Tag Archives: purpose

22

Your Most Powerful Weapon

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All people have a powerful tool of the imagination. You can use this tool to achieve very positive results or a very negative experience. Each of us decides how our imagination is used and the benefits or suffering we receive from it. All of these things are a choice, and the power of our choice in using our imagination will determine our ability to reach our goals successfully and live a life of passion.

Or our imagination can cause us to spend our lives living in fear. It is one of the essential parts of our development as people, we look forward with hope and determination, or we look all around in fear. The choice is all up to you and how you choose to use your powerful imagination.

Start with The End in Mind

What is it that you want? This simple-sounding question is one everyone asks themselves at some point in their journey in life. The fortunate ones know right away and in great detail what they want to accomplish. Others struggle because our minds are clouded with thoughts of suffering, experience, and reasons we can’t do something. If you’re discouraged in your dream, tell it to someone else, and immediately they will tell you all the reasons you won’t possibly find success. But all of us can achieve, and it starts with the positive use of our imagination and knowing where we want to go.

Start with the end in mind. Think of where you want to be in a year from now. Create a picture in your mind of where you want to be living, what you want to be doing, who you want to be doing it with, etc. Then start moving your way backward to the present moment. What sorts of things have to happen to get you to that point. Maybe you see something that you are unsure how to happen, but that is alright because the steps will become more apparent as you move forward. When you get back to the present moment, take the first step to move in that direction. Continually do this exercise and use your imagination to create the end goal, and your purpose will start to take you there.

Purpose and Power

The purpose is the force that gets us moving daily to work toward our goals. It is the thing that makes life valuable and provides meaning to the movements we undertake daily. When you imagine the end goals happening, the purpose of achievement will drive you to take action. Each action will bring experience to your life, the price and reward of having a purpose. These moments of action between now and the accomplishment of what you imagine determine the joy you experience in life.

Many people have set their goals too short in their existence. Many have a retirement goal and then reach that without any purpose left for the rest of their lives. Without a purpose in life and a force to drive you toward something, life is filled with empty moments of activity. People do things to fill the time but not to nourish the soul. Always have a dream, using your imagination to create the favorable circumstances of your life, and you will always have a purpose in your life. Actions that have meaning. That is the power of purpose in life, always having a force behind it.

Overcoming Fears

Fear is a poor use of the power of your imagination. We have all done it, though. We are considering the worst-case scenario and worrying about the future and what might happen or what someone else will think and how that will affect us and our lives. Worry is a misuse of imagination because most things won’t happen. And if they do, worrying about them won’t make them any easier to handle. Somehow we all take the challenges of life one second at a time. Actions always defeat and erase fear.

Fear is an illusion. We all experience fear because we are afraid of suffering. But once you recognize it and how it feels, you can start to create some appropriate action steps to lessen or eliminate the impact the fear will have on your life. Then list the positive results from those action steps being taken, and the fear will most often fade away. Faith is the opposite of fear. When it is difficult to see past the fear because it is pervasive in your life, keep the hope alive in your mind. You will overcome it.

The Great Mind Tool

Imagination is one of our most powerful tools, and it can help you create almost anything in your life. Whether those things are good or bad will be totally up to you. Imagining your goals from the end and moving backward is a powerful method to master your dreams and goals. These dreams bring purpose to your life, and purpose is the fuel to the enjoyment of life. Imagine that.

“The man who has no imagination has no wings.” – Muhammad Ali

“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” Albert Einstein

“What is now proved was once only imagined.” – William Blake

 

22

Every Day Has Purpose

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Everything and everyone were created for a purpose. 

Seeking purpose in life is the journey we are all on. Some look for it in money, others in a family, others in religion, but the only place you will find your purpose is inside yourself. It can be challenging to believe that you are all here for a purpose when you are experiencing the ups and downs of life, especially when it seems just survival and feeling “normal” is a challenge from day to day.

People can easily believe that the things in nature were created for a purpose; the seasons continually happen in perfect order. The sun rises and sets with clockwork precision. Ecosystems function with symbiotic excellence creating vital life cycles that benefit the area and the world in creating beauty and growth. Delicate balances are made just as they should be. It is much more challenging to see ourselves as one of these perfect creations. But we are. We were all created with a purpose, but unlike most other players in the game of life, we have a choice that allows us to move closer to our goal or move further away. What choices are you making today? What choices have you made in the past six months? Have they helped or hindered your growth and reaching your purpose?

