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[success]Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens. ~ Khalil Gibran[/success]

Today someone will decide to look for and find joy in their day. Someone will wake up totally aware that they have unlimited power available to them. Someone will have a shift in their perspective which will change their destiny.

Maybe that someone is you?

I’ve noticed in life that it’s not that it becomes easier, it’s just that I navigate through it with an attitude that improves every day, so it seems easier and I become more relaxed and resilient as I enjoy the journey. It really isn’t the world that changes…it’s us.

Is life ever going to knock you down?  Possibly.  A better question is, are you going to get up or are you going to let it keep you down?

If you’re ready to live a truly extraordinary life here’s some simple suggestions to help you be the someone whose life has expanded into one of greater power and possibility.

1. Honour yourself

Honour who you are and why you’re here. You have been given incredible gifts and talents that are uniquely yours. Give thanks. Accept the gifts, find joy in them and then your joy will radiate out into the world.

You have God given talents, your job is to develop them and by using them live the most extraordinary life you can imagine.

2. Be open

Keep your mind open to new ideas and concepts. The greatest barriers to new ideas is the need to be right. So give that up.

Nurture your new ideas, they might be priceless. Don’t worry what anyone else thinks. Throughout history many of our greatest thinkers and philosophers were bumped off because they had new ideas that weren’t very well received by the society of their day. Yet lo these many years later, most of them are considered to be profound and enlightened thinkers.

Even if your ideas aren’t considered profound by others, they could have a profound impact in your life.

3. Choose your mood.

You don’t have to live at the whims and vagaries of the facts of life.  Moods aren’t simply the effects of the happenings of life, they’re also the causes.

You might say you’re thrilled because you’ve accomplished something you value, not realizing that the process works just as well in reverse and you can accomplish something easily because you’ve chosen to feel thrilled first.

Don’t keep your attention and consequently your feelings on the world that is, instead give more focus to the world that could be…and you get to choose what that looks like by using your imagination.

Allow the outer world to dominate your thinking and before too long you’ll be vibrating with that energy.

4. Find a way to be supportive

Support everyone you come in contact with so they can see how great they are. At heart we’re all part of the divine and all connected to one another. Be the voice of perpetual love and encouragement.

It’s not possible to feel anything other than good about ourselves when we’re supporting others and as an added bonus you bring the best and greatest you to the surface. We meet too many along the way who, in order to feel better about themselves, need to make someone else seem small. That’s no way to be great. And no way to live an extraordinary life.

5. Relish new things

To have something different in your life you have to be someone different then you can do something differently.  If you’re comfortable where you are, you’re in a rut. Being a little bit scared of your next step is evidence that you’re about to move into a different state of mind: A new state of consciousness that holds all the joys and wonders of  your journey.

Celebrate that.

Be one with nature, which loves to continually create new life. Don’t be so afraid of failure that it restricts you from living your extraordinary life. The one you were always intended to live. Jump in, now.

6. Don’t follow the crowd

They probably don’t know where they’re going.

Set yourself free from the goodwill and acceptance of other people. If they don’t see the world the same way you do…let it be.

Wonderful things might await the one who, regardless of current circumstances, keeps on heading toward their own dreams, safe in the knowledge the Universe, or God, or Source always conspires to support you in manifesting the best life possible for you. Delightful, marvelous you.

You’ll never know how far you can go unless you begin your journey. The only limit is your thinking.

7. Allow desires

Get over the idea that desires are somehow not spiritual, or worthy. Every desire you have comes from spirit asking for greater expression.  Every desire is the answer to life’s problems. And if it’s a material desire, great, go for it.  If it’s a spiritual desire, great, go for it. And if you want it all, great, go for that. There’s nothing inherently wrong with desires, only thinking makes it so.

We expand and grow because we have a desire to. We seek God because we desire to. We want to experience greater success, more love, more money, better health because we desire to.  It’s all good.

8. Don’t ignore how you feel

Feel your feelings and move on.  If something hurts, don’t push it away. Don’t wallow in it either. The feeling is real and if it hurts it’s because it mattered to you. Once you’ve felt it, let it go.

It isn’t the feelings of hurt or anger or sadness that cause the problem it’s holding on to them, never to let them go   Those vibrations get stuck in the very cells of your body, leading to sickness or depression. Don’t do that to yourself.

9. Expectations

Expect the good and great to show up. If you keep in mind a picture of bright and wonderful happenings you put yourself in the state of mind that allows those desires to freely flow to you.

Your expectations are connected to universal supply.  Expecting something small is okay, just don’t be surprised when you get it.  I used to tell myself not to have expectations because if they weren’t met I’d be disappointed.  What a sad indictement of my faith.

Once I set higher standards for my life, for love, for creativity, and for wisdom I began to live up to those expectations.  Miracles occurred.

