7 Keys To Creating The Life You Want Today

Written on October 18, 2007 by Tezza

Thursday’s weekly guide to Personal Growth from 4EvaYoung.com

“Our achievements speak for themselves. What we have to keep track of are our failures, discouragements, and doubts. We tend to forget the past difficulties, the many false starts, and the painful groping. We see our past achievements as the end result of a clean forward thrust, and our present difficulties as signs of decline and decay.” – Eric Hoffer

There is something to be said about the person who is willing to forge and create the life they want. In fact it is surprising to see how many people are just passengers in the game we call “life” and how often we kind of awkwardly stumble our way through it as though this is only a dress rehearsal. The sad irony is that life isn’t a dress rehearsal and it isn’t too late to hop into the driver’s seat and start to take back control of your life.

Before you allow yourself to get swept away by the everyday realities of life, here are 7 simple keys to help you create the life you want today.

1. Get Clear About What You Want Out Of Life
“Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you.” – Jim Rohn

It’s human nature to question, explore and experience new things. We are hard wired to want more and unless you are clear about what it is you want out of life then you will just be wandering around without direction and purpose. You have to be willing to ask more out of your life. The first step in this process of clarity is to put it all down on paper. By putting it on paper there is sense of creation about it, it appears more real than if it was to just exist only in your imagination.

2. Get Of The Couch And Do Something
“To have passion, to have a dream, to have a purpose in life. And there are three components to that purpose, one is to find out who you really are, to discover God, the second is to serve other human beings, because we are here to do that and the third is to express your unique talents and when you are expressing your unique talents you lose track of time.” – Deepak Chopra

Your personal transformation is at hand, you new life awaits you only if you just get yourself of the couch and make an effort to do something. Do anything, so long as your taking action. Don’t just mill around waiting for the perfect time, the perfect moment or the stars to align themselves in a certain way. Action has magic to it, when you take action, it’s like the universe conspires in your favour. Opportunities, people, situations start to present themselves that will push you that one step closer to the realisation of your dream. None of these would have been available to you had you just sat around waiting. Take action today.

3. Get Your Spending Under Control
“The things you own end up owning you.” – Tyler Durden

Debt and financial stress are one of the greatest disabilities experienced by people in 1st world countries. We have been brainwashed into this sense of false entitlement and have fastidiously embraced the credit culture in order to get want we think we want today. Spending on stuff is so ingrained in modern day living that we are buying stuff just because we can, rather than because we truly need it. The problem with going into debt to fuel this obsession for new things is that it severely limits your opportunities to go after the things that are most important to you and the dreams you want to see come to fruition.

If you are cash strapped and financially stretched how can you possibly be in a position to think about saving towards your goal. You’ll be thinking more about financial survival rather than truly living your best life. Getting your debt situation and spending under control can be one of the greatest blessing you can give to yourself as it opens up options and opportunities for you.

4. Live and Embrace Life Instead Of Just Talking About It
“Memories and hope are not so different; one is ‘having done’ the other is ‘to do.’ Neither constitutes action. You are what you do; thus, if you do nothing, you are nobody. If you once did great things, you think you are great. You coast along on dead, preserved laurels, lifeless and wasting away.”

“I spent 12 weeks on crutches after knee surgery. During recovery I surrounded myself with wannabes, pretend-to-bes, has-beens and never-will-bes. I met people who wasted their talent or were afraid of it. They taught me why I hadn’t become a good climber. Like them, I was afraid to succeed, scared to commit. I didn’t want to be any better than anyone else. Eventually, I sickened of people, myself included, who don’t think enough of themselves to make something of themselves – people who did only what they had to do and never what they could have done. I learned from them the infected loneliness that comes at the end of every misspent day. I knew I could do better.” – Mark Twight

5. Deal With And Let Go Of Your Baggage Your Carrying
Baggage can come in many forms, it can be emotional baggage from past hurt and suffering. It can be emotions and fears your holding onto to protect yourself from rejection or failure. It can be in the physical sense such as stuff that your holding onto that clutters up your life. Remember this popular Zen story the next time you feel the need to carry unnecessary baggage in your life.

Two monks were walking down a muddy road, and came across a young woman trying to cross it but unable to avoid a large pool of water. The first monk was inclined just to walk on.

The second monk promptly helped the woman by lifting her up and carrying her across. Following this incident the two monks walked on,but there was obvious tension between them.

After a while the first monk, unable to contain his anger any longer, remonstrated with the second, saying, “You know it is against our vows to touch a woman, why did you lift her up and carry her?”

The second monk replied, “I may have carried her back there but you are still carrying her and you haven’t let her go.”

6. Never Give Up
“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” – Helen Keller

The measure of success is not in never experiencing failure, but whether you were willing to continue in spite of your failures and setbacks. So embrace your failures and mistakes because they have shaped the character and your spirit. You are better for having been through those dark times and you’ll appreciate the good times with so much more gratitude and appreciation.

Some of the greatest men in history experienced setbacks after setbacks. Failure after failure. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Jordan once observed, “I’ve failed over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed.”

Van Gogh sold only one painting during his life. And this to the sister of one of his friends for 400 francs (approximately $50). This didn’t stop him from completing over 800 paintings.

Abraham Lincoln epitomizes strength in overcoming failure, having overcome great odds and many failures to eventually become one of the most influential leaders in history. He was defeated time and again running for public office until eventually being elected for president.

The lesson is to never give up, to see your dream so clearly that no obstacle will cause you to falter until you have reached your destination.

7. Surround Yourself With Positive People
“If you can tell me who your heroes are I can tell you how you are going to turn out in life” – Warren Buffett

There are two types of people in this life. They are essentially “leaner’s”, people who seem to always drain energy from you when your around them. They are constantly going through dramas, problems and mishaps. These people really don’t add anything positive to your life. They take more than they give. Sure you might argue that they are your friends but what kind of standard do you want for your life. Like they say, you teach people how to treat you and if the people around you only take and create chaos in your life then why would you think so little of yourself to ever want to settle for that.

Rather you want to associate with people who are “lifter’s”. These people are positive influencer’s in your life. While they may not have their life in order they have a positive attitude. They don’t consider your life as a punching bag to unleash all their problems and gripes with the world, rather they see you as a valued friend. Lifter’s are easy to spot. You always walk away from an interaction with them feeling good about yourself, feeling positive and energized. It is enjoyable to be around them and their giving nature is a refreshing change. This positive environment where energy is devoted to creation means that success is fostered on all fronts and you grow positively together in life. This is why it’s so critical to surround yourself with positive people.

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