Battle of Choice

I believe that when we are young, we are very close to our purpose. As life’s experiences pour over us, and we try to rationalize where we fit and accept the beliefs we are taught, we lose sight of what our purpose is.   What makes you feel a connection to the world and life itself? What is it that you lose yourself when you participate in it? As we entertain more and more choices between good and evil, pleasure and pain, instant satisfaction or delayed gratification, our life patterns form. Either they are taking you closer to your purpose or further away.

If you are moving no closer to your purpose, you will experience some emptiness inside. You may have collected many material things, large sums of money, or whatever looks like a success on the outside. But inside, there will always be a yearning to find your purpose or what makes you come “alive.” A choice is a funny thing, we make a million of them every day, but when we are far from what we are, subconsciously, we create options taking us back toward doing the things that constitute our purpose. Having a choice and free will means you can do anything, including making bad decisions. Become more conscious of your intention, and if you don’t, take steps to get there.

Know Your Purpose

To know your purpose in life can be like reading a good mystery novel. You try to guess what happened, and then it is revealed as you get toward the end of the story. Seeking your purpose will take a lot of trial and error and a bit of fearlessness. A lucky few people have known and remembered their senses all their life. But most choose to follow a path determined by others, parents, family, or society. As they do what they think they should do, they move further from who they are. It is never too late to move back toward your purpose.

I wish I could say exactly what your purpose was and where you can find it, but all of us are different, and so is our purpose. That journey is as individual as each of us is. One of the best methods to find yours is to create. Creativity provides us with the power to connect with our souls. Whatever you are making will tell you which way to go. If you paint, paint! If you write, write! If you carve things out of wood blocks, cut things out of blocks of wood! Creating something that didn’t exist before you had the thought and took action to make it is powerful. It will lead you to the doorway of who you are. If you feel you are not creative, evaluate your efforts. Something in your life is done with a unique thought pattern and activities which belong to you and resonate with your soul. You will know it when you lose track of time when doing it.

 

Seeking a Fit

Consciously or subconsciously, we are all looking for the puzzle piece we are in the world and where we fit in perfectly. Where do we belong, and what is our purpose? Some get so far away from it that they feel empty, and that is where we try to fill that emptiness with drugs, alcohol, food, material possessions, or some other thing that we hope will allow us to feel whole. But the only thing that will do that is to keep looking for what we are meant for until we find it.

All of us have a purpose inside of us, and finding that will allow us to experience more happiness in life if we can live it. If things are chaotic and seemingly moving out of control in your life, you are probably not following your purpose. If you are pursuing your goal, things flow, work in harmony, and fill the fulfillment of doing what you were meant to do. Never stop looking for your purpose or following it when you find it. Trying to become the best version of yourself and be happy in the world will involve recognizing your drive and taking steps to practice it to the best of your ability.

Understand that you the only one that can do what you were put here to do what you are meant to do. Like the sun is one of a kind and each star in the sky are different and original, so are you. Find your purpose and bring your light into the world. 

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”- John F. Kennedy

“Everyone has a purpose in life and a unique talent to give others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.” -Kallam Anji Reddy

“Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.” -Ayn Rand

Whenever I hear this song, I think of people finding their purpose. Ain’t it Beautiful??

 

21

A Meaning

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Lives are spent constructing the person we think we ought to be. We follow advice, thoughts, and ideas taught to us from birth as to what our lives “should” look like and what we “should” do so we will be happy and prosperous. It is not until a little later in life you start to realize you bought a bad bill of goods. Why is this? Because when you do all the things they told you to do and get to the place you “should” be, you find happiness isn’t there.

Life needs to have meaning, and in my opinion, we spend too much time chasing and focusing on the wrong things rather than pursuing ambition and building castles in the air, looking for gratification from the outside. We should be seeking pleasure from the inside, which can only come from putting the acquisition of stuff to the side and searching for something that resonates on the inside. This feeling includes looking for someone else to provide happiness in your life. That is an empty vessel you can carry. It is up to you to determine where your joy comes from in your own life. Start experiencing the things that matter to you on the inside.

Who Are we?

Before you can move your life from one of ambition to one of meaning, you have to understand just what it is that carries meaning for you. It seems like an easy question, but when faced with understanding, there are barriers between you and what gives sense to you. We have been taught many false things about just who we are. We are told that our identity is wrapped around the things we have, the job we do, or what others think of us. When in reality, the opposite of these things is exact.

