Life! By Design_ 6 Steps to an Extraordinary You - Laura Morton [58]
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Will you be driven by the benefits of your decision or by the negative consequences of changing? I want you to be present with and driven by all possibilities. Are you more inclined to move away from the negative consequences or toward them because you’re comfortable there?
Don’t worry about which list drives you. Embrace it. Some of the most successful people I know are driven by their fear and the possible pain they’ll feel if they don’t get up every morning and do all the things they’re supposed to do to be extraordinary. It’s not that they live their life with a consciousness of that pain. They have an acute awareness that this is how they’re wired so they use it to their advantage.
Knowing what you now know about living by default, it is completely irresponsible to continue living that way. You are allowing your circumstances to dictate how you’re going to operate. That doesn’t work for me, and I know it isn’t working for you. Once you have identified the consequences of living by default, I’m afraid there’s no turning back because now you know that these consequences are worth changing for. If you do fall back into negligent ways, you now have the knowledge and awareness that you’ve got no one to blame but yourself.
It’s all about you, friend. No one else is playing puppet master with your life. When you choose to change your ways, you become the puppet master, the one pulling the strings, controlling your every movement with precision and ease. You will dictate the outcome of everything you do and understand that the universe is unfolding exactly as it should.
Step 3: Create your life By Design.
Now that you have an awareness of the resistance and the issues in your life and are present with your motivation to change, you can move on to Step 3, which is about getting clear on what you really want for yourself in each category. It’s a time to create new intentions, gain clarity, and see yourself the way you want to be. Let’s call your new intentions your vision for life By Design. This is one of the hardest steps because it’s now 100 percent you who controls the outcome.
To help you envision your path, you must first declare what you want. This is the step where the four addictions really show up and is where most people get stuck. You will definitely wrestle with some of your demons. Don’t get caught up in the drama or old stories you’ve told yourself over the years; simply acknowledge them for what they are—boulders in your river. For a moment, instead of reverting to the past, wondering or worrying about what anyone else will think, allow yourself to dream. If you could become present with how great your life could be, what would your life look like?
I ask you to answer several thought-provoking, life-changing questions. These are the same questions I asked myself when I was vacillating about leaving our family business to start my own. My coach at the time, Mike Vance, who mentored and coached many important executives over the years and was referred to by Walt Disney as the most creative man in North America, asked me these same questions when I was mapping out my own future. They literally changed and thereby saved my life.
Be forewarned: Answering these questions can set you on a path you never saw coming—whether it’s starting your own business or ending up at an ashram in India trying to solve issues of world hunger. When you live By Design, you live with passion and purpose; therefore, anything is possible. Answer these questions as authentically as you can. Don’t edit yourself or hold back. Trust your gut. You’re having those thoughts for a reason.
Why are you here and what’s your purpose?
How do you want to come