I’m as guilty as the next person in this regard, but a recent blog post by Seth Godin made me re-evaluate. 

Why do we like to look backwards with such fondness?  Is it because we romanticise what has happened, so we remember primarily the good things? 

While that’s a good trait to have, it can also be very destructive, as we try to mould our future to match those apparent past happinesses. 

Live in the now, and aim high, dream big, and allow the future just unfold…

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Having a purpose or vision for what you want to achieve in your life does not have to be “grand”.  In fact, the greatness of your purpose is completely irrelevant.

The most important thing is that you have a purpose that’s true and yours, and that you love what you do.  Living your passion is what we all aspire to.  There is no definition that says your passion needs to rid the world of war or hunger. 

In fact, by just being you and living your purpose you are making the biggest impact possible.

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Something that we’re keenly aware of in our life and business is implementation.  It’s great to be an “armchair traveller”, but it’s nothing like being in the thick of the action and really being part of life! 

We are at our most inspired and motivated at the peak of the experience.  Why not then just go and implement and begin to see results?  Well, how about fear for an answer, or uncertainty, or low self-worth…  There are any number of reasons, and everyone’s reason will be different. 

At the core of it though, taking action, and the speed at which you do this, will give you the results that you want, at a speed that won’t weigh you down.

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I used to just think this was just a cute saying, but for some reason the words became heavily implanted in my memory.  It now takes on a different perspective for me as through my experience I’ve learned the value of listening and asking questions. And, the more you actively listen, the better your questions get, which in turn means the better the answers get, leading to better decisions and actions. 

Never stop asking questions, not just for the sake of saying something, but to really understand what’s going on.  Just as a child loves asking “why”, keep that childlikeness and take an active role in your live – every moment! 

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On the one hand, vision means “the act of seeing, or sight”.  It can also mean being in a trance state, beauty (a vision of…), or even seeing a supernatural being.  Yet another meaning is having foresight and imaginative insight, and something to strive towards. 

Considering that in modern society we’ve become very conditioned to only ‘believe what we see‘, it’s important to remember that “vision” is also about the intangible.  It’s about having a grand view of your future, and putting steps into place that will help you achieve that future vision. 

It’s not something you can physically see, touch or feel, but it will become that with passion, purpose and complete faith in the attainment of that vision.  So, go and build your grand life Vision!

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A research study done by the International Committee for the Study of Victimisation found that there are three different categories of people who have suffered serious adversity: 

1. 1.    Those who were permanently dispirited by the event
2. 2.    Those who go their life back to normal
3. 3.    Those who used the experience as a defining event that made them stronger 

In our relative’s case, she is firmly planted into the first category, which has made the process we are now going through even more obstacle fraught.  Nevertheless, the process itself is for us, a form of adversity, and it’s been interesting to make the choice (unconsciously and consciously) of which category we will be in. 

Undoubtedly, the third category is where we are aiming to be, and making this conscious decision has made the process far smoother and empowering (as opposed to succumbing to the negativity and disempowering ourselves). 

It’s not the kind of introspection that we do all that often, but it’s an interesting question to ask when adversity affects your life in some way.

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Stick with it, keep on going, don’t give up…  There are any number of ways that we hear words that amount to one form of behaviour – perseverance. 

Throughout all, or part of your childhood, you’re likely to have been told to “persevere” at some point, especially if you participated in sport, or any kind of physical activity.  It’s just part of life.  If we didn’t persevere we wouldn’t have learned how to walk, talk, write or read. 

Imagine if you gave up half way through learning to walk – that would have made life a little complicated…  At some point though, many people have stopped pushing through the pain, or unpleasantness, or fear, to the extent that it holds them back from really achieving and living the life they want. 

Is all it takes perseverance?  I once saw an interview with Harrison Ford and he said that he didn’t consider himself the most talented of actors, or the best looking, he just stuck with it, and kept on going.  He was “in the game”. 

It’s an interesting concept.  If you’re willing to start putting in the work to achieve something, then keep on going.  Don’t give up when the going gets tough – that’s just when the biggest breakthroughs happen!

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For the most part, school is designed to standardise the thinking process, teaching all students how to think in similar ways.  There are those students who don’t conform to the mould, and are naturally free thinkers, but this is the exception. 

Being taught the discipline of thinking is the key – having that skill and being able to apply it in a way that encourages innovation, expansion and action. 

As Donald Trump says, “As long as you’re going to think anyway, think big”. 

This idea is further explored in the movie “Limitless” which touches on the 80% of our brains that we don’t use, and what would happen if we had regular access to it. 

While biologically using more of our brain’s capacity is intriguing, the mindset that goes with it is even more important.  Thinking ‘big’ and having a vision that is larger than one person is the key.

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So, a few hours down at our location telecommunications store and we came back with bundled services, that were going to save us money each month. 

Now, it’s not just about the money, it’s also about the efficient use of resources. 

What also spurred this on was working with a client recently who had three sets of people doing the exact same thing!  One party was reviewing the other parties work, and the third, well, I really don’t know what they were supposed to be doing.  The process was completely inefficient – people’s time, resources, and not to mention budget duplication, or triplication in this case! 

So, take a look at how you’re operating and see if there are areas where you could enhance your services.

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Here is someone who used to be so robust and strong, and incredibly wilful.  This is no longer the person we see in front of us.  This particular person lived their entire life in fear, and infused criticism and cynicism into nearly all aspects of their life. 

Looking at it now, there was so much more potential, and it lay dormant.  In terms of “meaning” and “purpose”, don’t spend your life trying to figure it out.  Go out and LIVE.  Have adventures, make mistakes, and above all, be authentic and live with integrity. 

You will look back and realise that you answered your question many times over, as the answer evolves as you evolve.  As the cliché goes – Seize the Day!

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