{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Affirmation from Within","description":"On this episode, let\u2019s dig into affirmation and how we can find affirmation from within. Because really, The affirmation you need comes from within, not from what someone else tells you.    \u2014 Even before writing legend Stephen King sobered up, he would keep the door shut tight to his writing studio. When he felt his writing was ready, he\u2019d open the door only to his wife whom he donned his supreme editor. King has what he calls \u201cclosed-door writing\u201d and \u201copen-door writing\u201d. Closed-door writing is the crap, the stuff that he doesn\u2019t want anyone to see. It\u2019s the muck that all professionals and top-performers still muddle through to create something of high value. It\u2019s what Anne Lamott would call the \u201cshitty first draft\u201d in her book on writing, Bird by Bird. (One of my personal favorite reads). To move beyond the first crappy draft, King finds the affirmation he needs from his wife. He describes in his book, On Writing, a scene where he gives his wife a manuscript on a road trip and she reads it in the passenger seat while he drives. He describes biting his nails in nervousness as he waits for her to laugh or gasp when he knows she\u2019s at certain parts. If she doesn\u2019t laugh, he questions whether or not it\u2019s actually funny or not. If she doesn\u2019t gasp at a horror scene, then he questions whether or not it\u2019s actually well-written. Perhaps you can relate? When are there moments your confidence depends on the approval of others? This is The Fulcrum of Affirmation. It\u2019s the place we reach when creating something new and look for affirmation. This affirmation brings us through the turning point on our hero\u2019s journey. But I\u2019m reminded of what Dr. Wayne Dyer teaches us through his book, The Power of Intention. Dyer writes that it\u2019s incredibly important to find your affirmation from within. He says that living your life on purpose has everything to do with living out the best version of yourself, not following dogma or constantly caving to peer pressure. Living your life on purpose is the effect of tuning into who you really are. Dyer says that if you have a passion for something like fixing cars and have developed a talent for it and the community really needs a stellar auto mechanic, then yes, of course, being the best auto mechanic you can be is your tried and true purpose. But if you don\u2019t want to be an auto-mechanic or a doctor or a lawyer or (Fill in the Blank), then perhaps it\u2019s time to dig deeper to find your purpose. (pssst...it's okay to reinvent and redefine yourself at any time you'd like) Here are three tips to find the affirmation within to live your life on purpose. We are only a reflection of those we keep close to our heart. We\u2019re a social species. We thrive on relationships and seek connection with others on emotional, platonic, and physical planes. We learn best through what pedagogy wou ld call \u201cConstructive Learning,\u201d meaning we learn best through connecting with others. Before the days of smart-phones and industry, we sat around the campfire and told stories at night, sharing in that day\u2019s feast. But we\u2019ve since lost this aspect of ourselves as storytelling animals and are inundated with messages from the media telling us what we should look like, act like, and model. We've moved from a campfire society to a billboard society. So how can we be picky with who we allow into our sphere of influence? The truth is\u2026it\u2019s not so easy. Our parents, religious leaders, teachers, friends, community leaders, and others offer what they believe to be the best advice. And this advice comes from a source of love, but this energy can strongly influence the way we make decisions. People often ask me how I am such a positive person, an optimist they say. I tell them that I am only a reflection of those I keep close to my heart. Even when I\u2019m making a decision on my own and not asking for anyone else\u2019s approval, the decision I make still stems from those I\u2019ve allowed to help build my sphere of influence. The books I\u2019ve read, the people I admire, the conversations I have with others, and the lessons I\u2019ve learned from my sphere of influence all morph the decisions I make. For me, I try to surround myself with positive people because I know how easy it can be to be held down by fear and negative thinking. I\u2019m picky about who I let into my sphere of influence. So, even  though you may not have complete control over your sphere of influence, who and what do you personally invite into yours? Meditation I forgot who it was who said it, but meditation allows us to experience what the other senses cannot. It helps us tap into our intuition. Meditation gives us control. It teaches us when to dance with our thoughts, when to sit still, and when to be an observer. It\u2019s ironic, isn\u2019t it? That the art of sitting still in meditation helps control our outward actions and reactions? Staying still helps to make more precise movement. Moreover, it\u2019s been said that meditation opens up the third eye which points inward and is said to help reflect the divine spiritual truths inside of us. When our third eyes are open and not blurry, it\u2019s easier to tap into the spiritual truths. It\u2019s easier to find the affirmation from within. Say No to FOMO and Ship So often I find myself caught in FOMO: the fear of missing out. If I don\u2019t do this, will I be missing out on an incredible experience? If I commit to this project, will I be missing out on another one? or If I don\u2019t commit to this project, will I be missing out on my big break? Especially when it comes to affirmation, we sometimes don\u2019t take action when we think that there\u2019s something bigger and better out there. We look for affirmation that we\u2019re on the right path. But fearing to miss out on something stops us from even experiencing what we have right here in front of us. Getting caught in the rabbit hole of FOMO is the rat race and stops us from shipping our best ideas. It\u2019s another name for the thing that many of us try to avoid getting caught in -- the daily grind. Whenever FOMO pops up ask yourself, Am I living in the present or caught in a hypothetical future? Am I creating or procrastinating? Many of us go to our graves with the best ideas still trapped inside of us. Use this imagery as the catalyst to help you commit to ship your idea and move forward. \u2014 What about you? Like always, I want to hear your thoughts. Just hit reply and say hello. I\u2019ll be sitting here finishing my coffee and reading before diving into experiencing the day. ","author_name":"Your Life on Purpose","author_url":"http:\/\/markwguay.me","html":"