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E – Emotionally Prepare – It can be difficult to fully prepare emotionally for what will happen if plans or action steps don’t go as expected.  But it helps if you can imagine possible scenarios and how you will handle yourself.  Write down your coping strategies, so you can refer to them when you are not thinking clearly.  Knowing that you have a fallback, emotional support from your fan club and future opportunities to try again can lesson the impact if you don’t have the ideal outcome.  And give yourself time to process, whatever happens, whether ideal or not so much.  Take time for solitude and reflection.

I had an experience where I rehearsed and prepared for a speech contest, that I felt was important for my journey as a motivational speaker.  I had a lot of time and effort invested, only to be told on the day of the competition that I was disqualified.  The decision had do to with someone else’s error.  I tried every which way to reverse that decision, but eventually had to accept that there was nothing I could do.  I didn’t bounce back immediately.  In fact, I admit that I worked myself into a tizzy, but it didn’t change the outcome.   

I took quiet time to think and process and forgive.  I am able to accept that possibly the universe had a reason why I didn’t make that speech and I will find it out eventually.

 If you’ve ever been cross county skiing, you know that if you choose a popular trail, someone, probably many, have gone before you and laid down tracks.  And if the snow is frozen and solid, it’s very difficult to make your own unique tracks.  You can have fun and get exercise, but you are stuck in the tracks of others.  Sometimes life is like that.  You always seem to be following in someone else’s tracks.  It’s safer and comfortable and you can plod along without much risk of falling.  But you never discover your true grit.   

Forging your own path requires a brave heart.  With a brave heart, you develop an opportunistic state of mind.  You will live a life of design rather than default!

There is a wonderful manifesto from the Elders of the Arizona Hopi Nation.  And part of it goes like this:

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves.  For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.

All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.  

 We are the ones with a brave heart.