You become a trailblazer by virtue of being your genuine self.
Authenticity is the muscle that helps you shake up beliefs,
policies, and restraints, and gives you the strength to do the things some say
can't be done.
Being genuine is the foundation of integrity -- often inconvenient
and not always painless -- but the only way to go if you're here to really,
truly, fully live.
Self-doubt is so insidious that it not only renders us stuck in our
lives, but it also actually weakens our ability to dream about what living
unleashed would look like.
Ultimately, it's your call. Even when stuff seems out of your
control, you get to choose how you respond -- or react -- to everything.
Passion is in the wind in your sails, and practicality is the
rudder. You need both.
You can meditate till your sit bones are blue, pray, process, train,
affirm, think positive, therapize, and if you're still not a calmer, more
generous person who speaks kindly to the waiter or takes traffic jams in
stride, then maybe how you measure the results of your questing needs to be
recalibrated.
If you're spirit fatigued for long enough, you will downshift into
unconscious enduring. You endure the
doubt, and the gray hue, and the disconnectedness.
Wisdom comes from embracing contrasting experiences.
If you try to keep your most sacred ambitions off of your weekly
calendar and your most genuine traits off of your resume, then you're missing
out on the power of real integrity.
Your most valuable currency is what comes most naturally to you.
So many people are looking for it: their Big Life Purpose. Becoming you is your purpose.
You are the very purpose of your existence.
The path of least resistance isn't about shortcuts, cutting corners,
or being clever. And it's certainly not
about making mediocrity acceptable. It's
about optimizing the truth.
Within the constraints of morality and maturity, you should do
whatever you need to do to feel gratified in the moment.
Hesitation can be a form of wisdom. Motives become clearer; new
information shows up.
Enthusiasm is a fantastic indicator of where your true strength
lies.
Typically we come up with our to-do lists, our bucket lists, and our
strategic plans -- all the stuff we want to have, get, and experience outside
of ourselves. All of those aspirations
are being driven by an innate desire to feel a certain way. What if, first, we got clear on how we
actually wanted to feel within ourselves, and then we designed our to-do lists?
First, get clear on how you want to feel. Then, do stuff that makes you feel that way.
Forget about being impressive and commit to being real.
Let people see the full scope of what you're doing. You can be
modest and powerful.
Freedom starts when you can identify the aggravation you've been
accommodating for so long.
All visions come with a how-to strategy if you look more closely at
them.
It takes courage to be creative, vocal, vulnerable, and it takes
stamina, because if you want the best out of life, life will demand the best
out of you.
Like all of your emotions, fear just wants to be seen and heard....
Pay attention to it, but whatever you do, no not do what fear tells you to do.
Fear will tell you to contract.
Open. Fear will tell you to plow
ahead. Pull back and wait. Fear will
tell you not to rock the boat. Dive in.
No matter the reason or the source, criticism is an opportunity for
you to practice the fine art of dignity.
It's often best to do the opposite of what your fear is telling you
to do.
You don't need to waste energy protecting your ego.
Trying to convince everyone that you're right is not the best use of
energy.
You simply cannot plant seeds of misery today and expect to get a
juicy harvest next season.
When something doesn't feel right, that's reason enough. And that is the only reason that you need to
say no to something.
Don't assume that the best ideas will come to you.
Say thank-you for what's on its way to you. Go meet it halfway.
Consistency wins. Keep on
being yourself, relentlessly.
The key to successful collaborations is respect, admiration, and the
intention that you'll make something better together than you would apart.
Whatever is on your plate got there because you said yes to it.
Most often, busy is a choice.
Get clear on your desired life. Then you'll be clear on your purpose
for money. Then you can match your purpose with your actions. This is the heart of lifestyle design.
We're getting conditioned to think that little effort and quick
results are the rule, not the exception.
Minimum effort for maximum results is a brilliant productivity goal.
But it doesn't translate to doing your homework, being prepared, or growing
your value over time.
Leaps include doubt, faith, and -- most often-- satisfaction.
Even setbacks are progress.
Create your support system before crisis comes.
Giving is the antidote to emptiness.
"I'll figure it out" is the mantra of choice.
Doubt is part of the creative process. Examine it as soon as it surfaces. Appreciate that it keeps you alert.
Ask yourself what you're going to give up to get where you want to
go. You can't have it all or do it
all. But you can always have and do
great things.
Don't let the desire for perfection become procrastination.
Do what you say you're going to do.
This is the single most powerful behavior for success.
We can't control the outcomes of our wishes; we can control only the
wishing.
Accomplishing great things quickly isn't a function of a broader
focus; it's a function of laser focus.
Ask yourself what you're going to have to give up in order to pull it
off.
Part of being practical is knowing just what it takes to make
amazing stuff -- it takes a lot of fantastic, hard work.
Balance doesn't exist, but proportion and harmony do.
To be a whole person we need to fully recognize that we have these
very distinct parts of our life, and that each part needs to be honored and
tended to.
It's not the imbalances of life that will get you down -- it's doing
meaningless things that aren't taking you where you want to go.
