How to get better mileage out of your life.
“I keep following this sort of hidden river of my life, you know, whatever the topic or impulse which comes, I follow it along trustingly. And I don’t have any sense of its coming to a kind of crescendo, or of its petering out either. It is just going steadily along”
One of the things I notice in the work I do is that people's current situation is usually in the driver’s seat, and that situation is often very challenging, so the first step is always to get the current situation out of the driver’s seat and into the back seat.
You don't want your chauffeur to be the challenging situation, you want your driver to be the experience you want to have!
Some of us will be starting in places that don't seem ideal, but so what? History is full of stories like these, and we must push through the mental barriers and discover our true selves and the power and grace we possess to overcome our difficulties.
You may not be where you want to be in your life today. You might not have the perfect job. You might not be earning the money you feel you need, or you might be in a relationship that doesn't fulfill you - for whatever reason, the situation is less than what you desire. Something needs to improve or change. But the road ahead seems daunting. How will you do it? Where will you start?
The good news is when you come to terms with the notion that everything is impermanent, then it becomes also true that everything is in a state of flux and anything is still possible for you, even if it has not shown up yet in your experience. Things can and will change if you can exert a steady and regular influence on them through a growth mindset combined with an action-oriented focus.
Your current circumstance is nothing more than background - you can focus on the background or you can invest your time and energy and resources in the scenario you’re trying to produce. I call it foreground thinking.
Sometimes our circumstances can cause us to feel hopeless, which may be the worst thing in the world for us, We don’t see anything but dark days ahead and huge obstacles that seem impossible to surmount. I remember facing years of this when I was making my first feature film. The odds were always against us, and my project took almost a decade to come to life. It was almost like a decade of continual tests and I shuddered under the weight of it very often but I was tenacious and I vowed never to give up until the film was made, so my dream did end up coming true for me - I am speaking from experience when I talk about these ideas. I know they are true.
It seems we all have to face dark moments, and it will be unique, no two lives are the same, but only we can decide how to work with them, and I mean whether they will transform us into someone more kind and wise or whether they will transform us into someone smaller and more fearful.
The important thing to consider is to keep moving forward, even if it's on your hands and knees, at a crawl. Sometimes it's like that, and that's ok.
Your choices and actions determine your possibilities
It's true, you may not be in control of the circumstances surrounding your life, but you are in control of how you respond to them, and the actions you decide to take.
That’s where you have a choice. That is where your destiny will be forged.
What you do with each day you're given is a choice to respond to your circumstances with courage and faith or with fear and trepidation.
You may not be able to change your income with a magic wand, but you can take the first step in changing the situation of prosperity in some small way.
You may not be able to change the world, but you can change the life of someone in your world for the better.
Each step you take in the direction of your dreams will reveal new possibilities that you may have been unaware of before.
It doesn't matter how you get there
Consider putting your focus on “Experiences” instead of “Results”
Instead of doing what makes sense, do what calls you or creates the experience you want from the results.
Some folks may criticize the choices on the path to pursuing your dreams. Don’t live your life according to the dogma of other people’s experiences. They are not the ones who are going to live your life. YOU ARE.
What’s more important to you? What do people think about your situation today or that you ultimately end up where you want to be?
What are you willing to go through?
Lately, I’ve been pondering this idea about getting what you really want out of life.
Would you be willing to give up temporary comfort for long-term contentment?
Would you be willing to let go of your need for the approval of others in order to build your dream?
Would you be willing to make a short time sacrifice for a long-term vision?
Would you be willing to _________________________ ( fill in the blank with a sacrifice you would be willing to make for a dream to come true)
People tend to think of their futures as hemmed in by their current realities, which means they often visualize something based on what they think is possible, based on what is happening right now. It often makes it hard to break out of the rut or the loop. It's just a very small place with lots of limitations.
Since I believe your present circumstances don't have to reflect what is possible for you, I say spend time each day visualizing what you do want to experience, no matter how bold it may be! The important thing to remember is that visualization is free and daydreaming is fun! You did it easily as a kid. It's private and nobody else will know what you are imagining in your mind, but they are the blueprints for your future, and the first step in the process to change anything in your life. You must imagine it first.
From there, the action steps, however, small will be a stepping stone in the right direction.
I wish for you that your heart’s deepest desires come true.
If you'd like to discuss the possibility of working with David, feel free to book a complimentary session here