3 Tips for Going Off Autopilot & Taking Back Control of Your Life

Today I want to share some ideas for going off of autopilot and instead living your life on purpose. There are definitely times when doing things automatically is beneficial, but if you live in this 'auto-space' all the time, you allow life to happen to you rather than living your life the way you want.

Here are three ideas that you can use to live your life on purpose and by doing so, raise your vibrational energy, attract more positive things to you, get more done and feel much more vibrant, powerful and fulfilled.

Tip #1: Move out of the shadow and into the light. What makes you tick, what are you passionate about, where are you holding back? Tune in to who you really are and let her shine!

This is a huge topic that many books have been written on so let's just focus in on one little point... what are you doing to hold yourself back?

Most of us have been trained to hide a little bit (or a lot) of who we are. Maybe you've been told you laugh too loud or you're too quick to trust other people. Maybe it's been suggested you daydream too much and need to spend more time focusing on getting things done. Labels like; you're lazy, scattered, impulsive, lack self-control... all influence who you are and what you believe about yourself (even positive labels can hold you back!).

You also could be in a job you don't really like, but are there because someone else felt that's the career you should have. It's possible you feel afraid to course correct at this point in your life because you took schooling to get where you are or you've worked so hard to climb the ladder and to change now would seem like such a waste. Or maybe you're afraid if you stop you'll be seen as a quitter or people will think you're not smart enough, strong enough or committed enough to see things through.

Becoming aware of the areas of your life that are within your control and then using this awareness to help you make positive changes in your life is called conscious living. Noticing where you feel stagnant, uninspired or held back and then thinking about what you might do to make things just a little better can be a really great starting place for living this kind of life.

Doing things to please other people, pushing aside your real dreams and desires because you think (or have been told) they are too fanciful, is stopping you from reaching your full potential.

So when you consciously detect something is amiss, don't disregard it or push it aside because it's inconvenient. Instead, notice it, journal about it, explore it fully and see what comes to light.

Commit to finding and revealing the real you - I guarantee you she is wonderful and worth exploring.

Tip #2: Open yourself up to receive - gifts, compliments, love, healing, a helping hand...

This sounds like such a simple thing to do, yet it is not. Most of us have been taught that to need something from someone else makes you weak, immodest or sets you up to owe them and we do not like to be indebted to others. This stops us from being a true team member and collaborating effectively with others, plus it robs us of the pleasure receiving can bring.

If you struggle with receiving you can end up blocking everything you've ever desired from coming your way. Receiving and the pleasure it brings are two key pieces to filling up your tank so it's very important you learn how open up to it.

A simple way to increase your awareness around how well you receive things is to tune in to what you do or say when someone tries to give you something - like a compliment or praise. Really notice your response (even if it's just in your head!).

For example, if you just ran a meeting and I came up to you after to say "I just want to say you did a really awesome job chairing that meeting." How might you respond?

Most people will have patterns or habits that deflect, correct, deny, reciprocate, minimize, reject or question the compliment without even realizing they are doing it.

If you're honest with yourself, you'll likely find receiving a compliment can be quite a challenge. If so, here's what you might want to practice instead.

Feel the compliment, take it in, smile and respond with something like,

"Thank you, it feels great to hear you say that."

"Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"It did go well, didn't it? Thanks for confirming that for me."

Tip #3: Practice forgiving - every situation you encounter in life is meant to help you evolve as a soul. This can be a hard pill to swallow if you've been abused, abandoned, traumatized, tortured or experienced other things in life that feel very personal and hurtful. So I say this with much compassion and love... forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.

Forgiveness allows you to take back the energy you are investing in being mad, hurt, ashamed, disgusted or revengeful and to instead surround yourself with the positive energy of compassion and understanding. You see, as long as you refuse to forgive someone - even yourself, you make it impossible for that relationship to evolve.

