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Before receiving your Challenge, take
a look at a life-changing moment:
In the early Eighties, I (Gay) met Ed Steinbrecher at a party in Colorado.
Ed’s gone now, but during his long life, he was the favorite astrologer
of many prominent people whose names you’d recognize. I’m
not a believer in astrology in general, but I’ve found that really
good astrologers are often tapping in to something useful, whether or
not it has anything to do with the stars. I’d never heard of Ed
before the evening of the party, nor had I at the time ever had an astrological
reading (beyond the kind I would occasionally read in the newspaper).
In the course of conversation, Ed asked me my birthday but no other details,
such as where I was born. He then said, “You’re probably the
black sheep of a very conservative family.” I was astonished by
this, because it pretty much summarized my place in the world, particularly
in the first half of my life. Even at an early age I stuck out in my family
like the proverbial sore thumb.
I asked Ed if he had any other nuggets he could give me.
“Well,” he asked, “Have you figured out what your death-bed
goals are?”
I’d go to more parties if people asked questions like that!
I asked what he meant.
"If I ask you on your death-bed fifty years from now, ‘Was
your life a total success?', and you say 'Yes', what would be the five
or ten things you’d be referring to that made you say it was a success?"
What a fabulous question! I’ve asked it thousands of times since
that night, both of myself and of people who come to our seminars. I told
Ed I hadn’t figured those out, but that I’d think about it
and let him know when I did.
It took me about a week of serious cogitating and meditating to figure
out my death-bed goals. When I called Ed to report, here’s what
my list said:
1. I enjoy a long-term marriage with
a woman I adore and who adores me, and with whom I enjoy a lifelong
mutual blossoming of creativity.
2. I live in a state of friendly completion with my extended family
(completion: nothing of significance I haven’t talked to them
or listened to them about.)
3. I generate a complete written record of everything of significance
I learned during my sojourn on the planet (so that others who are interested
might benefit from and enjoy reading about my experiences.)
4. I enjoy an experiential understanding of the divine creator force.
5. I savor every moment of life to the best of my ability.
6. I expand in love and creativity every day, as I assist others who
are interested to expand in love and creativity, too.
Ed listened carefully to my list then asked me how many of them were “in
action.” Looking over the list, I realized that I was doing a pretty
good job on #3, having published several books over the past few years,
and I was just getting underway with #1. Katie and I had just gotten married
and were beginning what would become the full flowering of my #1 goal.
The rest of the list at that point was just a good idea.
“Get busy,” Ed advised.
I did, and have seen all of them come to life over the past twenty years.
What are your life-goals (death-bed
“success” goals)?
Life-goals have tremendous practical
value, too. As you step into expressing more and more of your genius,
you’ll likely attract more and more opportunities than you can possibly
or even want to handle, often on a daily basis. With the myriad of opportunities
being presented, how will you determine which ones you would like to get
involved with?
Answer: Look at your life-goals. Ask
yourself, “Is this opportunity – one of many opportunities
-- in alignment with my life-goals?” If you get a “yes,”
then do it. If “no,” then say, “no.”
For example, I (Philip) was approached
recently about co-writing a book on sexual ecstasy for women over 50.
While co-writing is indeed one of my Genius qualities, the audience –
women over 50 – does not align with or resonate with any of my life-goals.
I didn’t feel the fit. So, I smiled and said, “No, thanks.
I appreciate you thinking of me, and I appreciate this opportunity.”
Here’s your challenge for session
3:
How would you answer
the same question that Ed asked Gay?
Ed’s Question: "If
I ask you on your death-bed fifty years from now, ‘Was your life
a total success?', and you say 'Yes', what would be the five or ten things
you’d be referring to that made you say it was a success?"
Take the next few days (as long as you need) and write down the five or
ten things that you would be referring to when you answer, “Yes,
my life was a total success.”
When you finish, we invite you to:
1. Email your life-goals to us.
2. Post your life-goals in a place where you will see them on a regular
basis. I (Philip) post mine on the wall in my studio and also on or
near my bed. They are the first things I see (and read out loud) in
the morning and the last I see and read before I go to sleep.
3. Share your life-goals with your closest loved ones and friends.
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