24-B What are you waiting for?

The upcoming weeks topic is New Beginnings!  Join me tomorrow to read more!

We are all truly lucky to be here each moment we have.  I know sometimes the challenges in life my make this hard to see, but if we truly think about the alternative, our challenges may not seem so overwhelming.  By losing a friend who had so much life ahead of him, it made me step back and take a moment to appreciate the fact that I got to wake up today and see and hug my kids and husband.  I got to see the flowers blooming and the butterflies flying around.  I got to go outside in the sweltering heat in NC;)  The list really could go on and on.  I can only hope to have that same luck tomorrow!  

There are truly blessings in all of the small things.  There are amazing things all around us if we open ourselves up to noticing them.  Wonderful things are going on everywhere and sometimes we are too caught up in our own lives to notice.

I know some of you may have things going on in your life that are horrible and extremely hard to handle and I don't want to minimize this.  I know life can sometimes seem unfair and you can't understand why something may be happening.  If this is happening for you, I hope there is something in your life that makes you feel "lucky".  If it is seeing a flower bloom or getting a smile from a stranger or having a friend that offers support, find something to be grateful for even if it is something small.   

Questions:
Either journal about these questions or spend a few moments thinking through the answers.
- What do you feel blessed about in your life?
- What is something amazing happening in your life right now?
- How can you feel more of this in your life?
- How can you appreciate each day you are given and live life to its fullest?
- What would it take for you to feel "lucky"?
- What is holding you back in your life?
- What are you waiting for?

Fieldwork:
Notice and appreciate something, a situation or someone around you that you may not normally focus on.  Find something "lucky" happening in your life right now.  Skip the negative and find something positive to focus on even if it is just for a minute.  Next, find a way to make this happen for more than just a minute, find a way to make this happen each moment you are here!

Quote:  H.Jackson Brown Jr.- Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.

Enjoy the journey!
Coach Gaye

24-A What are you Waiting For?

The topic this week has changed because something more fitting showed up for me this morning.  I have missed a few days on Facebook and checked this morning and found out a high school friend had passed away.  I was reading his obituary and watching the video clips on the news about his death and I noticed the huge impact his life had on so many people.  He was a hero and he lead an inspiring life and it seems like he lived his life by doing and not just saying.  We can only hope to make an impact the way he has. 

After last weeks topic about finding your purpose, I thought some motivation to truly living your purpose would follow up nicely.  We never know how much time we have here and reading about my friend made me think about my life and how I have so much I want to do.  But, what am I waiting for?  I can tell myself I will start my charity when I have more money or that I will be a better mother or wife when I have less stress and more time, but I don't really have to wait to do all of these things do I?  What am I waiting for?  What are you waiting for?

Decide what you want to accomplish in your life and start taking steps to do it.  Don't wait because you never know how much time you have.  Start making your impact today!

Questions:
Either journal about these questions or spend some time thinking through each answer.
- Are you living your purpose?
- Are you living the life you were made for?
- Are you accomplishing the things you want in your life?
- What are you waiting for?
- What is holding you back from doing all of these things today?

Fieldwork:
What would your obituary say about you if you passed away today?  What would you want it to say if you live for another 50 years?  If it does not say what you want it to say, begin making changes in your life so you are working towards fulfilling your dreams.

Topic 23 Bonus Challenge:
Go out of your way to do something extra nice or helpful for someone today. It can be a friend, family or stranger, but challenge yourself to do something you may not normally do for someone else!

Enjoy the journey!
Coach Gaye

23-B Living a purpose driven life

Topic 24 will be What are you Waiting For.  Join me Monday to read more!

In talking about living a more purpose driven life, my point is for each of you to find what makes you happy and fulfilled and to help you begin to set goals around creating a life that includes this purpose.  I am not saying for you to change your job or your life right now unless that is what works best for you.  I hope you take some time to find what will truly make you happy and I hope you begin to incorporate your purpose into your life at the pace that is perfect for you. 

We have all seen and met people that are so happy and they have a glow about them.  I want each of you to find what gives you that glow and I want each of you to share that special thing about you with the world.  If we all find our purpose and come from the place where we are being true to that purpose, we create a positive environment for everyone around us.  By living our own purpose driven life, our behavior becomes contagious and others will follow our lead.  We not only get benefits by doing something we love, but the more we give and help others and share our true calling, the more fulfillment we get in our life.  Imagine what life would be like if we all found our true calling.

Questions:
Either journal about these questions or spend some time thinking about your answers.
- What is your purpose?
- What do you have to offer others?
- What are you here for?
- Are you sharing this talent with others?
- If not, what is holding you back from living a purpose driven life?
- How can you incorporate your true purpose and calling into your life right now?

Fieldwork:
Set 2 goals that will help you begin to live a purpose driven life. What will help you follow your true calling?

Quote: Mitch Albom- The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to something that gives you purpose and meaning.

 

Topic 23 Bonus Challenge:
Share your purpose with others. Once you find your purpose, find a way to share it and help others. 

Enjoy the journey!
Coach Gaye

23-B postponed until Sunday

Topic 23-B will be posted on Sunday this week. 

23-A Finding your Purpose

Last week when I wrote about leaving your ego behind, I mentioned using your ego in a positive way to serve others and your greater purpose.  When I wrote this, I thought, that sounds great, but how many people truly know what their purpose is?

