Someone just emailed me that they saw this sign in a chiropractor’s office: “Five dangerous words: Maybe it will go away.” How often do we think that? Obviously in the chiropractic’s office the reference was to the physical pain that we suffer with or are bothered by.

But in our everyday life, it’s usually the mental and emotional pain that we suffer with. We are hoping that it will go away. That we’ll wake up and feel better. And some times it does go away for a brief period of time. But it comes back unless we look at what are avoiding looking at.

Until we are truly honest with ourselves and honor our deepest truth, we will always live in some form of emotional pain. We need to keep asking that question: Is what’s going on in my life, consistent with my deepest truth? If it isn’t, then we need to ask ourself what changes we need to make to honor that truth. There is no honor without truth.

In some ways it’s simple, but perhaps the most difficult thing we ever have to do. Keep exploring. Keep questioning.

And along the way you can choose happiness.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and speaker who inspires others to believe in themselves. He is passionate about life being an exciting journey of discovery. His enthusiastic and inspiring keynotes on change, leadership and connection thoroughly convey this message to his audiences. A former trial attorney for 30 years, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He is the author of Dancing on the River…Navigating Life’s Changes.

“So it happened,” is what I said to our friend Carl in yesterday’s life coaching session. Like Carl many of us don’t know how to let go. It’s the next day, the next month or even next year. Yes it did happen. It doesn’t matter so much what happened or why or what someone did to you. What does matter is that “it” happened, whatever that “it” is. There is no question that it changes the playing field but in a way that presents you with new opportunities and possibilities.

But what is that opportunity. What is that possibility? Perhaps you don’t see it right now, so you keep thinking about what happened and that “it.” To see what’s possible, stop looking backward and let go of your resentment and disappointment. Use your imagination to get a sense of where you want to go. Imagine having the life you really want a year from now. What would that be like? Feel it and see it happening.

Focus on what you can now do. Take that first step in the new direction even though it might seem trivial at first. And do it now. And then the next day, take the next step.

From this new perspective, new possibilities emerge that shatter your old limiting beliefs. It is a new moment, ripe with infinite possibilities.

So press your reset button. You get to choose. You are not limited by the past. Choose to move forward, to see the opportunities and to enjoy the journey.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and speaker who inspires others to believe in themselves. He is passionate about life being an exciting journey of discovery. His enthusiastic and inspiring keynotes on change, leadership and connection thoroughly convey this message to his audiences. A former trial attorney for 30 years, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He is the author of Dancing on the River…Navigating Life’s Changes.

In a life coaching session yesterday with, let’s call him, Carl, Carl related how he had achieved his goal of getting certified as a CFA. It had been a lifelong goal of his. He had been working in the financial industry for the last six years.

But he felt empty. For so long he was motivated by his quest for achieving his career goal and made many sacrifices. And now he was there. He had reached what he had thought would be the stepping stone to a rich and fulfilling life. Yet he still didn’t feel satisfied. Something was missing and he didn’t know what it was. Not only that, but the quest for financial wealth and security took a toll on his relationship with his family. So Carl asked that question that we all ask ourself at times, “Now what?” So we began our work together.

Carl began to wonder about his deeper purpose; about the true work he was sent here to do.

Soon it became clear to Carl that his true work was with Non-Profits; to give them the financial expertise to carry on their important work in these challenging times.

So what can we learn from Carl. No matter what you are doing in life, ask yourself why you are doing it. Not only that but keep questioning it. Once you are connected with your true purpose, you can endure many hardships that will enable you to overcome the obstacles that are in the way. And there will always be something.

So become clear why you are doing what you are doing and remember that it changes at different times in your life. Once you have clarity about what you are committed to, then a whole new world opens up. Then living your life with passion is an expression of who you really are.

MAKE YOUR LIFE MATTER

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and speaker who inspires others to believe in themselves. He is passionate about life being an exciting journey of discovery. His enthusiastic and inspiring keynotes on change, leadership and connection thoroughly convey this message to his audiences. A former trial attorney for 30 years, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He is the author of Dancing on the River…Navigating Life’s Changes.

So many of us are looking for the answer that will make our lives instantly better, or at least put us on the path to a better life. So we are attracted to articles, books or movies with the word Secret in it. If only we can figure it out we think to ourselves. I admit I have been one of those poeple throughout the years.

We have lots of good positive intentions, but not nearly as many positive results. We think that perhaps there is a secret that can put us over the top. Is there a secret for transforming our best intentions into results?

Instead of doing what we need to do on a daily basis we stay committed in our search for that elusive secret. The years go by and still we’re searching. We’re looking for the next thing.

For a second let go of that quest for the secret and think about what really excites you. What is it that makes you feel fully alive? Imagine living a life that is consistent with what comes up for you. Have it in mind. Visualize it every day and imagine getting closer on a daily basis toward your vision. Let your intention to actualize that vision, pull you in the direction of where you want to go.

