Get It!. Jacqueline Laurita
don’t have your best interests in mind—or, even if they do, always bring you down or make you doubt yourself. Do not allow their negative thinking to enter your flow of positive thoughts!
Believe in Yourself
As important as it is to deal with your emotions and think positively, all the meditation and mantras in the world won’t make a difference in getting and staying centered if you don’t believe in yourself and your abilities.
Stop comparing yourself to other people—you have your own unique strengths, talents, and skills. And stop viewing yourself as inferior. Don’t obsess with living up to someone else’s standards; live in a way that’s authentic to who you are. Stay true to yourself and be proud of who you are!
Need some help with all of that? We do too sometimes. Here are six things we try to remember to do whenever we feel that belief faltering.
Believe in Your Talents and Skills
Make a list of all the things you are good at. These should be the things that come easy to you and that you feel confident doing. Everybody has skills and challenges and everyone has successes and failures.
Believe in What You Are Trying to Achieve
Ignore others’ criticism and doubt in your beliefs and in what you are trying to achieve. It’s important for you to believe in what you are doing, even if nobody else does.
Believe Anything Is Possible If You Persevere
No one ever achieved anything by giving up. Always keep trying!
Believe You Deserve What You Want
Everybody deserves to be happy. Everybody is worthy of love, joy, and success.
Believe and Trust That There Is a Higher Power Working Strategically for the Greater Good
We love the message in the lyrics of the song “Unanswered Prayers” by country singer Garth Brooks: “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” Sometimes we want something badly and are convinced it is the best thing for us, then become disappointed when we don’t get it—but only because we can’t see what is there waiting for us in the future. Sometimes, what we don’t get makes way for something even greater in our life.
“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.”
—Christian D. Larson
Believe You Are Capable
You must have faith in your abilities to accomplish your goals. Have the self-confidence that you have what it takes to get it or that you are capable of learning what it is you need to know in order to get it. Nothing and nobody can stop you but yourself! You can do it. You are capable.
“When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.”
—Honoré de Balzac
“Three Simple Rules in Life
1. If you do not go after what you want, you’ll never have it.
2. If you do not ask, the answer will always be no.
3. If you do not step forward, you will always be in the same place.”
—Carey Lohrenz
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”
—Anatole France
Now that you’ve gotten centered in the present, it’s time to get on track for your future! When you are on track—meaning, when you have a vision and are steadily working toward achieving your goals—everything you do will start to fall in line. When you’re on track, you are focused and productive and live life with purpose, which leads you to feel more fulfilled and happier with your circumstances.
Getting on track starts with knowing exactly what you want each key area of your life to look like. This chapter will help you enliven your soul and achieve and maintain success in all areas of your life through three deceptively simple-sounding steps: discovering your passion, creating a clear vision, and staying motivated.
Discovering Your Passion
Discovering and pursuing your passion is key to finding a sense of fulfillment and joy in your life. What inspires you? If you could do anything you wanted—anything in the world—what would you do?
Sometimes, the best place to start looking for your passion is in your own story. Jené’s lifelong struggle with a breast deformity led to writing The Bra Book to help other women. After having a child with autism, Jacqueline used her TV platform to advocate for autism awareness, and both of us have a passion for using our expertise to help other women, which led to writing this book!
“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”
—Lao Tzu
To help you discover your passion, we’ve provided a set of questions below for you to explore. Do your very best to avoid restrictions and judgments—do not allow financial considerations, fear of failing, current schedule restrictions, or what others will think of your choices to affect or determine your answers.
You may find you have more than one thing you are passionate about. Fantastic! Maybe you can figure out a way to combine them to create something unique.
As a Child, What Did You Want to Be When You Grew Up?
Even though we grow and evolve as we age, our core interests often remain the same; your childhood interests might provide clues to your current passions, or passions you’ve forgotten. Try to remember back to your childhood, and think back to what you spent most of your time dreaming about.
Even if your childhood obsession was dressing up Barbie, it doesn’t mean you have to choose being a fashion stylist as a career . . . although you may. Jené grew up in her parents’ clothing boutique helping her mom with the buying and playing dress up in the dressing rooms! She turned that childhood passion into a career in fashion journalism.
If, like Jené, clothes and fashion are a passion of yours, there are many avenues you can choose to take, even in your spare time, to indulge in your passion and feed your soul. Maybe start a fashion blog, or help others as a personal shopper; volunteer somewhere you can use your skills, or even just make a Pinterest board with all of your favorite styles.
What Are You Good At?
We’re all born good at something (and often, many things!). Think about your specific talents—and ask around if you’re drawing a blank. Your parents might remember something you showed a special talent for as a child; your best friend may see something in you that you don’t.
Maybe you are naturally artistic and love doodling, and would enjoy taking an art class, selling your art, working for an ad agency, or doing interior design.