Articles Archives - Page 49 of 61

Increase Productivity Instantly

by suzie | Aug 17, 2016 | Articles

So you want to increase productivity? It’s difficult to get the brain in proper mode with all the gears cranking. But you need to to get work done. To bow down to the excuse of something being too difficult only self-sabotages.

Meant to thrive

Listen, the truth is that life is going to toss some tough obstacles in the way from time to time, and these serve to remind that we have lessons to learn and important things to do. We’re put on this Earth not to just merely survive. We are here to thrive. We are meant for greatness.

That being said, to achieve any amount of this greatness, we must push forward and stay focused. We can’t rely on luck to lift us to our potentials. We must dig deep and find our grit, that power inside that burns thick and hot, fueling our desires and allowing for wins when all that’s surrounding us are temptations aimed to keep us down.

SIDE NOTE: You just have to be careful not to go overboard and ruin your balance like my character, Sarah, did before she met the curious and sexy, Jolene, in Beneath Everything.

To be productive takes focus

If you’ve got a dream to get to the next level, or to pursue that passion, or to get off the current path and onto one that shines with the promise of a brighter future, then you must stay focused and determined.

In this technological age of smartphones and interesting gadgets, it’s easy to get lost and find ourselves stuck in the muck of the worn out rat race where dreams and passions go to die. It takes a conscientious effort to stay the course and get things done. This effort must be fiercely sharp and unwavering.

If this intimidates you, it should. If it didn’t, life could wind up being a ginormous bore.

The one critical element to be more productive on your pursuit of greatness in any endeavor is a burning desire, and the catalyst to that desire is escaping the trap of complacency. The more comfortable we feel, the more apt we are to stay exactly where we are in life. I don’t know about you, but the thought of that terrifies me because this would mean I’ve stopped growing.

We’re meant to grow. We’re meant to water the garden of our intellect and talent and watch it emerge from the depths of impossibility to the heights of opportunity. This takes nurturing, patience, and a strong desire to take what is given to us and turn it into something grand. We must shake up the ground with all its deeply rooted gridlocks, making room for new pathways defined not by old standard, but the promise of what can transform stagnation to fertility. With proper care, the shoots of new roots will pop through the limitations previously set and extend its richness to all who are lucky enough to witness its birth. In each of us is greatness this beautiful. All we must do to bring it into life is offer a little tender-loving care towards ourselves and all those who journey with us.

If you desire to live your greatest life, then you must be willing to change and tweak, constantly refining your process as you learn better ways of doing things. To get to this state of mind, you must be focused and willing.

be more productive-2 This brings me to another point… I used to stretch myself too thin, so much that I ended up with a few health issues that ultimately knocked some sense back into me (but not before damaging some fruitful roads).

Being productive to me means being healthy at the end of any given day. Too many times we burn that candle on both ends only to find ourselves unable to lift our head off the pillow, never mind accomplish anything meaningful in our lives.

Here’s the deal

As human beings we have a great capacity to emerge as success stories, and this capacity grows the more thoughtful we are in our actions.

Most reading this could likely fill a notebook with things they need to do on any given day. We’ve got meals to plan, plants to water, dependents to care for, dust to swipe away, bills to pay, calls to make, email to check, Facebook statuses to write, etc. Now imagine if you want to advance in your career, start a relationship, or open a business? How do you get it all done and protect yourself from shutdown?

Let’s face it, when the flame heats up, a natural response is often procrastination. It’s easier to put things aside and deal later.

There’s a better way!

Now more than ever before, we need to find ways to organize so we can get things done productively and effectively. This can mean the difference between living a mediocre life or a more deserving one of joy and fulfillment.

How to Reduce Stress

by suzie | Jul 29, 2016 | Articles

Wishing for a magic solution to reduce stress? Yeah, me too! Fact is, stress reduction takes some effort. But you can do it.

I certainly needed to learn! I had been challenged with a situation that is keeping me on my toes. If you’ve ever had to administer eye drops to a dog, you may understand my pain. My sweet Bumblebee is certainly helping her momma to face a critical life lesson here.

