Pssst – what’s your secret password? I will tell.

 

May 4^th is world password day (#WorldPasswordDay), which got me thinking – there are passwords to your computer files of course, but what about the passwords to your heart? To a life full of meaning? To success on your terms?

 

Some of my passwords are ‘spacious possibilities’ which for me means:

• I am organized (all systems set & working)
• I know what I want to accomplish for the day, week, month etc.
• I am in that sweet spot of relaxed enough to focus AND with enough energy to amp up my creativity with sizzle & sass

 

Why have a password?

Knowing my passwords help me identify when I know it’s time to sit up & pay attention when I’m NOT feeling ‘spacious possibilities,’ the signs of which for me are:

• I am under the influence of magical thinking – my ‘reality distortion field’ is in full force: a.k.a. I have waaaayyy too much on my plate but somehow magically think I’ll be able to get it all done
• I’m cranky, feeling pressured, obligated & irritable
• I’m neither productive, efficient or effective

 

What about you? In the spirit of learning from each other, I’d love to hear your secret sauce, your passwords to a happy, healthy life, on your own terms.

 

Need some inspiration? Here are Richard Branson’s 8 tips for living your best life.  (Think of them as passwords to a life well lived.)

 

But hang on. Before I tell you what Branson’s tips are, I’ve given you some prompts below (based on his tips).

 

Thinking about what you would tell people about living life to the best of their abilities, what words would you add to this?  How would you fill in the blanks? For example from #1 below – Be what? Be happy, be healthy…. How would you fill in the space?

1.Be _________
2. Be _________
3. Be _________
4. Say _________
5. Dream _________
6. Have _________
7. Give _________
8. Look _________ _________

 

 

And Google says ….

When I searched Google’s auto complete, I thought it ironic that when I typed in ‘give’ (from #7 above) Google completed it with ‘give me.’

Google’s auto fill to ‘say’ was ‘say something’ & ‘say anything.’

Google’s auto fill to ‘have’ was ‘have a nice day.’

And the auto fill to ‘look’ was ‘look at me’ & ‘look up.’

 

 

We can do better than Google. What’s your password to a meaningful life?

Here are Richard Branson’s tips for a good life. Do you agree? Are there any you’d take out? Add?

1.Be brave
2. Be you
3. Be respectful
4. Say yes
5. Dream big
6. Have fun
7. Give back
8. Look after yourself

Here’s a tool to help you prioritize them.

 

What are your secrete passwords? Lean in & whisper them, as they leave your lips with hesitation & uncertainty or stand up tall & shout them from the street corner.

 

Have a good think on it. Then take action below.

 

And in the meantime know that I spent the year leading up to my 50^th birthday asking girls & women from 8 months to 98 years what their password was to a meaningful life, what lessons they’d learned & then I made an eBook out of their wise words. I’d hoped to get 50 responses. I was gob smacked to get 71 from 21 countries.

 

If you’re interested in seeing it, let me know in the comments below & I’ll share it in a future post.

 

 

Your turn. Take action

• Check out this one question survey to help you prioritize (& add to) Branson’s tips

 

• After you’ve picked your top two (which can include new ones you add), commit to doing 1 thing to make it true(r) for you. For example, ‘Be you’ is my top tip & for that I commit to being true to myself, being clear what my boundaries are & being confident. And please share your commitments below.

 

• And speaking of confidence, need some help to inspire confidence? Check out my confidence-focusing tool. And speaking