Reining In a Horse Named Victim.

Recently and again, I've been faced with the challenge of balancing my energy, establishing priorities, and defending boundaries in my life. This week, specifically, I set off to re-work my business plan, tie up an abundance of loose ends, and otherwise make time for a social life without becoming a stumbling zombie. Let me be the first to tell you: it ain't no walk in the park.

For one, I am full of energy. So much so that I don't know what to do with it half the time. My thoughts and ambitions often wrap around one another, cannibalizing the best of my intentions and well-laid plans. I get distracted by all of my internal noise, exhausted by frenetic attempts to prioritize, and finally surrender in defeat, collapsing into apathetic blobbedness. This is usually just about the time that I begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, pull myself up by my boot straps, and press on, for what other choice is there?

Actually, I've come to realize that there is always a choice, but it is our willingness to own our choices that allows us to shape the life we want to lead. Now I'm not saying that life doesn't throw us curve balls- we are dodging meteors nearly every moment of every day- but what we do have control over is the direction we point our rudders as the current of life directs us along our course. When the market continues to tank, the kids are screaming, or we are pressed beyond our comfort zone, we have full and total control over our reaction- the action of deciding how to perceive of our reality.

This notion is really quite liberating because it allows us some control, a solid framework to begin to uncover our best possible selves. From Tony Robbins to Wayne Dyer, any motivational speaker or self-help guru will tell you that it is all really mind over matter. For me, Proust said it best: The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. In other words, instead of surrendering to hair-trigger impulses or running for the hills, we are better off to take a deep breath, decide how to best use our energies in reaction to the circumstance, and commit to the chosen path, without falter.

So just about the time I face planted into the proverbial wall this week, I remembered how much better off my life can be when I stop playing the victim, get focused, and decide to go in the direction of my dreams. No excuses, you've got to grab that horse by the reins!

I'm pleased to report that I'm now back in the saddle and am welcoming the bumps and hiccups along the ride because I know that I have the power to decide where the trail will end, at least in the hallway of my mind.

Maximize your energy, get clear on your priorities, and live authentically.

Oh, and by the way, I sell Real Estate in Los Angeles! Don't hesitate to contact me with any inquiries regarding the market in Urban L.A.