It is vital and transformational to ask ourselves this question periodically partly to keep our focus and meaning in what we do. In other words it enables you to have a purpose in mind concerning your life, be it in business or in your personal life. Why do you do what you do? Until you are able to clarify and justify your reason and you are satisfied about why you do what you do then frustration might persist in life. When you don't have a purpose in mind you tend to lose focus and drift everywhere.
Every one's "Why" is different and until you are able to identify yours, copying what other people do would be a aimless venture and lead only to one route again, frustration and envy.
For example, I came from a culture where it use to be that reasons for going into a particular career or business, was with one motive in mind that it is a lucrative business or career with lots of money in salary or profit, therefore the question of being passionate about a career or business to make a difference was out of the question but the consequence of such life resulted in a lost of integrity and credibility of purpose which eventually creates a vacuum or emptiness in people. Thank God for competitive advantage and also the need for performance measures which have identified the ones who have chosen the path of purpose and fulfilment in their endeavor. This has created a leveled playing ground where people are more conscious of authenticity in business and life, and would choose what is right for them.
Where the motive behind a business or career is focus on what you as person can get out of it then the passion to serve others has been lost. you find those kind businesses does not go very far. How often do we hear in business that if your focus is solely about making money, you loose the touch and relationship building in business. The business experts do say business should be about building relationship and credibility and only then would money followers. Again how many times have we heard the saying "people buy people". Therefore, if the motive is all about making money and not about serving the needs of others then we have missed the essence of purpose in life.
Hence, if your purpose does not stretch you as a person then you have missed the essence of purpose and meaning in life. Purpose is the reason for your being which goes beyond your own needs but incorporate the needs of others to fulfil your own needs. Therefore, I encourage you to have a reflective view at why you do what you do? It will enable you to map your purpose on earth.
Saturday, 19 November 2011
How would you define an ideal life?
The social environment sets some expectation about the ideal life, such as get an education, a good job, marry, have children and buy your own home. Give yourself a round of applause if you have fitted in the box and have achieved all that others expect of you. Unfortunately, research shows that many that fitted in the box of an ideal life, found they still felt a void they could not fill nor explain which might eventually lead to an experience panic and anxiety of some form. On the other hand, those that were unable to achieve all that the society expected of them were made to feel like an under achiever which then breed regrets and self-unworthiness.
This seems to be the kind of race many go through in the first half of their lives, with pressure to keep up or give up. Then comes the second half of our lives, which is termed Mid-life and we begin to ask ourselves questions about does aspect of our lives that didn't work exactly as was expected, if we dwell on it too long we would begin to judge ourselves on what we could have done differently. There is actually nothing wrong with going through those processes but it's what we do with the process that matters. Some of these questions becomes so transparent that it can sometimes become overwhelming and because we develop real emotions during these times, a feeling of urgency is created in your spirit that results to what is termed Mid-life crisis.
We all respond to this moment differently, for some an overwhelming regrets about the mistakes they have made in life and even when they have lots of things to celebrate and be grateful for, they emphasise on the not so good aspect of their lives and this dissolution may cause them to put all their aspirations in a corner gathering dust with excuses such as I would have love to do something else but it is probably too late to start something new or I must remain in this job I hate so much because it pays the bills, so they become stuck in the rut by not doing anything about it. Unfortunately, the situation we don't do anything about would remain the same.
If that sound like you, then I will encourage you to come out of your shelves and avoid all self-sabotaging thought about moving forward and start cultivate an attitude of a new age mid-lifer who would embraces what is true for them during their reflection and also see this moment as the greatest opening in their life to re-invent and re-brand themselves "The Age of Miracle" is a book authored by Mariannes Williamson and it states that many lives have been transformed during their mid-life years, some have turned what seems to be termed mid-life crisis into great successes in career and businesses, created a fulfilled lifestyle for themselves and made a difference in the lives of others.
Having gone through this new era of mid-life myself and still navigating the course of my life towards my dreams, I have become an advocate of applied positive psychology, which states according to a research done by (William & Davies, 2002) that negative situations or what we no longer want in our lives can be shifted away when you take your attention from pathology and pain and direct it towards a clearer concentration of strength, vision and dreams.
This seems to be the kind of race many go through in the first half of their lives, with pressure to keep up or give up. Then comes the second half of our lives, which is termed Mid-life and we begin to ask ourselves questions about does aspect of our lives that didn't work exactly as was expected, if we dwell on it too long we would begin to judge ourselves on what we could have done differently. There is actually nothing wrong with going through those processes but it's what we do with the process that matters. Some of these questions becomes so transparent that it can sometimes become overwhelming and because we develop real emotions during these times, a feeling of urgency is created in your spirit that results to what is termed Mid-life crisis.