Each day is complete in itself. Do one thing daily in the direction of where you want to go. Rather than focusing on the obstacles down the road and what’s in the way, see yourself completing what you have to do just for today.

Make the path glorious. Focus on each moment. That’s all there is. Each moment can be a dynamic experience, an end in itself as it leads you in the direction of your intention.

There is no secret out there to be discovered. It is just you expressing fully your essence as you experience your life in the way you know it can be.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and speaker who inspires others to believe in themselves. He is passionate about life being an exciting journey of discovery. His enthusiastic and inspiring keynotes on change, leadership and connection thoroughly convey this message to his audiences. A former trial attorney for 30 years, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He is the author of Dancing on the River…Navigating Life’s Changes.

It was one of those chance meetings that are becoming more frequent. I was on my way down to LA to be a guest on People Make a Difference. I was excited. There was only one seat left on the plane. I sat down. I hadn’t seen him since I was a young lawyer. As we were catching up, it was obvious that, for him, life was a struggle. He was somewhat cynical. There wasn’t anything that I could say that was going to change his mind. In fact it was difficult for me to get a word in edgewise. He was convinced that his perception of the world was the only one. In that hour, he did everything he could to try to convince me that I was naïve and that I should change my attitude.

We can’t ignore the fact that we live in challenging times. There are many who are affected by the economy. Their problems are immediate. Others are affected by the every day imperfections of life; their careers, their relationships, their health and what isn’t working that captures their attention.

The bigger question is what enables some to keep smiling in the face of this adversity, while others are sapped of their joy and serenity.

The mind is fickle. There is always going to be something that captures our mind’s attention whether we want it to or not. It could be a headline, a story about someone we know or about what happened to us during our day. Quite often we don’t know what it is before it happens. To say it another way: Our mind has a mind of its own.

There is that thing–that circumstance in our life, which we believe prevents us from being happy. You know that thing. It more than bothers us—quite often we’re obsessed with it. We’ll wait it out until things get better, we think to ourselves.
Maybe the other person will change. And then we’ll be happy again–well maybe not happy, but at least we won’t be as stressed. It is this pattern that is repeated over and over again.

Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Although we might have a temporary reprieve from the recurring stress, it’s only a matter of time until the next thing occurs that bothers us. Let’s explore these tendencies by traveling back in time and discover what our history tells us.

Take a moment to reflect upon what you consider to be your biggest concern. Prior to this concern there was something else. If you keep exploring this train of thought, you’ll notice that you can go on for quite a while. It works in the other direction also. When you travel into the future with the same frame of mind, you’ll only see a wall of worry.

So what am I getting at? Even though life is and always has been changing, the nature and source of our concerns doesn’t change much. There has been and always will be something that obsesses us. That’s the way life is. And on the path of awakening, we discover that we’re human, not machines that are suppose to be infallible. While finding solutions is important, the exploration needs to shift from trying to avoid these problems to seeing them as opportunities. We discover that even in the middle of the storm, we can experience moments of stillness and clarity. We learn how to be and know what we have to do.

Not only are there external shifts in our thinking, there are internal shifts in our perception of reality. These shifts occur simultaneously. There is the external shift of how we see ourselves in the world. Most of us identity with what we do in the world and or from the circumstances of our life. Think about how you sign your name or what you say to describe yourself. Are there initials after your name? Is there a description of what you do or who you do it for? It takes a while to come to the realization that we are much more than the labels we use to describe ourselves, and that we are much more than the circumstances we let define our lives.

If you have been a reader of Letters of Life for a while you know I was a trial lawyer for many years. My awareness of my true essence began when I started to meditate many years ago. I began to experience moments of peace and tranquility in the least likely of places. It could be in a courtroom. It could be in the midst of a stadium at a sporting event full of thousands of people.

As you cultivate a spiritual practice, you’re able to shift your focus from the concerns of your daily life to the present moment, where you experience what I call “moments of grace.” These “moments of grace” are just the beginning. With consistent discipline, they become a sanctuary from the concerns of the world.

How you get to and discover this sanctuary is a unique experience for each of us that keeps evolving. Since I have written about this in other articles, I’ll only say a few things here. A word that I like to use this feeling is transcendence. We transcend our concept of ordinary reality. Our mind takes a holiday. Athletes experience it as being in the zone. Dancers and musicians become one with the rhythm. Runners feel it when the endorphins kick in. For many, including myself, writing has become a great way of tapping into this stillness. We can’t always get there. But when we do, it is a “moment of grace.”

I hope that I have planted a seed that you continue to cultivate. Hopefully by now you know that you will always have concerns. That’s life. But you can choose happiness. You can smile. You can laugh in the midst of it all.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and speaker who inspires others to believe in themselves. A former trial attorney for 30 years, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He is the author of Dancing on the River…Navigating Life’s Changes.