Refusing to forgive someone else gives them space, rent free, in your head. Refusing to forgive yourself stops you from healing and ever truly loving yourself.

When you feel like you've been wronged or done something wrong... you carry that energy with you in your heart. As a result, you push yourself harder, are less trustful of your own guidance, you create impossible and inflexible standards for yourself AND you lower your vibrational energy.

When you are able to forgive and learn to appreciate how that situation helped you become who you are today, everything changes.

The ability to forgive will help you plug a drain that is stopping you from fully owning your power. I know it feels like you are flexing your power muscles by refusing to forgive, but - as counter-intuitive as it seems - the exact opposite is actually true.

By tuning into where you are disconnected from yourself and holding yourself back, you open the door to all kinds of beautiful discoveries. By opening yourself up to receive those good things, you increase your vibrancy, recharge your battery and become more abundant. By remembering to forgive both yourself and others when things don't go as you might have liked, you are benefitting from the lessons and plugging a drain that could otherwise put you back in your shadow.

The more you practice these three things the easier they will become and before you know it you're living your life in a vibrant and powerful way.

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Do You Sabotage Your Own Efforts?

I'm sure that many of us have experienced a point in our lives where we've became aware of the need to start making some positive changes. We may feel ready to commit to formal New Year's Resolutions or simply say 'today's the time to focus on spring cleaning our habits, friends, relationships and ultimately our lives'.

Yet how often do those goals and important objectives quickly become sabotaged and hi-hacked? We may not fully appreciate why it's happening but unconscious resistance can interfere with our desire to break out of old habits and behaviour patterns.

It can be interesting to look at those occasions:

- Many of us will be able to recall a time when we were determined to address our eating or drinking habits and make healthier choices. Before too long we were making excuses to regularly visit the supermarket to buy one or two items that we suddenly needed urgently, had unexpectedly run out of or had accidentally forgotten.

These are great examples of how we sabotage our efforts by convincing ourselves that we're 'just' popping to the shops to buy those urgent supplies, the bread or milk. We tell ourselves that we'll only be a few minutes, insist that we'll limit ourselves to those specific aisles, but then find ourselves wandering along the other lanes 'just in case' we see something else we need. Often the temptation can become so strong that we end up buying chocolates, a bottle of wine or something that we really shouldn't. Deep down though we knew we'd succumb!

- Or it may be that we choose to implement a fitness regime with a friend or colleague who we unconsciously suspect is not fully committed. There may be a part of us that acknowledges we need to go regularly to the gym, run a marathon or commit to a health objective but in reality we're less than enthusiastic. Choosing to workout with someone who is less motivated than ourselves can bring a much easier going, less tenacious approach. Then if the plan fails after a week or so we can blame someone else, excuse ourselves far more easily, shrug our shoulders and feel vindicated.

- What about if a relationship's floundering? Maybe there's an estrangement which could go either way and we feel quite stressed and want to ensure that our position is fully understood. We know that texting, when we need to communicate information, is an efficient, concise, documented way of communicating, but struggle to hold ourselves back from being more hands on and pushing for a more interactive involvement. The problem is that entails talking to the other person.

We may tell ourselves that we hate texting; it's far quicker and more efficient to phone with our message. But if we're at a sensitive stage in the relationship we may know deep down that we're putting ourselves in a vulnerable place when we contact them via the phone. Typically we know that we'll end up asking questions, explaining ourselves in painstaking detail or going through the arguments and grievances yet again.

It can be more sensible to limit ourselves through the use of text. It's important to hold onto the knowledge that it's in our best interests to resist the temptation to phone and avoid inflaming the situation even further.

In any of these instances, be aware of what the underlying sub-text is if you frequently find yourself missing out on completing your objectives, especially ones that you feel would significantly benefit your life. And accept that it may be beneficial to enlist help if you find this repeating pattern too difficult to break on your own. Learn to pay attention to what happens when you become distracted and veer off course. Listen to what your thought patterns and feelings are saying. Intercept them and deal with the information.

