It is important that you get clear for yourself that your only access to impacting life is action. The world does not care what you intend, how committed you are, how you feel or what you think, and certainly it has no interest in what you want and don’t want. Take a look at life as it is lived and see for yourself that the world only moves for you when you act.”
Experiences and events are just things – things that happen in our life.
As difficult, challenging or even painful as these experiences can be at the time, it is our response to those things, the shift in our thinking, that determines what the outcome will be (and the direction that our life will take).
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself
but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
~ Marcus Aurelius
A business decision may not lead to the result one might have desired.
A piece of art or writing, created through hours of hard, dedicated work, may not be accepted by the public.
A performance, based on relentless practice, falls short of the desired reception of the audience.
All of these experiences have one thing in common: the opportunity to frame them either through the eyes of an Owner or a Victim. As my mentor and friend Steve Chandler said in his recent workshop,
“There are only two kinds of people in any given situation – Victims and Owners.”
What if what you believe (the thoughts that guide your daily journey in life) are lies? What if they are distorted versions about yourself?
“Don’t Stop Believing. Hold on to that Feeling”
~ Journey
The lyrics of the popular song by Journey unfortunately provide the listener with some pretty bad advice – depending on what you are believing!
In fact, if your personal belief system is based on negative thoughts about yourself, then I suggest that you most certainly do not want to “hold on to that feeling.”
If I grow up believing that I have little worth or value, this thought will continue to guide me later in life through a lack of self-confidence. If I do not believe that I am capable of great things in my business or creative life, then I will more than likely sabotage any chance of success in those areas.
A negative set of beliefs can lead to:
– Self-doubt (“Who do I think I am”)
– Feelings of Inadequacy (“I’m just not enough to produce work that matters”)
– Powerlessness (“I’ll never achieve what I want”)
– Shame (“I’m not worth it”)
– Feeling like a fraud (“I’m going to be found out and rejected”)
Do you feel that your life is moving at a faster and faster rate? Do you feel out of balance and at the mercy of stress?
While stress is not an option, how you deal with and bounce back from it is.
A commitment to balance, which includes self-renewal, is crucial in order to be outrageously successful in all areas of your life. Prioritizing self-renewal allows for you to become physically and mentally refreshed while having the energy to stay focused on your vision and goals.
“If the snooze button on your alarm is getting as worn out as you are, wake up.
You may be burning out.” ~Patti Bond
Preventing Burnout Through Self-Renewal:
1) Slow it Down!
Our culture gives very little help with slowing down our life. In fact, it seems as if everyday we are encouraged to do things quicker or are offered ways to speed things along. Fast food, faster internet, shorter deadlines, shopping from home in order to get things as soon as possible are not much help with slowing down our lives.
Ask Yourself: Am I feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Do I need to slow down and take some purposeful time alone or in personal refreshment and renewal?
“Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” ~ Pablo Picasso
Keys to slowing down and discovering time alone:
– Look for small moments of quiet time to slow down (before your family awakens, short walks where you enjoy the air, smells and sunshine around you)
– Find ‘quiet places’ for silence and solitude (turn off the music, TV, and email and spend time in silence, alone with your thoughts and your self)
– Minimize your words (Speak less and ‘listen’ more when alone, meditate/listen to the inner voice of God, listen to and become aware of that part of yourself that you have been ignoring through all of the ‘noise’ and your busyness)
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Today I would like to share some great news with you.
You are guilty.
(Not quite what you were expecting to hear, was it?)
Yes, believe it or not, accepting that we are guilty is powerful and can be the beginning of growth and change.
Determining if we are truly guilty of something can be the initial step towards resolving our offense and moving forward. Whether we have hurt someone we love, procrastinated working on our next important project or made excuses to ourselves about what we are capable of, we are guilty.
But … being guilty of something does not mean that we need to feel shame. Whereas guilt says that I have broken a law, or have done something that hurts either myself or another, shame goes deeper – much, much deeper.
In fact, the difference can be summed up in the following:
Guilt says, “I made a mistake.”
Shame says, “I AM a mistake.”
Wow, the implications between “I made” and “I am” are HUGE!
Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.”