LOVING YOUR LIFE

via LOVING YOUR LIFE

LOVING YOUR LIFE

Positive Life Quotes have a way of being easy to digest and tend to make one feel good about themselves, but so often they are hard to practice and act upon in real life.  But, you can find some of the most powerful wisdom in these quotes and if applied to your own life there  can be real transformation

Here’s one I find particularly hard to follow, but useful.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” — Mark Twain”   I have been working on this thought for years.  I  sometimes “think” I know why I’m here on Earth, but then change my mind.  I’m a work in progress.

We all have bad days and deal with tough situations: at home, on the job… or just have  to endure the collision that human relationships can often become.

Not only are our situations common among people living today, but as humans, we’ve been dealing with the same issues since the beginning of human history!  Think on that; it’s powerful.  People who lived thousands of years ago were cheated on by their “significant other,” (for lack of any other title),  had “money” (asset)  problems, wanted to ascend in life, and often felt stuck, lost, or frustrated in a current situation.  Hmmm.

The Difficulties of LIFE is an inescapable truth.  It is, and what always has been, what ties together people from all countries, creeds, and socio-economic groups. The remedy for what ails us all… is the same, too.  As best you can, we must learn to find the gems of wisdom buried beneath the trials of life.

Easier said than done though, right?

Ego is the Enemy

Whenever we frame our problems as things being done to us, we fall prey to the trap our ego has set for us.  Your ego tells you your life is supposed to be better than it is right now.  It tells you your spouse was wrong and that they should apologize.  It tells you your boss is a jerk and the world is conspiring to keep your salary and your sanity as low as possible.

Your ego doesn’t want you to love what happens to you because when you learn to love what happens to you it’s harder to rationalize your situation.  See, there’s always something you can learn from every situation.

 It’s not easy to do at the moment. When you’re sad, mad, holding a grudge, frustrated, vengeful, prideful, or any mix of the destructive emotions that tend to come with the everyday grind, it’s hard to realize that they could be playing a positive role in our life.

But our LIFE can be a teacher, even if you don’t want to learn the lessons it gives you in the moment. Even pain can be a signal.  It all depends on the way you see what happens to you.

The Most Powerful Tool We Can Use to Deal With Problems

Each time you face a problem you go through the same familiar cycle of feelings and behaviors.  You don’t want to accept what’s happening. You run through the alternative scenarios of what could’ve or should’ve happened.

How do some people rise above circumstances ranging from frustrating to dismal? Here’s what I see.  First, accept what’s happening  fully. You can’t rewrite what has already happened.  BUT, If you ground yourself in the present moment, then you can move to the next step in the process.

What are you going through right now?   Can you change the way you’re perceiving the situation?  Try shifting your thoughts to something is being done to me  to … I can do something positive about this.  Cool!

Opportunities in LIFE

The only mistakes that do real harm are the ones  where we  fail to learn from them and then repeat again.  It happens.

Instead:  What can I learn from this?

Let’s say your employer fires you — a truly down moment in your life. What can you learn from that experience?

Maybe you’ll learn the position didn’t suit you. It didn’t align with your strengths, which made your termination inevitable.  Maybe it was a blessing you got fired because now you can spend time figuring out where your talents lie instead of wasting years of your life doing something you weren’t supposed to do in the first place.

Or let’s say you’ve been in a particularly nasty fight with your significant other.  Maybe you’ll learn to express your feelings before you reach a boiling point.  Maybe you’ll learn to keep your eyes open, be present, and pay attention to your relationship.

I know these are only words.  That’s the point.  LIFE isn’t easy!

The Power Inside 

Learning to love your life starts with… learning to love yourself.  How do you love yourself? By displaying character in life’s most difficult moments.

If people mistreat you, you can find peace in being the bigger person.  If life throws you a curveball, you can rest in the knowledge that you don’t have to allow it to change your character.

Some of the world’s most inspiring people faced challenges greater than you and I will ever face. What inspires me most is the character they displayed during those circumstances.  If these great people can keep their values intact during the most trying of times, surely we can remain positive people with integrity during our own trials/challenges.