It may be that you're not really committed to losing weight, getting fit or letting go of the relationship just yet. Discover where you're at; only then can you ascertain what would motivate and work for you. That way you're less likely to sabotage your efforts and goals.

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Five Steps to Transform Your Anger

If we lose objectivity due to our anger, we lose control of ourselves and the situation. There are five steps we can take to transform our anger into something positive and constructive.

Step #1: Disengage from the Situation

When we disengage, we focus on the results we want while we cool down. We can either physically remove ourselves from the situation or take an emotional time out. Disengaging is not the same as withdrawal, which is in effect a power play that involves resisting the other person's feelings. It is simply a way to keep defensiveness from escalating.

Disengaging means setting aside differences temporarily and being willing to address them at a later time. It is taking a time-out to reflect, reduce the tension, and let our emotions settle.

At the same time, it is important to assure the other person they will get to have their say. Setting a specified time to renew the discussion is one way to communicate our intention to deal with the issues. The effect of this is to acknowledge the other person's point of view (and their worth) without saying we will agree with them.

To effectively disengage, we need to make two basic assumptions:

1. that our own competence is not in question, and

2. that we are not being personally attacked.

Step #2: Defuse Anger

Anger is almost always accompanied by self-talk that focuses on what seems unfair or hurtful, an unmet expectation, how upset we are, or how we are going to react. To defuse anger, we need to rewrite that script.

Try to discover the thoughts that are fueling your anger. Then test each thought:

· Is it based on observable facts?

· Is it giving you good ideas to calm yourself and resolve the problem you face?

· Is it free of distortion?

If you answer "no" to any of these three questions, your thinking is likely making the situation worse and should be discarded.

Step #3: Determine the Desired Positive Outcome

Our goal is to find a more positive yet rational view of the situation. We need to focus on realistic expectations for this person or situation based on past behavior. Then we need to create a plan for what we will do next time rather than getting angry or inappropriately expressing our anger.

A good plan is specific and describes actions that we will take. It is under our control and its outcome can be measured. Having a plan increases our sense of control and will actually reduce any anger arousal that might potentially be triggered.

In order to create your plan, place the unpleasant situation in the context of current and past factual events that are more acceptable to you. Then reevaluate it in the light of less threatening facts that help you understand another person's actions. Review your own strengths and consider what you need to help you cope with this situation.

Step #4: Discover the Other Person's Needs

Effective listening can make us more competent, defuse anger in others, help us understand others, win respect, and build self-esteem in others. Inquiring about the other person's concerns and listening actively can help build a foundation of mutual trust.

When we feel the need to criticize people or correct their behavior, it helps to remember what it is like to be on the other side. To empathize is to figuratively put ourselves in the other person's place.

It is also useful to empathize when we feel we're being personally attacked and are about to become defensive ourselves. If we try to understand what may have motivated the other person's behavior, we may be less likely to react in a way that escalates the situation.

Step #5: Discuss Mutual Needs and Desired Outcomes

When we communicate our feelings, needs and goals to the other person, we want to do it in an assertive win-win problem-solving manner that is least likely to generate a defensive response.

A powerful, non-defensive way to do this is through "I statements." Beginning with "I statements" says we are taking responsibility for our communication. The statements often begin with the words "I feel."

James Creighton suggests following up "I feel" with words that describe our emotions, followed by a description of the precipitating event, and then its tangible or emotional impact.

An example is: "I feel (I statement) angry (emotion) that I had to look all over for the car keys (precipitating event). Because it took so much time, I was late for my appointment (tangible impact).

An example in the workplace might be: "I feel (I statement) upset (emotion) that I did not receive your marketing budget on time (precipitating event). Because it was late, I will need to rewrite the proposal (tangible impact)."

According to communications trainer Robert Bolton, at least 90 percent of non-blaming messages that describe tangible effects result in the other person trying to resolve the problem.

