The power of visualization is a popular subject these days. From its health benefits to its power in helping us create the life we want, we’re increasingly aware of it. Some have had great success with these practices.

There are even movies about how visualizing the life you want will lead to its manifestation. There is certainly value in developing clarity as to what it is we want. But by itself is not enough. Without some form of action, the visualization remains just a picture in our minds.

Don’t get me wrong. There is certainly great value in having a clear sense of what it is you want and what it looks like. And there is value in having a plan as to how to manifest it. But without more, nothing is going to happen.

What is it that you can do now to move toward its implementation of your plan?

I remember when I embarked upon my new path as a life coach. I sent out a letter to everyone I knew thinking that the response would be so great that I wouldn’t have time to respond to all of the inquiries. There were not any responses until I took action by following up with phone calls. My taking action by making those initial calls were instrumental in my getting to where I am now.

Even if you feel that you are not ready, you can still take a small step now. Don’t wait for the perfect time to begin. Begin now. Take the step. Even if you’re not fully prepared, there’s something you can
do right now.

The action step sends a message to the universe that you are committed. Action accomplishes more than just the immediate results it
creates. Action takes you much further than just the belief you can do it. It’s great to have a belief in your abilities; but go beyond your intentions and make it come alive. Let the universe know you are committed.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and thought leader 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 and Discover the Leader Within.

I remember when I got the wake-up call. I wasn’t perfect. Far from it. A few people walked out of my life. It’s what I needed at the time. I didn’t know what to do. I had never experienced this isolation before. I was really vulnerable for the first time. I reached out. It was the beginning of the path of awakening that I’ve been on for the last forty years. I began meditating.

I’ve come a long way. When I began this journey I was solution oriented. If I did this, I would get this result. So I began to take personal growth courses with the idea that the key to everlasting happiness would be unlocked. When I finished with the training or course, I would feel happy and excited for a while, but inevitably I would reach a plateau.

But I was open and the next thing would come along and I was ready to again try to discover the answer. I would think to myself, “If I do this consistently, I’ll be happy. Or if this case settles, I won’t have any money problems for a while.”

Then one day I made a profound shift. I realized that I was a curious person and that I liked to explore new ideas and to learn new things. From that day on I continued to try new things, not with the idea that they would fix me, but because I enjoyed them. I was a committed life long learner. I still am. It keeps me fully engaged with life.

Everyday living involves growing and expansion. Just like nature’s cycles, there is a growing season and then one in which the flowers bloom. Then the leaves fall wistfully to the ground and the trees become barren. That’s our life. This cycle never stops. We keep growing and then step back and process what we’ve learned up to this moment in our lives. And then the cycle repeats itself.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and thought leader 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 and Discover the Leader Within.

Take some time to reflect upon what your life, focusing on what you are most proud of and what are some of your greatest successes. When I look back at my life and reflect upon some of my greatest successes, I notice that there were certain habits and characteristics that were instrumental in my creating what I have up to this point in my life. Some people might refer to it as your “winning formula.”

Let’s explore a few of these characteristics and see if they have been a component of some of your greatest successes. If not they are certainly something to think about.

1. Determination has been the key. But it’s difficult to stay determined unless what you are trying to achieve is important and you really want it. If you aren’t determined, you’ll focus on the excuses rather than the outcome.

But quite often we aren’t even aware of the excuses that we come up with until someone points it out. And even then, we’ll come up with more excuses. When a prospective coaching client first contacts me, I pay close attention to what they are saying and the language they are using. Are they using words of lack and limitation or words of possibility?

2. Let’s explore one more empowering practice. Discipline! It’s huge…you can’t get really good at anything consistently unless you practice….whether it’s a musical instrument, a physical practice, or learning something new, it takes practice…perhaps you’ve heard the question..how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, Practice, Practice. It’ the consistency from the discipline that allows us to keep going even when we don’t feel like working anymore.

Let’s look at it from a different perspective.

Imagine you are traveling to an important event. But on the way you get lost. How do you handle it? Do you get frustrated? Or do you stop and acknowledge that you are lost and that you need to reassess how to get there. You look at your available resources. Your GPS is nearby. Most certainly you don’t stay where you are. What makes your internal GPS effective is focus and determination.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and thought leader 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 and Discover the Leader Within.

