Getting to What You Were Called to Do

Courtesy of George Hoban, publicdomainpictures.net

Courtesy of George Hoban, publicdomainpictures.net

Whenever we have a series of overcast and rainy days, it’s easy for me to succumb to the gloom and start to feel down. I began to feel sorry for myself recently and questioned if  I was where I wanted to be at this point in my life.

Yes, I’ve enjoyed many wonderful life experiences and reached many of my life goals. As a matter of fact, I now focus my work on helping others create happiness in their lives. And yet, because I’m human, I get sometimes get seduced into looking at the glass as half empty instead of half full.

When I get into such a funk, I don’t like it at first. Sometimes it hurts a lot to feel uncertain, unsure, and unclear.  But then I realize that it is a blessing. It keeps me humble and it gives me a project from which I know I’ll eventually emerge as a stronger person and a better coach and writer.

Not only that, my search for relief makes me test new techniques and revisit ones that have worked for me before. That way when I share ideas with you, they come from a real place, not a theory. Sharing my life experiences to encourage you on your journey is what I was called to do.

One thing that I do when I get into these moods is search for motivation and words of encouragement.  I was recently drawn to visit one of my favorite websites, TED.com to listen again to Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University.

The point that always resonates with me in this speech is the idea that sometimes you have to drop out in order to drop into what you are called to do. I think about that in my life when I think of endeavors I abandoned because I no longer had passion for them. There are other times when a project appeared to be a failure, but later I saw that it freed me up to something even greater. Jobs urges us to trust the process and the path we are on when we follow our passion.

I invite you to listen to Jobs share three poignant stories from his life. Draw from his stories the lesson that will make a difference in your life. Then share in the comments a time when you dropped out in order to drop in.

If you enjoyed this article, share it with your social media friends. Thank you.

 

Happiness Tip: Check That Comfort Zone

The Higher You Soar The Clearer View You Have

eaglesoaringWhen I read this article by Gladys Anderson, it resonated with me on several levels. I can remember many occasions when it was hard for my husband and others to see my vision. It also reminded me of times when I had to hold to my vision and go after my goals.
I know you will be inspired by it too.
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This is a guest post by Gladys Anderson of Coach for Your Dreams.
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Several years ago on a cruise to Alaska, I took the opportunity to take a helicopter tour and walk on glaciers that have been forming for thousands of years. It was an amazing, once in a lifetime adventure and I’m so glad I did it.

The fluffy white clouds seemed to beckon me to reach out and touch one as we lifted higher. Slowly the landscape below faded into a blur as we soared closer to the glaciers.

The day couldn’t have been more perfect. The sky was clear and the views of the breathtaking azure sea-colored ice had a calming effect despite the loud, persistent noise from the helicopter engines. After about a 30-minute ride, we stepped out of the helicopter on the glistening ice.

What an exhilarating experience! It was beyond anything I could have ever imagined!

And to think, I almost let my husband talk me out of taking the tour because he didn’t want to go. But after some serious “negotiating” on my part, he eventually agreed to accompany me.

Now, as I recall the excitement of my eagle’s-eye view of those spectacular glaciers, it reminds me of how we sometimes allow other people to talk us out of what can be a once in a life time experience, taking a risk or doing something we really want to do.

Sometimes, you just have to soar above your comfort zone, stand up for what you want and make the choice to do what your heart says will bring you joy!

And, here are some tips to help you make the choice to soar:

1. Make sure you clearly make your desires known. If people don’t know what you want, you end up getting what they want for you.
2. When an opportunity presents itself, don’t over analyze it. As long as it’s not harmful, you just might enjoy the adventure. Take the risk. More than likely, you’ll be glad you did.
3. Sometimes you have to soar above your comfort zone. I’m not even comfortable flying in a commercial plane let alone a helicopter. But I choose to leave my comfort zone for a chance to experience something exhilarating and magnificent.
4. Be open to new experiences and opportunities. Become a participant and not a spectator in your own life. Reach out and grab the brass ring, it just may take you on the ride of a lifetime.
5. Do some things you wouldn’t ordinarily do just because you can, it’s fun and will give you unspeakable joy.

What will you do this week to soar towards your joy?

Until next time…

Gladys M. Anderson, M.Ed., CTACC, LMFT
Empowerment Life Coach/Marriage & Family Therapist
Empowering women globally, one step at a time…
To learn more about how you can live your best life now with confidence, courage and clarity, please register at http://www.coachforyourdreams.com to receive a subscription to my bi-weekly ezine, “Insightful Living”, filled with thought-provoking articles, tools, tips and strategies to assist you as you journey on the path of self-discovery.

