The Tribune

By MICHELLE MILLER

ONE thing that I know for sure is that life is intentional.  There is really no coincidence. Everything connects to everything else. This means that every thought you think produces a result or some kind. If you think in non-specific terms, you live non-specific results. 

We live in an active universe where everything moves and everything changes. This means you must be intentional in choosing your life’s direction. Believe it or not, this is what it is. Yet, despite the specificity of life, most people live a life of ‘non-specifics’. 

They declare no specific desire, dream or direction for their lives. Essentially, they live aimlessly. James Allen said: “Aimlessness is a vice. Such drifting must not continue for he who would avoid catastrophe and destruction.”

Indeed, these wise words ought to invoke each of us to get beyond drifting through life, settling for the bread crumbs of uncertainty and live an empowered life.

Drifting leads to doubtful living. Waking up to a new day only to relive yesterday’s fears and push through the same old traffic jams of negative thoughts and unwanted results. 

This habit of not living, but just drifting through life has become a popular path for many. They are unaware of the need to have a specific aim for their lives. To aim is to aspire, to set your sight on, to strive for and or to move with intention. Having a specific aim is not a small thing. It is your life’s greatest tasks to not just aim, but to have a specific aim. There is a big difference.

Someone said, “Most people aim at nothing in life…and hit it with amazing accuracy.” This is a sad but true statement. Most people don’t know why they are getting up every day to fight the frustrations of daily living. Sure, there’s the job, house, car and maybe a family. But beyond the basics there’s no specific, bigger aim, goal or results to achieve. If you don’t know what you really want for your life, it becomes very difficult to know when you get it. 

I believe that having a specific aim is a critical and fundamental key to living the good life. Such a life is not about following the crowd or maintaining the status quo. Having a specific aim liberates you from the herd. You find the audacity to unshackle the rusty handcuffs of small thinking, which is the hallmark of herd mentality.  

To live without a specific aim is a life of futility. It is a life without a cemented purpose. Yet, life need not be so. You can live a more meaningful life by setting a more meaningful aim. Know where you are going and why you desire to go in that direction.

In the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland there was interesting conversation between Alice and Cheshire Cat. 

Alice asked Cheshire, “Which direction shall I take?

Cheshire replied, “Well, my dear, that depends, where to you want to get to?”

Alice said, “It doesn’t really matter where.”

Cheshire concluded, “Then, my dear, any direction will do.”

To apply this story to your life, understand that you are Alice and life is Cheshire Cat.  You can ask life all day about what you should do or where you should go; life cannot give you direction until you know where you want to go. Strangely, most of people do not understand that they are the drivers of their lives.

You set the course; the winds of life only take you in the direction that you are aiming to go. Not having an aim means sailing without a navigational plan and risking your ship running a ground.

As you contemplate today’s question, look at your life from a larger perspective. Think bigger about yourself, your personal power and capacity to manifest a larger life. Know that you cannot aim for a larger life using small thinking. First, aim to improve the quality of your thinking skills as the precursor to setting your life direction.

Leader to leader, get to work on creating a specific aim for your life. Break free from the herd mentality and move intentionally towards your dreams. Your life is waiting. Make today the day that you set higher aim and get fired up to live the life you love!

• What do you think? 

Please send your comments to coaching242@yahoo.com or 429-6770.

Michelle M Miller is a certified life coach, leadership expert and host of the radio programme “Men & The e-Factor”