Begin With The End In Mind

My dear readers, you are so patient with me!

I have totally neglected the blog for several weeks. However, I love that I can be honest with you all and be real about why! There are a few reasons… I have been busy! Which is such a great sign of my gradual recovery and self improvement! It has been great to see family, friends, and create new relationships over the past few months!… I have not totally felt like blogging, because I noticed that I became so worried about writing posts that I would stress out and write whatever came to mind without really considering it’s depth or perspective. So I decided not to write until I had something incredible to share with you all! (and as I began writing several posts, they became material for the book I am currently writing 😉 ) And the last reason is, I started nannying part-time for a family with two children that I absolutely adore! This has been such a blessing at the perfect time in my recovery process and has truly encouraged me!

Okay, so now that we’re caught up on my life, here is the latest amazing post I have to share with you!

A while back I wrote a post that briefly discussed how to define your core values.  At the time, it was the most effective way I had known to help in this process. I have since learned a new (to me, but generally old) way to get to the core of who you are and define your values in your own words. So set aside a few minutes to read this somewhere alone and uninterrupted. Clear you mind of everything but the words you are about to read. Take a break from all of your worries and focus only on what you read.

In your mind’s eye, see yourself going to the funeral of a loved one. Picture yourself driving to the funeral parlor or chapel, parking the car, and getting out. As you walk inside the building, you notice the flowers, the soft organ music. You see the faces of friends and family you pass along the way. You feel the shared sorrow of losing, the joy of having known, that radiates from the hearts of the people there.

As you walk down to the front of the room and look inside the casket, you suddenly come face to face with yourself. This is your funeral, three years from today. All these people have come to honor you, to express feelings of love and appreciation for your life.

As you take a seat and wait for the services to begin, you look at the program in your hand. There are to be four speakers. The first is from your family, immediate and also extended–children, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents who have come from all over the country to attend. The second speaker is one of your friends, someone who can give a sense of who you were as a person. The third speaker is from your work or profession. And the fourth is from your church or some community organization where you’ve been involved in service.

Now think deeply. What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life? What kind of husband, wife, father, or mother would you like their words to reflect? What kind of son or daughter or cousin? What kind of friend? What kind of working associate?

What character would you like them to have seen in you? What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember? Look carefully at the people around you. What difference  would you like to have made in their lives?

Before you read further, take a few minutes to jot down your impressions. It will greatly increase your personal understanding of beginning with the end in mind.

What you have just read is an excerpt from Stephen Covey‘s #1 Bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. From experience, taking this visualization seriously allows you to touch for a moment some of your deep fundamental values and you establish brief contact with your inner guidance system. Do this exercise now! Then, leave a comment and tell us one of your core values!

If you have not yet read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, check it out at the library or buy it on Amazon. This is not a book review, but I “highly” recommend it! If you are ready and willing to work for life change, this is the perfect read for you!

Here’s to new beginnings! … with the end in mind. 😉

Leigh

P.S. Have you read this book? Share the one token of wisdom you gained from reading it, that still ruminates with you! Or, you may have read other books that changed your life! Let us know what they are so we can read them too!

Comment below. Ready?… Go!

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