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.

It’s a natural tendency to want to avoid pain whether it’s physical or just in our minds. And we usually associate difficulties with some form of emotional pain and we do everything we can to avoid confronting the difficulty.

But it’s in the doing and facing our challenges that ultimately makes us stronger. What’s also true is that it’s not the difficulties themselves that make life difficult but it’s the mental dialogue and the story we tell ourself about what’s ahead that has the potential to become an epic drama. It’s quite a paradox. We go to much difficulty trying to avoid what we perceive as difficult. And the truth is that it’s not the difficulties that make life so difficult. What makes life difficult is the effort we expend in trying to avoid the difficulties.

We know by now that life is going to have some difficulties. But by running from them and not facing them, we make things more complicated. Think of what happens internally when you try to hide the truth from someone. Your little story even though about a small matter, becomes quite complicated. And quite often it involves enrolling other people in your little deception.

I quite often say that I’m happy and I have a few loose ends. My happiness is not dependent on the absence of problems. Once we see these loose ends as challenges, we’re motivated to look deeper and to see opportunities that at one time in our life, we didn’t know existed.

Your problems can motivate you to become the best you that you can be. In fact what if you actually were thankful for the problem. What then?

You’ll become a better and more enlightened you.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY AND CHOOSE HAPPINESS

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.

Over the years I’ve noticed that many of us share similar underlying concerns and patterns. The simplest way of saying it is that we’re not living the life we really want. We’re way off target. We’re in a career that we’ve lost our enthusiasm for, or perhaps we’re in a relationship that has gotten stale. Or we think that there is a relationship out there that is going to wake us up and bring us alive.

So we look at our life wondering how we can break out of our box, but from our limited perspective we can’t see a way out.

Here’s a suggestion. Ask yourself what makes you come alive. There is always a way to move in the directions of the life you really want. When I began working with our friend Sally, one of my life coaching clients, she was in that box. What we discovered was that Sally has a passion for photography, but she wasn’t doing anything with it and she wasn’t sharing it with others.I suggested that she take her camera with her and to take some classes. That has given her a new aliveness that can serve as a bridge to the rest of her life.

And you know about Carl. Carl is an amazing creative being, yet he gets overwhelmed by the financial realities of his life. Even with these concerns, Carl does have time to integrate some of his passions into his daily life. Carl got back into his dance and whenever I see him, I notice a twinkle in his eyes and a zest for living. When you look deep enough, there will always be a way to express yourself more fully.

As we come alive in one aspect of our life, we have the potential to come alive in the rest of our life. Then we experience a new enthusiasm that’s contagious and positively impacts everyone we meet.

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.

Tom was afraid so he didn’t do it at first. In a ropes course many years ago that’s what happened. Tom refused to go forward. He refused to take that first step. He kept looking at the cable that was attached to two trees approximately 40 feet apart. He was harnessed in so he couldn’t get injured, yet the fear stopped him. He no longer could focus on the goal he was trying to achieve.

That’s the way it is with many things in our life. When the fear takes over, it prevents us from taking action in whatever form it shows up. When George, one of my life coaching clients, worried about being away from the office for an extended period of time, on a long needed vacation, all he could think of was what could go wrong. He even considered canceling his trip. He did go and took with him his anxiety and yet had the time of his life.

When I was a trial lawyer, every time I would begin a trial, I would have that anxiety that wouldn’t stop until I got into it. And then I was immersed in the moment and all I thought about was the present moment.

Like Tom and George, I had the anxiety and the fear, but I did it anyway. Otherwise the fear has you and you don’t take action. You stay stuck in your comfort zone and let your resistance run your life.

It takes courage to feel the fear and to do it anyway. Fear is an essential component of courage. They go hand in hand. Think about your life and all of the times when you acted even though you experienced fear. That was an act of courage.

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.

Whose life is it anyway? We sometimes forget we have a life that is independent of what we do in the world and what we think we should be doing. We sometimes forget that we have a purpose for being here. With all of our responsibilities and concerns we forget to take a deep breath and reflect upon what gives us joy and meaning.

We need to remind ourselves that as long as we are trying to fulfill someone else’s dream, we’ll never be happy or fulfilled. We have to let go of the expectations that others have for us.

They want the best for us, yet they are not us. At some point we ask ourselves, what is it that we really want. We’ve done what we set out to do; now what. Ultimately we have to take responsibility for our life and to stop making excuses or blaming other people for our not being happy.

If it doesn’t work out the way we wanted it to, it’s on us. Once we walk in freedom, free from the restraints of our past, we begin to experience a grace in our life that is a reflection of an inner joy. It’s a natural desire to want to share our joy with others.

We’re able to live the life that at one time we just thought about. We’ve become the person that at one time was just a vision in the future.

We’ve traveled many paths to get to where we are now. Now it’s time to share our unique wisdom.

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.

