Beginning from where I'm at

Norman Vincent Peale (1898- 1993) is considered by many to be the grandfather of positive thinking. A preacher and a very positive man, Peale said, "The first step is to fill your life with a positive faith that will help you through anything. The second is to begin where you are."

Pick a goal, any goal and begin where you're at. Don't keep looking for that time and place where the stars align, your big toe is in step with your little one, your Great Aunt Bertha leaves you that inheritance or the garbage starts taking itself out. Begin where you're at. Today. Right now. In this moment.

For me, that means not loving my body when I'm 30 lbs lighter. It means loving my body today. Exactly the way I am and taking care of myself today by doing the right thing now. Losing 30 lbs is not important to me tomorrow. It's important that I begin today.

It means not waiting to finish writing my next book when I'm 'ready'. I'm ready right now.

Do it now.

Beginning from where I'm at, I take an inventory of my situation and map out my path, lining the way with steps that take me towards my goal so that I stay on the forward path and not get swept up on the away from slide.

For my book, my inventory, in this moment, is:

1. I have a working title -- Victor not Victim: Living in the joy of now.

2. I have the chapters roughly sketched out. I have written out the purpose of the book, its theme and how its put together.

3. I have gathered reference material for it, including many quotes I want to use to highlight the stories.

4. I have outlined my theme -- becoming the victor in the story of your lifetime -- with 8 clear and easy-to-follow steps that form the backbone of the book.

and,

5. I have given myself a deadline -- and a schedule on how to complete it by my deadline.

Not bad! In looking at it in the now I realize how much more I've got done than I had imagined. For the next 3 months, my goal is to work 2 hours a day on my book. As I have a pretty busy schedule, it's up to me to ensure I use my time wisely. If I'm not, then I am not being honest with myself -- and honesty is a cornerstone of my personal integrity. If I'm slipping then I need to ask myself -- does not working on my book create more of what I want in my life or less? And then I must do the right thing. It's up to me.

Beginning from where I'm at is an essential ingredient of living life as a victor. Letting go of someday thinking is critical if I am to achieve my dreams and live every day with integrity, grace and ease. One of the greatest victor's of all time, Anne Frank, wrote, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

Beginning from where I'm at, I may not have the power to change the world, but I can improve my corner of the world and thus inspire a world of change. I can conspire with myself to create the beautiful life of my dreams, beginning from where I'm at.

Take a look around you. Where are you at? What's working -- and what's not working in your life today. Are you sitting around waiting for someday to appear upon the rosy horizon of a new day dawning when you magically have the powers to make your dreams come true? Are you living in anticipation of one day having every thing you need to make it all happen. Alex Fayle (http://www.somedaysyndrome.com/) writes, "Procrastination is often based on fear. If we don't act, we let fear control our lives."

Are you living a fearful life? Are you living in fear of today all the while waiting for someday to appear when you're over it? Get it before it gets you and stops you dead in your tracks with the beautiful life you deserve a distant memory of a dream never come true.

Someday doesn't exist. One day will never appear. This is the moment you've got. This is where you're at. It may not be where you imagined, but it is what you have created in your life today. if fear is intimidating you, meet it, greet it, embrace it and overwhelm it with your commitment to living life fearlessly. As Alcoholics Anonymous suggest in the 4th step -- take a searching and fearless moral inventory of yourself. Where are you at?

Ask yourself the question. What do I like about my life today. Give yourself 20 minutes (or more) to write about your life today. Find out where you're at, and then begin to live your life as it is, not as you want it to be. In the process, weed out the things that don't work for you, and become accountable for what does. Become accountable for your dreams and aspirations. Get serious with your life today, right now, and live it up!

This is your one and only life. It's up to you how you live it.