We all respond to this moment differently, for some an overwhelming regrets about the mistakes they have made in life and even when they have lots of things to celebrate and be grateful for, they emphasise on the not so good aspect of their lives and this dissolution may cause them to put all their aspirations in a corner gathering dust with excuses such as I would have love to do something else but it is probably too late to start something new or I must remain in this job I hate so much because it pays the bills, so they become stuck in the rut by not doing anything about it. Unfortunately, the situation we don't do anything about would remain the same.
If that sound like you, then I will encourage you to come out of your shelves and avoid all self-sabotaging thought about moving forward and start cultivate an attitude of a new age mid-lifer who would embraces what is true for them during their reflection and also see this moment as the greatest opening in their life to re-invent and re-brand themselves "The Age of Miracle" is a book authored by Mariannes Williamson and it states that many lives have been transformed during their mid-life years, some have turned what seems to be termed mid-life crisis into great successes in career and businesses, created a fulfilled lifestyle for themselves and made a difference in the lives of others.
Having gone through this new era of mid-life myself and still navigating the course of my life towards my dreams, I have become an advocate of applied positive psychology, which states according to a research done by (William & Davies, 2002) that negative situations or what we no longer want in our lives can be shifted away when you take your attention from pathology and pain and direct it towards a clearer concentration of strength, vision and dreams.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
3 KEYS THAT HELPS YOU ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS
Most people do understand the setting of goals and get excited about their goals initially but what makes people then fail to accomplish their goals is that they cease to put in the hard work and commitment that comes with goal setting. The question then is what makes those goals exciting in one moment and then becomes less important the next?
My answer to that question is the first key that hinders people from accomplishing their goals. Which is that most people lose the momentum of enthusiasm that emerges when they first set their goals, once you lose enthusiasm in your goal, it become impossible to keep the goals alive? Therefore, being enthusiastic about your goal will make you commit your focus and energy to bring that goal to manifestation.
A quote from Henry Ford says “You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. Enthusiasm is the spark in your eye, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of your will and your energy to execute your ideas. Enthusiasts are fighters, they have fortitude, and they have staying qualities. Enthusiasm is at the bottom of all progress! With it there is accomplishment. Without it, there are only alibis.
Enthusiasm is a powerful tool to put to work to accomplish those goals, when you are enthused and excited about your goal you will be amazed that people around you get excited too and the goal becomes a fun adventure. Your enthusiasm and the excitement around you would keep the momentum going until you accomplish those goals.
The second key to achieving your goals is, setting goals that are bigger than yourself; your goals must be challenging to compel you to take action. A goal that have not been properly reasoned out to assess what it will cause you if you fail to achieve it would easily lose its drive and the reason why you want to achieve it. On the other hand, a goal that has a cost and effect of what you stand to lose or gain, would stir up an inspiration in you to accomplish it.
The key here to stand the chances of achieving your goal is to set goals that are significant bigger than what you think you can achieve, and the power behind these tools is that the goals would frighten you a little and excite you a lots which is fine because it create the drivers and energy you need to achieve your goals. The thing is most people are far more capable than they initially neither believe nor give themselves credit for.
A goal that frightens us pushes us out of our comfort zone to something bigger than we imagined and being outside our comfort zone is a path that leads to growth.
The third key is consistency with the actions you take to accomplish your goal as it will result not only in the tangible form you will see but also would mentally strengthen your being because consistency would send a message to your sub-conscious mind that this is the result you want to create for yourself and in turn create mastery in accomplishing your dreams.
It does not matter how much you are doing but being consistent would enable you to eat a whole elephant bit by bit as the say it. Consistency is an effort over time that equals success, no matter how overwhelming the goals you set yourself are, taking consistent action would move you closer to achieve your goals and you will become better at it. Just small actions consistently would eventually and ultimately produce the results you once only dreamed about.
Benjamin Disraeli quoted “A consistent soul believes in destiny, a capricious one in chance”.
Robert Collier quoted “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out”
My answer to that question is the first key that hinders people from accomplishing their goals. Which is that most people lose the momentum of enthusiasm that emerges when they first set their goals, once you lose enthusiasm in your goal, it become impossible to keep the goals alive? Therefore, being enthusiastic about your goal will make you commit your focus and energy to bring that goal to manifestation.
