On 'Success' and Life

There was a turning point in my life when I went from 'going with the flow' what looked on the outside like all the trappings of success, looked like I was a goal oriented driven girl, but I was living the life that I thought I should based on the praise and accolades that I received (or knew that I would) in other words, living a satisfactory life based on the situation I found myself in;

To a life of purpose and direction - steering the ship so to speak.

It's not that I didn't have good intentions - but everyone knows that thepath to nowhere is paved with good intentions. And - it's not that I meet my goals everyday now, but it is in the realization that I can live my life in such a way so as to enable me to.

I don't have to be trapped into a shell of what I could or should be, what other people think would be good for me.No - I have to power to define what it is that I want, how I want my life to look, and get after it!

you need to stop trying to make decisions as they come at you based on how you define yourself, start predetermining your answer to decisions based on your goals and dreams.

Success starts when you make a decision to be successful
It's about being proactive instead of reactive.
And this is applicable to many facets of life:
-house cleaning
-your appearance
-your career/income
-your performance
-use your imagination.

This realization is so freeing. freeing of the bonds of servitude to someone else's expectations.freeing of the bonds you inflict on yourself. just remember that YOU define what success means for you.

HOW?

Create a dream list - heck, cut out pictures, write out mental pictures, display them in your house.
Based on those, create a goal list (practical realizations of your dreams - think baby steps).
Then, based on your goals, you'll have to make the hard decisions. The good news is - after you've made the hard decisions, you don't have to make them again!that way, it feels like less of a sacrifice and more like one step closer.

Keep in mind that these are just some of my thoughts, ways in which my thinking changed, that have revolutionized my life so far.

The good news is - I still have so far to go! The more finish lines I cross, the more convinced I am that it is about the journey.