It's Time...

...to do what you were born to do! When I look at key promises I made in life, they were not to friends or family. They were to myself, and every time I followed through on a promise I made to myself, it was an acknowledgment and honoring who I am.

My mom bought me a book for my birthday this year called Five. It's a interactive book filled with quotes and guiding questions for one's goals and dreams. The entire book is all about deciding what/how you will accomplish your dreams and goals in the next five years. It's a fantastic book. I highly recommend it. It reminds readers that this life is about you and what you choose to make it. My favorite page in the book is a time line of how old people were when they accomplished amazing feats. It spans from Mozart's first symphony at 7 years-old to Cal Evans on his 104th birthday. The caption reads, "Forget your age. Clearly it's what you do---not when you do it---that really counts." It's never too late and it's never too soon to follow one's dreams.

In the spirit of Five, here are five ways I have found to realign with my heart and its purpose(s):

1. Gratitude. Every morning when you wake up give thanks for 10 people, events, moments, etc. in your life. Every evening say 10 more.
   
2. Allow yourself to dream. Buy a notebook, journal, or moleskine (my favorite) and write down your deepest desires. On the front of my small notebook, I wrote questions that inspired me such as: "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" "What would you do if you knew you only had 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 1 week?" "What would you do if money was no object?" "What would you do if you could do anything?"
3. Start small. If you're anything like me who makes 50-point "To-Do Lists" every morning but only accomplishes 5, it may be time to cut yourself some slack. Instead, try making manageable lists that not only reflect the "must do's" but more importantly, the "want to's." Why not put on today's list, "I listen to music for 20 minutes and do nothing else" or "I take a nap" or "I eat a piece of triple-tiered chocolate cake?" With each item you check off, it is actively demonstrating to yourself that you can follow-through on your promises.
   
4. Encourage those you admire. If someone is living his/her dream, acknowledge and learn from him/her. If someone is making changes in his/her life, honor them. If someone is living your dream, praise him/her all the more, for he/she is showing you in present time that it is possible!
   
5. Be gentle. Imagine the most adorable, loving baby you've ever seen, or if you're not a baby person, imagine the cutest puppy you've ever seen, or a baby crocodile---whatever works for you. Whenever you start feeling yourself going into hyper self-critical mode, imagine yourself as that cuddly reptile and remind yourself that you're human. An affirmation I recently heard is "I love myself as I am, as I am changing."
   

My favorite Filipino cowboy said something this summer that stuck, "Life is not so cruel as to give us eyes to see our dreams and not let us achieve them." I will include that quote in my 10 items of gratitude before I fall asleep and also give thanks in advance for my ability to follow-through on all my suggestions! I hope this helps others honor themselves. As always, please feel free to comment on any of these ideas.

Five: http://www.amazon.com/5-Dan-Zadra/dp/1932319441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255425731&sr=8-1