10. Guard the gate

We’ve all been conditioned with beliefs that came from someone else. But you have your own heroic mission in life. And now you have the opportunity to be selective in what ideas you’re willing to entertain, what beliefs to accept and choose that will guide YOU on your journey

Don’t allow anything in unless it’s conducive to producing a full and happy life. At the same time remember number 2 above.

Whatever is repeatedly allowed into our subconscious mind will soon become a belief, and then becomes a part of our life experience.  Look no further than the life you currently lead, it’s your subconscious showing you all that it holds.

And for pity’s sake this isn’t about blame. Please hear that. It isn’t for blame. That’s ego stuff. It’s about observing and tweaking or correcting the consciousness that drew the experiences to us. If we choose to.

11. Focus

We want to be productive, so we have to be doing something, right?  Errr not so much.  At least not all the time. Sometimes the most productive thing we can do for ourselves is to turn everything off…or take ourselves out of our daily routine and just be.

We don’t have unlimited fuel to run on.  We might be unlimited beings but our bodies and minds and spirits need a chance to recharge, to be renewed. Life is constantly regrouping, regrowing, replenishing itself, as must we if we are to continue to transform our experiences.

12. Conviction

Make up your mind that the greatest thing that ever happened to you was discovering how to live an extraordinary life.

We must make our desire the dominant idea in our minds;  the idea from which the majority of our thoughts will flow. By keeping our attention focused on the fulfillment of a desire we generate the energy that recreates this idea in our outer world.

Be self-persuaded, convince yourself that whatever you’re after is already yours. This way we’re guided onto the appropriate path and the right action necessary to accomplish our goal will follow.

What suggestions do you have for living an extraordinary life? Or what’s stopped you from doing this?

Leave a comment below and share your insights with us. You never know yours just might be the voice that made a difference in our world.

Thanks, as always for reading and sharing.

Encourage one another

Love Elle

Author

Elle Sommer is the author of 4 books and a workbook. Her latest publications are a series called The Power of Consciousness, and you will find all three books in this trilogy now available on Kindle. She shares quotes, inspiration and positive vibes on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. And her greatest desire is to encourage and inspire others to create not just a good life, but a phenomenal life.

38 Comments

  1. Elle,
    This is an empowering post, if we all lived by the suggestions you make here, what a difference it would make in our life’s, just imagine what we could all achieve!
    Always expect the very best, always expect miracles in your life, wake up with joyous expectations every morning for the day ahead, and you will be amazed at times with the experiences that come into your life.
    Always know that you are deserving of the very best and allow all the good to come into your life.
    We are all born extraordinary and we all have a gift to share with others, open up to it, use your gifts and allow your light to shine so brightly and magnificently, that it chases away your doubts and fears 🙂

    • Elle

      Thanks Clare…and we know there are so many simple things we can do that allow us to live a more extraordinary life and having those doubts and fears chased away is always a happy experience. You have such a familiarity with these principles and bring so much to the conversation…I’m always happy to see you and fascinated to read your thoughts. Thanks as always for sharing. 😀

  2. Hi Elle; This was a great post, and I could easily see it being expanded into a series of posts. for me its focusing more on the positive successes than on the negative disappointments. Earlier this year i made a huge sale only to be disappointed when the seller didn’t pay my commission. I could have sued him, but it would have been expensive with us living in two different states. I could have used social media, but I decided that would probably lead to more people attempting to avoid paying me. So, i decided to just require a written contract in future and keep moving forward. From that sale I received several clients who have asked my help in locating specific pieces of amusement equipment. I got several new listings, and I have connected with a major manufacturer who has asked me to help sell their rides. I received a 100 dollar amazon gift card from the people at the mutual of omaha aha moment. And right now I am poised to make an even bigger sale where the seller has agreed to my fee in writing. You have to look and move forward. Or as louis armstrong sang you have to accentuate the positive. smile thanks again for the post and take care, Max

    • Elle

      Look at that. How great Max and how true we can spend our time focused on who done us wrong and why, or we can choose to keep our attention directed towards something more wonderful. And look at the outcome you’re experiencing. Your story is so encouraging and inspiring for us all. It’s such a blessing to hear of your successes. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂

      • Hi Elle; I will admit that for the first few days it was hard not to think about punishment or revenge, but I kept thinking what would be best for me and my business over the long term. I am close to another sale right now that would be for far more than the one that got away. The seller has supplied all the information the buyer needs to make his decision and i am hopeful that the ride will be headed to the states in the next few weeks. I have great friends and a supportive family that have allowed me to take the proper approach to being disapoointed by that seller. thanks for being here fro me and your other readers and take care, max

        • Elle

          I suspect we’ve all been there Max. I notice for myself how much more quickly I move from being focused on what doesn’t feel that good to a more productive state of mind. The more we practice the better we become, as in most things. 🙂

  3. I think focus is probably one of the most important things to ensure success.. jumping from project to project, trying to learn 5 million things at once.. it never amounts to anything. It’s first when you manage to work towards one thing, that you start to see some serious progress.. at least in my humble opinion!

