The Power of One Day
Author: Caterina Rando, MA, MCC

As I speak to different groups I hear what makes a difference in people's lives--how one conversation, one sentence, one meeting, one phone call, one radio program can put an idea in someone’s head that sticks there and won’t leave until action is taken and things become different.

There is great power in one single day. We do not always know which day it will be. Last night at a speech I was delivering, a woman named Susan said that a few years back, her boss told her to do some writing for the business. After having gotten "D"s all through college in writing, this request caused her to fear for her job,. Instead of letting her fear and feelings of inadequacy win, she took action and signed up for a nonfiction writing class at her community college. After only the first meeting of the class she went back to work and wrote a case study for her employer that ended up running in the Harvard Business Review. Today Susan is a sought-after freelance business writer.

Take a look at some of the different Struggle Strategies. Decide which one might be making things harder on you and make a change. There are lots of ways to significantly decrease if not eliminate struggle from your life.

That one day that she decided to go to class was the day she set her professional life on a new course, even though she did not know it at the time. Our willingness to believe that we can figure out how to do whatever it is we need to, to get the result we want, is a powerful part of living a full life and providing ourselves with unexpected adventures as we walk our life's path.

To add more power to your life every day, consider the following:

Put Attention on Pumping Up Your Belief in Yourself I see over and over that the people who enjoy huge success and do what other people only dream of are the people who truly and deeply believe in themselves. J.K. Rawlings, who wrote the Harry Potter books that have been on the bestseller lists for more weeks than any other books ever, believed she was a writer even though she had never had one scrap of writing published. What are some beliefs that might be interfering with you moving forward? Do you have an idea that you can want something but not have it? You might think you are creative but believe you could never make a living as an artist, or want to have your own business but think that you could never get it off the ground. Take some time to pump up your belief in yourself, and watch your whole life expand.

Say Yes to Any Opportunity Coming From the Right Direction Be open to all the possibilities that come your way. Opportunities lead to other opportunities. You never know where a "yes" will take you. A "yes" to a luncheon invitation could lead to new client or job offer, a "yes" to a party could lead to a new relationship; a "yes" to help a friend clean out her closets could lead to a whole closet full of clothes for you. Right now, ask yourself--where do you need to answer "yes"?

Employ the Power of Exploration
Make it a weekly practice to do something new, something even unusual, simply for the freshness and uniqueness of it. Have you ever been to your neighborhood library? Have you eaten at the Ethiopian restaurant that just opened, rollerbladed around a lake, or kayaked on the Bay? If not, get to it! New experiences polish our perspective, offer us new frames of reference and metaphors for living, provide fun and can even make a significant contribution to our future.

Make a list of the things you have never done that you would like to do. On your list put artistic activities, like throwing ceramics and making a necklace. Put mental activities on your list, like going to a lecture on astronomy or playing chess. Put physical activities on your list, like indoor rock climbing or taking a Pilates class; and put some things on the list that will feed your spiritual self, like going to a different congregation or taking a meditation class. Every week, pick an activity and do it. Your world will get bigger, your mind will be broader, and your soul will be fuller.

Stop Tolerating It
Ask yourself what you are tolerating. It might be a stressful relationship, a disorganized office, or a bed with a broken spring. There is something in your life that you are tolerating--something that is draining your energy, decreasing your self esteem, maybe even interfering with getting a good night's sleep. Pay attention to what you are tolerating, make a list and begin to eliminate one item after another. This will free up your time, improve your clarity and increase your sense of well-being.

I am sure that as you have read this article, you have begun to see how you can add tremendous power to your life in just one day. Even if you are not sure if something you do will result in a significant push in the right direction, I encourage you to do it anyway and watch what happens. Action makes the difference--take powerful action now.








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Caterina Rando, MA, MCC, is a professional writer, success speaker, master certified coach, and author of "Success with Ease--How to Find Fulfillment in a Fast-Paced World," a powerful six-cassette audio program. To find out more about this program or Caterina’s keynotes, trainings, workshops, and other personal and professional development tools contact her at 415-668-4535 (email: cpr@caterinar.com), or visit her website at www.caterinar.com.

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