Most of our expectations are influenced by our past experiences. It’s difficult to free ourselves from them. We’re human. But if we could, what would our life be like?

We would still want to build upon our prior successes, but also add another piece to our exploration. What if we asked ourselves, “What would my life be like, if what I am concerned about now, or what I am working on now, turns out better than i ever imagined?” Take a few moments and make that inquiry. It certainly changes the direction of the conversation, from one of lack and limitation, to one of possibility.

You do have the power to change the conversation, especially when you are able to let go of the limiting beliefs you have brought with you into the present moment. By letting go of the past you can create success much greater than you have ever experienced before.

As you continue to focus more on where you are going and what’s possible, you will be better able to let go of the disappointments of the past. Over time, you are living in a whole new paradigm, in which your sense of what’s possible keeps expanding.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and thought leader 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 and Discover the Leader Within.

What if you paused for a second and assessed where you are at in your life, at this moment in time. But let’s make this assessment, using different guidelines, which will give your life a perspective that acknowledges your greatness and your resourcefulness.

What I would like you to do is to reflect upon the last five years, and for each year, think about what accomplishments, insights, change in attitude you are most proud of. This change in perspective is powerful. To make it even more powerful, you might want to consider taking time to journal what you come up with.

Focusing on what you are most proud of, will definitely raise your level of self worth and esteem. It also will put a smile on your face. I even have one now as I am writing this. You discover your uniqueness and the gifts you bring to the world. From this perspective you are more likely to share yourself with others.

As we share ourselves with others, there is a greater likelihood that we will connect with other kindred souls who are on the same journey. Doesn’t it feel great when we connect with those people who get who we are? When this occurs, we feel empowered to keep reaching out and exploring possibilities that we never considered before. In the process we connect with deeper levels of joy and fulfillment.

The world is waiting. Be the best you, you can be.

Happiness and joy and fulfillment are now yours. Live them
today in your own special way.

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and thought leader 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 and Discover the Leader Within.

Imagine that you have a confidence gauge that ranges from 1-100, with 100 being its highest level. When your confidence is high, the difficulties that occur in everyday life, don’t affect as much. In fact, you see them as challenges and opportunities.

We would like to be on that level most of the time, but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Our confidence fluctuates and difficulties do affect us and we get discouraged at times. What brings it down are those disappointments that makes life seem more challenging. Our resilience has taken a hit and our moods are affected by external stimuli. The good news is that we do have the means and opportunity to increase the level of our gauge so that we experience life from the upper levels.

No matter what is happening in our life, we always have another choice as to the meaning we give it. No doubt there are things in the world that happen and are horrific and affect the collective consciousness. But life is also beautiful and touching when we stay open and allow ourselves to experience it.

There is no doubt that life seems unfair at times, but you don’t accomplish anything by complaining. Instead, put your energy into the direction of changing, what you think seems unfair. When you have a purpose and or a cause it’s easier to focus on where you are going and where you want to go.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and thought leader 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. Give yourself the gift of coaching and make an investment in your future.

The best day of the week is today. Let’s start with that in mind. How you start your day sets the tone for the day. As part of my morning program, after meditating, I wonder about what the highlight of my day might be.

It gives me a positive frame. There is good to experience in some way or some form, but we might not recognize it because we allow our concerns and moods to overshadow what we’re feeling and thinking. Those wild emotional swings color what’s possible in the moment.

We forget about what really matters to us in the moment. We become obsessed with our concerns. There will always be something that concerns us. So let’s for today focus on the good, what the highlight of our day might be. Imagine if we focus on this on a daily basis. It’s powerful. I’ve been doing this for over eleven years. Instead of thinking about what might happen down the road, we’re more present. We notice little things that we might tend to overlook.

From this perspective, we’re more curious, and our ability to experience joy keeps expanding. From time to time, people ask me if I’m ignoring reality. My response is that I’m not ignoring it, I’m choosing how I’m experiencing it.