Stay cool under pressure

About a month ago, my adorable Boxer, Bumblebee, tore her cornea. I have no idea how. Supposedly it’s a common injury in Boxers. She certainly gets excited very quickly, springing to her feet if a leaf blows the wrong way, so it doesn’t surprise me that perhaps in one of her spirited leaps to the front window, her cornea may have been surprised, too, by the quick opening of her eye.

The vet gave me eye drops to use for a month to see if she would heal. Well, she didn’t. So, surgery was the only option. Wednesday she underwent corneal surgery to repair the injury. It went well, and she will heal nicely so long as I successfully get an eye drop in her eye every eight hours for the next three weeks.

The health of her eye depends on my family’s ability to aid in getting those eye drops to land in her eye. Gulp.

That reality scares the you-know-what out of me.

Since the surgery, I am happy to report that we have successfully administered the prescribed eye drops on schedule. However, this is not to say this task has been a walk in the park. Bumblebee acts like we’re going to kill her whenever that bottle appears.

I feel I’ve aged thirty years in the past three days! This is torture for us all. When that eight hour approaches, my stomach starts to flip flop, and my blood pressure begins its rapid ascent to levels that cannot be good.

Three weeks… yikes.

It’s something we need to do. There is no other option. We must come to the foot of that hill we’re dreading to climb, and do what it takes to climb it.

Three days into this climb, the stress is not calming to safe levels. We will not let that stop us. I am determined to master the art to stay cool under pressure. I am going to view this as a wonderful opportunity to grow and turn my weakness into a strength. Heck, if I can dive seventy-five feet under water, I can drop medication into Bumblebee’s eye. (This diving reference is my mantra whenever I have to face a difficult situation!)

Life is tossing me a lesson that I need to learn. Simple as that. And, until I learn the lesson, I’ll likely find that same challenge appear and reappear.

I realized something this morning as she fought us for ten minutes. My frustration only aided in escalating hers. My fear of failing her only added to her fears. What I am bringing to the situation is catchy. She latches onto whatever I am feeling, and mirrors it. So, in that moment, I stopped, and just breathed. Within moments, she relaxed and trusted us.

Will this work every single time? With Bumblebee it’s always an adventure. I never know what will happen from second to second. But, I am reassured that entering the situation with anything but a calm mind is never going to serve either one of us in any good way.

cool under pressure She is scared right now, and looking to us for direction. We can choose to lead her down a path that is full of anxiety or one that is layered in humor and love.

My big takeaway three days into this twenty-one day journey: it’s all about the attitude. I have a choice how I react. My goal is to stay cool under pressure. So, the obvious choice here is to bring humor and love along our journey and leave anxiety at the foot of that hill.

I believe in taking on this attitude, we will walk up that hill with little effort, carrying only the desire to get to the top where we can rest and enjoy the openness of what’s next in our life. This will pass. This is only temporary. We can gain strength from each step we put consciously in front of the other, and look forward to the reward of its residual gifts. If we can make it up that hill, we can make it up any other terrain. It’s just a matter of focusing on the end goal, and using humor to get us through.

We all have these kinds of challenging situations that land in our lives. Some of us are stressed about our work, relationships, finances, difficult decisions, health issues, etc. The next time you need to stay cool under pressure, try to remember the reward of making it through and how great you’re going to feel. If that doesn’t work, I’ve researched a few more ideas.

How to stay cool under pressure

Visualize Success

See yourself facing the challenge with confidence and great effectiveness. Run that scenario through your mind over and over until you feel empowered, then go get it done.

Acquire the Tools

Show up prepared. If it’s a job interview and you’re lacking knowledge on how to put your best foot forward, hire someone to teach you or find the right resources. If you are facing a health challenge, surround yourself with positive, loving people who will support and encourage you on your journey towards a healthy recovery. If you’re dealing with a spirited dog afraid of a little eye drop bottle, arm yourself with treats, a muzzle for safety, blankies and lots of loving praise.

