A Sunday Reflection on the Meaning of a Meaningful Life

I have been reflecting a lot on what a meaningful life is.  It is easy to be blinded by the media on what success means - a big house, fancy cars, money in the bank etc.  I have been thinking about these variables that I have used before to measure my life and I have noticed these 'variables' I wish to attain have certainly changed as I have changed.

I was asked during a leadership workshop what I had on my bucket list and as everyone listed an exotic vacation, or to own a dream car, I mentioned that if I could grow old to see my daughters grow up and become happy parents, then I would have achieved the only item listed on my bucket list.  Perhaps it is being a parent that has caused these thoughts to strengthen in me but I find myself sometimes slipping back into the clouds of materialism.  Hey, we're all human and desire is perfectly natural.  However, what we practice, we form as habits.  And I have been practicing this feeling of desiring and striving to attain 'variables' for much too long.

Today I had a revelation.....as always, due to my trusty journal.  Meaning from life comes from creating meaning in the lives of others.  Using our creativity for the betterment of this world brings about an inner feeling of accomplishment that transcends any feeling that could be gained from owning a fancy car, or going on an exotic luxury vacation.

Give a lot of yourself,
To receive a lot for yourself.
Have fun, be creative, be daring,
& dream of ideas that encourage sharing.
One day our efforts may mean nothing...
But making this world smile today, definitely means something.

Gautam

Slow your pace.....

Slow your pace…..and you might begin to appreciate your space!

After a long productive week at work, I found myself with a headache and my mind racing.  I have found walking with my dog, Nila, to be a good stress release for me however, my pace has been so brisk that it sometimes just encourages the thoughts from the day to simmer.  Today, was a little different.  I went out for a walk with Nila tonight and my pace was quite brisk as usual, but not for long.  It wasn’t till I entered into the park (pic below) that I felt the beauty of the openness and the wonderful early evening sky give me that ‘aha’ moment.  I stopped, took a deep breath and observed my surroundings…then took a slow step forward and really focused my attention on this simple action.  I took another step and another and while I did, I looked around and NOTICED the beauty of my space. 

This is a journaling blog so I think it would be best if I tell you what I decided to do while ‘appreciating my space’.  I began to think about everything I loved in my life.  From my family, to my work, to my friends to my country….I “loved” it all!   This is an exercise that I actually came up with as another form of the ‘gratitude’ activity but instead of just being grateful, I am bringing to my awareness to the areas that I should invest my time in.  As the amazing author, Dr Wayne Dyer states “Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.” and this is what I intend to do with the “What do I love” journaling activity is helping me.  Will it be effective for you?  Try it and let me know J

 In your journal, write down everything you love to do and try to do this for 10 minutes.  I normally do this type of activity in point form but the choice is totally up to you. Happy journaling!

Make your day a 10!

Make your day a 10!

A few years ago, I sat in an 'Intro to Coaching' session where the speaker challenged us to evaluate our lives on a scale of 1 to 10 based on several subjects including Health, Wealth, Self-Development, Family, Friendships, etc.  After we put a number down, we were then asked to think about what we needed to do to take that number up a notch.  Example.  If I gave myself a 7 for health, what would I need to lose or incorporate into my day to make that an 8.  It was a powerful exercise and I revisited this idea from a journaling point of view.

Here's how....
At the end of the day, I write down each subject, (example. Health) and  I rate myself on the subject based on how I felt I did today, and then write down why I gave myself this 'mark'.  Then I would write down what I could do tomorrow to make myself get a 10.  And this is where the right side of the brain comes into play.   :-)

The effects of this activity are amazing.  Not only because of the great ideas generated, but it has begun to train my mind to continuously challenge how I would rate my day and I how I could make it better throughout the course of my day.  A friend of mine used to say 'the past does not equal the future' and by catching myself in the day, I can let a day that began wrong, end of right.  We may not be able to control everything, but we will definitely have a stronger part in determining our destiny.

What are some ways that you are making your day a 10?

Why I love to Journal

I was remembering a past career I once had as a journaling workshop coordinator.  My goal was to teach people in groups on how to journal and in my intro, I would always start of with 'Gratitude' as the group's first activity.  In debriefing the activity, the group would agree that they felt amazing after completing this simple exercise of writing everything they had to be grateful for, and doing so in ten minutes.   This is when I would enthusiastically say 'And guess what, everybody!?  YOU made yourself feel great!!!"  A simple journaling activity that can instantly change the way we feel- AWESOME!

