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How To Be the Leader of Your Own Destiny

Guest post by: Theresa-Maria Napa

Article Overview: Being a leader may be something you are not interested in being or doing. But if that is so, then you are shortchanging yourself and the world of the gifts you have to offer. Leadership is to be of service to self and others. We are all called to lead, but few answer the call. Why? One reason could be from the negative self-talk diminishing our hopes. Self-talk can keep one in the forest only seeing the trees without seeing the whole forest and all it has to offer.

How To Be the Leader of Your Own Destiny

"First say to yourself what you would be: and then do what you have to do." --Epictetus

Why bother developing your leadership?

Being a leader may be something you are not interested in being or doing. But if that is so, then you are shortchanging yourself and the world of the gifts you have to offer. Leadership is to be of service to self and others. We are all called to lead, but few answer the call. Why? One reason could be from the negative self-talk diminishing our hopes. Self-talk can keep one in the forest only seeing the trees without seeing the whole forest and all it has to offer.

There is a bigger picture in all of us. Within each of us are untouched talents waiting to be expressed. Leadership is in all of us showing up in the smallest acts that cascade into grander acts, which would not have happened if it weren't for that small action step.

"True life is lived when tiny changes occur."-Leo Tolstoy

We are so busy being busy that, like cogs in a machine, we live life automatically and routinely dismissing our inner creative voice. We tune into the experts looking for the magic formula to get our life on track not noticing we are off track and moving away from our authenticity. We get lazy and become a passenger on someone else's bus rather than driving our own bus. We can come up with all sorts of excuses why we can't take the lead and drive the bus. When we use rationale to avoid driving our bus we cheat ourselves and, yes, even the Universe, from experiencing the change we want to have in our lives.

Being a follower to someone else's dream sucks energy. It is lifeless, loveless, limiting and out of integrity with self. Our bodies get worn out faster and our relationships can be strenuous because we blame work and others on our failure to be and have what we want in life. It isn't anyone else's fault, but our own. It seems so easy to put the blame on someone or something else, but false blame is costly. It costs us being truthful with ourselves; therefore, we suffer the consequences.

When you answer your call, you turn on your receivers to blissful living. You will be doing what you love, have better relationships, a healthier mind and body; plus you become a money magnet when you are on the Right Track. Following your bliss opens many doors to opportunity responding to focused dreams.

Exercises to Get on Your Leadership Track

1. Reenergize your imagination and answer the following statements as quickly as possible. When you answer with your first thoughts, your inner critic doesn't have a chance to filter in self-doubt.

• If I let myself admit it, I think I have a secret gift for _______________________

• If I weren't afraid, I'd tell myself to try _________________

• If it weren't so foolish, I'd love to try _____________________

• If I could take the next five years off, all expenses paid, I'd study ___________________

• If it weren't so scary, I'd _______________________

2. Most of us work hard at driving around in somebody else's bus and not being selfless enough. We ignore our inner voice. In today's world there are multiple outside voices beckoning us to react to their wishes. Start paying attention to your own voice. One way is to pretend like you did when you were a child and what you would do when you grew up.

(Answer rapidly the following to evade your inner censor.)

• Five other lives I would love to experience are _______________________

• If I won the $5 million dollar lottery, I would _____________

• To make the world a better place, I would ______________________

• Five projects I could try out are ________________________

Opening your imagination gets you off the bus to new ways to travel. You don't have to stay on the bus or drive the bus. You can use other modes of transportation. You can even invent a new means by which to travel or design new gadgets to make traveling more enjoyable. Your creativity is the doorway to designing your leadership destiny.

The shifts in the marketplace and home life have changed dramatically demanding more creativity, innovation and leadership. Claiming your leadership role reconnects you with your values, history, and integrity which will intensify your passion, well being, and service in this dramatically changing world. You become a brighter light influencing others to shine. You are the possibility of your vision for a better life and world.

Your leadership vision may be blurry at first, but it begins to develop with each step you take in growing it in the direction you want. Just follow your heart. It will lead you to your bliss. And remember: Anything is Possible!

"Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength."-Sigmund Freud

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  Life Is Change (Stagnation Equals Death)
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Article Tags: answer the call, being a leader, leadership, leadership vision, open your imagination, selftalk
Referred by: http://www.LeadingEdgeCoaching.com



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Blank text field might be better - Hi TheAnonymousMan, I like your idea! I'm assuming it would be similar to the status feature on Facebook where it might say "Kevin is ... " So I think having a blank text field in the profile box (and even "Leader" boxes on the left and top side of the forums if possible) might be more fun than just choosing from pre-set options from a drop down menu:D
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