Adapt Your Way to Success
Julie Murphy • January 6, 2021
Whenever I happen to catch a nature program on TV, it always strikes me how the animals that are the most successful in their natural habitats are the ones that are the best at adapting – oftentimes at a moment’s notice – and it’s a brilliant reminder that the same is true for humans. I see, time and time again – through my own experiences as well as those of my children and coaching clients – that the more adaptable we can be, the better we’re able to navigate through whatever challenges might come our way. The messages are all around us on a regular basis encouraging us to: “expand,” “get in the flow of life,” “detach from outcomes” – all just slightly more “woo-woo,” esoteric ways of asking us to be more adaptable to our current situations, so that we can feel more success and joy in life.
So much of our ability to adapt and go with the flow, however, depends on letting go of all the should’s in our lives: “I should be farther along in my career by now,” “I should have more money in the bank,” “I shouldn’t be in debt ” This type of self-talk just ends up keeping us stuck, not to mention, down in the dumps. If the shoulds are bogging you down – well it’s time to kick ‘em to the curb!
It All Begins With Acceptance
When it comes to lifting our blocks to money, and creating a richer, fuller life in general, the ability to let go of expectation, and accept the reality of a situation, warts and all, is key in developing our adaptability quotient. Interestingly enough, this point is driven home every time my kids and I read one of their favorite storybooks, You Get What You Get by Julie Gassman. The best line in the whole story, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit!” is something we love saying together. It’s like a family mantra. This darling story has driven home the importance of being adaptable for my kids and for me, and we can all take a page from this book when it comes to accepting the way things are – even if the situation is not to our liking or what we expect.
Bend With the Wind
When it comes down to it, it’s all about how we deal with change which, there’s no doubt, can be challenging. I like to think of adaptability and accepting change as a kind of dance. We can fight the change – which can cause us to trip and fall – or we can glide in one direction and then twirl in another. As the classic Tanzanian proverb says, “The wind does not break the tree that bends.” The more we can “go with the flow” – gracefully responding to the variable winds as they blow through our lives – the more we can maintain a healthy body, mind and spirit.
A great “accepting what is” tool to help you go with the flow is “the 17 second” method. Studies have found that it takes 17 seconds to shift our emotions from negative to positive. So now, when my kids are in a frustrating situation, I ask them to pause for 17 seconds to take a few breaths and just observe their feelings before reacting. I encourage you to try it as well if you feel like your cage is being rattled. Hitting the 17-second pause button does wonders to bring you back to your center and adapt to a situation.
Keep in mind, accepting the reality of a situation doesn’t mean staying in it if it’s unhealthy. What it does mean is that you’re no longer in denial about where you stand in life, and that acknowledgment frees you up to align with next, more positive steps forward.
Listen To Your Own “GPS”
A way to spark that forward momentum is by taking the “17-second” method a step farther to conduct an emotional inventory. It’s amazing the degree to which so many of us are out of touch with our emotions – numb to the fact we’re suffering and paddling against the currents of our lives – simply to avoid change. By getting in touch with your emotions, you connect up with your gut…your “internal GPS” that can guide you out of a stuck place, and ultimately to positive change. Your GPS may be telling you it’s time to take steps towards a change in career or relationship, or make changes in a myriad other ways. The important thing is to listen to and honor your emotions.
Follow Your Inner Road Map
In partnership with your inner GPS, you can start creating a list of intentions in order to take action and move forward on your path. I encourage you to start brainstorming steps you can take – adding only the ones that truly feel good to your intentions list. Creating your intentions based on what feels good and what you truly want will help you feel more aligned with a new, more authentic direction.
Have Courage
As creatures of habit, we don’t love making changes. It’s amazing how much we’re willing to live in painful situations in order to avoid facing them. It may sound cliché, but it really comes down to loving yourself… loving yourself enough to take risks towards something better, and having the courage to allow yourself to adapt to the new life those changes may bring. Some changes will be easy and some will be difficult, but they will be authentic to you and the life God/ The Universe intended for you.
There’s no denying that change can be scary and, at times, painful, however, the more we can have the courage to swim with the changing currents – setting our intentions and adapting to any given circumstances that come up along the road toward our goals – the more resilient and successful we can be!
