Who Controls Your Volume?

The ageless question about the forest is, if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Peace is not found in the achieving or the winning, despite everything you have been told. There is noise as you move away from things that are natural in your life and spend your time in the artificial and superficial, losing pieces of yourself along the way.I am writing this to help you and me become more aware of what is in our control — to truly understand when you give your power away, and when you stand within it?You will find your true voice when you become more aware and understand what you are creating in the world. There is a lot of information in the world today — some helpful and some very noisy — and it has always been here. You just have more access to the chaos and confusion that surrounds each of us. So many things, people, brands and entities vying for your very attention. The question is, how aware are you of what is getting your attention and what you are consuming?Much happens when you can start recognizing what is simply noise in your life, and in your own forest. And the question is, are you aware of how loud it is and how loud you actually want it to be, because you are actually in control?What is easy to forget when you get swept away by the noise — whether it’s the state of the world or how busy you are or some tragedy you found out about or that voice in your head berating you — is that it’s all a story. Your mind is telling you negative or positive stories about each situation you are facing. And the more aware you are about the stories that are running in your mind, the more you can become aware of what you are creating in your world as a result.When you meet up with friends at the end of a long day or on the weekend, what gets your attention? What do you talk about? Do you share stories of what happened or is happening to you? Do you exchange stories about your life? How do you feel after these exchanges — are you energized or depleted? When you think about the stories you share, are they comedies, dramas, tragedies, science fiction, horrors, or a combination of energies? What do you consume on most days?Related: What Happens When You See Opportunities?And when it comes to whatever you call work, are your days filled with going from meeting to meeting, crossing things off your never ending list, or building and creating things that excite you? Where does your energy get invested day in, day out? And are you feeling stuck? And if so, why?The first step is not to jump into what is called a solution to your problem. That is the model you may choose to step away from as it is killing our world. We live in a world where we put a hammer to every problem. The way I have taught myself to shift is not to get caught in the story of the problem mindset, but to say, ok, there is a problem but what is the opportunity?We did not come to this planet to suffer. We are here as powerful creators. Some of us simply forgot.The first step is to ask yourself questions, and no it does not mean anything apart from wanting to explore your own adventure and create the story that truly is yours. No one in this universe has your answers, apart from you.It takes a lot of energy to stay in the noise and uphold false identities and situations. When you do your work to free yourself from invisible prisons, you are able to be at your creative best. Then, situations that seemed noisy or restrictive open up to new opportunities that have patiently been waiting for you to give them your attention.So, what’s your question? What’s your opportunity? What do you want to create when you realize you control the volume on your dial?And yes, there is a lot of noise. My first memory in life is war and I have had quite a bit of noise. But now, I ask questions that guide me every waking moment of my day. And my opportunity is to find the others who want to create new possibilities, together. One person at a time. New stories are emerging. What’s yours?