by Pettis Perry
Living Life On Purpose
Do you live your life by accident or on purpose? I choose living life on purpose and with intention because it is so rewarding to live this way. Why waste a moment of time doing nothing when doing something brings so much richness to the life experience? Even when I choose to do nothing I am doing nothing with intention. I use the nothing time to charge my batteries, to relax my mind in order to allow my creative processes to work unmolested by distracting thoughts, or to enjoy the beauty of the moment. What I try to minimize is procrastination, because procrastination is the enemy of long term success; and I relish long term success.
One of my basic beliefs is that our destiny is the sum total of all life experiences. As such, to a great extent I get to control the outcome of my destiny by the choices I make throughout my lifetime. I may not be able to select the terminal point when my life will end (unless I commit suicide), but I can certainly influence the direction my life takes and therefore my likely destiny. Obviously, what makes life exciting is that there are random events occurring through nature's influences that, in turn, also influence my life experiences. I cannot account for all of these influences but I can try to make myself flexible and agile when it comes to responding to life events: Learning to roll with the punches so to speak.
To live Life on purpose means approaching life with courage by making choices and living with the consequences of those choices. It means leaving your past behind, focusing on the present moment, and looking to the future for inspiration because each new opportunity presents itself as a doorway to open and walk through. Applying these ideas to my own life means that my job is to construct my life with intention by figuring out what it is I want out of my life and what I want to do with my life. As part of this exploration there are two fundamental questions. The first is, "Which direction do I want to set for my life course?" The second is, "What strategy will I deploy to get from Point A where I am now to Point B where I want to go?"
Like most things in life there is both an art and a science to choosing a course of action. The art of choosing a course of action is by first understanding which things I control and which things I cannot control. For example, I can make sure that I am fully prepared for a job opportunity but I cannot determine whether the hiring decision will favor me or not. By focusing on my own preparation and development I increase my value as opportunities arise. In my own case having careers as a senior executive, consultant/trainer, and now teacher significantly increases my capacity as a skilled professional in any of those same career areas. In a highly competitive environment my breadth of expertise expands the number of opportunities available to me.
The science is in my specific preparation to be able to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. By knowing which course my life will take enables me to create a strategy to train myself in order to master my craft. Mastering my craft enables me to go a step farther by applying to my life making activities what I know about leadership and what I have practiced while leading organizations. What I have come to know unequivocally, through study and practice, is that monumental changes are possible by taking decisive action based upon good data and solid decision-making practices. My training goal then becomes learning how to find the data I need and then using it to inform decision practices.
A wonderful consequence of my ability to take control of my life means that I have the ability to change my life in whatever ways I like. This does not mean that the entire change will occur in an instant, but it most certainly means that complete transformation can occur with enough directed effort over time. In this case, patience is a virtue.
In thinking about the kind of advice I would offer my son I've captured 7 jewels from my own life experiences that are helping me create my destiny by design. In passing these jewels onto my son they are offered here to you as though you are one of my family members--which in effect you are.
1. Own the problem. In this case, own your own life. Commit to taking charge of your life and making your own decisions. If you are a minor then work with your parent(s) to make decisions about what you want to do with your life. In the end though, the decision has to be yours because you have to walk your path alone even when in the company of others.
2. Prepare yourself for the life you want. The younger you are the more lead time you have to create your future. The older you are the greater number of life experiences you have which in-and-of-itself is a strength. Do your homework by starting to learn about the types of things you want to do with your life in terms of career, family, self-development, etc. For example, if you are undecided about a career then contact the career center at your local community college and ask them how you can have a career assessment performed.
3. Be willing to take small steps and to exercise patience, but keep the forward movement. If you find yourself waiting long periods of time while trying to select the right degree or training program to enter then take a course in the meantime at a community college or apprentice through one of your local unions. If you are having trouble getting started, whatever you do take a deep breath,trust your heart to pick your direction, and begin taking steps towards where you want to go. Travel with confidence knowing that what is uncertain today about tomorrow, will be revealed when the appropriate time comes.
4. Be kind to yourself. Failure will occur and you have to forgive yourself. We learn more from our failures then we do from our successes. As mom used to say "There is always a silver lining in every cloud." Listen to mom, find the silver lining no matter how bad things appear to be.
5. Evaluate yourself and your circumstances honestly. Be true to yourself. Be open to feedback.
6. Believe in yourself. What you do not know you can learn. Others may try to convince you that you are on the wrong path so believe in yourself and believe in your path.
7. Follow your heart but have the courage to act. Your heart knows the answer even when your mind doesn't. Your body is like an antenna and your heart is like a receiver analyzing the electromagnetic signals it encounters. Your intuition feeds your heart and confirms what the heart-mind knows as truth.
