A VALUED LIFE

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HOW DO I STOP DRIFTING AND START ACTING?

“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood… Make big plans; aim high in hope and work…”

— Daniel H. Burnham

There is something electric about those words—something that refuses to sit quietly in the background of your life. They challenge you, almost daring you, to stop thinking small and start living with intention. Because deep down, you already know that small plans don’t ignite anything. They don’t move you. They don’t transform you.

Self-empowerment begins at that very moment of realization. It is not just motivation—it is inspiration set in motion, deliberately aimed in a positive direction. It is the unmistakable surge of energy that rises from within when you feel aligned with something meaningful. In those moments, obstacles don’t disappear—but they lose their power. You stop seeing barriers and start seeing pathways.

When you are truly self-empowered, something extraordinary happens. Your focus sharpens. Your energy intensifies. Time itself seems to loosen its grip. You become immersed—fully engaged, almost weightless—as if you are being carried forward by an unseen current. There is no strain here, no forced effort. Instead, there is a natural rhythm, a quiet certainty. It is the rare state where self-awareness and action merge—where you are not just thinking about your life but actively living it with clarity and purpose.

If you’ve ever experienced this, even briefly, you recognize it immediately. It feels like flow. Like alignment. Like stepping into the version of yourself you were meant to become.

And yet, for most people, this state is fleeting.

Why?

Because it is far easier—far more common—to drift than to direct. Instead of moving with intention, we wait. We react. We allow pressure, deadlines, and external demands to dictate our actions. We don’t act because we are inspired—we act because we feel we must.

Days become checklists. Tasks get completed, but without meaning. You move from one obligation to the next, not with purpose, but with compliance. And at the end of it all, there is a quiet, unsettling realization: time has passed… but little else has truly happened.

This is not failure. It is something more subtle—and more dangerous.

It is the slow erosion of purpose.

Without self-empowerment, life begins to flatten. You drift into routines that require little thought and offer even less fulfillment. What matters most becomes blurred, then distant, then forgotten altogether. You may call it procrastination. You may call it laziness. But at its core, it is neither.

It is a lack of purpose strong enough to move you.

When purpose is absent, urgency is outsourced. Other people’s priorities become your priorities. External events dictate your decisions. You surrender authorship of your life—not intentionally, but gradually, almost imperceptibly. It becomes easier to react than to lead, easier to comply than to choose.

And so you exist in a kind of passive rhythm—managing responsibilities, fulfilling obligations, waiting for something to happen. Like a bridge tender watching boats pass, you lift and lower the gates of your day… but you are not directing the traffic.

This may sound severe, but it is not an accusation—it is a recognition. Many lives are full, busy, even productive… yet quietly lacking in meaning. Because meaning does not come from motion alone. It comes from intention.

If your actions are not aligned with what matters most to you, then you are not truly moving forward—you are simply moving.

You are sacrificing effect for lack of cause.

When you fail to act with purpose, you are not just unfocused—you are disconnected. When you wait for something to happen, you are revealing that nothing compelling is happening within you. When your time is filled with the routine and the mundane, it is not because opportunity is absent—it is because vision is.

Yes, you may go to work. You may manage your responsibilities. You may even carve out moments of rest and leisure. But without intention, these moments blur together into a life that feels managed rather than lived.

As Paul G. Thomas wisely noted, “Until input (thought) is linked to a goal (purpose), there can be no intelligent accomplishment.”

Purpose is the link.

It is the force that transforms thought into action, and action into meaningful progress.

To live with purpose is to live by design. It is to consciously choose your direction rather than inherit it from circumstance. It is to define your vision, commit to your mission, and align your daily actions with both.

This is where self-empowerment truly begins.

Because when you focus—when you deliberately center your life around what matters most—you reclaim control. You stop reacting and start creating. Your behavior becomes intentional. Your results become predictable. Your life becomes yours.

Your Higher Self depends on this alignment.

Know your purpose, and you will know who you are.
Clarify your vision, and you will know where you are going.
Commit to your mission, and you will ensure that you get there.

And once you begin to live this way—fully focused, fully engaged—you will discover something remarkable:

You were never meant to drift.

You were meant to direct.

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HOW CAN I STOP GETTING SO UPSET?

Why do I get so easily upset about everything?

It’s a question that feels personal, almost confessional—yet it touches something universal. At some point, we all notice how quickly our mood can shift, how a small inconvenience can spark a disproportionate reaction, or how a passing comment can linger far longer than it should. And when that happens, we often assume the world is the problem.

But what if it isn’t?

Centuries ago, René Descartes offered a deceptively simple insight: “I think, therefore I am.” With just five words, he placed thought at the very center of human existence. Much later, James Allen deepened that idea: “As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.” Together, they reveal something both empowering and unsettling—our inner world doesn’t just reflect our lives; it shapes them.

If that’s true, then an obvious question arises: if our thoughts hold such power, why don’t we simply choose better ones? Why don’t we “flip the switch” and decide to be calm, content, and happy?

The answer is both simple and difficult: we don’t fully believe it’s that simple.

We tend to distrust solutions that feel too easy. We assume happiness must be earned through struggle, or that peace requires circumstances to align perfectly. So instead of exercising control over our thoughts, we surrender to them—especially the negative ones. Doubt creeps in. Fear follows. And before long, we’re reacting to life rather than shaping it.

At the heart of this lies a powerful truth: our capacity for happiness is rooted in our expectations of it.

There’s an old saying: “The person who believes they can is probably right—and so is the person who believes they can’t.” This isn’t just clever wordplay; it’s a reflection of how perception defines reality. When we label a situation as “bad,” our minds go to work proving that judgment correct. We notice every flaw, every inconvenience, every frustration. The experience becomes exactly what we expected it to be.

But when we approach the same situation with a sense of control—even if that control exists only in how we respond—something shifts. The event may not change, but our experience of it does. Calm replaces chaos. Clarity replaces confusion.

In this sense, happiness and control are closely intertwined. Not control over the world—that’s often beyond us—but control over how we interpret and respond to it.

The philosopher John Stuart Mill understood this well when he wrote that meaningful improvement in human life requires a transformation in our modes of thought. In other words, lasting change doesn’t begin “out there”—it begins within.

An event, by itself, carries no emotional weight. It is neutral. It is our interpretation—our immediate, often unconscious reaction—that assigns meaning to it. That meaning then fuels our emotions: anger, anxiety, resentment, or, alternatively, acceptance, resilience, and even peace.

This doesn’t mean we can control everything that happens to us. We can’t. Life will always present moments of uncertainty, disappointment, and challenge. But we can control the lens through which we view those moments—and that makes all the difference.

Stress, at its core, is not just about what happens to us. It’s about our resistance to what happens. It arises when we refuse to adapt, when we cling to how things should be rather than accepting how they are. The tension we feel is often the gap between expectation and reality.

And here’s the paradox: the very thing we resist—adjusting our perspective—is the key to overcoming the problem.

We don’t lack the ability to manage our reactions. What we often lack is the trust that we can.

Yet the evidence is there, quietly present in every moment we choose patience over anger, understanding over judgment, or calm over chaos. Each time we do, we prove to ourselves that our thoughts are not fixed—they are tools. And like any tool, they can be used skillfully or carelessly.

So the next time you find yourself getting upset “too easily,” pause and ask a different question—not “What’s wrong with the world?” but “What am I telling myself about this moment?”

Because in that answer lies your power.

And perhaps, your peace.

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YOU’RE AT THE END OF LIFE – ANY REGRETS?

Most of us can recall the steady, reassuring voice of Franklin D. Roosevelt declaring, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” It’s a line that has echoed across generations, especially in times of uncertainty. But there is another, quieter insight of his that may be even more personal—more confronting, even:

“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”

That line doesn’t speak to nations. It speaks directly to us.

It resonates deeply in my work with those stepping into retirement—a phase that is often imagined as freedom, but in reality can feel like standing at the edge of a vast, unmarked landscape. What I hear, again and again, are not bold declarations of possibility, but the subtle, persistent whispers of doubt:

What if I make the wrong choice?
What if I lose my sense of purpose?
What if it’s too late to start something new?