We are not the things we have. Accumulate all the material things in the world, and you can still feel unfulfilled and empty. Material things can’t fill the holes in our souls. Your job is an activity and not an identity. Too often, the line between our duty and our identity gets blurred, and if we take the responsibility away, we don’t know who we are. Many have gone into severe depression after they lost a job because they were so identified with it. Now it is gone, who exactly are they? You are not your job.

What others think of us can be a significant factor in the actions of many. We are programmed from birth to want to be accepted, be held up on a pedestal, and be singled out in the minds of others. The only thoughts that matter is the ones we have about ourselves. If something means a lot to you, that is all that matters. What others think is none of our business. You can never be true to yourself if you are worried about how others will view it. You are not what others think of you. That goes for those we love as well. Although we hope their opinions will be positive and supportive.

Finding Meaning

It is my experience that life lacks meaning unless it is serving an end beyond itself. This idea is challenging for our programming to comprehend. Unless what we seek has value to that outside of us, then it isn’t easy to find happiness within. Could it be as simple as looking for things that are outside of our selfish desires? We are all connected whether we like it or not. The true meaning seems to be a two-way street with the traffic of what we give and getting equal movement.

We give what we have to give to those outside of us, and we are open receivers for the things they have to send back to us. I don’t think it is productive to think you know it all because there is no way you could. Give what you can and be open to receiving from someone else. There is no better way to create a vibrant life of constant growth, caring, and happiness which will result.

Look for the things you can give to others today, not in the physical realm but in the spiritual and mental world. Kind thoughts, supportive words, understanding, and acceptance. See what you have the capacity to receive as well. Let the two-way street run clear in your life.

There will be times in life when you feel overwhelmed, confused, down, disheartened, and disregarded. Know experience is supporting you and bringing great good your way if you are open to receiving it. Sometimes we spend so much time staring at a door that was closed for us. We never see another available right behind us, behind which everything we desire is waiting. All we have to do is be open, understand it, and make an effort to walk through.

I encourage us all to take the time and look for meaning in the things we are experiencing. Try to take the view that the long game of life will be an enjoyable experience ultimately and provide you with the joy you are seeking. But you have to do your part and know what that looks like.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

“In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.”

“At such a moment, it is not the physical pain which hurts the most (and this applies to adults as much as to punished children); it is the mental agony caused by the injustice, the unreasonableness of it all.”

 

21

A Purpose

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Change Improvement Development Adjust Transform Concept

Life is the most valuable thing you have. Even when your emotions bring you down and things are not very enjoyable, you still have an opportunity to allow your most positive ideas to permeate your existence. We all have down days because we are human, and in that existence comes with imperfections as a part of the bargain. But there are some things we can keep in mind which will allow us to make our lives happier and more fulfilling.  It starts with your purpose in life, and whatever that is, you are the expression of that. It is to be better than I was yesterday, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Not miles better, but at least 0.01% better.  I am not sure I accomplish this every day, but I try to, and that seems to make a difference. What is your purpose? Where does your daily focus lie?

What’s Your Offer

The people you meet in your life will take on a reflection of your projected emotional attitudes and beliefs.  If you think all people are judgmental, mean, short-sighted, and narrow-minded, then that is what you are going to see in those you meet.  If you believe that people are mostly good and are not in life for purely selfish reasons, have open minds, open hearts, and kindness, then that is what you most often will find. Think about what you are offering the world with your attitude each day, and if you doubt, look at the people they meet, they are mirroring that attitude right back at you.

What you offer the world is going to determine your experience in it. If you are focused on yourself alone, what’s in it for you, and all of your thoughts revolve around you. Then the world is going to be an experience of selfishness. Conversely, suppose you look for what you can give to others in general. In that case, the world is a kind, open place with a seemingly unlimited reservoir of adventure and exciting happenings. This happens because you offer the world your best self and look for what you can contribute, not for what you can take.  Make your best offer to the world every day, even when you don’t feel like it.

Choices  Made

Our lives are a consequence of our decisions from the day we were capable of choice until the day it all ends. When you see something that isn’t quite where you want to be, it is easy to point the finger at this factor or that person, but the truth is the responsibility for it all lies right in the mirror, staring back at you.  Your current employment is a result of your choices, as the future employment you are going to have will be. Your relationships are a result of your preferences as well. If you are angry or hurt, it is your choice to speak of it or bury it underneath.  Things that are hidden underneath never stay there and seem to cause all sorts of problems in life. And life is all about choices.

