•Challenge the way you see yourself - we all get used to thinking and seeing ourselves in a certain way. This can limit our ability to grow because we tend to live up to our expectations of ourselves, which become self-fulfilling: If you tend to picture yourself as not creative, you will avoid opportunities where you are required to be creative. This will in turn keep your creativity dormant, and you will continue to believe that you are not creative. How can you expand your view and vision of yourself?
•Picture yourself the way you want to be. If you want to be creative, see yourself embracing the opportunity to express your creativity. Ask yourself, how do people who embrace creativity live? How do they prepare a meal, write a note, or choose a gift? Know that what you focus on expands - begin to focus on the way you want to be.
•What have you avoided doing because you have told yourself that you cannot possibly do it? Why not? Is this an excuse or is it a lack of skill or knowledge, or a fear that you feel you cannot realistically overcome?
•Assessing the data means that you realize there are no coincidences in life, we attract all that comes into our lives. Taking responsibility can be difficult but very liberating, because it means that we also have the power to manifest what we desire. Look around. Do you have the life you desire? If not, what is holding you back?
Exercise - Write your own eulogy. What would others say about you? What would you like others to say about you?
“We are here today to celebrate the life of John. He has touched us all in many ways. As I look around I see his loving family, his children who are a reflection of his love and spirit. His children are involved in different things in life, yet all do them fully. They support and love their spouses and children, and are more focused on their development as a family versus working to accomplish more in the outside world. His wife, with whom he has lived passionately and explored greatly, is here. John’s business associates are here because of the strong relationship they developed through their work connections. Many of his competitors from the business world are here, because they knew John to be a man of integrity and spirit. He was someone who called them all, and their businesses, to be excellent. Let us celebrate John’s life, and the principles that he stood for. Each of us is stronger and more loving for having known John.”
This was written by John in a workshop at a time of his life when his main focus and drive came from his professional life. People in the workshop described him as driven, focused, intense, business-like, cold, more focused on success than relationships. John’s insights and breakthrough came when he acknowledged that he wanted to be a family man, not simply providing for his family, but actually having relationships with all members. In writing his eulogy he realized this would require change. The great thing was that his family was still young, his life still before him. He quickly acted to make changes so that even if circumstances cut short his days on earth, he could create the life that he described above!
Learn the Truth About Risk
Money, risk and reward are intimately bound together. The universe always asks what you are willing to give before it will reward you.
For instance, there are risks in living from paycheck to paycheck without any reserves. There is nothing to fall back on if the income stream is interrupted by illness, disability or any of the other accidents of life. Another risk could be not having the financial resources to pursue your dream. Your dream of starting your own business may be at risk if you never save enough money to create the reserves to allow you to quit your job with some start-up capital. These are financial risks.
There are all sorts of nonfinancial risks that threaten our sense of balance and our ability to live the life that we desire:
•Health Risks - The greatest asset you have is your health. If you are not convinced of this yet, ask someone who has lost their good health and has many unfulfilled dreams.
•The risk that your skills will become outdated if you don’t keep up with change.
•The greatest risk may be coming to the end of your life and realizing that you didn’t live the way you wanted, that you didn’t let the world hear your music. Knowing that your music will die with you is the greatest sadness.
The Climber’s Voice:
“Yes... I know how risky mountain climbing is. There was a time when I thought mountain climbers were crazy! I wondered why anyone would leave the comfort and security of flat ground to scale a mountain. Now I see that for some not climbing the mountain is a more certain risk. I am not prepared to live the rest of my life wishing I had fulfilled this dream. Instead, I’ll learn what I need to so that I am well prepared for this challenge.”
People over 65 were asked, “If you could live your life over, what would you do differently?” They said three things: “I’d take time to stop and ask the big questions. I’d be more courageous and take more risks in work and love. I’d try to live with purpose—to make a difference.”
— Richard Leider, founding partner of the Inventure Group
The Truth About Change
The truth is that rapid change will continue to be a constant in our lives. Accepting this truth and discovering how to evolve through the changes and thereby enrich our lives is a much more effective way of living than resisting and fearing change.
This is why it’s so important to know where you are at this point. Be aware of who you are, so that when you identify where you want to go you’ll know what you need to do to get there. In the new economy, knowing who you are and what is constant in your life will be as important as knowing what is flexible and how to make adjustments. If you go through enough change and transition in your life, you will see that, “the more things change the more they stay the same.” Perhaps because the by-product of constant change is a stronger core, an axle, upon which the variables spin. Change can make us stronger if we let go of our fear and choose to see it that way. Our ability to change gracefully and fully adapt to new environments will depend on our ability to be grounded by strong core values that permeate all that we do. The combination of our own unique blend of core values combined with our “way” is what adds value to all our endeavors.
Are You Prepared for the Inevitable Change?
Assess the risks inherent in maintaining the status quo. Perhaps the risk of not using your resources to manifest the life that you desire is a risk you are not willing to take.
“Not in his goals but in his transitions is man great.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
It is not the attaining of a goal that makes you a success. Rather, it is what you have learned and who you have become in the process of achieving your goal. What doubts and fears have you had to face? What obstacles made you rethink your goal and redouble your efforts? What mountains have you already climbed?
As you accept and overcome your challenges, you change, you evolve. You become stronger, wiser, and more self-confident. You are able to lead yourself and others with greater clarity. You transform beliefs into knowings. You become very aware of your personal power. You know that you are responsible for making things happen in your life. You have control of more than you once thought.
This is truth. This is leadership.
We believe that the object of life is not happiness and security: it is growth. The by-product is joy.
As a final check before you pack your bags for the journey, fill in the blank in the following sentence:
The truth about money that I know I must now face is
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