To skillfully disclose our concerns to the other person, we also need to avoid the use of words and phrases that convey absolutes, such as "never," "always," and "absolutely certain." They will most often trigger a defensive response.

There are times when we need to inquire to uncover the concerns of the other person. Asking questions allows us to focus on our task rather than our disagreement. After we inquire, we need to listen carefully, giving the other person our complete attention.

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Sky Shouldn't Be The Limit

As children we have lots of dreams, becoming pilots, lawyers, rich and famous and even astronauts. But as our days and months turn into years and life happens we suddenly lose touch of our dreams, even worse we stop dreaming altogether.

After personal experience and watching people around me I have come to discover some truths, some of which I wish to share with you, hoping that you would reap the benefits.

Don't Be Afraid To Dream

Why are we afraid to dream? Why are we conditioned and brought up to be in a society that fights progression and stand in the way of dreams? As adults we put a bar on our dreams, we limit ourselves to what we could reach and confine our dreams to walls and ceilings not to outgrow the normal accepted standards. But I tell you even as adults' dreams should live on, and shouldn't be confined to what is possible and what is not. If you can dream it, then you can believe it, then you can find a way to achieve it. Don't stop dreaming and don't limit your dreams.

You Are Your Worst Enemy

So you have a dream you wish to make it a reality, but instead you let the demons in your head get to you first. The could I's, the what if's, the there are many out there like me, why would I be successful? I will tell you just STOP! Stop these negative thoughts and stop beating yourself down. If you have a dream and a passion to do something, it doesn't matter if a thousand or even million others are doing it before you, that shouldn't stop your drive to follow your own path and give it a try. You might feel scared, you might not know where to start, but with the right planning, organization and research you can build a foundation to put you on the right path to work on your dream. Just stop self-sabotaging yourself and believe that you too can do it, and even do it better than others!

Shut Out Negative Voices

When you share your passion and desires with others, wanting to spread your wings and fly, most likely you will hear many telling you "don't do it, why do it? You will waste your time for nothing?" Don't blame these people for saying so as they too were conditioned like you, not to believe in pursuing dreams, and are afraid of the unknown, and God forbid that you might actually succeed and leave them behind. When people bombard you with let-downs, walk away, don't listen and most important don't take it personally, it is not a measure of your capabilities it is a measure of their lack of confidence and fear. Instead use those negative comments to feed your desire for success even more and push you even further towards your goal. Instead find the people who support you and believe in you and pick you up when you fall down.

I Will Need An Arm And A Leg

Another thing that might be stopping you from working on your dream is finances. So you don't have the cash. Well sure that can put a damper on any project, but the truth is to start your own business you don't need that much initially. You could start at home and use social media platforms to help promote your product or business and with profit you make you can put back in your work and slowly grow. Don't think to be a millionaire you have to start out like one and don't forget that most successful entrepreneurs started from home.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

The best advice is to do your best. Work with all your heart and soul; don't get lazy because you are not getting a salary at the end of the month. Learn to discipline yourself in setting goals, targets, deadlines and stick to them. Work ethically and work hard, eventually you will see the fruit of your efforts.

Patience is Virtue

Perseverance is key to success. Even if you get rejections, even if you don't succeed at first, keep at it. If you believe in something and you put the work into it, then no matter what, you will eventually taste the sweetness of success even if it is something as self-satisfaction and gratification for trying. It will not happen overnight, and you will get moments of doubt, and feel it is easier to give up. But don't! You will never regret working hard but surely you will regret not trying your best and giving up too soon. Success takes time, so be patient it will be worth it in the end.

Enjoy The Ride

You do realize this is Your Dream we are talking about? And you are the one trying to make it come true, so there is no sense in pushing yourself to the point you lose sight to why you started in the first place. Learn to enjoy your journey. Every moment good or bad, is an opportunity to learn and grow, so might as well have fun doing it, in the end you are making memories to keep for life and things to look back on and smile not cringe.

