Your Very Best Life

Stand firmly in the space of honor.  Celebrate who you are and who you are not….. Commit to yourself right this second that you will NO LONGER settle.  Not in your career.  Not in your friendships.  Not in love.  Not in life.

If “it” makes you feel “less than”….consider it’s time to give “it” up and let it go.

Risky?  Maybe.

Scary? Likely

Worth it?  Absolutely…Your life depends on it.

I guarantee you, whatever is on the other side, is better than be burdened with waking each morning with a sense of misery and disdain as you go to work at a job that you despise.

I promise you, it will be better to be alone, than with a lover that does not cherish and adore you….has it ever felt amazing to be someone’s 2nd choice or worse yet, invisible?

I assure you, it will be better to let go of toxic friendships with those whom only encourage and support dreams and lives as big (or usually as small) as their own.

let your light shine…Bright. BIG. Blinding.
You deserve it you know…

So…..Now What?

We’ve all been there….you put something together, from idea to execution, feel like all bases are covered, details completed, stars are aligned ~ and then…. Along  comes a 30 foot wave of disappointment, which then crashes down so hard, you aren’t sure which way is up.  Now What?

It is said that success isn’t determined by what happens to you in this life, it’s how you respond to what happens….  It is my belief that in that moment, is where our future lives.

Give In. Give Up. Move On. You Tried.

That is one option. One that I would say largely dominates because it gives us permission to comfortably, justifiably, lick our wounds and move in the direction of what some may describe as “safe.”  I invite you to consider that moving in that direction, is most likely  opposite of moving in the direction of your dreams.

In the same sense that allowing ourselves to believe that life “is what it is” (i literally cringe when I hear people say this, as it is such powerless statement, drenched in “victim”, and topped with a sprinkle of cynicism), there is another equally powerful “trap”….. the one of staying stuck and doing nothing because the fear of being “wrong” or “failing” is greater than your current ability to see beyond that fear.

Here’s is what I know….. Success, most always, comes only after there have been some considerable “failures” ~ or, as I prefer to call them, “Rehearsals.” How do you get better? How do you get beyond what isn’t working?  You tweak, you alter, you fine tune….and you do it again.  and again. and again.

Keep your eyes and your heart focused on the impact that pursuing and achieving this goal / dream will have on your life, your family, your community, your world.

Do not allow negativity and doubt to steal your passion and vision.

Do acknowledge what is true and present for you in this moment…be sad, angry, deflated, anxious, frustrated, embarrassed, whatever it may be, give yourself a specific and limited amount of time to process and then be done.  Pick yourself up, grab a pen and something to write on and reaffirm what it is that you are creating and what this accomplishment will give you.  Get clear and definite about your purpose.  Create your reality with your thoughts and your language…the two most powerful tools we have.

Surround yourself with people who are better, smarter, more spiritual, wealthier, more successful, more focused, more loving than you are….as we are all the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with…limit your time with those who try to keep you thinking, speaking, living in the realm of what is “common”, rather than supporting and encouraging you to shift your thinking, speaking, and living into the realm of what is possible.

Imagine if Thomas Edison had listened to all those folks who kept rallying for him to “Give Up. Give In. Move On.” after 10,000 “rehearsals”, he created the light bulb.

What will be your light bulb?

Shine.
Live, Love, Give…….

~R

I have been thinking for some days about all the shifting that is happening in our world, and the significantly different ways in which people respond to and react to a “shift”. Today I spoke to two of my friends. These friends have nothing in common with regard to geography, career choices, taste in music… however, unfortunately, they now share something in being part of an ever-expanding group of good, hardworking, talented people who find themselves being downsized, laid-off, or simply told “that’s all folks”- doors are closing. It makes me sad for so many people, but maybe not for the reasons you may think. Yes, it is something that turns your world upside down and throws you sideways and back again. In no way am I minimizing the devastation of such news, believe me. What makes me most sad, however, is the fact that a large majority of people, upon receiving news such as that, will feel an incredible sense of hopelessness. I say this, because I have been listening to people from all over, from all backgrounds, who are finding themselves in positions they never thought possible, and the common theme for many is feeling like they have absolutely no idea what they are going to do to take care of their lives, their families, their futures. There wasn’t really a plan B. Maybe there wasn’t really a plan A. In any event, they need one now.
In my profession, there is something incredibly unique that is a common commitment regardless of what organization you are working with, or if you are selling a product or a service, and that commonality is growth. Personal Development. Spending 30 minutes a day, working on you. It completely changes the day, the perspective, the future you are living into, and therefore what possibilities become possible when you are open to them. Those that engage in this type of daily discipline find that in times of turbulence or crisis, they also find time of greatest growth and from that, great rewards. There are a million amazing books, CD’s, videos out there… if you need suggestions, let me know, I’d be happy to share some of my favorites, ( First  on the list “Tribes” by Seth Godin…get yourself a copy when you can!) but my encouragement to you, is to take this on, and incorporate this into designing your life, and making this the best YEAR EVER.
We are in a magical time right now, opportunity to create true wealth always flourishes in times of economic chaos…it’s all a matter of how you respond to the shift. As I am writing this, I have a very distinct visual about  this conversation. Imagine for a moment that you are at the ocean, sitting on the beach, warm sun, and perfect tropical breeze. You decide that you are going to take a walk into the water and go for a little float in the warm salty sea. As you are walking in, and the water is gradually getting deeper, the waves breaking at your knees, then about mid-thigh, and soon you are in up to your hips. If you are standing square and the waves are coming towards you…what happens? Even a tiny wave will knock you over, or at the very least, rock you off balance, and down you go. However, if you shift your body, so that you are turned slightly sideways, when the wave hits your body…what happens? You roll with it- your body flows with the tide, you are buoyant, you bob up a little as the wave crests and you bob down as the wave breaks… no fear, no stress, no being tossed upside down like you are in an industrial sized washing machine….. You just roll with it, and continue on into the tranquil turquoise water, fully prepared for the next wave…..
How are you responding to the things that are shifting in your world?

This is Your time, This is Your year….make it happen.

Live, Love, Give….

~R