These “doubts of today” have a quiet power. Left unchallenged, they don’t just linger—they shape behavior. They keep people from taking chances, from exploring new identities, from stepping into the fullness of this next chapter. And over time, those doubts harden into something far heavier: the “regrets of tomorrow.”

And regret, unlike fear, doesn’t just whisper. It lingers.

If you were to ask most people what they might change if they could rewind their lives, the answers would come quickly: I’d spend more time with my family. I’d take my education more seriously. I’d choose a different career path. These are meaningful reflections—but interestingly, they don’t quite capture the deepest truths revealed at life’s end.

Palliative care nurse Bonnie Ware spent years listening to those in their final days. What she discovered cuts through all the noise of daily life and gets to the heart of what truly matters. The most common regrets were not about missed promotions or financial decisions, but about something far more human:

  • I wish I’d lived a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
  • I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
  • I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
  • I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
  • I wish I had let myself be happier.

There is a quiet ache in those words—but also a profound clarity. These are not regrets of action as much as regrets of inaction. Not things done, but things left undone. Not risks taken, but risks avoided.

And then there is the beautifully simple reflection from Nadine Stair, who at age 84 said:

“I wish I had waded in more mud puddles.”

It’s such a small image—but it carries enormous weight. It speaks to spontaneity, to joy, to letting go of perfection and embracing experience. It reminds us that life is not meant to be observed from the sidelines—it is meant to be stepped into, splashed through, and fully lived.

Living without regret doesn’t mean living perfectly. It means living intentionally.

It asks something of us. It asks us to decide—not someday, but now—what kind of life we truly want. And then, just as importantly, it asks us to act on that decision. Because a life unlived is not the result of a lack of time, but often a surplus of hesitation.

We all live within a finite timeline. That’s not a limitation—it’s a source of urgency and meaning. It invites us to ask better questions:

What risks am I still willing to take?
What dreams have I quietly set aside?
What would my life look like if I trusted myself more than I doubted myself?

Imagine, just for a moment, reframing your fears—not as warnings to retreat, but as signals pointing toward growth. What if those very doubts you carry today are not barriers, but invitations?

So the real question becomes this:

Will you answer these questions for yourself… or allow others, circumstances, or fear to answer them for you?

Will you move forward cautiously, guided by doubt… or courageously, guided by possibility?

And if you choose courage—what will “it” look like for you?

What do you want the rest of your life to feel like when you wake up in the morning?
What stories do you want to tell?
What moments do you want to create?

Now—not later—is the time to begin shaping those answers.

Because one day, whether far off or closer than we expect, we will all look back.

And when that moment comes, the greatest gift we can give ourselves is not a life free of mistakes—but a life free of regret.

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YOUR LIFE: BORING OR PASSIONATE?

What if we stopped drifting—and started living on purpose, with fire?

At some point, we must confront a simple truth: the reasons we choose to live should be powerful enough to ignite us. Passion isn’t a luxury; it’s the engine. The more deeply we feel it, the more naturally we act in alignment with who we’re meant to be. When that happens, Purpose is no longer something we search for—it becomes something we live.

And really, what kind of purpose is worth having if it doesn’t consume us, move us, electrify us? If it doesn’t pull us forward with urgency and excitement, is it truly ours? The things that genuinely motivate us are never dull—they stir something alive within us. That spark is not accidental. It’s direction.

Life was never designed to be endured—it was meant to be experienced. Fully. Deeply. Boldly. We weren’t made to sit on the sidelines, uncertain and hesitant. We were made to believe in something so strongly that it shows up in everything: how we love, how we work, how we contribute.

Think back to a moment when you felt unstoppable—when something inside you burned so brightly that nothing could stand in your way. In those moments, weren’t you completely immersed? Didn’t life feel richer, sharper, almost electric? That wasn’t luck. That was you, fully activated.

Inside your mind exists a staggering power. The human brain—this small, unassuming organ—holds the capacity for extraordinary emotion, creativity, and drive. It produces its own “highs,” releasing endorphins that can elevate us into states of focus, strength, even euphoria. The same system that fuels a runner’s high or a moment of heroic strength is already within you—waiting to be directed.

Now imagine being able to access that intensity at will.

Some people do. Every day.

They’re not superhuman, and they’re not rare anomalies. They’re individuals who’ve learned to align their lives with what matters most to them. They don’t chase motivation—they generate it. They immerse themselves so fully in their purpose that their energy rises, their focus sharpens, and their actions become unstoppable. Passion, for them, is not occasional—it’s a way of being.

You can recognize these people instantly. They carry a certain vitality. A presence. They don’t just exist—they engage. As George Burns once said, “I would rather be a failure doing something I love than be a success doing something I hate.” That kind of conviction changes everything.

Picture this: it’s early morning, still dark, a storm raging outside—and yet you’re already awake. Not because you must be, but because you want to be. You’re energized, humming, ready. You feel it in your chest: I love my life.

Unusual? Maybe. Impossible? Not at all.

There are people who live exactly like this—not because their lives are perfect, but because their mindset is powerful. They’ve taken ownership of their direction. They’ve built a self-image rooted in belief, not doubt. They act, decide, and move forward with intention.

They are, in many ways, living at the highest level of human potential—what Abraham Maslow described as self-actualization: the ongoing pursuit of becoming the fullest version of oneself.

And here’s the truth—we all have access to that path.

When we challenge ourselves to discover what truly matters, and then commit to it, something shifts. Confidence grows. Energy builds. Life becomes something we actively shape, not passively accept.

Imagine waking up and genuinely loving your life—your work, your relationships, your future. Imagine feeling grateful not just for the big things, but for the simple act of being alive: breathing, learning, experiencing. Imagine believing—deeply—that you are valuable, capable, and moving toward something meaningful.

It might sound like a movie. A perfect ending scripted by Walt Disney Company.

But here’s the twist: you’re the writer.

The meaning of your life is not assigned—it’s chosen. If you decide your life is small, it will feel that way. If you decide it is significant, purposeful, and full of possibility, you begin to act accordingly—and that belief starts shaping your reality.

As William Shakespeare wrote, “There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

Your thoughts matter. Your attitude matters even more.

Because in the end, the life you live will reflect the expectations you carry—and the passion you’re willing to ignite.

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MY ENCORE YEARS – THE NEW BEGINNING!

I was once struck—and admittedly amused—by a woman who had just entered retirement. With a calm sense of certainty, she described the rest of her life as being “on her next-to-last dog.”

In her mind, the timeline of her future wasn’t measured in dreams, goals, or experiences—but in the lifespan of two more beloved pets. Two dogs, she figured, meant roughly 24 to 30 years left. That, to her, was the horizon.

On the surface, it sounded quaint—even endearing. But the more I thought about it, the more it revealed something deeper. Beneath the humor was a quiet resignation: a life measured not by possibility, but with passing time. Yes, she anticipated years ahead—but there was little sense of intention about how those years might be lived.

And she’s not alone.

Many baby boomers approach what could be called their “second adult life” in much the same way. There’s a vague hope that things will somehow fall into place—that there will be time for a few pleasures, a bit of travel, maybe some golf, perhaps volunteering for a worthy cause. It’s a passive vision of the future, one where fulfillment is expected to arrive on its own.

But when retirement finally comes, reality often tells a different story.

Instead of freedom, many encounter unexpected challenges. Financial pressures linger longer than anticipated. Aging parents may require care. Health issues can quietly reshape daily life. And perhaps most surprising of all is the emotional shift—a creeping sense of insignificance that can arise when a long-held professional identity suddenly disappears.

Equally impactful is the loss of structure. For decades, work provided a rhythm to life—a reason to get up, a place to go, people to see, problems to solve. Without that built-in framework, days can begin to blur together. Social circles change. Purpose feels less defined. What once felt like a well-earned reward can slowly turn into boredom, frustration, or even a sense of drifting.

