Legacy: What Are You Leaving Behind?

For many of us, when we hear the word “legacy” we think of people like JD Rockefeller, Mohandas Gandhi, even Rosa Parks. Someone who’s major accomplishments or courageous actions impacted the world in historic ways.

You may be thinking to yourself, “Who am I to leave a legacy? I’m just trying to get through another day at work while paying my bills and caring for my family and friends.” You’re not trying to change the world – just navigate through it the best you can.

But legacies aren’t just for the leading characters in social studies text books. In fact, you’re kidding yourself if you think you’re not leaving a legacy.

Everything you do touches the lives of other people. All of your actions make a difference somehow. The way you live, the way you love, the work you do all have an effect that reaches beyond the particulars of your day-to-day living. Whether you choose a legacy or not, you are creating a one, moment by moment.

Types of Legacies
Since you are leaving a legacy anyways, consider choosing one consciously. Your legacy might include a combination of some of the following:

• A business or non-profit organization that carries on your work after you’re gone.
• Beauty, inspiration and wisdom passed on through creations such as books, music, and art.
• Money, goods, and property, including endowing scholarships or creating a foundation.
• A beautiful garden that preserves a piece of nature and offers a retreat for the weary.
• The “ripple effect” of your daily impact on friends, family and your community.
• The values you impart to children and grandchildren.

Components of Legacy-Building
To consciously build a legacy, consider the following steps:

Begin with the end in mind. In order to leave a legacy that you deem to be of the highest value, you must first see it in your mind’s eye. In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey says it’s imperative to begin with a clear vision of your destination. He recommends developing a “personal mission statement.” Based on your core values or principles, the statement focuses on what you want to be and what you want to contribute or achieve.

Clarify your values. With a coach or on your own, explore your values. What do you cherish most deeply? This is not about “morals” imposed from outside, but reflects what you believe at your core is of greatest importance. You legacy will be strong statement about your values. Be sure it’s an accurate reflection.

Determine your arena of impact. Decide where and how do you want to make a positive difference in the world. To clarify your desired impact, ask yourself:

1. Who do I want to impact? What people or community?
2. What gifts do I have to share?
3. What is the best vehicle for sharing my gifts?
4. In what way do I want to contribute to others’ wellbeing?

Start planning. Now that you know where you’re going, it’s time to start mapping out the route to get there. Remember that, while concrete action plans are important, you build your legacy every day with your choices, actions and words. Live your life authentically and you will be building your legacy brick by brick.

To create a formal action plan, consider these questions:

1. What’s my next step to go from where I am now to where I want to be?
2. Who can help me reach my goals? Who do I want on my dream team?
3. How can my impact be sustained after I’m gone?

Now you are on the road to leaving a legacy you can be proud of. One that will leave the planet a little better off for you having been here. Well done!

I invite you to share your thoughts and perspective on the article. What will your legacy be? How are you creating it day-by-day? To join the discussion, simply leave a comment.

Who Has a Life Purpose?

I’ve always had this sense that there had to be more to life than working hard to just get by. I would look at people who were really passionate about their work and it was clear to me that they had something going on.  They had tapped into a deeper meaning and were making a contribution to the world that brought them and others so much joy.

I wanted to have what they had.  I wanted to know what they knew that the rest of us didn’t.  I started by looking at what I was taught about career and work as I grew up. Not very pleasant stuff – work hard, keep your head down, obey the rules, and just maybe you’ll survive.

So then I began to research and study everything I could about life purpose in the personal development field.  Along the way I learned a lot, but I began to realize that there was a lot of misinformation. A lot of what I was hearing actually confused me and was more discouraging than anything.

Over the years I sifted through the accurate, helpful information and weeded out the confusing, counterproductive information. I’ve collected the best of what I learned first hand and I want to share it with you.

The first and most important thing I had to learn – and really internalize - was that everyone has a life purpose.

I grew up with the belief that only exceptional people have a true life purpose. Life purpose isn’t for everyone – just the chosen few. I thought of people like doctors, teachers and firefighters as being called to their profession and that what they do is more than a job, it’s who they are. Surely they had a life purpose… but what about the rest of us?

I now believe with all my heart that everyone has a life purpose – yes even you and me.  And we have the freedom to begin believing in it.

