“In the Meantime”

A client recently complained that he “hated not knowing” as he tried to figure out how to move forward both personally and professionally. “I am accustomed to having a game plan, but right now I feel stuck because I honestly don’t know what the right answer is. I want to plan the next stage of my life; however, I feel as though the road map is hidden from me!”

If you are anything like me, you would like to know what is coming next in your life. But how do you handle it when you want an answer and do not get one? Maybe you feel as though you have done all that you can—affirmations, visualization, meditation, journaling, praying-in search for a specific answer about the next phase of your life. This could be a move you need to make, an important decision, a romantic partner, or any type of change. Yet despite the fact that you have diligently sought an answer, it simply has not come. It can be a frustrating place, but I invite you to make a shift and try a different approach.

I would like you to consider an area of your life for which your vision looks cloudy. You do not know what you want or you just do not know what steps will be essential to take you where you want to go. Over the years, I have discovered four lessons to be learned “in the meantime.” The meantime is that waiting period between here and where you are destined to end up.

I have often thought that I was ready for something and set out to make it happen, and then later discovered I had to grow and learn in some area first. At other times it seems that some other circumstances needed to line up in order for me to fully realize my vision.

When you listen to your life, you set yourself up for divine timing and greater rewards than you may previously have imagined. Waiting for your right answer is an exercise in faith and letting go of your attempt to control things. What we resist, persists. By waiting, I do not mean that you should sit idly. You may not have the entire plan; however, you do know of something that you can do. You must take action in the direction of your dreams. Faith without action is useless. Action is the final stages of creation and is the physical expression of a higher activity. The action step becomes automatic when you prepare yourself mentally. When your ideas are ready for action, they should not be denied. The action step in the creation process is the expression of an impression. Once you begin the action steps, the plan begins to unfold—the necessary opportunities, people, etc will become attracted to you.

Wherever you feel a lack of clarity, consider these four points that may be presenting themselves to you:

1. Let go of your need to know. You can cause yourself a lot of stress by insisting that you always know what is coming. Relax and enjoy the present. Trust that all things will work together for your good. And remember that “how” is the domain of the Universe.
2. Take a small step, and then notice what happens. Sometimes the best thing you can do when you are feeling torn regarding the appropriate direction to take is to begin to move in one direction—any direction. Notice what happens when you do. Do you feel at peace? Are doors opening easily or is it a struggle without a purpose?
3. Focus on an area of life you have been neglecting.  Sometimes we are not quite ready for what we want because some other area requires attention. Until those are addressed, your answer may not come. What have you been avoiding? Nurturing a relationship? Taking care of yourself? Further education? Taking control of your finances? Honing some career skills? Courageously address it.
4. Listen to your intuition. Wayne Dyer said “If prayer is when we talk to God, then intuition is when God talks to us”. When you are considering a life change, make sure your decisions are rooted firmly in the divine guidance that is available to you when you quiet yourself and listen.

FUNwork: What answer are you waiting on?  What message is currently being offered to you?

Big Hugs!

Rachel Lavern is a Professional Certified Life Coach. Her clients change professions, double their income and learn how they can uncover four hidden blocks to finding their passion in 12 months or less. Subscribe to her free eNewsletter on the right and receive a complimentary personal development eBook.

©2009 You Are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. All Rights Reserved.

The story goes that after one of Ludwig van Beethoven’s performances, several people were offering him their congratulations, when one woman commented, “I wish God had bestowed me with such genius.” “It isn’t genius, madam, nor is it magic.” Beethoven replied. “All you have to do is practice on your piano eight hours a day for 40 years.”

That’s not the message most people want to hear. Most people would prefer to buy the magazine which headlines, “Miracle Weight Loss Discovery,” in the hopes of finding a quick solution before their class reunion, rather than start a daily diet and exercise program. They’d sooner check out a seminar promising, “become a millionaire within months” rather than start a debt reduction, monthly savings plan. And they’d rather put their future hopes in a weekly lottery ticket than in themselves.

It’s an instant messaging, plug-and-play world. Too often we bring that instant gratification thinking into our workplace. We have little patience for the business idea that doesn’t show an immediate return. We aren’t interested in learning how to do something; we just want to do it. We don’t want to hit the singles, just the home runs. We want mastery, money and success. And we want it now.

But I learned in twenty years in management that there’s no Apprentice show in the workplace, where a few months of successful exercises and projects makes you a contender for a six figure job. The only ticket you can buy to the career lottery is a time-stamped one that takes years of hard work, perseverance and drive to collect.

People who are winning at working know that. They know they’re not going to instantly appear at the top of an organization or be text-messaged a significant salary. They know what happens to them, is up to them. Just like a house is built stone-by-stone, they know they build their own work success step-by-step. They know it takes time, and they use that time wisely.

People who are winning at working practice and develop their skills while others remain tourists in the workplace. They do, while others think about doing. They achieve goals while others contemplate them. They execute ideas while others are still discussing them. They step out of their comfort zones to try things and learn from them while others stay trapped in repetitive sameness. They bet on themselves by nourishing their talents through hard work and efforts, knowing like Beethoven, that’s the only magic to be found.

In all my years of study and research into the wonders of personal development I have never ceased to be amazed at the simplicity of success. Having read countless books on motivation, Inspiration and goal setting it is so pleasantly rewarding to realise that to succeed at anything, to have anything, to go anywhere, to become anyone, just Four essentials are required. First is

Desire. Desire is more than just wanting. Anybody can want something. they don’t even need a reason for wanting it. But desire is emotionally and physically needing something. With in most cases overwhelming reasons for having it. Desire has what I call a STIC  which means  So That I Can. If you desire something the STIC will give you a credible reason for that desire. This reacts with your emotions, making your desire powerful enough to add the next ingredient in the cake mix of success.

Expectation. When you expect to get that which you desire you create a powerful force which turns your desire into much more that just a wish or a dream. It becomes a strong emotional acceptance of knowing it will happen.  When you expect to achieve something then all that is needed is the final ingredient. Action. Sitting still and wishing makes no person great.  The good lord sends the fishes but you must dig the bait! That just about sums it up. Yes, once you have decided what it is you want in life and you apply the STIC and have a good expectation of getting it. All that is required is action.  Taking action on your desires is the final key to your success. OK I know this all sounds very basic but the system has been proved over and over throughout the centuries.  Continuing the action to its fruition is paramount. You see if you fail or cease to act, your expectation is diminished which in turn lessens your desire and finally you are back at square one. With nothing but a wish. The biggest Ahaa!! to realise is that desire without expectation is just wishful thinking. Expectation without Action is a false hope, relying on outside influences to control your dreams. Desire,expectation and action work together as an unbeatable team     But  the Icing on the cake is in ingredient number four which is Persistence. Persist in your desire. Persist in your expectation and Persist in your actions. Combine these four important steps into your future plans and you will be amazed at the outcome no matter how big or small your goals you will succeed.   John E Regan

What equals 100% in your business, and in your life?
Here’s a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:

If the letters of the alphabet
-A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Are represented as

-1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

——————————————

Then -

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
= 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And -

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
= 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

Here’s the interesting thing…

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
= 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

————————————————–

Although all of the qualities are important,
it doesn’t matter how much knowledge you have or how hard you work;

you will never reach your full potential without the right ATTITUDE.