I understand this not as an observer, but as someone who has lived it.

As a retiree myself, I experienced the initial thrill—that honeymoon phase where freedom feels limitless and responsibility fades into the background. No alarm clocks. No deadlines. No obligations. It was, for a time, exactly what I had imagined.

But that phase didn’t last.

Before long, I found myself asking deeper questions: What now? What matters? What am I building toward? The absence of structure began to feel less like freedom and more like a void that needed to be filled with something meaningful.

So I began searching—not for ways to pass the time, but for a renewed sense of purpose.

And fortunately, I found it.

What I discovered changed everything: retirement isn’t an ending—it’s a transition. Not a winding down, but an opening up. It’s an opportunity to redesign your life with intention, to pursue passions that were once postponed, and to contribute in ways that align more closely with who you are now—not who your career required you to be.

In fact, I’ve come to believe that the word “retirement” itself does us a disservice. It suggests withdrawal, retreat, even irrelevance. Perhaps it’s time we retire the word altogether.

Because this stage of life—these so-called “encore years”—can be the most exciting, purposeful, and rewarding chapter yet.

So instead of measuring life by the years—or even by the dogs—why not measure it by impact, growth, and fulfillment?

The question isn’t how much time is left.

The real question is: What do you want to do with it?

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CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

The end of history will be a very sad time. The struggle for recognition, the willingness to risk one’s life for a purely abstract goal, the worldwide ideological struggle that called forth daring, courage, imagination, and idealism, will be replaced by economic calculation, the endless solving of technological problems, environmental concerns, and the satisfaction of sophisticated consumer demands. In the post-historical period there will neither be art nor philosophy, just the perpetual care taking of the museum of human history.

Francis Fukuyama – The End of History and the Last Man

Are we drifting—or racing—toward something we barely understand?

It feels as though the world is moving faster every day yet somehow losing direction. We’ve built more, achieved more, connected more—but to what end? Somewhere along the way, we seem to have misplaced a shared sense of purpose. And when purpose fades—not just for one person, but for all of us—the consequences don’t arrive quietly. They ripple through everything.

We may be living in what some call a post-industrial, hyper-connected age, but connection is not the same as meaning. When profit outweighs compassion, when instant gratification drowns out deeper fulfillment, we begin to shape a future that reflects those choices. And that future may not be one we truly want.

Look around. We chase success until we’re exhausted, only to find ourselves surrounded by things that quickly lose their value. We educate our children, yet struggle to teach them how to think, to question, to understand. We’ve traded front porches and conversations for screens and isolation. We’ve engineered convenience into every corner of life—and quietly engineered out presence, patience, and reflection.

We consume the world at an unsustainable pace, damaging the very systems that sustain us. We celebrate innovation, yet fear the jobs it replaces. We expand knowledge, yet neglect wisdom. We watch more, scroll more, buy more—but feel less.

And still, we ask: Why does something feel missing?

Decades ago, Al Gore described a world of artificial comforts—sealed windows, constant noise, synthetic environments, and endless distraction. A world designed to simulate life rather than deepen it. Today, that vision feels less like a warning and more like a mirror.

We are surrounded by illusions—of happiness, success, connection. And yet, beneath it all, many of us are still searching. Searching for meaning. For peace. For something real.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: all our progress—technological, scientific, economic—has not solved the most human of problems. We are still searching for purpose. Still longing for belonging. Still asking what it all means.

Why?

Because somewhere along the way, we forgot the simplest, most powerful things: how to love deeply, how to give without expectation, how to share without calculation, how to live for something greater than ourselves.

Purpose cannot be downloaded, purchased, or engineered. It has to be chosen.

Right now, too often, our purpose begins and ends with personal comfort. We hesitate to sacrifice, to commit, to stand for something beyond ourselves. And in that hesitation, something vital slips away—not just for us, but for the generations that follow.

Our children are watching. Learning. Inheriting.

And the world they step into will be shaped by what we choose today.

So the question remains:

Can you make a difference?

Not alone, perhaps. But no change ever begins with everyone—it begins with someone.

Maybe it begins with you.

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TO WHERE DO I RETIRE?

Knowing when to retire is a challenge in itself—but deciding where to spend your encore years can feel like standing at a crossroads with no clear signposts. It’s not just a logistical decision; it’s deeply personal, tied to your identity, your relationships, and the life you want to wake up to every morning.

One path many consider is staying right where they are—often called “aging in place.” There’s comfort in familiarity: the neighborhood you know by heart, the routines that ground you, the memories woven into every room. But it’s worth looking at your home through a future-focused lens. Will it still serve you well 10 or 20 years from now? Stairs, narrow hallways, or high maintenance costs can quietly turn a beloved home into a daily challenge. Planning ahead—whether through renovations or financial adjustments—can make all the difference between staying comfortably and feeling stuck.

On the other hand, the idea of relocating can be incredibly enticing. Retirement offers a rare opportunity to reinvent your surroundings—and perhaps even yourself. But before packing up, it’s important to ask the deeper questions. Do you want to be closer to family—grandchildren growing up fast, aging parents who may need support, or children you’d like to see more often? Or is this your moment to chase a long-held dream—waking up to mountain air, walking along sunlit beaches, or immersing yourself in the energy of a vibrant city filled with art, dining, and culture?

For those who aren’t ready to fully commit, a second home can serve as a “test drive” for your future. Spending extended time in a new location allows you to experience daily life there—not just the highlights of a vacation. You’ll get a feel for the community, the pace, and whether it truly aligns with your lifestyle.

Of course, there’s no universal answer. Retirement living is not one-size-fits-all—financially or emotionally. What feels like paradise to one person may feel isolating to another. That’s why open, honest conversations are essential. Make sure you and your spouse or partner are aligned in your vision. Talk with friends and family who know you well. Sometimes, an outside perspective can highlight considerations you hadn’t thought of.

Practical factors also deserve a seat at the table. Access to quality healthcare, cost of living, climate, transportation, and even social opportunities can significantly shape your day-to-day experience. These aren’t just details—they’re the foundation of your future quality of life.

The good news? You don’t have to navigate this decision blindly. We live in an age of abundant information, where trusted resources like U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, AARP, Kiplinger, and Money Magazine regularly publish in-depth rankings and guides. Whether you’re searching for affordable havens, lively cultural hubs, sunny escapes, or hidden gems for a second act career, these tools can help you narrow your options and spark new ideas.

In the end, choosing where to live in retirement isn’t just about geography—it’s about designing the life you want to lead. The more thoughtfully you explore your options now, the more likely you are to land in a place that doesn’t just meet your needs—but truly feels like home.

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WHAT FUTURE IS CALLING YOU?

Pause for a moment and look out at your horizon—not just with your eyes, but with your awareness. Beyond the visible landscape lies something more powerful: your perception of what’s to come. Does your horizon feel expansive, filled with possibility and quiet excitement? Or does it carry a weight of uncertainty, even a hint of fear? When you think about the road ahead, what do you truly see—opportunity unfolding, or obstacles waiting to test you?

This question matters more than it might seem, because the way you imagine your future doesn’t just reflect your mindset—it actively shapes it.

Hope is often misunderstood as something soft or passive, a fleeting emotion that comes and goes. But in reality, hope is a force. It influences how you move through the world. When you believe that something good is possible, you begin to act differently. You prepare yourself. You stay open. You take chances you might otherwise avoid. You invest energy into growth, connection, and progress. In subtle but powerful ways, hope pulls you forward.

On the other hand, when your expectations lean toward disappointment or struggle, that outlook quietly reshapes your behavior too. You hesitate. You second-guess. You avoid risks that might actually lead to something meaningful. Without realizing it, you begin to withdraw from the very future you want to create. It’s not that obstacles disappear or appear based on your mindset—but your willingness to engage with them changes everything.

This dynamic is often described as a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” It’s not magic or wishful thinking. It’s the natural result of alignment between belief and action. What you expect influences what you do, and what you do influences what happens next. Over time, your expectations start to echo back to you as reality.

