Living an exceptional life is something that we’re all are striving for. A life filled with the things that are important to us. A life filled with feelings of confidence, success and a general sense of self-assuredness. For me, exceptional living means living life in the present, learning from the past with a view to the future.

For some people, the past is like a ball and chain. It follows them wherever they go, stopping them from achieving goals in their life. It is restricting, heavy and extremely burdensome. Most people never break free from the shackles of their past and are therefore living a life of regret.

“How we spend our days is of course, how we spend our lives” - Annie Dillard

Letting go of your past and living in the moment is one of the steps that will take you towards exceptional living. I say this because the only thing that you can have an effect on is this moment and how you use it. This hour, this minute, this second.

Ask yourself this question:  How can I create the life that I truly want whilst I spend my time living in the past? 

Realize that it cannot be changed

The most sobering thing about the past is that it cannot be changed. Things have already happened. And seeing as there is no way to travel back in time, there is no way to change the past. At this point you must learn to accept it.

How would you go if you were driving your car and the only thing you looked at was the rear vision mirror? You didn’t look out the front of the car, or to the sides. You simply fixed your sight firmly on what’s happening behind you. You can liken that to what happens when we live in the past. We go through life looking backwards. Our vision becomes tunnel like and the only things that we can see is what happened back there.

If you live in the past and are having trouble letting go you need to realize that it cannot be changed. You can never go back to those times and you will never erase what happened. By living in this past moment you are preventing yourself from actually fixing what you did wrong.

As today is the 10th July, I thought it would be befitting to have a look at the year so far. What changes have you made? What is different this year to last year? What’s the same?

As you have a look around your life right now, notice what you’re telling yourself. Are you saying, “Well, not much has changed” or are you saying “I’m glad I’m not doing that anymore.” Either way, it’s a great time to be having a look and assessing what the next 6 months are going to be like.

Remember, the quality of your life is directly related to the quality of the relationship you have with yourself. When you love and accept yourself, you attract better things - people, experiences, opportunities - into your life. As you look at yourself, what do you find yourself thinking? Are you rushing to cover up your body or do you simply let it all hang out and embrace your curves and bumps? Taking the time to inventory your positive changes is an important step in developing this relationship with yourself.

You can reflect on the past six months by answering the following questions:

1. What have you noticed about yourself that you didn’t know before?
2. What changes have you made in your home or office that are serving you now?
3. What changes have you made to better honour yourself?
4. What small pleasures have you added to make your life a little better?
5. Have you forgiven yourself for something you did that’s been on your mind? If not, when is a good time to let that go?
6. Have you taken better care of yourself - mind, body and spirit?
7. Have you improved your communication with the ones you love?
8. Are you choosing an easier life?
9. Are you allowing yourself to shine?
10. Are you loving who you are?

As you ponder these questions, allow yourself to focus on what’s working instead of what isn’t. When you acknowledge your growth, you build your self-esteem and self-respect. These are two of the most important aspects of your growth and learning to love who you are. Acknowledge what you have done and the new things you are embracing.

The greatest gift you can give to humanity is your commitment to constantly raise your level of consciousness. Each week, as you embrace another part of you and learn to live a healthier and more creative life, you do just that. This is some of the most important work you can do.

Action step:

Celebrate your successes. Make a list of at least five positive changes you’ve made so far this year. It’s extremely important to put this list in writing as it sends a message to yourself that you are worth the time and effort. When your self-worth increases, your world responds accordingly. You will become a magnet for possibility.

This week I would like to make a tribute to a very special friend of mine – Sheralee Lee. Sheralee passed away tragically last week, just three weeks short of her 50th birthday.

She was an extremely gentle, kind and unassuming woman who was totally devoted to her family and friends. As a testament to the type of person she was, on the day of her funeral, there were twice as many people congregated outside the funeral home as there were inside. The procession to the cemetery stretched for several kilometres across the entire town of Seymour. She has touched many lives.

It struck me as I stood outside the funeral home that we never know when our time is up. One minute she had a cold and the next moment, she was gone. Just like that. It all sounds very cliché, doesn’t it? “You never know which day will be your last”. But, it’s true. We never know which day will be our last.

I spent the weekend looking at my life and thinking about my future. What do I really want my life to look like? What journeys, tastes, smells do I want to have experienced? Then I asked myself this question: “If I had 6 months to live, what would I do?” The answer was no surprise. Do what I’m doing now. There is nothing I would rather be doing than being a part of something great. Something fantastic. Something that’s making a difference.

As I clung to my own children and partner during the service, I looked at them and reaffirmed exactly what they mean to me. How important they are. What I hoped for them now and in their future. I am living the life of my dreams. I am surrounded by the people who mean the most to me, meeting fabulous people, teaching, inspiring, motivating and helping others create their perfect life. The best thing is that I now get to step it up. I get to create even more of this fabulous life.

The next couple of months for me are going to be filled with lots of new learnings and experiences. I’m about to embark on another round of seminars and workshops to increase my knowledge and skills. I’m so excited. To be in a room full of like minded people who simply want to create more for themselves is exactly where I want to be.

To my friend Sheralee, thank you for reminding me of what is really important and for giving me the sense of urgency I needed to make sure that it happens now. No doubt, we will talk again soon.

All my love,

Jo