My Obsession With Pepsi + Your Willingness to Change

Be honest.  You have said you were going to do something that you knew you would never do. Before the words even left your mouth--- that inner voice said you ain’t gonna do that (bad grammar intended.)

It sounded good at the time.  You thought about it a lot.  It would change your life if you did it. But, when you realized the level of commitment involved, you backed out + gave up + never really started and failed.

Don’t do that again.  Don’t even set yourself up for another failure.  You know what you need to do.  You also know what you are willing to do.

I hear that inner voice every time I say I’m giving up my obsession with Pepsi.  I’ve been drinking it for as long as I remember.  It’s my family’s drink of choice.  But, I know it’s not the best choice---so, every couple of months I uttered the words this is my last one.  Before the words even leave my mouth, I know I am not willing to give it up. Not yet anyway.

So let’s get real this time.  You have some goals + dreams + hopes for your life.  Sooner than later, you want to finally make some of that stuff happen.  You have made a decision that this year HAS GOT TO BE DIFFERENT + better. BUT---What are you willing to commit to? What are you willing to do to make it happen?

You want to love your life more + you want to find your purpose + you want to inspire your family and you know what it will take to experience all of that.  It is going to require you to be more intentional, to get rid of the distractions, to become more focus, to take more action, to drop the excuses, and to finally believe that you deserve it.  That last requirement is probably the hardest.

Making a commitment to change your life is the biggest + most important commitment you will ever make. So before you even attempt it, start being honest with yourself. Which of the many changes on your to do list are you more likely to really commit to? Just start with one thing. Don’t overwhelm yourself.

One more thing you should know…

When you say you are going to do something and don’t actually do it, you are telling yourself + your dreams that you can’t be trusted. Don’t do that again.

If you want to assure your dreams that you can be trusted + really commit to real change, here is your approach:

Consider committing to things that:

…Creates fast results.

…Has been an issue for you for the shortest amount of time.

…Doesn’t require money.

…Invites a high level of excitement

…Involves just you or no more than one other person.

Using those criteria will help you choose something that you will be willing to commit to + something that will quickly recharge your life + build your confidence.

What are you willing to do to experience more of what you love? Join me in the comments section below. Be brave and share how you will use my approach to make a real commitment this time.

Was this approach helpful?  Some of your friends might find it helpful as well. Share the love.

Until next time Loves…

Don't Follow the Trends. Follow the Mission.

If you have not figured it out by now, let me be the first to tell you that I AM ON A MISSION.  There is a place that I need to be…a dream that I must realize…and a purpose that I must fulfill.

But I'm not going alone.  I'm taking YOU with me.

I am one of those people. You know…the people that believe that everyone is here for a reason. People are not just furniture to dress up the earth. Flowers, trees, and beautifully positioned mountains do a great job of that. If you are in a body, you are occupying space. You can live your life being a useful agent of success…OR…you can choose to be wasted space.

Years ago, I decided that success for me would be getting to the point where I could look at my life---the good and the bad, the joy and the pain, the hope and the fear---and not hate it anymore.  I became successful the moment I took control of the present, focused on what mattered to me the most, and began creating a life that I freaking loved.

Loving my life became the ultimate mission.

To ensure that I am on task with my mission I do what I call a Weekly Mission-Assessment. At the start of my mission I wrote down a mission statement. A mission statement should simply state what you wish to accomplish and how you will go about it.

Mission Statement Example:
I will fulfill my goal of writing my first book. I will write for 20 minutes every night at 7pm until my book is complete.

Once I began the mission, I sat down every Sunday night to determine the rate of my progress. I compiled a check list and held myself accountable to it. What ever I said I was going to do I assessed whether or not I actually did it. Simple…right? My Weekly Mission Assessments keeps me on schedule, hold me accountable to my goal, and allows me to keep track of my progress.

We are 9 days into 2013. Goals, missions, resolutions, and fresh starts are hot topics. I get that.  I am following a goal setting program myself (Lara Casey's Goal Setting for 2013 is great!)

