What is it that inspires men and women to climb mountains?
What is it that so engaged Sir Edmund Hillary to ascend the peak of Everest and that still moves hundreds more people each year to do the same?
Could it be that deep within our own soul and spirit is an in inevitable need to conquer, to rise above challenges and to find the courage to overcome our greatest fears and shine?
Just recently I had the awe-filled opportunity of fulfilling one of my ‘bucket list’ items by climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was an amazing experience, which I would highly recommend to anyone. Not only were the views from the top amazing, but the history of how the bridge was made, the lives that were lost during its construction and the craftsmanship that went into creating one of the world’s most iconic structures was simply captivating.
And it made me wonder …
“Why is it that so few people ever get to build or create an iconic life – a life of greatness that inspires people long after their time on Earth is complete?”
Reaching New Levels of Greatness
Reaching new levels of greatness is something that we are all inherently here to experience in our own way. Often this means facing our inner-shadow, that aspect of us would love to keep us playing small, shrinking in our presence and conforming to the expectations of our peers. Yet that Is not who we were divinely crafted to be!
We each have been uniquely designed, formed and had life breathed into us for the purpose of fulfilling our soul’s inner most mission and purpose at this time. We are each here to be just as iconic, confident and magnificent in our presence as the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
A Few Insights to Inspire Your Personal Journey
Here are just a few insights to help inspire your personal and professional journey:
1) Create Something Iconic
Regardless which way you look at it the Sydney Harbour Bridge is iconic. It is a sign of greatness. The vision of some great thinkers, visionaries and influencers who could see well into the future and wanted to create something that would stand out in history even today more than 85 years after its opening in 1932.
There were close to 6 million iron rivets that had to be heated in fire by hand and then manually beaten into place. There were even thousands of granite panels hand carved specifically for north and south pylons with each being cut to such exact perfection that none of them had to be re-cut.
Every day we are being called to do something great in our own lives. We are being encouraged to not just play small – but to live iconic. While standing out in a crowd might not be easy, the path of every purpose-driven leader will inspire them to lead from the front and break away from the crowd. The time of conformity is over. The new era of opportunity will go to those who have the courage to follow their own heart and march to the beat of their own drum.
2) Live Fully from Your Vision
It’s funny to consider that at the opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge there were only around 80 or so registered vehicles in NSW. Yet the engineers and designers had the vision to consider the life of the bridge and the growth of the automobile well into the future, so much so, that they would design it capable of having 8 lanes as well as railway and pedestrian access.
What was created to have a lifetime of 100 years now looks like it may last much longer than what was initially expected.
Vision is powerful. Vision is inspirational. Vision has the capacity to build bridges between heart and mind in ways where miracles can take place.
So today consider the vision that you have set for your life. How alive is it in your imagination? How engaging and inspiring is it? Does it move you? Does it bring you to tears of gratitude?
If not, then it may be time to plug in a ‘light globe’ that moves you to do, act and become more.
3) Flow Activates Creative Power and Presence
Every act of creation was at some stage first preceded by a creative vision.
Creativity requires us to access and harness states of flow and grace. But how do we do this when our lives have become so full with ‘doing’?
The thing that impressed me most about Sydney’s Bridge Climb experienced was how systemised and organised the whole experience was from the moment we arrived to the moment we handed in our customer feedback. Every aspect of the business had been though about and streamlined from getting jump suits, to being harnessed to experiencing the climb on a simulator before climbing the real thing.
Systemisation and organisation creates flow. Flow leads to increased ease and a deeper trusting of our own unconscious creative experience. And it often here where we have let go of our need to control that our greatest work comes forth.
While taking time out to be present, mindful and create balance in our lives will always be important, it is when we actively create states of flow and systemisation (habit) in our life that we can be freed from the doing, to fully focus on the being
.
4) Follow Your Desire to Conquer
Human beings have been finding ways to solve problems and redesign their destinies for centuries, At the heart of all creative pursuit has been a desire to solve new problems in even greater ways, and it is this pursuit to literally ‘conquer’ our environment that makes us a unique species on Earth.
Now can you imagine for a moment the challenges that engineers and designers of the Sydney Harbour Bridge would have faced in the 1920’s and early 30’s as they proceeded to take their vision from paper to reality?
Great problems always lead to great questions being asked and eventually to even greater solutions if we have the courage, foresight and resilience to stay the path.
So, what obstacles and challenges are being presented to you in life right now? How would conquering these lead you to new levels of being and operating in the world?
Remember your soul is always growing. And its search to express the greatest aspects of who you are it will challenge you with great problems. For it is only when we rise above, when we are able to lift our head above the bar that we can be filled with the hope of possibility. And what we believe is possible can be achieved.
5) Build Something Great that You Would Be Proud Of
Take a look at any early 18th century or 19th century architecture from churches to government buildings to museums and you will notice that the craftsmen and women of that past took great pride in their work. Stonemasons who worked relentless hours in often dusty and confined spaces still took the time to ensure that all of their pieces produced were ‘absolutely perfect’ – so perfect in fact that none had to be re-cut.
The standards that we define for our lives set the benchmark for the results that we will ultimately produce.
While it’s not hard to be outstanding in most fields of endeavour, sadly so few people ever take the time and energy these days to become true masters of their craft.
Dedicating yourself even one hour a day to learning, developing and growing your skills and abilities in any field of endeavour can help to position you more closely as an expert in your field. Building an iconic life means setting your eyes on a greater vision for your life, business, relationships or career and then committing oneself to taking small steps towards building something great.
Remember, icons are not afraid to stand out in a crowd – and this is good news. Because each of us was created differently, with a unique range of skills, talents and abilities. We don’t have to fit in any more. You have absolute permission to be yourself and to be unique and different in the world. As Oscar Wilde once said “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken!”.
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