Becoming a Force of Nature – A Wonderful CatastropheThis is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.
I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no “brief candle” for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.
-George Bernard Shaw
Shortly after Lucas was formally diagnosed, I remember reading my first biography about a mother who unrelentingly recovered her child from autism. She made a bold statement at the end of the book stating that she believed her tenacity and conviction is what allowed the events to take place that led to her son’s recovery. Tenacity has always been a well-known characteristic of mine. After I read this section, I turned to my son with a smile, and said, “We are so in! We’ve got this!” I realized in that moment what my purpose was, and I wasn’t going to stop reaching for it until my dream for my son was realized. I chose to take that little bit of light left in me and allowed myself to become strong enough to rise up from the desperation I felt. I unknowingly became what Son-Rise likes to call a force of nature!
A force of nature….a natural phenomenon that humans cannot control! It is full of energy, unstoppable, unchallengeable, unforgettable! A force of nature can accomplish things when others give up or give in.
When I attended Son-Rise a few years after my son’s diagnosis, they touched on what it really meant to be a force of nature and how important it was in reaching for the unreachable for our very special children. We were also given the tools on how to execute and fulfill our purpose for our children.
Clarity of Purpose being the first step. Having a clarity of purpose is being able to tell people exactly what you are going to accomplish with a calm and unshakable sense of certainty. You have to decide to make a difference and create clear principles to support that purpose. My clarity of purpose was and continues to be showing my love and acceptance of my son through my interactions with him, loving him as he is, while still giving him every opportunity to grow. I will never limit his ability to achieve, nor will I define his worth through a need for achievement. He will always be loved and accepted as the beautiful human being that he is.
Conviction becomes such an important aspect of carrying out your purpose. This is whole-heartedly believing in what you are doing (your purpose) and creating beliefs that support them. Aspiring to live your life as you wish and living your life as if you are a force of nature. I have definitely chosen to take the less-traveled path with my son through this program. I pulled him out of a school that was highly revered for their special needs program. I stopped ABA therapy, which is the agreed-upon prescribed therapy for children on the spectrum. I sought out well-known medical and homeopathic doctors specializing in autism across the country to help heal our son physically, and I was alienated and asked to leave many mainstream medical practices as a result. I did all of these things because my clarity of purpose was so strong for my son.
Taking daring action and standing tall even in the face of opposition is what it takes to put your purpose into effect and to ultimately begin realizing your dreams. Hiding from your purpose for fear of judgement makes you become closed off and keeps you from growing. You don’t need to be strong enough to lift and change the world. I found that you just need to be strong enough to hold on to your place in the world and brave enough to live out your purpose even in the face of opposition and judgement. Many looked at me as if I was crazy for going against the grain and choosing differently for Lucas. The choices I made seemed simple and straight forward to me. I believed in my purpose with such certitude, I didn’t see how I could choose any other path for our son. This program was entirely focused on my child’s needs and centered on inspiring him to grow through love, respect, acceptance and most importantly on his timeline not ours. I also loved its emphasis on being grateful for our children and truly not needing anything in particular to happen in order to show them that they are loved, valued, accepted and appreciated! Their existence alone was enough to merit these things. My conviction in this was so strong that I did much of this without the support or encouragement from my surrounding autism community.
Passion! If there is anything that is going to inspire growth and move your purpose into action, it is this. Give it all you got! Personify an energy based on sheer will! Move as if you have purpose pulling yourself in the direction of your goals through purposeful actions! When you do this, you are putting all of your 51 trillion cells of energy into your purpose which intentionally affects your physiology and changes you and the world around you. Passion strengthens every aspect of your purpose.
Lastly, persistence cannot be overlooked. As Bears (Barry Neil Kaufman) stated, most of us give up on our dreams, before we even pursue them. Persistence is believing so much in your purpose, that you never give up. Time is of no consequence. It is knowing that no matter how long it takes, living out your purpose is a success in itself. Success and failure are viewed with such an unwavering detachment that it serves as our teacher and compels us to keep going. Unforeseen events are rare and of little consequence because of the depth of self-understanding and the belief in your purpose is so deeply rooted.
“When you become a Force of Nature, there are never any regrets because giving of yourself so deeply and fully is in itself its own reward” – Barry Neil Kaufman
When you truly become a force of nature, life becomes an adventure and your accomplishments then become milestones in your journey! Living with purpose and clarity adds a level of authenticity that is so rewarding. Lucas is thriving and through this journey with my son, I have learned how to be unstoppable, unchallengeable, unforgettable and to truly live MY life to the fullest without apology or the need for affirmation.
Side Note: I wanted to include a recent video of my newest volunteer. She is doing amazingly and is such a bright light. Lucas is already taking to her because of her genuine, authentic nature. She is a perfect fit for this program and I feel fortunate she has joined our team. A little taste of the bond her Lucas are already sharing. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DC_Gw2__1c&feature=youtu.be