Gather Information

If you’re about to give a presentation to a large audience and your knees are giving out from underneath you, ask the audience some questions. This will take the pressure off you as you listen to their needs. Understanding what’s at stake can help redefine the challenge into something more manageable.

Know When to Take a Break

If you’re facing an extremely stressful encounter, it’s okay to stop, breathe and gather yourself. Nothing good will come from a mood spiraling out of control. Take the time to regroup and redirect your attitude.

Focus only on Facts

When emotions are piqued, it’s hard to make a good decision. If people are relying on you to make a good call, block out everything else but the immediate facts. Leave panic and emotions out of it by zeroing in on only those elements that are critical to that moment in time.

Over to you: How do you stay cool under pressure?

How to Move Forward

by suzie | Jul 27, 2016 | Articles

Learning how to move forward in times of blockage, heartache, and anger is essential. You are meant to live a happy and fulfilled life.

Letting go of ideas that no longer serve can help move a person out of a funk, be it a literary, personal, or work-related one. I know this because I just experienced one of the coolest shifts in creativity by dropping my stubborn independence and embracing the art of letting go.

Here was the situation: I always knew writer’s block to be one of those potential daggers that could strike my writing career at any moment. I’ve heard others talk about it, and quite frankly, it was something that scared the living daylights out of me. I spent the last decade free and clear from its toxic power, and then one day, just like that, BAM it struck.

Letting go: easier said than done

When the blockage first struck, I had just finished publishing The Dance, a novel that I adored writing, and, to my pleasant surprise, others seemed to have adored reading equally as much. The honeybees, the sassy dog, the sweet beekeepers and sidekicks, along with the two leading characters really elevated this story to a level that made my heart soar with pride. I was riding the wave of a writer’s high, and suddenly got pulled into the powerful undertow of self-doubt; doubt that I could come up with a strong enough story that would not disappoint fans of The Dance.

I had spent two years researching for my novel, Beneath Everything. I became a certified scuba diver, went on numerous diving trips, one specifically in Bonaire, which is the setting for this novel. I overcame fear and panic while diving below seventy-five feet in the open ocean, learned to slow down and process peace of mind, met up with exotic sea creatures that tickled my imagination, and learned how to communicate with others on a whole new level – a critical skill for scuba diving.

I imagined writing a novel that would address these things.

Letting go: not an option

So, I sat down to start planning my novel, believing I had a story in the making. I had an idea and couldn’t wait to flesh it out. But as I began to think of life lessons and conflicts, I ran into blockages. Nothing I had originally come up with seemed deep enough. Each attempt to rev up the plot-line only created a shallower one.

The panic every writer dreads, crept in like a slow, soupy fog, swallowing up all clarity and creative thought.

For four months, I sat diligently for an hour or two every day and wrote. I journaled as a character to get to know her, and her story always fell just short of drop-dead boring. I wrote scenes without fully knowing my characters, only to say at the end of each one – so what?

No idea that I originally dreamed up seemed good enough.

letting go 2 Then, I went to the Golden Crown Literary Society’s (GCLS) annual conference and met fellow writers and readers, many of whom I’ve met online over the years. I listened to them talk about their current work in progresses, and a stab of envy and fright pierced through my already vulnerable writer’s mind. I feared I’d lost my writing mojo, and this intensified the panic stricken feeling. If I couldn’t write, what on Earth would I do with the rest of my life?

Yeah…I know, what an incredibly unreasonable and overly dramatic question. Over-dramatizing – it’s what a Virgo does… what can I say? (smile)

For my entire career, I’ve been able to come up with ideas. In fact, the storyteller awakened a little more bright-eyed with every novel I published. So what happened?

Letting Go: The necessary reality

I dug myself into a corner of a box in which I had unknowingly placed myself. I couldn’t see past the four walls, ceiling or floor. How did I let this happen? I did the very thing I advise others against doing – I gripped the handle of comfort and refused to let go, despite all signs urging me to nudge a little to the left or right to allow for the flow. I knew something stood in the way and clouded my vision, yet, I get digging myself further into the cavernous landscape.

