4 Ways To Speak Your Life Into Being

graphic credit kentoh via fotogalia

With each day, I am more convinced of this statement:

Your circumstances are just a reflection of what you believe your life to be.

Clearly, there are exceptions to this but in general I believe this to be true. For many of us, we have deep rooted beliefs about ourselves and our abilities, some true and some untrue. The key is digging into those beliefs and understanding if they are helping us in our journey to what we want in our life or are they the roadblock.

I could spend the next few paragraphs giving you the cliches and motivational quotes to make you feel good and inspire you to think differently but really that is only a temporary solution. Let's walk through 4 ways to speak your life into being.


1.  Identify the "what" that you are after

The number one reason people don't have what they want in life is because they don't know what "it" is. Without the "it" - it's tough to go get it. Stop today and make your dream list. I'm not talking material things or anything you can buy. Articulate your dream job. Describe your ideal relationship. Put pen to paper and paint a picture of the life you want. Don't feel silly or worry about what anyone would think about what you want. This exercise is not a one and done, either. Most dream lists are fluid, living breathing documents.

2. Build a personal Board of Directors

Go find a few folks you love and trust who you know love you and have your back. No successful company is without a board of directors and most successful people have them as well. Make it a diverse list - from all walks of your life - steer clear of choosing people who know each other if you can. Remember that these people must know you well and love you enough to be harsh when you need it.  These folks are the first people to show your dream list. They will help keep you accountable to pursuing it.

3. Start immediately with what you have

Don't wait for everything to be right. Forget waiting until the business plan is written. There's a verse in Ecclesiastes (chap 11 verse 4) that says -  "Farmers who wait for perfect weather, never plant." The same goes for our lives - waiting for the perfect conditions would render us never acting and that is no way to live. Start today. What if it's relational? Start with you. Don't worry about changing your partner or even finding a partner. Work on you and understanding what makes you happy and doing that for yourself. If it's business, take one step towards what you want. Immediately.

4. Talk about it. A lot.

Our latest business venture, Herradura Imports, LLC - started with a casual conversation years ago. Then this past spring, it came up again and so we started talking about it. With ourselves and subsequently with anyone who'd listen and guess what happened? People in our lives started offering up people in their lives. Connections were made. More conversations and now we are designing labels for a wine that we plan to bring to the US from Barcelona Spain next spring. Speak your dream into being. That's what we're doing.

Without question our attitude, work ethic and people we surround ourselves with also play a big role in bringing about what we want in our lives but you own it. And now you are 4 steps closer than you were when you started reading this post.

Go!

Mind The 'Loose' Connections In Your Life

Sometimes you connect with people and it is not immediately apparent why you are connected. In today's fast paced, 140 character relationship madness - it is the loose connections often miss.

I was reminded of this almost two weeks ago exactly, when prepping for a new business pitch, I reached out to re-kindle a "loose" connection because I thought they'd be a good resource in my preparation. I was not hesitant to call but was a bit nervous as to how the call might go.

To my surprise, the "loose connection" on the other end of the phone was instantly converted to a strong connection. It happened so quickly that it almost took my breathe away. And as I've pondered over it in my head again and again - it comes back to something simple.

We are only as good connecting with others as we are connected to ourselves. Our unshakeable truth of who we are and what we want in life has to ooze from our pores when we meet and connect with others.  It creates an environment for connection. People take interest in you and your endeavors.

There should have been no doubt in my mind that the "loose connection" was actually a strong one all along. But there was some doubt.

Perhaps because the original circumstances under which we met did not go as planned.

But I was reassured that day, that I - not the circumstances - had made an impression and was not forgotten. An impression that caused the "loose" connection in my mind to actually feel like it was a strong connection to the other party.

We often forget the power we have in setting our destiny for ourselves and those we have in our lives.

Mind those "loose" connections in your path. They may actually be strong connections waiting to be activated.

Thanks Steve Jobs

Thanks Steve Jobs for what you have meant to the world.

I was late to the party but joined nonetheless.

It started with a iPod nano in the spring of 2007 and moved to the original iPhone that fall. Ironically, I bought that iPhone with my first side gig that would spark an entrepreneurial bug that I have yet to cure.

I marveled from a distance at your brilliance and only converted wholly to Apple a year ago last month. Just as I embarked on my journey to do my life's work, I invested in your life's work and took you as a cue to go build what people don't even know they want.

In my case that is relational harmony. While that is much less measurable than what you built. I am glad you were in my life to inspire me.

I remember the last quote of yours I tweeted recently:

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life."


Great advice and I'm so glad you lived yours.