If only we can have the perspective of hindsight? Some of you may already know this about me, but my goal in college was to become a dentist. Yes, I know that’s hard to believe. My father and uncle were both dentists and it was ordained that I would follow in their footsteps. All through college I took courses with one objective in mind——get into dental school. Well, I did get in and actually went for a year and a half before flunking out. Wow was I disappointed and my confidence was at an all time low. What I had worked for my entire life up to that point wasn’t going to happen. My entire college education seemed like a waste. Now I had no direction. That was my reality. In many ways I felt like a failure. But there was a part of me that felt liberated. I could begin “my life.”

It was also the beginning of the path that I am on now. I had always wanted to be a trial lawyer and then went to law school and embarked upon a long law career that was quite fulfilling for many years. And when I no longer felt a purpose for the work I was doing, I was motivated to ask myself, What’s Next.

And so it is that I have been on this journey for the last eleven years. It’s been quite a ride.
What seemed initially like a disappointment, flunking out of dental school, actually was a turning point in my life. It was a new beginning. I felt liberated to embark upon my life’s journey, not someone else’s.

The next time you feel disappointed, wonder about the opportunity you are being presented with. Look around. What do you see? When one door closes, walk through the one that’s open.

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 get the invitation. Your friend invited you to a small gathering. You want to know if you should bring something. And he or she says to just bring yourself. You wonder if it’s enough and so you go out and get a bottle of wine. Sound familiar.

Wherever you go or wherever you are, you’re always bringing yourself. You’re the gift. With that comes a big responsibility to be yourself. Your uniqueness, like a snowflake, is what makes life interesting and fascinating.

It’s your curiosity——your openness that makes you who you are. What used to seem boring to you no longer seems that way. You notice subtleties that you didn’t see before. You learn from each and every experience and from each and every person you meet. You’re able to see the best in people.

You see the beauty in the most ordinary things. You feel blessed for having been there. You’re excited about the next thing, the next opportunity. Yes, you cup is brimming over. You smile and empower everyone in your sphere. They feel blessed and enriched that they have connected with you.

You’ve made the choice to see the richness and goodness in life. Of course, there are many circumstances that are not so pleasant. You don’t ignore them, but you don’t dwell on them. You come to the present moment. You keep smiling.

You’re grateful for each day. Each day seems like a miracle. Oh, yes you are so blessed. You get to make that choice over and over again. You choose happiness. So that’s what you bring to the table.

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 like comparing apples with oranges, Carl said to me in a life coaching session. Is one better than the other? That’s what happens when we compare one scenario with another. Or if we compare ourselves to others or to ourselves many years ago. We’ll usually be disappointed.

So we need to change the focus. Within that apple there is something special and within that orange there is some special juice. We all want to know what we can do to connect with that juice inside ourselves. How do we connect with our inner unique essence?

When you look at the skin of the orange on the surface you can only imagine what’s inside it. It’s only when you squeeze it that you experience the real juice that nurtures you. For you that real juice is that peaceful place within that you have access to.

When you access it, your whole perception of life is transformed. You see the beauty and feel the goodness and richness of life. You’re able to tune into your love vibration. You become it——that vibration that can guide and inspire you toward expressing who you are more fully.

When this happens you open up to possibilities never before experienced. And as you continue to express yourself in this way, no matter where you are, life seems to flow effortlessly.

Your essential essence reveals itself. When it’s the right time the caterpillar becomes the butterfly. So will you. When it’s the right time you will transform into that essential you. Your purpose will then be revealed to you.

Your uniqueness is a gift to the world.

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 our life coaching yesterday, our good friend Carl shared his need to prove himself to his dad even though his dad had passed on twenty years ago. What a tough challenge. His dad was quite a guy. The way Carl talked about him I probably would have felt the same way he did….”I’m not good enough.”

I let Carl know that he didn’t need to prove anything to anyone. There are no judges out there, I let him know. But Carl, like many of us, discovered a new and harsher judge, himself.

Carl continued to hold on to the negative habits and thought patterns that he adopted in childhood. The fear, the anger, resentment and other negative emotions have continued to get in the way of his becoming his authentic self.

Carl has been living his life with a handicap as if he had one hand tied behind his back. It’s quite a burden.

It was quite a revelation when Carl traced his negative habits and patterns to his relationship with his dad. It became obvious that he was doing the same thing to himself that he learned from his dad.

I suggested that he learn to become his own best friend. Instead of berating and belittling himself, I suggested that he praise himself.

Like so many things in our life it begins in the morning. How you start your day sets the tone for the day. You can develop that other voice, your voice of inspiration and praise, that inspires and empowers you and tells you that yes you can. It tells you that it’s going to be all right. It lets you know that you are loved.

In the morning take a moment after your meditation to praise yourself, to remind yourself how special you are and how much you make a difference by your being the best you, you can be.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

You can choose right now to meet each challenge with
positive passion and enthusiasm for the best, most
meaningful possibilities. You can choose, again and again,
to truly live life on your own best terms.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.