I tend to be stubborn. I had an original idea for a story, and dammit I wanted that story to work itself out and color my pages with something bright and bold. I refused to let go of my idea, thinking maybe the next writing session would shine a light onto the page and the words would finally build into the story I imagined.

Well, that didn’t happen.

Letting Go: I really needed to

letting go 2 I spoke with one of my trusty beta readers about my problem. This was very difficult for me to do. I tend to internalize these things, partly due to ego and the other part to fear of failure, I suppose. Crouched in the dark corner of my box, I braved forward and confessed my problem. What started out as my attempt to sell her on my original idea, turned into a series of ‘what if’ questions.

A wonderful thing happens when you start to question the status quo. The weak areas start to show themselves, and new solutions start to arise. As we questioned my original story by poking it with ‘what if this happens instead’ questions, the bright lights of creativity started to shine through those little holes we were making. Soon, that light erased the shadows that dampened by thinking, and before long, a brand new idea and direction came to me. By the end of that day, a whole new cast of characters presented themselves to me begging for their stories to be told.

If I hadn’t crawled out of that corner and surrendered by stubbornness, I never would have opened up to new possibilities. (One of many insights that will be explored in this novel.)

The big lesson here is whether you’re writing a book, trying to invent a product, attempting to pass a class, or wondering what the purpose of life is, you must come out of the corner, be willing to poke holes in the status quo of your current thinking, and allow for the new insights to flow through you.

Have you had a similar situation happen? How did you succeed at letting go?

How to Take the High Road

by suzie | Jun 27, 2016 | Articles

To take the high road means doing the right thing even if it’s not popular or easy. Many times, it’s not easy at all! Yet, it’s vital you do.

Creating a foundation

Taking the high road is about creating a foundation for ourselves that is strong and flexible, and one that allows us to connect with a deeper part of ourselves. Often times, people are completely unaware that we’ve gone out of our way to take the high road. It is a journey that goes unnoticed by others. It’s a choice we make for ourselves.

I have to say, I’ve been faced with very uncomfortable situations where taking the high road was the last thing I wanted to do. There is no instant gratification gained from ignoring the hurt a friend, family member or colleague has caused me.

Recently, I found out that someone has been talking about me behind my back, saying untrue things that put me in bad light. I can’t express how many times I wanted to lash out. But, I bit my tongue because nothing positive would come out of me confronting this person.

Actions of others

I can’t control the hurtful actions of others, but I certainly can control my reaction to them.

Everything in me wants to tell her she can’t get away with treating me with such disrespect.

But, ultimately, I know confronting in such a hostile way will only cause ugliness in the overall landscape of my life. It will leave me bitter and sorry in the end, sorry that I lost my self-control and allowed her to push my buttons.

In the long run, taking the high road allows me to move forward knowing I didn’t cause further harm to a potentially volatile situation. It also creates increased confidence that allows me to make better choices.

Taking the high road is not always easy

I can’t say I’ve taken the high road always. I’ve taken that lower path and suffered the consequences of my actions, even if in silence. I’ll admit, and am embarrassed to, that I’ve allowed myself to get sucked into the vortex of gossip.

It’s always hurtful. Nothing good comes out of it.

It’s a situation I avoid at all cost now, and will not listen to someone discredit another in my presence. I will walk away. Knowing what it feels like to be on the horrible, defenseless end of it, really puts things into perspective.

I won’t always get my actions and reactions right, but, if I can at least make a conscientious effort to do the right thing as much as possible, then it’s a win-win for anyone involved.

Energy thrives on the powerful magnetism of intention. As living beings, we are powerful beyond our recognition. With that power comes the gift of grace or the evil of hurt. We choose our direction. Accessing a new direction is easy. We only have to think of spreading our proverbial wings and lifting off into the bright blue sky, and there accompanying our sense of freedom is the wind as our new companion and guide. It offers us the freedom to soar, dipping in and out of points that interest, that call us into their circle, and that beckon for our attention. We may survey the area, scanning its complexities and potential effects, deciding its worthiness in our journey. If we land in in its vortex without careful assessment, we risk losing the wind as our guide, falling prey instead to the power of our new circumstance. Caught up in the beauty and temporary high from its swift and intoxicating buzz, we stand captive to only its voice, its strength, its control. If resilient and trained, we have a fighting chance to break free from its luring, one-centered grip and seek proper nourishment from our decided source, found only in the invisible current of the air that ebbs and flows under our wings. The more we secure ourselves in the embrace of free thought and will, the higher we soar and the wider our view becomes on the world that exists outside our potentially narrow perspective. When we place ourselves in the pivotal energy of grace, we grant ourselves a world class view of what friendship and love truly offer, which is a symbiotic fluid of dignity, integrity and respect.

