12 May Action! 5 steps to reveal your real potential

« We can more than we think we can » 

Joseph Kessel

 

Acting in order to avoid suffering. 

If the awareness of an unsatisfactory situation, at first, then the ability to plan for a future in better accordance with your expectations, secondly, constitute a fundamental precondition to change (cf article: « How your imagination could change your life? »), the real evolution lies in action! 

We have frequently an unfortunate tendency to see ourselves as victims of fate or other people: « I can’t do anything about it, that’s life… », « We are not free to do what we want… », « I can’t say that, I would hurt him… ».

But when we think this way, we lock ourselves in our limits: in fact, these are excuses to avoid acting.

To reveal our potential, we have to be aware of our real part of responsibility in the events of our lives and in our relationships, by wondering: « If I want to be really honest, what does depend on me, in my existence? »

You have to make the difference between what appears in your life, the unexpected, positive or negative, and the way you react to it. There are two aspects: what happens to you, what is reawaken, touched or hurt, on one side, and what you will do with it on the other hand. This second aspect is under your responsibility, so this is where you can act.

By questioning some of your limiting beliefs, you’ll we stop, day after day, suffering the unexpected. You’ll take control on your life and you’ll be able to change unsatisfactory or blocked situations.

 

« Acting amounts to trust the unpredictable » 

Jacques Salomé 

 

The confidence, a state of mind. 

Deep inside you, you perfectly know what you have to do! This is what they call intuition. To reveal your potential, the second step consists in developing your intuiting in order to walk on the path of your life with self-confidence.

First, it’s very important to keep a kindly eye on you existence. Step back and observe, objectively. Follow the incredible string of events, decisions, meetings, trials and successes which brought you there and which made you become the person you are! Be aware of what difficult moments teached you (experience, wisdom, strength, proofs of your ability to recover…) and of what the good ones brought you.

Try to keep in mind this global vision of your existence in order to put the problems of everyday life in perspective. Appreciate what the present has to give, and be simply ready to welcome the future with all its potential, without judgement. Be aware of your intuitions…

This is how you will feel confident.

From then on, you’ll understand that there’s no « fate ». What we call  « coincidences » will become appointments with your life, each event will be the confirmation of your expectations…. You’ll feel connected to something bigger.

Step by step, with experience, you’ll learn to develop your intuition. This will give you a feeling of strength and control. You’ll be in control of your life.

The physical sensation of this state of mind is very pleasant: a new energy comes over you, it flows in your body. Your heart is boosted, you can feel like moving mountains!

Imagine what you will accomplish by using this new energy!

 

« Action is the antidote to despair »

Joan Baez

 

The third step to turn into change consists in noting your action plans to make them rooted in reality. From theory to writing, you give substance to your thoughts: you’re already into action. This may seem anecdotal, but it’s essential!

In order to illustrate the importance of writing in the process of change, let’s observe the story of Marc.

Marc has a job of sales representative since 10 years. But, for a few months now, he feels frustrated and oppressed. He doesn’t take an interest in his daily tasks: he feels like a robot. Unable to appreciate the present, he constantly hopes somethings else but he doesn’t know what.

Marc takes advantage of a long journey from home to work in the train to let his mind come and go, while looking at the landscape. And then one day, he needs to write in a notebook: regrets, dreams, assessment of his achievements… Page after page, Marc becomes aware of the time passing. Life is too precious to be half-lived. He knows it: ton find peace, a change is necessary. But what?

As he reads through his notes from the beginning, it’s obvious. His job doesn’t allow him to express an essential aspect of his personality: creativity. Marc remembers when he took this job: after art school, he had to find something very quickly because he needed money. A friend talked to him about an opportunity in this company. The salary was quite good… But years have passed, and nothing has changed: the temporary situation has become a permanent one. And today, Marc’s priorities are not the same anymore: he needs to be in tune with himself.

After this awareness, Marc decides to establish an action plan. In his notebook, never far from him, he makes a list of his objectives, some modest and some more ambitious. Day after day, he checks the hit ones. He doesn’t censor himself and note all his desires, needs and dreams, even the crazy ones. Each journey in the train is like an appointment with himself. Energy has changed…

Few months later, Marc feels peaceful. Following the action plan, he first took stock of his financial situation and he talked about his future career change to his family and friends, in order to root it in reality. Then he looked for training opportunities. He finally worked something out with his company, in order to leave it in the best conditions. Ready to start another adventure! Today, Marc designs furniture and decorate apartments. He feels in tune with himself, free and peaceful. And more than all: he loves what he’s doing! His family and friends have found the funny and spontaneous man he was years ago.

Looking at the first pages of his notebook, he measures the distance covered and the changes in his life since the bad days, when he was dreaming of a better future, in the train. Most of his objectives have been reached in his personal and in his professional life. And the others will be, he knows it because he trusts. New desires, new projects and new dreams emerge.

This is why writing is important: first, it makes awareness easier and in a second time, it allows to measure the progress made. Now, it’s by being satisfied and proud of what we already accomplished that we can find energy, strength and courage to set new objectives, more and more ambitious.

 

« An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory » 

Friedrich Engels

 

The principle of the ladder.

The fourth step, which is closely linked to the previous one, consists in fixing intermediate and realistic objectives! 

Imagine a wall. A very high one. A ladder is lead against it. This ladder can make you reach your dreams, but for now, you’re on the ground. If you look at the top of the wall right now, you will get scared. Your mind will be flooded with negative thoughts: « it’s impossible », « it’s dangerous », « it’s too high », «it makes me dizzy »…

Therefore, you won’t do anything and will stay where you are, safe on the ground, even if it means giving up your dreams.

On the other hand, if you climb onto the first rung (what is possible now?), then from this one to the second one (so easy!), and so on, you’ll be able to reach the top of the ladder without any difficulty, just focusing your mind on the next rung at every moment…

This metaphor helps to put things in perspective between big dreams, which are very important but need to be considerate as a reason to go on (the destination), and intermediate goals, which give you energy (the fuel) if you turn them into action plans.

 

« Homo sapiens, the only creature endowed with reason, is also the only creature to pin its existence on things unreasonable »

Henri Bergson

 

Boost your energy by getting rid of your parasite problems.

The last step that I want to propose you in order to reveal your real potential consists in devoting your energy on your objectives. It means that you first have to get used to get rid of daily problems as soon as they appear: say NO to procrastination!

We all have a tendency to postpone those little things without importance, but which pollute our lives when they accumulate: to change this light which doesn’t work since weeks, to send this mail which should have left a long time ago, to settle this misunderstanding with a friend, to treat this painful tooth,  to sort papers… In fact, all those irritations of everyday life that burn your energy and distract you from real important things.

Make a list of these problems and treat them, one by one, checking them as one goes along. These little actions will turn into positive energy, your fuel on the road of change.

You’ll feel light and free. And when you travel without unnecessary weight, you go faster and you go further!

 

So, are you ready to move to action?