You really CAN do, have, or be anything you desire.
How do you feel when you read that?
Do you believe me? Or do you want to kick me. Depending on where you are in your life right now, you either support that statement or you want to stomp on it with combat boots like you did your copy of “The Secret”.
Well, move over my friend, because most days, I ebb and flow between both. When things are going my way, I love taking credit for it. “Hey! Look what I made happen!” When things are not going my way, I sometimes look for someone to blame. (Yes, even life coaches have crappy days)
My training however, rescues me from these times, turning them into bad moments rather than multiple days of misery.
Here is my story and I’m sticking to it: You most certainly CAN have mostly anything you want. Really! The rub is that it will take effort, commitment and action.
HELLO? Did I lose you? Hang on! Stick with me! Which actions to take, when and why you take them is the real “Secret”.
Look back at your accomplishments…I’m sure you have many. I think you’ll see a pattern. As I look back at the things that I attained in my life, I noticed that there were three things present in every single scenario. Always.
Let’s call them the three D’s.
The Desire:
When I was 5 years old, I sat with my father in living room. “Spanish for Beginners ” records played on the Hi-Fi as we repeated what we heard:
“Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco seis ”
“ Buenos Días”
“Cómo está Usted?”
I’m not sure what my dad’s motivation was, (maybe it was his hot Puerto Rican secretary Lupe…) but I am crystal clear on what my payoff was. I got tons of attention and positive reinforcement for being a blue-eyed Irish-German-Gringa who spoke Spanish.
From the ages of 5 – 15, I was what I’d call a Spanish dabbler. I didn’t keep it up. I knew some catch phrases and my pronunciation was good, but couldn’t really hold a full-blown conversation in Spanish. That all changed the day I watched Kathy Connolly laughing and conversing in Spanish Esteban Garcia. She was just like me, except she wasn’t a dabbler. She had what I wanted. She had the ability to converse effortlessly in another language. …I wanted that badly.
The Difference Maker:
So, I got serious. I enrolled in classes and luckily, had lots of opportunities to practice. No matter where we were, my father seemed to be a magnet for native Spanish speakers. He’d gently nudge me with his elbow, urging me to speak Spanish to anyone who even gleaned a spec of ethnicity. It was tough for me at first, but as the smiles appeared on the faces of my new “amigos”, my fears dissipated and I found myself enjoying every minute of it. When you look like me and sound like Juan Valdez, you’re gonna turn a few heads. Unfortunately, my father never learned Spanish, he seemed to live vicariously through me but it was his support, encouragement and gentle prodding that made the difference.
Discipline:
Over the next 2 years, I advanced further and faster than in the 10 previous years. I made it my mission to be like my friend Kathy. I was driven by my desire to speak and supported by people like my dad and other’s who wanted that for me. My practice was daily, mostly small steps. When there was no one to practice with I leaned on Spanish music and TV Novelas. The opportunities for practice were endless. The key was to make it something I looked forward to as opposed to something I dread. Reading Spanish literature made me break out in a rash, but listening to “La Vida Loca” 1000 times to catch the lyrics was FUN. It made me want to practice.
Think about this for a moment. I’d bet you can find multiple areas in your life where you’ve accomplished something big. Trace it back and I’ll bet you’ll find the three D’s.
What is it that you want NOW? What is it that you BURN for? Start by making a list and then drill down to find the one that moves you the most. What’s your Desire?
Who can you find to join you on your journey? Who inspired this idea? Who supports you in this? Who motivates you? Who is your Difference maker?
What can you do daily that will joyfully get you to your desire? Small steps are enough. Start with research, journaling and brainstorming. Make a plan. Make if fun and it will never feel like Disciplined practice.
Know what you want, go for it daily and don’t go it alone. Sound too simple? Most things ARE that simple, and that, my friend is the REAL “Secret”.