ABOUT JAMES MACNEIL

James MacNeil Pure Spiritual Intelligence, Author DreamLife Community, Founder

James is a 30-year veteran world-class speaker, thought leader, consultant and international bestselling author. James helps you live your best possible life as your best possible self through Pure Spiritual Intelligence, Verbal Aikido and his Wealthy World-Changer Workshops. James is raising up million dollar gurus all over the world teaching from his experience working with the world most powerful banks, international law enforcement agencies and sharing the stage with the worlds most respected authorities including his “Guru Dad” Les Brown, Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, Robin Sharma, Bob Proctor, Grant Cardone, Jack Canfield, Mel Robbins, Steve Forbes, Eric Thomas and Sir Richard Branson www.iLoveBooks.Guru

Lauri Clontz

Finding Your Way to the Front Seat

Finding Your Way To The Front Seat

Lauri Clontz

Ilove riding motorcycles. There is freedom in having a harmonious connection with my motorcycle and the open road. I’m navigating and in charge of this powerful machine, the engine vibrating, my helmet feeling the push and pull of movement and air.

It wasn’t always like that. The first time I got on a motorcycle, I was more than a bit trepidatious. Replaying in my mind were all the warnings from people who never got on a motorcycle and credited being alive to avoiding these dangerous vehicles without safe, comfortable sides. But I had a trusted driver in the front seat, well experienced, knowing how to safely navigate the perils of the open road balanced on two spinning wheels. With a few instructions for first-timers, we embarked for the thrill of a winding road through a canyon painted with autumn hues. I was hooked; that feeling of freedom and awakening of the senses. So many smells I had never noticed, the feel of the wind tempering the heat of the sun’s piercing rays. Oh, what exhilaration! Then, roads diverged and I no longer had that trusted navigator in the front seat. I came to the realization that if I was to enjoy that thrill again, I would need to find my way to the front seat. Now, on my own, all my fears returned, could I make all the right maneuvers, keep everything in balance, evade the perils of the open road, and keep the shiny side up? I had skills to learn to overcome my fears before I could begin to truly own that freedom of riding. And I did. And in doing so, I have come to apply that journey of freedom to my career as well as many aspects of life that can often be so confusing and confining. If you are feeling a lack of freedom or disconnected from your life because of career ruts and grooves you are automatically living out day after day, let’s explore the first steps to living our authentic selves together.

When I started working, I thought I had a clear goal and path laid out in front of me, one that would make a positive impact and help other people achieve their dreams. But when I started hitting roadblocks and speedbumps, I started doing what at the time seemed safer and more comfortable for me. One that would surely bring success with my aptitude and fortitude. So, I made the most common rookie mistake: I checked boxes. I took the first list of tasks presented to me and unconsciously replaced my desire to help with a desire to fulfill obligations. I somehow lost that feeling of exploring and adventuring with my own authentic style in the workplace. And most of those boxes I thought were important back then were only obligations and “tried and true” approaches to a corporate goal. And like many of us working in corporate America, I found myself in a rut. My passion for helping others became an afterthought as I tried to fit it in amidst the never-ending pressures and demands of the job.

These career ruts are painful and difficult because they feel like the only reality. We fear quitting and losing financial security, and we do not feel guided in changing our current environment at work. Our reason for even starting on the path gets lost; worst of all, we forget, even lose the real reason we started to do what we do. This is so common and in many ways a natural part of growing in our career as we journey further and further from that inner voice that calls us to our true passions. I want to share with you how I got out of that rut, reacquainted myself with my genuine desires, kick-started my courage, and revved up my life into my current path of coaching and inspiring others to break free as well.

The first thing to do when you feel trapped in a job you don’t even remember wanting is to pull into a rest stop. You don’t have to quit or do anything extreme. Just take a break. Get away. It could be a physical diversion, but make sure it is a mental repose. Take this time to meditate, take in the view, and really determine where you are. How did you get here? Find out how you entered this path. Was it a professor in college? A high school trip? A family member you admired? Connect with that memory as you stop and reflect.

So often the scariest part of this journey is stopping because we are afraid we need to make a U-turn and the first few moments of pausing our career can become a deafening chorus of doubt. Don’t be afraid. You’re just pausing, like pulling off to one of those roadside view areas to take it all in. Stay present for this moment of quiet and solitude.

