Are you a Warning or an Example?

It’s been said that there are two ways to live: one as a warning to other people on what not to do, or one as an example of how to live and create a life worth living.

I’d suggest it’s a good practice to review your ‘current life’ at least twice per year.

To stop and check-in with yourself.

To take an honest look at which parts of your current life are giving you warnings that something isn’t right, yet you’re not heeding those warnings. Some examples could be:

• Your body is asking for a detox yet you continue to eat everything & anything.
• Your bank account is smaller but you continue to live larger.
• You’re feeling detached from your friends and miss them, however, when given the choice you default to more time working.
• You are constantly expressing that you “don’t have the time to…” do what’s important although you always seem to have time to do what’s unimportant or unfulfilling.

Of course, the warnings don’t always mean you’re doomed to failure.

But they are there for a reason.

The main purpose of warnings is to signal to you that something must change. Something within you or about you must change OR you’ll likely experience even more warnings and deeper pain in the near future.

If you feel like you’ve been running at a million miles per hour recently and spinning a bit out of control, give yourself the gift of some reflective time and answer the following questions:

1. What ‘warning signals’ have been showing up recently?
2. Which one(s) are the most important for me to resolve before I allow more time to pass?
3. What action can I take this week to change my behavior and/or resolve the issue?
4. What are the first two action steps I WILL take to build momentum and make sure it’s a happy ending?

Spend 5 minutes answering these questions in your notepad or on your computer. Don’t just passively sit and think about them. Put pen to paper or fingers to keys.

You’ll be glad you did.