Shared on Facebook yesterday how much I enjoyed attending church. It was a last minute decision, one that I am thankful that I made. The topic of the sermon was: "Success: Love It!" It was part of a wider theme that is aimed at assisting congregants develop a "Game Plan for Success."
Each of us determine our measure of success. The Minister reiterated that and gave examples that success in this moment might look different in the next. On a larger scale, success for me will be different from your idea of success.
Unfortunately, however, many of us do not embrace our internal ideals - so to speak. Instead, we use society's standards of success. The prescription of success, according to those standards, include hard work, certain careers/jobs, buying everything big and seemingly better than what the neighbors or your cousins have and having 'lots' of money - hard cash and/or access to credit. Anything less than or besides these are deemed "doing okay" to being a failure.
What if you were to disagree with that premise and try your own formula?
That was the cornerstone of the visioning process suggested in this blog at the start of the year. I posited that You are well able to identify and 'dream toward' your success-filled life as you see it.
"To think about your life is to create it. You have to take ownership of where you are right now and know where you want to go before you can get there. Keep collecting evidence for your success. You can believe it, and you can be it." Ali VincentNotice my choice of words: "vision," "dream," and "see." An intention is having a purpose, something or a state of being that you are aiming towards. Fundamental to setting "your eyes" on that intention is envisioning, constantly dreaming and seeing yourself living as desired.
It is very much like "live streaming." You are not at the event but you are watching it, seeing it from thousands of miles away as it occurs. You are caught up in the excitement of the event just as if you were there! That is the formula for success.
Aligning yourself with your desires, your best life, long (or shortly) before it actualizes is key, the core even of this process. Other practical steps worth incorporating in your daily routine include:
- Eliminating inauthenticity from your life. Know who you are, embrace that person and do not allow anything or anyone to diminish your sense of self.
- Clarifying your desires and when necessary be specific. However, some desires are best left general when stating the specifics might provoke negativity within you. For example, adding a picture of a 20-bedroom mansion to your vision board to illustrate your desire to own a home might be a challenge while living in your Mom's basement. A general statement such as "my desire is to own property with a very well furnished house," might be easier for you in this moment.
- Watching your language! There is a biblical passage that says "Death and life are in the power of the tongue... ." Remove, reduce and rethink some of the words you are using to tell the story of your journey. Rephrase statements that begin with "I want," for example. Say instead, "I will..." There is another sage piece of advice relevant here. "If you can't say anything good," shut up!
- Focussing on where you are going, repeating every chance you get your intentions and feeling in the moment as if you are already there.
- Gratitude. Need I say more? Be grateful for where you are, those walking with you, even the challenging ones, for the sun, the moon and the stars. Practice "radical gratitude."
Looking foward to seeing some of you in Jamaica later this year.
Blessings!
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