Stuart’s Philosophies

The quintessential question for success gurus.

“It’s not money I need, it’s direction.”

“What is it with money and you people - get a life.”

Ouch! I have a great deal of respect for people who know how to make money. I also have a great deal of respect for comments like these. I used to think that money wasn’t important.

And this post isn’t about money. It’s about how it fits in within the bigger scheme of things.

Here’s an exercise that I do to get people more aligned with their direction - symbols. I find that most people don’t focus and therefore can’t define their symbols. However, I have a great way of doing it. If you want some guidance through it, I’m actually developing a CD product regarding this called “The Hero’s Journey”. If you are ever in doubt about what you have been called to do, here is what I might do:

1. Identify what is my ideal day.

2. Notice what is around me. Who is around me. Where I am. What else there is in the vicinity.

3. Notice how these things surrounding me, interact with me. Am I walking? Breathing? Speaking? Cheering? Smiling? Doing something? Earning?

4. What skills did you need to do those things? Like walking? How did it come about? How about breathing? Do you consider it a gift - a talent? Cheering? How did that become a part of you?

5. Imagining that you already have this ideal future, what must you have had to believe in order to reach this level of capability? Beliefs support our skills and skills reinforce our beliefs.

6. To help you further, who are people you admire, are grateful to, believe in, and trust the most? What characteristics do they have that have garnered such admiration and trust and respect? The characteristics you admire are the characteristics you aspire to have.

7. If you were this ideal you, and you had to choose something symbolic that represents all the characteristics of this person and your role models, walking, cheering, talking, doing, believing in that ideal environment, what symbol would you choose? What does it mean to you?

Symbols are our birthright. They are our inner compass. If your compass leads you in one direction, don’t just stay there. I find that moving up one notch helps to open up the possibilities to more things. If you are at the foot of the mountain, sure, you can’t see. But if your direction is to climb up, each climb will lead you higher.

Share your symbol. This is what makes you, you. It’s what reminds you of why you wake up every morning and what it means for you to be alive.

Tags

Finding Purpose, General, Rules of Living