A quote from Henry Ford says “You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. Enthusiasm is the spark in your eye, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of your will and your energy to execute your ideas. Enthusiasts are fighters, they have fortitude, and they have staying qualities. Enthusiasm is at the bottom of all progress! With it there is accomplishment. Without it, there are only alibis.
Enthusiasm is a powerful tool to put to work to accomplish those goals, when you are enthused and excited about your goal you will be amazed that people around you get excited too and the goal becomes a fun adventure. Your enthusiasm and the excitement around you would keep the momentum going until you accomplish those goals.
The second key to achieving your goals is, setting goals that are bigger than yourself; your goals must be challenging to compel you to take action. A goal that have not been properly reasoned out to assess what it will cause you if you fail to achieve it would easily lose its drive and the reason why you want to achieve it. On the other hand, a goal that has a cost and effect of what you stand to lose or gain, would stir up an inspiration in you to accomplish it.
The key here to stand the chances of achieving your goal is to set goals that are significant bigger than what you think you can achieve, and the power behind these tools is that the goals would frighten you a little and excite you a lots which is fine because it create the drivers and energy you need to achieve your goals. The thing is most people are far more capable than they initially neither believe nor give themselves credit for.
A goal that frightens us pushes us out of our comfort zone to something bigger than we imagined and being outside our comfort zone is a path that leads to growth.
A quote from Ted Turner says “You should set goals beyond your reach so you always have something to live for”.
Another by Ralph Ransom says: “Man was created as a being, who should constantly keep improving, a being who on reaching one goal sets a higher one”
The third key is consistency with the actions you take to accomplish your goal as it will result not only in the tangible form you will see but also would mentally strengthen your being because consistency would send a message to your sub-conscious mind that this is the result you want to create for yourself and in turn create mastery in accomplishing your dreams.
It does not matter how much you are doing but being consistent would enable you to eat a whole elephant bit by bit as the say it. Consistency is an effort over time that equals success, no matter how overwhelming the goals you set yourself are, taking consistent action would move you closer to achieve your goals and you will become better at it. Just small actions consistently would eventually and ultimately produce the results you once only dreamed about.
Benjamin Disraeli quoted “A consistent soul believes in destiny, a capricious one in chance”.
Robert Collier quoted “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out”
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
LIVING A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE: Are you living a purpose or just existing in life?...
LIVING A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE: Are you living a purpose or just existing in life?...: "You are either living a purpose or you are just been driven by the wave of life in any direction, which usually is not a direction you desir..."
Are you living a purpose or just existing in life?
You are either living a purpose or you are just been driven by the wave of life in any direction, which usually is not a direction you desire for yourself. If that is where you are right now then I can only sum that up as just existing in life (however turf that may sound). I want to inspire many who are the latter, either stuck because they do not know how to get themselves unstuck or they are in denial of where they are in life. You can always stop being a victim of circumstances, but rather a co-creator of life by living your purpose.
Purpose is easily identified by knowing what it is you are passionate about, that gives you the reason for wanting to get up in the morning, sense of belonging to a cause that is adding value to yourself and others and of course the reason for being.
My purpose is to reach as many people in their millions that are feeling frustrated with what they do right now and the thought of getting up every morning to go to work and do the same thing over and over again drains them as an individual. If your only motivating factor for living is for the bills been paid then you need to re-access your life and its purpose. It is not to say that paying your bills is not important to get you up daily but don't allow it to be the soul factor because you will be burnt out in the end. I say this with all humility from someone who has experienced a meaningless life that it is my mission that people do not get to the lane of regrets where it is practically impossible to do much to change the situation before coming to this realization.
I would want to encourage you that my every day is full of excitement because I know someone out there via my writing, speaking, coaching will be provoke to take action to change their story to align to their purpose. For me that is the greatest fulfillment of life when people send me emails and testimonies of making a difference.
Yet the reason many are still stuck is about getting rid of the clutters. You can start by taking little steps to de-clutter and get clarity. I found that working from the inside-out instead of search outward for answers helped me to discover myself and brought clearer vision for focusing on my purpose.
It is with this passion to support the facilitation of this process that lead me to wrote the book "Overcoming Challenges-Putting challenges into positive context" This book anchors on perspectives that lead to a paradigm shift in our perceptions about challenges. In "Overcoming Challenges: Putting Challenges into Positive Context", I presented a principle-centered approach for overcoming challenges. Fundamental to overcoming challenges is an understanding of the state of the mind and its beliefs. This book gets to the root of how we perceive challenges and the reasons we take the actions we take. When we see things differently, we tend to think differently, feel differently, and behave differently, which then contribute to our actions and their outcomes. In this book, Lydia aims to re-orient your thinking and beliefs about challenges and in so doing empower you to perceive powerfully with clarity then you can take constructive actions to overcome your challenges and live your purpose.