That’s why the question isn’t simply, What does your future look like?
A more powerful question is: What are you choosing to see?

Because in many ways, that choice is yours.

You can approach what’s ahead with curiosity, openness, and a willingness to grow—even when things are uncertain. Or you can approach it with doubt, guardedness, and fear. One perspective invites movement, learning, and possibility. The other creates hesitation and keeps doors closed before you ever reach them.

This doesn’t mean ignoring challenges or pretending everything will be easy. It means recognizing that your perspective is a starting point, not a fixed truth. It’s something you can shape. And when you shape it intentionally, you begin to shape your path as well.

So pause again. Look at your horizon, not as something distant and predetermined, but as something responsive—something influenced by how you engage with it.

Choose your perspective carefully.

Because whether you realize it or not, your future is already listening.

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I LOVE MY LIFE!

At 4:45 on a freezing winter morning, the alarm clock exploded into the darkness.

For a moment, Mark lay perfectly still. Outside his window, the wind howled and snow rattled against the glass. The warmth of the bed wrapped around him like an invitation to stay exactly where he was.

Most people would have hit the snooze button.

Mark didn’t.

He swung his legs out of bed, stood up, and stretched like an athlete about to enter the arena. As the coffee brewed, he turned up the music and began humming the theme from Rocky. He shadowboxed in the kitchen, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.

His wife wandered in half-awake and asked the obvious question:

“Why are you so happy at five in the morning?”

Mark laughed.

“Because I get to do what I love today.”

The truth is, Mark wasn’t famous. He wasn’t wealthy. He wasn’t running a billion-dollar company. He was simply someone who had discovered something many people spend their entire lives searching for:

He had found work and a purpose that lit a fire inside him.

And that fire changed everything.

Every so often, life invites us to pause and ask a powerful question:

Why am I here—and what truly sets my soul on fire?

Most people move through life without seriously considering that question. They follow routines, meet expectations, and pursue goals they were told were important.

But the people who live with genuine enthusiasm—the ones who radiate energy and purpose—have usually done something different.

They have taken the time to discover what deeply matters to them.

The more clearly we connect with the reasons that make life meaningful, the more passionately we begin to live it. Passion fuels action. It sharpens focus, strengthens persistence, and transforms effort into enthusiasm.

And when passion aligns with purpose, something extraordinary happens:

Our purpose becomes our passion.

And really, what other kind of purpose is worth pursuing?

A true purpose should engage us completely. It should challenge us, excite us, and pull us forward like a powerful current. If our purpose, vision, values, and mission fail to stir something deep within us—if they don’t inspire us to act—then what meaning do they really hold?

Life was never meant to be dull, predictable, or routine.

Life is meant to be experienced.

It is meant to be tasted, savored, and lived with intensity. Standing on the sidelines—uncertain about what we believe or what we truly want—is no way to live.

Instead, we must believe in our purpose so strongly that it flows through everything we do—from the way we care for our families to the way we work, lead, and contribute to the world.

When purpose ignites passion, life changes.

Energy rises. Opportunities appear. And each day begins to feel like an adventure.

Think back to those rare moments when you felt completely driven by purpose—when a powerful desire pushed you forward and nothing seemed able to stand in your way.

Time seemed to disappear. Your focus sharpened. You were fully immersed in what you were doing.

In those moments, happiness didn’t come from outside circumstances. It came from something deeper—the exhilarating joy of being fully alive.

Remarkably, the human brain is designed for experiences like this.

This extraordinary organ—soft, pinkish-gray, and weighing only a few pounds—contains roughly 100 billion neurons, firing signals at incredible speed. Within its intricate networks are chemical messengers that influence how we think, feel, and act.

Among them are endorphins, powerful natural chemicals similar to morphine. Our bodies release them during moments of intense effort, excitement, and emotional engagement.

Athletes experience this phenomenon as the famous “runner’s high.” Parents have felt it when they suddenly summon extraordinary strength to protect their children.

These powerful states are not accidents.

They are part of how we are designed.

Now imagine being able to tap into that wellspring of passion more often. Imagine feeling energized and fully engaged simply because you are working toward something that truly matters to you.

The truth is—people do it every day.

Ordinary individuals unlock their passion by immersing themselves in meaningful work, ambitious goals, and missions that inspire them. They become so engaged in their pursuits that they lose track of time. Obstacles no longer feel overwhelming. Their minds and bodies surge with energy as their purpose fuels their passion.

Their actions become deliberate.
Their focus sharpens.
Their enthusiasm becomes contagious.

And their drive becomes nearly unstoppable.

Often this passion becomes most visible in a person’s life’s work. As legendary comedian George Burns once said:

“I would rather be a failure doing something I love than a success doing something I hate.”

Most of us recognize the truth in that statement. At some point in life, nearly everyone feels an inner pull toward something meaningful—a desire to create, contribute, build, or serve in a way that reflects who they truly are.

When we pursue work that genuinely matters to us, our purpose begins to reveal itself through our actions. The path becomes clearer. We understand why we wake up each morning.

We know what we are working toward.

And when you encounter people living this way, something about them stands out.

They carry a different energy.

A spark.

A sense that they are moving toward something important.

They are not waiting for life to happen.

They are creating it.

By strengthening their self-image and pursuing what matters most, they move toward the highest levels of human fulfillment—what psychologist Abraham Maslow described as self-actualization.

As we challenge ourselves to discover and pursue our deepest ambitions, we move closer to becoming the people we are capable of being.

And when that happens, something powerful becomes possible.

We can wake up each morning and say with conviction:

“I love my life.”

Imagine loving the work you do.
Loving the people around you.
Feeling confident about your health, your finances, and your future.

Imagine appreciating the simple miracle of breathing, seeing, hearing, learning, and growing.

Imagine believing that your life matters—that your ideas, your effort, and your presence in the world make a difference.

Imagine knowing exactly what you want and moving toward it with confidence.

Imagine believing that tomorrow can be even better than today.

It might sound like the script of an uplifting film produced by The Walt Disney Company.

But a life like this is not fantasy.

It is something we can consciously create.

It begins with belief—with the image we hold of ourselves and the meaning we choose to give our lives.

If purpose is the meaning we assign to our existence, then whatever meaning we choose will shape the life we experience.

Choose a small meaning, and life becomes small.

Choose a greater meaning, and life expands to meet it.

As William Shakespeare wrote:

“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”

Our thoughts shape our attitudes.
Our attitudes shape our actions.
And our actions ultimately shape the lives we live.

So the question is not whether passion exists.

It does.

The real question is whether we are willing to claim it.

Somewhere inside you is a spark—an interest, a dream, a calling that makes you feel more alive than anything else. When you find it, nurture it. Feed it with effort, curiosity, and belief.

Because when purpose and passion finally meet, life stops feeling ordinary.

It becomes meaningful.

It becomes energized.

It becomes an adventure.

And one morning—perhaps sooner than you think—you may wake up, step out of bed with a smile, and realize something remarkable:

You’re not just living your life.

You’re loving it. 

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WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT?


Have you found it yet?

If the answer is no, stop trying so hard to figure it out. Don’t overthink it. Don’t analyze it to death. Passion rarely appears through logic or careful planning. It doesn’t arrive as the conclusion of a spreadsheet or a pros-and-cons list.

Passion reveals itself through your heart.

It’s that unmistakable moment when you become completely absorbed in something you love. Time disappears. Your mind quiets. Your spirit feels alive. In those moments, you’re not trying to impress anyone or meet expectations—you’re simply being yourself.

Your passion shows up when you feel most aligned with who you truly are. It’s when your heart sparks with excitement and your inner voice whispers, Yes… this feels right.

If you haven’t felt that spark in a while, it may be because you’ve stopped listening to yourself.

Over time, the voices around us grow louder—family expectations, career pressures, social norms, the endless opinions of others. Without realizing it, we begin responding to what the world tells us we should want rather than what we genuinely feel.

When that happens, our emotions get muted. Our instincts grow quiet. And slowly, we can lose touch with the things that once brought us joy.

