So maybe you don't feel like your dreams are possible. Maybe you wake up some days feeling like the whole world's against you. Forget what you feel for a moment. Put action before feeling. Speak in the direction you want to go. Speak how you want to feel. There's power in the spoken word. When you tell yourself you are successful, you are on top of the world, you are living your dreams, something shifts and you start to believe it. You not only believe it, you see it coming together in your life. All the things you could once only imagine are happening. Action before feeling. The power of intent. However you want to feel, wherever you want to be in your life, speak in that direction and follow your voice.
"Here is the key; you've got to send your words out in the direction you want your life to go. You cannot talk defeat and expect to have victory. You can't talk lack and expect abundance. You will produce what you say." ~Joel Osteen
Not everything we've been told always hold true. For example, only people who go to college are successful; out of college a person must secure an 8-5 job at a good company to make it in life; a lot of money equals happiness; thin is beautiful. I've believed all of these and more at one time or another and all it did was cause bouts of depression. It's easy to just go the traditional route, the "tried and true" path and never question why or if it's a good fit for us. "Everyone does it that way," we say. But then we find ourselves at a desk in an office with no windows and wonder why we're so sad. Question why you do what you do, why you believe what you believe. Some things will stand true, others won't. Get rid of the latter and find a better way.
♥ Practice living meditation
To practice living meditation means to practice mindfulness, a sense of being present. Slowing down to eat, admiring the colors in a flower petal, taking full advantage of this one precious moment. It also means meditating on what is positive, keeping those thoughts in the forefront of your mind.
"...you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse." ~Philippians 4:8-9
I read something today that said to think of regrets as Divine reminders of calls to action. Whatever it is that you're holding on to, whatever thing it is that you regret not doing, ask yourself if there's anything you can do now to heal that part of your life. Was there something you turned down because of fear? Do it or something similar now. It doesn't have to be grandiose. Maybe you're much older and regret turning down an opportunity to become a dancer in your youth. It doesn't matter that you're "past your prime." Take a dance class now. Maybe you regret never having children. Volunteer at a youth shelter, babysit, or put in a few hours at a nursery. If you're alive, it's not too late.
♥ Stop the comparison game
Are you pointing your finger at your own face? Finding fault? Comparing your level 1 to someone else's level 3? STOP! It doesn't do a bit of good to go to the gym on day 1 and look at someone who is on month 1 and decide that you're not fit to do this. Nor does it make any sense to read Big Name person's blog who has been blogging since 1998 and has 300,000 readers and compare it to your own, which has only been around for 2 years. We're all at different levels; we all have different skills; we all have different stories and are on different paths. We're all DIFFERENT. So don't give up. Remember why you're doing what you're doing and keep on chugging.
"Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back - given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity." ~Luke 6:37-38 I think that just about sums it up, don't you? :)
♥ Know your real purpose
There's a lot of pressure around this. I see shelves of books and blog posts galore on the subject. We all want to know what our purpose is and get caught up in trying to find it and live it. Most of the time it revolves around business and career choices, so you can imagine how frustrating it is when we can't seem to find or live this mysterious purpose. I think it goes much deeper than that, and yet it's such a simple thing. It's simply to love, be love.
"But for now, until that completeness, we have three things to do...Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love." ~1 Corinthians 13:13