By now you know how important it is to have a purpose. It’s much easier to focus on where you are going and why you are doing something when you do, and to overcome the inevitable obstacles that you encounter along the way. They will always be there. The universe has a remarkable way of making you dig deeper.

There is another component to getting there. Quite often whatever you are doing becomes much more difficult than you originally thought. If you keep where you are going in mind, the inevitable detour in the way, in the form of a “No,” won’t derail you.

You’re closer to where you are going even if your progress seems insignificant. Small steps are powerful——much greater than what is obvious. We discover that these small actions collectively have a positive impact on our life. Appreciate these steps for they are the building blocks of the future.

Of course to keep going, we must have a clear intention and the persistence to rise above the momentary disappointments that get in our way. Before we know it we are where we want to be.

Sometimes it might take years to get there, but when you do it’s fulfilling and quite often momentous.
With each temporary setback, we ask ourselves how can we be better. We ask ourselves what we learned. We ask ourselves, how did what happen make me a better person.

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. Give yourself the gift of coaching and make an investment in your future.

You worked hard. It’s ready to go but then you get feedback that there is one more thing that you need to do to make it better. You’re somewhat disappointed and frustrated. More work. In your mind you are done with the project. Does this scenario sound familiar? It can apply to so many aspects of our life. We thought we were done and ready to move on. But we’re not.

I’ve been there myself many times. Dig deeper——another opportunity to be better and to gain a deeper grasp of whatever we are doing. Yes, it’s more challenging than we thought and at times we are not sure where we are going or whether it’s worth it. But we keep going forward and learn to be present with the task at hand.

We keep learning. Perhaps the greatest learning is to enjoy the process of going deeper. It could be preparing a report for school, for your job or for the government. There are many layers and many considerations. In the process you develop a greater understanding of whatever it is you are working on. In the process you learn how to be more effective.

Perhaps you come to a different conclusion than the one you originally thought. In the process you become a more effective and evolved human being. It makes life more rewarding and fulfilling. Nothing is a mistake, but feedback for our journey. It serves as information for our internal GPS system that let’s us know that we are off course. So we make the adjustment integrating the new information to right our course. We get there and are more empowered by what we learned on our journey.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY

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. Give yourself the gift of coaching and make an investment in your future.

When you are clear about your life purpose, then in essence you have found your true North. It becomes your compass and guide so that you don’t get seduced by the detours along the way and there will be many.

They are in the form of negative reactions to everyday life. Most, all of us, have been overwhelmed by resentment at times. We might be bitter about something that occurred, or about what someone did to us. Sometimes it’s hard to let go. Every time we think about that person, even if it has been years, we viscerally react. We erroneously believe that by holding on to our resentment that we are punishing the other person. A wise man once said about resentment, “It’s like drinking poison, thinking that it will kill the other person.” That’s the fallacy with hanging on to our resentments.

It becomes our life and affects all of our other relationships. We become negative and forget that we have choices.

Our disappointments also affect our moods and have the potential to poison the rest of our life. The poison seeps into all of our relationships unless we learn to let it go and stay open to the good that is around the corner.

When you are true to your purpose, when you are knocked off course, it’s not for long. You catch yourself. You are reminded of what you are here to do. You know that disappointments are part of the journey. You are more determined than ever. You know that you are continually making a choice to stay on course and to enjoy each step of the journey.

When you are in alignment with your purpose, you will meet allies who are drawn by your passion. They want the same thing. Let them in. Imagine things turning out better than you expected.

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.

You’re out in the woods and you come to a crossroads. You’re not sure which trail to continue on. The trail might even seem to end. You assess the situation. You know if you take the wrong turn, it might be hours before you get back to your car. It might be dark by then.

In some ways that little anecdote is a microcosm of our life. At times life seems complicated and somewhat arbitrary especially when we’re in our victim mentality. All we can think about is how life is unfair. We’re immersed in a pity party. In those moments our focus is on what can go wrong, rather than the solution. We wait for a sign and when one comes along we don’t recognize it.

We seek out others for advice. There are plenty of people out there who mean well. We’re trying to figure out how what they are saying pertains to us, rather than listening to our inner voice. No one knows our situation and our capabilities better than we do. When we try to synthesize what other people are telling us and make it relevant to our life, we lose sight of our unique wisdom.

Each of us has something special to share. But when we water down what our real message is, our unique wisdom is not shared with the world. Not only do other people lose out on the benefit of our unique contribution, we are out of integrity with ourself.

Believe in yourself and let the world know what your ultimate truth is. They are waiting.

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’s that time of year. Holiday parties, checking in with friends you haven’t talked to for a while; sending out holiday greetings and messages. We’re checking in. We’re also taking inventory of our life. Was this a good year? Was it a great year? Could I have done better? It really doesn’t matter. It’s in the past. What matters is where we go from here. How can we integrate the lessons from the past into our life journey. There is a quote that I read many years ago that reminds me of this truth. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”

What if from this moment on we make a vow to ourself that it’s all in our hands. With this in mind, in every moment we are setting an intention for how we want to live and what is important. We are sending a message to the universe as to what we believe in. We are sending a message as to what we stand for.