But do me a favor. Don't follow the trends. Follow the mission.

Get connected to your purpose for occupying space here on earth, get focused on what matters to you the most, and begin creating a life that you freaking love.

If you want to approach 2013 differently than any other year, start here:

Perform your own Weekly Mission Assessments. Pick a day of the week to check your progress. Make sure that your actions are in harmony with your mission. Hold yourself accountable to the things that are most important to you. This will empower you to stay on task and ensure that you are not just wasted space. You have a purpose and you can fulfill it.  You have a life and you should freaking love it.

What about your mission? Are you clear on what you are here to do? What is most important to you in life? Share with us in the comments section below.

Until Next Time Loves...

Life IS all about YOU

It took me years to accept the fact that my life’s purpose was to be of service to others in a way that would inspire, empower, and push them into a life of purpose.

I wanted my purpose to be about M-E, me.  I know how that must sound.  But---when you grow up not having much, constantly being a source of support for everyone else, and seeing what you want in life, right before your eyes, but being held back from it by an invisible wall---you would want the ladder part of your life to be all about Y-O-U, you too.

Some of you are relating right now and others of you are ready this and saying, huh?.

I have shared this before but in case you missed it, I know now, for sure, that every uncontrollable, unfortunate, difficult, and virtually unbearable circumstance that I have EVER experience was for your benefit.  For every test and trial (like the old church mothers would say) that I have experienced victory in, you now have access to strategy (I have created and mastered) to experience victory in.

My life is about me.  It’s about me pushing through difficult doors so that you can pass through them with ease.

If you are struggling to commit to your life’s purpose or if you have not yet identified your purpose, here is your approach:

Answer the call. Your current difficulty is due to that fact that you are probably fighting against purpose instead of walking with it. Settle in and find your flow. Everything will fall into place when you embrace what you have been created to do.  The action you will take toward this is to write a list of things you’ve always wanted to do.  If you can, go back to your earliest memory of having a strong desire to do something. On the back of that list write down the things you have been pushing to the back of your mind for some time now. Meditate on that list for a few days and see what really speaks to you.

Stop being so “deep.” You know exactly what I mean by deep.  When I use the phrase answer the call, I am simply referring to the times your heart tries to reach you and you listen to your head instead.  I am not referring to the mountain top, or wilderness experience that some of you are waiting for.  You feel that tugging at your heart as you hit your daily commute, sit in front of the television, or sleep your weekends away. Explore those urges to try something new or connect to something that you use to do. Your first action step toward this is simple, find a working definition of the word purpose that connects with you most.  Write it down and post it all over your living space.  Your second action step will be to keep a little note book on hand, and every time you get inspired---write it down.  Keep a working list of things you want to do.

Do Something. I will forever be indebted to my Do Something Method™. Clarity is found in intentional action.  As you begin to active seek and walk in your purpose, you will handle life with more and more ease.  The message behind the Do Something Method ™ is Doing Something Will Always Get You Further Than Doing Nothing. Your action here is to write down at least 3 things that you will DO each week---and do it.  This is how you get out of your head and into your reality.  Do at least 3 things that you haven’t done before, use to do, or always wanted to do.

***Bonus*** Do more of the things you love. Your purpose is attached to your passion.  If you do something effortlessly, with enthusiasm, and joy, that thing is probably related in some way to your purpose.  Do that thing often. Connect to the things you love by using those things to replace the things you don’t love. The action you will take for this last strategy should really shift you into a more purposeful life. Start with a list of things you love doing.  This list should take you a minute.  Some of the things you write may make you smile immediately.  Once you have a list, select 1 thing from your list to do every-single-day. Do. It. Love. It.

I have answered my call and now I am walking in purpose.  You can too with this simple and effective Common Sense Approach.

I want to here from you.  What is your purpose? Are you having trouble identifying it? How are you walking in it? What are your specific struggles? Answer those questions in the comment section below.

Until next time Loves… when in doubt, simply do what makes sense!