The feeling of being drawn into the present moment and having the weight of burden lifted from your shoulders is what I experience regularly when I journal with my heart.   As mentioned in earlier posts, being completely honest with yourself is a requirement for effective journaling....and really being free in general.  However, we may not always have a venue/ear to vent or spill our problems to.  A journal provides a safe way for you to dump your troubles and if you are not comfortable having this out in the open, all you have to do is simply destroy the page you wrote on.  Leading to my other reason for enjoying journaling- it is a relatively inexpensive way to relieve stress.

I came across a fantastic blog post that is quite timely for the new year.  In reading this, I started asking myself questions such as 'What do I enjoy doing that makes me happy?', 'Who in my life can I spend my time with to help me grow and love?', 'What can I do to be in the present moment? ' and so on.  I highly recommend this read and would encourage you to converse with your thoughts in a journal on how you are going to make 2012 a successful and happy new year!

http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/12/18/30-things-to-start-doing-for-yourself/

And for any questions on journaling, please send an email to gautam4life@gmail.com .  And remember, be honest with yourself and speak from your heart.  :)

Take a breath and pat yourself on the back.....:-)

Too often, we work ourselves into a frenzy always focussing on the next step and we lose track of all that we have accomplished.  This is a journaling prompt that I used yesterday, which provided me with incredible energy and validation.  

The prompt: "I am proud of what I achieved today!  Among the many things, I am really proud of..."
and this is where you can create a list in point form or by sentence.  The magic of journaling reveals itself when the user is completely honest with themselves and does not edit their thoughts.   After doing this activity, I felt that I had provided some value to my family, my career, and my.....life!

A quote that changes your world....

Every now and then, we come across a quote that truly changes our perception and takes our thought process to a whole new level.  These quotes seem to pop up at the most perfect times when we actually need to see them.
Yesterday, the quote that spoke to me was while I was in my doctor's office waiting for my first appointment to begin.

"Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing." - Oscar Wilde

This quote took me back to my days after university where I had dreams of coming out and getting a six figure salary job and starting my life.  The truth of the matter was, as it is for a lot of students, it wasn't that easy.  I went through many jobs, many I didn't like, to find one that I truly love.  Reading this quote yesterday reminded me that life is a journey and that all my experience has just made me a stronger individual than I was after graduating university.

Journaling activity:
Find a quote that resonates with you and spend some time journaling about why it speaks to you, your life, and your ongoing journey.

My Wants, Vision and Mission!

Happy New Year!  I hope all is going well with your resolutions!

It is quite normal to hear about resolutions that have already failed and it has me thinking whether we really choose resolutions that align with society’s beliefs rather than our own deepest desires.  Some people even choose to not come up with new years resolutions as they feel it just sets them up for failure.  This is disappointing to hear as goals can truly help us maximize our true potential and a new year is a great excuse to start goal setting.

So, to discover those meaningful goals that you can achieve with all your heart, here is a journaling activity that might just help:  My Wants, Vision and Mission.

MY WANTS, VISION & MISSION

Note: This technique is meant to give clarity to one who is facing uncertainty.  This technique can apply to any situation big or small where the outcome may not be decided. 

a) Sometimes to discover what we truly want in our lives, it is helpful to start with all the things we do not want. 

Don’t Wants:  Write down your “don’t wants” of all the things that are less desirable and make a note of how you feel, just focusing on them.  Example: “I don’t want to spend less time with my family.”

Wants:  Now, write down all the opposite of your ‘don’t wants’ and try to be specific.  Example: “I want to spend 2 full hours with my family, 6 days a week.”

b)  Vision:  Summarize your ‘Wants’ as if it is in the present- as if you have already achieved or have your wants.  This can be a paragraph or a page, it is entirely up to you.  Example: “I am spending quality time with my family, 2 hours a day, 6 days a week and I am cherishing every minute of it.”

A second part of this activity includes challenging yourself even more and getting to specifics.  Using your wants to drive you, where do you see yourself in 3 months/6 months/one year?  What are the steps you are going to take towards getting to your vision? 

c) Mission:  What is the MISSION STATEMENT for your new attitude in life?  Write out a mantra, positive affirmation, poem, song, drawing etc. that describes how you are going to deal with conflict and fear in your life.  Or finish off the statement: “Whenever I encounter a challenge, I will…”

I would love to hear your thoughts on this activity and how you felt before and after doing it.  I know it’s magical power has brought some great abundance to my life.

Gautam Khanna

"Growth itself contains the germ of happiness."- Pearl S. Buck