Of the many questions you ask yourself every day, one question is by far more important than all of the rest put together. It is a powerful question that will bring clarity, motivation and purpose to your whole existence. The question is simply this: "What do I want from life?" Providing a clear, precise answer brings total focus to our lives. But very few people can. Why?

OK, I meet many people through my professional and social lives and what amazes me is that very few of them can answer this question. Most of them answer in abstract terms, such as:

"I want money. Lots of money."
"I want to be happy."
"I want a beautiful house."
"I want a sports car."
"I want to meet someone, fall in love and settle down."
"I DON'T REALLY KNOW."

Amazingly, the last one is the most common. And the problem with all of the above answers is that they aren't really answers at all. Because none of them give a specific, precise answer. Just why do so few people know precisely what they want from life? There are a number of reasons, here's just 3 of the more common:

Number one on our list is FEAR. To know precisely what you want out of life means you have to go and get it. You have to take action, make changes and work hard to manifest your desires into reality. You can't hide behind abstracts any longer. This stark truth and the changes needed can be frightening. But you must see the whole process of getting what you want as enjoyable and rewarding and not as a threat.

Next on our list is HARD WORK. Identifying exactly what you want from life requires quite a bit of effort. And of course, if you want to achieve your goals, you have to work hard by investing time and toil every day. Many people simply aren't prepared to put in a significant effort to get what they want. Are you?

The last reason I'll cover here is MINDSET. The vast majority of people have the mindset that life is something that happens to them. I call this "bumbling", and it is why people cannot provide a precise answer to our question and answer with abstracts instead. Fate, kismet, "If it's meant to be it'll be" are the core beliefs here. But to get what you want, you have to make things happen in your life. This is living by design and it is important to have this core belief if you are to achieve your objectives.

So schedule at least half an hour each day to think about what, exactly, you want from life. Don't let fear be your guide in this. Take the time and write down exact objectives. For example:

• If you want a house, specify the type, the location, the price, features, number of rooms - as much detail as you can.
• If you want a car, what make, what model? What color? Specification?
• If you want to meet someone to start a relationship, how will they look? Blond? Dark? Tall? Personality type? Shy, extrovert, strong?
• When it comes to money, how much do you want? How much will you need to help you get what you want?

Get the idea? The more detail you can provide the better. If you cannot provide detailed, specific answers to the question, you will be more likely to bumble through life hoping to get what you want instead of CREATING AND ATTRACTING what you want. Of course, there's nothing wrong with bumbling - unless you want to live an empowered life!

Time for me to sign off, but before I go, I'll leave you with this: "Most people are on a journey to nowhere in particular and are shocked when they eventually realize they've arrived there." It's your life. Think about it!

Copyright © Chris Green 2007 - All Rights reserved
Former anxiety sufferer Chris Green is the author of "Conquering Stress," the internationally acclaimed guide to managing  stress, anxiety and depression naturally without taking powerful antidepressants. To get started on kicking stress, anxiety and depression out of your life quickly and permanently, please visit the Conquering Stress website.

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