Perspective: As a Man Thinketh...
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”— Mahatma Gandhi
There's no question that your physical reality is the result of thoughts you brought to life. Everything in your existence was born of your inner thinking and your focus. Isn't it true then, that we need to better harness those private moments and the inner workings of our mind? If our thoughts - all of them - join together to become the sum total of our lives, we'd better get a grip on our intentions. And fast.
What are you focusing on these days? What are you bringing into your life? Are you channeling radiant health, vibrant relationships and abundance? Or are you focusing on the negative? If you've ever ridden a bike, you'll agree that you begin heading in the direction of your gaze. I encourage you to be more deliberate with your inner thoughts. What you're thinking and saying to yourself right now will soon become the life you're living.
Let me ask you this. Would you want to board a plane with a pilot that wasn't terribly sure where he was flying? Would you accept a full time job with little indication of what the role entailed? Would you agree to let someone design your life for you without ever revealing their plan? Quite frankly, if you're not designing your life you are relinquishing complete control of your existence to circumstances and people around you. Not planning at all is in fact planning to just "let it ride" and let whatever happens happen. That's a pretty big gamble to take with your relatively short life.
The good news? You can stop the spinning right now and get a grip on things. Today's thoughts become tomorrow's reality. So take some time to pull out a journal and plan - deliberately - the type of life you wish to live, the kind of person you want to be and the variety of relationships you intend to enjoy. Write it out. Plan it out. Make it happen. Describe it in such detail that you can't help but move toward that vision of yourself. Sounds a bit funny, and I know very few of you will perform this exercise. For the few who do, the results will be remarkable.
It's your life's story. Decide how you want it to play out, how you want to live each day and how you want to feel. Yes, believe it or not this is all within your control. So grab a journal, baby, and write a life story so good, so juicy and so satisfying you can't help but begin to make it your reality.
{illustrations by Jessica Durrant}
INSPIRING TOOLS TO GET YOU STARTED
For some, the advice above may seem abstract and difficult to take seriously. There are other sites you can read for further inspiration and maybe a bit more encouragement.
Do What You Love is a great help with an option to receive inspiring emails or sign up for online courses.
Tim Ferriss of the 4-Hour Workweek & 4-Hour Body fame interviews the best and brightest of our time to open your mind to new possibilities. I highly recommend his podcasts for eye-opening discussions and cutting edge scoop.
I was fortunate to grow up with parents who were deeply curious about how to better their life experience and ways to maximize their health, their mental game and their lives through studying human performance. I know... right? They introduced me to Tony Robbins and I've always considered him a terrific life coach. If the "informercial" side of his business turns you off, rest assured, this guy is the real deal. Check out his many free videos, books and blog posts and take a listen or read what he's churning out. If you're interested in maximum personal performance, this guy has the lock on living your best life.
Joel Osteen is another excellent resource. I've enjoyed Break Out find his podcasts to be so on point with life lessons based on scriptural truths. He offers a very simple, approachable system for breaking barriers and living an optimized life.
Regardless of where you draw inspiration, the idea is to get started and become more intentional with your thinking and your life. This isn't a one time fix, though. Think of this like detailing your car. You'll need to tidy it up each day to keep it perfect and at some not too distant point you'll want to detail it again. Life planning is much the same (but far less frequently necessary). I find that a thorough examination and planning session once a year is absolutely critical, and every 6 months is perhaps an even better strategy to make sure I'm on course.
So... start journaling. Start strategizing. Begin enjoying the life you're intentionally creating. Don't waste another precious moment because you'll NEVER ever get another NOW.
