Living the Life You Want Starts with this One Word…
Change…the utterance of this word often sends shivers down our spine…but once we embrace the power that change can bring…we can move forward and create the life we want!
Does change seem like a unreachable dream?
In my own journey to improve my life, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand why it’s so difficult to make changes that add so much to our self esteem, confidence and the quality of our lives.
Here are some of the key components I’ve found that make change possible and more importantly permanent!
1. It starts with taking an honest inventory of where you are right now in your life.
I spent the first half of my life being fat and unhappy about it. Then one day I finally came to the stark truth that I was fat and I was the one who got me there and kept me there!
Now that the truth was out, I could clearly see the starting point of my journey to losing weight. No justifications, excuses or denial attached to it. Rather, the simple yet profound unveiling of the actual truth.
2. Next… coming to terms with the truth of where you are at this moment and accept all the ways it prevents you from having the life you want.
John Assaraf offers helpful guidance in his book Having It All, Achieving Your Life’s Goals and Dreams with his description of your True North. Your True North is exactly where you are this very moment. Just the honest to goodness truth…without any of our defenses bubbling up to shadow our reality.
I have to admit that sometimes the truth hurts…it can be a bit overwhelming. Which leads to the next key step to making permanent and positive life changes.
3. Does the thought of being that honest make you a little nervous?
If you feel uncomfortable right now, you’re not alone. Most people I’ve worked with felt the same way to varying degrees.
But inside this nervous, uneasy sensation is a treasure trove of insights! How you got here, why you have stayed here longer than you wanted and how you’re going to get to where you really want to be.
In my next article, we’ll take a deeper look at how our feelings and beliefs can keep us stuck. But till then…
I’d like to inspire you to accept this challenge:
1. Using a scale of 1 to 10 rate your “True North” in the following areas of your life: Health, Fun, Learning, Environment, Family & Friends, Finances, Career, Goals. Also note any feelings that surface as you identify your “True North” number for each area.
2. See if you can identify what beliefs you may have formed that are contributing to these feelings and the situation you desire to change.
Please don’t take this too seriously! This is not meant to open up an opportunity to beat up on yourself. Just relax into the truth and try to resolve yourself to the idea that this is now, but you have the tools to change it.
For more detailed exercises in this area, you can refer to Chapter 2 in my book, Being Fat Sucks! or Chapter 6 of Having It All.
I welcome your comments or questions!
Be happy and healthy!
Lisa Lewis has gone from life in the FAT lane to life in the FAST lane through a remarkable renovation of the body and the mind. She is a certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant and an Independent Associate with Isagenix International. Lisa is the author of “ Being Fat Sucks!” and is dedicated to causing a breakthrough in people’s health and well being. Please contact Lisa for more information.
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