Instinctive Life Personal Development Courses

The Instinct of Life

Intro-Your Natural State

From the beginning, Instinctive Life struck me as a natural thing. Not only does Instinct come naturally to us, but every step I took with my business and every word I spoke centered on following that which comes naturally to you.

Every single one of us is unique, and so doing what comes naturally to us will look different for everyone, which is why judging another in their process is just plain silly. It should look different to you than what you might do. That is the genius of creation.

You are naturally designed to be incredible, and to fill this Universe with value. Why else would you be here? Problem is, we’ve been so filled with messages to be somebody else, from the time we were little, that we have forgotten who we are. We have been too busy being that which our spouses want, our parents our bosses, our friends. It is time we remembered who we were put on this Earth to be, and be that.

There are a lot of buzz words these days, especially in marketing, surrounding the concepts of organic and authenticity. Whether it’s food or clothing, it seems the highest prices go to that which is either organic or authentic – or both! Well…as hard as it is for me to pay those prices, I do totally agree with the highest value being equated to that which is organic and authentic. Why not you? Can’t the same relate to you? If you choose to be (notice, I said YOU choose to be), organic and authentic in what you do, can’t you also demand top dollar? I believe you can. THAT is the principle behind Instinctive Life.

This book is not only about living your Instinctive Life in what you DO, it is also about how to live it mentally. I’ve learned, though my own process, that it takes both a desire to live a life that is truer to me, AND (this is the important part) the mental ability to do so. Here’s why…it ISN’T easy. Everything about our society – even though it’s starting to value things which are natural, organic and authentic – is pre-fabricated, stream-lined, colored, enhanced and assembly-line-manufactured for optimum efficiency and marketability…and beauty. This is sad. Mostly because it is in direct contradiction to nature, and the way things were meant to be. Consequently, as we strive to attain a more natural and authentic state for ourselves, we will have a fight on our hands. Everything and everyone around us will be screaming – NO! Do it this way, do it our way, do it the accepted, tried and true way. Bleck. Nothing could be further from the necessity of living a life that is truer to you. How could it be, when we are so different from one another? We must strive to set a different course for ourselves, one that is based on an understanding and a true respect for who we are. So doesn’t it make sense that understanding who you are would be the first step in living a life that is truer to you, an Instinctive Life? It does!

To help you begin to do that, I am including a list of characteristics that define what Instinctive Purpose is, and how it relates to you. In the Guided Course that I offer through Instinctive Life, I go through these with you. And although you are more than welcome to call me up for a consultation on these, you can easily go through and apply them to your life and being on your own.

What did you love to do as a child? What were observations that people were always making about you? Think not only of your young childhood, but also of your young adulthood. It was during these times in our lives when society’s hold on us was minimal, and we had the confidence to pursue that which interested us. Instinctive Purpose is something that is given to us with the gift of life. So any guesses you have about what you were put on this earth to do, check back with your childhood, and see if they also interested you there. If they did, it’s most likely you’ve found a ringer – an element of your Instinctive Purpose (because there will be many).

I’ve always loved these moments. When I just feel in the flow of…something. I’m not thinking about what to do next, I’m not worried about the result, I’m just doing the thing. Ever feel that way? If you do, make note of it and times that you have felt that way in the past, because there again lies an element of your Instinctive Purpose. What were you doing? What was your objective? Can you think of other times when you were doing or striving for the same thing? Did the same feelings apply? If so, you need to jot that thing down as an element of your Instinctive Purpose.

This idea of staying in the moment didn’t come to me till recently through a variety of self-help authors (I love them all!), but it is a profound insight into your Instinctive Purpose. When you notice that you’re not thinking of what’s just happened, what happened last night, or what’s going to happen after you’re done, you have stumbled upon an element of your Instinctive Purpose. What is it that you do or have done in your life that is like this? When do you find yourself so immersed in what you’re doing, that you’re not planning ahead to what you’re going to make for dinner that night, nor analyzing and re-analyzing something you said to your best friend the day before?

This is such a cool aspect to Instinctive Purpose. I’d like to say it’s my favorite, but then they all would be my favorite. Most times, we think of giving value as one person giving up something and another person gaining something. This is not true with Instinctive Purpose, nor is it supposed to be true with life! Think about all the incredible symbiotic relationships in nature, and realize how messed up our concept of giving value really is. If I give to you, I should also feel gifted, and vice versa. Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever feel as if in the act of giving to a person or an organization, you also have received a great value? The other person could be tripping over themselves, trying to sufficiently express their gratitude and you find yourself saying, “No thanks necessary.”? This is an element of your Instinctive Purpose! Because you enjoy doing it so much, you would do it for free. But here’s the great caveat to that…you won’t have to! BECAUSE the greatest value you are capable of will be extremely valuable to someone, somewhere. And THAT is how you should make your living.

