Living your best life

Dawn Damon 0:00

Hey there welcome all you beautiful brave hearted women. How you doing today. I hope you're living your brave dream. Hope you're living a courageous life, and that you're smashing fear in the face, that you're not being held hostage by a gang of ugly facts, but you're living a life with faith, you're living a fierce and free life I hope you're experiencing. Just the joy of living full out. Think of it this way, think of, I'm living in an adventure today, my life is an adventure, let's step out of some of the fear mongering that's happening and some of the naysaying and remember some yay saying, I got this. I am living my dream I am bold and brave and beautiful. I am living my best life, I choose to live a life. I love. And how about this, I choose to love the life I live, if there's something about your life that you don't love change it. If you can't change it. Change the way you think about it, because you have the power to do that, hey, in fact, that's what I want to talk to you about today, I want to give you five do's of living your best life now not d u e like you got to pay your dues, but things you can do some brave action you can take in living your best life, Because really, you have the power to make decisions, you are not powerless, you have the ability to choose, you have autonomy. You can choose your mindset, you can choose the way you think about things the way you perceive things the way you interpret things, man, Don't ever give that power away Don't let anybody define you, you stand up in your brave self, and you go for it. So here, let's talk about this I want to talk to you today about the five do's and the first thing that I want to share with you today is to do remember that again. Do remember not to compare yourself. Alright, drop the mic right there. Live your life right live your life, comparing yourself to other people well, so you can only end up with a couple of things when you compare yourself you're going to end up in one of these extremes, you're going to have haughtiness or unhappiness. Another way to say it would be, you could have pride, or you could feel pity, have a pity party, I feel better than others so I'm patting myself on the back like yeah, I'm superior I got this. Or you can feel small and less than others, you look and you say wow, they've accomplished so much more than me, they're thinner than me, they're richer than me, they have more money than more talent than me and so I'm depressed, I should just, I should just pack it in and be done today. And you know that neither extreme is helpful. Neither one of those beliefs, or those practices will promote your best interest. And I want to tell you and I remember saying this so many times to so many young women coming up in, Whether it was ministry, business, their entrepreneurship, run your race. Yes, you want to chase mentors and you want to learn from great people, but at the end of day you've got to run your race, you've got to stay in your lane. You don't want to copy somebody else you don't want to try to be an imitation of someone else. You really want to find your authentic voice, and I know that that is easier to say than to do it is a process of discovery to figure out who you are. I know for me, as a young woman, I found mentors, and I learned from them, and you could tell who I was being mentored by at the moment, I was just a little mini me if I was being mentored by let's just call her Marie. It was just like, oh, there's a little Marie right there if I was being mentored by Barbara. Oh there's a little Barbara, I was, I was just copying, and that's okay, I think it's part of the process but there came a day when I had to break out of that. And I just found out you know what, that doesn't work for me. I'm trying to wear your shoes, and they don't fit, I'm trying to wear your spandex. And it's squeezing me doesn't work for me, run your race, think about a long distance, you know, they learn to run their race, a long distance runner they've learned their rhythm, and their pace, and they know that if they turn around, they're in danger if they look for where the other runners are, you know what they might get disqualified, they might lose their, their momentum or it gets in their head, you know, they start thinking about who's running faster who has better shoes who looks cuter and those shorts. It's not helpful. So don't compare yourself to anybody else, because it's a exercise in futility. As I said before, when you compare I know for me I would feel discontent and I scrambled to accomplish more. There's times where I fell into a funk because I felt behind I felt less than. I felt embarrassed when my true gifts would start to shine and they didn't look the same, I think, oh no no no, don't be like that you've got to do it more like this. I remember a time I was being mentored I'm a singer, and I was being mentored by a woman who sang beautifully, and she was also very passionate emotional singer she would get to a certain part of the song and she would start to cry. and I would sing songs that she sang, because I wanted to be like her and I started to sing. And when I got to that same part of the song, I would try to cry, I mustered up, and I would try to push those tears out, and it must have looked like slapstick comedy, it just was so disingenuous to me. I think about it now, I think Lady go sit down, didn't know, but hey, I was growing at least I was doing the thing right, but when you compare you there's some dangers there one of the dangers is that you can get really depressed because you don't measure up. And that happens a lot in that depression leads to I quit. I'm done. I can't do this. So, that's not helpful, or you get competitive, and jealous and jealousy that that green eyed monster jealousy is so unattractive and jealousy, really leads to so much poison is such a toxic motivator. It's okay to be pushed by someone that healthy competition is okay, it can serve you well. But when it goes toxic or it becomes jealousy. Separate yourself, step out of that be motivated by your passion, like what is really true inside of you. And another danger of comparing is you get confused about what it is you're really called to do. I was trying to be a singer, like somebody else that was not what I was called to do. I'm not a soft, tender, slowly person, everything in me is I love the words, you know, ramp it up, hit the floor running, be determined suck it up buttercup. I just tend to be more militant, and determined, but those words, scared someone else that I used to hang out with it felt overwhelming it felt intimidating, and we began to realize like you know what you and I still have a powerful partnership. Let's not be complete mirrors. Let's offset each other's weaknesses and be strong where we're strong, and let the other one shine where they shine. So just find out what you're called to what you're good at. Another danger can be that you get conceded. If you've compare yourself and you feel like you're superior then you can really get braggadocious because you're doing better. And there's nothing wrong with having a sense of satisfaction that you're doing a job well done, that you can have that satisfaction without looking at someone else and saying, I feel good about me because they're struggling. We think about that that's really a selfish motivation isn't it. I mean, wouldn't it be better to say hey come on. If there's anything I can help you with support you in. We shine when others shine, that if we go through life with a scarcity mentality that says there's only enough room for a few people to do well, then we're actually short circuiting even more of our greatness. So don't do that. And if you do a compare. Another danger is that you could get comfortable, you can coast, like I got this and I'm good and, and then you don't pursue ongoing development, you kind of just rest on your laurels, then yeah.

