Don't Let Your Goals Become A Prison

Allowing our vision to emerge from the depths of our soul is an inspiring, exciting process.  Sometimes, though, we get a glimpse of the vision and we become attached to a particular form it should take.  Or, we get an idea of HOW we think it will unfold.  Then, when it doesn't take that form or that particular path, we get frustrated and disheartened.

Our dreams and goals can become a mental prison.  This attachment  to ONE FORM of our vision, can create inner stress, frustration, and anxiety.

Let me admit it:  it has happened to me!  Over 10 years ago, I received a very clear vision of my life purpose.  Yet, it has unfolded more slowly and in more of a "seeming round-about" way than I had hoped or thought it would.

My goals, at times, became my prison.  My inner critic would come out and beat me up --"You should be farther along with this.  Why aren't you working hard, faster, and getting results more quickly?"

Yet, the further I go on this path, the more I can see in retrospect how perfectly the path has been unfolding for my highest good!  It certainly has not happened in the way, nor at the pace I had wanted.  But, it has deepened me, enriched me, prepared me for serving humanity in a higher and better way than I would have been able to design myself.

My point:  Don't let an attachment to a specific FORM of your goals and dreams.  TRUST the process and HAVE fun as you walk the path of your purpose.

Don't take your goals, nor yourself TOO seriously and stress yourself needlessly.  Be fierce.  Be determined.  Be persistent. FIND JOY in the process of learning and growing that comes naturally from the JOURNEY of growth and achievement.

Our E.G.O. (Edge-God-Out mind) can use our goals--even those of doing things like serving humanity--to imprison us.  Don't fall into this trap.  BE FREE in the moment to be like a wild, joyful child following your heart every minute boldly, fearlessly and with total trust.  There is a HIGHER PLAN and DESIGN in play for each of us.  Our life curriculum is teaching and growing us FOR the fulfillment of the highest form of our vision.

Trust the process.
Relax your mind.
Your life Is on schedule.

Relaxing into the journey with you,

Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
www.patriciaomoqui.com

Going For Your Goals Inspires Others!

A by-product of achieving our goals is often that we inspire others to take action too!

Some of you may be aware that Maggie, my oldest daughter, met one of her teachers a few months ago and found out that this teacher had lost a son to a rare disease called Tay Sachs.

Maggie was born with her own rare disease called Prader Willi Syndrome and has many challenges of her own.  AND she has a heart of pure love.  When she heard Mrs. Kenny's story about Danny, she said to me: "Mom, we need to do something to cure Tay Sachs.  This is such a sad thing that they lost their 2 year old to this disease."

Thus began this amazing journey of the last few months.  Maggie and I took time to set a goal and put a plan together to reach our goal of raising $200.

Then, step by step, we worked our plan.  Before the bake sale even happened, we received over $300 dollars in donations.  So we had to raise our goal higher!

Maggie put together a beautiful presentation board and did a heart-felt presentation at the Bake Sale.  We ended up raising a total of $500!

But the story does not end there.  In fact, I feel as if it is just beginning.  Last night Maggie presented the check to Mrs. Kenny (see photo above- that is Mrs. Kenny and a beautiful photo of her son Danny).  At the end of our presentation, we said to the audience, "We hope that YOU TOO will be inspired to take action and do something positive just like Maggie has done."

Afterward, a group of 4 high school girls came up to Maggie and said, "Maggie, how can we work with you to do more.  We were so inspired by what you did and we want to do something too."  We exchanged contact information and soon, will follow through with discussions!

So, my sweet Maggie is very excited for the next phase of this journey of helping others!

Here are a few key take-aways from our story:

1.  Act on what your heart tells you is needed.  Our hearts guided us to our calling.  What breaks our hearts can be what gives us Wings as Earth Angels to take flight and do good in the World.  Listen to your heart.  Then, ask, "How can I take action to make a difference?"

2.  Don't underestimate the power of taking action and how it may inspire others.  Maggie's small fundraising efforts turned into a nice donation to help in finding a cure for Tay Sachs.  But, the bigger result, from my perspective, is that she has now inspired others to take action on things they are passionate about.

I pray YOU TOO are inspired to listen to your heart and take flight doing good in the world...

With love from Maggie and her Amazed Mommy,
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
www.patriciaomoqui.com

Goal Meeting: See the Path Forward More Clearly!

Last week, a young man came and chatted with me.  He has a dream of speaking on big stages and being able to help others reach their potential.  Yet, he was stuck.  He had a BIG GOAL and He had belief that he could reach it...but He did not see a clear path to reaching his goal.

I spent some time asking him questions to draw out what potential sub-goals would be on the path to his dream.  We brainstormed together next steps and then suddenly, he felt better!  He could now see a way forward.  He could now see specific next steps he could start taking right away to get moving on the path to living his vision.

Today I offer you some quick nuggets as we continue our learning on GOAL MEETING.  Today's focus is:  Increasing the PATHWAYS to Your Goals.

Many of us have the goals...but we haven't stepped back and taken the time to plan and brainstorm.  We have a goal and we RUSH FORWARD but then we get stuck.  This blog is a quick read --packed with helpful suggestions and ideas to assist you in creating a clear pathway to reaching your goal.

1.  Set sub-goals: we inspired change agents have BIG dreams and goals.  If we take the time to break our big goal into smaller goals, it provides us a path of smaller steps we can take forward as we work to reach the BIG one.

2.  Remember -- there are MANY paths to reaching your goal.  In fact, there are endless ways to reach it.  And, most likely the path to your dream will not be a straight line.  Why not try to open your mind and draw out a variety of paths to the same goal?  Get your mind to expand and be flexible.  Know that there may be many different routes to your dreams.

3.  If you need to learn a new skill to reach your goal, then go take the time to do it!  Equip yourself with the skills and knowledge you need.  This is not a RACE.  This is a process of growth AS you become the person that has the power to reach your dreams.  Grow INTO your goals!

4.  Use Mind Maps to generate pathways.  A mind map is a graphical way to represent your ideas and concepts.  It is a visual thinking tool that helps in structuring information and helps you to generate new ideas. You can use a mind map to brainstorm on your own or with a team.  And, there are Mind Map Apps that are very helpful tools.

5.  There WILL be obstacles (also known as learning opportunities) on the path to meeting your goals.  Why not prepare a script for yourself so that you can coach yourself through those obstacles?  Here are some things you could say:  The road to my dreams may have challenges AND I am up for challenge.  Challenges and obstacles are growth opportunities!  I will be guided to the next steps to take to overcome any seeming challenge that comes my way. I will seek support if needed as I encounter these challenges.  Challenges and obstacles are short term.  I am resilient, determined and I AM going to find a creative way to meet my goal --OR go back to the drawing board to see new possibilities that I may be blind to at the moment.  (You get the idea...create your own thinking script to use in the moments the path gets challenging.)

Which of these ideas will be most helpful to you?  Which one will you give a try THIS WEEK?

Let me know if this has stimulated ideas or helped you see new options in creating a path forward to your goals.  You DESERVE TO MEET those goals :)

With a smile,
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
www.patriciaomoqui.com