The best thing is that we always have the option to make a different choice and change the direction of our life at any moment.  If you made one poor choice or ten poor choices, it is time to make a different selection if they are not serving your life.  You don’t have to complete a course on decisions or talk it over with someone else.  Make a different choice, and your life will become something different. Many say it isn’t that simple, but we become attached to our beliefs and thoughts and can’t imagine it is that simple to change. But if you give it a try, look at a choice you have been making, which doesn’t serve you, and choose a different option that will bring you towards being the person you want to be.  See what happens.

Finally

A change in choice will lead to a shift in what you are aware of and personal growth in life.  That shift in awareness can allow you to take a negative situation and see the opportunities it presents.  A job you dislike can propel you toward a career that is fulfilling and powerful. Every problem in life has contained the spark of success that can change everything for the better. We need to look at the issue as a challenge presented to make us better people and raise our awareness of our talents and skills.

As our awareness grows, we move along the path to new happiness levels and toward inner peace.  All of the issues that continually reappear give us another chance to choose a different outcome and put lessons hard-learned into practice.

“When you find your WHY, you don’t hit snooze no more! You find a way to make it happen!”- Eric Thomas

“We all have a purpose in life, and when you find yours, you will recognize it.”- Catherine Pulsifer

“Success demands singleness of purpose.” – Vince Lombardi

“Anything and everything you have experienced has been purposeful; it has brought you to where you are now.”- Lyla Vanzandt

The lessons I have learned through hard times and good times are all encapsulated in this song. One of my all-time favorites. When you dream, dream big…………

 

21

Inside to Out

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 Your inner reality and thoughts determine your outside existence.  

This sounds simple when you look at the idea that the laws of reality can’t provide any contradiction; otherwise, it would be challenging to function because everything would be continually changing.  But a more in-depth look at the law of correspondence shows us that the outer world we experience results from what is happening inside of us.  Our innermost dominant thoughts lead to the reality that we experience every day.  But more importantly, that means that if you can learn to adjust those dominant thoughts on the inside, then you can change what your outer world looks like and even the experience you have a day today.

It all comes down to the invisible power that is connected to the things we think and believe. That means it is all up to you. It’s not the economy, who you know, where you live, your history, or any other exterior factor.  It is all up to you, so the best thing we can do is take responsibility for our lives and situations and get to work, making them into something we would like to see.

Seeking Purpose

Being stuck in a situation we are not happy with can happen to anyone. Even people who appear to be successful on the outside can be unhappy with their current circumstances.  It occurs when you are not following your purpose. It could be because you have made poor decisions in the past. It could even be that you have done exactly what you thought the world wanted you to do.  Having a high-paying job is not going to make you happy automatically.  Your day-to-day actions and their alignment to your purpose will.

Seek your purpose. Everyone has purpose potential, and there is something you were put on this Earth to do. Circumstances and bad experiences may have robbed you of the opportunity to find this temporarily or even permanently if you allow it. But not using the gift or seeking your purpose doesn’t make it any less valuable or any less real.  Our feelings work to guide us, and if you are feeling unfulfilled or not at ease with your current path, then start to investigate your purpose and improve your inner world.

Shifting Your Paradigm

So as we understand how energy works through all of the laws of the Universe, we can apply them to our lives. It begins with a look in the mirror at the person that you are, the thoughts you think, and the actions you take every day because of them.  These actions are a direct result of the laws or beliefs that govern you.  Lasting and powerful change can only come from within, and your change must start there as well.  Cosmetic changes on the outside will not ease a sense of unfulfillment, unhappiness, or restlessness in your life.  It all starts by changing your inner world of thoughts, beliefs, and emotions.  Your outer world is always a reflection of your inner working, not the other way around.

The first step is to identify the limits you are perpetuating through your thoughts and beliefs.  An honest evaluation can be complex and challenging because we have placed so much on our expectations. Many have been with us since our earliest days. Changing these beliefs can seem impossible, but it is only as useless as you believe it to be.

The second is to accept responsibility for your life. Don’t blame anyone or anything else for where you are right now.  People have done things, experienced pain, circumstances have been what they are, accept responsibility for it all.  You assume all the power and can now move forward.  We can’t always control the things we experience in life, but we have 100% control how we react to them.  Take responsibility for the positive and negative things in your life.