I have heard from many of you that your greatest challenge in this area is finding what your life purpose is. This is the first step in that discovery process. You must truly believe that you have a purpose not just wish or hope you have one. Once you accept in all certainty that you do have a purpose, you’ll be open to finding it and clues will begin appearing faster than you can imagine.

If you want guidance and support in uncovering and living your life purpose, check out my new coaching program, From Purpose to Prosperity™.  It leads you through the exact steps and teaches you the most effective strategies to enable you to identify your life purpose, begin living it and experiencing prosperity from it in as short of a time period as possible.

Get all the details and request an application form here: http://frompurposetoprosperity.com/

Where Is Your Compass Pointing?

In my many years working with managers and their teams in the business world, the number one request for training was time management – hands down.  As I work with clients in the coaching world, I hear the same story… there just isn’t enough time to do everything I want to do.

How we spend our time isn’t the only challenging decision we face. Anytime we find ourselves with limited resources – time, money, energy – we have to weigh the pros and cons of dedicating that resource to one area or another.

And then there are those decisions where we have to decide if the potential consequences are worth the risk of taking (or not taking) action.

Do we work late to meet that important deadline or leave work on time to watch our daughter’s soccer game? Do we give our boss some “honest” feedback or keep quiet so we’re seen as team players?

Sheesh… life can be challenging.

Luckily, we came equipped with an internal compass to help us navigate the myriad of decisions – both big and small – that face us on any given day. That compass is called our values.

Values are who we are at the core. They represent our unique and individual essence and reflect the aspects of life that are most important to us.

Our values serve as a compass pointing out what it means to be true to oneself. When we honour our values on a regular and consistent basis, life is good and fulfilling.

Important life decisions are easier to make and outcomes are more fulfilling when decisions are made in alignment with our personal values.

When you begin to look for and live into your life purpose, your values are an essential tool to keep you on track. 

In fact, values are one of the topics I’m addressing in my latest teleseminar, “How to Live Your Life Purpose AND Achieve the Prosperity of Your Dreams”

It’s FREE and happening on Thursday, April 15. 

If you’re searching for ways to find, share and prosper from your life purpose so that your life has more meaning, joy and passions, I encourage you to join me. 

Reserve your spot on the call by registering here:
http://frompurposetoprosperity.com/preview2/

I look forward to talking more with you then!

Use Your Genius to Find Your Life Purpose

In an interview late in his life, the psychologist Sigmund Freud was asked to expound on what he felt were the most important constituents of life. His answer? “Liebe und Arbeit.” Love and work.

This is hardly a surprise: most of our lives are spent either working or being with the ones we love. The real question behind Freud’s statement is how do you combine the two so you love the work you do.

For many people, finding work that goes beyond mere survival to that which brings joy and meaning to your life remains elusive. You can’t always pinpoint what’s missing or what it is that would give your life meaning, but you feel the void. You have a sense that there has to be more - that you’re here for a purpose. You will find that purpose in your “genius.”

Finding Your Genius
Ultimately, the meaning in your work isn’t related to the size of the company you work for or which department you’re in, but how closely the work you perform is in alignment with what author Dick Richards labels “your genius.”

In his book, Is Your Genius at Work?, Richards uses the term to refer to that unique intersection between what you are good at (your gift) and what you love to do (your passion). As he explains it, you have just one genius; it is a positive talent that engages your heart and brings you optimal results.

Once you have identified your unique genius, the challenge becomes how to find the overlap between your genius and an “unmet need” in the world, so that someone will pay you to use your genius. Fortunately, by identifying and describing your genius, you gain confidence and are better able to articulate just how you can contribute to others. Your heart gets into alignment with your work, and suddenly work feels more like play and opportunities appear as if “out of the blue.”

The Alarm-Clock Test
Here is a quick test to determine if you have found your genius and are fully aligned with the work you are doing. If the alarm clock rings and you’re already out of bed getting ready for work because you are thrilled by what you’re doing and each new day at work is provides meaningful experiences, then the chances are pretty good that you’re somewhere near that sweet spot.

But if you’re failing the Alarm-Clock Test—not some of the time, but all the time—looking for a different kind of work makes sense. These days, more and more people in that situation are turning toward self-employment opportunities as the key to matching up purpose with genius.

