How to generate more excitement and move your life forward today!

I never seem to have enough money.

How will I ever get this extra weight off?

Ugh, my job is so boring.

Why can’t my family understand and support me?

Every one of us has a unique position in life that causes us to experience a specific set of problems.  My problems are not necessarily yours.  My talents, knowledge, choices, resources, and status in life are all unique to me.  Therefore, my problems are distinctly mine, with some exceptions.  And your problems are yours.  But one thing is for certain, problems are what we all have in common.

Why is a problem a problem?

When we face a challenge over and over without relief, it will eventually discourage us.  Why?  Because problems generate negative emotions within us.  They do not feel good, because they are limiting in nature.  A problem acts as an obstacle that keeps us from moving forward toward the things we genuinely want.  If we are not moving forward, we become repetitive – doing the same activity over and over.  This leads to a dull and routine life that drains us of our joy and excitement.

How can we eliminate our problems?

Finding solutions to our problems, on the other hand, is stimulating.  Solutions offer us a way to get to where we believe we will be most happy.  A solution can provide the way to meeting a new life partner that understands us, a new job that feels more meaningful and rewarding, and a comfortable home life in a more desirable neighborhood.
We are innately wired to grow and become more. Growth requires change.  And change urges us to step into the unknown.  The unknown, in and of itself, feels much like an obstacle because it is, well, the unknown.  For this reason, it can also feel like a problem. The fact is, however, the unknown is often the solution. But we must have the courage to step forward and trust that what’s waiting will be the growth we inherently want and need to be happy. Stepping into the unknown is a strategy guaranteed to move us to places we have never been before, and this can feel both exciting and fearful. But if you can replace fear with informed trust, you are left with excitement only. And excitement is energizing! A battery requires excitement in order to activate and fire up. Just as you do! Moving into the unknown toward an informed solution is energizing and literally propels your body into action and away from apathy. When you are excited you cannot help but move forward, change, and grow.

Excitement is the key to effortlessness

When you feel a positive emotion such as excitement your brain triggers neurotransmitters which activates your autonomic neural system.  Hormones are then released into the body for the purpose of getting you to move.  Excitement is your body’s fuel.  It gets you off the couch.  It inspires you to drive across town to the fitness center in order to solve your health or weight problem, for example.
On the other hand, without feeling the emotion of excitement, moving forward requires force or sheer will.  It will feel like you are swimming upstream and exhausts you, because you are swimming into the current.  When you learn how to generate your own internal fire in the belly – excitement – your body will energize naturally and like a locomotive your life will have to move steadily toward your desired destination.

“Every man can transform his world from one of monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure.”  – Irving Wallace

Uncertainty is natural, so embrace it.

We all have problems that can potentially trap us in that repetitive cycle of changeless living.  However, we also have access to solutions that can break us free from our dull routines, if we can get excited about the possibilities and trust ourselves to change by faithfully stepping into the unknown.  Being uncertain about what lies ahead and doing it anyway is an art we all have to master if we are to become a better version of ourselves.  It takes courage to live an inspiring life.  But you have all the power and ability within you to do so, because you carry within you the inherent skills to generate your own solutions.

Start today by following these steps

1. Make a list of the problems in your life.  Gather information in order to clearly define the problem.  What parts of your life do not feel good?
2. Ask yourself, what would be the logical solution to that problem?  Brainstorm to generate more than one solution.
3. Evaluate your options.  Then choose the one that excites you the most.  This is key!  If you are not excited about the possible outcome, you will not do it.
4. Create a self-guided path to achieve the outcome you envision.  This path should include all the necessary and manageable steps toward that solution.
5. Begin taking your steps, and review results as you go to ensure that you are progressing as planned.  If not, revisit the plan, adjust, and keep going.

Remember, you will not get to where you most want to be overnight.  It is a process that requires time, patience, and self-kindness.  And when you feel like giving up (and you will) remind yourself that if you do not keep going you will never change, and your life will never change.  And without change, you will never live the possibilities that excite you!  Do not deny yourself what you were born to become.

After all, it is the act of becoming more than you are right now, that is the ultimate form of excitement!

Download my free Happy Ways of Being guide and learn how to elevate and maintain positive feelings through journaling.