Setting the Record Straight

When someone attacks you, it’s natural to jump into defensive mode. You want to defend against the lies or hurt this person is spreading. You want to correct the facts and speak the truth. But, here’s the tricky part to that – when you respond to the lowly behavior of another, you pull yourself into an argument that could end up being a messy game of blame and accusations. Personal matter may be slung around, character may be questioned, past arguments may rise, and what you end up with in the end is a slaughterhouse of irreversible damage that cannot be undone.

This is why I choose to take the high road at all possible times.

Benefits of taking the high road

You will not lower yourself to the hurtful level of others.
You will show you are a respectful person who refuses to hurt others intentionally.
You will build trust with those who see you will not cause pain to even those who cause you pain.
You will gain a sense of peace by avoiding toxic people.
People will see you are a trustworthy person who refuses to sling bad vibes.
Your reputation will stand for itself and make it nearly impossible for others to believe the negativity others may share about you.

How to Take the High Road

Your actions don’t have to mirror the actions of others. In other words, if someone is being hurtful to you, you don’t have to be hurtful back. You can choose to respond without negativity. You can also choose not to respond at all. Ask yourself if it’s even worth further interaction? If it’s a good friend and you want to salvage the relationship, perhaps respond with empathy. If the friendship is over, why waste your precious energy responding?

How to respond without negativity

Place yourself in a calm state of mind. Take as long as you need. Take deep breaths. Meditate. Pray. Think of a redeeming quality of the person. Be sure to stay calm and loving in your heart. Avoid attack words or bringing up old arguments.
Deal only with the factual elements of the current situation.
Approach your words with love. It’s very easy to get caught up in an attack. Wrap your thoughts and intentions in love, imagining a peaceful outcome.
Clarify wrongful facts with a sense of confidence.
Decide how you want this to end. Do you want to nurture a friendship? Do you want to walk away without a friendship, but with your peace intact?

Here’s the thing about taking the high road: you are building your reputation to be one that is fair, trustworthy and at the best interest of others. No one can take that away from you. Your actions speak volumes. It’s critical to stay in control and act according to how you want the world to know you. In the end, no one will be able to destroy you to anyone worthy of your friendship because a worthy friend will see past the lies and hurt and embrace the bright light you shine on the world.

Over to you: Have you had to deal with a difficult situation where you’ve taken the high road?

Benefits of Change

by suzie | Jun 17, 2016 | Articles, Health and Wellness

The benefits of change may not be apparent immediately. In fact, realizing these benefits may take some time. But, they are there.

Change can be a scary thing in life. It most certainly means things are not going to stay comfortable, and we will likely be knocked out of that pocket of predictability we enjoy.

Life is constantly evolving, and so change is unavoidable. It can bring enormous discomfort, fear, and unsettling consequences to those who resist it.

I’ve been known to resist change at points in my life because, let’s face it, it is something out of the realm of certainty. The very nature of it dictates that we must take up a new view elsewhere, whether we’re talking about a physical location, a dietary shift, a health crisis, a new job, having a baby, adopting a dog, etc.

Common reaction to change

Most times, change is out of our control. It might feel unfair that we are forced to make a shift. How dare life mess with me this way when everything was going along perfectly in the status quo! Yup, I’ve blurted out those words many times. When this type of forced change happens, I don’t know about you, but damn, it feels good to let off some steam and complain about it.

