Principles of Living a
GREAT LIFE
It is my honor to share with you the secret I learned to transforming my life, one day at a time. While the model may seem very simple, it is encompasses numerous theories by self-help gurus and change management theorists. This model has had a tremendous impact on my life and continues to be the inspiration for my work.
G
GRATITUDE
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie
Gratitude is how we begin every GREAT day. Gratitude is not only all we are happy to have but should include our challenges (problems to some). Gratitude is an inventory of all that we have and that surrounds us. Gratitude is the awareness and clarity of the state of our mind, body, relationships, and environment so we can improve, care for it, or let it go when it doesn’t serve us. In gratitude we look at the possibility of how we can improve an area of our life and we never take for grated all that is already perfect the way it is.
R
RECOGNIZE NEGATIVITY
“Negativity can only feed on negativity.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Recognizing negativity allows us to be clear about our barriers to a GREAT LIFE so we can face our fear and remove it or move past it. It’s important that we don’t ignore negativity, in hopes that it will go away, rather we face it. The most negative circumstances can be overcome. Our ability to KNOW you can overcome any adversity with certainty is essential if we are to become what we dream of. We remove all forms of negativity and replace it with healthy thoughts, beliefs, peoples, places, and things that support our GREAT LIFE. When we remove nativity we realize that it is never too late to live a GREAT LIFE.
E
EXCITEMENT
“Dreams get you into the future and add excitement to the present” – Robert Conklin
Excitement naturally follows when we get into GRATITUDE and we RECOGNIZE and replace negativity with a positive perspective. What will you do if negativity were not present to stop you? The thought creates excitement, enthusiasm, and energy! In this perspective we create a vision for of life that is not hindered by fear! Where will you be one year from now if you live the GREAT LIFE everyday? This vision creates the excitement that keeps us moving with purpose, direction and focus. Excitement for our LIFE, our vision, fuels the light that makes us shine!
A
ACTION
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself” – George Bernard Shaw
Action is the magic that inspires wonder and imagination. When we accomplish the smallest task toward our GREAT LIFE miracles appear. Action bridges the gap between imagination and reality. Everything we do in life is creating us or destroying us. Living in a vision of our lives begins with the mindful actions we take toward it. Create goals that are a part of your vision for your life and take at least 3 actions toward those goals. Keep it simple! If your vision for your life is to have deep, meaningful, loving relationships, maybe you might start by making a phone call to someone you love and express gratitude for the relationship! Keep it simple and daily your actions will build into a life you dream of!
T
THANKS
“The sun will not rise or set without my notice, and thanks.” – Winslow Homer
Thanks is the expression of gratitude! Thanks, in my opinion, differs from gratitude in that gratitude is mindfulness of all we have in our lives, while thanks is immediate appreciation. We spend and end our day in THANKS for all that we were able to do. We think of all the people who helped make the day GREAT and think of all that make LIFE worthwhile. We are mindful of all we were able to do and we never end a day in regret of all the things “I could have done or should have done.” We are THANKFUL for all we have experienced and the lessons we have had and look forward to the morning with love for our GREAT LIFE.
L
LOVE
“Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.” – Jean Anouilh
Love, what greater pleasure is there in life? To have a passion so deep for someone, somewhere, something… It gives our life meaning, purpose, and direction. We begin and end our day with our passion in mind. How GREAT is a life that is filled with love! From the smallest pleasure to our greatest purpose love is LIFE!
I
INSPIRE
“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
How wonderful it is to be inspired! Even greater is the ability to inspire others by just being ourselves. We should go about our day asking what can we do to motivate and uplift those around us with our actions, words, or presence? Then do it! Go about the day and seize opportunities to inspire those around you. With as little as a smile you can change someone’s day. You may even change their life, or maybe your own!
F
FORGIVE
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes
There is a saying; resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. Learn to let go of old wounds. Forgive and see yourself set free from the burden of a story that keeps you from living. Let go, forgive and be thankful for the pain. It has made you stronger.
E
ENJOY
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.” – Audrey Hepburn
Life is meant to be enjoyed! Enjoyment is happiness, challenge, accomplishment, connection, peace, serenity, silence… mindfulness or the moments that make life worth living. Enjoyment is why we are here. To have experiences of joy and to share them with others! If you’re not enjoying life, find something, anything that gives you joy and take a moment to allow yourself time to savor it as often as possible.
HOW IT WORKS
Be GREAT: Steps to Creating Yourself
The key to a GREAT LIFE is to have a GREAT day. The following exercise is one I’d practice on a daily basis. Often I would write the exercise out on a sheet of paper and not long after I would simply go through the model during meditation. Practice this exercise for a week and you will be amazed at how GREAT you start to feel.
Gratitude
Think of all the people, places, and things you are grateful for. Create a simple list like the one below.
