Experimentation – The key to self-discovery

I am delighted to have my friend Joel Boggess provide a guest blog post today... enjoy.

He is a life coach and the author of “Finding Your Voice (http://www.fyvbook.com)”. You can follow his shows and updates on Facebook. www.fyvradio.com/facebookfanpage

 

Experimentation – The key to self-discovery

Have you ever watched a creative cook in the kitchen? A dash of this, a dollop of that, a pinch of something else...and the next thing you know, you’re biting into a delicious concoction for which no recipe exists. Occasionally this kind of cook misses the mark: a cake flops or the sweet and sour sauce turns out a little too sour. In general though, experimental cooking works out just fine - and sometimes the combination of flavors blows your mind.

The same approach that can work wonders in the kitchen can also work wonders in your writing. Unfortunately, rather than experimenting and “taste testing” along the way many people approach every decision as if life and death hang in the balance. One wrong choice, and BAM! It’s over. The pressure to make the right decision becomes so intense, the tendency can be to do nothing rather than make a wrong decision.

Experimentation = Liberation

But what if you approached life differently and assumed that by and large, most things work out OK and the things that don’t generally aren’t major catastrophes? What if you chose to see each situation for what it really is? A chance to learn, grow, and develop your own writer’s voice.

By giving yourself permission to experiment and try-on new writing styles - from a different angle, viewpoint, or frame of reference, you free yourself from the fear of failure and the expectation of measuring-up. It’s OK if your experiment doesn’t work out the way you originally thought or follow a nice, neat, sequential order. Original ideas never do. Testing an idea’s merit alongside your own values and principles, and outside of any box, is far more valuable.

Circumstances can bring new ideas and opportunities

For my friend Deby, she had no choice but to try new things.

Two years ago, Deby’s voice began to tremble. As doctors searched for the cause and a cure, her voice weakened until it one day it was completely gone. Deby had been a singer and songwriter all her life and was just beginning a speaking and coaching career. She needed her voice to survive financially.

Through her pain and frustration, Deby heard a voice within that told her to paint.

‘This is play. This is a discovery.’” Her art teacher Dorsey’s instruction to the class was to remain unattached from the work – to be ready to rip it up and use it in another way. Dorsey removed all the stress from the learning process -something Deby desperately needed. During a time when she couldn’t speak, her art served as both a way to express herself and a source of healing. Over the next few months her voice slowly returned, but she knows that what she’s learned about her artistic expression will add value to the lives of those who read, listen to, and experience her work.

Ditch the grading system

Are you willing to give yourself permission to “rip up your work”? In other words, can you experiment without demanding perfection from yourself?

If no one were around to tell you not to, what other topics, events, and ideas would you write about?

What is your voice trying to tell you that you haven’t tuned into and started writing about?

Your best ideas will most likely come only after you learn to push your own creative envelope.

Experiment - the world is still a playground.

Practical takeaways

Experimentation without expectation opens doors of creativity.

God’s blessings are often dressed-up as challenges.

There is no report card attached to artistic expression.

Joel Boggess is a personal friend, life coach, and a syndicated radio host. He is also the author of “Finding Your Voice (http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Voice-Confidence-Direction/dp/1937879305) – sort through the clutter and discover clarity, confidence and direction”. The eBook edition is available for only $1.99 from Feb 5 – Feb 9.

 Did this post resonate with you? Check out Joel’s new book, Finding your Voice (http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Voice-Confidence-Direction/dp/1937879305) – sort through the clutter and discover clarity, confidence and direction. The eBook is on sale for only $1.99 through Feb 9.

Author bio: Joel Boggess and his wife Pei live in DFW area in Texas. With Master’s degrees in counseling and business, plus seven years of experience as a life and career coach, Boggess has the education, life experience and wisdom to help you tune into and fully express your unique voice.

Links

Amazon book page:

http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Voice-Confidence-Direction/dp/1937879305

Amazon Kindle page: http://amzn.com/B00HP5D6PO

Webpage: http://www.fyvbook.com

Facebook: www.fyvradio.com/facebookfanpage

Finding your voice

I am delighted to have my friend Joel provide a guest blog post today.... enjoy!

 

Finding Your Voice: Guest blog by Joel Boggess

 During the past seven years, some people come to me because they are in a life transition: a child leaving the nest, a layoff, a divorce, a marriage. Some are dissatisfied in their work. Others know they want something different for their lives but are unclear on what that means or how to go about discovering what that “something” is. Whatever their initial reason for seeking out a coach, I’ve learned that most people’s needs run deeper than simply navigating the life changes they’re facing. What most people really want is clarity about their purpose. They want hope that “this” isn’t all there is to life. And they want the confidence to be the most authentic version of themselves.

In every case, finding their true voice empowers them to take their life in the direction that best suits them and their personality.

What does it mean to “find your voice”?