Once you become more conscious of the moment, you attract to you, unexpected forces in the universe that align with you in furtherance of your true purpose and the life you want to live. Stay focused.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and thought leader 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. Give yourself the gift of coaching and make an investment in your future.

Perhaps you have been thinking about your next project or your next strategic move. Perhaps it’s a career change or making a presentation. It might be a decision you have been postponing. You are waiting for a sign, yet you are not sure what that sign will look like. So you sit on the sidelines wondering about where you are going and what you are doing. That’s OK for a while, but honestly ask yourself how fulfilling that indecision is.

When Dancing on the River was first published, in one of the radio interviews,the host could not pronounce the last part of my name correctly. Finally I said, “Now, as now is the time, not later.”

The only perfect time is now. Assess what you have and what you have to work with. That includes all of your accomplishments in your life up to now. From there take the next step. You are in a perfect place to move forward in your life.

Rather than complaining or wishing things were different, think about one thing you can do now. Perhaps it’s not the total answer to what you are searching for, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

Perhaps you have heard the expression, “A journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step.”

So take it. I am sure you can think of many reasons or excuses not to begin. There will always be something that will cause you to lose focus or to distract you. Keep your focus on the big picture.

Before I created inspirepossiblity.com, I didn’t even have a website or a newsletter. But I began with the intention to inspire others to believe in themselves. So it began. Just with an intention.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and thought leader 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. Give yourself the gift of coaching and make an investment in your future.

There is that moment when you feel great just to be alive. You rejoice in waking up and smiling. Certainly as we get older we appreciate each day more. We let go of what might have been or what we should have done. This is a great day to celebrate our being who we are. You have created a masterpiece.

In your masterpiece you sense how beautiful everything is. You enjoy yourself when the sun is out and you also enjoy the cloud formations moving in the sky. You look up and notice how beautiful the clouds are. You notice the trees and their different colors and shapes. Ah, this is a perfect day to be alive.

Yes you still have dreams but you are not fixated on them. In your own way you are moving toward the fulfillment of these dreams. But you think about much more. You know how important it is to enjoy each moment. With that in mind, you wonder about what the highlight of your day might be. You’re curious—open to being pleasantly surprised. Perhaps you can’t decide between two or three different things.

And so it is. In each moment you are in the process of creating your masterpiece. Good job.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an executive & life coach and thought leader 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. Give yourself the gift of coaching and make an investment in your future.

In the back of my mind I thought about writing a book. I had been writing Letters on Life, a monthly ezine, for quite some time. Writing a book was the next progression. But life got in the way and the thought stayed on the back burner, until I ran into an old friend. She had been reading Letters on Life and suggested that I write a book. With her help I spent a year developing a memoir. When reached the point of final editing, she suggested that rather than publish the memoir, that I should publish something based on my newsletters since I already had a following.

Although I knew she was right, I initially resisted the idea. After a year of hard work, I wanted to see the end result. So I did nothing for a while. The unpublished manuscript stayed on my computer, until one day I decided I would write that book. The result was Dancing on the River: Navigating Life’s Changes.

I originally thought that the book would be completed in a brief period of time—— I would get a publisher and then I would be on my way. Well life doesn’t work that way. The entire process with getting the book published took three years.

On many occasions I felt like abandoning the project, but I hung in there.I had to dig deep and bear my soul to finish the journey, or should I say the first phase of the journey.

The next phase is sharing your book and message with others. For some that is daunting, but for me I enjoy it. It’s not a short journey, but a marathon full of many ups and downs; many starts and finishes. But a rewarding journey.

Nearing the day when the manuscript was ready for the editor was an exciting day. But it was just the first phase of many. Along the way there were more peaks and valleys. The struggle, the uncertainty, the feeling of giving up have all contributed to the feeling of joy that I got when I completed the project. Since then it’s been a celebration.

But it’s all taking one step at a time. But keep taking that step.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

Mark Susnow, is an Executive-life coach, Speaker and Author. He is passionate about life being an exciting journey of discovery. He is the author of Dancing on the River:Navigating Life’s Changes; Discover the Leader Within: 10 Ways to Become the Leader you Have Always Wanted to Be. You can reach him at mark@inspirepossibility.com