Darrell Gheen: Choose A Life Now!: Find your inspiration!

Getting inspired is what everyone wants.

Deep down in your soul, you know that you have a mission here on earth. The problem is that most of us don't know what that mission is! Without that knowledge we just don't know what to do. We go through life without a plan- just taking whatever comes along.

Finding your mission can be a difficult task. And it sometimes isn't doing what you are good at! You need to ask yourself some simple questions.

1. What do you LIKE to do?

2. Where do you like to be?

3. Who do you like to be around?

4. What inspires you?

Here's an example for you:

I am a Flight Controls engineer on the Space shuttle, and have been for the last 11 years. The question is "Should I be an engineer"?

Engineers are usually linear thinkers who are good at math - not usually artistic...

Well guess what? I am good at my job for several reasons, but I don't fit the "engineer" stereotype. For starters - I hate math! Can you imagine! An engineer who hates math! Even though I have to use it all the time, for me, the calculations are drudgery. I have friends who are engineers that enjoy the math - not me!

So why in the world did I become an engineer? I didn't actually choose to, It actually chose me. I was a Space shuttle technician for 19 years and I was asked to become an engineer by some other engineers. In other words - I was just going through life, doing what I loved and that is what happened. It wasn't planned. I just fell into the job.

The good thing is that I am good at solving problems. If something is broken, I can fix it - usually in an unusual or creative way. I can thank my father for this skill. Whenever something was broken, he would ask me to fix it - and that was that. No help, no tips, just do it. If I could not figure out how, then and only then could I ask for help. Usually he would then just ask me a question. This was his way of showing me which way to go, or what to look at for the answer.

After so many years of doing this I am now very creative. Someone once told me that the reason I think "outside the box" is that I don't even know the box is there"! I believe creativity is learned, and my father was a fantastic teacher.

SO-

I like to be creative. I enjoy making things, inventing, improving what is there..... That is why I also like helping people. Maybe that is why people ask me to help them with... let's call it "Self Improvement". When some part of your life feels "not right" or "Broken", I know how to "fix" it. But the best part is I know how to teach. So instead of ME fixing some aspect of a persons life, I show them how to fix it for themself! This is SO much more rewarding (for both of us)!
Don't you get a kick out of doing something for yourself? If the mechanic says it will cost you $300 to fix your car, and you fix it yourself for $25 - doesn't that make you feel great?! You might even want to brag about that one!

I think this is why I am a good engineer- I love innovation! - But I still hate math!!!

I LOVE my job! It is rewarding and I feel like I am doing important work, and I do get to be creative in many ways.
The question is... Is this what I SHOULD be doing?
This is now a very important question as the Space Shuttle is being retired and the next space program is still on the drawing board!

I like my "art" to be "functional", and my "engineering" to be "artistic"!

1. What would be my perfect job? Maybe having a workshop where I could make anything I wanted? How about a personal trainer, or coach? I do a little of both right now, but should I pick just one to focus on? I don't know yet, but it will have to be something where I can be creative! What is your perfect job?

2. Where would I like to be? - I love the mountains, so I should be living in the mountains - somewhere next to a waterfall! Guess where I live - Florida! No mountains or waterfalls here! Should I move? Since they only launch Space Shuttles from here I guess I will stay a while longer. In the meantime I made a waterfall in my back yard to help me cope!

Imagine a nature lover being cooped up in the city, stuck in a cubicle their whole life... WHAT A WASTE!
They are DOING THE WRONG THING WITH THEIR LIFE!
Do you live where you are most comfortable? Do you dream of living somewhere else?

3. Who do I like to be around? Creative people obviously! You need to find people with like interests if you to be social. Imagine if you were a purely artistic person surrounded by engineers... not a lot in common eh?! You want to talk about the beauty of light and they talk about spectrometers and how they measure light frequencies!

What about you? Are you surrounded by the kind of people you enjoy? Do they bring light into your life, or do you just have "aquaintances"?

Do you sometimes feel like you "just don't quite fit in?" I am part engineer, and part artist. This is kind of like having one foot on the boat, and one on the dock! This can easily be dealt with if the "engineer" in you gives the "artist" space and time to do their thing! Even though they do go together, trying to combine them all the time can drive some people crazy.

4. What INSPIRES you? This may be the most important question of all because it will tell you what you need the most! If you do nothing else - PLEASE! - find out what inspires you! Surround yourself with these inpiring things! See the inspiration every day! It will do more for you than you can imagine. Create a vision board to help you figure out what you want out of life, and what you can give to others!