YOU can be powerful!

Is there something in your life that you want, and it seems that no matter what you do…you just can’t seem to get there?

Do you make plans and then despite all the planning, nothing changes?

Have you set goals and regardless of any progress you make, you end up right where you were?

Henry David Thoreau said, "most men lead lives of quiet desperation."

We think about what motivates us, we make plans and goals. We pass through life believing that those steps will get us somewhere, maybe even down the path of success, but I suggest to you that, NONE OF IT MATTERS!

You might be thinking, "What is he talking about?!! What does he mean, none of it matters? How does he know that what I am doing does not matter?

I know this because I have been there. I have made plans, set goals, and done so many things. Yet I was still living that life of quiet desperation. I was in job after job that I appeared successful at. I received accolades for my work. I earned a good salary but there was something missing.

I want to suggest to you that the key to everything you do, everything that motivates you, and everything you achieve lies beyond the plans and the goals...it lies in alignment!

Imagine a race car capable of reaching speeds of 300 miles per hour, able to turn corners on a dime and can go from zero to sixty in 3 and half seconds. This is an amazing car, right? Of course it is. However, if you take the wheels out of alignment, my 2013 Honda Civic with regular alignment servicing will beat that car in a race because all my tires are working towards a common goal. With the correct alignment of tires on the car, the maximum amount of power is transferred from the engine to the forward momentum of the car. Of course there are other factors, but alignment is a critical piece of the puzzle.

So, it is with your life. All the goal setting, plan developing, and massive action will have limited impact if it is out of alignment with your core beliefs and desires. Without that alignment you are giving away your precious power.

Over the course of my lifetime (or at least my adult lifetime), I have been one to keep making plans, set more goals, make changes here and adjustments there. By the age of 48, I was still living that life of quiet desperation.

Then my wife got cancer.

My world, my very foundation was shaken. And then a few months later, my mother died… and my world was rocked again.

In the aftermath of dealing with my wife’s recovery and my mom’s estate, the university I worked for gave me a semester of reduced duty to deal with things.

I had to take a step back from all the plans and actions to focus on my family.

I took my foot off the pedal.

During that time, I began meditating. I started looking at whether what I was doing was truly in line with who I was.... turns out it wasn't. I am not saying I have it all figured out yet, but I am starting to correct the alignment. The plans I am making now feel more aligned to my core purpose...the power is transferring to the road.

As I said in the beginning, the goals you set, and the plans you make do not matter IF you are out of alignment. If the goals and plans you make are not aligned with your core purpose, you give away your power. The engine is revving, the brake is off, but the wheels are not working together!

If you find yourself leading a life of quiet desperation in any area of your life, the answer is not to put your foot on the gas! More action does not always equal more power. The key is to take your foot OFF the accelerator and take stock of the alignment.

Here is what I suggest, and what has worked for me. Take some time. Maybe a day or a week or even a month, whatever you find meaningful, and take your foot off the gas.

Don't make any more plans.

Stop going...

breathe...

meditate...

Ask yourself who you really are at your core. Away from work, away from family, away from friends.... who are you? Dedicate 30 minutes a day to thinking about this question. Write in a journal if it helps, pray if that is your way. The point is, make TIME for just thinking. Be completely honest with yourself and remember that there are no wrong answers. YOU are worth it!

Then, once you have answered who you are at your core, look at the areas where you are in quiet desperation. Is what you are doing truly in line with who you are at your core? Chances are there are some alignment issues. Once you identify the alignment issues it's time to fix it.

Some people can do self-alignment. If that's you, great! Get down to business and realign things. If you are like me, some jobs are just beyond your skill set. That’s okay! Own it and talk to someone. Maybe a counselor, priest, or life coach. The point is to talk to someone who will challenge you to be honest with yourself. Someone who will ask you hard questions and encourage you to answer them.

Stop leading a life of quiet desperation and get the alignment in order. The road lies before you. I believe in YOU.

YOU can be powerful!