And, as a bonus, you will also receive a complimentary special report “The Fear Factor – 5 Easy Steps to Triumph over Fear”.
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Gladys Anderson, founder of Coach for YOUR Dreams, is a certified life coach, licensed marriage and family therapist, writer and speaker. Gladys combines years of experience, training and a genuine commitment to helping women balance the many demands on their time and energy, create limits that shift balance from overwhelm to energized, and live lives of courage, confidence and clarity. To get more information about Gladys and her program offerings, please visit http://www.coachforyourdreams.com

Are you Stuck in Preparation Mode?

3649 Chicago Arlington Park Starting Gate 06-08 by chicamguy from flickr

3649 Chicago Arlington Park Starting Gate 06-08 by chicamguy from flickr

A popular inspirational speaker once commented to her audience that she recognized a number of them from previous seminars.

Although she was glad to have their support, she cautioned them not to get stuck in taking nonstop seminars, but to get busy putting into practice what they had learned.

Many students take classes and pursue degrees, always preparing to live life later.

Unlike school, in life the test comes first, then the lesson. Get busy living and learn as you go.

It’s like believing you need to read the manual to your new computer or digital camera thoroughly before you can start to use it.

Just the opposite is true.

You can only learn to use something by trying it out, making mistakes, and then finding solutions on your own. No manual can cover every contingency.

Young people subscribe to the theory that technology should be easy enough to understand without a manual. I think this is the basis of the term “user-friendly.”

By the time we finally understand that it’s okay to live without “reading the manual,” many of us have wasted our young years in a never-ending state of preparation.

We take classes and attend seminars, but we never really live.

Sadly, some of us make it to adulthood without having left the starting gate. As Wayne Dyer says, some people “die with their songs still inside them.”

Don’t let that be you.

Take classes, build your skills, read articles, books as well as instructional and inspirational information.

Then take action.

Put into practice what you learned.

Make adjustments.

Correct your course.

And by all means, get out of preparation mode, leave the starting gate and get on to living your life to its fullest.

That is the point after all.

It's About Time: Did You Sign Your Permission Slip?

schoolbusRemember elementary school field trips?

You couldn’t get on that bus until your parents had signed a paper verifying that they were giving the school permission to transport you and supervise you on some outing.

In elementary school you probably stood by eagerly waiting for your parents to affix that precious signature on your passport to a day away from school for something fun.

By high school, if you wanted to go on that trip desperately enough you forged your parents signature because you forgot to get the authentic one before you left home.

Now that you are all grown up you must still get permission before you can go on this trip called life. The only difference is you are the one who must sign that permission slip now.

No matter how much you want to pursue a given goal you won’t make much progress until you give yourself permission to do so. Here are five tips for getting your signature onto your permission slip:

1. Determine your destination.

You must know where you are going before you head out on any trip. This applies regardless of your goal.

It’s essential that you are specific, of course. Saying you want to make more money, for example, is not very useful since “more” is relative.

Set a specific intention, such as making $5,000.

2. Set a target date

Your goal to make $5,000 is a wonderful start, but you must set a deadline or time frame. Is your goal to make $5,000 by next Friday, per month or per year? The way you answer this will determine the actions you will take to get to the goal.

3. Check to be sure your goal is in line with your values and beliefs.

If you believe that it’s impossible for you to make $5,000 by next Friday you will not do what is necessary to reach that goal. Your subsconscious will be unconvinced that you are serious, so you won’t see the opportunities right in front of you that can help you reach your goal. Your actions are guided by your beliefs.

Then if you place a high value on spirituality and believe that desiring money is somehow evil, your values are in conflict with your goals and will thwart your efforts to go after your goal.

4. Do what it takes to reach your goal.

When your values and beliefs are in line with your goal, you will know that you deserve your heart’s desire. Now you will be free to take action to go for your goal.

Back to our example of getting $5,000 by your time deadline, you must be willing to use your skills to bring this goal about. If you are self-employed, it may mean taking on new clients; if you work on a job it may mean working overtime or taking on a second job. Perhaps you create a new project designed specifically to raise these funds.

With the first three steps in place your creativity with flourish with ideas for positive actions toward your goal.

5. Celebrate when you reach your goal.

You deserve congratulations for setting your goal, adjusting your mindset and taking the action that lead to your success. Celebrate to reward yourself and bolster your self-esteem. After all, this is something you did and can now do again.

To continue to enjoy success and happiness in your life now you know that all you need to do is sign your permission slip.

For more tips on managing your time and getting the life you want, click here.