Written by: Marlena O´Donnell, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Do you enjoy your life? You may say - “yes, of course, I do. I love who I am and the life I have”. Or you may say - “I go through life, but I cannot honestly say that I am living it to the full. I always feel guilty about something, worry about what may happen, want to be like people I see on television - happy, fulfilled, and carefree”.
The good news is - you can live the life you want. Your happiness is not dependent on other people, what goes around you, good fortune, circumstances, your upbringing, or anything else. Only you can create your destiny and happiness.
Don’t fret about what may go wrong.
We often spend more time worrying about the imaginary consequences of our actions than taking the actions. We list all the things that can go wrong and get paralyzed by all the obstacles in the way. But in reality, we don’t know what is going to happen. The consequences of our actions may be good or bad. And if they do happen to be bad, it is likely that we can handle them and solve any problems that occur. We are brilliant at problem-solving - we do it in every situation. Every day, we have to make decisions, resolve complex issues and conflicts. Who is to say we won’t be able to do it in the future?
Put aside any doubts you have and do all these exciting, daring, fun things you want to do, but you worry that you will not manage the consequences if something goes wrong. You will!
Look within.
We all tend to look at others and seek validation of who we are through recognition, praise, or respect. But you don’t need other people to tell you how good you are. How can anyone else but you know what you are capable of? It’s impossible! Even you may not be fully aware of what your power is if you let the voice of self-doubt take over. The voice of doubt does not know what you are capable of, just as it does not know the future. It tries to predict what will happen but is unable to tell you with certainty that it will happen.
If you doubt that you have what it takes to succeed and you are struggling to defeat the voice of doubt, just assume that you are capable and act as this was a given. You don’t need to feel confident to act confident!
Take action.
If there is something you don’t like about yourself or your life, only you have the power to change it. You don’t have to spend the rest of your life not liking who you are. Seek help, speak to someone you trust and respect, get a coach or a mentor.
Similarly, if you want to get what you want, take action now. Thinking about taking action is not the same as taking steps towards your vision. Make a phone call, write an email, give up a bad habit, read a manual - the list of actions you can take is endless.
Each day, do at least one thing that is going to change your life and create the future you want. Focus on what you want, not what is stopping you from having it.
Have fun.
What’s the point of living your life if you are not enjoying it? When we were children, we had no restrictions - the sky was the limit. There was joy in playing, not worrying about the future, being free to express how we feel and what we want. What is stopping you from having the same freedom to have fun in your life right now?
Consider all that you do from the perspective of having fun - you can find joy even in the things you don’t like, but have to do by imagining how much you will enjoy finishing them.
Live your life now.
I often hear people say - I will be happy when… I retire, get a new job, meet the girl/boy of my dreams, move house, go on holiday, have children, and so on. They think that their happiness is dependent on something that has not happened yet (and may not even happen!). Life is for a living now - there is no point in waiting for something in the future if the only thing that you can control is the now.
Live each day as if it was the best day of your life - the day you’ve been waiting for, and it is happening right now. You feel great. The sky is the limit. Everything is how it should be.
Grab your life with both hands. You can shape it and change it to meet your dreams. Only you can break down the barriers to your happiness. What are you waiting for?
Marlena O’Donnell, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine
Marlena O’Donnell is a certified life coach, mentor, and motivational speaker specializing in freeing her clients from beliefs that are not serving them well. Marlena has successfully helped many people gain an unwavering belief in themselves, confidence, motivation, and courage to go after what they want in life through individual and group coaching, mentoring, and workshops. Marlena has personal experience of overcoming significant challenges in life and succeeding against all odds. This, combined with her thorough understanding of both business matters and personal issues, puts her in a unique position to help her clients successfully navigate their way through difficulties they face in all areas of life and achieve “the unachievable.” As a motivational speaker, Marlena inspires others to make powerful and lasting changes in their life. She has been a keynote speaker at business events, online conferences, and summits.
