Thirteen Lessons of ROAR

For those who want to break free
and do what they were meant to do...

ROAR founder and author, Joe Sturniolo, offers advice on the 13 challenges to breaking free to discover, rouse, and stir to action your own unique gifts and passions for the benefit of others. Each of these lessons concludes a corresponding chapter in his book, The Caterpillar that Roared, Awakening the Lion Within.

"We all live in too small a circle of comfort. If we want our lives to be meaningful and passionate, we need to move outside of our comfortable and seemingly safe little worlds. Pursuing our dream always means leaving that little world. That means taking a risk."

"Our circle of comfort is surrounded by a wall of fear. There are few fears greater than leaving the place where we feel comfortable. However, few rewards are more meaningful and purposeful than leaving that place."

"All of life's rewards come to those who are willing to break through the wall of fear, follow their heart, and pursue their passions. You cannot achieve a higher purpose if you are too worried about failure or what people will say."

"We, alone, must all make decisions about our passion and journey, but we will not get very far in that journey if we try to do it alone. Everyone needs to form partnerships with others, and most need mentors or teachers to help guide them along the way."

"The only way to break through that wall of fear is to grow confident in your passion, your purpose, for the rest of your life. If you follow that passion, it's like a mariner in the middle of the ocean; he relies on having a compass that always -- not just sometimes -- points to true north. You can't get lost that way. If you believe in yourself and are clear about what you want to contribute to the world, then your compass needle stays pointed to true north."

"All works of art begin with a sketch. Life's next adventure is like an empty canvas. You don't necessarily know what the next brush stroke is going to be, but you will recognize the final picture when you see it. Like every work of art, you must begin with a sketch. Sketches are the experiments that help you solidify the final vision for your life."

"Once you are on the other side of your wall of fear, that does not mean that the going will be easy. Quite the contrary. Many individuals will try to convince you to go back, and many will try to slow you down, and many will simply convince you that your purpose is not worthy of you. You will also face obstacles such as self-doubt, feeling unsafe and insecure, or being worried about how you will survive. Only the strength of your values and purpose will keep you moving beyond them."

"You will always face challenges that will make you doubt the wisdom of your intentions and your reasons for the journey. It takes courage to move forward when you are not sure what you will face."

"In your journey, there is always at least one obstacle that might appear too large to surmount. Courage to act and move through and beyond a daunting obstacle always comes from having a heartfelt purpose. Your personal 'true north' always involves helping others. Helping others takes you beyond thinking of only yourself, and instead, impels you to make your contribution. Only when your journey centers on helping others will you feel the power, and thus, be moved by the passion of your journey."

"When you get to where you're going, beware the trap of settling too long into a new circle of comfort. It's a place to rest and renew, not to nest. There are always new journeys waiting for you, each one taking you to a higher or different purpose."

"In the end, you will discover that your journey was about returning home. For some, that is a new home. And for others, that is returning to your original home, renewed and more passionate about life. That home may not be as comfortable as you imagined it. Life's lesson is not that your 'true north' is comfortable, but that it is your path to where you were meant to dwell."

"Passion doesn't sit still. A life of passion is a life of moving ahead. If you resign yourself to live in the past, or resign yourself to live only in the present with no future, you will find fewer rewards and less meaning, and thus, less to sustain your passion."

"All of life is about your contribution. Don't die knowing that you had a gift that you wasted. Don't ever give up your search for your 'true north'. Follow the compass that lies within you, to your personal land of dreams and adventure."