And as Richard Branson once said, "A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts." So I say don't be afraid to dream.

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Top 5 Reasons Why You're Not Living Your Dream

1. "I'm too old to make a change."

Maybe you're over 30 and settled in your career. You don't even want to think about making a move somewhere else. Besides, at this point in your life, you're supposed to be doing what you want, right?

For some reason we seem to think that we have to "act our age". But what does that mean? Where is there a definition of what it means to be a certain age?

The next time you think you're too old to make a change, think about Colonel Sanders and Wally Amos. Age is truly nothing more than a number.

2. "I need more money."

You might have dreams of owning your own business. You automatically think about all the money you'll need to do that. Just the thought of it overwhelms you and stops you in your tracks.

Using money as a reason not to change is just another excuse. Sure, it does take money to start a business. But who says we have to have all the money at once? Sometimes just the process of planning out our dreams makes what seems impossible, possible.

When you start to visualize your dreams, new opportunities open up for you. You may even find options that don't require that much money.

3. "I'm afraid to make a change."

You may have made a career move in the past and things didn't turn out like you expected. Maybe your boss didn't treat you well or you weren't challenged enough. Now you might be afraid to make the same mistake again.

Fear can take over and paralyze us. The funny thing is that most of the things we fear generally do not become a reality. When we come up with reasons why we can't make a move, we are just avoiding true happiness.

Basing your future on events that happened in the past is a sure way of stopping yourself from growing. It's best to learn from the past so that you can move forward.

4. "I don't have time to try to live my dream."

You may be so focused on your daily duties that you don't stop to think about your dreams. They might be buried deep within.

Some of us have spent so much time trying to make a living that we really don't have a life. We haven't taken the time to learn what we are passionate about.

Listen to those inner voices. Acknowledge the ideas that keep popping into your head. Make note of what you do in your spare time. Ask yourself if you would do these things even if you weren't getting paid. Or, ask if you would do them as a hobby even if you won the lottery.

5. "I don't think anyone will approve of my dream."

You've been thinking about making a change in your career. But what will people think of you? Will they believe that you can be successful? Will they be waiting for you to fail?

We often sabotage ourselves by worrying about what other people think of us. A family member, co-worker, or friend passes judgment on our dreams. All of a sudden, that's enough to stop us from moving forward.

You have the right to do what makes you happy. As long as you are not hurting anyone, including yourself, go for it. You might upset some people in the process. But, ultimately, it is your life.

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10 Reasons to Chase Your Passion & Not the Money

We’ve all been in that situation…

We had to decide between whether or not to chase something that makes more money, or something that we are more interested in.

So what do we do?

Answering this question is not easy. It may seem easy because everyone around you is telling you to follow your passion. But in reality, it’s much tougher because some part of you still think you will be happier with the money.

10 Reasons to Chase Your Passion

Today I want to share with you 10 solid reasons, which I learnt from successful people, on why you should chase your passion. Not the money.


1. Becoming really good at what you’re interested in can bring you even more money, even if you think it can’t

Now, I’m not one of those spiritual gurus who will tell you that you can make infinite money from any skill or passion or interest you can think of. If it was that easy everyone would already be doing it.

What I am saying is simply that if you can become really good at what you do you can make a lot of money doing it. If there is market demand for your skill. Of course, some interests are very tough to turn into money.


VERY FEW PEOPLE, IF ANY, WILL PAY TO WATCH YOU SIT ON A COUCH AND WATCH TV.


But one thing I can tell you is that you probably underestimated how many skills can be turned into passions. For example, most people do not think that you can make a decent living let alone a great living off a topic like spirituality.

But when you dive into the subject, you find people like Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer who have made a lot of money off that exact topic.

2. Money can act as a crutch you depend on

There are tons of successful wealthy people who depend on money to validate their existence.


