Life! By Design_ 6 Steps to an Extraordinary You - Laura Morton [26]
For the first time since the accident, Jim was becoming free. He began to release all those years of guilt. We had a lot of unraveling and cleaning up to do to find the peace Jim needed and wanted, but that session was an excellent start.
When you look back at your own life, what old stories, true or false, have you reinforced and told yourself so many times that they have become your reality? Can you be present with one story right now? Maybe it’s something that an adult said to you when you were a child, or something a peer once said to you. Perhaps your interpretation of something that happened became a story you kept close for years. How has that story affected the decisions you have made in your life? How has it impacted your relationships? And how can you release yourself from that pain so you can move on?
Once we addressed Jim’s issue, we could do something about it. For him, this meant facing his mother after years of guilt and built-up anger for what happened. He told his mother how he felt and why he felt that way. He assured her that he was now old enough to understand that no parents would ever want to say something so hurtful to their own child, but in the heat of the moment, it is what he remembered her saying. His mother was dumbfounded because she didn’t have the same recollection of that tragic day. She didn’t recall saying any of those hurtful words to her son. That conversation set them both free.
Breakthrough number three.
Through that one coaching session, Jim was released from his past and was able to let go of a lot of the anger, resistance, and guilt that had been holding him back. Naturally, Jim’s relationship with his wife and daughters grew stronger. He reconnected with his mom. His production at work increased. He began making more money, lost weight, got healthy, and, most important, was finally able to feel peace and joy. We dropped the pebble in the pond and watched the ripple effect it had on his life.
If you’ve ever planted a garden, you know that it starts out pure and beautiful. If you don’t pay attention to the garden, though, it doesn’t take long for unsightly weeds to block the growth of everything you spent so much time planting. The good news is that weeds can be pulled and your garden will once again flourish. The same is true for the pain and issues that create resistance in your life. They can be resolved with a little more knowledge and a new basis from which to make better decisions.
If you’re feeling uncomfortable, we’re on the right track!
EXERCISE
•What are some of your earliest childhood memories?
•What were your early experiences when it comes to relationships?
•Who were your most positive influences growing up? What made them so important to you?
•Who were your most negative influences growing up? How did they influence you?
•What are your earliest memories of money? How have they shaped your approach to finance?
•What are your earliest memories of your body, self-image, and health? How have they shaped the choices you now make when it comes to your current health choices?
Life By Design addresses areas you are living by default. Raise your hand and admit which areas you live by default and I will help you get it right. If you understand this concept, it’s because you are willing to announce to the world that you have a problem and you’re eager to do something about it. Most people can identify the effects of their issues, but I will lead you to the cause, the resistance, and the areas of default.
I love to break things down to get to the details and examine the minutiae. With that in mind, let’s take an even closer look at your life with a virtual snapshot of what I call the “Core Seven.” We live in a cause-and-effect world. What we give, we get, so when you look at these seven areas, try to be as honest as you can be with your assessment. Being anything else will keep you from moving forward. C’mon. This is just you and me here.