Be, Do, Have

Y'know, people tell me all the time that I always seem so cheerful, that I always see the bright side of things, that I'm always smiling. Now, while the words "always" and "never" are exclusive fallacies and therefore inaccurate, there is something to be said for cultivating an attitude and a presence within yourself. I truly believe that.

Whether or not I happen to feel cheerful, optimistic, or confident at any particular time, I strive at all times to be mindful of myself. In Beyond Freedom, we call it "being conscious of your consciousness." If you're familiar with Bill Harris at the Centerpointe Research Institute, and his phenominal program the Holosync Solution, he calls it "objective observation." But really, self-awareness is just that: being aware of yourself until it's second nature.

The key, I've found, is to step outside of myself and watch my thoughts, behaviors, and feelings with curiosity, as if I were an outside observer. No judgement, no embarrassment. I just watch myself with great curiosity, and I watch my story unfold while being able to see where my behaviors are coming from. This gives me a great freedom from the unconscious reactions that put me into ruts and patterns of unhealthy behaviors and relationships. I can feel my feelings, and think my thoughts, without being a slave to them. I now have the power to choose how I react, how I look at things in my life, and how I approach my day.

I make the choice to be happy.

Lately things have been a little rough for me. I felt anxious and frustrated, even a little panicked, because things weren't panning out for me as I was hoping they would. Wrestling with the GoogleAds monster was leaving me feeling slapped around and hopeless, and I was feeling the strain of cutting back on my paycheck job so I could run Freedom Revolution. However, with no viable leads coming in and my ad campaign pretty much stillborn, I felt tense inside. Really tense.

But we have a mantra here at Liberty League, and that's "Be, Do, Have." And the full spirit of it is simply this:

Be a Leader. Be a true leader in your heart, in your mind, and in your spirit. Be a leader in your daily life, and know that you are a leader.

Do the things a leader would do. This means being decisive, being honest with yourself, looking at the difficult things, taking action in order to improve yourself and your life. It means the buck stops with you, and the great task of responsibility is yours to bear. It's a very great honor, when you look at it, and it's empowering.

Have the things a leader would have. By taking that first step and being a leader already, and doing the things you know a leader would do, naturally it would follow that you will eventually nurture those things a leader has.

What do leaders have? Well, all sorts of things, really. Who are the leaders in your life? Do they have your respect and admiration? Those are things you will gain, too. Do you follow them, or look up to them because they have confidence, creativity, and clarity of vision? Well, you'll gain those things, too. Leaders believe in themselves and --more importantly-- they believe in the power and abilities of others.

Leaders are leaders because they inspire people to reach for something greater in themselves, to aspire to higher levels of achievement, to reach down deeper into themselves and unearth troves of strength and generosity that had heretofore lain dormant within their hearts. And most people, if you give them half a chance, will rise to your challenge to be greater than they are and plumb the depths of human compassion and love. Nothing is as miraculous and insurmountable as the human spirit, and I believe everyone, deep down, is capable of working miracles.

Knowing this, it was simply a matter of finding the miracles within myself. For a while, I had been knocked out of my state of objective observation. So I took a deep breath and stepped back. The first thing I noticed was that I was afraid. Afraid of what? And then it came to me: I was afraid of imminent failure. I was so afraid of failing and letting my family down, of reaching for my dream and missing, that it every minor setback was feeding this panic inside me. However, I also realized --surprisingly enough-- that I was also afraid of succeeding. Now, where before I would have sat down with this and dissected it for days until I knew every microscopic corner of the motivations of my fears, instead I simply sat down and went back to my Big Why.

Why am I doing this? Why did I take the leap and pour my savings into this business? Why did I walk away from a steady paycheck? Why am I jumping headlong into a world to which I had given such a wide berth before, namely the world of Business and entrepreneurship?

That was easy:

<-- This little guy right here. There's my Big Why. Randy Pausch, in his Final Lecture, said, "Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things. They let us show our dedication." By allowing my panic, frustration, and doubt to cloud my vision, I had allowed the brick walls and difficulties to defeat me. But looking at that adorable face that looks so much like my own, how could I do anything other than overcome any obstacle that comes my way? For him, I would go to the ends of the earth and face any fear. Parenthood is the greatest leadership role of all.

These difficulties that had gotten me down before? By being conscious of my consciousness, I was able to see they were blessings! They were a great chance for me to show my dedication to my Big Why. They were a reminder of how much I'm willing to do, how far I'm willing to push myself, for him. And it was a chance to show how happy I am to face my fears and reach for greatness if it means I get to be an even better mother to my son.

It's about making a difference. Whether it's a difference in your life, your family, your community, or the world, it's all possible if you Be the leader, Do the things a leader would do, and as day follows night, you will Have the things a leader has. Material wealth, surely, but even more importantly, you will have the wealth of human potential at your fingertips.