The MONTHLY Motivator - April 2006

Take control

To make your life fulfilling, you must take control of it. The quality of your life depends on your thoughts, your actions, your focus and direction. You are responsible for controlling all the various aspects of your life, whether you choose to exercise that control or not. When you take control, things will more often work out the way you want them to.

Taking control does not have to mean being forceful or imposing yourself on others. It means living your own way, asserting and affirming the unique value of your own life, making your own special mark on the world. Taking control need not be selfish or greedy. You have something to offer. You can make a difference in a way that no one else can. When you are firmly in control of your own life, then you’re in the very best possible position to fully utilize your talents and fulfill your own unique possibilities.

Purpose and intention - the basis for control

To take control, you must be strongly committed to doing so. You must want to do it. And you must have a solid, compelling reason. This comes from knowing yourself and understanding your own goals, desires and purpose in life. What are you trying to do? What do you want to get out of your life? What contribution do you wish to make? What gives you fulfillment?

The whole point of being in control of your life is so that you can live it in precisely the way you want to live. So self-knowledge and self-examination are essential to self-control.

At some level, you know what you want from life. At some level, you know what brings you true fulfillment. At some level, you’re aware of your own unique purpose.

To bring that purpose into conscious realization, start by considering some of the things you value. Don’t be critical, just think of the first things that come to mind. Say you value money. That’s a fairly common answer. OK, now ask yourself this. Why do you value money? What do you want it for? What will the money bring you? Let’s say your answer is “a new car.” Then ask yourself what the new car will bring you. The answer could be, depending on the car, “prestige” or “dependable transportation.” So ask yourself what that would bring you.

Eventually, if you follow this line of reasoning seriously and thoughtfully, you will arrive at your very basic values and your purpose in life. All of your desires stem from your deep-down, fundamental values and purpose. And the way to discover and understand them is simply to work backwards until they are revealed.

The better you understand yourself, the more focused and intentional you will be. An understanding of yourself, your purpose, your desires and your goals will enable you to firmly take control in all the different areas of your life.

Take control of your time

Controlling the way you spend your time is essential to controlling your life. You can choose to make the most of every single minute, or you can choose to waste a lot of time. It is your choice.

Everyone has the same number of hours in each day. Everyone has the same

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--Ralph Marston

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