I'm bad up in here I've got this thing, and then pretty soon the other runners pass you by. So, again, that's a that's a danger in comparison. And you're not. You're not worth something, like I said a moment ago because you compare yourself to someone else, you're worth something because you are who you are, to find your authentic voice, alright so that is my point on the first do to living your best life, do remember not to compare stay away from the comparison trap. Alright, the second thing I want to share with you do reach for your goals and dreams. Do not settle. Do not quit. Do not compromise, do not love mediocre. Do not settle for the comfort zone. Do not let fear be your counselor, reach, it's okay to feel some discomfort, it is okay to take uncomfortable, action, in fact, not just okay, you have to, if you want to get to where you're called to go if you want to be true to, oh my goodness all the treasures that are within you, all the variety the vastness the hugeness, the possibilities of all the things that you can become and do to reach do go ahead and stretch yourself feel uncomfortable, you're not going to break. You're not a snowflake. You got this. Okay, there I go again with that, that temperament in mind, but you can do this. Alright, I want you to be brave. Now here's, here's one of the cautions that I do want to mention, however, there are things that we say that I think the both of them are false. Two things that we say one is, you won't amount to anything. Now listen, if you've ever heard that if anybody said to you, you'll never amount to anything, you're not as good as, why can't you be more like, I want you to smash that right now. Just picture a toilet and you take that thought and you throw it in there and you flush it down, it's not true. That's not anything you need to listen to you are already because you breathe, you have already amounted to something beautiful. That is true. And you have great opportunity and potential and beauty, and you have skills and talents and amazing abilities. Okay, that's just true. But the other thing that we can sometimes do is tell people or be told. You can be anything you want to be. Now, I want to be cautious here because that's mostly true, but not all the way true. I can't be a beautiful soul singer. I don't have the singing chops for that. I can't be a brain surgeon. Maybe I could have been, but I'm not I don't I'm not wired that way. I don't even have the physical eyesight, for that you would not want me and messing around in with a surgical instrument. Okay, this is just be such a bad idea in so many ways. But these false statements they both have them set us up for disappointment, they set us up for failure. The truth is you can be anything and everything you're wired and called to be everything your Creator designed you to be. Don't ever settle. There's greatness inside of you. Okay. But if you believe that you'll never amount to anything, or you can be anything and everything. Then we're kind of being set up for defeat or or disappointment, better to understand, like I said a moment ago. You can be anything you are called to be. You can be anything you can do everything that's a better way of saying that you can do everything. You are designed and called to be. So, you discover who that is, you discover what it is that is inside of you, What makes you want to march with a poster in your hand dig down deep inside of yourself, what makes you want to beat your chest what's, what keeps you up, you don't need an alarm clock because your dream wakes you up your passion moves you. What are you interested in what do you gifted at what do you skill that, and sometimes I remember what I was discovering some of these things in my early 30s And I found out I was almost afraid of the largeness of what I sensed was inside of me.