This is so cool. Have you ever noticed that there are some tasks that weigh so heavily on your mind, while others you look forward to doing, and usually move to the front of the line? Those tasks that you look forward to doing are elements of your Instinctive Purpose! If you can work for the same amount of hours doing one task and not feel tired in the least, while spending the same amount of time in other tasks makes you want to go home and take a nap, then that is a clue! Spend your time in those activities which fly for you.

Simple enough, right? What activities are you both naturally skilled in AND have a natural desire to do? Those activities are elements of your Instinctive Purpose. Natural skill is not trained, bought or certified, it just is. And frankly, I would choose a person with natural, demonstrated skill in a job long before I would choose a person who was trained at the best schools, under the best instructors, with years and years of experience behind them. Because in those who have a natural skill for the task, I will find an unequaled passion and love for the task – one that no amount of training and/or experience could ever replace.

Operating outside of your comfort zone is not something I would generally recommend. Usually, our comfort zones are there for our protection, to remind us what we’re here for …which is not for everything. But sometimes, in the midst of an activity involving our Instinctive Purpose, we must go outside of those zones in order to complete the task. This is one of those exceptions to the rule. Go for it. You can get right back into your comfort zone when you’re done. Your motivation is high, because you have a chance to give value in your own personal area of genius (your Instinctive Purpose), and you can’t go wrong with that as the starting point To give an example, I’ll use myself. I am NOT fond of computer work at all, but with the Guided Course offered through my business, I often am required to work on my computer, gathering and recording data – my least favorite thing to do outside of the laundry! But here’s what I’ve noticed…when I am gathering and recording data on a person, I feel very differently than when I gather and record data on something else. Because people are part of my Instinctive Purpose. I love them and am fascinated by them. Is it out of my comfort zone? Yes! But it’s involving an aspect of my Instinctive Purpose, so that’s okay! It’s almost like it protects me from the strain and stress of having to go outside of my comfort zone. Kinda cool.

This one has been so much fun for me to experiment with and witness. As I’ve grown in my business, I’ve been aware of times where I wasn’t feeling well, or had a bad night of sleep, or was even grumpy, right before a meeting. Some nagging concern always nibbled away at my brain, trying to convince me I was going to fail during the meeting because of fatigue, illness or grumpiness. Not so. It’s been amazing. Within a minute (I am not joking here), usually right after or during our greeting, I realize I’ve lost all touch with my present bodily state. Thinking back on the meeting, I’ve noticed that I no longer felt whatever it was I was feeling before. It just magically disappeared! Why? Because I’m working within my Instinctive Purpose. I’m doing my thing and loving what I do. It’s a thrill to experience this kind of joy ride, the kind that you get paid for, yet you love so much things that can usually wipe you out, such as illness, fatigue, and bad mood, have absolutely no hold over you. Amazing.

So there you have it. The Eight Characteristics of Instinctive Purpose. I love them, because they serve as great guides to finding your own. And I see them in operation every single day I work within my Instinctive Purpose. And I hear about them from others, as they experience and grow in their own IP. It’s a thrill.

So how do you use these for you? Watch yourself. Isn’t that funny? We’ve never been taught to pay much attention to ourselves at all, and yet here I am, telling you to do just that in order to excel in life and give your greatest value. In society’s way of thinking, that is exactly the OPPOSITE of what you should do to excel and to give value. Their philosophy tells you to focus on others. And I like that thought, truly! But you cannot accurately give to others your greatest gift, until you learn more about yourself and what you’re best at! Doesn’t that make sense? Why spend your time focusing on others if you’re operating outside of your own personal area of genius (your IP)? Why not instead, spend some time understanding what makes you tick, so when you do focus on others, you’re not giving only half of what you have to offer, and killing yourself in the process??

Have I ever told you about the spigot? It’s one of my favorite analogies…when you’re operating outside of your IP, you’ll notice your energy and enthusiasm are drained MUCH more quickly than when you’re not. I refer to this as your spigot being WIDE OPEN. You need to close it before it’s too late! Close it before your energy is all but gone, and you find yourself in a puddle of mush upon the floor. How do you close it? You learn enough about yourself by WATCHING, that you realize what activities you can do to preserve and even ADD to your energy. That’s where the Characteristics of Instinctive Purpose come in.

Once you start watching yourself, you’ll realize you react differently to different activities. You’ll see when you’re tired, when you’re enthused and when you’re groaning! Apply what you see to the Eight Characteristics, listed above, and you’ll come up with some GRAND conclusions about what makes you tick, and what your Greatest Value actually is. Only THEN can you focus on others, because you know how to! Remember how I said we’re all so very unique?! So how YOU focus on others is going to be totally different from how I focus on them!! So find out about yourself FIRST – how you best operate and what your greatest gifts are, and THEN (and only then) turn your attention to others and Give, Give, Give of yourself freely, because your spigot will be closed nice and tight, and your energy will be renewing constantly, thereby ensuring that you’re giving your greatest value and you can CONTINUE to give your greatest value because you will never tire.