If you look inside yourself, you will find your true purpose and calling.  You have to follow your passion and joy and share your true being with others.  Some people may have an "aha" moment and know exactly what their calling is and what path they are destined to take in life.  Others have to really question themselves and open themselves up to find their true purpose.  Which category do you fall in?

I mentioned before that when I found Life Coaching, I knew I had found my perfect fit.  I always knew helping others would play a part in my life and when I found Coaching, I knew I found my true purpose.  I was at a point in my life when I was ready and open to find what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and I found it in Coaching,  I had an "aha" moment, but it was after spending tons of time researching and exploring myself and different career options.  I hope each of you are ready to explore your life and I hope each of you find your true purpose and calling.

Questions:
Either spend some time thinking through your answers or journal about each of the questions.
- Do you ever wonder why you are here and what purpose your life is supposed to serve?
- Are you open to finding your true purpose in life?
- When are you the happiest?
- Is there a way to incorporate this in a way that serves others?
- If you could be doing anything, what would it be?
- When you weren't concerned about money and bills, what did you enjoy spending your time doing?
- What is your purpose?
- How can you live your life so you are true to your purpose?
- What do you need to do to live on purpose?

Fieldwork:
Evaluate your life and define when you are happiest and what you think your true purpose is.  Are you living your life sharing your true purpose?  If not, what changes can you begin to make to open yourself up to finding your purpose and sharing that with others?  Take at least one step towards this goal.

Enjoy the journey!
Coach Gaye

22-B Leave your Ego Behind

This weeks post will be Finding Your Purpose.  Join me Monday to read more!

Can your ego ever be beneficial?  There are definitely different thoughts on this.  Some think the ego is always negative and that our ego drives us to be selfish so we should avoid it at all costs.  Others think we would not accomplish anything without a little pushing from our ego so we should embrace it.  I fall somewhere in the middle.  I think our egos can be beneficial if we are being true to our unique self and we use our ego to motivate us to accomplish goals that are positive and serve a greater purpose. 

You need to decide how much you want your ego present in your life.  If you let your ego take over when you react to situations and you want to react from a less egocentric perspective, then work on that.  If you feel your ego can benefit and drive you to help others and the world, then work on that.  Everyone will have different thoughts on this and I encourage you to evaluate what will work best for you and your life.

By being true to your self and your true purpose and calling, you can use your ego to help create the life you really want to be living.  By helping others and living a life that is on purpose, you will see the benefits come back to you.  Begin to define your purpose and evaluate everything you want in your life and decide how your ego will play a part in achieving your goals. 

Questions:
Does your ego help you or hurt you?
How does it help or hurt you?
Are there times when your ego gets in your way?
Are there times when your ego helps you accomplish beneficial and positive goals?
Can you find a way to balance your ego so it provides benefits but does not rule you in a negative way?

Quote:

Darren L. Johnson- The ego competes with the spirit for control over your inner voice.

Fieldwork:
Begin to find ways to use your ego in a positive way to help others while staying true to you.  Open yourself up to others and you will see the benefits in your own life.

Topic 22 Bonus Challenge:
The next time someone is upset with you, begin to notice why they may be reacting the way they are. Are they reacting based on their need to protect their ego? If so, begin to understand this is what is happening and try to approach the situation in a more understanding way. See if you can help them remove their ego from the situation.

Decide the role you want your ego to play and go for it!
Enjoy the journey! 
Coach Gaye

22-A Leave your ego behind!

Leaving your ego behind is something I have really been working on for myself lately.  I hope you will enjoy working on this too.  When I am able to leave my ego behind, it really helps me react more truly to a situation.  When my ego shows up in my reactions, I tend to over react and my feelings get hurt and I get more upset about things than I need to.  When I am able to leave my ego out of a situation, it allows me to realize things are not usually personal and it lets me remove myself a bit from the situation.

We have been conditioned to respond to things based on how our ego feels and sometimes that may not produce the best result.  When we come from an ego based response instead of letting our ego go, we may react in a more negative way to things.  We have to protect ourselves right??  I know it is hard to leave your ego behind, but when you do, it allows you to be more present and more true to who you are.  You can remove your learned responses and defenses and really see the situations more clearly.  You can realize you are not your ego and you don't have to protect yourself as much as you thought.

An example of a situation where I know my ego was involved in my responses was when my daughter was playing soccer this spring.  I got caught up in wanting her to be the best and when she got off the field, I would tell her ways to improve.  Once I realized my reaction was based on my ego and my reaction to what other people thought, I decided to change.  I am so much more conscious of telling her the things she does well and I really try to see things through her eyes instead of my own.  I am now better at seeing that my daughter is having fun when she plays and she improves each time she is out there, so really, what more can I ask for.

By shifting my focus from myself and how I was feeling to how my daughter was feeling, I was able to remove my ego from my reaction.  For both of us, this made for a much better interaction.  I hope you will begin to see when you are handling something based on your ego and begin to make small shifts to leave your ego behind!

Questions:
Either think about your responses or take some time to journal about the following questions.
- Does your ego control your responses?
- Do you react in a certain way to protect yourself?
- Does this work for you in a negative or positive way?
- How can you remove your ego from your responses and not take things so personally?
- How would it feel to remove your ego from your reactions?
- How can you realize your ego is not a definition of who and what you truly are?
- How can you be more true to who and what you are?

Fieldwork:
Notice your reactions to different situations.  Is your ego involved in your responses?  Allow yourself to take a step back and notice that your ego does not have to control you.  You can respond to both positive and negative situations without allowing your ego to take over.

Enjoy the journey!
Coach Gaye