As you travel on your journey of life, you are constantly being guided towards living your unique purpose. It is no accident that you are reading these words at this very moment. Open yourself up to your inner wisdom and guidance so that you may receive exactly what you need to know to make the next right step in your journey towards success.

1.       There is no such thing as failure, only feedback. This reminds me of that saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”.  When things don’t go as we expect them to, we are so quick to label ourselves as a failure. What is actually happening is that life is telling you there is a better way and you are being given an opportunity to move in that direction.

2.       You have all the resources you need. Any and everything you need to be successful is available to you now. If you can embrace this attitude and make it your mantra, worries will cease and your goals will be achieved.

3.       If something is not working, do something different. Simple, right? Don’t spend time and energy on things (and people) that you know in your gut are not in line with where you want to be or who you are.

4.       If one person can do something, anyone can do it. No one has cornered the market on the ability to do something great. If you want to achieve excellence, look to the people who have excelled at what you want to accomplish and adopt the techniques that made them successful.  

5.       We all make the best choice available at the time.  Every step you take is a choice, and the choice you make is determined by the options you believe you have. Therefore you will choose what you believe to be your best option based on where you are in your journey. Others may judge your choice as good or bad, but know that their judgments are based on their own beliefs.

6.       The mind and the body are one system. What you think about and what you believe become your reality. Your thoughts affect everything you do and your body reacts to what you think about. Achieving success begins with the belief that you can.

7.       People operate in their own unique map of the world. Everyone sees the world differently. We all have our own distinct way of looking at things based on our unique set of beliefs.

8.       The map is not the territory. Your belief about your reality (the map) is not reality itself (the territory). Because we view the world through our own filters and beliefs, we may not see the world for what it really is nor be aware of every possible option and outcome. There is always another way of seeing things.

9.       You cannot Not communicate. Even when you are not verbally speaking, you are communicating. Your non-verbal communication may even speak louder than your verbal communication, so be aware of what you are communicating to others and to yourself.

10.   The meaning of the communication is the response you get from others. It’s important that you are clear when you communicate and do not assume that others can read your mind or they “should just know”. This assumption is why miscommunication is such a major issue between people. Remember, we all operate in our own unique reality. If your message is misunderstood, it’s up to you to clarify as best you can and do not assume the receiver of the message communicates the same way you do. Don’t be afraid to ask someone, “What did you hear me say?” You may find that they will respect and appreciate you even more.

Tips adapted from the NLP Coach Training Course, International Institute of Coaching Studies

 
Susan Thomas, Master Certified Coach, www.thesoulutioncoach.com
Have a challenging life question? Email me at [email protected].

From Albert Einstein to Bill Gates, successful people everywhere have said that by using their intuition and listening to that inner voice of guidance, they were able to achieve more than they ever dreamed. Haven’t you seen those people who seem to have it all together? They talk about a new idea, and the next thing you know, their idea is now their reality. Everything seems to work out for them. And even when there are bumps in the road, life tragedies and failures, these people still continue to strive for their vision. They are grateful for every moment, good or bad.

Their success comes from listening when their gut tells them to take action, and then taking action. All of us have that inner guidance called intuition. And there are five simple ways we can begin using our intuition and watching the miracles unfold.

1. Pay attention

Intuition is trying to get your attention in so many different ways all of the time. It’s when you get that “gut feeling” in your stomach or a tingling up your spine when you walk into a room. It’s an unexpected bright idea. It’s when you know something is about to happen or you instantly know the next move to make.    It’s when a billboard or the words to a song lead you in just the right direction. Notice this guidance when it appears.

2. Give yourself permission to trust

Know that your intuition is always positive and life-affirming. So any negative thoughts that come across your mind are not your intuition talking. In fact, many times when intuition is guiding us, those negative thoughts creep in and we dismiss our great idea or go out with that guy when the little voice inside our head is clearly saying no. Intuition involves the art of allowing. It’s about allowing yourself to go with the flow of life. Give yourself permission to be guided and trust that something greater than you has your back.