Eventually, some people even forget what they’re passionate about.

If that sounds familiar, it’s not a failure—it’s simply a signal. A reminder that it’s time to reconnect with yourself.

Life isn’t meant to feel like a repetitive loop of dull routines and quiet resignation. It’s meant to be experienced with energy, curiosity, and moments that make your heart race with excitement.

Finding your passion doesn’t require inventing something new. Often, it’s about remembering.

Think back to the moments when you felt fully alive. When you were completely absorbed in what you were doing. When joy came naturally and effortlessly.

You might have to revisit your childhood to find those memories. What fascinated you then? What could you spend hours doing without getting bored?

Or perhaps the answer lies in something more recent—a hobby that made you lose track of time, a book that stirred your imagination, a song that moved you, a conversation that left you inspired.

Your passion might have surfaced during a challenge that pushed your limits. Or when you helped someone who truly needed you. Maybe it appeared through creativity, physical activity, deep reflection, or simply watching a beautiful sunset and feeling a quiet sense of wonder.

The clues are already there.

If you listen closely to your heart, you will recognize the moments that once ignited your spirit. And the beautiful truth is this: those passions are not gone.

They’re simply waiting for your attention again.

You have every right to bring them back into your life—whenever you choose, and as often as you desire.

Because a meaningful life isn’t defined by routine or obligation.
It’s defined by the moments that make you feel deeply, vibrantly alive.

So give yourself permission to follow those sparks again.

That’s what living fully is all about.

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HOW CAN WE DO IT ALL?

Let’s be honest – life today feels overwhelming.

We’re flooded with choices. Pulled in a hundred directions. Expected to do more, be more, achieve more. Technology moves fast. The world changes overnight. News, emails, texts, deadlines—it never stops.

Years ago, futurist Alvin Toffler warned about “future shock,” the stress caused by too much change too quickly. That future isn’t coming anymore. It’s here. And it feels urgent.

So how do we stay steady when everything around us feels chaotic?

Here’s the secret:
We can’t control the speed of the world—but we can control our center.

The Real Key: Inner Balance

The outside world may be loud, messy, and unpredictable. But inside, we have the ability to stay calm and grounded.

That stability comes from knowing two things:

  • Your Purpose — Why you’re here. What your life is about.
  • Your Values — What matters most to you.

Think of your values as your internal compass. Or better yet, your gyroscope. When everything around you tilts and spins, your core keeps you upright.

When you’re clear about what truly matters, something powerful happens:
You stop trying to manage everything.

Instead, you manage only what’s important.

Not everything deserves your attention. Not every urgent request deserves your energy. When your actions line up with your purpose, you set your own pace. You stop reacting to the world and start leading your life.

The Trap: Urgent vs. Important

Here’s where most of us get stuck.

We confuse what’s urgent with what’s important.

Urgent:

  • Emails
  • Deadlines
  • Notifications
  • Other people’s demands

Important:

  • Your health
  • Your relationships
  • Your growth
  • Your peace of mind

They are rarely the same thing.

When we constantly respond to urgency, we live in reaction mode. We bounce from one demand to the next. We’re busy all day—but somehow feel like we accomplished nothing that really matters.

That’s exhausting.

The “Run Faster” Myth

When we feel out of control, what do we do?

We buy planners.
Make color-coded lists.
Set more goals.
Work longer hours.

We tell ourselves, “If I just try harder, I can fit it all in.”

So we sprint.
We collapse at night.
Wake up.
Repeat.

And eventually? Burnout.

We might earn more money or get a bigger title—but sometimes at the cost of our health, our family, or our peace.

Being busy is not the same as being fulfilled.

So How Do You Restore Balance?

Balance starts with three simple steps:

1. Identify what matters most.

What are your top values? Health? Family? Faith? Creativity? Freedom? Growth?

If you don’t know what matters most, everything will seem equally important—and that’s chaos.

2. Notice what pulls you away from those values.

What activities consume your time but don’t support what matters most?

Many of us spend most of our day reacting, not choosing.

3. Align your time with your values.

Shift your energy toward what truly matters.
Gradually reduce what doesn’t.

Balance isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing what matters.

A Simple Exercise

Take a blank page.

Write down everything you regularly spend time on (besides basic survival like sleeping or eating).

Meetings
Scrolling
Driving kids
Side projects
Volunteering
Watching TV
Working late
House tasks
Hobbies

Be honest.

Now go back and mark each activity that directly supports one of your top values.

How many made the cut?

If most of your time doesn’t support what matters most, that’s where your imbalance lives.

This isn’t about guilt.
It’s about awareness.

You Are the Center of Your Universe

Imagine yourself like the center of a solar system.

Your core values orbit around you. They keep your life stable.

But outside forces—other people’s needs, distractions, unexpected events—are constantly trying to enter your orbit.

You can’t stop them from existing.
But you can choose what you let in.

Not everything deserves access to your energy.

Balance doesn’t mean isolating yourself from the world. It means consciously deciding what gets your time, attention, and emotional investment.

Stop Wearing So Many Hats

Another reason we feel overwhelmed?

We split ourselves into compartments:

  • Work self
  • Parent self
  • Friend self
  • Financial self
  • Spiritual self

We switch hats all day long. It’s exhausting.

Instead of seeing your life as separate boxes, think of it as one integrated whole.

You are one person.

If something is wrong in one part of your life, it spills into the others. If your behavior at work contradicts your values at home, you feel tension inside.

Balance comes from alignment.

Your:

  • Purpose
  • Values
  • Daily actions

…must work together.

Not either/or.

And.

You don’t succeed at work or family.
You live in a way that honors both.

Life Will Force Balance If You Don’t Choose It

There’s something important to understand:

Balance will happen—with or without your permission.

Ignore your health long enough? Your body will force you to stop.
Ignore your relationships? They’ll break.
Ignore your mental well-being? Stress will show up.

Stress, anxiety, exhaustion—these are warning lights on the dashboard.

They’re not punishments.
They’re signals that something is out of alignment.

The goal is to adjust early—before life adjusts you.

The Bottom Line

You don’t restore balance by:

  • Working harder
  • Organizing better
  • Moving faster

You restore balance by:

  • Getting clear about what matters most
  • Saying no to what doesn’t support it
  • Living as one whole person
  • Acting intentionally instead of reacting constantly

When your actions reflect your deepest values, life feels steady—even when the world is spinning.

You can’t do it all.

But you can do what matters.

And that is more than enough.

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THE HIGHER LIFE – 25 PRINCIPLES

Live Higher 11x14 jpgLife mastery is not difficult once we believe in its possibility and also desire to achieve it. Following are my top 25 principles for living a higher life and I hope you find them to be a helpful guide:

  1. Worry Less – Laugh More

  2. Sit Less – Move More

  3. Analyze Less – Feel More

  4. Text Less – Talk More

  5. Work Less – Volunteer More

  6. Complicate Less – Simplify More

  7. Rest Less – Sleep More

  8. Conceal Less – Discover More

  9. Discriminate Less – Understand More

  10. Complain Less – Appreciate More

  11. Consume Less – Give More

  12. Waste Less – Save More

  13. Think Less – Act More

  14. Abuse Less – Support More

  15. Eat Less – Taste More

  16. Critique Less – Love More

  17. Follow Less – Lead More

  18. Amuse Less – Learn More

  19. Blame Less – Value More

  20. Control Less – Flow More

  21. Doubt Less -Trust More

  22. Hesitate Less – Risk More

  23. Watch Less – Read More

  24. Resist Less – Accept More

  25. Plead Less – Pray More

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EMBRACE YOUR VITALITY

According to Dr. Richard Johnson, the founder of Retirement Options, there are ten descriptors of retirees who live life with vitality:

1. Has a high self-regard: They seem to think favorable about themselves even in the face of trial and tribulation. They harbor an internal sense of “all rightness” at their core that appears undisturbed by outside pressures. Certainly they can become upset and irritable at times, but they regain composure rather quickly and emerge without damage to their self.

