Sometimes it takes tremendous courage to just keep going in life, doesn’t it? It takes courage to meet the daily challenges – sickness, death, divorce, job losses, unexpected bills. We carry our burdens bravely, afraid or too ashamed to let others know how much we are struggling.
But I tell you there is hope. Changing your life is possible. We don’t have to remain trapped in a cycle of unhappiness. We can live with enthusiasm and optimism.
When I was a newly divorced mother with a toddler and a six-year old, watching my debt building despite working two jobs, I could not see a way out. So preoccupied with the daily struggle to simply make it through each day, each week, and each month, I couldn’t imagine a better life for myself.
Overcome with exhaustion and despair, I phoned a good friend living in another state. His advice seemed implausible at the time, but somehow his words stuck with me.
“Michelle, I know everything seems impossible right now. But things will get better. You need to think carefully about the life you want for yourself and your children. Imagine it deeply and then believe you are moving toward that life.”
Imagine it deeply. And then believe you are moving toward that life.
Somewhere in the subconscious of my mind those words took hold and directed everything I did from that moment on.
I became determined not to remain stuck. Beneath the anguish, there was a flicker of hope that burned in me. I wanted to live with enthusiasm and optimism, and I wanted a better life for myself and my children.
You may be suffering even greater losses, struggling under overwhelming circumstances.
If you find yourself unhappy and can’t see a way out, I want you to know you can improve your life. You can overcome the obstacles, but there are some things you must do first.
Designing a Life You Love
We can change, but change requires six important things:
- Focus
- Courage
- Letting go
- Faith
- Determination
- Consistent action
Focus
It’s too easy to become focused on what we don’t want in our life. We don’t want to live under the burden of debt. We don’t want to feel powerless and overwhelmed all the time.
But if we spend too much of our energy focused on what we don’t want, how we will get to what we do want?
If you constantly remind yourself of what you do want in your life, your unconscious mind will be at work, day and night, trying to find solutions to bring you more of what you want. Some call it the power of attraction – you attract what you focus on.
Take time to think carefully on the life you want for yourself. Imagine it deeply. Write it down and describe it in detail. Then believe you are moving toward that life.
Courage
We need the courage to accept full responsibility for our life and circumstances. And courage to know that yes, there are things beyond our control, but we can control how we choose to react to our circumstances.
Letting Go
The ability to let go – let go of the false beliefs that are holding us back and letting go of the need to live up to other’s standards so we can design our life according to our values.
Faith
We need faith – faith in our ability to change, and faith in the goodness of others.
Determination
Determination – determination to hold onto our dreams even when they seem impossible.
Consistent Action
Never stop taking steps toward your dream, no matter how small. Never give up.
Improve Your Life – Live With Enthusiasm and Optimism
How do we apply these six things to improve our lives and live with enthusiasm and optimism? Here are my thoughts for you to consider…
Courage
- Courage to dream
- Courage to keep going when life is filled with obstacles
- Courage to keep going when you are in pain and your days are filled with overwhelm and anxiety
- Courage to know you are enough just as you are
- Courage to believe you deserve to live a life you love
- Courage to take the first step. And then the courage to keep going.
Letting Go
- Let go of past hurts and disappointments
- Let go of the fears holding you back
- Let go of the false beliefs keeping you from making changes
- Let go of the shame living inside you – it serves no purpose and is weighing you down
- Let go of the false need to live up to other’s standards – live according to YOUR VALUES
- Let go of the toxic and negative in your life – even if that means letting go of relationships
Faith
- Faith in the rightness of the world
- Faith in God, the creator, or the Universe
- Faith in yourself
- Faith in your dreams
- Faith you can improve your life
- Faith in your inner strength
- Faith in the abundance of the universe and knowing there is enough
- Faith in the goodness of others
Determination
- You must be really, really determined to change to your life, and you have to stay determined
- Hold onto that dream, even when it seems impossible
- Determination to accept full responsibility for your life – no blaming, no excuses
- Don’t let the inevitable set-backs stop you
- Don’t let others tell you “you can’t”
- Don’t ever give up on yourself
Consistent Action
There will be obstacles, some of them huge and seemingly impossible to overcome. But keep taking consistent action. Something as small as writing down your hopes and dreams when days are tough can help you stay optimistic.
Keep the dream alive in your subconscious mind – it will be working for you even as you struggle through your toughest days.
It’s been ten years since that desperate phone call to a friend. As impossible as it seems, the life I live today is very much how I dreamed and hoped it would be.
It has taken time, courage, and patience, and there were many challenges to overcome, but my life has changed for the better. Even as I strive to be mindful of all I have to be grateful for, I’m still dreaming and planning for an even better future.
You can live a life of abundance – one filled with health, joy, love, and contentment. Believe in your vision, and believe in yourself.