No matter how hard we try to take the right path we sometimes find ourselves at land's end with hard choices to make: The proverbial fork in the road accompanied by times of uncertainty.It is at this time when your faith will be tested most stringently. Do you have the courage to take a leap of faith with the knowing you will be okay when you land? In my case, when my time came I refused to forsake my faith. It proved to be the right choice for me. You will have to decide for yourself when your time comes whether you truly have faith. Of this I am certain--be open to what comes and you will be surprised at what manifests as a result--it is part of the design.
What advice do you have for others? What strategies seem to work for you?
Living Life On Purpose
Do you live your life by accident or on purpose? I choose living life on purpose and with intention because it is so rewarding to live this way. Why waste a moment of time doing nothing when doing something brings so much richness to the life experience? Even when I choose to do nothing I am doing nothing with intention. I use the nothing time to charge my batteries, to relax my mind in order to allow my creative processes to work unmolested by distracting thoughts, or to enjoy the beauty of the moment. What I try to minimize is procrastination, because procrastination is the enemy of long term success; and I relish long term success.
 |
| (2011) Cabo San Lucas |
To live Life on purpose means approaching life with courage by making choices and living with the consequences of those choices. It means leaving your past behind, focusing on the present moment, and looking to the future for inspiration because each new opportunity presents itself as a doorway to open and walk through. Applying these ideas to my own life means that my job is to construct my life with intention by figuring out what it is I want out of my life and what I want to do with my life. As part of this exploration there are two fundamental questions. The first is, "Which direction do I want to set for my life course?" The second is, "What strategy will I deploy to get from Point A where I am now to Point B where I want to go?"
 | ||
| (2011) Cabo San Lucas Arch |
The science is in my specific preparation to be able to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. By knowing which course my life will take enables me to create a strategy to train myself in order to master my craft. Mastering my craft enables me to go a step farther by applying to my life making activities what I know about leadership and what I have practiced while leading organizations. What I have come to know unequivocally, through study and practice, is that monumental changes are possible by taking decisive action based upon good data and solid decision-making practices. My training goal then becomes learning how to find the data I need and then using it to inform decision practices.
A wonderful consequence of my ability to take control of my life means that I have the ability to change my life in whatever ways I like. This does not mean that the entire change will occur in an instant, but it most certainly means that complete transformation can occur with enough directed effort over time. In this case, patience is a virtue.
In thinking about the kind of advice I would offer my son I've captured 7 jewels from my own life experiences that are helping me create my destiny by design. In passing these jewels onto my son they are offered here to you as though you are one of my family members--which in effect you are.
Tips For Creating Your Destiny By Design
1. Own the problem. In this case, own your own life. Commit to taking charge of your life and making your own decisions. If you are a minor then work with your parent(s) to make decisions about what you want to do with your life. In the end though, the decision has to be yours because you have to walk your path alone even when in the company of others.
2. Prepare yourself for the life you want. The younger you are the more lead time you have to create your future. The older you are the greater number of life experiences you have which in-and-of-itself is a strength. Do your homework by starting to learn about the types of things you want to do with your life in terms of career, family, self-development, etc. For example, if you are undecided about a career then contact the career center at your local community college and ask them how you can have a career assessment performed.
3. Be willing to take small steps and to exercise patience, but keep the forward movement. If you find yourself waiting long periods of time while trying to select the right degree or training program to enter then take a course in the meantime at a community college or apprentice through one of your local unions. If you are having trouble getting started, whatever you do take a deep breath,trust your heart to pick your direction, and begin taking steps towards where you want to go. Travel with confidence knowing that what is uncertain today about tomorrow, will be revealed when the appropriate time comes.
4. Be kind to yourself. Failure will occur and you have to forgive yourself. We learn more from our failures then we do from our successes. As mom used to say "There is always a silver lining in every cloud." Listen to mom, find the silver lining no matter how bad things appear to be.
 |
| (2011) Land's End, Cabo San Lucas |
5. Evaluate yourself and your circumstances honestly. Be true to yourself. Be open to feedback.
6. Believe in yourself. What you do not know you can learn. Others may try to convince you that you are on the wrong path so believe in yourself and believe in your path.
7. Follow your heart but have the courage to act. Your heart knows the answer even when your mind doesn't. Your body is like an antenna and your heart is like a receiver analyzing the electromagnetic signals it encounters. Your intuition feeds your heart and confirms what the heart-mind knows as truth.
No matter how hard we try to take the right path we sometimes find ourselves at land's end with hard choices to make: The proverbial fork in the road accompanied by times of uncertainty.It is at this time when your faith will be tested most stringently. Do you have the courage to take a leap of faith with the knowing you will be okay when you land? In my case, when my time came I refused to forsake my faith. It proved to be the right choice for me. You will have to decide for yourself when your time comes whether you truly have faith. Of this I am certain--be open to what comes and you will be surprised at what manifests as a result--it is part of the design.
What advice do you have for others? What strategies seem to work for you?
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