What It Means To Own Your Life!
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There really are only two ways to live. You can glide along and let things happen, reacting to whatever (and whoever) comes your way … good luck, bad luck, whatever the fates happen to serve up.
OR you can choose to own your life by moving into the driver’s seat and accepting the power and authority you have to determine the quality and course of your journey.
Sounds inspiring, doesn’t it?
Of course, if you happen to be like most people, and already up to your eyeballs with demanding relationships, commitments, fully entrenched habits, and a lifetime of emotional baggage, then the idea of suddenly stepping up to take total responsibility for it all can also seem a little overwhelming.
So, the question begs to be asked is it really worth it? Absolutely!
Through this process you will begin to understand – possibly for the first time – the power you have to choose, to dream and explore, and most of all, what it really means to live a life of your own design.
Begin Today to OWN Your Life!
Clear the Clutter
In order to make way for a new attitude about your life, chances are you’re going to have to clear away some residual clutter in the form of unresolved grudges, regrets and emotional baggage that continues to linger.
There is no question this can be a daunting task, which is why so many people allow things to accumulate over a lifetime rather than do the work to clear the clutter of past hurts, limiting beliefs and regrets.
The problem is that in time this clutter weighs you down and prevents you from living the life you truly want and deserve.
For example, by holding a grudge, you are harboring negative energy, which will only poison you. Sometimes, the ones we hold the most grudges against are ourselves, for past mistakes and actions we deeply regret. You can’t live a happy life if at some subconscious level you don’t believe you deserve one.
One of the most valuable lessons you can learn is that every experience in life, the good, the bad, and even the ugly, helps us grow in some way.
Related reading:
- Remove Mental Clutter to Find Peace of Mind
- Faulty Beliefs: The Lies We Tell Ourselves
- Why We Struggle to Embrace Forgiveness
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Decide What Matters Most
Here is a very basic truth: Those who most often get what they want in life, take the time to know what they want.
As obvious as this may sound, it’s surprising how many people never really sit down and do the work to decide what they want – not just today, next week or even next year, but from life. In other words, they are content to take life as it comes.
And what’s so wrong with taking life as it comes? Not a thing, after all, when you’re the passenger you get to sit back and enjoy the scenery as you wait to see what comes your way on the journey.
But if you want more, more importantly, if you believe you deserve more in your life, then you’re going to have to ask for it.
Related reading:
- Guiding Rules For the Life You Want to Live
- Purpose Gives Your Life Direction
- What Will Your Legacy to Life Be?
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To Change Your Life, Change Your Attitude
Your attitudes not only affect the quality of everything you do, they serve as filters that color your view of life and the world around you.
If your attitudes are based on negativity, resistance and avoiding change it would be like trying to color a picture of all the wonders of the world with a box of crayons and limiting yourself to only gray.
No matter how hard you try, that picture is going to end up looking pretty bleak.
The more fixed you are in your attitudes and beliefs, the more difficult it will be for you to develop habits that will improve your life or effectively manage change, because you’ll be far less likely to make much of effort to do the work to improve your circumstances if you feel you are wasting your time.
Related reading:
- Your Attitude Affects Every Area of Your Life
- Do You Believe You Can Change?
- Are You Letting Circumstances Define You?
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Embrace Accountability
One of the first and fastest ways to own your life is to take full responsibility for it.
Admittedly this may be difficult for some people to accept. After all, it does somewhat bump up against the reality that there are things that we have no control over.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that you always, ALWAYS have control over our thoughts, attitudes, reactions, feelings, and beliefs. Best of all, you have the power to choose so if something isn’t working in your life now, you can choose to begin taking steps to change it.
Related reading:
- Why We Usually Fail at Self-Improvement
- The Real Problem with Living Life by Default
- The Irresistible Lure of the Quick Fix
- The Promises We Break
I wonder what we could create, achieve or be if we could only let go of those pesky stories we’ve been telling ourselves. ~Stefanie Thomas
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Manage Life Transitions One Step at a Time
When you first feel that rush that comes from choosing to own your life it’s going to be very tempting to jump in and try to change everything all at one time to fit with the beautiful vision you’ve created for yourself.
Unfortunately, this is a fast track to overwhelm. To create sustainable change in your life it’s best to start with one area, and just focus on taking a small step, then another, and another.
The strategy here is that when you begin to see small improvements in your life, they will motivate you and consistency will help to build unstoppable momentum!
Related reading:
- Transition: The Path to Meaningful Change
- On Becoming the Confident Person You Aspire to be
- The Ripple Effect of Small Choices
- The Secret to Embracing Life’s Unexpected Detours
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Begin Living Your Truth
What does the phrase “live your truth” mean to you? Does it make you think of authenticity, honesty, integrity, living your values and walking your talk?
What prevents many of us from living our truth is that in our desire to be accepted we put tremendous pressure on ourselves to fit in, or at the very least to not standout in a way that makes us feel exposed or foolish. So we end up masking or manipulating our most vulnerable feelings, opinions, and desires in an effort to avoid judgment, discomfort or rejection.
So if you long to live a more authentic life you’re going to have to muster the courage to dig down and uncover the real you behind your filters.
If you’re not sure you’re going to like what you find, take heart because that is not only human nature, it’s an important first step toward learning to fully accept and love yourself for who you are, rather than who you thought you should be.
This process isn’t about changing or fixing you, it’s about freeing you to be the confident, powerful person you were meant to be, and honoring that truth through actions and communication with others as well as yourself.
Related reading:
- What It Means to Live Your Truth
- The Choices You Make Every Day Are Creating Your Future
- Are You Living a Life of Excuses
- Who Do You Want to Be?
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Finally, keep in mind that there is nothing magical or special that happens to people who have chosen to take charge of their lives. It wasn’t any easier for them than it will be for you. It’s just that at some point, they chose to commit to taking responsibility and do the work. They chose to risk and take action.
And most importantly, they chose to be true to themselves rather than being defined by fate, circumstances, or the whims of others.
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