What If....

Every so often people of a certain age wonder what happened to the life they were supposed to have. They wonder if they went to the right college, married the right person, chose the right career. Each fork in the road leads to somewhere, and every so often people of a certain age wonder what would have happened had they taken the other path.

But here’s a secret…

It wouldn’t matter.

And here’s why it wouldn’t matter: No matter which path you choose, there is ALWAYS another path. No matter which path you choose, you will always wonder if the other one could have been different… or better… or worse. See, you’ll never know, so why make yourself crazy thinking about it?

One of the greatest spirit-suckers of all time are the words “What if…” If we spend our lives wondering “What if…” then we’re not really living the lives we have.

So here’s a question for you to ponder this week. What if there were no “what ifs.” What if this is it? What if this is the life you are meant to live? What if there were no other paths, no other choices, and nothing to distract you from your life now, as it is?

Would you live any differently?

Would you stop beating yourself up over the paths that you didn’t take, or regret the ones you did? Would you learn to appreciate the people in your life who love you instead of wondering if there are other people out there who might love you more? Would you start following your dreams instead of assuming they will always be out of reach?

The truth is… we only go around once (at least that we know of). The older I get, the less inclined I am to waste my precious time and energy wondering IF things would have been different IF I made different decisions. Maybe they would; maybe they wouldn’t, but until someone finds a break in the space-time continuum, there’s no way to know and nothing I can do about it anyway.

Which leads me to the challenge of the week. Think of one thing (but only one) you would have done differently if you could do it all over again and ask yourself this question: Is it too late to do it now? Wish you’d gone to med school? Apply now. Wish you’d learned piano? Take lessons. Wish you’d spent more time with your kids? Plan a fun weekend getaway… but be sure to take them with you!

As my favorite author (and groovy guy in his own right) Richard Bach says, “You are never given a wish without being given the power to make it true.” And then he adds the best part of the quote… “You may have to work for it, however.”

What do you want badly enough that you’re willing to apply a little elbow grease? What REALLY matters to you, now, in this life... the only life you have?

You, my fearless friend, are the captain of the ship called “YOUR LIFE.” Where will you steer that ship today?

Feel the Zeal!

I recently attended a Conference where I gave a presentation on how to give a presentation. (Really? That sounds funny.) Anyway, one of the best tips I gave (if I do say so myself) is to “speak with conviction.” When I asked the audience why they should speak with conviction, they all had good answers:

“You’ll be more believable.”

“You’ll present yourself as an expert.”

“Your presentation will have more meaning.”

All good points, indeed. But that is not the best reason to speak with conviction. The best reason, is, in the wise words of poet and mojo-maven Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

As it just so happened, because life loves to send meaningful messages, one of my favorite groovy gals was the keynote speaker at the Conference, and she proved my point beautifully.

Of course I’m speaking about crazy, sexy Kris Carr, cancer survivor, best-selling author, filmmaker, wellness coach, and green-goddess extraordinaire. Kris talked about her passion; how to navigate your own wellness adventure, and why you should live life like you mean it.

I listened intently. After all, as a seeker of sass, I wanted to memorize everything Kris was saying, so I could use her tips in my mission for moxie. Her message inspired me and I was hanging on her every word. When her presentation was over, I was determined and excited to use her advice the very next day.

Then I went to sleep. And what do you think happened?

You may remember from my previous post…. I have a terrible memory. So when I woke the next day, I couldn’t remember what exactly, I should have for breakfast! I couldn’t remember the name of the juicer she recommended, and I couldn’t remember if I should drink hot water with lemon, or hot herbal tea, or was it just a hot lemon?

Whatever it was, I felt that it was incredibly important! Kris made me feel that taking charge of my health was paramount, and certainly a gateway to groovy. Kris’ words made me feel that there was no time to waste! I had to start on my health revolution NOW!!!!!!

Luckily for memory-impaired people such as myself, there is the internet. After a few minutes of panic because I couldn’t remember if pear and cucumber were a good juicing combo or not, a few keystrokes solved my issues, and I found that in fact, pear and cucumber get along famously.

The point is… I may not have remembered exactly what Kris SAID, but I do remember how Kris made me FEEL. She made me feel that health and wellness should be top priority in our lives, that what thoughts you put into your head are just as important as what veggies you put into your body. And most importantly, she made me feel that my missing mojo may be closer than I thought.

The lesson of the day? Live your life with passion, pizzazz, and your own personal power. Feel the zeal. Speak with conviction and remember, pear and cucumber go well in juice.

For more info on Kris Carr, visit http://crazysexylife.com.