Will You Follow YOUR Inner Voice?

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” -- Steve Jobs


The life that is right for us will have no shortage of features that identify it as such. While we may not always be able to see these features clearly or logically, it is almost always something we can feel. What this means for every single one of us is that we need to take the time to step back and really evaluate if what we are doing is just what seems to fit the mold of "correct," or actually brings us happiness, joy and the sense that we are doing something important.

We are told from a young age exactly what is considered successful in the area we live in, school we attend or company we later work for. It is generally a combination of salary and prestige, as well as how we dress, act, speak or other social cues which define our lives. The problem here is that this may have NOTHING to do with our own personality, ability, desire or passions. While these expectations are generally conveyed with the best intentions, what they can really do is influence us to spend years or decades of our lives living up to someone else's ideals. The greatest irony here is that by not following our own passions, we are less likely to actually achieve the goals that are expected, such as making a certain amount of money.

It is important to take good advice when it is presented to us, and everybody needs at least a little help in finding their ideal direction. But all of this needs to pass through our own filters that actually let us know what will enable us to wake up happy and excited to face life’s challenges. Sometimes that means taking the path less traveled, and that means having to evaluate what risks are really involved. More often than not the real risk is in doing what we think is expected of us, as opposed to what our one true zone is telling us we really want to do. Doing what is expected, without analyzing what it actually means for our own happiness and well being, can result in locking ourselves in a life from which it becomes exceedingly difficult to turn around.

Finding our own voice isn’t easy, it can be hard to stand up to loved ones or mentors and explain that what is right for us may not be what was right for them. However, I think the answers you get may surprise you! If Steve Jobs is an example to live by, the reward can be your own happiness and success.