Being The Exception
It’s interesting to me how people respond when I talk about being the exception. Some say, “Wow, you really are the exception! You’ve overcome so much while staying positive and being generous.” Other times, people call me out and say, “You don’t always live an exceptional life or have it all perfectly together. I’ve heard your stories.”
The truth is, I believe we’re all a work in progress; the magic doesn’t just happen overnight. Being the exception, breaking cycles, and rewriting my story is daily work and some days are definitely better than others.
The 7 Steps, which to me seem more like The 7 Ways of Being, give me something to work on every day. As I navigate through the steps I have to remain mindful in order to be intentional with my thoughts, words, and actions.
Step 1, be honest, may be the biggest challenge for me. This step requires me to analyze my thoughts, judgements, and stories then ask myself, “Is this true? Does it serve me? Does it serve others?” We all carry stories in our head and those stories often become our truths.
Step 2, be open, applies to opportunities, new perspectives, mentorship, and so much more. By being open, all of us have had moments in life where we’ve learned a great deal from others. By doing so, we have the chance to apply it to our own lives and share our new knowledge with even more people.
Step 3, be healthy, can be a slippery slope for someone who loves treats. I have to actively make different choices and remind myself how it will positively impact my body, mind, and spirit.
Step 4, be flexible, is accomplished for me through the serenity prayer. It reminds me that I’m not able to be in charge of everything and that life will always be changing.
Step 5, be gentle with your story, looks like practicing an abundance of grace in my world. Each of us has a story, none worse or greater than another. We all have stories of success, failures, and challenges in our lives. It’s how we talk about our story that determines if we embrace where we came from and where we’re going next.
Step 6, be courageous, means looking fear in the eye and saying, “I can do this anyway!” It means not only overcoming my fears to help myself, but overcoming my fears to better sever others, too.
Step 7, be authentic, may be the other biggest challenge for me. It’s especially tough when there are so many others telling me I’m either too much or not enough. It takes a lot of practice and being present in the moment to be authentically myself though with each day, I know who I am more and more.
This week, I encourage you to join me in being the exception! We aren’t going to do this perfectly, but we are going to do it intentionally. Together, we’ll use these ways of being to bring awareness to our thoughts, actions, and words. I’m a work in progress and so are you! Won’t you continue alongside me as we journey toward being the exception? What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
Do you feel like you’re the exception? Why?
What does living authentically mean to you?
Which of these 7 Ways of Being is easiest for you? Which one challenges you the most?
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