan of Jim Carrey movies but I can appreciate that the man has talent and sublime comedic timing. The Ritalin I wish he took would obviously detract from this genius he has. That said, he recently gave a commencement speech at the Maharishi University of Management which wowed me. I’d like to call out some of the commentary that really connected with me and I’d like to understand what his speech causes to happen for you.

What I really loved about this message was:

  1. You can fail at what you don’t want so you may as well take a chance on doing what you love. Bam! Now there’s a message.
  2. We are not the avatars we create; we are the light that shines through the avatar. I really like this idea that the self is constructed from the ego and that there is something else there beyond the mental construct of self.
  3. The imagination is always manufacturing scenarios — both good and bad — and the ego tries to keep you trapped in the multiplex of the mind. Our eyes are not only viewers, but also projectors that are running a second story over the picture we see in front of us all the time. Fear is writing that script and the working title is, ‘I’ll never be enough’ …. This is the voice of the ego. This cannot be said better. I love the metaphor of the self being both the viewer and the projector of the story we choose to unfold in front of ourselves.

My probing questions for you to reflect upon after you have viewed Mr Carrey in all his hyper-excellence are these:

  • What ‘Ministry’ do you serve?
  • How well does that ‘Ministry’ make use of your talents?
  • How much of what you do is in service of ‘The Ministry of Concern’?
  • What effect are you having on others and are you satisfied that the effect you have is impactful (in a good way)?
  • Do others present their best selves to you wherever you go?

As always, share the experience in whatever ways feel right for you.

Please allow life to happen for you

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