The third is to create a vision of what you would like your outer world to look like. Visualize the things that you want to accomplish and experience.  It is impossible to reach a destination if you don’t know where you want to go. Your imagination can create this destination.  What needs to change for this vision to happen? What beliefs do you hold now that don’t comply with this vision you have created?  Changing your paradigm is not easy, but it is the only way to move into the life you want.

Look Within First, The Outside will Follow.

The process of change can happen at any moment of any day. Look inside yourself and see what you are happy with and what you would like to see differently.  Where changes are needed, then accept the actions you have to take to make them happen. Then take the efforts you have to make them happen.  If you dream of being a musician, playing an instrument is a necessary step to take.  All accomplishments have a process to follow. You have to decide if you believe you have the courage to take those steps.  That is the Universal Law of Correspondence.  As we are within, so we experience without. 

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer.

“I am here for a purpose, and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all, and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.”- Og Mandino.

 

 

 

 

 

21

The Why

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We should all strive to have a purpose that gives our lives fuel. Days are spent either just existing or existing for a larger purpose. The goal can be to create a family, a business, a book, a political movement, a career, or any other thing that allows you to exist for a reason outside of just being you. You can constantly develop a purpose only by becoming interested in doing something and doing it.  Too often, we get wrapped up in ourselves and mere existence that the reason for this life escapes us.  But there is always a purpose. When the focus of life is selfish or achieving something outside of ourselves, we tend to sink into unhappiness, frustration, and anger. It is always better to change our view of things outside of ourselves.

What Is an Outer Purpose?

An outer purpose is going to happen outside of yourself, to create something in the future that isn’t here today.  Setting goals is a valuable tool that will fuel your actions and push you to reach all of your destinations.  Make your purpose the journey, not the destination.  Too often, people look at their goals and use them as the be-all and end-all; they miss all of the valuable stuff we gather along the path. So there is no daily joy in following your purpose.  If your goal is to make a million dollars, there will be many decisions, actions, thoughts, and experiences to make.  Enjoy these as if they are your goal achieved because they will be.

Too many times, the destination becomes more important than the journey, and at that point, you are lost, and you miss out on the journey’s purpose.  You are mainly focusing on the things outside of your reality and yourself—looking for the future goal and missing out on the powerful, intelligent, beautiful things that come along the way.  We can live our whole lives this way if we aren’t careful. As children, we wait for school to end, then we will get a job, later a career, then a family, then retirement, and then death. We are waiting in each stage for the next step to bring us accomplishment and fulfillment, never feeling either of these two things because our purpose is aimed outside of ourselves. Aim your target inside.

What is Inside Purpose?

Well, it has nothing to do with where you are going. It has to do with the journey to get there. Like riding in a car, if you are not happy until you reach your destination, you miss out on the great things the ride offers. The view, music you listen to, or company you have as you ride.  How you get where you are going is vital to the development of your purpose.  We all have a consciousness, and some are more aware than others. But we choose how awake we are to our mission in our world. At this moment, it is the only thing you have for sure. To not make the best of it is foolishness.  So look at the step in your journey you are at right now and be conscious of the power it has.  You can choose to be frustrated and cynical or to learn whatever the moment has to give you. That is your purpose.

To live in the awareness of the present moment is not easy but will deepen your consciousness and provide a more fulfilled life experience. Letting the outside negativity of worry, fear, and want to dictate your behavior will lead to a life of complaining, anger, frustration, and lack. The outer journey of life may take a million steps to get where you want to go. The inner journey has only one, the level you are on right now. To see this is a purpose, and to embrace this step is the purpose. Look at your day and what you are learning or teaching. It could be specific information, or it could be an example you or somebody else is setting.

Establish all Your Purpose

Get out there and establish goals and start to follow your purpose. The external users will begin to guide you in the right direction. The fundamental meaning of enjoying each step of the way allows you to get what you need out of the everyday experience of having a purpose.  A life without ambition is a life that has no direction and is difficult to value. Look at your life and identify the things you want to be a purpose. It could be experiencing what you wish to have, building a family, a personal accomplishment, and establishing some legacy from your life.  Get a purpose and pursue it and always remember to enjoy the ride.

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost anyhow.”

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

One of my favorite videos and songs. This guy had a purpose and made this happen. We should all drive our goals to reality.

