You Determine The Outcome of Your Life

I am going to share with you seven words that are your guide to living a flourishing life. I suggest that you write these seven words as a NOTE TO SELF. Commit these words to memory, tattoo them on your arm if you have to. Do whatever you have to do to commit to memory these seven words to memory.

Are you ready?

"I determine the outcome of my life." Repeat them with me. "I determine the outcome of my life. I determine the outcome of my life."

That’s right. You determine the outcome of your life by the choices you make, by the actions you take, by the decisions and actions you are afraid to make and to take. You determine the outcome of your life.

Your concept of yourself determines the world in which you live. Your concept of yourself determines your reactions and responses to life. How you define yourself – I am ill … I am broke …I am successful – shapes your consciousness. Your concept of yourself is what you accept as true. Your outward world – what you own, how you present yourself – is a manifestation of your inward thought. How we react to our inward expression -- to people, to situations -- reveals where we are psychologically – emotionally and cognitively. And where we are psychologically, determines where we are outwardly.

To be successful in business, a company needs to know where it is heading and what it is trying to accomplish. That’s why many businesses create a vision statement: what the company would like to achieve or accomplish; and a mission statement: how they intend to get there.

To be successful in life, we need to take this same approach in shaping the direction of our personal lives. Your personal vision statement should focus on the potential inherent in the your future, what you intend to be. And while a vision statement might contain references as to how you intend to make that future a reality, the “how” is actually part of your mission statement, a summary of values and goals that clearly outline who you are and what you want to do.

Personal improvement requires insight and courage. When we don't have a vision for the future, we will not necessarily fail, but more likely, we will merely survive rather than thrive, than flourish. Without a vision for the future we stand less of a chance of growing, of expanding, and improving because we have no clear idea of what direction or form this growth, expansion, or improvement should take.

Every action you take is influenced by your attitude towards it. And when your actions and thoughts are not in sync, your life experiences are imbalanced. Just like our bodies thrive in homeostasis --- balance – so do our thoughts and our emotions.

Whatever it is you want to achieve, in your person life, in your professional life, set your intention to achieve it. Make this a habit that serves you.

Set your vision, your imagination, on what it is you want. Imagination is our greatest gift. “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” (Einstein) Imagination fuels our thoughts; action makes our thoughts soar. Imagination is the medium through which we create our world. So I ask you: What do you imagine for yourself?

Once you determine want it is you want, devise a course of action, and then take step forward each day, and none back.

Set goals. Goals keep us focused on our message and mission, keep us disciplined in our actions, and help us achieve what we want in life. Goals help us to flourish.

Who is supporting you in your pursuit of your goals? Share your vision with a trusted friend or colleague. Ask them to keep you accountable to the task.

Focus on hope. Let go of “doom and gloom” thinking. Don’t fear change. Change is an invaluable opportunity to learn and to grow. Neville Goddard wrote: “All transformation begins with an intense, burning desire to be transformed.” Direct your thinking. Be open to change. Let go of fearful thinking and attitudes.

Learn to manage your emotions before they manage you. If you want a better outcome, you have to take clear-sighted action. Don’t become a victim of complacency. Remember: You lose 100% of the opportunities you do not take. And if you risk nothing, you risk everything.

You have the power to change your life. You can evolve or devolve -- the choice is yours. So, step out of your comfort zone. Do one thing differently each day. Fall in love with your life. Passion fuels joyful living.

Lastly, make it a practice each day, before you get out of bed, to set your intention for the day. This practice leads to more purposeful living.

You can live fearlessly. Choose to do so.

Thoughts of Resilience - Part Three

We all need reminders of the strengths we have. And we can cultivate resilience by embracing these three directives: by knowing what you have, by knowing who you are, and by knowing what you are capable of doing.

• What You Have: strong relationships and connections to others, structure and discipline, dedication and desire, role models and mentors 
• Who You Are: a person who embraces that Holy Grail of attitudes – optimism, who has hope and faith, who cares about others, and who is proud of oneself 
• What You Are Capable of Doing: communicating your needs and desires, being flexible in your thinking, critical and creative in solving problems, demonstrates genuine empathy and good emotional intelligence, fosters good relationships 

Here are a seven tips to learn how you can become more resilient and overcome life's big disappointments:

1. Avoid seeing crises or setbacks as insurmountable problems. Crises, setbacks, failure happens to everyone. And while at times you may never understand what happened, you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a little better. Look for that valuable negative information that you guide you to greater understanding and better outcomes in the future. 
2. Nurture a positive view of yourself. Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience. 
3. Be patient and self-reflective. 
4. Know what you want. If you have goals, it's easier to make plans and move forward. Remember Yogi Berra: If you don’t know where you’re going, you just might end up somewhere else. 
5. Look for opportunities for self-discovery. Adversity offers one of the best ways we can learn something about ourselves. 
6. Accept that change is a part of living. Certain goals may no longer be attainable. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed and focus instead on circumstances that you can alter. 
7. Take risks. Be courageous. 

As Aristotle said: Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees the others. Courage without a clear sense of one’s own abilities is foolhardy. Courage without good judgment is blind. It is taking risks without knowing what is worth the risk. Courage without perseverance is short-lived.

It is possible to bounce back from adversity and go on to live a healthy, fulfilling life. And resilience, I believe, just may be the ultimate path to living a flourishing life.

Have a joyful day everyone...
Rita
www.ritaschiano.com

The Key to Success....The Four D's

I was blessed to have two very resilient women in my life when I was a child -- my mother and my maternal grandmother. These remarkable women both had indomitable strength, fortitude, and grace. They instilled in me a belief that most anything in life was attainable if I set my focus and determination on my goal.

In my mid-twenties, and with their advice in mind, I created a guide for myself which I call The Four D's. No matter what I have set out to achieve in my life, I use The Four D's as my guideposts.

Desire - Know what you want to achieve
Direction - Plan how to get there
Dedication - Commit to your goal
Discipline - Work at it every day

I carry with me a little card with these words printed on it. If you'd like one of my cards, contact me via www.ritaschiano.com and I will be happy to give one to you, free of charge.

Have a joyful day everyone. And remember to live a flourishing life.
Rita
www.ritaschiano.com

To learn more about how you can live a flourishing life, please visit my web site, www.liveaflourishinglife.com.