As I meet more people through this blog, I repeatedly encounter the same question, “How did you turn your life around?” At first, I felt as though it would require a seven volume treatise to answer this question, but on reflection, it isn’t so. The answer, like most of life’s most powerful concepts, is brilliantly simple.
Creating your version of success is a daily, sometimes moment to moment, decision. It begins with a dream, one potent enough to capture your soul, that’s the fun part. Bridging the distance between you and your goal is a matter of commitment, perseverance and trust that the universe will help you when you help yourself.
At first, it isn’t easy and it will never be automatic. Each day is a blank canvas to be colored with your intention, attention and action. Too often, we live by default and stumble into the day waiting for something to react to. This muddled focus produces muddled results.
Sometimes we enter the day feeling irritated, angry or lousy. Left unchecked we will create more negativity and at a minimum waste a days worth of advancement. If the weight of current burdens is so heavy that maintaining focus isn’t possible, you may lay your goal down for a moment as you grapple with matters at hand. However, know that you stand on the precipice of ruin, for so many who are knocked down by life’s blows choose never to get back up. Ultimately, it is always a choice. Choose you.
Pay attention when a curve ball strikes you. Acknowledge your feelings and respond accordingly, but don’t linger in unnecessary upset. You’ve got a life to create. Don’t let minutiae take you off task. The overwhelming majority of irritations are insignificant and irrelevant in the greater scheme. Don’t waste your time.
Each day, ideally before your feet hit the floor, remind yourself of what is important to you, who your best self is, and where you intend to go in the broader picture. Commit to feeding your goal with your imagination and action; both are critical. When the mind is sent to ruminate about your desires, countless subtle changes occur. Soon, pieces of your goal begin to seep into material reality. Opportunities, ideas, synchronistic events and meetings occur. That’s when the gift of action is required.
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Note:
For readers who wanted to know specifically what I do (and did) to create my best life, I endeavor to (I’m not always successful, but I am far more often than not):
1) Affirm the quality that I choose to live from: Today, I live in Love. I call it forward to be the guide in all that I do. (Yes, I still get cranky, bitchy or mopey sometimes – I am human – but the second I can redirect back to Love, I’m there).
2) I remind myself of my 5 current life goals (I don’t share them until they fully manifest see: Dreaming Big & Keeping Secrets). I see myself living my version of success and commit to taking at least one step toward each of my goals today.
3) I surrender everything to the highest good in my life. For me this is key because it takes the pressure, competition and ego out of what I do. I come to this blog, my work and life completely detached from whether my actions appear successful. I know I am walking the sacred path of my life. I don’t need any other endorsement.
I very clearly remember laying on my bed in the freezing garage I lived in, staring at the nails protruding from the rafters and beaming with intense joy while picturing myself living in a grand home, with my every need met, my child receiving the best education, being surrounded by people who loved me and (this one drew so much ridicule) having a maid.
I don’t want to mislead here and leave the impression that I walked around spouting sunshine and rainbows all the time. Far from it, I frequently cried myself to sleep. But that is the whole point, most mornings, I decided AGAIN to succeed.
I’ve lived my “irrational fantasy” out for many many years.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts and being a reminder that life is short, we create our own outcomes and that life can be beautiful. I wish you happiness and peace.
Cynthia,Again, another insightful article! Too, I wanted to congratulate you on your interview with Blog Catalog … well done, well deserved!Peppy
"Great post, very useful for a beginner like me"http://evocowire.com
Well, I like your poetry because your entire blog is poetry.Visiting your blog will become a must for me now, simply because it relax me and I like it.
Amazing… simply amazing. God bless you!
Admin:Thank you. I wish you the same.Cynthia
Pep Talk – Thank you. I hope all is well with you, dear one.Cynthia
Nice to see you here, Jo.Cynthia
John Barrett: That's quite a compliment, thank you.Cynthia
Antônio Araújo – And Bless You.Cynthia
What you wrote just echoes the truth I know in my own heart.. Sometimes I forget to feed that knowledge, and it fades in to just a glimmer. Thanks for the reminder to pay attention and light those match-thoughts. 🙂
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Your posts are always such an inspiration. You keep reminding me of the things I know to be true – the things I know that I need to run with. I come here to get my regular pep talk. It always works.
i completely agree about perseverance and bridging the gaps / commitment. However I think I made a small glitch in persevering to the extreme that everything became stress for me – and I didn't know it, thinking it was healthy pressure and as long as I was determined and carried on, I would get through it. Well, I did, kind of, but only through persevering against severe depression and then learning how to "quit" and not persist when it is not the right choice for me. It's all a balance really, I guess. And at the end of the day, and I trust you would agree with me, is to be ourselves and follow our own hearts :)(p.s. my experience in the last year is on http://nochnoch.com, still relatively new….)
nochnoch:I agree with you COMPLETELY. By my definition success is defined as nothing other than being ourselves and following our own hearts. Anything different is someone else's version of success.I am heartened to hear that you became aware and changed your path.Bless you and welcome to blogging. Your color choice and simplicity of layout is lovely!Cynthia
Hi Cynthia, thanks so much for your comments on my blog, I'm glad you liked the work. I love your blog, and agree with all you say. As for 'success,' I think the biggest success we can have in life is to love, be loved, and to be ourselves in everything we do. As an artist, I don't measure my success by sales numbers, but by whether I achieved my artistic vision. I always try to give fully of myself to everything I do. When I paint in the land, I always feel privileged to be able to do that, as so many people don't get the chance.I'm really glad I found your blog, and met you!