I remember the day I was doing some teaching, and this teaching gift was rising up to a point where I mean I was like preaching, and it was, it was, it was beautiful, it was flowing, and for a moment there I was almost overwhelmed and the feeling came. Who are you to be doing this. Who are you to be saying this, and then, you know, remember that statement that I'm not going to give her credit right now because I don't remember her name but she said who are you not to. Who are you not to shine. Who are you not to allow this gift to emerge. So, don't compare yourself remember not to compare. But do remember, reach for your dreams. Who are you drawn to what people groups what concerns what social problems unearth the treasures that are inside of you don't copy somebody else's calling. Find your own, do your own work, dig down and get it. Alright, let's go to to number three. Okay, once you reach for your goals and dreams do make your plan. That's the third do to living your best life, make your plan. Aristotle once said that we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act. It's a habit. In other words like living your best life it's just not gonna happen by accident. Can you might every now and then stumble into something, you know, yay, but excellence for reaching your goals and dreams it's the result of your daily routine. It's the result of your habit, and your positive choices, and in another podcast we're going to talk about this in more length but if you don't have a daily routine, Sr. We're going to talk about that you've got to have a powerful daily routine. Every successful person if you interview them and you talk to them, and you want to know what some of the secret is to their success. They're going to tell you that they have a powerful daily routine fact I call it my 606 rise, there's six things I do every morning when I wake up at six. I know some people say five o'clock in the morning, that's probably I'm moving that way okay I'm moving towards five, but right now I got a 606 rise, and I have a powerful morning routine with habits and choices that I do, and if I don't do it, I really feel, man I fell out of sorts. So, do you know that living your best life, it's a direction that you choose, you don't just accidentally get there you get there by creating a plan with a destination, you're going to arrive there because you've got a good map like Tony Robbins calls it your massive action plan, your map, or your blueprint. You get to decide, do I really want to reach this goal, do I really want to see this dream come to fruition, well if I do, I gotta, I got to create a plan, a proven predictable pathway to get me there. And so when you achieve goals you're going to look back and say, I didn't just get there by accident. I got here on purpose. In fact, I want to invite you to take my course, uncover your brave vision, I will lead you step by step through the six steps are the secret sauce that will help you reach your goals. So do remember, don't get discouraged with small beginnings, small steps don't make just a difference they make all the difference. Get your blueprint, get your map, and start baby stepping your way to greatness. Okay. And then the fourth thing on our list of five or bring it on home I know I got to wrap it up. Be do rehearse your blessings, daily, be grateful. Be grateful. You know what it may not feel true that on the surface that you have something to be thankful for. But do you know that that is a very selfish, that is a very self centered, that is a very pessimistic and negative outlook, think about it, just for a moment, you obviously have ears to hear this podcast, be thankful. Be thankful you have eyes, be thankful that you have legs do if you have legs, because many people don't. If you don't have legs Be thankful that you have some people in a chair to transport you, I mean, I'm being serious. Be thankful that you woke up this morning. Do you have a roof over your head, be thankful. Do you have a car, a family. Do you have children do you have a job. Do you have a warm blanket, do you have food on your table. Do you have anything that you can say, I am thankful for. So rehearse your, your thankfulness everyday cultivate this if it's not natural for you if you're the person that says, I have a glass

half empty, then just be thankful you have a glass, cultivating a heart of gratitude not only increases our happiness but it produces happiness. Right. Did you get that it doesn't just expand your happiness. It actually produces and creates happiness if you want to be happy. Get a habit of gratitude. By simply deciding, I'm going to be mindful of all the things in my life that I can be thankful for. And you can't be bitter and grateful at the same time. So when you're grateful you'll start to turn your life around you'll start to say, You know what I am so thankful for this glass, whether it's half full or half empty, I'm just so grateful, and you move away from bitterness and sorrow and jealousy and comparison and all the things that we're talking about being mindful every day okay in every way, and you get to choose again as I said at the top of the hour, you can choose to love the life that you live and you can choose to live the life you love. Do rehearse your blessings every day. And then finally, number five I want to just share this week you recite positive affirmations do recite positive affirmations talk in the affirmative about who you are about your ability about your great future that you have in front of you, all of those things should be part of your daily confession. All too often we're prone, like I said a moment ago to recite negative mantras, instead of saying, I can't do this and I can't do that, we say, I can't do anything right, I'm an idiot I look old. I look so fat, ugly, oh my goodness. Where did this come from, look at this line, you were cursing ourselves with our mouth all the time, stop, stop it, stop those critical untrue statements, they should never be found on the tongue of a powerful person like you know, rid yourself of your incant patients, and come up with some in can. Or how about I can tations let's get some I can tations, I can do it, I can attitude is what you need. You can do this. And so, fill yourself with those positive affirmations speak them out loud, fill your heart, your mind and bolster your faith with all those things, okay. And these are the five dues, and if you'll do these do it for 30 days, watch what happens you will have an amazing transformation in your life, you will, I promise you, you can't do these things, and stay in the same place you will rise, and you will experience great victory in your life. So those are the things that I wanted to share with you today. I hope you've enjoyed this podcast, I hope you'll listen to me. And in just a moment you're going to hear how you can find me on all of the usual suspects of social media, visit my website Dawndamon.com I've got some free downloads for you there. And I've enjoyed this time with you. I hope you've learned something, go ahead and drop me a line let me know that you're listening, subscribe to this so you never have to miss another episode.

Transcribed by Opulence Multi Media Management