The second thing to do while you are at your career rest stop is to take inventory. Just like checking for fuel, cold water, sunscreen, and chapstick, take inventory of what you have and what you need. In the “what you have” list write down what you experience now in your career that brings you joy. Joy is an interesting word, so let’s take a moment to think about joy. My early passion was to help others along the journey of transforming their dreams into reality. And bureaucracy in my job pushed that passion to the side and made room for surviving and traveling up corporate ladders. So in taking inventory, I listed the moments I was able to help despite the red tape that challenged me. My joy was in seeing a team member achieve a goal or assist them in getting that promotion. Those sparks are going to be your fuel so retain them as best as you can. Journal about them or create a calendar of these moments to remind you why you are on this journey. And while you are taking that inventory, don’t forget to feel gratitude. Feel gratitude not only for what you have but be grateful to yourself for what you have accomplished and overcome.

Also, in your inventory make a list of what is missing. It can be specific to your career, but equally important is the self-care you currently sacrifice. Generally, when people are feeling in a rut, they have slowly jettisoned little pleasures to make deadlines and get more items crossed off their to-do lists. So write a list of self-care you used to do that kept you in a place of gratitude and pleasure. Along with the title you want, and the salary you deserve, or any other measure of success we associate with work, add the little things. It can be as small as noticing the sunrise in the morning or a slow, quiet walk in nature, the song of the birds, or the scent of freshly baked cookies…Not from the grocery store or bakery, but that beckoning aroma drifting from your kitchen through the hallway until your home is consumed with the comforting sweetness. Write this list and keep it with your current list of career rewards related to your passion.

Third, I cannot reiterate enough the importance of a mentor and a community. When I first started riding my motorcycle, I joined a group of riders. As one of the newest in the group, they took me under their wing, encouraged me, and they not only shared their knowledge, but they also showed me what my goal looked like. My goal of riding intuitively and fearlessly. And they did that. Being able to see, gave me a pattern to follow and made success so much more possible. I first experienced riding in a rainstorm with them. Feeling those droplets on my face as I put on my helmet gave me an initial jolt of panic. Would my tires hold their grip through the water on the road? Would they slip when I leaned into the turns? But one by one, I saw each rider in my group rev up their motorcycles and head out. One warm smile and wave forward was all I needed to feel like I could do it, too. I followed their lead. Their tires held as they leaned into the curves on that mountain road, and mine did too. Slowly my confidence grew through each turn down that wet mountain road. Not only was I doing it. I was meant to do it. It was a natural progression of my journey to do what I couldn’t even imagine before.

Armed with the knowledge of your current position in relation to where you want to be, equipped with your inventory, and supported by your mentor and community, you are already exponentially stronger. It is the perfect moment to reassess your route, recalibrating your path forward.

Together, find your new path that is congruent to your passion and authentic to your style. Every move you make now is an effort to keep the joy you already have and gain the joy you crave in reaching your destination. Use each item on your list to create steps. Not leaps. Not shortcuts. Make a map of small journeys that put end to end will get you to that destination.

Finally, celebrate every part of your journey and stay present. Pause and take inventory at every rough spot. Add new rewards to your inventory journal. Shrink that list of wants and celebrate each time you do. Good or bad or just because, make sure to regularly pause and take inventory at every curve. And remember to continue to evolve your definition of your success on your terms. Your authentic path is not measured in corporate KPIs. It’s measured in the level of joy you have when you wake up on Monday morning.

In motorcycle riding, on the roads with all the twists and turns, we are trained to “look through the curve.” It is not a comfortable technique at first. There’s a temptation to look at your front wheel or what is right in front of you. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the various possible obstacles all around you – traffic, roadblocks, potholes. But keeping an eye on the destination will naturally guide you there. That is a lot like how at work we see only the growing number of emails in our inbox or the overwhelming list of what’s needed in a looming deadline. Do not fall into this trap. It is what got us in our ruts. Look through the curve and lean in. Keep your eyes on a point just far enough ahead of you to see what you need to see and naturally lean into how you want to arrive at that spot. In time, it becomes second nature. Your inbox and deadlines are just road signs, not destinations. The destination is your passion fulfilled.

This journey you are on in your career is so much like riding a motorcycle. As you release the clutch and twist the throttle, the bike –your passion and life goals - surges you both forward, propelling you into a world of endless possibilities. Look through the curves and find balance as you lean in and meet each twist and turn. Someday, you will welcome riding on rainy days. You will be the smile and welcoming wave, inviting a newer colleague to join you on this glorious journey. Let the wind around your helmet, be a gentle embrace that propels you forward, the encouragement that lifts your spirit instead of holding you back. Like a skilled rider who effortlessly senses the road beneath them, move in harmony with your path, trusting your instincts as you pursue your passions. With patience and unfaltering determination, you will discover the right course, making decisions that align with your authentic self. Remember your journey itself is a masterpiece, as exquisite as reaching your destination. Embrace the ride, relishing every moment. Allow your passion to be your guide you as you carve your way through the wind, and you will discover a world brimmed with fulfillment, purpose, and thrilling adventure.