ABCs to Stepping into your Greatness

*Please note this article ran in the September 2015 issue of Lipstick Chronicles. Check out the magazine for more thought provoking articles and inspiriation. http://www.lipstickchroniclesllc.com/*

When people ask me what a life coach does, my response is that they help you step into your greatness. Greatness is living the life that you always wanted to live and never thought would be possible. How often do we have big dreams or visions about our life but do not know where to start? What is your greatness? Below is an ABC guide to help get you started in your steps.

Align yourself with people that inspire you to be your best self. These are people that you deem are living their best life and you want to strive to live your best life too.

Be bold in what you want. Be bold in accepting every single part of your being. Be bold in taking time for yourself.

Communicate, connect, and get thee a coach!

Dare to dream about how your life could look different. Or, if your life is already pretty super, dream about how it can be even more. Remember what your dreams looked like as a child and write them down.

Experience is your greatest teacher and it will continue to be. What did you learn? How did you grow? If you get offered an opportunity, go out, embrace it, and experience it. Did that feel right? If not, you learned that is not your area. If it did feel right, then explore some more and gain more experience.

Family & Friends can be part of your support system and alignment of people. Reach out to your family and friends. Ask them what they think your biggest gifts are and what things that they love about. Ask them what they always thought you would be doing. Their answers may surprise and excite you! Or, motivate you to step even higher.

Gratitude is a huge component for anyone taking their steps into their greatness. When you have a grateful heart, life tends to give more to you. Being grateful for your life, all the good and the bad, is the key to continue being connected with your highest self.

Higher Power or having something that you believe in is powerful. Whatever that means for you, let it be another resource that you look to, to draw strength from, and to hold onto when things get going.

Indulge in being kind to yourself. Often times, we are our harshest critic. Be gentle to yourself. Allow yourself to feel all the feels. This is healthy. Praise yourself up and check yourself when you are not being your best self. If you need to change it up, then do it and be kind with knowing that you are trying.

Journaling your progress, wishes, desires, and heartaches is one of the key components that we use in life coaching. Having a journal is a chronicle of your life that you can reference for years on end. Who else is an expert on you? It highlights things that you have forgotten and lets you realize all of the progress that you have made and will continue to make.

Keep On Keepin’ On. This is self-explanatory. Keep pushing yourself. Keep going. Keep trying to find your joy. This goes with the letter L as well.

Lows are going to happen. Setbacks will happen. Acknowledge them. Dwell in them for a few minutes and then send them on its way. Lows grow you. Growing pains push you more. You will hate them as you are going through them but you will sing the praise when you rise out of them. Keep going!

Meditate and become in touch with your intuition. Meditation has tons of benefits for your health and releasing your fears and worries. Check out Deepak Chopra on articles on how to meditate. When you meditate, it opens your ears to listening to your intuition. Your intuition is your guiding force.

Nail how to handle your fears, setbacks, and worry monsters that will creep up on you. Get a technique. Exploring how you handle these challenges will help you to stay in your greatness. Find your trigger points. If you are upset and someone is trying to give you advice, start employing the phrase that one of my best friends and I use with each other, “I am not receptive to this right now.” That is our cue that it is probably a great time to end our conversation and let the other person cool off.

Open and receptive is the frame of mind to be in. Being open and receptive to what the universe brings you. There is a vast amount of abundance. Reach your arms out and grab it! If you have not looked at Louise Hay’s work, check it out.

Past is like the letter E and experience. The difference is that the past is something that you must own and be okay with in order to move forward. We all have done things that we wish we would have done differently. Do not let it haunt you with fear before you move forward. With your lows, there will be things that repeat from your past. It is test. Tests that you conquer, pass, and move it along its way. Remember the letter I when you own your past.

Question yourself and others. Question if things feel right or off to you. Questions are guiding you to figuring out what you want to do, what you want to achieve, and help you get to the core of your awesomeness.

Read and research anything and everything that you can get your hands on. Do you want more insight into how to effectively communicate with others? Check out a book. Did a photograph capture your attention? Research where it was taken and discover why you were attracted to it. These nuggets of information help connect you deeply to yourself.

Signals are an important step in guiding you to stepping into your greatness. Particularly, these are signals from your body. Your body is one of your greatest indicators of being on the right track when you may or may not be tapped into your intuition. Think about a time when you spent time with someone. What was your body telling you? Was it rejoicing and singing beautifully? Or, did you feel tired and drained? Your body knows what is right for you even before your mind catches up. Pay attention!

Teach others and share your gifts. You are a worthy, loveable individual who has things to share with others. When you teach, you truly know your material. Likewise, find teachers that you can learn from and grow.

Utilize your resources. I have many clients that will come and say I do not how to do this. I will have to remind them that they do have an aunt who has a friend that does this specific skill. Reach out to the aunt and be connected to the friend. Speak up and ask others for their guidance and help. The only thing that they can tell you is no. If they do tell you no, oh well! Go back in your resource pack and find something else.

Vision Board is a visual element that I have talked about before. A visual board is a goal oriented display that you put in a spot that you can see each day. It is a tool that is a constant reminder of what your greatness looks like, feels like, and how to get there.

Walk in your worth each day and in every way. Treat others with respect and handle disputes effortlessly. Hold your head up and keep walking. Walk your greatness. Own it.

Xylophone. I could not think of a word that fits the letter X. When I was in school, xylophone always was the best option. Find your power song. Hey, it may be something that you make up on this magical instrument. Music fuels the soul thus fueling you and all of your glory.

Yearning for a change is awesome. It does not mean that you are discounting your life. It just means that you are ready. Don’t sit in the yearning stage forever. In order for things to happen, greatness to wash over you, it begins with you to get moving. Develop a doer spirit.

Zest and zeal, let it fuel you! When you find what gives you joy or life, do not run from it. This is one of the indicators that you are on the right path. Congrats!