HOW TO GET STARTED, HOW TO ACT ON IT, HOW TO LIVE IT!
You've weighed all the critical issues, banged your head against the wall, complained to everyone you know, you walk around grumpy or frustrated but you're not sure why. You know you need to do something, you're just not quite sure what that "something" is.
It's time to Reinvent Your Life, so, now what do you do?
Let's start here ... what were you doing when you were five years old, maybe 12, perhaps 17? When were you truly happy?
What did you dream about doing when you grow up? A rock star, an artist, a fireman, a dancer...
Dig deep, close your eyes and think of what you used to imagine your life to be ..."one day."
The little rock star grew up, was told to go to school, learn something that would help make you money one day and get a job so you could help support the family ... the guitar that you might have played as a teenager started to gather dust and ultimately got sold in the garage sale or put away in the attic (figuratively and literally).
So here you are, 25 years later, the lawyer, chained to your desk, your life duties, commitments, financial responsibilities ... now your kid's dreams perhaps?
I ask you this -- when was the last time you picked up a guitar?
Did you ever consider how you'd feel if you bought yourself a guitar? The thrill of nurturing your decadent, ridiculous, childish whim? Ok, so maybe you'll not become the next Eddie VanHalen but what if you took guitar lessons -- get a book, remind yourself how to play; maybe get some "like-minded" buddies together and put a weekend garage band together.
Sound ridiculous? FABULOUS! It should!! This will nurture your soul in a way you can't imagine, and clearly haven't dared to dream of doing!
And they wonder why people go through a mid-life crisis? It doesn't have to be a crisis -- it's called nurturing your soul and indulging your passions!
Perhaps when you go to work on Monday, you'll have a skip in your step or a smile on your face that just wasn't there before.
The goal here is to create balance, dig deep and tap into the things that stir you and give you a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction, stimulation and simply make you happy while getting back in touch with your true self.
Hello, are you still in there?
Ask yourself that question and look back to that moment when you dreamed. It's priceless...
THE THINGS TO DO:
Keep notes on the things that make you smile in the course of your day -- track it in a little notebook --
•the things that make your heart sing
•the places you like to go
•the smells you like
•the sounds that you like ... all of these are little signs of the things in life you want to surround yourself with.
•go somewhere and daydream
•get magazines of all sorts - flip thru them and pull out anything that gets your attention -- a headline, a chair, the color of a wall, a favorite shoe, a look, a font style a profound statement ... collect things that excite or interest you
•do you see a pattern, similarities -- anything that inspires a "maybe I could/should" thought?
•do it again a few weeks later
•look in the classified ads -- ideas
•create a budget of your life -- What do you need -- then write it down -- what you want -- include what you have to take care of and the things you'd like to include -- aka "indulgences" -- i.e. vacations, college savings, shopping, sushi one time a week, language lessons...
•establish the connection between need-want-attain through happiness
•believe it, project it, create it, visualize and then detail the process to get there
•the success, the challenges
•the ideas, the tactics
•the exit strategy for your current situations
You're entitled so there's no need to deprive yourself of the life you want. Take care of the ones around you, don't abandon them in what might be considered a selfish aspiration, but take the baby steps to create your own happiness. If it's a bold Reinvention that doesn't affect others, have the courage to go for it.
•Sunshine? Go outside!
•Food? Go get it!
•Work? Do more of it!
•Leisure Time? Create more of it!
•People? Invite them into your life more!
•Music? Turn it on!
The answers to these questions help you focus on the things you love -- bringing them to the forefront of your mind -- articulating and identifying the things that make you feel simply fabulous!!
Always have a vision of the future you want!
Enjoy and #HappyReinventing
Share your stories with me as and let me know what little or big Reinventions you've created in your life. I'd love to include them in the www.ReinventionExchange.com website and Huffington Post blogs, and we're seeking great stories for my book and TV show and Web Series in development.
Follow me on: TWITTER: @KathiSR #HappyReinventing Facebook: The Reinvention Exchange LinkedIn: The Reinvention Exchange
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