3. Take action

How many times have you made a choice and you knew before you even took action, that this was the wrong choice to make? Next you end up saying to yourself, “I knew this was going to happen”. We are here to be the grandest vision of ourselves. Mediocrity is not our birthright, greatness is. And through intuition, the Source of all is leading you to greatness. Trust and follow your intuition. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

4. Be open to new possibilities

Sometimes we unknowingly put ourselves into a box. We only rely on what others have told us we can do or we should do. Well I’m here to tell you that you are limitless. You can focus on one area in your business or you can venture out and build several streams of income. Find what brings you joy and do that. You may find that your joy leads you in a direction you never expected.

5. Ask questions

We have the ability to get instant answers from our intuition. So the next time you have a question such as “What is the next step I need to take?”, get a pen and paper. Say the question to yourself or write it down.  Get quiet and write down whatever comes to you. You already have all the answers within. 

Life Coach and author Michelle Castro tells us that “Intuition is your very own best friend. It is always there for you. It waits patiently for you. It gives the absolute best advice, and all you have to do is ask! Like any good friendship, all it takes to nurture it is a little time and attention”.  If you choose to take the time and follow your intuition, I know that your life and your business   will transform into something wonderful.  It is no coincidence you are reading this article at this exact moment in your life.  Take your next step. You know what to do.

 
Susan Thomas, Master Certified Coach, www.thesoulutioncoach.com
Have a challenging life question? Email me at [email protected].

The Issue: Marc is a 30 year old truck driver. He is depressed because he doesn’t like his job. Marc wants and has always wanted to be a musician. Marc plays the saxophone and he feels that he’s pretty good, but he’s afraid he is not good enough and too old to pursue his dream.  His wife is always telling him that he had a shot at musical stardom when he was in his twenties. Marc started a band, but one-by-one, the members starting dropping out until only Marc was left.  Now he has a 2 year old daughter and his wife thinks that he needs to take his head out of the clouds and settle into his good-paying, 9 to 5 job with benefits.

The SOULution: The answer is simple: Marc needs to pursue his dream and do what he loves. It is very easy to get caught up in what other people think you should be doing with your life. You begin living their dream and not yours and you end up saying “I wish I would have…”. Wayne Dyer, author of Excuses Begone, says “Don’t die with your music still in you.”  If you have a dream, it is never too late to make that dream become a reality.  You see it every day – people living their dream at any age. But it takes belief in yourself. You have to be clear about what you want and committed to yourself to see it through. So many times, people give up right before their dream comes alive.    

What if you have a person or people in your life telling you things like:

“Only certain kind-of people become successful in that area, not people like us”, or

“You are too ______ (old, young, big, small, etc…) to do this. You just need to get a regular job just like everyone else”, or

“I don’t think that’s gonna work”, or

“You’re never gonna make it”.    

These are people I affectionately call Dream-killers. Dream-killers are usually the people that are closest to you, like family and friends, (in this case, Marc’s wife). They believe what they are saying is helpful and they are trying to protect you from failure, but unfortunately their comments do more harm than good. Statements like these can shut down your motivation, ruin your self-esteem and unfortunately, you may even begin to believe them.

When people are saying things like this to you, do not give them your power. Thank them for their input, and let them know you are passionate about your dream, you believe in yourself, whether they believe in you or not, and you are determined to see it through.  

So, how do you begin making your dream a reality? Begin by visualizing what your life will look like, say in one year when you are living your dream. Write your vision down (in the present tense) by answering the following questions: What would a typical day be like for you? Where are you living? How much money are you making? How are you feeling now that you are living your dream? Once you have your vision for yourself written out, place it somewhere that you can see it every day.  Read it every day. Don’t worry about how it will happen. Once you are committed, and you take that first step, the next step will be revealed.

For example, Marc’s vision is that he has a five-member band that is just as committed to sharing their talent with others as he is. He has quit his truck-driving job and is booked with gigs every Friday and Saturday night and at least two nights during the week. This gives him time to spend with his little girl during the day while his wife is at work. He has a lucrative income and he and the band are working on their first cd. He is happy doing what he loves and because of that, his marriage is thriving and he is able to take care of his home and family.

Now, decide what you can do at this moment to get you one step closer to your vision. It doesn’t have to be anything huge, like quitting your job and jumping right into things. Choose one thing you can do every day. Also give yourself a short term goal and time limit to complete this goal. For Marc, he decided to take his saxophone out of the closet and begin practicing for one hour every night.  He also gave himself thirty days to find some committed band members.     

You are what you believe. Choose today to believe you have unlimited potential. Your dreams are waiting for you to make the first step.