    • Elle

      There’s always so many more aspects of living life at a higher level of being Ragnar, probably another post or two or three might eventually cover the topic…it’s so huuuuge. And you’ve honed in on one. Focus is absolutely powerful, in fact there’s another post coming up, sort of on that topic in the future. E-hugs to you. 🙂

  4. Enjoyed all the tips here Elle especially not following the crowd. Very easy to follow the crowd and harder to swim upstream and be our own selves. The problem with following the crowd is we lose our authenticity and ourselves in hopes of being accepted. We hope for external validation instead of following our inner guide and being true to ourselves. When we are true to others, and not ourselves, we lose all those unique things about us which make us shine. Society regularly wants us to conform but in conforming, we lose that bright inner light that truly makes us radiate.

    • Elle

      Hi Vishnu – love your take on this. It’s so true about losing ourselves in the process of seeking the good opinion and approval of others. I was listening to someone the other day who said that research has shown that our greatest philosophers and poets and artists all had one thing in common, they had no desire to seek the approval of others. Perhaps it was this that allowed their creativity to flow.

      As a retired people pleaser I remember all too well turning myself inside out and upside down for approval…it’s not healthy plus it makes life much harder than it need be.

      How about you, have you had much experience with following, or not following the crowd? 🙂
      e-hugs

  5. Elle,
    I loved this post. So many great ones. Number three was my absolute favorite of them all. It’s very empowering.

    Thanks for sharing your wisdom and light. 🙂

    -Victor

  6. thank you Elle
    i really need to pay attention to #8 !

    my life is moving forward in health and happiness

    • Elle

      Glad you liked it LSM…I’m always so grateful for your encouragement and I’m glad you are healthy and happy…that’s a great choice. 😀

  7. Elle,
    What can I say except… this my be your best post ever! Just love all your tips! Worth printing out and sending on to my kids!
    Thanks!

    • Elle

      Hi Betsy…wow I’m really happy you enjoyed it and hopefully your kids will find something in it to like as well. It’s always encouraging to know what we write helps someone else live a joyful life. I know how well you do that on your site, which is always so full of love. 🙂

  8. Hi Elle,
    Great post.And admire the way you put that so well “Guard Your Gate”.Super expression!
    In fact preserving our innate worth is crucial to growth.No cynic need ever take away your autonomy.Your capabilities are saplings which beg your own careful handling in their tender days.They are the fuel for the fire of your dreams.Work with them one step at a time.They will astound you with their capacity to flower, bloom ,and grow into tall, strong structures.Your dreams are yearning to join hands with your capabilities.Let them.
    Do not ever allow any cynic to step onto the fertile soil of your mind,to plant seeds of doubt and despair.Make sure your capabilities are always well protected In their early days.Later it will be their turn to fortify you ,when they take on the world, and crown you with achievements.
    I,m reminded of what W. Clement Stone said about attitude in this context“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.”
    Thanks
    Mona

    • Elle

      How poetic Mona. Do you write poetry? If not you should, you have such a lovely turn of phrase. And talking of attitude yours is always so encouraging and uplifting. I appreciate all you bring to our global community. 😀

  9. R.Hernandez

    I loved this article, as well as many of your others. It is completely easy to get caught up in the average hustle of life itself and not persue personal time and effort towards what matters most to us. But it is so necessary to not become consumed. I love your emphasis on how the way we view things, empacts the way they are in our lives. Realizing that our reaction to circumstance is far more important than the situation is a ver powerful thing!!

    moods. reapersonal altittude in my life..Keep writing!

    • Elle

      Welcome R it’s great to have you join in the conversation. Everyone has so much more to add to my words and since we are all continually learning, what better way than to hear from like minded people? I especially like the idea of personal altitude…now the question is, how high can we go? 🙂

  10. These are all such good suggestions. Any one of them, if practiced, would change your life. I think your recognition of what I call “shadow beliefs” is the invisible obstacle. When we have beliefs that are contrary to our achievement of an extraordinary life, then all our efforts will fall flat. We have to believe that it is not only possible, but that it is natural to have an wonderful life. If we can believe that, then it is a question of finding the techniques to retrain our thinking that will work for you. “Extraordinary” post!

    • Elle

      Thanks for stopping by Galen and helping make my day extraordinary! I think you’ve hit the nail on the head when you say any of these, if practiced, would change your life. It’s the practice that counts. Consistent, repetitious practice is where the changes lie.