- I’m grateful for my life.
- I’m grateful for my health.
- I’m grateful for my ability to work.
- I’m grateful for the people I love.
- I’m grateful for a roof over my head.
- I’m grateful for the challenge of living outside my comfort zone.
- I’m grateful for my depression.*
- I’m grateful for…
*Remember gratitude isn’t about what you like. Gratitude is an inventory. It is looking at everything in your life, good and bad, with honesty. With honesty comes responsibility and the choice to change whatever can be better.
Recognize Negativity
We are all surrounded by negativity daily. Some of us are swallowed up by it, others have learned to brush it off. There are too many forms of negativity to list here but ultimately it’s our thoughts about a person, place, or thing that paralyzes us with negative emotions and keeps us from taking action action. Follow this formula to removing negative thoughts from your life.
1. Recognize the thought: Usual suspects include: “I’m not enough” (smart enough, pretty enough, talented enough, ______enough). Be clear about he situation. Look at it as objectively and as detached as you can.
2. Reject the negative thought by following these three steps:
- Is it true? If it isn’t true we can move forward.
- Is it permanent? If it is true, but not permanent you can can take actions to change!!!!
- If it’s permanent, will you let it stop you? If it is permanent you can choose to let it stop you or you can find a way… There’s always a way!!! “Never, never, never, never give up.” – Winston Churchill
Release: We release the negative thought by stating: “For today that thought will not stop me.”
Replace: Turn the negative thought into a positive affirmation. If the thought is “I’m not good enough” simply state the opposite ” I AM GOOD ENOUGH!!!” Our affirmations should always speak to the negative thought that is most present.
Excitement
What is possible now that your free from negativity? As negativity is lifted we start to feel a sense of EXCITEMENT for life. From this frame of mind we can make choices that moves us toward our hopes and dreams. But what are our hopes and dreams? What is the vision for your life?
Vision: Write out what you want your life to look like 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 20 years from now! Who are you? Who do you want to become? What does your life look like? Who are your friends? What do you do for a living? Where do you vacation? What is your love life like? Get clear! Create a vision board. Tear pictures from magazines and past them to a board, and be clear what are you working toward.
Action
Goals: There are a lot of ways to create goals. I create 3 goals every 3 months. I take three actions daily (one action per goal). Remember make your goal specific. If you reach your goal at the end of 3 months, cool. If not, the only goal is to develop the discipline to set and accomplish goal. Start small but be consistent in taking action. Slow and steady wins the race!
Thanks
Thanks and Gratitude in this framework are different. Thanks applies simply to the actions and experiences you had that day that helped move you toward your goals. An example I use is I am grateful for my health, but I am thankful for the opportunity to exercise and eat healthy today. I am grateful for my friends, and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to have lunch with one today. I like to list (in my mind) the events of the day I am most thankful for. I mindfully end each thought with today.
- I’m thankful for connecting with my friend today.
- I’m thankful for a healthy day of diet and exercise today.
- I’m thankful for the time I had to write my blog today.
- I’m thankful for time to unwind and relax today.
Purpose of LIFE
I believe in starting the day with being mindful of my LIFE’s purpose. Purpose doesn’t necessarily direct us in WHAT to do. Purpose directs HOW we do it. The purpose of life is to LOVE, INSPIRE, FORGIVE, and ENJOY. I’ve shared what I believe is the purpose of life, now follow the exercise below and find YOUR purpose.
Love
Find Passion.
- Who do you love?
- What do you love to do?
- Where do you love to spend your time?
- What creates passion and energy for you?
- Why do you exist?
- What is your purpose?
- When are you happiest?
Inspire
Inspire and Be Inspired
- Who inspires you?
- What inspires you?
- When do you feel most inspired?
- Do you inspire others?
- How would you like to inspire others?
Forgive
Forgiveness is a Practice Not an Act
- What is the resentment you hold?
- Who do you resent?
- What did they do to make you resentful?
- Can you forgive them?
- Can you move on without forgiving?
- Will forgiveness allow you to feel free?
We forgive but we cannot forget. We may have been hurt by someone who is not in our lives, yet our resentments may affect others. Letting go of resentments frees us to love and trust again.
We can also practice forgiveness for small infractions. Try to forgive the guy who cut you off in traffic; the woman in the express line with too many items in her shopping cart; the crying baby on the plane; and even the guy who’s phone rang during the movie. Forgiveness can be practiced all day!
Enjoy
Create Enjoyment
- Make a long list of activities, people, experiences, things that you enjoy!
- What do you enjoy doing?
- Who can you enjoy some time with?
- How can you take time today to enjoy yourself?
- If you can’t enjoy life today, can you make a commitment to change?
Don’t wait to enjoy your life. Don’t play the “When/Then Game. “WHEN I get ______, THEN I’ll be happy.” Enjoyment should not be scheduled to relieve stress or as a reward. Today is all we have, enjoy it!