Get a copy via link:
Purpose is easily identified by knowing what it is you are passionate about, that gives you the reason for wanting to get up in the morning, sense of belonging to a cause that is adding value to yourself and others and of course the reason for being.
My purpose is to reach as many people in their millions that are feeling frustrated with what they do right now and the thought of getting up every morning to go to work and do the same thing over and over again drains them as an individual. If your only motivating factor for living is for the bills been paid then you need to re-access your life and its purpose. It is not to say that paying your bills is not important to get you up daily but don't allow it to be the soul factor because you will be burnt out in the end. I say this with all humility from someone who has experienced a meaningless life that it is my mission that people do not get to the lane of regrets where it is practically impossible to do much to change the situation before coming to this realization.
I would want to encourage you that my every day is full of excitement because I know someone out there via my writing, speaking, coaching will be provoke to take action to change their story to align to their purpose. For me that is the greatest fulfillment of life when people send me emails and testimonies of making a difference.
Yet the reason many are still stuck is about getting rid of the clutters. You can start by taking little steps to de-clutter and get clarity. I found that working from the inside-out instead of search outward for answers helped me to discover myself and brought clearer vision for focusing on my purpose.
It is with this passion to support the facilitation of this process that lead me to wrote the book "Overcoming Challenges-Putting challenges into positive context" This book anchors on perspectives that lead to a paradigm shift in our perceptions about challenges. In "Overcoming Challenges: Putting Challenges into Positive Context", I presented a principle-centered approach for overcoming challenges. Fundamental to overcoming challenges is an understanding of the state of the mind and its beliefs. This book gets to the root of how we perceive challenges and the reasons we take the actions we take. When we see things differently, we tend to think differently, feel differently, and behave differently, which then contribute to our actions and their outcomes. In this book, Lydia aims to re-orient your thinking and beliefs about challenges and in so doing empower you to perceive powerfully with clarity then you can take constructive actions to overcome your challenges and live your purpose.
Get a copy via link:
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
3 Strategies for finding your Life Purpose
A life without purpose is like going on an adventure without a map and destination. The first problem is, you do not know where you are going and secondly to embark on such a journey will lead you everywhere without knowing what you are looking for, even if it stirs you in the face.
Many people including myself at one point have lived their lives liked that, been carried away by the circumstances of life or being told what's best for them. Often the only input people have is to follow such route only to find they are either unhappy or overwhelmed ,if it turns out to be a career they are not enjoying. Unfortunately, many still experience the same wind of circumstances because they either need help in identify their purpose or they have gone too far out and feel it is too late for a change. As a word of encouragement it is never too late to find your life purpose because the benefit of living your purpose outweighs having years of unfulfilled empty life. Living your purpose will bring meaning and hope to living.
The three strategies for find your purpose is as follows:
1. Choice – You can choose a particular path by following a career that you are passionate about and willing to devote yourself to learn everything there is to learn about that career. I am not talking about choosing a path because you just like something about that career or an option based decision that says something like “that career seems to be popular and lucrative” but am talking about a career that you are completely passionate about and willing to commit your life. As Will Smith the actor puts it, “do you believe in this cause that you are willing to die for it?” I mean following a path that lightens you up in the morning and makes you feel fulfilled and privileged to be a part of it. Where your passion goes beyond personal and financial recognition to making a difference then you are living a purpose.
2. Talent - “The Bible” in my opinion the greatest book ever written indicates that everyone is giving a measure of talent to trade with life. When you see your talent as a seed you need to nurture and harvest, you know to give it the commitment, hard work and patience of time for it to grow. Discovering and trading your talent is the most fulfilling purpose of life. You can work on locating the gift of talent you have that will serve you and others on earth. I would refer to an interviewer asking Will Smith if he was just naturally talented. His answer was that there was an element of talent but I have to work hard at it while others are sleeping. In essence a talent only becomes a purpose that drives you when you work hard at bring out its full potential.
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
LIVING A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE: The Benefits of a Purpose-Driven Life
LIVING A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE: The Benefits of a Purpose-Driven Life: "The benefits of living a purpose-driven life are numerous but I will focus on a couple today. When you know your purpose, you giv..."
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