Having a clear picture of what that is enables us to develop a roadmap for our journey.
Have a reason for why it matters enables us to get past those inevitable bumps in the road.

It’s a matter of priorities. It’s a matter of values. It’s a matter of believing with our heart and soul that we matter and what we have set out to do can make a difference in the world. When you feel it and believe in what you are doing, then it’s just a matter of time until you get there.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

ENJOY THE JOURNEY

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 so many things that we do preparation is the key to success and fulfillment. Quite often we don’t see any results for some time. Think of a garden. You pull the weeds, turnover the soil and mix in compost. When you begin to harvest what you planted it’s a great feeling.

Because we understand the cyclical pattern of nature, we trust the process. We also know that we can only take one step at a time and each step prepares us for the next so that we can reap the harvest.

When we harvest the fruits of our labor we have a sense of fulfillment because of the effort that went into it. It wasn’t just given to us. Much hard work was involved.

All of life is like that. There are always going to be obstacles and challenges. They are there to challenge us to look deeper and to try harder. These difficulties serve us. Honor them rather than complain about them.

BE THE BEST YOU, YOU 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.

Do you compare yourself to others? Perhaps it’s just in a subtle way. We might compare how we look to some image that we notice in a magazine or on a television commercial or program. We compare ourselves to an image not base on reality, but on modern technology. Or perhaps we compare our relationship situation to someone else’s. There is no way for us to really know what is going on. The same goes with our career. It’s difficult to evaluate unless we have the total picture. There is no value in comparing our current situation to the way it use to be. It’s a new day.

It’s easy to lose focus and become discouraged. The sound bites and snippets that we hear and see on TV are geared to get us to think and act in a particular way.

What gets lost is that we are individuals with special qualities and characteristics. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are many people who would love to trade places with you.

You have worked hard to get to this place in your life. You are ready to reap the harvest. You are on the right path because it’s your path and no one else’s. You are the creator of your life. It’s time to claim and honor your uniqueness. You are on the verge of a breakthrough in your life.

I love what Joseph Campbell says in Dark Forest:

“You enter the forest
At the darkest point;
Where there is no path.

Where there is a way or path,
It is someone else’s path.

If you follow someone else’s way,
You are not going to realize your potential.

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.

Wouldn’t it be great if what you truly wanted for yourself made a difference in the lives of others. I know that most of us would really like that. It would give our life meaning and purpose. If we know that what we do really makes a difference and is important, then we don’t let life’s problems and challenges stop us.

We want to make a difference, but sometimes question the value of what we are doing and ask ourselves if we are really helping others.

Life can benefit by you being the best you can be, even if times it seems a little self-centered. Isn’t that focus and determination the quality that most visionaries possess. As you go deeper and take what you are doing to the next level you open yourself up to a whole world full of possibilities that at one time you didn’t know existed.

When we achieve mastery in one area of our life, our accomplishment has a positive impact on everything else that we are involved in. And it even goes further as there are many others with whom we have never met who benefit from the work we have done.

You have the ability and means to make a positive impact. Don’t let the difficulties and the challenges distract you from your real purpose. They are there to motivate you to look deeper and to open your eyes to possibilities that you were unable to see before.

Be the best you can be. Be willing to share who you are. The world deserves it. Marianne Williamson say it best.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do…It’s not selfish or greedy to achieve your most deeply felt desires. What’s selfish is to do nothing, to accept less
than you could be, when you could be making a difference.

Let the real you shine.

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.

I’ve often said that it’s up to us. What I mean is that in each day, in each moment, we choose what we focus on. What we focus on determines what we think about. AND whatever we focus on expands. If your focus is on the negative, you are going to see negativity in whatever you do. The good news is that if you focus on the positive, then the positive in your life will also expand.

There are two big questions you can ask yourself on a daily basis. Whatever you are doing or thinking, ask yourself what is possible. And ask yourself what would your look like if things turned out better than you expected. And it can if you stay open to that possibility. We have know way of knowing what the future holds for us. To create the future we want we first have to plant the seed in our subconscious mind by conceiving it in our mind.

Begin by saying it the way you want it to be. Over time you will come to feel it. When you say it’s a beautiful day and feel it, it’s not because of the current weather. It is because you see the beauty in it even with your worries and concerns. Those concerns will always be there.

Life is good even with its worries and concerns because that’s what we focus on. Over time we smile for no reason at all because that smile is an expression of our inner joy.

LET IT IN

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.

Those of us who are looking for ways to experience more success and fulfillment in our life have done the work. We have read books, listened to audio and have heard many inspiring speakers. We have so much information we could probably write a book or teach a course. But why is it that we still don’t feel fulfilled and have what we really want.

Here we are; we know what to do but we don’t do it. We stop! Why? Because we let our feelings determine whether something gets done. Our feelings control our life.

We have the information——it’s our job to integrate it into our life and make it work for us.
Once you have determined that something needs to be done or that you want to do something, sit down and take the first step and then the next step. Start doing it now even if you have resistance. Resistance goes along with being human.

It gets easier especially as you develop more empowering habits and the momentum builds up. Otherwise you’ll allow the power of inertia to keep you stuck.

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.