It is my honor to share with you the secret I learned to transforming my life, one day at a time. While the model may seem very simple, it is encompasses numerous theories by self-help gurus and change management theorists. This model has had a tremendous impact on my life and continues to be the inspiration for my work.
GRATITUDE
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie
Gratitude is how we begin every GREAT day. Gratitude is not only all we are happy to have but should include our challenges (problems to some). Gratitude is an inventory of all that we have and that surrounds us. Gratitude is the awareness and clarity of the state of our mind, body, relationships, and environment so we can improve, care for it, or let it go when it doesn’t serve us. In gratitude we look at the possibility of how we can improve an area of our life and we never take for grated all that is already perfect the way it is.
RECOGNIZE NEGATIVITY
“Negativity can only feed on negativity.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Recognizing negativity allows us to be clear about our barriers to a GREAT LIFE so we can face our fear and remove it or move past it. It’s important that we don’t ignore negativity, in hopes that it will go away, rather we face it. The most negative circumstances can be overcome. Our ability to KNOW you can overcome any adversity with certainty is essential if we are to become what we dream of. We remove all forms of negativity and replace it with healthy thoughts, beliefs, peoples, places, and things that support our GREAT LIFE. When we remove nativity we realize that it is never too late to live a GREAT LIFE.
EXCITEMENT
“Dreams get you into the future and add excitement to the present” – Robert Conklin
Excitement naturally follows when we get into GRATITUDE and we RECOGNIZE and replace negativity with a positive perspective. What will you do if negativity were not present to stop you? The thought creates excitement, enthusiasm, and energy! In this perspective we create a vision for of life that is not hindered by fear! Where will you be one year from now if you live the GREAT LIFE everyday? This vision creates the excitement that keeps us moving with purpose, direction and focus. Excitement for our LIFE, our vision, fuels the light that makes us shine!
ACTION
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself” – George Bernard Shaw
Action is the magic that inspires wonder and imagination. When we accomplish the smallest task toward our GREAT LIFE miracles appear. Action bridges the gap between imagination and reality. Everything we do in life is creating us or destroying us. Living in a vision of our lives begins with the mindful actions we take toward it. Create goals that are a part of your vision for your life and take at least 3 actions toward those goals. Keep it simple! If your vision for your life is to have deep, meaningful, loving relationships, maybe you might start by making a phone call to someone you love and express gratitude for the relationship! Keep it simple and daily your actions will build into a life you dream of!
THANKS
“The sun will not rise or set without my notice, and thanks.” – Winslow Homer
Thanks is the expression of gratitude! Thanks, in my opinion, differs from gratitude in that gratitude is mindfulness of all we have in our lives, while thanks is immediate appreciation. We spend and end our day in THANKS for all that we were able to do. We think of all the people who helped make the day GREAT and think of all that make LIFE worthwhile. We are mindful of all we were able to do and we never end a day in regret of all the things “I could have done or should have done.” We are THANKFUL for all we have experienced and the lessons we have had and look forward to the morning with love for our GREAT LIFE.
LOVE
“Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.” – Jean Anouilh
Love, what greater pleasure is there in life? To have a passion so deep for someone, somewhere, something… It gives our life meaning, purpose, and direction. We begin and end our day with our passion in mind. How GREAT is a life that is filled with love! From the smallest pleasure to our greatest purpose love is LIFE!
INSPIRE
“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
How wonderful it is to be inspired! Even greater is the ability to inspire others by just being ourselves. We should go about our day asking what can we do to motivate and uplift those around us with our actions, words, or presence? Then do it! Go about the day and seize opportunities to inspire those around you. With as little as a smile you can change someone’s day. You may even change their life, or maybe your own!
FORGIVE
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes
There is a saying; resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. Learn to let go of old wounds. Forgive and see yourself set free from the burden of a story that keeps you from living. Let go, forgive and be thankful for the pain. It has made you stronger.
ENJOY
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.” – Audrey Hepburn
Life is meant to be enjoyed! Enjoyment is happiness, challenge, accomplishment, connection, peace, serenity, silence… mindfulness or the moments that make life worth living. Enjoyment is why we are here. To have experiences of joy and to share them with others! If you’re not enjoying life, find something, anything that gives you joy and take a moment to allow yourself time to savor it as often as possible.
HOW IT WORKS
Be GREAT: Steps to Creating Yourself
The key to a GREAT LIFE is to have a GREAT day. The following exercise is one I’d practice on a daily basis. Often I would write the exercise out on a sheet of paper and not long after I would simply go through the model during meditation. Practice this exercise for a week and you will be amazed at how GREAT you start to feel.
Think of all the people, places, and things you are grateful for. Create a simple list like the one below.