Some of them use money to show off to others. Some of them use it to show their superiority. And Some of them buy all these expensive things just because culture has told them that this is what success is.


THE PROBLEM IS THAT DEEP DOWN THEY STILL FEEL UNHAPPY AND UNFULFILLED. I HEAR STORIES ABOUT THIS ALMOST EVERYDAY WHEN I LISTEN TO PODCASTS OF SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS.


By first establishing a solid independent foundation where you do not have to depend on money, you can live freely once you have it. Otherwise your possessions end up owning you rather than the other way around.


3. Money can come and go

There are very few things in the world that we can really fully control.

As hinted at in the last point, if you do not have a solid foundation of internal love and independence, you leave yourself open to being dependent on factors of life you cannot control for your happiness.

And when you leave your life up to a couple of factors that can change in a moment’s notice, they sometimes do change.

Sometimes it can seem like you have a rock solid business or career that is generating a lot of money for you. But all the same, one day, you lose that money because that career or business meets unexpected obstacles.

If you can find internal passion, you can still find love and joy and delight at what you do regardless of if you are broke, middle-income, or rich.

4. Money will not bring you as much happiness as you think

In the past, any advice on what brings happiness was purely based on opinion.

And the problem with opinion is that you don’t know if it’s actually fact or not. Nowadays, there has been extensive scientific studies done on the science of happiness. We have definitive evidence on what brings happiness and what does not.


SCIENCE HAS SHOWN THE AMOUNT OF EXTRA LONG-TERM HAPPINESS, AS YOU’RE INCREASING HOW MUCH YOU EARN, RAPIDLY DIMINISHES AFTER YOU HIT A MODEST FIRST WORLD MIDDLE-INCOME.


The craziest part about modern society is that 99% of people still case excessive money. Based on a false belief that it will give them a huge long-lasting boost in happiness. save yourself some time.


5. If you start with money, you can end up miserable

This is a simple but often overlooked fact. Many people chase, and chase, and chase the money until they get a lot of it. But then they look around and they find themselves in a career or business that they cannot get out of and no time to spend that money.

The worst part?

They absolutely hate every single second that they spend working because they found themselves in an industry that they hate.

I don’t know about you, but I do not think success is working 10 to 12 hour days at a job that you hate to make excessive amounts of money that you don’t even have the time to spend or enjoy.

6. By chasing money first, you can end up in a cycle of constant never-ending chasing
Many people who chase money first end up in an addictive cycle of chasing more and more, even once they hit their financial goals. They quickly get used to the money that they achieved and it’s never enough.

The scientific term for this process, taking the money we have for granted, is called the hedonic treadmill.

Now, notice how I said “many.”

Some people are smarter than that. Some people who chase money first quickly realize that money shouldn’t be their main goal. And so they start sculpting their career into one that follows passion as well.

Others eventually learn that this cycle is not the right way and they turn to passion, purpose and fulfilment.


YOU CAN GET A HEAD-START BY STARTING WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE TO BEGIN WITH. I’M NOT SAYING THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER TAKE ANY MONEY.


Money is good. I am simply saying that while you are reaching and moving towards higher and higher goals, you should always have a sense of independent fulfilment, that doesn’t depend on more money for your levels of happiness.


7. Status, Validation and Ego end up being meaningless

Countless successful people strive their entire lives for awards, medals, and achievements.

Some of it is healthy. These are people who want to break the mold, who want to break records that have never been achieved, or even change the entire industry in a way that no one has ever seen before.

But others do what they do for internal validation or unhealthy psychological reasons. Many successful entrepreneurs made all their money simply because they were never validated or proved as a child. This can lead to an unhealthy, unfeeling desire that never ends.

The biggest reason why spending too much time chasing your self validation is that you will die one day. There are plenty of people who have all these awards and accomplishments at their deathbed but they still feel unfulfilled when they die and no one really loves them.

