mind

In this article we will discuss the concept of life and its underlying principle. We will be going through a step by step procedure, exploring your feelings and options, and by the end of this article, you should have a fairly solid tool you could immediately employ in your life, to give it a meaningful direction.

There are three steps to the process of discovering the purpose of your life:

Understanding the principle of choice
Creating your underlying principle
Aligning your life with the underlying principle

Understanding the principle of choice:

Norman Vincent Peale has this to say about the power of choice. “The greatest power we have is the power of choice. It is an actual fact, that if you have been groping under unhappiness, you can choose to be joyous, instead. And, by effort, lift yourself into joy. If you tend to be fearful, you can overcome that misery by choosing to have courage. The whole trend and the quality of anyone’s life is determined by the choice that are made”.

Choosing is the most important activity of your mind, because by making a choice, you are proclaiming your desires to your subconscious mind. Once the subconscious mind get to know your desires, it is going to do anything to manifest them in your life. The choices you make in your life become your goal. And, if you are sincere in pursuing them, there is no reason why you should not accomplish them.

Indecision, on the other hand, not only creates frustration and anxiety, but can also confuse the subconscious mind about what you want. But it is important that the choices you make are made by you, in accordance with your true desires, purposes and aptitude. A lot us of let others make choices for us, or make our choices according to what we think is ‘correct’, even if that means that we go against our wishes. What is right for someone is may not be right for you, and the way to know this is listening to what your heart says.
So, begin with, make a list of things which interests you; things which you have always enjoyed, which makes you feel better, which inspires you to surge ahead, no matter what obstacles you face. Do you like doing something creative, or something artistic? Do you enjoy nature, do you like the sea? Do you enjoy helping others? Do you get pleasure out of making a difference in other people’s life?

What ever it is that interests you, go ahead and make a list under the following headlines:

Things you love to do:

______________________________________

What is it that you love in this thing and why? How you could do this for money, and make a living out of it?

__________________

__________________

Creating Your Underlying Principle:

The next step is to examine the list you just made and find out if there is any recurring them. Maybe, it is the contribution that keeps coming up, or an effect to seek or give love, or helping your parents cope with old age. Whatever it is try to identify the central them of the things you love to do, and try to put it in a short and precise statement. This will be your ‘Mission Statement’. It may even be a quote by a famous person, or a philosophy that has influenced you. Of course, as you grow up, this statement could evolve, but its soul will remain the same. Now, write down your Mission Statement.

Aligning your LIFE with the Underlying Principle:

The final step in this journey is to map your path to your ultimate purpose. Make the little changes in your lifestyle that would accommodate this principle in your life. LIVE this principle each and every day. It might take a few days, but you will certainly feel the difference in your enthusiasm for life. If you realize that you love being amidst nature, plan out your holiday. Maybe an outing with your children could be enough to recoup with your energy. On the other hand, you might even want to change your job, or start a new business, that is more in line with your mission.

Remember - “Do what you love, and money will follow”.

Pradeep Aggarwal is a renowned Hypnosis & NLP guru with career spanning two and half decades He is also a much sought after speaker and peak performance consultant for Sport Teams and organizations. Visit Hypnosis Global for free 6 part mini course to learn Self Hypnosis and Personal Transformation.

Share This

As a recovering workaholic/perfectionist, not to mention having delusions of superhero syndrome, I’m quite familiar with the lies we tell ourselves.

You know these lies. They’re the ones that keep us stuck and away from our dreams. We might not be where we want to be in our business or our lives, but change is hard. It’s uncomfortable. Worse, change forces us to face our fears.

So the lies allow us to stay put. Right where we’re stuck. They give us a reason NOT to change.

And these lies keep us from having the business and/or life we’ve always wanted.

So what are these lies? Below are a few of my favorites (although this is by no means an exhaustive list).

1. If I would just work a little harder, I could get everything done. (This lie also has a part 2 — the guilt that happens when you don’t get everything done.)

Working harder isn’t the answer. Having a realistic idea of what you can do in a day is.

Unfortunately we’re not Superman. We don’t have super powers. We’re human. And there’s only so much we can do in one day by ourselves. (This is also why you want to start creating teams in your business so you CAN get more done in less time. But even if you have a team, there is still only so much you personally can get done.)

2. If I just sacrifice now, I can reap the benefits later.

This is a scary one because there’s some truth mixed in here. While it IS true when you’re gearing up to launch a big product or a business venture or a big campaign, you may very well have to put in more hours for a brief period of time.

The lie comes in when IT NEVER STOPS.

This week, there’s a big project for a client you have to finish up. Next week, you’re putting in overtime because an emergency cropped up for a different client. The week after you’re working longer because you need to do some marketing to make sure the pipeline stays full. Oh, and don’t forget to try and squeeze in time to create a product or to start a second business venture.

You’re constantly putting your personal life “on hold” because you know one day it will all come together and you’ll be able to sit back and reap the rewards of all the hard work.

But that day never seems to come.

This one is a toughie. I won’t deny it. But you need to get it through your head there is a natural rhythm to all businesses.

There are times you need to work like a dog. (And every single successful person I’ve ever met works like a dog every now and then. The difference is they typically know when to stop.) But, there are also times to sit back and take it easy. Work fewer hours. Enjoy what you’ve built so far. It doesn’t have to be complete in order for you to celebrate it.

And there are your “normal” times — times when you put in a full week yet you’re still able to enjoy your weekends without feeling like you need to squeeze in few extra hours on your business. When even though things are humming and you’re busy, you still make time to take that art class or watch your kids play soccer.

You need to still enjoy your life while you’re building your business. And you need to know you’ll have the energy and passion to put in a few extra hours of work when it’s called for. The only way to do that is to make taking time a priority.

