I often get asked if I’m really as happy as I look on Facebook. Evidently I seem a bit too chipper, given the current circumstances of our country.  While I agree there is much to be concerned about, the answer is still a resounding YES! I really am happy. Why? First and foremost, because I wake up every morning and choose to be happy. I embrace life with an attitude of gratitude and a spirit of abundance. The second reason is because I’ve discovered a secret I want to share with you – how to create the life you most want to live.

Like many of you I spent years stuck in situations that were not meant for me. I stayed in jobs I didn’t like because I didn’t think I could find a better one. I stayed in relationships way past the warning signs telling me it was time to go. There are many times in my life where I’ve convinced myself that I’m not “ready,” even when opportunities to make a change were right in front of me.

It’s human nature really, to stay where we are because we crave the security of our comfort zone – no matter how miserable, discontent or bored we may be in it. But at some point in life we all experience a little niggle on the inside, pestering us to get off our behind and try something new. You want a different life, and guess what? You deserve to live it. The question is, how?

I’m going to share my secret with you. It’s not rocket science, but it is genius because it works EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Here’s how you can escape your comfort zone and create the life you most want to live!

STEP ONE:  Listen to the whispers of the Spirit. The biggest mistake most of us make is ignoring the voice within us. We look at external circumstances and base our entire lives on what we see. It’s why right now so many of us are depressed and devoid of hope.

But creating the life you most want to live requires a different approach. It begins as an inside job, listening to what God is telling you, and being okay with no one else agreeing with or understanding it.

Here’s a practical example. When I left Susan G. Komen in 2012 I didn’t know what I wanted to do. What I was clear about was that it was time to do something different. So rather than rush off to the next thing, I got still and listened. Eventually my spirit realized that it wasn’t my desire to go into another organization. Instead, I wanted to work on the outside – partnering with people who I believed were doing great things.

Was this the safe route? Nope. There were no guarantees people would hire me. Did everyone agree with my decision? NO. But here’s the thing – I had to listen to what the Spirit was telling me about ME. Only I could hear that, and it was up to me to believe.

The same is true for you. What is the Spirit saying to you about you? Don’t let doubts cause you to discount what you’re hearing. Following the urging of the Spirit is the foundation of creating the life you most want to live.

STEP TWO:  Step out on faith. You heard the message. It’s time to move. If you’ve read my book, Loving on Me! Lessons Learned on the Journey from Mess to Message, you know one of the big aha moments of my life was when I understood that God doesn’t give us direction until we start to move. This revolutionized the way I understood faith, because previously I prayed for direction and waited. I didn’t move until I was SURE I had an answer. But what I’ve come to understand is that is not faith.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.

When we wait on God to give us all the answers, or to send us a sign, we are not exercising our faith. Instead, we’re telling God show me before I step, so I really know I can trust you.

Ouch! Stings doesn’t it? Yeah, I know…for me too, because we desperately want the peace that comes from believing we are in lock step with God’s plans for our lives. But here’s what I’ve come to realize – our peace must come from God’s presence. When we believe He is with us always, we can trust that every step we take will come with His guidance and grace.

So go for it. Whatever it is you want out of life, step toward it.

Want to work from home? Ask. Your current job won’t let you? Find a job that will. It’s out there.

Want to start a business? Do it. You don’t have to quit your job right away to start a side hustle.

Want to stay home with your kids? Find a gig you can do from the house, start a side business and save, or make a plan with your spouse to cut back on expenses so you can live on one income.

Quit thinking about it and just do it! You don’t have to have all the answers to take your first step.

STEP THREE. Work your butt off, even when you get sick of it. This is where the rubber meets the road. If we want it, we’ve got to work for it. Trouble is, most of us give up on our dreams way too soon, and as a result never really experience the life we most want to live.

We start off excited and energized. Then things get hard, our original “plan” fails, or worse – we run into money problems. Soon we find ourselves scurrying back to our comfort zone, looking for security rather than pursuing success.

But here’s the thing – all the people you admire for taking life by the horns and living it worked their butt off. They experienced many of the same setbacks we do on our journey. The difference is they didn’t give up. They kept striving, course correcting, and working to create the life they most wanted to live.

You can do it too! No, it’s not easy. It is, however, worth it.

You and your dreams are worth pursuing. They are possible if you are persistent…which leads me to the final step.

STEP FOUR:  Repeat.  Life is a journey, and the journey is our life. That means that come what may we have to keep going! When we stop on the journey we experience stagnation, a place where nothing grows. That’s why this last step is so critical. If we’re committed to creating the life we MOST want to live then we have to be willing to go through this process over and over again.

Here’s how this often shows up…The job you have no longer satisfies you. You’re bored and it’s time for a change. You’re a little afraid cause you have good benefits, but you just do not want to do it anymore. So you gather your courage, pursue a new opportunity, then bravely step out on faith once it’s secured. You work your butt off when you get there, excited to learn something new.

But…fast forward three years, and that feeling is coming over you again. You recognize it – it’s time to make a change. Is it a new place? new position? I don’t know. Maybe you don’t either.

It’s time to go back to step one – listening.

This friend is the cycle of co-creating the life you most want to live. It’s an ongoing journey that will take us on an exciting adventure with God – if we let it. And that’s the secret – the life we most want to live is waiting for us. The only thing keeping us from experiencing it is our unwillingness to enter, and stay in, the cycle.

The life of your dreams was fashioned by God just for you. The desires of your heart? He gave them to you. The gifts and abilities you need to live your dream life? He’s already placed them in you. There is nothing stopping you but YOU!

Let today be the day you make up your mind to create the life you MOST want to live. Don’t settle for staying stuck. You were meant for more!

Hugs and Love ♥