We complain because it brings comfort. It makes us feel connected. We get confirmation that we’re not the only ones going through tough stuff. We receive the empathy of others. (And hey, let’s face it, empathy is like chocolate – it soothes the soul.) And since our comfort was taken away, it only makes sense we’d seek it out in another form.

Moments of uncertainty

So, in moments of uncertainty, we may just feel like caving in and saying to the world come swaddle me in some comfort while I unleash the weight of the world onto your shoulders. We may invite a friend in to listen to our complaints, and before we know it, we’re both waddling around together in the same pool of anguish, both equally upset about our situations, both wishing we could right the wrongs of this illogical world and start fresh.

The problem with resisting change is this: we become inflexible. We stunt our growth. We get stuck in the muck of life. The rest of the world refines itself as we settle on the sure bets of the past. Advancements become impossible. Life takes on a stagnant state where potential realities fade into the background of the what-ifs we could’ve created.

Sandcastles are temporary. Trying to build them into permanent structures is an impossible dream. They fall down quickly, with little warning. The comfort comes when one realizes that when they crumble and fall back into the sea, they become the foundation for something else in the waiting. – Sandcastles by Suzie Carr

Many times we’re so rigidly focused on those things that actually spoil our spirits that we can’t see past the haze. We don’t even realize that if we look beyond the haze there is a whole lot of brightness that can help ease those things that eat away at our souls in our current circumstances.

That new job may be far better than your old job. The breakup might offer new insights into love. The loss of a dream might be the beginning to a more nurturing one. The new commute might offer you more time to reflect on life. The move to a new state might help you discover your inner strength. You see, with any change comes a new perspective and a chance to grow.

Instead of falling into the comfort of moaning and groaning about the shedding of the known, choose to shift the focus to things that bring about good vibes. If we have to change, we may as well make the most of it!

Change can bring enormous gifts that sweep in and pleasantly surprise us. Think back for a moment on those pivotal moments in your life and you’ll surely find that variation of some form created the momentum to nudge you into a moment when you were in the right place at the right time. You were likely flexible to the strength of the wind blowing you in a different direction, and because you were yielding, you didn’t break. You were able to bend with it and reshape in its wake.

Transformation is going to happen. If we can view it as a stepping stone to greater things, and learn to embrace its swift entrance and bold presence, then perhaps we can draw a dynamic strength from it and benefit.

I’ve started looking for opportunities to shake things up in life. Since seeking ways to get uncomfortable, I’ve experienced a more open mind, free spirit, and ability to recover from some of life’s toughest blows and disappointments quickly and successfully. I credit this largely in part to the constant reminder that we are meant to flow without resistance so that we may enjoy and not miss a moment of the ride’s blessings.

Benefits of Change

Keeps life fresh, unpredictable, and interesting
Offers new chances
Creates opportunities
Allows us to move forward
Builds strength
Rejuvenates life’s value
Improvements are likely to be the result
Generates greater flexibility

So try this

The next time the world is beating you up, and it will because that’s life, don’t stare at its mighty, impenetrable fists. Rather, cock your head to the side and latch onto the happy sights around, like the child giggling in the yard next door, or the dog wagging his tail, or the elderly neighbor wearing a smile on his face, or the trees dancing in the sky. Take in all of the beauty in your peripheral view. Then, ask yourself this defining question: What’s good about this change?

By asking yourself this question, your brain, a natural search engine, will begin its journey far and wide to find answers.

Everyone comes to a point in life when the ground will feel like it’s caving in below our feet, threatening to swallow us up and steal away the sunshine. In those moments of change, we can choose to cave or triumph. We can rise to our feet, dig ourselves out, and stake claim on new ground, this time stronger and wiser and embracing the new perspectives placed before us. Looking around, everything is new. The world, in its changed form, shines with possibilities. Its unpredictable, fresh new layers offer us brand new opportunities to plant and harvest new nourishment that has yet to tarnish our souls or persuade us that the status quo is comforting. Indeed, change is vital in the process of life. Its freshness offers us the promise of great advancements. For to grow, one needs to move forward, stretch her legs and embrace the gift of change.

Over to you: How have you dealt with change?