3. If you want to be successful, you have to work hard.

This one is about your mindset. Again, it’s not an easy one.

I have rubbed shoulders with plenty of very successful people. And there is no question they work very hard. But, like I said earlier, they also know when to stop.

Being successful and working hard are NOT synonymous. Plenty of people work very hard and never see much success. Plenty of people are very successful and also take quite a bit of time off.

You CAN do both. It’s very possible. The point is you have to change your mindset. Once you truly believe it’s possible, then it will happen.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting, marketing communications and creativity agency. She helps people become more successful at attracting new clients, selling
products and services and boosting business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level,
visit her site www.michelepw.com. Copyright 2006 Michele Pariza Wacek.

Share This

Do you feel tense and anxious at work? Do your co-workers and/or boss make you crazy? Is your personal life less than blissful? If so, you’ve got stress. If you’re like most people you’ve sought refuge from this situation by trying a quick fix or two like calling a friend, walking the dog, or going away for the weekend in an attempt to escape it all. While these strategies may serve as temporary diversions, nothing in your life changes when you return to your routine.

Stress is internal, which explains why it can wreak havoc on your health. It feels awful…it’s the sense that you’re not in control. The easiest way to mitigate its effect is to take charge of the one and only thing you have the power to control…YOU, and let go of what you can’t control. The beauty of this recipe is that by taking control of your life, external or outside things will change in response to your internal changes. Here are 10 steps to destress for your present and future:

1. Heal yourself.

Dr. Bruce McEwen, who wrote The End of Stress As We Know It, suggests that eliminating stress comes right from your grandmother’s journal. He says the most effective steps you can take are the simplest: exercise, a healthy diet, regular sleep, moderate to minimal alcohol intake, and no smoking. This, he notes, is the most sophisticated, up to the minute, cutting edge science available!

2. Get organized.

Physical clutter reminds us of things that need to be done and that’s stressful. Remove your physical clutter and you’ll eradicate your mental clutter, plus you’ll feel energized. Please go to http://topten.org/public/AG/AG306.html for a simple organizing solution that will work on any space.

3. Set boundaries.

Boundaries act as a filter to keep you safe from the hurtful behavior of others while allowing in the love, support and nurturing actions we all need. Set your boundaries by: (a) determining what others cannot do to you or in your presence and (b) sharing this information respectfully with anyone who is stepping over one of your boundaries.

4. Take time for yourself.

Put together a list of all the things you love to do but haven’t regularly made time to do. Put your list in priority order and enter the top five to seven items into your daily calendar. Your list may include things as simple as journaling, reading a great book, taking a bubble bath, yoga, etc. You’ll be more successful getting to these activities when you give them a time and place on your calendar.

5. Be positive.

William James, the father of modern psychology said, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind.” In other words, what you say and what you tell yourself impact the present and create your future. Love yourself and use the power of positive words, pleasing thoughts and affirming beliefs to live the life you want to live.

6. Work in a career you love.

If you’re like most people, you spend the majority of your waking hours at work. You’ll know you’re in the right profession when: you wake up anxious to go to work, you want to do your best daily, and you know your work is important.

7. Surround yourself with a supportive community.

You are who you spend time with. Hang out with people who love and accept you just the way you are, are interested in you (not what you can do for them), lift you up (not wear you down), solve problems quickly, don’t gossip or complain, and know how to have fun. Anything is possible with the right support.

8. Learn to say, “No.”

We’ve all been influenced by people in our life who tell us we should do this or we ought to do that. As a result, we may end up living a life that others have decided for us versus living the life we want. So, the next time you think of something you ought to do or someone else suggests you should do, take a breath and ask yourself if it’s something you want to do. If not, just say, “no” or “no thank you.” When you say no to things you don’t care to do, you are saying yes to you and this will free up your time and energy for the things you choose to do. Bottom line - you’ll be happier.

9. Zap tolerations.

A toleration is something that irritates you and drains your energy because it needs to be done, fixed, removed, or changed. If you’re like most people you may be tolerating 100 or more things! Put together a list of all the things that bug you, e.g. a dripping faucet, money concerns, your weight, shopping and running errands, not enough time, computer files out of control, your hair, a room that needs to be painted, etc. When your list is complete, group like items and see if one solution will eliminate multiple tolerations. For example, if you have piles of clothing in each bedroom, dirty windows and dust bunnies on your floor, hiring a housekeeper will zap all three tolerations. Line up a housekeeper, today. Then, commit to spending a chunk of time each week to zap your other tolerations. If you have a toleration that you don’t have the skill or know-how to fix, consider calling an expert or seek out a skilled professional to trade services with.

10. Get your needs met.

A “need” is not an option, it is something you must have to function fully. It is differentiated from a “want” in that a want is optional. Unmet needs can drive you to distraction and worse. Determine what needs you have that aren’t being met, if any, and then take the appropriate action to get them fulfilled. Example: If you’ve taken a big hit and are going through a career transition, ask a good friend to call you two or three times a week to check in with you and give you support. Other options include calling your own voice mail and leaving supportive messages or hiring a coach who specializes in career transitions. When you acknowledge and satisfy your needs, you will be free to focus on other areas of your life.

If you want to be happier and more successful, focus on the things you have the power to control.

Pam N. Woods is co-author of a bestselling book, Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies from the World’s Greatest Mentors; endorsed by Ken Blanchard and Dr. Stephen Covey. She is a Coach U graduate and President of Smart WorkLife Solutions, a coaching and consulting company devoted to co-creating customized solutions to fit clients business and personal organizing needs. Prior to founding her own firm she had a successful 20+ year career as an insurance executive and Vice President of Human Resources. For more free how-to articles and advice, or to contact Woods, visit http://www.worklifecoach.com.
Copyright 2004 - Pam Woods

Share This