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What if nothing is wrong with your life? What if the frustration you feel... The anxiety around money... The constant striving... The feeling that something is missing... Isn't a sign that you're failing. What if it's simply your soul trying to wake you up? So many of us spend our lives searching for the next thing we believe will finally make us feel whole. More money. A different relationship. A better job. A healthier body. Another vacation. Another achievement. Another finish line. Yet somehow, after every accomplishment, that feeling quietly returns. "There has to be more than this." And there is. Not because your life is lacking. Because you've been taught to look for fulfillment in places it was never meant to come from. One of the greatest lessons I've learned is that life is always working for us, even when it doesn't feel like it. Every challenge... Every financial struggle... Every relationship... Every fear... Every success... They're all invitations. Not punishments. Invitations to become more aware. Because awareness changes everything. You can't transform a belief you don't know you're carrying. You can't heal a wound you refuse to acknowledge. You can't create a different future while living from yesterday's programming. This is why I don't believe true wealth begins with your bank account. It begins with your awareness. Money simply magnifies the relationship you already have with yourself. If you believe you're not enough... No amount of money will ever feel like enough. If you don't trust yourself... It won't matter how much financial security you create. You'll still feel uncertain. Real wealth isn't something we earn. It's something we uncover. It's been within us all along, buried beneath years of conditioning, fear, expectations, and stories that were never ours to begin with. When we begin clearing away those layers, something beautiful happens. We stop chasing. We start creating. We stop reacting. We begin choosing. We stop living from fear. We begin living from love. That's where abundance begins. Not outside of you. Inside of you. That's why I created the 21-Day Wake Up Wealth Challenge . Not to teach you how to make more money. Not to convince you that positive thinking changes everything. But to give you space. Space to slow down. Space to become aware. Space to notice the patterns you've been living from without even realizing it. Over the course of 21 days, you'll begin seeing yourself differently. You'll explore the beliefs shaping your financial life. You'll reconnect with your intuition. You'll learn how your emotions influence your decisions. Most importantly... You'll begin remembering that you already have everything within you to create a life that feels aligned, peaceful, and abundant. The challenge isn't about becoming someone new. It's about coming home to who you've always been. If your heart has been whispering that it's time for something different... Listen. It may be the beginning of everything. I'd love to walk this journey with you. Because your greatest investment has never been in the stock market. It's always been in yourself. And when you awaken that relationship... Everything else begins to change. With Love, Julie P.S. Sometimes the biggest transformation doesn't happen because life changes around us. It happens because we finally become aware of the life we've been creating, and realize we have the power to create something new. If you're ready, I'd love to have you join us for the 21-Day Wake Up Wealth Challenge.
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Many people believe abundance is something they need to create outside of themselves.
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What if nothing is wrong with your life? What if the frustration you feel... The anxiety around money... The constant striving... The feeling that something is missing... Isn't a sign that you're failing. What if it's simply your soul trying to wake you up? So many of us spend our lives searching for the next thing we believe will finally make us feel whole. More money. A different relationship. A better job. A healthier body. Another vacation. Another achievement. Another finish line. Yet somehow, after every accomplishment, that feeling quietly returns. "There has to be more than this." And there is. Not because your life is lacking. Because you've been taught to look for fulfillment in places it was never meant to come from. One of the greatest lessons I've learned is that life is always working for us, even when it doesn't feel like it. Every challenge... Every financial struggle... Every relationship... Every fear... Every success... They're all invitations. Not punishments. Invitations to become more aware. Because awareness changes everything. You can't transform a belief you don't know you're carrying. You can't heal a wound you refuse to acknowledge. You can't create a different future while living from yesterday's programming. This is why I don't believe true wealth begins with your bank account. It begins with your awareness. Money simply magnifies the relationship you already have with yourself. If you believe you're not enough... No amount of money will ever feel like enough. If you don't trust yourself... It won't matter how much financial security you create. You'll still feel uncertain. Real wealth isn't something we earn. It's something we uncover. It's been within us all along, buried beneath years of conditioning, fear, expectations, and stories that were never ours to begin with. When we begin clearing away those layers, something beautiful happens. We stop chasing. We start creating. We stop reacting. We begin choosing. We stop living from fear. We begin living from love. That's where abundance begins. Not outside of you. Inside of you. That's why I created the 21-Day Wake Up Wealth Challenge . Not to teach you how to make more money. Not to convince you that positive thinking changes everything. But to give you space. Space to slow down. Space to become aware. Space to notice the patterns you've been living from without even realizing it. Over the course of 21 days, you'll begin seeing yourself differently. You'll explore the beliefs shaping your financial life. You'll reconnect with your intuition. You'll learn how your emotions influence your decisions. Most importantly... You'll begin remembering that you already have everything within you to create a life that feels aligned, peaceful, and abundant. The challenge isn't about becoming someone new. It's about coming home to who you've always been. If your heart has been whispering that it's time for something different... Listen. It may be the beginning of everything. I'd love to walk this journey with you. Because your greatest investment has never been in the stock market. It's always been in yourself. And when you awaken that relationship... Everything else begins to change. With Love, Julie P.S. Sometimes the biggest transformation doesn't happen because life changes around us. It happens because we finally become aware of the life we've been creating, and realize we have the power to create something new. If you're ready, I'd love to have you join us for the 21-Day Wake Up Wealth Challenge.
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