Written by: Joel Haasenritter, 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.
In my last article, Seven Places Your Dreams Go To Die, we uncovered the seven blockers that the Oola Lifestyle Framework has shown can absolutely stop you in your tracks. However, research has shown that building a daily practice around the Oola Accelerators moves you past your blockers, toward the life you design. Buckle up! Accelerators are where the real fun begins!
“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” ~ Ayn Rand
ACCELERATOR 1: GRATITUDE
It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle, forgetting about the beauty around us. The reality is that we have much to be grateful for, even in our lowest moments. Opening our minds to the blessings we already have shifts how we perceive our present situation.
“If you cannot find gratitude, you’ll never find peace.” ~ Leticia Rae
Practice Gratitude Every Day
Sometimes we have those days where everything just works. Other days, not so much, and we have to endure the stress of what comes. The idea is to focus on the wins and minimize the losses. Keep a gratitude journal and record what you are grateful for. It will take discipline at first. But in time, you will look forward to ending the day on a high note, revisiting your wins. Eventually, this will help you to be in a state of grateful anticipation and actively looking for things to be grateful for throughout the day.
ACCELERATOR 2: LOVE
Love Yourself
Of all the Accelerators, Love may be the most difficult to embrace. Why? Because as humans it is easier to show love to others than it is to love yourself. However, we can’t fully express love until we can embrace love. And that includes being at peace with who you are, as well as what you can offer to those around you. It also includes accepting the love others show to you. You were designed for greatness and a purpose for this very time, and you are worthy of being loved!
“Where there is love there is life.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Unconditionally Love Others
True love comes without the expectation of reciprocity. This is not the same thing as healthy boundaries. Physical and emotional boundaries need to be enforced and respected. However, loving someone with strings attached is conditional and passive-aggressive. It means a price has been placed on your love for them, which sets the stage for disappointment when your expectations are not met.
ACCELERATOR 3: DISCIPLINE
“What the lazy want, the disciplined get.” ~ Dr. Troy Amdahl. When it comes to those who have found success in living their most fulfilled lives, discipline will be a core foundation. They know that to achieve what they truly desire, it takes consistency over time, even when they don’t feel like it.
Get into the habit of asking yourself, “Does this support the life I’m trying to create?”
You Already Have All The Discipline You Need
We all have habits that we do throughout the day without a second thought. Unfortunately, many times those habits lead down unproductive rabbit holes that drain our time and energy, taking us further away from the lives we want to live. For example, if social media takes an hour or two out of the day, consider setting a timer for twenty or thirty minutes, then going for a walk. If the morning coffee run tends to burn a hole in your wallet, how about looking up some creative ways to blend that perfect cup at home before you head out the door? Get into the habit of asking yourself, “Does this support the life I’m trying to create?”
ACCELERATOR 4: INTEGRITY
Rarely does life challenge us with an absolute yes or no. There are nuances, grey areas, and easy ways to accept the easy way out. Without a standard with which to compare, “acceptable excuses” for our actions can be easily chosen.
Embracing the seven Accelerators listed in this article are ways of keeping your walk on the straight and narrow. You will never go wrong by showing gratitude and love to another. However, if you choose instead to skirt the line, or overstep for the sake of taking the “easy” road, it won’t be long before trust is broken and your reputation is damaged.
“Integrity is when you care more for the hard truth than the easy lie.” ~ Maxime Lagace
The good news is that the opposite is also true! People are drawn to someone trustworthy, accountable, and honest. By demonstrating these attributes as you achieve your goals, you will also grow a community cheering you along the way.
It is imperative to also remember to keep integrity with yourself. Living a life of integrity is not something you do, it is something you are, and it will accelerate your journey.
ACCELERATOR 5: PASSION
Passion has the potential to move you past all the Blockers that have been holding you back from your best life! It is also a magnet for attracting people into your life that will help you achieve your highest potential. Whatever you want to do, let passion be the fuel that inspires and keeps you going when the road gets tough.
Rediscover Your True Passion, Not Someone Else’s Plan For You
You are the only person on this planet that can show up as YOU! You were designed for greatness and a purpose. Settling for ordinary is not only a disservice to yourself, but also sends a ripple effect for all those whose lives intersect with your own.
“One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.” ~ E. M. Forster
Are you in your current career, home, or community because of someone else's plans for your life? Have you lost sight of your passion? Has the grind of paying bills and going through life’s motions covered up the one thing that would catapult you out of bed every morning?
If money were no object, and you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you love to do? It is never too late to align with your true passion and take tangible steps towards that life.
ACCELERATOR 6: HUMILITY
A common theme among the world’s most influential leaders is in their ability to learn from anyone or anything, in any situation. They are less concerned with proving they are right and more concerned with what wisdom they can glean. By being in a state of continual learning, and being accountable when things don’t go as planned, they not only gain trust with others but also continue to grow from lessons learned.
True humility is staying TEACHABLE regardless of how much you already know.
Humility And Weakness Are Not The Same
Putting yourself in a state of humility is not only one of the best ways to discover truths you never knew existed, but it also gives you quiet confidence; a confidence that only comes from a true understanding of the world around you. Where weakness leads to a lack of confidence, humility leads from a position of knowing there is always more to learn and grow. Sometimes it takes making yourself small in order to create something big.
ACCELERATOR 7: WISDOM
The desire to learn from anyone in any situation truly distinguishes great leaders from those simply in a position of power, and that includes learning from past mistakes. Without exception, we all have and will make mistakes. Failure is not in making mistakes, it is in not learning from them. This applies to every area of our life, whether continually falling into abusive relationships or trying fad diets without changing our eating and fitness habits.
“Wisdom is being curious enough to learn, humble enough to listen, and patient enough to consider the outcome of your next decision.” ~ Joel Haasenritter
Keeping a journal is one of the best ways to be in the practice of wisdom. At the end of the day, simply taking the time to consider your wins, your losses, and the lessons learned will help you consider how to do things differently next time. When you choose to make a change, the outcome will always be different. Then consider whether those changes align with your purpose. You are the author of your story, so don't be afraid to backspace and edit.
A Native American Proverb from the Lumbee Tribe says it well: “Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is the past. Wisdom is the future.” Wisdom will guide your choices with discernment rather than emotion.
Curious what it means to look at your life “through the lens of Oola”? Download my free guide to Living Your Best Life: https://b.link/OolaPlanner or visit www.wayfindersforlife.com to learn more!
Joel Haasenritter, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Joel Haasenritter is a transformation specialist who helps people in their 30's and 40's, struggling in times of transition, to find balance, growth, and purpose, so they can absolutely crush the next chapter of their lives! After nearly 20 years of owning a highly sought after company serving high-profile clients across the southeast, starting and growing multiple businesses, and coaching a development team to bring their invention to market, Joel turned his life's passion toward helping others live at their highest potential. In addition to his one-on-one coaching services, he is a founding Ambassador with Oola Global, which recently launched a revolutionary personal development digital platform in over 40 countries with the sole mission of impacting one billion lives in the next seven years. His interests include exploring the hiking trails of Arizona, studying the art of Gracie Jiujitsu, and spending time with his family.