2. Value their physical health: They monitor their body and are aware of its needs. They are kind to their body in the sense that they don’t overtax it, they give it proper rest, grooming, exercise, medical attention, etc. They have realistic expectations about what is appropriate for them at their stage of life.

3. Have a high sense of personal worth: They see themselves as valuable; they recognize their accomplishments as successes, and can easily understand how useful their work is to the overall project. They enjoy a high sense of utility; they believe that what they are doing is worthwhile.

4. Have faith in themselves: They understand at deep levels that they are capable, resourceful, and enduring. They enjoy an appropriate sense of personal confidence, which is seldom, if ever, overstated. They seem to possess an aura of stability and security.

5. Expect success: They have a hard time believing in failure. What other people might call failure, they seem to recognize as just another learning experience. They expect good things to happen right from the outset of a project or task.

6. Enjoy productive and supportive relationships: Perhaps because of their internal confidence, they enjoy people. They don’t fear that they will be unfairly criticized, and if someone does become upset with them, they can handle the situation with appropriate social skill.

7. Take optimal care of their body: They like the feeling of knowing that they are doing what is necessary to keep the marvelous machine of their body in top running condition. They feed it correctly, get proper rest, maintain a regular exercise program, and perform other health maintenance and promotion activities, which allow them to perform maximally.

8. Engage in stress reduction techniques: Whether it’s regular exercise, mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, a power nap, prayer, soothing music, appropriate “self-talk,” or any of a number of other stress reduction techniques; they know several and use them regularly.

9. Take good care of all their gifts: They know their gifts and talents as an individual, and maintain an active interest in the development and growth of their talents. They seem to appreciate what they have been given and are not particularly envious of the talents and gifts of others.

10. Make continuous adjustments to their attitudes and behaviors: They seem to know innately that their attitudes are the bedrock of their personality and that they need to keep on top of which ones need modification and in what ways these modifications can be made. Attitudes can become antiques, useful yesterday, but quite out of function today. Sometimes we neglect to trade-in our antique attitudes for newer, more functional models.

 

 

 

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TO WHERE SHOULD I RETIRE?

 

Knowing when to retire is a challenge in itself, but deciding where you want to live in your encore years can be equally perplexing.  One option is to stay right where you are (known as “aging in place”), but keep in mind your present home could become a financial burden in the distant future. Also, your current accommodations may need some structural changes if mobility ever becomes an issue.

Relocation always seems like an attractive option but this too will require some deep analysis. Are you wanting to be near your grandchildren, aging parents or your own children?  Or do you simply want to run away to the mountains, to warm beaches or even to an urban center with lots of cultural and entertainment choices. For some, a second home could prove to be a good interim choice allowing more time to check out the area before making the final leap.

Obviously, one size does not fit all – both financially and emotionally. It is imperative, however, that you and your spouse are on the same page and that you also have some discussions with friends and family before making any major decisions. Even the location and quality of medical services needs to be factored into the relocation equation.

Knowledge is king if you are seriously planning a move in retirement.  Fortunately, abundant information can be found on the websites of US News and World Report, Forbes, AARP, Kiplinger and Money Magazine.  They all provide reports covering  topics as diverse as:  Bargain Places to Live, Best Places for Military Vets, Best Towns for Wine Lovers, Places with the Youngest & Oldest Populations, Terrific Towns for Second Careers,  Sunniest Places to Retire, Most Affordable Mountain Towns, etc.  Again, doing your homework beforehand will make a huge difference in choosing the place that ideally matches your real needs and desires.

 

 

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HAVING NO REGRETS

I think most of us can recall FDR’s famous quote “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” But his less well known quote is “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”

This resonates with me because coaching new retirees always involves hearing about their “doubts of today.” And sadly, these fears and uncertainties will often lead to their “regrets of tomorrow.” If, however,  they could overcome their present doubts they would likely find their future lives to be much more fulfilled.

Most of us would agree that at the end of our life we’d like to go back and re-do a few things that could have been changed – maybe spend less time at the office to make more time for ourselves and our families, taken our studies more seriously, made better career choices, etc.

And while these are important considerations, these are not the main reflections of those at the end of their lives. According to palliative expert Bonnie Ware, the top five regrets of the dying are:

1. I wish I’d lived a life true to myself,  not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I’d stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish I had let myself be happier.

And I’d like to add that Nadine Stair on her 84th birthday said, “I wish I had waded in more mud puddles”.

Living with no regrets places the responsibility upon us, not just to decide what we want out of life but to then go and live it. Since we have a finite timetable for life, why not decide today what risks we are willing to take and then begin the process of taking them. Why not reframe our current fears and self-doubts into a more positive and optimistic outlook for the future.

So will we answer this question for ourselves, or will we let others answer it for us? Will we act out of fear or out of courage? If we decide to go for it, what will It be? What do we want the rest of our life to look and feel like?

Now would be a good time to answer these questions.  The choice is ours . . . to be able to look back one day at our life without any regrets at all!

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THE NEW RETIREMENT

According to Dr. Richard Johnson, the leading authority on retirement options, “the “new retirement” is not an ending, it’s a new beginning, the start of a new life of vastly expanded proportions.”

Unfortunately, a large number of the 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day still view retirement as the end of their personal growth.  They may then find their remaining years drifting into boredom, low self-esteem, limited social interactions, and a feeling of lost purpose.

However, there is an equally large number of baby boomers who sense this is the best time to live their dream, to make new self-directed choices to grow, prosper and make significant contributions to society.  In essence, they will choose to finally live their purpose.

Which group you will fall in depends on your attitude, your pre-retirement preparations and your perceptions of future opportunities. Your retirement success is within your own control but it will take some deep introspections and self-awareness training.

A certified retirement coach can provide you the detailed assessment of the factors that will shape your retirement satisfaction.  This coach will help you discover your options for life fulfillment in your encore years.  Since your “second adult life” could last 30-40 years, working with a certified retirement coach today would be time well spent.

Contact me today to learn more . . .

 

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DESIGN YOUR OWN LIFE

Time Out jpg

Most of us avoid the task of life planning because we feel that it is  not in our control, that our environment has more control over us than we have over it. Or we feel that it may involve risks, risks that could lead to disappointment or failure. Or we’d rather not ask the tough questions because we don’t welcome a forced analysis of our lives.

No doubt, this is a difficult process. But unfortunately, if we don’t plan to live our own life, then somebody else or our external environment will do it for us. We should ask ourselves if our life is something we want to give up so easily. We must revere the sanctity of our life and vigorously protect the right to plan our future as we choose.

Life is not a dress rehearsal. It will go on, with or without us. We do have the choice to make it as meaningful and as purposeful as we choose it to be. Planning our lives and then living our lives according to that plan should not be an option. We really have no other choice if we want to realize the life that we deserve and expect.  Let’s take some time to make that happen.

 

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CREATING A NEW REALITY

Expressions-11All of life transformation and self-renewal is embodied in the process of relieving the tension between the reality we have now and the reality we aspire to. For instance, if we are overweight, we feel the tension between our current self-image and a projected self-image. If we are not happy in our job or career, our anxiety tells us that something needs to be done about it. If we are feeling tired and physically unfit, we sense the need to exercise, sleep more and improve our diet.

In virtually every aspect of our lives, there is a perceived gap between where we are and where we want to be. This gap is a void we must fill to make life more significant and meaningful. If we let the gap widen, we feel more tension and frustration. By not attempting to close the gap, we are passively allowing life to happen to us. But by taking action to bridge the realities of what we have versus what we want, we are taking charge and making life happen.

This process of closing the gap brings our behavior in alignment with our purpose and our values. By knowing what we are here for and what is most important to us we gain clarity of our current reality. We can see exactly what is missing, what expectations are not being met, and we will become compelled to take action and redraft our future reality. We can then literally make our life what we want it to be!

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ATTAINING INNER PEACE

Hugging the CoastOur objective should not be to eliminate all unhappiness but rather to balance it with increased opportunity for joy. Buddha may have reminded us, A hundred loves, a hundred losses. No loves, no losses, but are we prepared to abandon the potential for love because we fear the potential for loss?