 

21

Vision

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develop your vision and look for your future.

No matter where you are right now, what you are doing in your daily life, and what challenges you are facing, you have the ability to move out of whatever situation you don’t want to be in.  It starts with developing your vision. Not the day to day ability to see what is in front of you. But the place you want to be in two weeks from now, a month from now, a year from now or five years from now.  The ability to see a future that doesn’t exist yet but could is a gift we all have but most forget about. Think about what your ideal life would look like and then have the courage to build your vision and go get it.

Vision Quest

Native American tribes practiced the tradition of the vision quest, to help guide the development of its community.  The process varied from tribe to tribe but included fasting, prayer and sometimes a vision that would lead to a young man finding his purpose in life.  I think we should all spend time seeking our purpose in life.  We may not be sure what it is but quite often we are absolutely sure what it is not. Our feelings can be a guide for what we want, and a little concentration about them is going to help as well.

Take some time each week and seek your purpose. A person without their purpose is like a rudderless ship on the ocean. You can function just fine, floating around from place to place but you are operating at the will of the elements and outside forces alone.  Your vision can be the rudder to steer the ship of your life to the places you want to go and the experiences you want to have.  Contemplate your purpose on a regular basis, if you never seek it, you probably won’t find it.

Personal Vision Statement

To start moving in the direction of your vision to lead toward your purpose, start to think of a personal vision statement that will be a guiding principle for the course of your journey.  It can be adaptable as you grow but in general, it should lead you toward your purpose.  The details of each individual will, of course, be different but your vision statement will encapsulate the core ideals and values that you want to have present in your life for the next year, two years, five years and on into the future. It will point you in the right direction and provide a guide to where you want to go in life and the experiences you want to experience.  Start by crafting a sentence which is true about the type of journey in life you want to have.  Choose the things that you value and that resonate with you at your core.

These core values are the things we are uncompromising about. Do you want to be rich or poor? Kind or mean? Supportive or selfish? Judgmental or accepting? Whichever path you want to walk it starts with knowing what you stand for or you will have a hard time finding the right trail to follow.  I personally have been blessed with many different experiences in life, each giving to me an experience to make me wiser and understand more about myself. As I create my vision statement for the future, I see there are a few changes ahead of me, but that is alright, I have been through it before and I will survive.

Clear Vision

Developing a clear vision of where you want to go is what today is all about. If you develop a vision and then continually put off the action steps you need to take, who’s fault is it that you aren’t where you want to be yet?  Life is the ultimate in responsibility, we reap what we sow in life and if we take positive action and rely on other people to do things.

Every passing second is a chance to move closer or further away from your vision. See what you want to represent you in the future and get the education, take the chances, give to others, or do what you need to do in order to get to that point. You probably aren’t going to get better by simply thinking the thoughts. Taking the steps will show the path and provide you with clear vision of where to go and how to get there.

“Use your brain, follow your heart.” 

“Life is a divine mission to do something!!”

“It will all work out fine! If you let it!”

 

21

Something Big

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Without purpose, life is an exercise in existence.  Tasks are completed daily for no other reason than to get to the next day. Some find joy in this, but for me, there has to be a purpose to achieve, a target to be acquired, a goal to be accomplished. It is in the pursuit of accomplishments we find out exactly what we are made of.  To find that holy grail, climb that mountain, sing that song, start that movement, or accomplishing whatever goal lights your fire.  The process is one that we all have to learn from experience to see what works for us. When I was fortunate to reach success, there were a consistent set of influences present.  When a failure has occurred, one or more seem to be absent.  Each of us is an individual, and our stories, beliefs, and needs are different, but these things will only help you.

Build a Solid  Foundation– Not with the goal you pursue, but the one you build in yourself.  Develop honesty, integrity, trust, loyalty, love in yourself for yourself.  Every relationship and experience you experience allows you a chance to become these things. Regardless of your past, you are defined by the actions you take today.  Focus on this and build the foundation for success by making decisions that represent the best of you.  This foundation will not be fancy and isn’t done to make you popular or allow you to brag about your talent or accomplishments. This solid foundation is built in stone and gives you a chance to accomplish anything if you are honing your personal skills and standing for the right things. Honesty, integrity, kindness, gratitude, service, and joy of life seem to be a good place to start.

