Getting our lives and businesses geared up for success is all about cultivating those good habits that align with the kind of lifestyle we crave. It’s like wanting to conquer a marathon – you have to develop a habit of hitting the pavement, training hard, and breaking a sweat, right? Or if you’re after a life free from the corporate grind, it’s about getting your financial ducks in a row, building a solid network, mastering a skill you can cash in on, and scoring clients. Crafting the vision for your life isn’t always a walk in the park; it often comes with its fair share of doubts and uncertainties.

Creating a Space for Opportunities

In my business, when I set up new business products and the marketing and promotions that go with them, it requires a laser focus. When I mix all that with my personal life activities and challenges, that focus can be easy to lose. When that happens, I must pull myself back and center down on the things that are most important to my life. Empty the cluttered mind and fill it with the present moment. It’s in that space of letting go of all else that the opportunities and creative thoughts begin to simmer.

In thinking about these things, the photo I have featured here of the cairn stones is such an inspiration to me. It symbolizes an achievement I never thought possible – placing that stone on the peak of Mt Millicent. It was tough, no question but the sense of accomplishment it gave me continues to fuel my motivation and remind me of what I am really made of! Scaling that mountain showed me that letting go of fear and learning to trust myself is what it takes to continue to move forward in this life – it’s right up there with the power of walking in love.

Life’s an adventure, and sometimes you just have to take that leap.

Crafting a life without boundaries requires a good dose of courage and awareness. Personally, I tend to live on the edge, making decisions on the fly. It’s all about making those smart choices and navigating through them, and let me tell you, it takes some serious guts. I figured out ages ago that being fully “awake” and crystal clear about what I want is the first step to actually getting it! Funny enough, I was mulling over this today, realizing that where I am right now is a direct result of decisions I made 3 -5 years back – decisions that shaped both my business and personal life. Back then, I set things in motion using words, actions, and a laser focus, and now I’m living that life, backed by successful habits and systems I put into play.

But you know what can throw a wrench into the whole works? Fear. It’s a tricky little devil. It shows up to protect us, which is cool and all, but for some reason, we tend to grip onto it. Fear is the first thing you gotta let go. It’s the ultimate mood killer. It slams the brakes, saps motivation, keeps us in our comfort zones, brings on the blues, clouds our minds from chasing dreams, and definitely scares us away from taking risks. You have to learn to let go of fear and ditch the notion of failure. Toss out the idea that you’re not cut out for it or unprepared, and just do it! (Props to Nike for that killer slogan!) Letting go of fear? That’s the first step to living life to the fullest.

You know, when I tackled Mount Millicent alongside my son and daughter-in-law, I had no clue what we were getting into. I’m not the climber in the family – that title belongs to Joshua. But here’s the kicker: I found myself prepped for success. I’d been hitting the hiking trails, keeping in good shape, and had all the right gear – the proper shoes, clothes, and whatnot. And perhaps the most crucial ingredient? The right leader. Joshua took the helm, having scaled that mountain multiple times. He could clue me in on what to expect, guide me on technique, and prep me mentally. Sure, I was scared initially. When I laid eyes on that mountain, I thought, “No way, I can’t climb that,” especially when he dropped the bomb that we’d be “scrambling” up the side – practically vertical. (And in hiking lingo, scrambling means tackling rocks without a trail.) My mind could’ve easily clung to the fear – the fear of not making it, the fear of falling and getting hurt, the fear that it was just too darn hard. But I didn’t! I chose to push those fears aside, live in the moment, seize the opportunity in front of me, muster up the courage, and GO.

When faced with a tough task, we can either throw in the towel or scramble right over it. It’s our call. The more you work on building up good habits that support what you want to do, the stronger you get when challenges come knocking.

So, there you have it! Building habits that align with the life we want. Getting ready for the task and staying ready. Keeping a focused mind on the unfolding present moment. All these things open the door to achieving greater heights and chasing our dreams. How about you? How are you paving the way for accomplishments in your life and business?