Would there be any value in giving up our rights to search for a single sliver of happiness because we must first dig through a mountain of sadness to locate it? For that matter, would we not search for truth because it is hidden among deceit? Or would we not seek honor because we feel that it is surrounded by contempt? Or not seek courage because it is covered with cowardice? Or not seek morality because it is shrouded within an immoral society?

Happiness is ours to discover despite the deterrents that stand in our way; it is our human right to be elated despite a world that flagrantly flaunts its despairing side. Our purpose, therefore, is to strive toward a sense of internal peace within ourselves.

This does not mean that we will live in perfect contentment but rather we will be contented with ourselves. The difference is that the former implies an unrealistic, stress free state of consciousness while the latter implies that we are in conscious control of our state of gratification.

We will feel it is possible to rise above the vagaries of unhappiness that may surround us. We will resist the feeling of being dragged into a maelstrom of discontentment because we will see ourselves as the calm center of the storm. And our joy will abound through our sense of calm purpose being recognized and lived through our daily actions.  Inner peace then becomes our right and our choice.

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KEEP IT SIMPLE

No Cares jpgFor some baffling reason, we have gotten caught up in an insatiable need for more stuff – from clothes, cars, houses, electronic gadgets, toys, furniture and fixtures to new hairdos, pedicures and tummy tucks. We want to possess everything imaginable and never seem to be content anymore with the basics. According to comedian George Carlin, we even need to own stuff to put our stuff into. We like to take our stuff with us wherever we go, and when we get there we have to buy more stuff so we can take it home to be with other stuff!

Our fascination with stuff, however, is not the problem. It is the lifestyle that we must pursue to acquire, maintain and manage our stuff.  All of this stuff is the antithesis to a sane, balanced and purposeful life. While we tend to believe that our happiness emanates from our possessions it is, in fact, these same possessions that become the bane and curse to a joyful and meaningful life. According to Elaine St. James, Wise men and women in every major culture throughout history have found that the secret to happiness is not in getting more but in wanting less. Only when we make it our purpose to not make stuff the measure of our contentment, will we truly understand how simply beautiful (and beautifully simple) life can be lived.

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A HIGHER PERSPECTIVE

Orange Sunset jpg

We often don’t appreciate the quality and value of our lives because our vision is too limited or even blocked.  To see our real possibilities we must see it from a new viewpoint, much like Robin Williams offered his students in the movie, The Dead Poets Society. When he asked all of the students to get up and stand on their desks, they came to realize that their previous views had changed, that everything looked different from their higher perspective. In order for us to transform to lives of greater significance, we must change our point of view, to see our lives from a different and higher perspective.

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LIVE IN THE NOW

Purpose Image 4Future time is really no more valuable to our happiness and success than is our Past time, since Future time exists only in our minds, hopes and dreams. Like Past time, Future time is not even occurring in our lives; these times are either coming or they’ve already went, but they’re not happening right now which is where our lives are – Right Now! Kay Lyons said it best, Yesterday is a canceled check; Tomorrow is only a promissory note; today is the only cash you have – so spend it wisely.  This means that there is only one time that is relevant to our happiness and fulfillment of a meaningful life – The Present!

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BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Purpose Image 1We need to trust and believe in ourselves. As our actions are dictated by our thoughts, we must diligently and relentlessly pursue a positive, can-do attitude. If we find ourselves accepting anything less, we are holding nobody back but ourselves. To sustain positive self-beliefs, we should only use affirmative, action statements in describing ourselves: I AM ENERGETIC! I AM POWERFUL! I AM A GENIUS! I AM SUCCESSFUL! I AM UNSTOPPABLE!  We should never let negative verbiage enter our self-vocabulary when we can just as easily use more assertive words to define who we are. It is a waste of time for us to not believe in ourselves. If we are not going for more in life, then we will always be going for less. For us to get what we want from life, we must first want it; then we must go for it. In fact, we should never say that we want something and not go for it.

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LISTEN ONLY TO YOURSELF

Realizing our true potential involves self-knowledge, self-acceptance and self-guidance. As we gain greater awareness of ourselves and take positive, purposeful action we begin to validate our potential. This validation of our potential creates a success-reality for us that in turn will carry us toward higher achievements. The key is to convince our Selves of this possibility. Our failure to do this is usually because we are not convinced enough. We simply don’t believe that we can do it! Essentially, we fail to produce positive results due to the self-sabotage taking place in our sub-conscious minds. There are powerful mind-triggers that hold us back just as their equally powerful mind-triggers that tell us to go for it! We listen to our negative sub-consciousness because of imbedded commands that have been programmed into us, i.e. little voices that we have heard for many years from parents, teachers, spouses, bosses and even our best friends. We don’t receive nearly as much positive reinforcement from others as we get reasons why it can’t be done: We are told that we need more experience! We have never done it before! We don’t have enough education! We can’t afford it! We have to take care of this or that problem first! We should be content with who we are! We need to take care of other responsibilities! For some bizarre reason, people just don’t like to encourage us to succeed. But the far greater problem is that we tend to listen to them. And believe them!  If we listen only to our Self  we will eventually begin to believe what we are hearing.

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HAPPINESS IS SIMPLE

There is rarely any need for us to concentrate on matters that take us off the various pathways to happiness. But invariably, we do stray! The principal reason is from the clutter that we accumulate in our minds from our complicated, covetous lifestyles. The effects of the material world that we live in are anaesthetizing to our real Purpose and pursuit of happiness. Matthew 16:26 warns us of the fate of losing our chief Purpose in living: For what has a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

The point is that we are literally losing our way in the world with our mindless attention to insignificant matters and materialism. For enduring happiness, we must let go of all of the extraneous pursuits of life that conflict with what is really important to us. If we could only learn to live with an austere attention to what is significant and abandon all that is the antithesis to a quality life, we could rediscover our sense of Purpose and our true sense of happiness. The indispensable key for each of us is to keep life focused and simple. As a collective society we have thus far failed to realize this, but we still maintain our individual right to do so . . . to march to a different drummer.

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SEEING YOUR PURPOSE

Purpose Image 3

  • If we see hunger, our Purpose must be to find one family to feed.

  • If we see hatred, our Purpose must be to offer kindness. 

  • If we see greed, our Purpose must be to counsel. 

  • If we see ignorance, our Purpose must be to teach. 

  • If we see pain, our Purpose must be to comfort. 

  • If we see pollution, our Purpose must be to cleanse.

  • If we see sadness, our Purpose must be to cheer.

  • If we see loss of hope, our Purpose must be to encourage.

  • If we see helplessness, our Purpose must be to support.

  • If we see chaos, our Purpose must be to calm.

  • If we see deceit, our Purpose must be to inform.

  • If we see war, our Purpose must be to make peace.

     

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SHARE YOUR PURPOSE

Sharing Your Purpose JPGIt is important to understand that our Purpose, while uniquely ours, is not fully manifested until we find cause to share it with others. We cannot find true meaning in life without connecting ourselves with something larger and more pervasive than we are.  Existing in isolation of the larger world will only turn us inward, while our Purpose needs outward expression to find its fulfillment. It is said that no man is an island because no one of us can find lasting peace and happiness through any other channel than participation in the greater world in which we live.

Our Purpose can find expression along two major pathways: First, giving of ourselves to others; and second, having a cause to live for. Our greatest opportunity to feel totally alive and significant is to share ourselves to the larger community, to have something meaningful to believe in and stand for. We celebrate our Purpose by discovering the many ways in which our life can significantly impact and improve the lives of others.  We will not have to look far for these opportunities. Likewise, if we possess a deep commitment to a cause, a crusade or a conviction that we hold fundamental to our Purpose, we will possess the most exciting, rewarding reasons to exist while ensuring great meaning for our life going forward.

