Found this somewhere
“I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible; to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance, to live so that which came to me as seed goes to the next as blossom, and that which came to me as blossom goes on as fruit.”
Dawna Markova
Re-read the above quote, then close your eyes for a moment and imagine this it’s you speaking the words. Imagine it’s the kind of life YOU chose. What comes up for you? Do you feel inspired? Do you feel like it could never happen?
In the years I’ve been coaching I’ve found there to be some essential qualities of people who live a complete and balanced life:
They firmly believe their success is more about who they are, rather than just what they have or what they do.
- They’re clear about their values and what’s most important to them.
- They have a vision for their life.
- They’re willing to take clear and focused action to fulfill that vision.
- They hold themselves responsible for the quality of their life.
Living a full and balanced life starts with knowing what a full and balanced life means to you. Each day, we are bombarded with images from the media that tell us who to be, what to do and how to act. We are saturated with “shoulds,” past experiences, family edicts and endlessly disempowering messages.
So the first step in claiming a complete life is to embrace the distinction that Oprah makes quite succinctly, “Don’t worry about living THE best life, just live YOUR best life.”
Here are some suggestions I give my clients to help them begin the journey toward living their best life.
1. Start a journal. One of the best ways I know to quiet the mind and access your deeper thoughts is to write. Let yourself write in an uncensored way. Let your thoughts flow without concern for grammar or impressing a reader. Be curious about what your inner self wants to tell you.
Here’s a series of provocative questions to help start the journey:
What will my life feel/be like when I’m living fully and in balance? Here’s where you imagine in detail the life you want. Let yourself dream about how you’ll feel. Will you feel peaceful? Energized? Both? Will you be fulfilling a dream or simply living fully in each moment? Paint a picture for yourself.
What’s most important to me? Begin to make a list of your values. Your values are your personal inventory of what you consider most important. We all have values, but unless you take the time to clarify them for yourself, you can inadvertently be living someone else’s values. Your values inform the choices you make.
2. Get to know yourself. Walk, meditate, exercise, or take yourself on a date. Getting to know yourself and what you like is an important piece of the puzzle. What movie would YOU chose? Is nature most enlivening or would you prefer a cultural romp in the city? Do something you’ve always wanted to try. Take a risk. To live a complete life you have to be in touch with what makes you happy.
3. Find support. It can be difficult to explore or make life changes without the benefit of a support system. Often, when people start to grow, others around them – friends and relatives – may feel threatened. They may not want you to “rock the boat.” Seek out at least one person you feel safe sharing your desires with. This will help you to stay motivated and provide some accountability.
4. Take action. Inspiration without action is like being dressed up and having nowhere to go. Take some baby steps. Ask yourself: “what’s one thing I can do this week to feel great about my life?” Then do it.
What does a complete and balanced life mean to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and what you discover. It’s truly possible. You can love your lifeand watch the seeds turn to blossoms and the blossoms turn to fruit.
It’s YOUR life. . . live it completely!
Gary has been a writer/ photographer for over 20 years, specializing in nature,landscapes and studying native cultures.Besides visiting most of the United States, he has traveled to such places as Egypt,the Canary Islands,much of the Caribbean. He has studied the Mayan Cultures in Central America, and the Australian Aboriginal way of life.Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in many different parts of the world!
He has published several books about the various cultures he has observed.
For more information and a link to his hard cover and Ebooks,and contact information: please check his website.www.commonsensejourneys.com
Your comments appreciated
At this period of time in the history of man, there is probably more individual searching being done into the theories behind the origin of the human race,what happens after death,the possibility of life on other planets, and what our relationship is to these life forms, if they do exist.
There are millions of people who are questioning the existence of God, who he really is, and what is my relationship with him? Is he someone who mysteriously floats around on a cloud watching and judging us from above like some bigger than life Santa Claus, or is he, like many of the esoteric sciences claim, a part of our inner Self, whom we have constant contact with, someone whom we and everything in the universe are connected and are thus one? Each of us in our own way is experiencing what God is, and thus we are each a part of God, thus we are God!
This book is a brief account of my search for my own truth as I know it today, everything stated actually happened, according to my own perception.
It has been an exciting search,at times very frustrating, very rewarding, and above all, very fulfilling.
My main purpose in writing this book is to show that anyone, even a bashful unfamous country boy can have these awakenings, you don’t have to be rich or well-known to find your connection to Divine Source.
I began taking notes for this book over thirty years ago, at the time, writing a book was the farthest thing from my mind. My only thought was to have a journal to read over when I got older.
As a result, I didn’t record some of my references, many of the references were from Aboriginal and Mayan elders themselves, many of which has been the victim of the ravages of time. Hence my book is short on references, but long on experience, I hope you understand.
Thinking Between the Lines 