Anila Niklos, M.Ed., CDP/
While searching the dictionary for meaning to the word marvelous to marry with the word life, the explanation of the word marvelous generously layered my visual, mental and physical senses. Borrowing from the dictionary meaning and adding my own words, I enjoyed the marvelous life flowing into my veins, body and brain. And perhaps, and almost poetically, sharing what I experienced might make you join me in this journey. Let me paint for you how powerfully this image unfolded.
My personal marvelous life experience matched a meditation appointment, in which while relaxing and melting the stress away, I envisioned my marvelous self and my marvelous life. With my eyes closed, I watched myself prance around and about my marvelous life filled with the musical sensational life sounds. Extraordinaire soul songs caressed my ears. I felt tuned in with the spectacular rhythm of the day. Sunshine vibes shined brightly over me and my lips, face and soul smiled. I felt breathtaking love of being myself and sharing it with the rest of the world. Through my divine powers I changed other people’s lives. Strength combined with brilliant attitude towards the people I lead showered my being. All of a sudden my mind blowing talents were admired by many. Dresing felt quite empowered. Now, I looked magnificent with superb patterns of my dress, flawless hair style and makeup. Everything about me screamed confidence, amazing, awesome, splendid, wonderful, glorious, heavenly, jaw-dropping, out of this world, smashing and dreaming.
Today, I am one of those individuals who calls myself marvelous and who has created a marvelous life. But it takes commitment, courage, time and focus to transform a life to such caliber. Focusing on myself and reflecting on how someone lives a marvelous life pushed me to dream, design and now lead a fulfilling marvelous life. A life designed after deep reflection of where I have been, where am I right now and where would I like to be in the future. It does not matter what phase of my life I focus on and or what aspect of it, knowing I am marvelous and deserving of a marvelous life provides a roadmap for success.
One of the most beneficial steps of believing and living my marvelous life was something we always hear about and might agree it is imperative but somehow we make no time for. My approach to being marvelous called for reflection time. Our lives and responsibilities that come along lack the room for reflection. To this day, I remember my professor sharing with me how challenged he felt during his Ph.D., program due to the stop and think action he was charged with. Thinking and reflecting proved tough but he had to for 30 minutes daily.
On a personal outcome as a result of thinking and reflecting I now posses the capability of being free from being busy. As a matter of fact, being busy hinders our ability to remain focused but rather helps with becoming distracted and unfocused. Although, it creates a sense of self-achievement because of the personal drive and movement mode all day long, it actually distracts us from focusing on ourselves. But mastering thinking and reflecting requires serious commitment. My mother’s unexpected accident taught me an invaluable lesson which transformed my life.
Extremely driven and with a high focus on my career, my departure from family and friends felt normal initially. Further, it did not bother me. Working on my success measured, justified and classified under my belief that nothing gets achieved without sacrifice and hard work. A memory from the days of no reflection includes my relationship with my mother. I called my mother everyday and sometimes a few calls a day making sure she felt alright. Growing in my career translated in less contact not only with my family and friends but with my mother also. With time, it became fine and normal not to call and stay in touch with her. There was no timeframe for which this pattern could have lasted if it were not for my mother’s car accident. Now, I was faced with a new reality. However, my mother’s car accident changed my life for the better.
During the Intensive Unit Care days, my mother and I were inseparable. Even with my lack of calling once my responsibilities expanded I qualified my relationship with my mother to be strong. When she received medical attention as well as during rehabilitation phase, clarity of an enormous disconnection presented and manifested itself. With each passing moment and as we spent numerous hours together our bond grew fonder and this strange emotion called love I had folded into a drawer far away from my day to day business reality started filling my heart. I felt the love of my mother knock strongly into my veins and heart. I felt alive and happy too. My mother simultaneously with me experienced the same. The cold wall of being busy started melting away. What had happened to me? Why did it happen? How did it happen? When did I become alright with it? Was it worth it? It took time to answer each one of those questions. But I did answer each one of them.
Suddenly, I had made a full stop. Even if I wished to refuse thinking I had plenty of time in my hands as I sat quietly by my mother’s bedside. Realizing my fortune I identified the silver lining from the bad accident with an immediate full break to exponentially transform my life. I asked myself tough questions and played devil’s advocate too. I analyzed, reflected and thought situations, people and things over and over again. In the process, I discovered I was not happy or satisfied with my current career and life no matter how glamorous it was. I took a deep dive into my core and started envisioning a life filled with passion, glory, jaw-dropping moments, amazing, awesome, brave, lush, stylish, happy, healthy and loving. My voice became melodious and contagious. People loved me and I resonated love and aliveness in return. Time and love navigated me to reality and build me up for legacy. Looking into my new path to success filled with divine powers, love and compassion while leading the way and singing songs with the many women who join me.
We must create our marvelous lives and uplift other women along in our journey. Sometimes we need a small stop and sometimes a longer one. As long as we practice taking a break, 15 minutes or longer and think and reflect with intention, a healthier and marvelous life might be achievable. Therefore, taking time to think and reflect becomes the first step to building a marvelous life blueprint.