Looking for Change in all the Wrong Places

In the movie Urban Cowboy there was a country and western song titled “Looking for Love” and the rest of the line said “in all the wrong places.” I recently read a funny article by author and blogger Amber Dusick titled “I Just Know this Slow Cooker Will Change My Life.” She writes that she could be “happier, sexier and much more organized at home if she just bought the right products.” She lists some of her purchases, their promises and their costs:

“Assorted fitness DVDs, promising health and beauty $65, life-changing freezer of happiness $379, and wardrobe reviving boots for $110.”

The article made me chuckle out loud. After all, who hasn’t gone “looking for change in all the wrong places?”

We ALL have those things in life we would like to magically change, but a couple of questions always get in our way…usually things like, “How do I do this and where do I start?” Notice that both questions deal with the PROCESS and not the WHAT. 

Here is a fact:  Most people say they don’t know what they want, but in reality they know what they want before they know how to get there, and they let the “not knowing how” confuse the “what.” 

Do you see yourself in that statement? Think about it…there is something in life you’ve wanted to do, to change, to create, to BE…but you don’t know how to get there.

Start with a clearly defined vision of what you want, and ignore the process. This will be hard to do in the beginning but you must separate the vision from the process. Please take some time and think and dream about the WHAT (and this “what” – your vision – is always based upon your core values. You’ve now defined them, right?

As you think about your vision you’ll want to add depth by giving it colors and smells and textures. There are some great on-line tools for creating virtual vision boards and if you are more tactile go for the old-fashioned cutting and pasting pictures from magazines and catalogs. This can also be a fun way to spend time with the kiddos.
The more you know about your vision, the greater your opportunities for creating real and desired change. I’ll stop there today, encouraging you to spend time with your vision.

PS. In the meantime, please don’t buy the $19.95 Thigh Master.