THE SMART APPROACH

As a young girl I have the fondest of memories especially in the summer season. Those were the carefree days where we left in the morning to play with our friends and stayed outside for the whole day, making sure to come in when the streetlights came on.  

As an adult the days of 'carefree' seem to be a thing of the past.  With the responsibilities of marriage, family, work and community opportunities there never seems to be enough time to juggle it all yet at the same time you wouldn't want anything less.  Or would you?  There are many times in life where we can find ourselves in a state of overwhelm. When life feels a little bit too complicated and you know you need to make changes to your current circumstances. 

It starts with recognizing what is essential and what is not. Of setting priorities for the right things and having the confidence to shut down or change the way you are living your day to day.  It may also require that you get real with yourself, recognizing that your attitude or behaviour might have to shift as it is you and not your circumstances that are causing the overwhelm. 

The good news is that you have the power to make change. Small every day shifts end up reaching big goals.  Consider approaching your day to day life with a different perspective, choosing to not live in a reactive state to your problems or overwhelm but focusing your time and energy on the most important things first. Stop worrying about tomorrow and instead learn to manage your emotions and direct your actions to the most important and appropriate things today. This will slowly move you into a state of calm versus chaos as you develop a new discipline for living life easy.

THE LEGACY THAT STAYS

Ever since I can remember I have been on a mission to make a difference.  Always being the proverbial go-getter, seeking and doing great work and immersing myself into any and all opportunities was how I approached my life.

Early on it started in school, then with work and moved to local, regional, national and eventually global communities.  As I grow older, I now know it is more about being intentional with the journey I am living and having bold courage to try new things, challenge old thinking and discover new possibilities.   

I created a new discipline for how I think, often challenging my thoughts with making decisions that focus not on what I want to accomplish today but rather how my decisions and actions of today going to impact the legacy that I am building for tomorrow?

Building something of substance takes time, energy and actions that are consistent and aligned to where you want that impact to be. It requires actions that are repeatable and the investment of time, energy and effort going into the right things for the right people at the right time.

If legacy building is something that you care about, then don't be afraid to challenge your assumptions, stretch your thinking of new opportunities and keep your priorities and actions in check and aligned with your big vision.  

2016.... YOU'VE GOT THIS!

There is something about the start of a new year that fosters the idea of renewal, innovation and a general "let's do it better than I did it last year" kind of mentality.  

As I reflect on my own journey, I have decided to go forth into 2016 with unbridled excitement about embracing new opportunities and experiences for my life. To increase my philanthropic endeavours to the next level this year and to continue to do things that make me joyful and fulfilled.  

My goal is to live Proverbs 3:5-7 more faithfully. 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths".

Here is my hot list of ways to have a love affair with your life in 2016.

1. Love who you are, even if it isn't perfect.  
Learning to release self loathing is by far the biggest gift that most people could give themselves.  The fact is, in God's eyes you are the most perfect treasure. You are His creation and He has great plans for you.   The only thing standing in the way of those great plans are YOU!  

2. Focus and Flourish!
Stop wasting your time watching how others are living and start embracing your life!  In an age of distraction on so many levels, spend your time and energy on those that need your attention.  The challenge is to give those things and people your full attention and love what you do!   Make people feel loved, valued and heard and find ways to allow yourself the same gift.  Discover the joy of seeing people bloom in your presence or through your actions.   Find ways to love what you are doing with work, with community efforts and with your relationships.  

Love is the basis of everything and has the ability to combat the most mundane, negative and unappreciative of situations.   Remember that expectations and assumptions can always get in the way of progress.  Listen to your intuition and learn to start giving of your efforts and love with no expectation of it returning, as the blessing may end up coming from somewhere else.

My motto has always been "Love what you do and live like you mean it!"  It always keeps me intentional in my focus and actions of finding good at all cost.   

3.  Release to Increase!
This sounds so easy but can challenging on many levels. Learning to let go of fear, unworthiness, negativity, the past, poor behaviours and the list goes on... well it can be daunting at times.   Choose to be open every day, to keep yourself in check and to remember to "Let go and let God".

Understand that most things are not worth stressing about as it always works out in the end.  Learning to enjoy living even in the midst of feeling like you are in a darker valley will give you the baby steps you need as you journey to a brighter place. Take heart as it will turn around.  The battle is often in the mind so learning to shift your mindset can make all the difference in spurring you to renewed action.  

The exciting part is that in doing this, you will increase in  areas of positivity, in opportunity and in excitement of new things to come. 

4.   Cultivate Curiosity!
Challenge yourself to stop being caught in thinking you can't do something but rather shift your thinking to a posture of having the willingness to try. What if success came not from what you perceive as the outcome but actually through the the act of trying new things?  

Make decisions that are based on building new experiences, knowledge and relationships as it is those moments of discovery that you will always learn new things about yourself. 

5.  You and you alone have the power to change!
A big lesson in life to learn is that choices are always there for you to choose a different path.  Have you ever heard the saying "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again?"  Do you realize that in a simple decision you could get off the hamster wheel of 'nothing changing' and suddenly catapult your life into something more exciting and awesome ahead of you?  

What are you waiting for? Fear can be a drive for good. It doesn't always have to be viewed as a negative.  Press through uncertainty and know that even little decisions can amount to be changes.  

6.  Be Kind to Yourself
Replace negative self talk with affirmations of love of acceptance for the best person you know... YOU!  Realize that life is journey and if there is something you don't like about yourself, start making the necessary changes instead of whining about it.  

Replace negative relationships by setting healthy boundaries.  There is nothing wrong with honouring who you are and being brave enough to end the cycle of discouragement.  Be bold and get clear on who and what you want in your life.  Find people who encourage you, lift you up and inspire you to be a better you!

Replace bad habits with new ones and don't look at the long goal but rather just live it day to day. That way you have every opportunity to have continued success.

Lastly, find a cheerleader to help you stay motivated as you go along. Life is not meant to journeyed through alone.   Relationship with others is what makes our lives rich and full. Sometimes that means having a relationship with yourself first.  Get to know who you are again. Be silent and connect with what you want and start dreaming again and then take action and do it! Action trumps all!  

Congratulations you fabulous winner!  

Wishing you a fantastic 2016!