What Will Your Story Be?
To help identify what meaningful work is for you, spend time reflecting on what work in your dream life would look like. One way to approach this is to imagine you are telling others the story of how work and meaning finally came together for you. To prepare the story, reflect on questions such as the following:

• What aspects of your work make you feel joyful, creative and competent?
• How do you infuse your heart and soul into your work?
• How does your sense of the divine show up and inform your work?
• How does your work contribute to others and to the world?
• How does your work contribute to the future?
• What role has serendipity, coincidence, and luck played in your work life?
• How have fun, play, and humour been a part of your meaningful work?
• How has your relationship with work changed over the course of your life?
• Do you have a philosophy, mission, or vision that guides your work life? If so, what is it and how did you come to it?
• What poetry, quotes, prayers, music, spiritual writings, and pictures represent and/or guide your work life? How do they inform your work?

Now take time to actually write out your story. Include details and specific examples. It may be fiction (or foreshadowing) at this point, but merely by writing it down and staying focused on it as your desired future, you begin the process to bring it into existence.

Remember that creating meaningful work is a lifelong process. Finding your genius and purpose requires conscious attention and a willingness to listen to what your heart is telling you. Be open to having your story evolve. And enjoy creating the life, and work, of your dreams.

I invite you to share your thoughts and perspective on the article. To join the discussion, reply to this email.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Sheila Betker is founder of Freedom to Dream, a company dedicated to connecting women with their true life’s purpose and helping them build the life of their dreams. To sign up for a free 10-part ecourse entitled, Living Your Dream Life: Step By Step Guide to Living Your Life on Purpose, visit: http://freedom-to-dream.com

If You Can Dream It

While reading an article by Feng Shui coach, Vicky White, I was struck by one of her comments. About setting powerful intentions, Vicky writes:

“You’ll get help from all kinds of places you couldn’t possibly imagine at this point. You’re tapping into something much bigger. Just trust. If it were not possible, you would not have even imagined what you’re going for. If your intention is in alignment with who you truly are, it will happen.”

Now, I have heard many version of the quotes, “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.” However I had always interpreted them as encouragement to dream. From Vicky’s article I realized that what those quotes are really saying is that we do not imagine or dream something until it becomes possible for the universe to deliver it. Since having that revelation, I have heard that teaching in other places.

That is the curious thing about learning… you can read the same book or take same seminars multiple times and each time brings a new level of learning to you. It is not that the book changes, but that you change. We are ever-changing beings. We are constantly learning and growing with energy flowing through us. We grasp the lessons in life that we are ready to receive. At a different time we are ready for different lessons.

Maybe that is why I am such a voracious learner. I love reading, listening to teleseminars, or taking classes. I can’t go too many days without filling my mind with new information - or old information that yields new lessons. I must say that of all my personal characteristrics, love of learning has served me the best. 

It is that excitement about the “ah ha” moments that drives me to coach, write, and teach. I love being able to support others in their growth and learning. Stay tuned for news about my upcoming teleseminars and chech out the Articles and Resource sections of my website for an ever-increasing supply of knowledge and inspiration.  

If you want to check out Vicky’s site (I highly recommend it), go here: Life Design Strategies

Freedom to Dream

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” 

- Albert Einstein 

• Is there a quiet whisper in your ear saying there must be more to life?
• Does your heart yearn for more meaning and fulfillment?
• Do you long to find your life’s purpose and the freedom to pursue it?

Many of us get caught up in the busyness of life and in fulfilling the roles we were taught to take on. We are trying so hard to do the right things that we lose ourselves somewhere along the way. Sometimes all we have is a shadow of a dream reminding us there is more.

Life may have forced you to re-evaluate your direction through unexpected events like job loss or a health crisis. You may have been inspired by the courage of another woman blazing her own trail. Or maybe you decided to take the leap because the fear of the unknown is less painful than staying where you are.

Whatever the case, you are not alone. Many women just like you have travelled that path. It is a journey that, by necessity, leads first inside of you and then explodes into the world with such joy and energy that you’ll be swept off your feet. Creating the life of your dreams is an exhilarating journey and well worth the effort.

This website is for women who are longing to dream again - to dream large and in colour and then to find the courage to pursue their dreams. Here you will find the resources to help you each step of the way from giving yourself the freedom to dream, to mapping out the route, and then filling your backpack with strategies to ensure a successful journey.

If you’re looking for the spark to set your life on fire, you’ve come to the right place.

    

“Whatever the mind can conceive, it can achieve.” - W. Clements Stone