      What about you? What would you say would be the one practice that’s made the biggest difference in your life? 🙂

      • Which one? I have practiced all of these at one time or another, but #8 about feelings and #12 about conviction are the two that jumped out at me. As I looked at your list trying to pick out the “ONE” I realized that the most important one varied depending on what I needed at various times. But those two were certainly big ones for me!

        • Elle

          Oh Galen, I absolutely get that. It’s the same in my world…I used different techniques for different situations. And then there are some that are a constant. I love that we’re often on the same page here…your perspective and insights are always so appreciated. 🙂

  11. Hi Elle,

    This is an absolutely amazing and inspirational post! Thank you so much for writing it.
    I could resonate so much with what you wrote. In particular I loved the advice you shared about setting high expectations for ourselves. As you quite rightly said, we can achieve and obtain whatever it is we want. If we want the very best then we need to expect the very best to happen to us.

    I would like to add one point, which is to shrug off those times when things don’t work out as experiences we need to have in order to reach our end goals.

    Thank you.

    • Elle

      Hi Hiten and thanks for your very kind words. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Your point about shrugging off the things that don’t work out is pretty important…hanging on to all those old seeming failures and mistakes only hurts, and doesn’t help at all. You always have such enlightening ideas to add to the conversation and I thank you for stopping by.

  12. Hi Elle,
    I’ve seen you around, and if I’m not wrong I’ve been here before too. I have myself a personal development blog, and I decided to become more involved with other personal development bloggers like you.

    I grew up as a happy child with a lovely mother, but one thing that she didn’t teach me is the knowing that YOU CAN CHOOSE your mood, no matter what.

    Of course, things above and behind our control will happen at times, but even then, we can choose how we react, rather than just react anticlimactically to them, which sadly is what most people do.

    My life really started changing 8 years ago, when I started understanding this concept. It made all the difference for me.

    • Elle

      Hi Sylviane it’s great to have you join in the conversation. It’s wonderful that once we really ‘get’ how life operates and that we are the operator how much easier it becomes and I’m so happy you’ve been aware and practicing the principles to create your ideal life. Well done you.

      Feel free to participate with your point of view any time, your insights are valuable and we can all learn from one another. 🙂

  13. Thank you Elle, beautiful post. I have to say that being open minded has been one of the best things for me in allowing me to change. I am not sure I completely agree with allowing desires, because not all come from a good place, though some really can. We have so much subconscious programming, that interferes with our wants and desires and comes in the way of our achieving our true goals.

    • Elle

      Hi Gavriel and thanks for sharing your perspective. I think for many, it’s easy to get hung up on the desire aspect. I think desire always comes from spirit, the way we go about fulfilling them, the way we interfere with the cosmic delivery system is where the problems lie. It’s certainly true that we are running on our subconscious programming, unless we are living consciously and of course that takes a bunch of practice.

      You bring so much to the conversation Gavriel…thank you so much for participating. 🙂

  14. I’m guilty of shoving my feelings on the back burner until they blow up. This is such great advice.

    • Elle

      Hi Poppy…hmmm that sounds familiar. Bet most of us can resonate with the concept of shoving feelings on the back-burner. I’ve discovered that life flows so much more easily when I feel the feelings, positive or negative, and let them go. Glad you enjoyed the post. I’m enjoying yours too! 🙂

  15. Totally agree that one of the most productive things we can do is nothing. My husband calls it sharpening the ax. Honestly, I think I burned myself out in my 20s because I never shut down. And I still push. It’s just a hard habit to break.

    • Elle

      Oooh Tammy, I like that, sharpening the axe what a great phrase, I might pinch it one of these days! And you’re so right habits are hard to break sometimes, but that’s all they are…habits. They’re not law, they’re not set in stone, they’re not even who we are and yet they often hold so much power over us.

      I’ve found over the years that just through repetition of some new habit which will serve me better, the grip loosens until it’s no longer there. Mind you, that presupposes we actually want to replace one habit with another. I’ve got some habits that don’t interfere with my life that much and I have no desire to do anything with them. Although I will say that sometimes in shifting one habit, I find another one shifts too. Now that’s a bonus I’ll take any day. 🙂

  16. Yes, don’t follow the crowd. If you do what most people did, you will get what most people got. To me, the first step in living an extraordinary life is to find out what we want and then walk the path, even if it is totally different from what most people are doing. That’s the key to being and living an extraordinary life. 🙂

    • Hi Shawn, I remember hearing that concept about following the crowd and it’s so true. Being true to who you are is the easiest way to live the life you want to live and not the life someone else would like for you.

  17. Life Simile

    Its true, respect yourself and your purpose for being here. You’ve been granted extraordinary abilities and gifts that are all your own. Thank you for your consideration. Accept the gifts, rejoice in them, and your joy will spread across the globe.

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