“First believe, then practice and you will succeed.” – Heidi Richards Mooney
Do you feel your life is full, purposeful, satisfying? Or are you on the road to nowhere? Do you have trouble getting motivated? Do you begin your days with negative self-talk and maybe even say to yourself – “Wow, a new day… I cannot wait to get started” or “Gee, another day, I wish it were over.” If you have more of the latter, the negative feelings in life then read on. To live a full life you must first believe you can.
The past few weeks I have been writing about my 120 day prosperity plan. One of the things I have not gone over is how important our mindset is to our success. WE Have to believe we can achieve our desires, goals, wants and needs. Then we can truly live that full, purpose-filled life we are meant to live.
So I am sharing these tips I wrote several years ago. I believe these tips will help you focus on the positive, to get on the right track, so to speak.
Stop comparing yourself to others – Eleanor Roosevelt said “no one can make you feel inferior without your permission.” Easier said than done. Because we compare – we compare ourselves to others and ourselves to our past selves.
Stay connected – in a world filled with high-speed communication it is no wonder we sometimes feel disconnected. Instead of emailing your friend or family member today, pick up the phone and just say hi. Or send them a greeting card the old-fashioned way – via post.
Diversify your relationship circle – Are all your friends the same age as you? Maybe the same gender, race, religion? Travel has really helped me open my eyes to the rest of the world. Most of us live in a vacuum of sameness. Increase your circle of friends by exposing yourself to a new culture. It will enrich your life and make you feel more powerful. If you don’t have the diversity in your hometown, go to the library and start reading about other cultures. Join an online forum where the culture you are interested in hangs out. Learning new cultures and exploring people that are different from me helped me to get rid of many of the “stereotypes” I believed.
Say “Thank you” – This is such an easy way to feel empowered. Thank everyone you come in contact with. A great exercise I have used is to write down the names of the people in your lives – and list all the things about them that you are thankful for. Then tell them! Thank everyone who does anything (no matter how insignificant it may seem) for you. You may just be the only one who said it to her/him today.
Forgiveness begins with you – Before you can forgive others for their indiscretions, you must first forgive yourself. Move on, move forward and diligently work to not repeat the same mistakes.
Look for the good – It is no wonder the media is filled with negativity. People want it, they look for it, they gloat over it, and they become addicted to it. I don’t watch the news because it’s all bad. When I had the privilege to participate in a trip to the Middle East with 39 other American’s I got a totally different life perspective. I got to learn about what it takes to protect our country from a different perspective – not the media’s but the Military itself (each branch of the military, in fact. I fully understood how the media only shares the bad – seldom the humanitarian side of war and the good that results. Hey, I am just as much against war as the next person (maybe even more than others) however, I do now know that what the many military entities (and not just the United States) are doing is important.
The Power of “purpose” is incredible. The self-empowered woman has a strong sense of purpose. It is what makes life worth living. Find your purpose.
Pay it forward – Give for no reason – just for the joy of giving. Without expectation – it’s a universal law that when you give for no reason you are paying the universe for all that is given to you – the life you breathe, the love you receive and more. It inspires others to give more.
Do more than survive – thrive! If you only focus on the negative, your life will be miserable beyond belief. However, if you focus on the positive, the “good” the “what could be,” instead of the “what was” you will be able to thrive in this thing called life. It’s kind of like arguing – it takes two – if one refuses to participate, there is no argument! What you expect out of life determines what you get out of life. Most people let their circumstances, their experiences, and external factors choose their focus for them. Take control of your focus.
You are responsible for your life. Assuming total responsibility for your life is not always easy. It takes practice, each and every day. No one else is responsible for your happiness, health, satisfaction or situation in life situation. Only you. Once you accept that, assume responsibility you life will become easier. You will feel happy for no particular reason at all. Just because you are you, and you deserve to live a life that is full.
First believe, then practice and you will succeed.