Take 100% Responsibility for Your Life - Starting Today!
By Jack Canfield
This isn't a trick question.Certainly you know the answer -- who is the person who has been
responsible for the life you live right now? YOU.
Everything about you is a result of your doing or not doing... Your income. Debt. Relationships. Health. Fitness
level. Attitudes and behaviors.I've often said that you are either creating or allowing everything that is happening in your life.
I think everyone knows this in their hearts, but often times people convince themselves into thinking that external
factors are the source of their failure, disappointment, and unhappiness.
External factors do not determine how you live. YOU are in complete control of the quality of your life, by either
creating or allowing the circumstances you experience.When I hear people complain about the state of their life
(be it their problems with personal finances, weight, their jobs, or general dissatisfaction), I like to help them see
things differently. If they feel "stuck" and unable to move forward for whatever reason, I ask them to scrutinize both what is working well
and what isn't working well in their life and see how they've arrived at where they currently are.
For example, if a woman tells me she's unhappy with her weight -- she travels frequently, and has no to time to
exercise or seek healthy foods -- I point out that her weight is not a result of her travels and schedule. It's an
outcome of what she chooses to eat and how she chooses to move, regardless of her daily agenda.
Why not make a conscious effort to pre-plan healthy meals and snacks, even if it's on the go, and sneak in 10 minutes
here and 10 minutes there to be physically active (hey, I know some frequent flyers that make it a habit of running
through airports!).
If you're frustrated with any area in your life, then it's time to take a little inventory.
Certainly there are wonderful things happening, whether it's your job, your romantic relationship, your children, your
friends, or your income level. Your accomplishments are just as important as your missteps.
First, congratulate yourself on your successes; and then take a look at what isn't working out so well. What are you
doing or not doing to create those experiences? Watch out! If you find yourself beginning to complain about
everything but the choices you've made, then you need to take a step back. See if you can stop blaming outside
factors for your unhappiness.
When you realize that you -- and only you -- create your experiences, you'll realize that you can un-create them and
forge new experiences whenever you want. How empowering is that!
You must take responsibility for your happiness and your unhappiness, your successes and your failures, your good
times and your bad times. All too often we choose to claim the successes and blame the failures on others or other circumstances.
When you stop blaming, however, you can take that energy and redirect it to focus on shaping a better situation for yourself. Blaming
only ties up your energy. Imagine roping all the energy into a positive effort.
Some ideas to make this happen:
1. Believe, Believe, Believe! Have unwavering faith in
yourself, for good and bad. Make the decision to accept the
fact that you create all your experiences. You will
experience successes thanks to you, and you will experience
pain, struggle, and strife thanks to you. Sounds a little
strange, but accepting this level of responsibility is
uniquely empowering. It means you can do, change, and be
anything. Stumbling blocks become just that -- little hills
to hop over.
2. Take no less than 100% responsibility. Successful people
take full responsibility for the thoughts they think, the
images they visualize, and the actions they take. They don't
waste their time and energy blaming and complaining. They
evaluate their experiences and decide if they need to change
them or not. They face the uncomfortable and take risks in
order to create the life they want to live.
3. Stop complaining. Look at what you are complaining about.
I'm fat. I'm tired. I can't get out of debt. I won't ever
get a better job. I can't stand the relationship I have with
my sister. I'll never find a soulmate in life. Really
examine your complaints. More than likely you can do
something about them. They are not about other people, other
things, or other events. They are about YOU.
4. Make an immediate change. Are you unhappy about something
that is happening right now? Make requests that will make it
more desirable to you, or take the steps to change it
yourself. Making a change might be uncomfortable for you. It
might mean you have to put in more time, money, and effort.
It might mean that someone gets upset about it, or makes you
feel bad about your decision. It might be difficult to
change or leave a situation, but staying put is your choice
so why continue to complain?
You can either do something about it or not. It is your
choice and you have responsibility for your choices.
5. Pay attention. Looking to others for help and guidance is
helpful, but don't forget to stay tuned in to yourself --
your behavior, attitude, and life experiences. Identify
what's working and what isn't. If you need to, write it all
down. Then...
6. Face the truth and take action for the long term. You
have to be willing to change your behavior if you want a
different outcome. You have to be willing to take the risks
necessary to get what you want. If you've already taken an
initial step in the right direction, now's the time to plan
additional steps to keep moving you forward, faster.
Isn't it a great relief to know that you can make your life
what you want it to be? Isn't it wonderful that your
successes do not depend on someone else?
If you need just one thing to do different today, than you did yesterday, make it this: Commit to taking 100% responsibility for every aspect of
your life. Decide to make changes, one step at a time. Once you start the process you'll discover it's much easier to get what you want by taking
control of your thoughts, your visualizations, and your actions!
______________
Jack Canfield, is the founder and co-creator of book brand
Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak
Performance. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make
more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do,
get your success tips from Jack Canfield now at
http://www.JackCanfield.com
Live The Life You've Dreamed,
Derrick Carpenter
Dreams By Design Team
___________________________________________________________
Affiliate Disclosure: We are grateful to be of service and bring you
content, like this email, free of charge. In order to do this, please
note that whenever you click the links in our emails and purchase items,
in most (not all) cases we will receive a referral commission.
Your support in purchasing through these links enables us to empower
more people worldwide to live lives of their own design. Thank you! :)
