We are the generator of our life; of our success or lack thereof. When we are generating from our full unbridled potential, we can accomplish just about anything we put our mind, heart, and muscle into and stick with.When we win it comes from within.

It’s not who we think we are that holds us back. It’s who we think we are not. The answer for every problem we face, situation we encounter, and even opportunities we seek lies within us.  Yet, most of us look outside ourselves for the clues and answers. It’s like losing our keys to our car in a dark parking lot and looking for them in the lighted lobby of the building only because the light is better.  To find our answer we must be willing to look in what we believe may be a dark unknown place.

Here is a six step process for accessing our answers from WITHIN:

W -Watch the data and the thoughts. We may not always be able to control the situation or circumstances outside of us. Let’s refer to what’s outside of us as the data.  However, we have the power, inside of us, to guide our thoughts about the data outside of us.  Observe what thoughts are being generated given the data. Don’t judge them, just allow them to flow. Notice the feelings that may follow. If the thoughts inspire us, stick with them. If they expire, inquire. Inquire as to what else the data could mean. We get to choose what something means. It is wise to choose in a way that serves our advancement and wellbeing. Remember, we are the generator.

I -Identify our inspiration. It is helpful to take the time to become clear on what lights us up, causes us to  feel on purpose and fuels our hopefulness. Inspiration comes though us not to us. Again, it’s not out there somewhere. It’s inside. Be still and listen for the clues of what brings more joy and vibrancy. Life is not meant to be a struggle. Referring back to watching the data and the thoughts, struggle is a perspective. What we judge as hard or difficult times may be exactly what is needed to get us to what we desire. Knowing our inspiration can pull us through any perceived tough times.

T -Take action. Because of things like Newton’s first law of motion and the law of cause and effect  we must affect what we want by taking action. An action may be simply scheduling time, blocking the world away for 10-30 minutes to be quiet and noticing what’s really going on inside. It may be noticing what our story is around why we think we can’t do what we know we need to do to advance in the way we want. It may not be heavy lifting and yet it may not be easy at first. From this, we can often discover what it takes for us to get into action and do what will ultimately bring about what we are after.

H- Habitualize success. As we go within and notice what repetitive actions are necessary for us to attract in our success, we must build those actions into our habits. Be mindful to notice what is habitual may not be natural and what is natural may not be habitual.  It is just as important to notice what habits we’ve developed that keep us from our success and dismantle them.

I – Individuate. It is critical that we gain a very clear sense of what our brilliance is and how to share it with those we serve. Knowing what differentiates us from others and fully stepping into that brilliance is what will bring about our success.  I am all for the perspective of –  “we are all one.”  And even though our ear and bicep are part of our one body, they are not the same. They each serve an entirely different purpose for the benefit of the one body. When we have clarity about our purpose we can let go of what holds us back.  Judy Garland put it this way, “Be a first rate version of who you are rather than a second rate version of who you think you should be.”

N – Nurture our nature. We must build ourselves up rather than tear ourselves down. Thanks Captain Obvious. How do we do that? It’s important to notice our habits on how we think about ourselves and our actions. Have the awareness as if a stranger was speaking to a young child we cared for deeply. We would not allow them to say the things, to the child, we may be saying to ourselves on an ongoing basis.  It’s important to develop this same advocacy for ourselves and bridal the negativity to unleash the positivity. We can learn to champion our brilliance and have compassion for the areas in our life we judge could be different or better.

It was never a whip that made a horse run faster. What propels a horse is the desire to escape the pain caused by the jockey using the whip. What a horse can do is slam on the breaks and dump the jockey to escape the pain.

We can nurture our nature by dumping the jockey and allowing ourselves to run unbridled. This is generating from our full potential.

Make it up, make it fun, and get it done!