Voice comes from the Latin root vo, which is also the root word for vocation. One of the many ways you can express your voice is through your work. But Finding Your Voice is about so much more than a career choice. It’s about having clarity of life direction. It’s about giving full expression to your true self - holding nothing back.

It seems impossible that we could ever lose touch with our soul’s voice. I mean, it’s part of who we are, right? Well, if you followed the traditional track - elementary school, high school, college, day job -you’ve spent the majority of your life working to please others. Think about how many times an authority figure in your life - a boss, a teacher or professor, a minister, a parent, or someone else you looked to for guidance - has pointed out areas of weakness (or difference) rather than celebrating your strengths. The overriding message is that in order to be successful you need to be well-rounded. The problem is, well-rounded is synonymous with average. When you spend all your time trying to fit in, you forget who you really are - or, worse, you feel wrong for being yourself.

How do you find your voice?

1. Valuing your enduring qualities and unique traits - your gifts, experiences, knowledge, compassion, and skills. When you see your innate value - and yes, you are valuable - a light begins to shine within you.
2. Owning who you are and understanding what is important to you - your values and passions.
3. Living intentionally and authentically - it allows you to filter out others’ messages, rules, and beliefs when they don’t apply to you. It also frees you to focus your time, resources, and talent on the people and projects you care about the most.
4. Creating a life plan by visualizing your best life. Those who make time to create a vision and plan for their lives often receive more wealth, greater pleasure, and better relationships than they have ever imagined.
5. Embracing and harnessing your emotions. Consider how you would feel if you did more of what brings you joy. You would feel more joyful!

Intimately knowing your voice allows you to stand your ground. This strength of character enhances every area of your life - from your relationships, to your career choices, to the way you choose to enjoy your free time. It allows you to recover the energy, excitement, and mojo you lost somewhere in the hustle and bustle and ups and downs of your occasionally (or perpetually) chaotic life.

You may feel as if you’ve lost your voice - that you are not the person you used to be, or the person you want to be. Find Your Voice, find your way back.

Joel Boggess is a personal friend, life coach, and a syndicated radio host. He is also the author of “Finding Your Voice (http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Voice-Confidence-Direction/dp/1937879305) – sort through the clutter and discover clarity, confidence and direction”. The eBook edition is available for only $1.99 from Feb 5 – Feb 9.

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Joel Boggess. He is a life coach and the author of “Finding Your Voice (http://www.fyvbook.com)”. You can follow his shows and updates on Facebook. www.fyvradio.com/facebookfanpage

End of post: Did this post resonate with you? Check out Joel’s new book, Finding your Voice (http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Voice-Confidence-Direction/dp/1937879305) – sort through the clutter and discover clarity, confidence and direction. The eBook is on sale for only $1.99 through Feb 9.

Author bio: Joel Boggess and his wife Pei live in DFW area in Texas. With Master’s degrees in counseling and business, plus seven years of experience as a life and career coach, Boggess has the education, life experience and wisdom to help you tune into and fully express your unique voice.

Links

Amazon book page:

http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Voice-Confidence-Direction/dp/1937879305

Amazon Kindle page: http://amzn.com/B00HP5D6PO

Webpage: http://www.fyvbook.com

Facebook: www.fyvradio.com/facebookfanpage

Have You Checked Your Rearview Mirror Lately?

Have You Checked Your Rearview Mirror Lately?

You have probably heard the saying that “Hindsight is 20/20”. You always learn from where you have been if you take the time to consciously look at how your day went and where you may have improved. Foresight is worth its weight in gold. If you plan with intention to learn from your mistakes you can improve your relationships, career, family dynamics and even your health. 

 

Where you are right now is all a matter of the daily choices you have made to bring you to where you are right now. In order to change, you need to examine your daily habits and track what you wish to improve. Tracking helps you to identify areas that are working well and even those that are not working so well. You may even notice there are some choices you need to stop making because of the results you are getting. You will continue to get the results you’re getting if your actions do not change. 

Lasting change often occurs with small shifts in behaviors, actions, and even habits. Every choice you make should be followed with, “Is this choice supporting my goal?” If the answer is no, replace the behaviour with something that will support your goal – purposeful actions. When you continue to do this, you will always have actions that support your goals.

Take time to reflect on each day to see identify if there was an area that you may have improved or taken action. Do not spend too much time focusing on the past as you cannot move forward while looking back. Why not learn and more forward so you can celebrate your journey?

Charmaine Hammond and Debra Kasowski are the authors of GPS Your Best Life- Charting Your Destination and Getting There in Style.  Jack Canfield, co-author of The Success Principles and Chicken Soup for the Soul says that “Charmaine and Debra show you how to navigate through life’s inevitable roadblocks and obstacles with ease and grace, so you can reach your desired destination”. To find out how to GPS Your Best Life, visit www.gpsyourbestlife.com