We come this way but once. We can either tiptoe through life and hope that we get to death without being too badly bruised or we can live a full, complete life achieving our goals and realizing our wildest dreams. Bob Proctor

Thinking it Through

Do you remember as a child that feeling of desire? Of wanting something and dreaming of having it so intensely that you absolutely knew it would be yours? Dangerous stuff right? I’m sure by now, since you are a responsible adult, you have safely cloaked, squelched and muted your desires. What a relief! You are protected from that dreaded feeling of disappointment. All is right with the world. Ha! What I have found working as a Life Coach, is that safely hiding your desires away is not safe at all, in fact it leads to a feeling of numbness and even depression, that often makes the dreaded feeling of disappointment a welcome visitor.

Desires are a map to our passions, our true path and if we have the courage to follow them they lead to a vibrant, joyful life. So how do you retrain yourself to follow your desires and find your path?

The first step is to get quiet. Take regular time to be still and think about what you desire. Be very honest with yourself even if your desires make you feel uncomfortable. Often our initial desires, especially if they are destructive or negative, are really just sign posts to our true desires. Take the time to be still and explore them.

Pick a desire, any desire and follow it. When you discover a genuine desire begin exploring. If the desire is not accompanied by feelings of openness, happiness, peace and growing interest then it isn’t your core desire. Follow the trail of your desires until you find an authentic one.

Let your desire be intention. Change your wishful thinking into a belief that you will get what you want. (What about disappointment? When you are following your true heart’s desire you enjoy the journey not just the destination. You will survive any disappointment along the way.)

Allow the path to your desire to unfold the way it wishes. You may be surprised where it will take you and that is part of the adventure. Don’t lock it into happening only one way.

As you explore always ask, “Then what?” “ I grow a successful six-figure business, then what?” If you are as excited by the “then what?” as you are by the goal then you have a winner.

Believe that you can have the fulfillment of your desires. Much easier said then done! You will need to frequently reassure yourself that step by step you will move towards creating a life around what you desire. As you take those steps it will be easier to believe.

Challenge

1.  What do you desire?

2.  What steps are you taking to explore that desire?

3.  What beliefs are getting in your way?

4.  What can you do today to move towards your desire?

Leanna Fredrich, Life Coach

PS:  Having troubles finding your passion or believing you can follow your desires?  Email me at Leanna@amazingmondays.com

What are some of your daily delicious habits?  I’d love to hear.  Comment below.

“The great tragedy of life is not death, but what dies inside of us while we live.”
— Norman Cousins

“And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in a bud was more painful then the risk it took to blossom.”
— Anais Nin

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild
and precious life?”
– Mary Oliver

“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.” Alan Cohen

Thinking it Through…

Have you ever noticed how often people over forty talk about old age? When I really started listening, old-age conversations were everywhere! For example, I was at my son’s Taekwondo school talking to one of the mom’s. She told me that she had always wanted to take Taekwando but now she was too old. Had she ever noticed the couple attending the same school , in their 70′s, enthusiastically earning their black-belts? She had not, because her beliefs about what you can and can’t do after age forty were blinding her. If I had a dollar for every time I heard that someone was too old to start a business or a new career I would be a very rich woman. I was completely shocked as I had a conversation with a healthy, 40ish woman who said that although she would love to travel she was too old to take those kinds of risks! I’ve heard all kinds of “too old” beliefs… I’m too old to fall in love, enjoy amusement parks, learn a new sport, exercise, go back to school… the list goes on. How sad. It is like dieing before you’re dead!

The truth is as a generation we are living longer. Many of us will live to be well into our 90′s. Do we really want to start playing it small and safe when we have fifty more years of life to go?! The way some people are headed by the time they are in their 60′s they won’t leave their houses. I think it is past time to take a look at our beliefs about aging and get clear on how we wish to use the next 50 years. It is so sad to see people shrink and play it safe at the very time when their lives are full of such potential. Usually during the second half of our lives we have more freedom. Our families are almost raised and on their own, we have a wealth of life experience, we know more about ourselves and the world. This is the time to really come into our own and play big. We need to have adventures, take risks that are meaningful to us, and grow, grow, grow. Live while you’re alive!

Challenge:

1. Where in your life are you playing small?

2. What are your beliefs about getting older?

3. Are your beliefs growing or shrinking you?

4. What new beliefs do you need to adopt in order to live a big, meaningful life ?

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach