H.O.P.E.

"Hope is a beautiful thing. It gives us peace and strength, and keeps us going when all seems lost. Accepting what you cannot change doesn't mean you have given up on hope. It just means you have to focus your hope on more humanely tangible and attainable goals." -
Julie Donner Andersen, What My Widowed Husband Has Taught Me

Every day, I wear a ring engraved with the word “Hope” on it. It is my reminder of my mission and purpose in life, “to inspire others to never give away their passions, dreams or hope!” Life throws many challenges our way and, for some, these challenges slowly chip away at our dreams, passions and hope. The emotional and physical toll of hopelessness eventually wears people out to the point where they lose all sense of purpose in life. But, there is hope!

I define HOPE as follows:

H – Happiness

O – Opportunity

P – Purpose

E – Excellence

In preparation for writing this article, I read Blogs, book excerpts, and journal articles on the scientific and psychological theories of hope. There is a lot of reading to be found, but not one magical answer! Rather, there is a contrast of agreement and disagreement between various theories, philosophies, and other research.

 In 1991, positive psychologist Charles R. Snyder and his colleagues came up with the Hope Theory. Hope was defined as the perceived capability to derive pathways to desired goals, and motivate oneself via agency thinking to use those pathways. Hope Theory defines goals, pathways, and agency as: 

• Goals – Approaching life in a goal-oriented way.
• Pathways – Finding different ways to achieve your goals.
• Agency – Believing that you can instigate change and achieve these goals.

Hope comes from within. It is developed from your thoughts, which drive your actions. In the study of Positive Psychology, there is a strong case between knowing and using your innate strengths, rather than focusing on your weaknesses, to foster and develop hope. From my own experiences and interpretation of research, I believe this:

People, who can create clear mental pictures of what they want in life, will create attainable goals to go after what they want, and will use their innate strengths to achieve it! - Beckie Jorgensen

Hopelessness is not a character flaw or inherent genetic state. It is directly related to the way you think and from past experiences. The good news is that hope can be learned and developed and the state of hopelessness can be erased. But in order to do that, we as "human beings" need to

(1) increase our self-awareness,

(2) identify and accept our natural born talents,

(3) take action to use and practice our talents to developed them into strengths, and

(4)

intentionally program our minds to create hopeful thoughts that motivate us to set and achieve our desired goals.

As the Holidays approach and 2015 comes to a close, here are some tips to setting your 2016 goals.

• Set a goal because it is something you really want, not what others expect of you.
• Make goals that stretch you, but are attainable using your strengths.
• Chart out A-B-C paths to each of your goals.
• When one path does not work, do not blame yourself. Move on to the next charted course.
• Practice talking to yourself using positive words, reducing negative self-talk and/or limiting beliefs.
• View problems as “opportunities” to learn and grow.
• Recall earlier successes in your life and what specifically did you say to yourself, think or do to achieve that success.
• Involve others to gain support and hold you accountable for reaching your desired goals.

 Hope is an invaluable gift to have and to share. Wear your hope proudly and serve others. Smile at a stranger, give a hug, speak words of kindness, express gratitude or lend a helping hand. You never know how one simple, intentional act can impact and give hope back to an otherwise hopeless person.

Here is to a HOPE FILLED 2016!

"You can make positive deposits in your own economy every day by reading and listening to powerful, positive, life-changing content and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people." – Zig Ziglar

Need help identifying your innate strengths or setting your 2016 goals? To learn more, visit: www.beckiejorgensen.com.

Discovering Your Purpose In Life

Is She Really Just a Daydreamer? The Truth Be Told

“Stop daydreaming,” my mom said. “Pay attention,” my teachers said.

Growing up, these directives were often given to me. I never really understood why I was considered a “daydreamer,” and as a child, I perceived those words as criticism. I often found myself sitting and just staring into space dreaming about “what could be.” Until, someone or something jolted me back to present moment awareness.

It was not until much later in my adult life that the truth was revealed. What I did not know then that I know now is that daydreaming was, in essence, my talents showing up in the rawest form. Meaning that I had not yet learned to appropriately regulate or develop my talents for productive use. Let’s face it, daydreaming can be quite therapeutic for oneself, but perceived by others as you lacking focus, being preoccupied, or having “your head in the clouds.”

In 2014, I took StrengthsFinder, which identified my top 5 dominant talents as Strategic, Maximizer, Responsibility, Futuristic, and Positivity. A few months later, I received my full report of all 34 talent themes in rank order. In my top 12 talent themes, I have Learner (#6), Ideation (#9) and Input (#12).

So what is the significance of this information as it relates to daydreaming? Everything. To help you better understand, I am going to provide a simple definition of each of these talent themes as reported by StrengthsFinder.

• Strategic – people who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
• Maximizer – people who are especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
• Responsibility – people who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
• Futuristic – people who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
• Positivity – people who are especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
• Learner – people who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them. 
• Ideation – people who are especially talented in the ideation theme are fascinated with ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
• Input – people who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

So, here is my simple formula to relate my talents to the topic at hand:

Strategic + Futuristic + Learner + Ideation + Input = Daydreamer

(or better term "THINKER")

I am a thinker. Not just any thinker. A thinker of future possibilities! My mind’s eye paints clear pictures of a better future and I sort through information, options, experiences and data in my head to create a clear path in order to turn dreams, whether my own or someone else’s, into reality. These are my natural born gifts. 

Have either one of these scenarios ever happened to you?

1. You are driving home from work. You are on the same route you drive every day. You know exactly where you are going and how to get there. But, today, you happened to miss your exit. All of a sudden you realize that you have been driving way to long and that you are 2 exits past the one you were supposed to get off. Your reaction, “Huh? How did I do that?”
2. You are sitting at your desk thinking about a problem and devising up a solution in your mind. You find yourself staring out the window. Your eyes are fixated on a particular spot, but it is not the tree or brick wall you actually see. In fact, you see nothing at all. But, if a colleague were to walk into your office and look at you, they would assume you are staring out the window at something very specific. He or she may even ask you, “What do you see out there?” Abruptly you come back to reality and embarrassingly respond, “Oh, um, nothing…I was just thinking about….”

If you experience these moments like I do, I am sure you can think of a hundred more scenarios of where you caught yourself or have been caught daydreaming. But the lesson taught here is this:

Learn to put your daydreaming to productive use and, BAM, you can visualize and devise innovative, creative and solution-focused ways of doing things for a better tomorrow, a better future, or even a better World!

Now that is TALENT turned into STRENGTH!

Ever been criticized for doing something over and over again, but yet never really understood why? It may very well be an underlying talent that could hold the key to your greatest potential for success! Want to learn more, please visit www.beckiejorgensen.com.

“We all possess innate talents. We all have a unique calling. When we tap into our talents and develop them into strengths, we transform our lives to be the best of who we were born to be!” – Beckie Jorgensen

Choosing a Path with Purpose

In life, there are 3 paths to travel.

1. The path of who others expect you to be.
2. The path of who you wish you could be.
3. The path of power, self-love, and purpose.

We choose which path to walk based on our thoughts, feelings, and own perception of self. The reality is, if we don’t love, value and accept ourselves, we are less likely to walk the path that leads to success, fulfillment, happiness, and purpose.

"The more you can be true to your authentic self, the more your life’s purpose and joy will follow you. You won’t even have to pursue it! Whereas the more you try to be someone you are not, the more your purpose will allude you, and you will be spending your life feeling joyless, pursuing something that you are not, while feeling like you have failed. Your only work is to be as YOU as you can be!” – Anita Moorjani

Path #1: You have no identity, are insecure, and lack recognition of your self-worth. Therefore, the only direction to go is on the road others pathed for you with no compass, no sense of direction, and no purpose.

Path #2: As you walk alongside a river, you see a reflection in the water looking back at you that you don’t like. You focus on your weaknesses, not your strengths. You travel the rocky road searching for ways to reinvent who you are. This path, ultimately, turns you around in circles only to lead back to where you started.

Path #3: Past challenges, life experiences, and disappointments have made you stronger. On your journey, you came to a fork in the road where you had to make a choice. You decided to take the path less traveled. The adventure re-ignites your hope and the freedom of choice to chart a different course gives you a sense of direction and purpose.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain

Regardless of which path you are on today, if you are not happy and do not love yourself, you can change directions. It is never too late to chart a new course in your life. But, it is a choice only you can make.

As a Certified Strengths Coach, I help guide people on their own journey of discovering their uniqueness, accepting and loving themselves, and developing a roadmap to chart a course to achieve fulfillment, happiness, and a life of true purpose.

POEM: The Power of ME

In many of my posts, I talk about discovering your innate talents, turning them into strengths, and discovering your purpose in life. I have walked you through my own journey of discovering who I am, what I do, and why I do what I do. I have done this by walking you through my own life story and writing about scenes of my life where internal and external struggles have taken me into a dark pit. I make connections to memories of past successes and how the power of persistence helped me crawl out of the pit on a search for solutions. And, most importantly, I teach you how my search led to discovering my own strengths which pathed the way to my breakthrough moment in life. But, today, I want to pause for a moment to address a fundamental part of this journey, self-acceptance.

The path of learning, inner-growth, and discovering your life purpose is a long winding road. One that never really ends as every new day brings with it different experiences, challenges, bumps in the road, and transitions. It can take years of self-observation, investing in coaching, practicing mindfulness and meditation, and inner awareness to truly acknowledge your innate gifts and accept who you really are. The truth of the matter, my friends, is that not everyone achieves this state of clarity ever in their lifetime.

“Self-acceptance is an invitation to stop trying to change yourself into the person you wish to be, long enough to find out who you really are.” – Robert Holden

When I speak about self-acceptance, I don’t mean liking some things about who you are and dismissing the rest. I don’t mean suppressing your weaknesses and pretending they don’t exist. True self-acceptance is about loving all of you inside and out.

This is by no means an easy task. In fact, it can be very painful. Those of you, who follow my Blogs, read my social media posts, and consider me your friend or colleague know I come from a heart-centered place. My consistent and authentic message is to inspire you and others to never give away your passions, dreams or hope. This is my personal value statement and my purpose in life.

But, self-acceptance is an area of struggle for me too. Despite all that I have shared openly, the path to success has not been straight and narrow. It has had it curves, turns, and detours along the way. To be perfectly honest, it continues, even today, to be that way. I can gain clarity, confidence and calm in one direction only to veer slightly and find myself driving down a road of fear, self-doubt, and frustration. I discover I am lost, have no sense of direction, and need to decide if I am going to stop to ask for help.

Take a moment to remember a time when you were lost. Metaphorically, a time when your GPS failed you? Despite your passenger begging you to turn around, you spent several minutes, maybe even hours, driving around and around? Yet, you were so determined that you could find your way, you refused to stop and ask for directions.

I hope in this very moment as you continue to read on, you have a slight smile on your face, let out a chuckle or paused to reminisce at a time when you too experienced this.

My point in yet another story is to share a poem that I wrote last night as I was contemplating my own journey and the day to come. It is a subtle reminder that can be read over and over again to help achieve the true desire of self-acceptance. It is a gift not only to me, but to share with you too. Visibly post it, read it daily and…if you really like it, please click like, comment, or share. Enjoy!

“Today, I choose MY life. Not what you think it should be, want it to be or expect it to be.

Today, I choose ME. Not who you want me to be, think I should be or expect me to be.

Today, I AM me.

The REAL me!

The me I was BORN to be.

Nobody can TAKE me away from me.

Today is the first step to FREE me.

It is the only step forward to BE.

Without the real me, I am useless. With the real me, I am LIMITLESS.

I AM ME.”

– ©2015, Beckie Jorgensen

Are You Tuned In?

Have you heard the buzz recently about mindfulness? According to the experts, becoming more mindful can impact many areas of your life including your mood, habits, peace of mind, how you interact with others, and so much more.

To be more mindful means to be more aware – more tuned into – and accepting of your thoughts, feelings and actions in the present moment. But too often, mostly out of habit, we simply go through life doing things mechanically, or mindlessly.

Have you ever driven by your exit on the freeway, or eaten something and couldn’t remember if you did, or gone into a room to get something and left without it? These are all acts of mindlessness. No, we’re not losing our minds, or getting old. It’s just that our minds are so filled with ‘noises’ of the day that doing things without thinking about them seems to save energy for the things that require extra thought and effort.

However, studies have shown that by clearing your mind, focusing on one thing at a time, and creating a habit of being in the present moment at all times will dramatically increase your energy, health, mood, well-being, and overall enjoyment of life.

Aside from those powerful benefits, being mindful or ‘in the present moment’ awakens you to many things you otherwise would miss as you go throughout your busy day.

“Learning to live in the present has taught me that there is no such thing as problems unless I choose to create and view opportunities as problems. By being open to and welcoming opportunities, and removing negative self-talk/perceptions, I open my Universe to receiving the good out of every situation.” – Beckie Jorgensen

To heighten your level of mindfulness, try these simple activities.

Activity #1: “Open Your Eyes”

Slowly look around the room you are in, taking in everything with your eyes. While you notice the objects in the room, hone in on the things that are red. Write down 10 things that have the color red in them.

When you have identified 10 items with red, answer the following questions:

• What does it take to be aware of something?
• How did having a specific thing to look for change your mind set?
• Give an example of something you started seeing all the time once you became conditioned to seeing it?
• How does ‘finding what you are looking for’ apply to your business or personal life?
• What are some visual triggers that have challenged your level of awareness?

While going through your day, deliberately notice and acknowledge the things you see. It may sound like this:

“The leaves on the trees are so vibrant.”

“The water glistens as the sun reflects off of it.”

“The mountains are hazy today behind the clouds.”

“My lunch is perfectly balanced on my plate.”

“The sofa brings out the blue in that picture.”

“My socks are slightly different shades of black.”

Activity #2 – “The Sounds Around You”

Get to a place where you can sit, get comfortable and be uninterrupted for one minute. Close your eyes and listen to your surroundings, noticing the sounds you hear in the ‘silence.’

After one minute, answer the following questions:

• What did you hear in the ‘silence’ of your surroundings?
• What internal disposition do you need to have in order to be mindful of what is going on around you?
• What does it take to be fully present?

You will notice that as you become more mindful of what you see and hear, and as you say the words to yourself as you observe them, that your life will literally get clearer and brighter.

We need to be aware of when our thoughts shift from the conscious (present) to the unconscious mind (past or future). Listen to those thoughts, feel the emotions, and observe your reaction. But just listen, don’t waste precious energy judging or analyzing them. The art of listening to your mind alone can recenter you to the present moment and bring forth the tremendous value of clarity, confidence, and calm!

Are you thinking about hiring a Coach to help you? I offer a complimentary introductory coaching session to help you discover if my program is right for you. Go here and complete the contact form and I will be in touch to schedule your session!

To learn more, visit: www.beckiejorgensen.com

Is There A Monkey Chattering In Your Head?

We all have negative voices in our head.  For some they are subtle, passive, and even deceive us into thinking they are there to protect us and keep us safe.  For others, they are much more aggressive, and downright mean.  Sometimes we are aware of their words and influence.  Most other times we are oblivious to their destructive messages, and they impact our beliefs, sense of self, motivation, and happiness.

One of the best ways to become savvy to the negative inner voices in your head is to practice mindfulness.  To be more mindful means to be more aware of your thoughts, feelings and actions in the present moment.

The problem with not being mindful of our thoughts is that we treat our thoughts as if they are facts. We just simply accept whatever comes into our mind as truth without giving it a second thought. And we have these thoughts so often that we believe them as fact. But really a thought is not a fact.  A thought is just a thought. And when they are destructive (which they mostly are), they have very negative ramifications.

You may have the thought “I am no good at this,” or “I’m fat,” or “I’m not smart enough,” or “Nobody understands me,” or even “I am brilliant!” Does thinking it make it so?  Once or twice, probably not. But if we think it enough, our mind will accept it as truth, regardless of whether it is good or bad.

When you start to pay attention to your thoughts through mindfulness with gentle curiosity and no judgment, you can observe your thinking more objectively. You can notice your thoughts, assess them for truth, then either accept or reframe them more positively. This is a powerful tool. Imagine catching even a fraction of your negative thoughts, assessing them for truth (which most aren’t), and reframing them in a more positive and truthful way.     

To further improve your mindfulness, try this activity.

Activity: “The Monkey-Chatter in Your Head” 

Start this activity with mindfulness of your breath.  Focus specifically on your breath –slowly in and out. Perhaps even speak the words in your mind. “I breathe in deeply, filling my lungs, and then exhale slowly, emptying my lungs.”

Then as you continue to breathe, allow yourself to notice any thoughts that come into your head. Pay attention to these thoughts without judgment. Thoughts are just thoughts – it’s whatever is going on in your mind at this particular moment.

It may sound like this:

“This is different - O.K. I’m going to do this.  Hey, there’s a fly.  Breathing in, exhaling out.  Ouch, my back hurts.  I should just get back to work.  There’s me thinking about work again.  Give yourself a break for a minute.”

Then it may go to something like “I’m sitting here thinking of my thoughts…  O.K.  It’s a beautiful day.  My stomach is hungry.  Hmmm, I can’t do this very well.”

These are all valid, normal thoughts. And very often they are all over the place like the example you just read.  Allow yourself time to think about your thoughts. Don’t rush, don’t judge, and don’t stop.  Find curiosity, interest and even humor in your thoughts.

You can also imagine your thoughts floating by like clouds in the sky, or leaves in a stream. Notice each passing thought and then the one that comes after it, and then the one that comes after that. You may notice that just at the moment you become aware of a thought, it passes and is replaced by another thought. That’s what happens – thoughts come, and they go.

Finally, to end this exercise bring yourself back to the awareness of your breath.

The value in this exercise is to realize first how little attention we pay to our thoughts, yet how extremely powerful they are.  Then learning to notice them can lead us to better control them to serve us for the better. 

"Remember...positive thoughts create a positive emotion which creates desire ~ resulting in new possibilities!" - Beckie

7 Steps to Strengths-Based Personal & Professional Development

Live Your Life: The Art of Leveraging Your Strengths to Live Your Purpose

Continental Who’s Who Executive Press Releases: Rebecca Jorgensen

http://www.cwwpressrelease.com/rebecca-jorgensen.htm

Live Your Life Purpose: Tips and Tools for Coping on a Bad Day!

I am going to be frank and honest here. Discovering your life purpose is hard work. It requires a lot of inner work to change limiting beliefs, stay grounded, and keep a positive attitude despite all the noise around you. I refer to noise as life situations that challenge you consciously and subconsciously. You know…those bad moments, days, or weeks that derail your positive mindset and forward progress. It could be a financial difficulty, poor interaction with someone you care for or love, or mounting moments of rejection (not getting a client, being told you didn’t get that job or promotion, or a refusal when asking for help). Whatever the situation is, it leaves you feeling defeated, angry, irritated, anxious, and disappointed…you name the word, emotion, or reaction that resonates with you.

Well, despite positivity being my # 5 strength as identified by StrengthsFinder, I too have those back in THE PIT moments. I wrote about THE PIT in my previous Blog, Confront Your Real Story: The Power of Persistence. The PIT was referred to as the depths of darkness where you experience thoughts of despair, failure, and unworthiness and feel depressed, stressed, and utterly exhausted. You find yourself paralyzed and wanting to give up all HOPE.

I had one of those weeks. Yes, TGIF! But the good news is that whatever challenge, negative emotion, or limiting belief you are experiencing right in the moment, it is temporary.  The key is to develop proper coping skills so that you get “unstuck.”

In this Blog, I am going to share with you some of my methods and resources used to get back up, dust off, and persist on.  Now, I know that everyone has their own ways to cope and that success with these methods is going to be different for everyone. But, humor me here! I have tried many different coping skills and, by far, the following list really works for me. So, I said to myself, Why not share?

1. If you have taken StrengthsFinder, take out your assessment results and read it again. Pay close attention to the words and phrases that resonate with you the most. Remember, your top 5 Talent Themes are your gifts, what makes you unique, and drive your purpose in life. You can NEVER, in my opinion, read your report too much. It is a good reminder to intentionally use your strengths and definitely a way to “ground” you back to reality! If you have not taken StrengthsFinder and would like to know more, visit me at www.beckiejorgensen.com.
2. Meditation. Clear your MIND. Get rid of the noise. Give yourself a break from your racing thoughts. For me, meditation gives my brain a break, renews my hope, and increases my positive spirit. I typically do a meditation exercise before I go to bed. It really helps me clear my head and get a good night rest. Click here for a 108 Meditation Techniques from The Meditation Society of America.
3. Affirmations. Take time to read and recite inspiring affirmations. I love to search the internet and Pinterest for inspiring quotes. I make it a daily routine, first thing every morning for about 15 minutes, to collect, pin, or post inspiring quotes on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. You can also create a quote board and display your favorite affirmations in a visible area to read daily. I love using Inspired Living Affirmations as a resource. Here is a link to their website and Facebook page. On Facebook, you can even request a FREE E-book download full of quotes!
4. Essential Oils. Essential oils play a powerful role in emotional healing. Essential oils assist in healing the physical body, healing the heart, releasing limiting beliefs, increasing spiritual awareness and connection, and inspiring the fulfillment of our life’s purpose. As part of my own journey of healing and inner work, I have incorporated essential oils as a natural and healthy part of my life to find emotional balance, increase my energy levels, and improve my sleep. I have been using essential oils for just over a year with great results! If you would like to learn more, just e-mail me directly at beckiejorgensen@gmail.com.
5. The Law of Attraction: Learn and practice the law of attraction. I will admit I am new to this one. I have started to learn how to incorporate this in my daily “time for me” routine. I believe that it is so important to schedule time for yourself on a daily basis to reflect, give gratitude, and attract good things into your life. The law of attraction is the name given to the maxim "like attracts like" which in New Thought philosophy is used to sum up the idea that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts a person brings positive or negative experiences into their life. Visit The Law of Attraction 
   website or Facebook page. On their Facebook page, you can sign up and download a complimentary Law of Attraction (LOA) Tool Kit.
6. Get a Coach. NO JOKE! Yes, I am a Coach, but even trained professional coaches, like me, need a Coach. The power of hiring a Coach, Mentor, or Accountability Partner is so valuable that I consider it priceless. Having an objective person to talk to, guide you, and hold you accountable for being your best self is key to living out your purpose. Observe and/or read about any successful person you know or follow and you will recognize that they did not get where they got by doing it alone! HIRE A COACH!

My list could go on and on. Of course, reading books, writing, journaling and yoga/exercise are important to add to the list as well. However, for me, I need at times to shake things up a little. Therefore, I am sharing some of my favorite “unconventional” approaches to coping with life situations. Whatever healthy coping strategies you have, try adding one or two different approaches. It is always a good idea to have different tools in your toolbox.

What other coping strategies have you had success with? Visit me atwww.beckiejorgensen.com , post a comment, or send me an email to beckiejorgensen@gmail.com. I would love you hear from you!

Living Your Purpose: The Power of Present vs. Future

Recently, I listened to the audio book, The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle. I am going to share my own interpretations and learnings from this book, which I applied to my fourth talent theme, Futuristic, identified by StrengthsFinder 2.0. There are many positive attributes to possessing the strength Futuristic, but there is an awareness that comes along as well.

My StrengthsFinder Report described Futuristic in me as follows:

“Driven by your talents, you possess a high level of skill and/or knowledge about specialized issues, subjects, processes, or programs. You probably combine this expertise with your ability to set definite goals for the coming weeks, months, years, or decades. Because of your strengths, you channel your mental and physical energies toward what you can accomplish in the months, years, or decades ahead. The question you must answer is this: ‘How far into the future can I think before my ideas start becoming vague or uninspiring?’ It’s very likely that you periodically establish performance targets for the week. Once in a while, you think about what your life could be like in the future. Some of these forward-looking images may motivate or energize you to meet your weekly goals. Perhaps you do better work when you can concentrate on your near-term objectives. Instinctively, you create detailed and vivid images of what the future promises. You can describe it long before others can imagine it. By nature, you are eager to get started on a project once you realize what you can accomplish in the coming weeks, months, or years. You work very hard to breathe life into your big dreams. These often push and pull you into the future.”

Part of my journey in living out my purpose is the realization that I need to consciously live in the present moment. However, using my strength of Futuristic in my work as a Success Coach allows me to carry out my “Mission” to:

1. Paint the picture of what could be, 
2. Help my clients understand what makes them unique, 
3. Connect my clients to their talents and strengths to achieve awareness of their true potential, and 
4. Inspire my clients to take action, move forward and live their life purpose.

My point is that I made a very clear distinction on how best to use my talent, Futuristic, without creating mindset limitations that could prevent me from being my best self, living out my purpose, and achieving my dreams! Futuristic is only one of 34 talent themes identified through StrengthsFinder.

As I previously explained in my last Blog post, Expanding Your Strengths:

“Your talents do not exist in isolation. You are not just one thing or five things. You use various talents to respond to different situations, and you frequently use several themes at once, whether you know it or not. The more you examine theme dynamics in your life, the more you will understand how your talents make you who you are.” – Excerpt from Expanding Your Strengths by Curt Liesveld.

For the purpose of this Blog, I am isolating Futurist to simplify and demonstrate application of this particular talent to my learning's from The Power of Now, which has given me a new perspective and has reinforced that living out my life purpose is a learning process. A process that has tremendous opportunities for growth and development to be my best self.

Just one other point to mention is that learning to live in the present has also taught me that there is no such thing as “problems” unless I choose to create and view opportunities as problems. By being open to and welcoming opportunities, and removing negative self-talk/perceptions, I open my Universe to receiving the good out of every situation.

“We must be conscious and responsible for our beliefs and behaviors if we are ever to be free.” – Brendon Burchard

The Power of Now provided me with a new awareness, which is, futuristic thinking unregulated (in my own terms) can create an illusion that the future will hold promises of fulfillment, happiness, and success. However, the uncertainty of the future, the “unknown,” creates anxiety and fear within and “negative thoughts” about problems that really don't exist in the now.  

“Why evoke within emotions of fear and anxiety and spend precious energy creating a problem that does not exist? Doing so robs us of the joy of living in the present moment.” - Beckie Jorgensen

So I have to ask myself, "What can I do now?"  If the answer is nothing, I need to trust that present moment awareness will in-of-itself provide me with a clear solution when faced with an opportunity. If there is an opportunity in the current moment that needs my attention, I take action - remove, change or accept it. Viewing situations as problems vs. opportunities causes undue stress, suffering, and pain.

From past experiences, I know all too well the consequences that negative thinking has on physical and emotional health and well-being. I lost my sense of self and weakened my strength of positivity.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that positivity is my fifth talent theme identified by StrengthsFinder. Below is an excerpt from my report:

“By nature, you desire to leave behind a legacy of great value and worth. In the end, you want your life to have mattered. For this reason, you are impelled to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the planet or people’s lives. Often you urge individuals to do their part in making the world, or at least their little corner of it, a better place for all living things. It’s very likely that you exhibit a deep fondness for people. This explains your ability to help others experience and compliment their accomplishments. Because of your strengths, you often motivate people. You patiently observe, ask questions of, and listen to each individual. This is how you pinpoint someone’s talents, skills, knowledge, interests, goals, and/or background. In the process, you usually discover the best way to train, coach, or praise the person. Instinctively, you like to lift the spirits of the people around you. You know what to do and say so individuals feel useful, valued, appreciated, and important.”

I share this specific excerpt because it demonstrates the POWER and meaning that positivity holds for me. Positivity is an innate gift!  If I do not intentionally fuel my positivity, my purpose of leaving behind a legacy of great value and worth is lost. My life will not have mattered.

“Every time you put something positive into the universe, the world changes. Your kindness invites miracles to show up, not just in your world, but in the whole world.” - Unknown

To stay present, The Power of Now teaches to also ask, "Am I experiencing joy, ease, and lightness in what I am currently doing?" If the answer is no, then I choose to change "How" and not "What" I am doing. By drawing upon my other strengths such as strategic #1, responsibility #3 and learner #6, I am able to create new ways to get things done.  

Because of my futuristic strength, I “channel my mental and physical energies toward what I can accomplish in the months, years, or decades ahead.” Setting goals is very important to me. But to fully live in the present, I need to focus on what I am currently doing now, not on the future results. You see, by focusing my actions in the present moment, I do not create those inner feelings of anxiety and fear nor do I create negative thoughts (i.e., What if I fail?) born from a place of “uncertainty or the unknown" or from worrying about the future results. Why?Because in the present state of being, I have already accomplished my goals and achieved success.

The Key Take-Away: We need to be aware of when our thoughts shift from the conscious (present) to the unconscious mind (past or future).  Listen to those thoughts, feel the emotions, and observe your reaction. But just listen, don’t waste precious energy judging or analyzing them. The art of listening to your mind alone can recenter you to the present moment and bring forth the tremendous value of clarity, confidence, and calm in living your life purpose!

“Living your life purpose is in the now. Not in the noise of past or future thoughts.” – Beckie Jorgensen