Your Best Life

by suzie | Jun 3, 2016 | Articles, Health and Wellness

Do you know what that would look and feel like to have your best life? Have you ever stopped to think about what makes your heart sing?

Recently, someone forwarded me an email containing a provocative question that got me thinking in this realm. It asked: If today was the last day of your life, would you wish for more time to accomplish those things in life you put on hold?

Have you put your best life on hold?

Wow, talk about an eye-opener of a question. If today were the last day of my life, would I feel satisfied with what I did with it so far?

For the most part, yes. But there are some things…

Would I have any regrets?

I would have some, yes. There are so many things I would feel sad that I didn’t get to do, like take a trip to South America to visit family, indulge in more scuba diving with my better half, turn one of my books into a movie, drive cross-country in an RV with Bumblebee and stop at every national park, and of course there’s the big one – to gain a normal schedule where I can sleep past 2:30 am!

In all seriousness, we get this one life to live to the fullest. We should figure out what elements are most important and make a plan to get started on enjoying them. For instance, I may not be able to take off on those trips just yet, but I can keep them centered as a point of reference to keep me from spinning in a whirlwind of worry, of what-ifs, of straddling challenges, of dodging obstacles.

How to live your best life

How do we ensure we get to experience those things we’d regret not doing before it’s too late?

Ask any motivational speaker or life coach and surely they’d advise to take actions that will lead to life goals and ultimately to your best life.

Makes sense to me. I can wrap my brain around goals. I love setting them. I love knowing where I want to go. I also want to remain respectful of the great gift of time and the preciousness of the journey. I tend to get wrapped up in my goals, perhaps even too much at times. I’m like that runner at the end of a long race who just wants to sprint her way to the end, fading out the cheers from spectators, the blue skies, the smells of nature hanging in the air, and the feel of the wind on my face as I brush through it.

Goals really should be there to guide, but not block out what’s really important. That brings me to my next point in this discovery of how to live your best life: Be sure to know your priorities and align your goals with them.

#1 – Set Priorities

I keep my priority list very simple: (1) Family/friends (2) health (3) personal and professional development.

As long as my goals are in line with these, I’ll enjoy the journey.

For me, being alignment means I am with my loved ones having the time to enjoy the journey of spending my day doing the things I love most – being healthy, learning, and writing.

Take the time to determine what’s really important. What would you regret not doing?

#2 – Take Action Daily

I take action on those elements daily. I nurture my relationships, write daily, and live a well-balanced life that allows for growth. I can just imagine how much fun those eventual trips are going to be as a result of this focus.

What actions will point you in the direction towards what is most important to you? If you crave more family time and work that makes a difference, perhaps volunteering and reaching out to the community with family members would be something to consider.

If you’ve found yourself veering off the path at times, it’s okay. Just be aware of it. Awareness of this is key to staying on track so you can analyze what steps to take right now to get into the swing of living your best life.

The secret to enjoying a beautiful life would never lay in the strength of saving it, but solely in the magic of building it. – Sandcastles by Suzie Carr

We’ve all been reminded by events in our lives that life is short. It’s fragile. Don’t be afraid to shed those things that weigh you down. Lock sight on your ideals and run towards them as if your happiness depends on you reaching them. Because it truly does

Seek to build a world that is full of laughter and love. The heart wants to sing and dance and live in the bounty of nourishing change that allows for growth and expanse. Run towards the achievements you desire with gracious strides, never failing to take your eyes from the whispering landscape that will always be your trusted companion. Tears will surely be shed as you journey through your actions, tears that will leave you breathless with gratitude for the lessons and fun you enjoyed along the way. Life is a series of lessons in learning to let go of rigidity as we grant a willingness to show our vulnerability to the great unknowns. A step taken offers opportunity to engage on that perpetual path of abundance in friendship, love, and life. Decide on what’s important, execute a flexible plan to enjoy it, and let life take you on a ride that will set you spinning with exhilaration as you come across, time and time again, the opportunity to be pleasantly surprised by its little treats.

Over to you: What could you do differently today to make sure you are living your best life?

My Account

Cart

Increase Productivity Instantly