I really like the billionaire Warren Buffett’s philosophy on this topic because he believes that he would rather sacrifice making more money so that the people that he wants to love him actually love him.

He came to this conclusion after seeing a lot of rich people he knew who had all these monuments named after them yet no one that they wanted to love them actually love them. Everyone was simply there at the funeral to see if they can get any money.

8. Money gets old

It’s very tough for someone who never had much money to really understand the idea of money gets old.

But one way of relating, is to think of something that you really used to love or look forward to as a child that you now have and you have gotten used to and taken for granted.

This could be your clothes, the food that you can buy, or just the privileges you have. for me, it is the indoor plumbing and access to ice cream that I did not have as a child frequently that I now have all the time.

In a similar way, a lot of wealthy people have admitted that their expensive toys get old.

Many of them sell businesses that they are passionate about to play on the golf course every day. But after a couple months or years playing at the golf course, they get bored and end up returning to business.

Especially when you are young, having a lot of money and no passion can lead to a lot of boredom. Many people who stumble upon a lot of money end up quickly losing that spark within a couple years.

They should realize that they have losing that spark within a couple years. They should realize that they have Decades of their life ahead of them and not much else to spend their money on decades of your life ahead of them and not much else to spend their money on.


9. With a passion, you have something that is with you no matter where you go

Passion stays with you.

No matter how tough your day is or if you have a lot of money, you always know that your day will mostly be filled with enjoyment because you love what you do.

On the other hand, if you only have money, you don’t know how the rest of your day will turn out. In fact, your day could be completely horrible most of the time because you are at a job that you absolutely hate going to and every moment is driving you insane.


10. A passion is like wine. It gets better with age (unlike money)

Many people get more and more interested in their craft as they progressed and become Masters at their craft. They end up being able to do more interesting sophisticated and pool things as they get older and have more years of practice under their belt.


EVERY YEAR BECOMES MORE AND MORE EXCITING AS THEY CAN TRY OUT NEW THINGS. DO MORE INTRICATE AND COMPLEX THINGS. AND GET GREATER RESULTS BECAUSE THEY’RE BUILDING SKILLS.


Money, on the other hand, gets old. The older you get, the less utility it has for you. Maybe you wanted to travel the world when you were young. But now that you’re old, your body cannot handle travelling. And your eyes are too weak to really experience the sites.

A lot of the cool experiences you wish you had dulled with age. Or they just become less of a priority or less enjoyable.

Warren Buffett calls this saving up sex for old age. You can still have a lot of fun when you are old but it’s also important to realize that many things were meant to be enjoyed young.


Conclusion

Money is important. I’m not saying to give up on making money. I’m actually saying that you should have it all if you want it. If you want to do it right though, you should start with finding out what is your passion and your purpose.


IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE YOUR END-ALL-BE-ALL GRAND ANSWER. JUST START MOVING TOWARDS IT OR TESTING DIFFERENT THINGS OUT.


By starting with your passion and purpose, your happiness will naturally rise and stay there based on science. And you will have a solid foundation to continue living your life and improving it to make more money.

This leave you with a castle built with a solid foundation. Instead of one built on sand pillars that easily crumble.

Unfortunately, most people build their castles on sand by chasing the money first. They ending up quitting a highly profitable job or business, because they cannot take the lack of interest anymore.


Wrapping up

Now, I have a question for you:
What’s the number one reason that really impacted you on this list?

Let me know in the comments below and let me know why it help you so much. your import could really help another reader make the breakthrough that they have been seeking.

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5 Regrets You Don’t Want to Have on Your Deathbed

As the age old saying goes: “YOLO!”

Oh wait, that’s the new age saying. The age old saying is what that acronym actually stands for…“You Only Live Once”.

Time seems to be racing at such a fast pace these days. Have you noticed?

