Life shapes us until we shape our life.

On May 18th, Desiree a precious Andalusian filly was born. She was so sweet those first few days we decided we would call her Dulce (sweet) Desiree. As she grows you can see the influence that her human caretakers, Mom and other pasture partners have on her. She gained confidence quickly, she was curious about everything, and began to mimic the behavior of others. If Q the mini donkey thought crawling through the fence to get to the other side was a good idea so did Desiree. If Mom pawed for hay, then so did Desiree. Thus life and those in it began to shape her behavior.

This is true for humans as well. We are born with a certain set of genetics into an environment that then begins to shape us. Our parents, families, friends, neighborhood, community, city, county, state, country, schools, work, and events in our lives mold us, and transform us for better or worse. This might seem rather hopeless if you do not like your current life circumstances, until you recognize that life can only continue to shape you if you opt out of shaping it.

If your life is all you want it to be then life is good, perhaps you do not wish to shape your life at all, but perhaps there are some things in your life that you would like to change. Several years ago I worked with a client that had a thriving practice. However, at home there is tension between my client and his also very busy professional spouse. Their four children were wonderful, intelligent, and experiencing the trials of growing up, but balancing work, and family became unwieldy when a family crisis occurred. Eventually this professional realized that an outside perspective would be useful, and hired me. In a short time this client started to take full responsibility for his life. He worked on communicating clearly with his spouse, setting limits at work, and home. He prioritized his wants and needs. He and his wife started to work together, planning effectively, and have more fun in their relationship. They were able to support their children, and extended family. My client was able to slow down, and create the life he wanted for himself, his family, and his business.

How about you? Are you shaping your life, or is it shaping you? If your life is not what you want it to be send me an email, and tell me, What you would like to be different about it?