LOVE YOUR LIFE, just as it has been given; grow and learn with each new challenge and test.  It is ours.

LIKE THIS IDEA? IT’S YOURS!

IMPACT THE WORLD… MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

   Look around you and you’ll see three kinds of people. There are those who hate their life and work, and complain bitterly, those who just tolerate their life and work and see it as their “lot in life,” and finally, those who love their life and work, and relish it. That’s because it’s their “life’s-work.”  The third category is a small subset of all professionals world-wide, but this group stands out because these are often the people who change the world for the better. They never stop trying to improve the lives of others… no matter how small the change.

   In my work as a writer, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with people who’ve made a true and measurable impact in the world. Each and every time I have met and written about them, it has been an honor. However, among this group of what I shall call “influencers” there are also many everyday people who have found a special niche in which they’ve contributed at the highest level. It’s critical to note that people who’ve made a real difference aren’t all privileged, advantaged or “special” by any stretch. Many come from disadvantaged families, crushing circumstances, and initially limited capabilities, but have found ways to pick themselves up and rise above their circumstances (and often their genes) to transform their own lives and those around them. I have become aware that there are often similar key behaviors that set them apart from others. They dedicate themselves to what gives their own life meaning and purpose.

   Many people don’t believe in meaning and purpose as something to pursue in their own life. While others believe in a life purpose, but won’t take the risk to identify or honor it. Those with positive influence feel otherwise. They have found that there is a purpose to their life and that purpose usually involves some aspect of turning their “gifts” into a message or using what they’ve learned (often the hard way) as a means of being of service to others. People with a sense of purpose are driven, focused, committed, and light up a room. They are unable to be deterred or distracted from what they believe is the reason they’re on this planet at this particular time. This sense of meaning and purpose gives them inexhaustible drive and offers guideposts to follow along the path. They commit to continually bettering themselves.

  People who impact the world for the better know that they are not perfect. They understand how their knowledge isn’t “complete.” There are always going to be gaps, biases, limitations, and prejudices. But… they keep at it anyway; they are inexhaustible!

People who positively shape the world come from a “beginner’s mind” and a loving, compassionate heart — with an openness to see, learn, and experience new things on the way to being a better “servant” to others. They engage with people in open and honest ways.

Those with huge positive influence understand the power of relationships, connection, and engaging with the world openly. They’re not afraid to get “out there” connecting with others, sharing their knowledge and talents, offering their authentic and often contrary viewpoints and opinions. They know that positive, supportive, and authentic relationships are the necessary building blocks to anything and everything they want to achieve. They invest time and energy not in what is “wrong,” but rather in what “can be.”

The people I’ve interviewed who’ve made a positive impact on Society, don’t settle for conformity. When they see something that agitates and disturbs them, they strive to know more, get to the root of the issue, research and understand the contributing factors, and arrive at new solutions. They observe gaps and mistakes in common thinking and behavior and trust themselves in their belief that it’s time to push the boundaries of what’s accepted. They want to affect change because they believe change will bring a better way to live. They spread what they know.

We’ve all met “experts” who keep their knowledge secret, close to the vest. They’re afraid to let it out for fear someone will steal it or make money on their ideas. This is the opposite of the positive influencer’s mindset. Those who make a true positive difference can’t help but share and teach what they’ve learned. They don’t see their knowledge as just some commodity to sell… they see it as information that has to be shared with the world for its betterment. They live the universal principle: “The more you give, the more you get.” They use their power and influence well.

Sadly, it’s a common occurrence in the world… and Politics of late… to witness power and influence being wielded as a weapon. It hurts and destroys. Positive influencers use their power well and wisely. Those who impact the world for the better are careful and wise with their words, actions, and behaviors. They operate with open heart and care deeply about their leadership, communication, and the influence they have on others. They take it seriously, as a special honor and responsibility not to be flaunted or misused. They understand their special role, and accept it with grace, compassion, and care.

Here’s to all of us changing the world for the better. No task is too small.