We do not have to live in a world characterized by empty values, unabated greed, hatred and unintelligent gratification at the expense of our collective well being. Not unless that is our Purpose, and we must believe that should not be our Purpose. Our Purpose should center upon our caring for the world that our children will inherit. We can find great Purpose in giving of ourselves with selfless love. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, Love is everything. It is the key to life, and its influences are those that move the world. If we cannot accept the world as it is becoming, we can make it our Purpose to change it.

Through giving of ourselves to others and to a cause that we deeply believe in, we will find our Purpose. There are infinite opportunities to make our lives more Purposeful as we extend ourselves out to the world community. All anyone needs to do is just look around . . .

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WHY HAVE A PURPOSE

Purpose provides us hope and inspiration.

Purpose gives us an intended, clear direction.

Purpose offers us promise for the future.

Purpose teaches us our values and goals.

Purpose provides us a daily roadmap to follow.

Purpose puts passion into our life.

Purpose gives us control of our destiny.

Purpose is the total source of our spirituality.

Purpose sustains our commitment to achieve.

Purpose creates our self-confidence and self-esteem.

Purpose provides meaning and significance to our life.

Purpose is the basis for our happiness and joy.

Purpose focuses our efforts and gives us perseverance.

Purpose creates productivity by managing time for us.

Purpose provides us balance and harmony.

Purpose is the source of our strength and inner peace.

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WHAT IS THE VALUE OF MY LIFE?

When we think about the value of our life, we should think about all of our Values, both quantitatively and qualitatively. If we have any Values at all (and few of us would admit that we don’t), then we can measure the meaningfulness of our life by our specific expression of these Values. It would be ludicrous for us to claim that our life has no value and also claim to have certain wants and aspirations. If we desire anything at all, then our life has value.

The problem with those who feel that life has no value is their failure to realize what is really important to them. When we focus on what we do have, cherish or expect in life, we will immediately begin to recognize the value these things bring to our life. If we wallow in self-pity about our meaningless life, we are actually saying that we are too blind or stubborn to see what is right in front of us.

Thus, our inability to see the value of our life is due to our incorrectly focusing on what we don’t have rather than focusing on what we do have. Assuredly, problems will occur in our life that distracts us from what is most important. Events like a serious illness, a broken relationship or financial troubles will tend to command our attention and focus our thoughts in the negative areas of our life. But while these events may require a definite measure of our attention, they certainly don’t mean that the rest of our life went down the drain with them.

We have no right to say that our life has no value simply because we are getting a divorce, losing our job or even getting a terminal illness. While something of value may have been painfully lost, we must still focus on those redeeming Values that we do have.  We must recognize the full perspective of a valuable life, not concentrating only on the negative at the expense of the positive. Regardless of our setbacks, our life has tremendous value . . . as long as we accept and stay focused on the Values that belong to us and still cherish.

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TAKING CONTROL

How can we do it all? The burden of modern civilization is that we are bombarded with choices, over laden with expectations, confounded by change and stymied by time. Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock has arrived and given us Imminent Shock. We are now faced with a world that is coming at us with blinding speed. We will often find it difficult to keep the balance within ourselves when our external world seems so chaotic and perpetually out-of-balance. But therein rests the secret: Keeping the balance within ourselves while everything around us appears to be out of control.

By focusing within, we gain clarity of Purpose. As turbulent as the outside world appears on the surface, we have the capacity to internally remain calm and balanced. Our Purpose, assisted by our Values, become our gyroscope and steadies us even as our landscape is continually moving.  By remaining attentive to what is most important to us, we can sort through the clutter in our lives and focus only upon that which really matters.

Many things will compete for our attention, but only the key priorities that are congruent with our Purpose and our Values need to be our concern, i.e. only those things that are important need to be managed and controlled. By recognizing this, we can set our own pace. And we can then control ourselves rather than allowing our external world to be in control of us.

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WELCOMING CHANGE

Our personal growth is the process of transforming with change. As we receive Wake Up Calls at several points in our lives, we will see that our challenge will be to convert to new ways of thinking. Having a strong Purpose to propel us forward will smooth the bumps and ease the pain of the process.

So why do we dread these awakenings? Is it because we prefer our comfort zone, the life that conforms to our existing habits and allows us to take the path of least resistance? No doubt, it is difficult to let go of what we are comfortable with, but it is this process of letting go that allows us to experience and enjoy new parts of ourselves.

Without letting go, we remain in the rut. It is said that the only difference between a rut and a grave is the dimensions. And if we do not look above the edges of the rut, we will only see the walls of the grave that imprison us.

Therefore, managing change is the act of transforming by choice. This requires active decision making on our part, where we’re always seeking new solutions to our life. But if we welcome change the solutions will quickly follow.

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OUR LIFE SPIRAL

Life Spiral

A strange paradox of life is that the more we attempt to perfect it, the more imperfect it seems to become. At first, this paradox would seem to imply that life is hopeless. But it is precisely this imperfection that makes it so interesting and promising. From birth to death, life is a continuum of change – an ongoing series of events, happenings, and transitions. We are born as a bundle of potentiality. We grow and learn. We face challenges and obstacles. We experience the good and the bad, hope and despair, happiness and sadness. We mature from these experiences and develop a much richer understanding of our Purpose in life.

Having a clear Purpose and faith in ourselves will help us navigate the twists and turns of life. Life is never going to move in a straight line. It will never be predictable at any point in time. It spirals continuously, from some place we have been to some place we are going. To keep pace with these constant transitions we must always be aware of our Purpose as we confront the challenges of change and self-renewal. We can manage the effect of life’s paradoxes by first recognizing and accepting their inevitability and then by making Purposeful choices to manage them. Since we have unlimited opportunities to do so we have an open invitation to make life more significant and worthwhile. The one thing we cannot do is stand still.

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WHAT IS THE SIMPLE LIFE?

A simple life is where we are simply living! It is nothing more and nothing less. When we are in touch with just the simple process of living, relishing in the uncomplicated pleasures that are abundantly available to us, we will find the inner peace that we are seeking.

A simple life focuses on what we do have rather than being critical of what we don’t have. It finds less joy in material possessions and greater joy in natural wonders, hearty laughter, warm embraces, stimulating conversations and long walks in the woods. It values ideas over things, peaceful meditation over argumentative debates, reading over television, quiet solitude over pushy crowds and lasting trends over temporary fads.

The simple life favors giving more than receiving. It is to live humbly with pride, rather than ostentatiously without virtue. A simple life knows what is most important, content with the quiet conviction of lasting principals.

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TOO MUCH STUFF

Chill OutOur fascination with stuff is not the problem. It is the lifestyle that we must pursue to acquire, maintain and manage our stuff.  All of this stuff is the antithesis to a sane, balanced and purposeful life. While we tend to believe that our happiness emanates from our possessions it is, in fact, these same possessions that become the bane and curse to a joyful and meaningful life.

According to Elaine St. James, Wise men and women in every major culture throughout history have found that the secret to happiness is not in getting more but in wanting less.

Only when we make it our Purpose to not make stuff the measure of our contentment, will we truly understand how simply beautiful (and beautifully simple) life can be lived.

Thinking and living simply is not a character flaw, a weakness of drive and ambition; rather, it is vigorous, inspiring, courageous and reflective of our conviction of Purpose. Life and happiness is not made from stuff; it is a state of mind, made from the interwoven fabric of purposeful attitudes and the belief that life, in itself and by itself, is sufficient and plentiful. Our most meaningful rewards in life will always be the simplest ones.

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DESIDERATA

Expressions-12

The following quote from Max Ehrmann is probably the best self-help piece ever written. If we all lived our lives with the following words in mind, we would have no need for any other advice:

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Nor be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann

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RUNNING ON EMPTY

Do you feel you are running through life like Forrest Gump? Simply running without knowing why you are running or to where you are running?  And running in a rat race that never seems to have a finish line?  Feeling like you are running on empty most of the day?

There is a simple reason for that: You are more preoccupied with doing life than living life. You are consumed with the Busyness of life rather than the Purpose of it. Maybe today would be a good time to stop focusing on Human Doing and instead focus on Human Being.