Living Life from the Inside Out

What would life look like if we stopped for just a moment and took a break from the pace of our daily lives and asked ourselves what we wanted? Would the response be, more of the same, less of the same, or perhaps, something completely different?

Listening to the voice of our wise heart and the messages it offers is simple. However, we make it hard to "take" the time to be with our true selves. The precious insights we have about life can be discovered in challenging times, quiet times and joyful times. Dawn Brown, Author of That Perception Thing!, reminds us that we can learn through pain, or we can learn through joy. The secrets to igniting your passion for your ideal life exist in the moments of joy.

Too often, we are on the brink of exhaustion, heart ache, or burnout before we ask ourselves what we really want. Rather than experiencing a crisis of self, I invite you to create some quiet space for reflection. Consider booking a date with yourself and find a quiet place to reflect and complete the following exercise.

Begin by placing your feet flat on the floor and letting your hands rest comfortably in your lap. Close your eyes and take three deep cleansing breaths. Begin to visualize yourself in a sanctuary of your own creation. Take a look around, where are you? What is around you? Is this place familiar to you? Note the details of your sanctuary. There are no editors or inner critics present in this sanctuary. This is a safe place. You are here with the inner voice of your wise self.

Now, look forward in time. It’s one year down the road. It’s the beginning of a new day. Visualize your experience. Where are you? Describe your surroundings. You are on your way to do work that you love and enjoy. What are you doing? Who are your colleagues? What does your office look like? What are your activities on this great day? How do you feel as you experience your day? Pull out a pen and notebook and describe your day with as much detail as possible.

Keep your notes from this exercise.
Re-read your notes often over the next month.
Collect data, gather information.
Open yourself to possibilities.
Often, we are living our plan B life, waiting for the right circumstances to execute Plan A. Now is the time. Have you captured your Plan A life – Your dream?

If you are on a quest to get more out of your work experience, you are invited to join Beth Page, Laura Min Jackson and Clare Mann as they explore the opportunities for "Getting to the Heart of the Matter at Work in a free tele-seminar on Wednesday July 19, 2006. Clare, Laura and Beth are three contributing expert authors to the new book, "Awakening the Workplace." To learn more about this tele-seminar, and to register, visit www.dreamcatcher-consulting.com/update.htm .

Beth Page is the founder of Dream Catcher Consulting, an individual coaching and organizational consulting firm which uses a collaborative model to maximize individual and organizational outcomes. Learn more at www.dreamcatcher-consulting.com.