As I speak to different groups I hear what makes a difference in people’s lives—how one conversation, one sentence, one meeting, one phone call, one radio program can put an idea in someone’s head that sticks there and won’t leave until action is taken and things become new. There is great power in one single day and rarely do we know which day it will be.
Susan recently told me, a few years back, her boss told her to do some business writing. This request caused her to fear for her job, instead of letting her fear and feelings of inadequacy win, she took action and signed up for a nonfiction writing class at her community college. After only the first meeting of the class she went back to work and wrote a case study for her employer that ended up running in the Harvard Business Review. Today Susan is a sought-after freelance business writer.
The day she decided to go to class was the day she set her professional life on a new course. Our willingness to believe that we can figure out how to do whatever it is we need to, to get the result we want, is a powerful part of living a full life and providing ourselves with unexpected life-altering adventures.
To add more power to your life every day, consider the following:
Say Yes to Any Opportunity Coming From the Right Direction
Be open to all the possibilities that come your way. Opportunities lead to other opportunities. You never know where a “yes” will take you. A “yes” to a luncheon invitation could lead to new client or job offer, a “yes” to a party could lead to a new relationship; a “yes” to help a friend clean out her closets could lead to a whole closet full of clothes for you. Right now, ask yourself–where do you need to answer “yes”?
Employ the Power of Exploration
Make it a weekly practice to do something new, something even unusual, simply for the freshness and uniqueness of it. Start with a list of the things you have never done that you would like to do. On your list put artistic activities, like throwing, and list mental activities like going to a lecture on brain function, include physical activities like yoga or salsa dancing; and put things on you list to feed your spiritual self, like trying meditation. Every week, pick an activity. Your world will get bigger, your mind will be broader, and your soul will be fuller.
Stop Tolerating It
Ask yourself what you are tolerating. It might be a stressful relationship, a disorganized office, or broken picture frame on your desk. Pay attention to what you are tolerating, make a list and begin to eliminate one item after another. This will free up your time, improve your clarity and increase your sense of well-being.
Even if you are not sure if something you do will result in a significant push in the right direction, do it anyway and watch what happens. Action makes all the difference.