You could say that in life we are motivated by two basic forces – love and fear. Love opens us to the passion and excitement that love has to offer, while fear causes us to withdraw from life and hide away, terrified of hurt and pain. John Lennon said something along these lines and noted that without the ability to love ourselves, we can’t truly love others.

 

Fear is holding you back from tackling life and living it to the fullest. It can stop you in your tracks and keep you from chasing your dreams, and often, we don’t even realize what fears are haunting us. We are terrified of failing, of losing love, of being lonely, of having to change and we’re scared of the unknown, too. We are veritable cowardly lions.

 

While there is a time and place for fear and it often protects us from truly dangerous experiences, it can also be destructive. With these six steps, you can put fear to one side and start living your life to the fullest.

 

  1. Be Clear In Your Goals

Before you can make the most of your life, you need to know what you want to get out of it. What goals are you looking to achieve? This will help provide you with clarity and allow you to shift your focus to your priorities. Just knowing isn’t enough, though, you need to recognize potential and understand how to leverage it to move you closer to those goals.

 

  1. Mentally Prepare

Yes, there are plenty of amazing opportunities waiting for you to grab them. Not everyone can leverage all of them, but the biggest reason you can’t is a failure to prepare. You should be prepared mentally for any eventuality, have the knowledge and the skills necessary to make the most of any opportunity that comes your way.

 

  1. Network

If you don’t have the skills or knowledge, you should know someone who does. That’s why a strong social and professional network is imperative to unlocking everything life has to offer; not to mention that many of those opportunities could come through your network – and without a network, where would you be? People are the key to grabbing life.

 

  1. Ask Questions

Opportunities don’t come out of nowhere. That’s why it’s vital that you ask questions of everything and force yourself to think creatively and look at life from every angle. Your curiosity could be the key to unlocking opportunity.

 

  1. Recognize Opportunities

Opportunity most likely is not going to land on your lap gift-wrapped. The greatest opportunities in life are often disguised as something else entirely, which is why asking questions is important. It’s equally  important that you are able to recognize the opportunities that do crop up. The reason we fail to recognize them is that we expect them to be obvious and that isn’t how life rolls.

 

  1. Take Risks

Not just any risk, though — calculated risks. When you recognize an opportunity and understand how to take advantage of it, then you need to take risks. Before you do so, review the pros and cons and seize the day or move on to the next opportunity. There are no guarantees in life; it is what you make of it.

 

You can use these six steps in business and in your personal life. The truth is they’re more alike than we care to admit. The key to unlocking your happiness and seizing everything life has to offer is fully within your power. You have to grab opportunities that comes your way and learn to practice gratitude for everything you achieve.

 

Judi Moreo is a keynote speaker, creativity coach, and the author of “You Are More Than Enough: Every Woman’s Guide to Purpose, Passion, and Power.”  She can be contacted at judi@judimoreo.com or 702-896-2228.