"I need a philosophy on life now?" you ask.
The answer to that is no. You do not need a philosophy on life. You already have one, whether you know it or not. Let me explain.
You can narrow the question of life's philosophy down to these two words:
DESIGN or DEFAULT
Let's cover the Default philosophy first. If you are living your life one day, one second at a time without giving much thought to where you are going, what you are doing or how you are living, you are living within the Default philosophy. If you aren't a planner and you just roll with the punches, you are living within the Default philosophy.
To many people, this lifestyle sounds like an easy one. You just go with the flow, relax, don't think too much, assume everything will work itself out. This is a true statement. Life will work itself out. Trees will grown, sun will shine, rain will fall, and life will go on. You'll have all of the ups and downs that life throws at you. And chances are, you will be able to "handle" everything as it happens. The good, the bad and the ugly.
The consequences, however of living within the Default philosophy is that while yes, life will work itself out, it most likely won't work itself out just to please you. It may even work itself out in a way that may make more work, trouble and drama for you. Remember, living this way places you at the whim of the Universe!
Have you ever known someone who is just full of drama all the time? Flat tires on the way to work, mediocre relationships, troubled kids, troubled job situation, just drama, drama everywhere! It is exhausting to be around this person! They are late for things, change plans at the last minute and think nothing of making you wait while they put out their latest fire!
Now THAT is a tough life. Do you want to life that life? Do you HAVE that life?
There have been times in my life that it felt like every person in my life is living this way, and I hated it! I don't think I ever lived this way myself, however, I'd be willing to bet that I've had periods of time when my life looked this way. So what's a person to do?
Let me share!
The alternative to this default lifestyle is the DESIGN philosophy.
When you take the time to design your life, you are taking the steps necessary to manage and guide yourself toward a life you have CHOSEN to live. When you give yourself the time to sit and think about YOUR life and what type of reality you choose to live, you can begin to create that reality, that world, all around yourself.
Now, just because you envision a world of ease, elegance, respect and accomplishment doesn't mean that it's going to show up on your door step in a big blue Tiffany's box. Au contraire, mon ami!
Creating this life takes effort, on-purpose planning and a giant dose of mindset adjustment. Does that sound like too much work for you? Well let me tell you why it's worth it! Once you create clear goals and place yourself on the path toward a life that you have designed for yourself, you will see circumstances calm down for you. Once you choose what and whom you want to surround yourself with, you'll begin to make your daily decisions based upon what you want your life to look like. They will be carefully thought out decisions that continually lead you toward your desired life. There will be no random moves, no jumping into the fire without thinking. Every choice you make will be on purpose and because of this, you will guide yourself to exactly where you want to go.
Here is an example of how the Design philosophy will serve you.
Yes, it takes a lot of work to sit down and plan your budget and bills. But once you do that, you will be clear on what you have and where your money is going. This results in less stress, fewer checkbook mistakes, and guess what else? No last minute trip to the bank to figure it all out. Even if you live on a tight budget, you'll KNOW what you need to do, what you have and do not have, and you'll know where you can spend your money, ad where you need to hold back. No bad, self-inflicted surprises!
Here's one more example.
As an organized individual who is planning her life and working her plan, you will be writing out everything you want to do and need to do. You will have scheduled everything for yourself and you'll know where you need to be and when to be there. This means no rushing to meet someone you forgot about. No more trips to the store after work because you want to go out and wore the wrong outfit. No more aggravated looks from your friends because you were late - again. You'll feel great - and all grown up - when you live your life by following your dreams and your plan. The bottom line is, you'll be living your life on purpose and with CONFIDENCE.
Remember, I'm not suggesting that you force yourself to feel stifled by sticking to a plan that feels rigid. This DESIGN is YOUR plan. Designed by you and for you.
Will it take some time to get this concept of designing your life moving forward? Most likely yes, but just think of the time and drama you will save yourself once it is all up and running. Think of the last minute scrambles it will save you!
Creating and designing your own reality will offer you so much more than time savings! You will be able to choose exactly what your daily life looks like. That will be extremely valuable to you as you move forward.
As I always say to you, what we focus on is what grows. Whether it is good or bad, what we choose to focus on creates our life. When you focus on what you truly want and value in your life, you will receive more of it. So very seriously I tell you, focus on the good stuff. Focus on it as though you already have it in the palm of your hand. Focus on peace and calm in your life, and you will receive more peace and calm.
There are other wonderful things you can design into your life as well. For example,
1. Fitness and Health. Schedule your workout/exercise time.
2. Want to write? Schedule time for that.
3. Need to call your parents more often? Schedule it.
4. Need to de-clutter your closet? Block out time for that.
5. Car need washed? Nails need done? Windows need washed? Schedule it!
6. Do you have medical appointments you've been putting off? Get them scheduled!
Once you begin scheduling your tasks and desires into your life, then all you need to do is SHOW UP FOR YOURSELF! Easy! Here is how it works:
1. Look at your planner and what you have scheduled.
2. Show up for yourself.
3. Complete the actions or tasks.
4. Celebrate the new you and the sense of accomplishment.
When you are setting up your newly designed life, ask your friends and/or family to help you by holding you accountable. They will love to be part of the new you!
If you find yourself asking this question, "What exactly do I want? Where do I begin? What needs changing? How do I start the design process?" I'll tell you how I started: With a bunch of pretty pens and a big tablet. Just make notes:
What do I love doing?
What makes me happy?
When do I feel the most successful?
When do I fee proud of myself?
...and the big one: In a perfect world, what would my life look like? How would I dress? How would I speak? What would I be doing? How would I be acting?
Take some time to answer these questions for yourself. It will become clear to you, if you are living your best life or if you are not. And you can design from there, by adding what's missing and deleting what's holding you back.
Designing your life, rather than living by default, is the most valuable gift you can give yourself. So make a start and take a stand. And let me know how it goes for you. Stay in touch, and if you need help, please reach out to me!
Love,
Donna
And for more information, please visit www.Brilliancefactor.com. Here you'll find more inspiration and ideas about living a life you love, as well as how to work with me!
