How Do You Want to Feel?
How do you want to feel? What are you willing to do to experience that feeling? That’s the premise of Danielle LaPorte’s book The Desire Map, which is featured as part of my favorite books list to the right. In it, Danielle guides the reader through a process of brainstorming a list of feeling words that correspond to various areas of our lives including career, relationships, spirituality, leisure, and more. From those lists, the reader then narrows the collection to a few words that seem to appear more frequently than others. These words represent how the reader would like to feel in all areas of life. Based on the words chosen, the reader then identifies what he or she is willing to do to experience that feeling. It’s like goals setting in reverse. The focus is on what works for us, rather than the “should”.
I have completed this process each of the past two Decembers. Every time, I learn a little more about myself and discover areas where there is room for some personal growth. There were three words last year. This year there are four. Those four words serve as a guide along my path throughout the year. I journal over those four words. I make decisions around those four words. I plan purchases around those four words. I even do some things that seem counter-intuitive to those four words in support of those four words.
The first word is light. If ever there was a word with more possible meanings and nuances, I don’t know what it is. This word is in my life to represent all of them. I desire to feel light. I desire my physical body to feel light. I desire the environment around me to feel light. I desire my emotions to feel light. I desire the world around me to feel light. Light is a word that invokes many possibilities on the road to feeling great and becoming a better version of me. I am in the process of helping my body find a lighter and healthier state. I am attempting to reduce the amount of “stuff” that exists in my space. I am even working on my thoughts so as to support a lighter, more positive view of the world. That’s not the easiest thing to accomplish in these times, but it is important to me.
The second word is inspired. I desire to feel inspired. Inspiration comes in many forms. I am seeking them out. I have found many free sources of inspiration via You Tube. I have found additional sources of inspiration through my Audible subscription. I have pursued conferences and learning opportunities that light a fire of passion beneath me. I have invested in such motivators as Tony Robbins and I listen to the recorded telephone calls of multi-level-marketing businesses because their purpose is to inspire. I intend to raise the vibration not only of my own energy, but that of others as well, simply by them being around me. Energy is contagious and while I cannot fix the anger and vitriol that spews daily across various news sources, I can seek out inspiration so that I, in turn, can inspire.
My third word is accomplished. Last year I chose competent. That was sufficient. I needed to feel like I could do my job at an acceptable level. This year, competent isn’t good enough. I choose to feel accomplished. I choose to recognize the time, resources, and energy I have put into my education and acknowledge the value I bring to the organization for which I work. I am focused on maintaining positive self-feedback and avoidance of self-criticism. There will always be those who are ready to criticize. I don’t need to contribute to the sea of naysayers. I’ve done enough of that during my life to last the rest of my life. I will readily own my weaknesses not as weaknesses but as areas that either do not interest me or areas for which opportunity exists for learning to occur. My accomplishments are significant. I have done enough. I have been enough. I am enough. I am accomplished, and I will continue to demonstrate and feel accomplishment through my personal and professional life.
The final word that is joining me on my journey this year is secure. This may be the most important word along the way this year. Security embodies many aspects. It includes feeling secure in my job. It includes feeling secure in my home. It includes feeling secure in my relationships. It includes feeling financially secure. It is also a lesson in trust. I feel secure, because I believe I AM secure. That doesn’t mean challenges won’t come and the winds of change won’t blow. It means that I have a back-up plan and I am doing things to ensure an ongoing sense of security in my life. It means paying the bills. It means occasionally picking up those extra shifts. It means buying the life insurance. It means taking a hard look at that job “opportunity” to see if in fact it aligns with my core desired feelings. It means taking some risks to open the door to even greater security. It means being patient when patience is at a premium.
How do you want to feel? Grab a copy of Danielle’s book and work through the process. Then grab a copy of The Desire Map Daily Planner and take some time each day to journal about what you are doing to feel the way you want to feel. Share your core desired feelings in the comments below and tell us how this approach is changing your life.
Oh yeah, just so you know, there are affiliate links in this post, however, I only share the super cool ones.