- I’m grateful for my life.
- I’m grateful for my health.
- I’m grateful for my ability to work.
- I’m grateful for the people I love.
- I’m grateful for a roof over my head.
- I’m grateful for the challenge of living outside my comfort zone.
- I’m grateful for my depression.*
- I’m grateful for…
*Remember gratitude isn’t about what you like. Gratitude is an inventory. It is looking at everything in your life, good and bad, with honesty. With honesty comes responsibility and the choice to change whatever can be better.
We are all surrounded by negativity daily. Some of us are swallowed up by it, others have learned to brush it off. There are too many forms of negativity to list here but ultimately it’s our thoughts about a person, place, or thing that paralyzes us with negative emotions and keeps us from taking action action. Follow this formula to removing negative thoughts from your life.
1. Recognize the thought: Usual suspects include: “I’m not enough” (smart enough, pretty enough, talented enough, ______enough). Be clear about he situation. Look at it as objectively and as detached as you can.
2. Reject the negative thought by following these three steps:
- Is it true? If it isn’t true we can move forward.
- Is it permanent? If it is true, but not permanent you can can take actions to change!!!!
- If it’s permanent, will you let it stop you? If it is permanent you can choose to let it stop you or you can find a way… There’s always a way!!! “Never, never, never, never give up.” – Winston Churchill
Release: We release the negative thought by stating: “For today that thought will not stop me.”
Replace: Turn the negative thought into a positive affirmation. If the thought is “I’m not good enough” simply state the opposite ” I AM GOOD ENOUGH!!!” Our affirmations should always speak to the negative thought that is most present.
What is possible now that your free from negativity? As negativity is lifted we start to feel a sense of EXCITEMENT for life. From this frame of mind we can make choices that moves us toward our hopes and dreams. But what are our hopes and dreams? What is the vision for your life?
Vision: Write out what you want your life to look like 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 20 years from now! Who are you? Who do you want to become? What does your life look like? Who are your friends? What do you do for a living? Where do you vacation? What is your love life like? Get clear! Create a vision board. Tear pictures from magazines and past them to a board, and be clear what are you working toward.
Goals: There are a lot of ways to create goals. I create 3 goals every 3 months. I take three actions daily (one action per goal). Remember make your goal specific. If you reach your goal at the end of 3 months, cool. If not, the only goal is to develop the discipline to set and accomplish goal. Start small but be consistent in taking action. Slow and steady wins the race!
Thanks and Gratitude in this framework are different. Thanks applies simply to the actions and experiences you had that day that helped move you toward your goals. An example I use is I am grateful for my health, but I am thankful for the opportunity to exercise and eat healthy today. I am grateful for my friends, and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to have lunch with one today. I like to list (in my mind) the events of the day I am most thankful for. I mindfully end each thought with today.
- I’m thankful for connecting with my friend today.
- I’m thankful for a healthy day of diet and exercise today.
- I’m thankful for the time I had to write my blog today.
- I’m thankful for time to unwind and relax today.
Purpose of LIFE
I believe in starting the day with being mindful of my LIFE’s purpose. Purpose doesn’t necessarily direct us in WHAT to do. Purpose directs HOW we do it. The purpose of life is to LOVE, INSPIRE, FORGIVE, and ENJOY. I’ve shared what I believe is the purpose of life, now follow the exercise below and find YOUR purpose.
Find Passion.
- Who do you love?
- What do you love to do?
- Where do you love to spend your time?
- What creates passion and energy for you?
- Why do you exist?
- What is your purpose?
- When are you happiest?
Inspire and Be Inspired
- Who inspires you?
- What inspires you?
- When do you feel most inspired?
- Do you inspire others?
- How would you like to inspire others?
Forgiveness is a Practice Not an Act
- What is the resentment you hold?
- Who do you resent?
- What did they do to make you resentful?
- Can you forgive them?
- Can you move on without forgiving?
- Will forgiveness allow you to feel free?
We forgive but we cannot forget. We may have been hurt by someone who is not in our lives, yet our resentments may affect others. Letting go of resentments frees us to love and trust again.
We can also practice forgiveness for small infractions. Try to forgive the guy who cut you off in traffic; the woman in the express line with too many items in her shopping cart; the crying baby on the plane; and even the guy who’s phone rang during the movie. Forgiveness can be practiced all day!
Create Enjoyment
- Make a long list of activities, people, experiences, things that you enjoy!
- What do you enjoy doing?
- Who can you enjoy some time with?
- How can you take time today to enjoy yourself?
- If you can’t enjoy life today, can you make a commitment to change?
Don’t wait to enjoy your life. Don’t play the “When/Then Game. “WHEN I get ______, THEN I’ll be happy.” Enjoyment should not be scheduled to relieve stress or as a reward. Today is all we have, enjoy it!
