As I write to you, I am just a few weeks away from another birthday. If you have followed my work over the years, you know that this is a time of introspection and reflection for me as I look back over my life and the lessons that I have learned along the way. It is hard to believe that we are heading towards the end of summer. I hope that you have taken some time to rest, unplug and reset for the last half of 2021. Resting and recharging is something that I cannot talk about enough. You have to stop waiting until you reach burnout to take a break. Start scheduling times for vacation and rest in your life. You will be more productive and you will be empowered to realize your greatest potential. I hope this piece will help you understand the power of reflection and how to leverage it to live your greatest life!
Understand that you need to take time for reflection. In a culture that praises burnout and busyness, I am disturbed at what I see happening in the world. Everyone is racing to complete projects, meet deadlines and dominate industries. However, in our pursuit of success we have lost the sacred art of silence and stillness. Every year in the weeks leading up to my birthday I take some time to reflect. While I am an entrepreneur with a very busy schedule, I believe it is vitally important to take this time and slow things down. I turn off the noise, put down the phone and the devices and I really try to get really still and quiet so that I can reflect on the last year of my life. Reflection is important because it allows you to explore your live and evaluate your productivity and your progress. More importantly, reflection gives you the opportunity to assess your journey and to access the wisdom and lessons that you have gained from your experiences. So many people are just excited about the thought of their birthdays. However, they never take the time to examine whether they are learning, growing, developing and evolving into the great expression of who they were created to be. Reflection is the only way you will ever be able to hit the reset button on your life and realize your greatest potential.
You cannot reflect on your life without being vulnerable. Some people will read this piece and say that they are already taking time for reflection and that this information does not really apply to them. However, what I have discovered is that nothing distances you from the life of your dreams more than dishonesty. Anything we are unwilling to be honest about will always hijack our growth and development. Vulnerability is one of the greatest forms of currency that exist. In fact, vulnerability has empowered me to build a brand that resonates with people around the world. I cannot preach authenticity to the world but practice artificiality. It means that I am incongruent with my values and principles. Reflection will always require you to be vulnerable. In particular, you will have to be vulnerable about your weaknesses, blind spots and the threats to your potential. Furthermore, I am always vulnerable with myself about my fears, inhibitions and self-imposed limitations. I have discovered that denial will always cause you to live a disempowered life. Anything you are unwilling to confront will always corrode the quality of your life. Vulnerability empowers you to take responsibility for your life and make the necessary course corrections. Truthfulness is always the womb of transformation.
You must take total responsibility for your life. While some of you are brand new to my message, many of you know that I was not able to reverse cycles in my life until I took total responsibility for my life. As long as you have something or someone to blame, you have given your personal power away. The danger in giving your personal power away is that you become a puppet that others are able to control and manipulate. When you take total responsibility for your life, you take your personal power back and you are able to reprogram your mind, reverse cycles and reclaim the moments of your life. Responsibility awakens us to the truth that nobody can live your life for you. Additionally, responsibility causes us to realize that nothing will change about your life unless you initiate it. Ultimately, you are the driving force for all transformation in your life. Anything that you refuse to take responsibility for has the right and the power to restrict your potential and rob you of growth and development. Responsibility empowers you with the courage, clarity and capacity you need to change the course of your life forever.
Reflection empowers you to reach for more in your life. As someone that has been reflecting for years, I know the power of this success practice in your life. Every year I write down my my most important lessons, breakthroughs, challenges and the wisdom that I have gained along the way. Why is this so important? Reflection has empowered me to reach for more in my life. As I have studied my journey, I have discovered wisdom and insights that have propelled my life forward. In particular, I have gained new clarity, new strategies, new insights, new confidence, new perspectives, new resolve and new mindset shifts. Reflection always challenges me to raise the bar on my performance, confront self-limiting beliefs and perceptions and to remain committed to developing my potential. It is impossible to reflect and to not be challenged and provoked to reach for more in your life. Reflection has empowered me to enlarge my vision, expand my mind, set bigger goals and to have the audacity to pursue my greatest life. Reflection will never shrink your life. Reflection will always stretch you to embrace new possibilities and opportunities. Reflection is a master key for success and a clear indicator that one is pursuing personal mastery and excellence in life. Reflection will always usher you into new realms of greatness.