Life Versus Lifestyle

There is a difference but what constitutes a life and what constitutes a lifestyle is pretty ambiguous. One thing that seems pretty clear to me is the lifestyle is observable while a life can have many internal aspects to it. A lifestyle can include people, material things, environments, how we spend our time, energy, and money. A life includes things like our beliefs, our values, our commitments, our soul's dream, and our vision. If you choose a lifestyle first you could wind up with an empty fortress. If you choose the life first, you will design your lifestyle to support the life.

Since most of us already have a lifestyle, and a default life, we usually have to do some redesign work. Choose a life and then redesign our lifestyle. It is possible that the lifestyle you currently have will never support the life you truly want to live. It is possible the lifestyle you currently have has many supporting structures and only minor renovations need to occur. It is possible that you are a highly intuitive person and your lifestyle is in perfect alignment. I know very few people who fall into that category. My dad does but what I notice about him, is he and my mother made a conscious decision to structure their lives around their spiritual values. They made that decision early in their marriage and lived true to it. Now it's interesting that my parents are actually old enough to be my grandparents, (my mother is no long living) and I noticed that many earlier generations were not given to having transformational conversations so learning was a very different process then than it is now. The fact that we have e-courses and teleclasses and magazines and tons of books that are created to help people learn to live more meaningful and personally fulfilling lives represents a shift from how things use to be.

As we evolve we begin to look at various aspects of our lives for congruence to our values and commitments. The disparity shows up with exclamation marks behind them and sometimes our response is discouragement and self-disappointment. We act as if we should have known better when the truth is how could we have known better? So the first thing to get over is "I didn't know" and then after we get over that we come to "but I know now?now what?" It takes a courageous person to see this and then set their intentions on bringing integrity into their life so that their lifestyle gives them a life that serves their higher self. You will notice some people trying to work around it, pretending it doesn't matter that their lifestyles don't measure up to their core values.

The real problem is once you see the inconsistency, not doing anything actually makes things worse and you lose ground really fast. It cost you big time to keep that inconsistency in place. You can't be with yourself and be at peace in your life. It wears you down like water will wear down a mountain over time. Your life will devolve instead of evolve. If that is not a price that's too high to pay, I don't know what is. Just think about it and choose wisely the path you will follow.

Robin Harris is a DesignerLife Coach whose focus is to empower self-motivated entrepreneurs and individuals to achieve their greatest potential while discovering and honoring their core values. Contact Robin through her web site http://www.designerlifecoaching.com or by email at robin@designerlifecoaching.com

---

Reach Your Goals - Get Your Act Together

Get your act together Make sure that you have all... Read More

What is Success and How Do We Achieve It?

To be clear about what success is must be the... Read More

Success ...Whats the Key Ingredient?

Don't expect results over night - what??If you were to... Read More

Success Lessons From Boxing

Sugar Ray Leonard and Sylvester Stallone recently opened an academy... Read More

Expect Success to Stay Self-Motivated and Get Great Results

If you called my office you will hear my voice... Read More

Dare to Dream...and Dream Big

Dare to Dream~It is said that every person has at... Read More

The Bubble Of Prosperity

My life is a bubble; but how much solid cash... Read More

Helpful Tips to Overcome Procrastination

Many among us, on many instances, have the habit of... Read More

Self-Improvement Secrets

* Perfectionism is a time waster.Strive for excellence on important... Read More

The REAL Secret to Success

I used to see a chiropractor who handed out a... Read More

Success Doesnt Always Come Easy

On a raw, cold day in the European Alps, Lance... Read More

Perseverance Lead To Walt Disneys Greatest Success!

When you are in business every person you hire gets... Read More

The Opportunity Clock

When I was in college, I heard someone say something... Read More

Chinese Gooseberries and Oprah?

Oprah and Harpo Productions, consistently reap awe-inspiring progress and record-breaking... Read More

Top 6 Business Success Strategies

"The principal purpose of business is to create a customer."... Read More

Live Your Life To The Fullest

Do you sometimes feel that you're living a boring life?... Read More

Hey Bozo, Forget Logic and Kiss This!

I want to relate to you a story, READ it... Read More

7 Dynamic Strategies for Creating a Life that Works

Everyone wants a life that works effectively, whether that means... Read More

The Not So Secret Secrets of Success

Have you ever heard of the "secrets of success"? Many... Read More

Vacation Your Way to Success!

All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy... Read More

The True BMI of Success - What is the True Definition of Success?

The TRUE BMI of SUCCESS (B)e a (M)illionaire (I)ndexWhy am... Read More

Insinct Is Your Life-blood - Says Author

Fourteen thousand civilised people died when the tsunami hit Andaman... Read More

Dare to Dream Again

Do you remember when you were a child and no... Read More

Don?t Stop Asking So Many Questions

A few weeks ago I took my boy on a... Read More

Unlock The Key To Your Success By Learning More About Yourself

Finding balance is deciding to notice what goes on in... Read More

Easy Steps to Work-Life Balance

Knowing when to disconnect, shut it off, unplug, or walk... Read More

15 Success Secrets Of The Strongest Men In The World

The 2004 final of the World's Strongest Man METRx Championship... Read More

How To Start, Survive, and Finish Your Journey To Super Success

"The more you hate, the more you love."What an ironic... Read More

Success Through Enthusiasm Rather Than Surgery

"Enthusiasm is worth any pot of cream ever offered."Can you... Read More

Beliefs and How They Shape Your Future

Have you ever had such thoughts like "I always fall... Read More

How The Right Questions Can Change Your Life

Your own pressing needs, your long-standing frustrations, would benefit tremendously... Read More

How My Friend Bob Went From Being A Failure To A Winner By Taking Intelligent Action

Let me tell you story about a friend of mine... Read More

Success: By The Numbers

What is "success"? Why does it seem everyone wants "success"?... Read More