What is your journey?

Jaimie, I'm certainly not a Vuitton kind of guy but have been on quite an un-expected jouney for the last 8 years. Did I create my journey or has it created me? YES

Thanks for posting this.

Wow.  A very 'deep' ad to sell handbags. If I am standing on the streets with my Louis Vuitton luggage you will know Louis has helped me find meaning in my life.  Now if Frigidaire can just run similar ads, I can also have luxury accommodations.

This YouTube video caused me to have a reflective Saturday morning with an Enya CD, a pot of coffee and pack of cigarettes.  I am bouncing off the walls and there is so much smoke that even Enya is coughing.

All joking aside.

I think this sparks an interesting thought, especially in our area.  Despite all of the things going on in our world, this is really an excellent opportunity to envision, explore and evolve our individual core values and enhance the journeys we are all on. 

What landed us where we are now?  I don't believe we can point a blaming finger (index or middle) at any one person or entity.  And what's that saying, for every one finger you point, 4 come back to me?

What can we do, individually and collectively, to change that? I don't think there is a 'one size fits all' answer.

I have had numerous answers to that question in my life, but my primary answer for quite some time is putting love and caring back into the world and making that my new bottom line by stimulating others to do the same.

We are all in different places in our lives.  Our lists don't have to have statements like 'save the world'.  It might mean starting to give just 1-2 hours a day/week of undivided family time.  Or, finally pursuing the career path we have always wanted. Or, brushing up on our faith tradition (or a new one). Or, well, the list is so unique that it is endless.

What's on your list?

No matter how big and different our lists are, any one thing we have listed and choose to pursue can bring about a heightened sense of belonging, meaning, purpose and value on our journeys.  Just do it.  (Yes, Nike, I will send your 25 cent royalty).

If I had to come up with a blanket statement, I would say (as I have), it's all in how much we give.  I'm not talking about giving donations and freewill offerings.  That can actually be kind of empty if you are not engaged in it.  I am talking about the giving we give to our families, friends, co-workers, clients...and ourselves.  The giving we foster in our own worlds within a world.

Where are you now? What can you start today and carry into tomorrow?

I only wish I could have this conversation outside of the 4-week forced, coerced and commercialized season of giving.  In the end, giving of ourselves and to our world doesn't have to cost a dime.  Maybe I will re-post this in January as a source of encouragement when all the credit bills start coming in for all those who forgot.

Ok, I have to go back and resuscitate Enya.  Have a giving-ful day.

About the Journey:

Menachem said: I think this sparks an interesting thought, especially in our area. 
Despite all of the things going on in our world, this is really an
excellent opportunity to envision, explore and evolve our individual
core values and enhance the journeys we are all on.

We've had much conversation here at MCC regarding giving, and I think Menachem has hit the proverbial nail on the head with the full content of his post.

I am reminded of a lullaby I heard many years ago. The refrain went something like this:

You can be anybody that you want to be / you can love whomever you will / You can travel any oceans that calls to your heart - and I will love you still.

You can live by yourself, you can gather friends around, you can love one special one. But the only measure of your words and your deeds are the love you leave behind when you're gone.

About the Ad: It is beautiful... and encourages me to look deep, think deep, live deep. So from that standpoint, it's exceptionally effective. Does it inspire me to buy Vuittan?

Nope. Actually, the opposite is true. It inspires me to consider what is important in my life and eliminate the "clutter" of consumerism. So, it seems to me, that the ad - as beautiful as it is - is at odds with Vuittan's purpose - to sell more of their luxury "stuff."

Menachem asked: Where are you now? What can you start today and carry into tomorrow?

This year, my family has chosen to forgo holiday gift-giving. Instead, each of us is donating funds, items, or time to charities - above and beyond what we normally do throughout the year. It's been a fun "challenge" amongst family members to see who comes up with the most creative ways to give, and has been (thus far) the most fulfilling Holiday spending I've done in many, many years.

Jaime, thank you for posting the ad. Chris, I'm right with you on the unexpectedness of my last 9 years. And Menachem, I'm playing an Enya CD right now, just for you!

Make your day magnificent!

Linda

How far that little candle throws his beams!

So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

-William Shakespeare

I think when we discover WHO we are, REALLY discover the depth of our beingness,  we will all find light.  The light has different hues in each person and that is the beauty of our uniqueness and individuality.  But if we make this a priority and take the time and courage to go deep inside ourselves, then we WILL see that light and be able to shine it in the world. 

That light is our inner genius and purpose--our reason for being.  So often people think that reason has to do with DOING but it's the beingness that is our true essence.  When we are in the presence of someone who is fully conscious/enlightened-- filled with love and light, it changes us.  It's not always about what we DO, but WHO we are.  To me, that is the journey . . . discovering our light and then sharing that light with the world.

I loved the commercial - It also doesnt make me want to buy the purse!! It also does the opposite. Makes me think of "priorities". I think the journey make us who we are. Without it, we can not grow and learn about ourselves and others.

I love what Michael K. says: "but my primary answer for quite some time is putting love and caring back into the world and making that my new bottom line by stimulating others to do the same." I am so proud of being affiliated with a company that has been promoting this all along. "God first, Family second and Career third".  We need to get our priorities straight, once those are in order, our journey will become clearer and others will follow.

My journey has been a rough one over the past year and a half.  My Mom passed away July 3, 07, then I spun out and hit a guard rail coming home from the Palace on Dec 1, 2007, and then finally I had a 26'' TV hit my head on June 9, 2008.

You ask what I have learned through this that you should never take your health for granted no matter how young or old you are.  It is NOT fun but when you work at it things do eventually work themselves out no matter how much you do not believe they may.

I managed to graduate from EMU after 10 years more OFF then ON.  Then I found this site which taught me how to network and to work for the positions that I want.  I learned how to tweak the persistence part and how to just go to meetings and just try and meet people.  I do not believe that I did that before I was on this site and I was job searching the OLD fashioned way that does not work even if you do use the popular classified ads.

We all have a journey and where it takes us is where we want it to go.  I know no bag or purse is going to give you that.  Lessons are meant to be lived and learned and you have to pick up a little bit of everything from everyone to put it together into one piece and make it a piece of art work.

That is my journey and thank you for looking at this video I was in love with it the moment that I saw it.  I posted it on almost every message board that I know of.