Over the past 18 months as I’ve been writing here on The Start of Happiness I’ve been doing some deep and big thinking. It’s been about getting absolute clarity of what I want to do in life and ensuring I give myself to it to make it a reality.

When I look back on my life I don’t want to be living with any regrets. That’s why I made the biggest and toughest decision of my life and left my highly-paid, six-figure career to start over with nothing but a laptop and a desire to help others turn their passions into a thriving lifestyle.

Since leaving the corporate world, starting my own business has been one of excitement, challenge and monumental learning. It’s been one of the best things I have ever done in my life.

To wake up each and every day with more passion and motivation for what I’m doing is a massive milestone in itself. In saying that, it has been challenging, hard-work and has come with plenty of success and failure.

In the first 9 months of my new business – Gradrecruit, I’ve managed to get site traffic up to 60,000 page views a month and a user base of over 2,000 which I would say is a huge success. My income is generated from corporate clients and this has been harder than I first expected. But it’s expected that a new business takes time to build its brand, trust and client base. For the personal journey and learning experience I’ve been on, I wouldn’t change it for the world and I’m glad I’ve challenged myself in this way.

Making the Decision and Taking the Chance

Life is full of opportunity. It comes down to taking the chance.

Over and over again, different individuals prove that there are new and exciting ways of making a living. Just like this person who is a pet detective (no, it’s not Ace Ventura, although it is my favourite movie of all time so I automatically love these guys… alllrightythen!) These individuals are the trailblazers for new careers and they are bearing all the risk. There is never a guarantee that something will work out, but don’t you wish you would have at least tried?

I recently went to an entrepreneurial conference in Sydney where I got the chance to meet Sheryl Thai, a regular 20-something female who absolutely loved cupcakes. She thought she should start making cupcakes to sell to her friends. Just 4 years later, she’s turned her business, Cupcake Central, into a multimillion dollar powerhouse. AMAZING.

It all starts with a simple decision.

It’s the decision to change your life and do what you have always wanted to do.

I had always had the dream of starting Gradrecruit since I was a graduate at university. It was something that never left me. I always felt there was a link missing between the workforce and students at university. I realised that if I had been having these thoughts for a number of years, it’s something that I need to at least try. My gut was telling me I just needed to do it.

If you have a similar gut feeling about something you want to do, my recommendation would be to trust your gut. It’s always right.


There’s No Time for Regrets

The fact that time is flying by so fast means that there is absolutely no time for regrets.

Do you know what the most common regrets are of those on their deathbed?

I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
I wish I didn’t work so hard.
I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Just look over number one again.

That sums up what I’m getting across to you in this post.

It’s about having the courage to be authentically you. What are your deepest desires, passions and interests and how do you want to live your life?

That is the NUMBER 1 regret that most people have on their deathbeds. Do you want to be like most people and have that same regret?

Those that have lied on their deathbed and shared their regrets do so to help those that still have a number of years left in their life. If I were you I’d take their advice as gold. What matters most to us is is clear in life’s final moments.

Now, re-read number two again.

We are not on this planet to work, but to love and make a difference. Sure, your work can make a difference to society and to other people directly, but you have to make sure that you are doing the right work that enables you to be authentically you.

I would argue that work is not work when you’re absolutely passionate about it.

If you can find something that you really enjoy doing and use it as a vehicle for wealth, then that is more ‘play’ than work. When you get ‘pay for play’, that’s a pretty cool thing.
When is The Start of Happiness for You?

Alexander Kjerulf, one of the world’s leading experts on Happiness at Work said to me recently that there are two main things that create happiness.
Relationships
Meaningful Work

If you can wake up every day, passionate about what you do and know that it makes a positive impact on society, then you’re halfway there. If you can also surround yourself with supportive, passionate people then you’re happiness is going to be unstoppable.



When you link back these two statements with the top 5 regrets on your deathbed, you can easily see the clear link between them all. If this is what life is really about, why are we not allowing ourselves to fulfil it?

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