It’s possible to be on a path in your life that looks successful to the outside world, and yet still not be on a fulfilling path – the one that is trying to get your attention, hoping you will listen. Your unique path is based on your purpose in life, your natural gifts and talents, and your “divine assignments” at any given moment in time. It is about allowing God to use you – including your unique personality, gifts, passions, and experiences – to make an impact on the lives of others. There are times when your path will make a turn, and you must be able to listen to what your life is teaching, telling, and showing you so that you know when to step into a new phase of life, when to let go or when to make an important move.
Consider these seven principles I’d like to share with you today from my book, Listen to Your Life. Each point ends with a quote from the book. Use them as you journey towards a life of great passion and fulfillment:
1. Connection: In today’s fast-paced, overloaded world, many of us have become disconnected from ourselves, God, and the people in our lives. Take the time to deliberately re-connect on a daily basis. This means take a few quiet moments to yourself, time for prayer, meditation or even a walk outdoors.
– “Connection empowers you to find your path, stay on it, and return to it when you stray… and honesty is essential for connection.”
2. Self-Curiosity: Be willing to question your behavior and ask yourself, “Why do I feel this way? What am I afraid of? What would it take for me to step up to the next level of my life?” By being curious about yourself, your desires and even your self-sabotaging habits, you can find the answers to become the whole and healthy person you are meant to be.
– “Self-curiosity challenges your beliefs and bad habits, helps you identify the annoyances that drain your energy, and gives you the insight to recognize and avoid the distractions that can lure you onto a less-than-fulfilling path.”
3. Vision: It is possible that you had a vision, and you’ve now fulfilled it, and haven’t given thought to what’s next for your life. Remember to create a new vision at difference stages of your life. Make it vivid and specific, and set a deadline. This will compel you to move forward. Be aware of the issues that can impair your vision — your perceptions, perspective and ability to focus impact your vision.
– “A dream only serves us if we turn it into a vision and act on it to bring it to life. Otherwise, it only frustrates us and leaves us feeling hopeless and helpless.”
4. Creativity: Success doesn’t always come in a traditional package. Be willing to tap into your creativity so that you can blaze trails that need to be blazed and create new opportunities for yourself and others. When you feel stuck, ask yourself, “What options haven’t I considered?”
– “Creativity is the ability to bring to life something of purpose, value, and appeal that did not previously exist.
5. Expectancy: What are you really expecting in your life? Do your actions indicate that you are expecting to live an extraordinarily successful life? You must maintain an attitude of positive expectancy because your attitude impacts your thoughts, and your thoughts determine your actions. Your actions on a daily basis create your reality.
– “Expectancy allows you to continue walking when the exhaustion of the journey leaves you ready to give up”
6. Flow: There are times in life when you must simply “go with the flow.” Turbulence and disappointments will come in everyone’s life. The key is to keep life in perspective, learn from your experiences and allow what you learn to expand your capacity for growth.
– “Imagine that your path is a river with twists and turns… if you flow with the river, you enjoy the smoothest journey. You might get bruised at points along the way, but not as badly as if you fought the currents and tired yourself out.”
7. Abundance: Everything you need is available to you. You can choose to focus on what you don’t have, or take care of what you do have and even cause it to multiply.
– “What you focus on will expand…The most abundant path is the one that uses your natural talents and gifts. The doors of abundance open widest in the direction of your talents. The work you do is an extension of who you are.”
I hope you’ll take the time to listen to what your life is telling you today and step onto the path of the life you were created to live. Your path is waiting and ready for you. Leave your comments or questions below, I’d love to hear from you!