XOXOXO

The more I have thought about it, the more that I realized that what is holding us back most in life is not what I thought. So, what is it really?

What stops us from being healthy, stops us from being successful at our job, stops us from having great relationships, stops us from being happy, stops us from being fulfilled, causes us to be victims?

What is stopping us from getting what we want in life?

It is the thing that holds us back from making the necessary changes in our life, and it is not fear of change.

Change is the key to getting what we want most, but it is the one thing most of us are not willing to do, no matter what. People are literally willing to die instead of change. That is why I keep pounding on it. That is why I keep trying to find the key to opening up the lock of change.

Fear of change is one of our major road blocks to success, but the more I see and the more I experience, it is pretty clear that in most cases it is really not “fear of change” that is holding us back. We say it is because in some way that is almost acceptable. If someone is fearful of something it is understandable and almost acceptable that they will not change as it is really tough to overcome our fears. However, saying we are not successful at something in life because we are fearful is a copout. For the most part, the real reason people don’t change and improve their circumstances, is we are plain old too LAZY to change!

Think about what it is you are struggling with in life. What it is that you want? Why is it that you are not getting it? Is it fear of change or is it because you are too lazy to change? Honestly?

I wish I knew the formula to eliminating laziness and I could put it in a bottle. If I had it I would be worth a Trillion dollars. Think about it — laziness causes obesity, many cancers, poverty, divorce, addiction, war, unhappiness…it causes death. Yet people are still just too lazy to change.

So, if laziness is my problem, where do I start? The first step to overcoming almost anything in life is to admit it. It does not matter what it is. The first step to success and breaking through is admitting the truth. I am just too lazy too. We have to quit hiding behind fear, circumstances, others, etc. and admit we are just too lazy to change. Then we will be on our way.

Make it a powerful month and don’t be too lazy to do what you need to do to.     ; )
Love and Peace!

While the world is at war, guard your heart. Hold on to what is true, even as you get a firmer grasp on reality. Gather the Evidence of Love and keep it in view.

Keep your eyes wide open as we’re bombarded with news of war everyday. But guard your heart. The world can do with one less person filled with reasons to annihilate one another.

Hold on to what is true, even as you get a firmer grasp on reality. Make a conscious effort to gather the Evidence of Love you have seen with your own eyes and felt in your own heart, when you travelled the world, and while growing up in your country. Hold it up high and clear and keep it in plain sight, even as you keep up with the media’s daily war drums.

The hornet’s nest is being stirred with an agenda.

Don’t be caught up in the hate.

For every thing we accuse another country / race / religion of, we have been guilty of the same in different ways, in a different time.

The rules of the game has not changed since the beginning of time.

It seems like with every turn of the century, the beast in every race is allowed to bare its ugly fangs, even if for just a while. Perhaps it’s to remind us we are more alike, than unalike.

Animals kill to survive.

Humans kill in the guise of surviving, in the name of ‘truth’, for the ‘love of god’. As we know, it’s for the love of money and power.

Don’t let them profit from the monstrosity of hate.

Don’t let them profit from a war you don’t want.

If you must boycott something, boycott greed!

The war we should also pay attention to is the war within ourselves.

Deep within, we seek not to harm our neighbours. But when we’re in a hurt mode, hurt is what we generate all around.

Begin by tearing down our own walls and barriers built over the years, against love. Before demanding another country / race / religion to apologise to another, begin with the person next to you, the one you find the hardest to say sorry to.

How many loved ones have we blasted in mid-air during a heated conflict?

How many ‘targeted drone strikes’ have we sent through our own vitriolic exchanges on online media?

How many holier-than-thou wars have we fought with our own flesh and blood when we’re caught up in self-righteous indignation?

How many ceasefire have we rejected when a relationship turns sour?

The world is going mad, but the madness is closer home than we think.

Breathe. Exhale. Repeat.