The Only Way

Every so often, words of wisdom echo through my head.  Sometimes the words make me cringe and sometimes they seem to inspire.

What’s great is that the words that didn’t really land for me back then seem to be more meaningful now.  I’m reflecting on the words of my dissertation chair, when I was first working on my doctorate so many years ago.

Decades…

And I was struggling to get it done.

In this week’s Wednesdays With Wayne I’m giving you the secret that he shared with me.  It was so simple, but at the time it just made me mad.  

He said, The Only Way To Do It Is To Do It.

Well duh.  I mean really.  I didn’t think that was such sage guidance.  And yet, several decades later, I reflect on those words that haunt me and wonder at how they still echo.  
They’re here because there’s great truth in them.  

Think about the resolutions you almost kept over the years.  

You had wishes, but you didn’t follow through because…  it doesn’t really matter why you didn’t follow through. What matters is that those wishes became empty.

And perhaps some of the years you’ve lived so far have become empty.  You were doing what you thought you were “supposed to” do instead of what you wanted or needed to do to live a more fulfilled life.

So now, for a healthier, wealthier, happier, more fulfilled you – what do you need to get going on?  Pick one or two things that you know will positively change your trajectory.  

• Monitor your money (I’ve been surprised at how many people don’t know where their money goes.  I also had to learn to do this the hard way. It wasn’t something I wanted to do.  Yet, to change my trajectory, it became something I needed to do.  Yeah, welcome to “adulting.”)
• Move your body (Yep, this one is hard to get started and it’s even harder to sustain.  Right now, I’m dressed in my running clothes. It’s raining and I don’t think I’m going to enjoy being outside much.  And yet, to release some weight and to feel even better overall, out I go. Smiling. Deliberately smiling. The only way to get the physical results I want – the outcome – is to do something.  The only way to do the dissertation was to do it. The only way to get a body change is to make that happen by doing something about it, right? You’ve got this. - - A little self-talk here.)
• Smile more – really!  If you make a habit of smiling more your whole body takes a cue and your stress hormones settle down.  Got a report to write? Smile. Going out in the rain? Smile. Have bills to pay? Smile. Yes, really.  

You made the life you have.  Enjoy it and/or change it. And as you change it, smile about the work YOU’RE doing to change it.  No one can do that for you.

Think about the outcome you’re after.  Don’t just wish for them. Declare them and let my dissertation chairman’s words echo on:  

THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT IS TO DO IT

We’re now three weeks into the New Year.  

Don’t let this calendar page turn without reclaiming your life, your new trajectory.  

You deserve more.  You can claim more.  You just have to declare it and then… well, to borrow a trademarked phrase from Nike, “Just Do It.”

Tell me what you’re working on so I can support you and cheer you on.

Till next week, KEEP MAKING YOUR MAGIC™!

And Keep On Choosing Your Power™!

~ Dr P ~