The Clarity to know. The Confidence to be. The Courage to act.
This, my friends, is what I call 3C Living.
This has been a year filled with highs and lows. From Winter Olympics and a royal wedding to yet another school shooting and refugees fleeing violent acts. Sometimes it is a struggle to live from day-to-day as one minute we are celebrating and the next we are grieving.
With the many stories swirling around us, how do we show up each day and respond? We need an anchor for our perspective. Staying anchored comes with asking a clear question –
“How can I live today – in this very moment the best I can?”
Live well to join those who are inspiring humanity forward as well as honor those who no longer can. This we can do.
And this is how we grow our clarity – by asking good questions and pausing to take inventory of who we are becoming. What are the choices we are making each day to move us forward in the direction we want to go? How do we live well as parents? Spouses? Leaders? Friends? Neighbors? Daughters & Sons? Citizens of this great country?
Without clarity on who we are and who we are becoming, our confidence will suffer. Certainly none of us live perfectly, but taking the time to consider our values and align our actions with what is important keeps us consistently moving in the right direction. For instance, do you value respectful communication but easily slip into speaking poorly to your children or your spouse? Do you value leadership integrity, but take short cuts and avoid necessary conversations in holding accountability? Do you value good health, but neglect good diet and exercise? (ouch, huh?) Incongruent behavior can mess with our clarity and weaken our confidence. 3C Living is like a three-legged stool that stabilizes us as we grow into the person we want to become. In doing so, we strengthen our identity as we make daily choices that call out our best selves.
So, how do we do this?
Start today.
CLARITY
1 – CHOOSE YOUR MINDSET – Set aside 10 minutes each daily to evaluate how you want to live intentionally and choose your mindset for the day. Such as, “Today I will listen better to my clients and ask good questions” or “Today I will speak with loving respect to my children” or “Today I will slow down and be present” (For all the overachievers, choose only one mindset —our brains can’t handle much more – keep it simple.) Choose the same focus for 30 days to practice and become good at it. Spend time saying the phrase, visualizing it, and inviting in Divine help.
CONFIDENCE
2 – ENGAGE THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN – For faster results and an increase in confidence, engage the right side of the brain by listening to a song, watching clips, or looking at pictures that inspire your intention. (Oftentimes, I have a playlist associated with my mindset that motivates me to keep moving forward).
COURAGE
3 – TAKE ACTION – Then decide what action you will take. For instance, “I will send an email and communicate to this person” or “I will ask ‘how are you?’ and really mean it” or “I will live fully present to the people and relationships in front of me”.
And then tomorrow, take 10 minutes to show up with your mindset and do it all again. And the next day after that…and so on. Try this for 30 days and make this your daily habit. You will experience higher levels of fulfillment and peace as you take charge of your mind. Moreover, this is the process of becoming the best version of yourself.
Here’s how I recently engaged 3C Living . . .
This year I am celebrating 25 years of marriage and I have been thinking about what a privilege it is to grow old with someone. To know and be known. To be loved and liked for who I am. What a gift. Yet after years of living together, it’s easy to get sloppy and forget the “privilege” part (anyone relate?)
Clarity – recognized the privilege of growing old with someone and being loved
Confidence – listened to a song/video that inspired my mindset
Courage – emailed the video to my husband when he was traveling
Who do you want to be? Who are you becoming? Each day brings new opportunity. Seize it. Our world and the people we live with are counting on us to live with clear-minded intention and purpose. We do not drift into the life we want. ‘3C Living’ is a purposeful way of designing the life and relationships you want.
My heart is with you and for you,
p.s. Here’s the music video if you want to enjoy it and pass it on to your loved one.