Life is a continual array of experiences that lead us all to choices we make, actions we take, and the consequences which result, and then the cycle starts all over again. We face the challenges we are presented with by understanding and mastering the principles we build our lives on. Four factors determine how well we manage, react to, and even create the circumstances we experience in life. They are security, guidance, wisdom, and power. Each of these factors drives each of us positively or negatively. Each element drives us positively or negatively. If we are unaware of where we are on the continuum of understanding, there is an opportunity for someone or something else to make the choices for us.

You determine the center of your existence by choosing the principles or your truth. If you think honesty, kindness, caring, understanding, and love are the center of your life, you will react one way. If you let the negative opposites of those things dictate your behavior, then you will respond quite differently. We have the choice to act in either direction, and you are responsible for exactly which actions you choose, why, and the consequences of those decisions. YOu are responsible for yourself and others.

What is your Security?

How you value yourself will define the level of security you have in your existence. On the opposing end of the continuum, you will have no protection and live your life continually, seeking the approval of other people and organizations. On the healthy side, a person who operates from a base of security will be sure that the decisions they make represent the principles they stand for, regardless of what others think about it.

The value you bring to the world and your relationships is not questioned because you are secure in who you are. You are not ruled by your emotions but understand the messages they are bringing you. Each day is an opportunity to display your strength or lack thereof. Learning who we are and what we want to stand for and having the courage to live from this center principle allows our security to provide a positive force in our lives. Or you can live at the whims of others’ opinions of you. This choice will usually involve what is best for them, not you.

Guidance System

If you look at life like a map, display clearly what is happening in the world outside of yourself. The guidance you develop will make moment-by-moment decisions that will enable you to be your most productive and powerful. If you have poor advice, you will rely on society to provide your direction and even for others to make these choices for you. Robust guidance systems come from an inner compass that understands the principles you stand for and will continually make choices moving in that direction.

Again you will be held responsible for the circumstances that result from your choices in how you guide your life. Either you can move from the thoughts and ideas of others, or you can create your level of power and stick to that. Ensure your maps and understanding of the world are accurate if you are dealing with a faulty plan. You will not find the right places like a GPS set on the wrong coordinates. Moment by moment, decisions are made by our standards and principles. You are developing a powerful inner direction that provides unyielding guidance to where you want to go.

Current Level of Wisdom

If you are lucky, the lessons life brings will leave you with some wisdom to help guide you in the future. Your perspectives of life and how you understand it shows actions. Taking the learning from today and applying it to the challenges of tomorrow is the most significant definition and example of wisdom. You will embrace better abilities to judge situations and people and see the value. Comprehension of the factors we face personally, professionally, and in all areas of our life, being able to balance them and apply solutions across areas, is true wisdom.

The continuum of wisdom stretches from the weak area of dealing with an inaccurate map of reality, and all things seem distorted. Nothing seems to fit where it should be—to the other side, where strength exists, provided by a complete and accurate map of life where one sees all parts of their lives totally and adequately related to each other. Many fall somewhere in between the two. Take an honest look at your maps and the information they give you. Do you need to try harder at what you are doing, or do you need to focus some energy on clearing up your map? The answer will reveal where your current level of wisdom is at.

Peak Personal Power

Our power is based on our ability to act in any situation. The strength and potency we can accomplish a task with. This power comes from our energy level and allows us to make sound decisions and choices. Personal power enables an individual to evaluate hurdles inside themselves and outside of them. Creating and supporting a vision of what their life should be. When you see something you don’t like about your life, you can create a plan and take action to overcome deeply embedded habits that aren’t healthy for you.

The continuum of personal power spreads from the weak side where we feel immobilized or allow someone else to pull our strings, leaving us making another person’s wishes. On the healthy side, we operate at a high level with the power to act according to our values. Instead of being affected by other people and circumstances, we can make our own choices and take action. How powerful are you? With personal power comes responsibility for yourself and the plans you make, and the steps you take.

These four factors circle our center, and we can work to adjust our locations on each continuum. Being honest with ourselves and others about where we stand will allow us to create a more productive reality full of the things we desire to see. Being a compelling force in our lives and the lives of those we deal with daily. Evaluating and developing the highest level of security, guidance, wisdom, and personal power should be the goal of each day you live to get the most out of your life.