Man vs. Machine

It's amazing how we constantly battle with ourselves to find balance.  Everyone wants happiness and we live to love and survive.  But at times it is extremely hard to find the balance between what life demands and our passions.  Some of us have had the in site to listen to their inner voice and follow the path that leads to that balance.  While others have experienced setbacks that possibly make them question or not trust their inner voice.  This leads to the disconnect, where the passionate man turns into the machine.
I've observed, over time, that the desire and fight to survive most times trumps self discovery.  Instead of being persistent about your existence and happiness, humankind can sometimes folds to the daily stressors putting their passions on the back burner.
In due course we encounter many opportunities to convert from machine back to man.  But when that opportunity knocks the clutter of our lives sometimes blocks our re entry to ourselves. In the New Year, I encourage every one who reads this to evaluate their current state and ask yourself and I a man or a machine?
Ask yourself:
1.  Do I live my life to the fullest daily?
2.  Do I express my love and gratitude to the special people in my life?
3.  Do I play as hard as I work?
4.  Am I grateful for everything I have?
5.  Do I focus on my strengths or my weaknesses?  (If you focus on your weaknesses so your best to change your   paradigm and focus more on your strengths.)
6.  Am I content with my current occupation? (If not, I suggest the Marcus Buckingham Career Inventory on Oprah.com, it's extremely insightful).
As a Man:
1.   Trust your inner voice.
2.  Find time in your life to give, love, and reflect.
3.  Value the little thing.
4. Rekindle the passion for your life's purpose.
Remember life is a marathon, not a sprint.  It may take you a while to get to the destination, but the journey is just as important.