The Life Uncommon – Nacie Carson — Launching Your Uncommon Life

Taking Chances and Not Keeping Score

by Jodee Redmond on January 5, 2012

Have you ever watched a movie where the main character is entering a competition or facing a challenge of some kind and is told something like, “Here’s your shot”? According to the script, this statement sets the stage for the hero or heroine to step up and do something noteworthy that helps to bring the story line to a climax. The viewer knows that something exciting and memorable is going to develop shortly.

Have you ever thought about what you want to achieve and thought that a particular situation, thing or person represented “your” shot and that everything was riding on what you decided to do next? I really enjoy watching films and losing myself in a good story. I’ve even embraced suspending my disbelief so that I could appreciate what was being presented in front of me but I know that despite how entertaining the events are, they are not real.

How does this relate to the idea that you only get one shot to accomplish what you want in life? I don’t believe that we are given one opportunity to be and do things we want and that if we don’t succeed that we are doomed to have to live without them. There will be times that we will make our best effort to accomplish something and it won’t work out the way we had hoped. Click to continue

Turn Over Stones and Keep Moving When You Feel Stuck

January 3, 2012

How are things going for you these days? Have you been feeling worried or stuck lately? While we all wish that life was smooth sailing at all times, it doesn’t always work that way. We make plans for ourselves which are contingent on things moving forward in a certain way. When something unexpected happens, our first reaction (after feeling shocked) is often to feel scared or worried. I’m all for taking time to absorb what has just happened when something unexpected occurs. Even “good” surprises can be stressful, and it’s perfectly reasonable to give yourself some time to just take in what has occurred and sort it out in your mind. The length of time you need will depend on what has occurred. If you have experienced some type of loss, you may feel numbed by the experience at first. This is normal, but you don’t need to stay in that place in your mind (and heart).

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How to Set Goals and Resolutions for the New Year

December 29, 2011

I love New Years. To me, it’s always been such a time of reflection, possibility, and growth. I relish the ability to reflect on the old year, sort through it and wrap it up, and then look ahead to the blank slate that is the new year. I have a whole ritual I that I look forward to doing all year that involves a glass (or two) of champagne, some good music, and a few stolen minutes on New Year’s Eve before the festivities start to think about my accomplishments in the old year and set my goals and resolutions for the new year. There is something wistful and romantic about it, probably because, like Gary Ryan Blair notes, “New Years is the only holiday that celebrates the passage of time.” (except birthdays, decidedly not romantic). And yet what I know from personal experience – and research has validated – is that not all resolutions stick. In fact, most don’t. Statistics tell us that after 6 months half of people are off of their resolutions, and by the next New Year’s only 10% of folks are still working toward theirs. Eeek. So what can you (and I) do this year to make sure that the goals and resolutions we set before the stroke of midnight on the 31st have a fighting chance of making it?…

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Have Your Found Your Passion Yet?

November 1, 2011

Once you have made the decision to live your life with passion, the next step is to find it. The problem is that no one explains how to go about this process. The truth is that finding your passion is easier than you think. I think that even the term “find” your passion is a bit of a misnomer. It implies that you have to do something or take some specific action to uncover it. Before you make plans (literally or figuratively) to embark on a quest to find this elusive thing called a passion, make sure that you are looking in the right place. Find Passion by Looking Inward If you really want to find your passion, don’t look outside of yourself for clues. You already have all the information you need and it’s right at your fingertips.

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Feeling Swamped? Relax and Rise to the Surface Again

October 27, 2011

Have you ever gone through a time in your life where you felt as if things were spinning out of control? As much as we like to think that we are in control of the events which shape our lives, the truth of the matter is that we really aren’t. In fact, so many of us worry and stress about events in our lives because we are trying to retain a sense of control over them and deep down, we know that we don’t have it. What can you do when you feel waves of stress crashing down around you? One way that people respond is to feel swamped by the strong feelings that this type of experience can create. Picture yourself falling into a body of water for a minute. You hit its surface and you continue to sink deeper and deeper into the water. For a moment, you may think that you will never stop falling and it’s at this point that you may start to panic.

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