Is reality created or are you living a life you’ve been pre-destined to live?
After a good deal of time doing this thing called life – I’ve decided that we create our realities.
An awful lot of it anyway. Sure circumstances are thrown your way – good, bad and ugly. How you deal with them and continue your journey is what determines how your life turns out. You can thrown in the towel and live expecting that you weren’t meant for something more or you can use the (negative) circumstances as fuel to propel your journey forward.
I saw this first hand dealing with my daughter’s illness early in her life. Being a part of a Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Support Group I saw a lot of parents and how they were dealing with their children’s diagnosis. I saw strong marriages get stronger, I saw weak marriages crumble and fall (mine was one), I saw parents who estranged themselves from their sick children and let the other parent take over, I saw parents who in spite of struggling with very sick children become pillars of strength for their children and their communities. I was particularly touched by the parents of an extremely sick child who was born with multiple health issues including cardiomyopathy. These parents were literally told that their child wouldn’t live very long and they had been planning a funeral since the child was born. As a parent I couldn’t and can’t imagine anything worse than that. But somehow these very amazing parents chose to give it a meaning that empowered them to deal with it and not just deal with it but help others and find meaning and purpose in this awful card they had been dealt. That particular little boy passed away at the ripe old age of 4 but through this journey his parents transformed the lives of countless other parents and children along the way. It was inspirational to see how they turned their pain and suffering into purpose.
Isn’t this an investment blog? How is this related to financial growth and success you might ask?
I believe that our lives, both financial and otherwise are created by our thoughts – conscious and sub-conscious. Whether its financial freedom, your dream house, an amazing relationship, a fancy car – whatever we want we are in charge of manifesting that reality. The only problem that comes in the way of our success are our beliefs. Our conscious and subconscious beliefs that we can’t have it for some reason or that we don’t deserve it. Both of those are foundational and laid pretty early in our lives. A lot of times we operate subconsciously not even realizing we do. These will continue to create as realities until we take time to sit down and examine it and choose to consciously and intentionally create new beliefs that are more congruent with our vision for our future.
Growing up, my mom was sick more often than not and we spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals. I believe a lot of her issues were psychosomatic. Was she making up her sickness I think not. She definitely had some underlying medical issues. But I do believe the more we focus on issues and identify with it the more it takes over our lives and becomes a part of it. She identified herself as an asthmatic. She identified herself as a sick person. And sickness came. It was one thing after another. It never stopped. She had it all. Sickness that is.
What we see growing up, we either become it or we try very hard to veer as far away from it as possible. I think I did the latter. Hyperfocused on staying healthy and fit. Not that I have a 6-pack but I am generally healthy, eat healthy, workout regularly and the whole shebang. But it came from a place of NOT becoming what I saw growing up, rather than a good place of leading a healthy life. THE THOUGHT WAS RIGHT. THE MOTIVATION WAS ALL WRONG! So much of what we are is from our childhood and if there’s any aspect of your life you are unhappy with, you only have to look at your childhood wounds to reveal why.
I’ve always believed in self-improvement and constant learning in every aspect of my life. I read voraciously and a book I’m recently reading and going through made me really stop and think. Specifically this quote caught my attention and really made me question the way I live –
Have I been consciously creating my reality or have I been waking up each morning hoping it would bring something good my way. For a large part of my life, I admit I’ve waited to see what each day had to offer me. I lived precariously, swinging from the highs to the lows, living through emotions that each day brought my way. Now that’s changed and I’m looking forward to consciously and intentionally creating my life and my reality. Do I feel down and out some days? I definitely do. But the difference is how long I choose to stay and wallow in it. Or pick myself up and do something intentional to change my outlook and the rest of my day.
We become what we think and focus on. As Tony Robbins always says – “Where focus goes, energy flows.”. I am checking where my thoughts are drifting often now – I want to be intentional about my future. I have realized that waking up and setting an intention for each day is important. Our lives are often busy, unpredictable and stressful. Incorporating a morning routine that is calming, grounding and that allows you to set the tone for the rest of your day is very important.
A book I highly recommend if you’re looking to start a morning routine is Hal Elrod’s “Miracle Morning“. Hal Elrod is simply an inspiration by himself but his book is simply one of the best things you can do to start a more intentional day each and every morning. I started the S.A.V.E.R.S. routine (Silence, Affirmations, Visualizations, Exercise, Reading, Scribing/Journaling) about 50+ days ago and to be honest it’s the first time I’ve really stuck with something and been consistent. I’m a great starter and a poor finisher generally but I think seeing the results and the feeling that carries with me everyday has been a huge impetus to keep this going. The busiest days I’ve been able to carve out 10 minutes to be intentional about my morning and not let the external circumstances make my day good or bad.
I challenge you today to examine your life, your beliefs and your purpose. Are you living in congruence with it? If there’s a lack – whether it financial, relational, or otherwise, what beliefs do you carry around it? What shaped those beliefs? What beliefs can you choose to carry instead? Can you visualize yourself living an abundant life or are you thinking of all the problems that might get in the way of that?
I’ve challenged myself to do this, can you?
If you can see it in your mind it will come to pass.
Leave me your thoughts and comments. Would love to hear it!