Commitment– There is a constant and consistent effort needed to move your dream forward to a positive conclusion. There are going to be bumps in the road and challenges to face.  Anything of value comes with challenges attached. That is what gives these things their value. Stick with it through the tough times and keep plugging along toward what you want. The most beautiful, practical, workable philosophy won’t work if you don’t.  Keep taking action toward your goal, and don’t give up.  Be committed. 

Learn the Steps– Goals are not all the same. Some are long-term, some are short-term, and some are intermediate. Learning to break them down into smaller steps and understand what each step means allows you to find meaningful action every day. Nobody goes from beginning to end in one step. It takes several to many steps depending on the size of the thing you want to attain. Be patient with your journey and learn what you need to.  Enjoy the steps, and they are the things you will remember most when success comes your way.

Picture it –  Imagination is not just a tool for daydreaming. It is a tool you can use to bring almost anything into reality.  Imagine your goal as if it is a reality.  See what it looks like, feels like, and picture the world with your goal as a part of it.  All things ever created started this way.  To be an image in someone’s mind brought everything ever created into reality.  Practice using your imagination always; it is a valuable skill that you can lose if you don’t use it. Visualization of something will allow you to bring it into reality, visualize it daily.

Be Accountable- Every day, you have the opportunity to move forward or backward. Only you can be responsible for your actions. If you choose to take a day off, you are accountable for the progress you don’t make on that day. Taking consistent, manageable action every day toward your visualized idea will allow you to move closer to making it a reality.  You are responsible for yourself and the actions you take or don’t take. Remember that nobody else is to blame, only you.  Be accountable to yourself always and accept responsibility for where you are.

Roll With It–  No matter where you are in life, life is always changing. The world around you will always change and forever. Don’t fight it. Go with it always.  It is the difference between positive growth in life and stagnation. Keep moving forward with a positive attitude.  Let go of the things that are outdated and relationships that no longer serve a positive purpose. Change is inevitable and constant, so grow with it.  I know this is easier said than done sometimes, painful experiences are not so easy to roll with, but the choice is yours. Follow the path to success or failure. There is no other direction.

Team Up–  When you set out to accomplish something, it can be an idea in your mind, but it takes others to really make things happen. Build a team that is like-minded, goal-oriented, and change-minded people.  It is going to take support, not fighting to get you to your desired destination. When like minds are employed in a venture, it moves faster, and it is a lot more fun.  Life is a game meant to be played in pairs. Find someone who believes in you and allow them to help you.  Understand what a great gift this is.

Tell Few–  Tell your plans to only those you trust because the first inclination of someone is always to discourage you and tell you what might go wrong or why your dream/goal/desire is unrealistic. Tell only those who will support your efforts. The process is hard enough without hearing negativity from your “support system.”  Better to keep it to yourself. But those of a like mind will support you. Those who care about you and love you will want nothing but the best for you. So tell few and never boast to most.

Write It Down –  Make the goals you are after a checklist and when you can check them off, do it and celebrate the win. No matter how large or small, celebrate it.  Putting it down in ink is a process that will allow the accomplishment to take shape in reality. There is a transformation from thought to reality when you write something down. It starts to become real somehow. Do this to your dreams, and soon they will become a part of your life.

Use Reflection– What you become seeking your goal/destination is far more important than what you get at the end. Skills will be developed that will allow you to achieve other things.  Take time to reflect on all things you do, and ask good questions about what you learned and answer them honestly and completely.  Reflecting on your experience is a powerful teaching tool for yourself.  Never miss a chance to look for personal growth.  Never let a momentary setback be the thing that derails you.  Each “failure” is a gift to accomplishing the ultimate prize. Don’t take failure personally. Take it for what it is, a lesson. Reflect and learn from it, and the perceived weakness of a mistake becomes a strength of your great accomplishments.  Reflect and learn.

There it is,  a simple method for accomplishing success at whatever you are seeking in life. All people have goals at some point. I urge everyone to keep setting them until the day we are no longer a part of this wonderful experience called life.  Whether you follow this process or develop one of your own is not important as long as you find one and know that creation and accomplishment are in your hands.

“You have to remember that the hard days are what make you stronger. The bad days make you realize what a good day is. If you never had any bad days, you would never have that sense of accomplishment!” -Aly Raisman.

“You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.”- Zig Ziglar.

“Nothing stops the man who desires to achieve. Every obstacle is simply a course to develop his achievement muscle. It’s a strengthening of his powers of accomplishment.”- Thomas Carlyle.