Debbie Hawkins Coaching

Do you feel like you drift through life without a true sense of direction? One thing about drifting: you generally don't drift UP. Ponder on these questions and I believe you'll get insight about your true life-purpose.

Five Questions to Help You Determine Your Purpose — Debbie Hawkins Coaching As Mark Twin famously said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why”.    Did you know that many people never discover their “why”?  They drift from one opportunity, one condition, one situation, to another witho

If we expect others to live our values and purpose, we'll only end up disappointed in them. If we try to live others' values, we'll end up disappointed in ourselves. Live your own values and respect others for living theirs.

I don't know about you, but I do this often. If it's hard, I tend to make it complicated so I can have an excuse not to dive in and do it. Exercise? But I can't because I would have to find a gym, then get some workout clothes. Then, what about that water bottle? Gotta have one of those. When will I do it? I can't do it in the morning due to time, but I'm to tired in the afternoons. Blah, blah, blah. That's me to a T! My advice? Just go take a walk. Easy peasy. The easier you make something, the more likely you'll follow through.

Take "hard" and break it down into smaller steps. Perseverance is a lot of small steps that make success.

Not sure what your purpose is ... or if you even have one? When my clients feel this way, I suggest they talk with God about it. It's a powerful solution and the results I've seen have been amazing!

How do we fix our thinking? One story or one act at a time. I’d like to share a story my psychology professor once told our class … a story that forever changed how I think.
There was a long line at the ticket counter at an airport (this was years ago … before automation, of course!). A man cut in front of everyone and insisted that he get a ticket immediately. “How would you view this man?”, our professor asked. Almost the entire class voiced their opinions, describing the man as arrogant, spoiled, rude, and “always gets his way”.
Then the professor continued the story and told us that those in line overheard the man say, “My son has been in a terrible accident and isn’t expected to live. I really need to get a flight as soon as possible.” “Now”, the professor said, “how do you view this man?” The class was silent, perhaps, like me, feeling somewhat ashamed of how I had terribly mis-judged this person.
So now, when someone cuts in front of me on the interstate or when the person at the checkout isn’t so friendly or when someone says something I disagree with, I try to step back and realize that I don’t know their story. This allows for a much more productive and positive mindset, all while reducing what we think are problems. And in the end, that’s what I want in life … more pleasantries and less strife!
I hope, in some way, this story is as helpful to you as it has been to me in showing just one small way we can "fix" our thinking - by less judgment and more compassion!

There is one caveat to this though ... our actions should be in alignment with what God wants. How do we know what He wants? God gives us a desire to fulfill our purpose. If you have a true desire to fulfill something, think and pray about it. It very will could be your purpose. If we ask Him what actions He wants us to take, and then listen to that inner guidance of the Holy Spirit (and not the flesh), He will guide us to exactly where He wants us. It's critical to know the values and purpose He has for us. And when our purpose, His will, our actions, and opportunity meet ... watch out!

Think of one tiny thing you can do today to take you closer to where you want to be? Now ... go do it. You'll be glad you did!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Do you want to world to tell you who you are?

Not only should we embrace our mistakes, but we should forgive others of their mistakes and encourage them to move forward. It works both ways.

What's important in your life? Spend your time on those things.

Often when we acknowledge a problem (or challenge) the solution becomes more evident. And when a solution becomes evident, it's easier to take action. And when we take action, the problem or challenge gets smaller. And who doesn't want smaller problems?

Food for thought.

How do we feed our mind? By what we think? What we read? What we hear from those around us? There are many ways to feed our mind. We just want to make sure the input is positive and according to our values. What is your biggest challenge around feeding your mind? Mine? Those nasty ANT's (Automatic Negative Thoughts) that keep crawling all over my picnic! I have to squash those testy tormentors every single day! Sigh.

Know what you want and take action every day to get there. And remember, the action can be small. Small hinges swing big doors!

This is truly worth pondering.

There are no shortcuts in life – no fast lanes. We have to put in the hard work and remain persistent. But the good news is that you can take that “hard work” and break it down into doable easier steps. What’s one thing you want to accomplish this year that seems daunting? Now think of one small step you can take today to help you move forward. After all, action, no matter how small, often changes overwhelm to ease.

Persistence can be the difference between being who you want to be and just drifting through life. Decide one thing this year that you want to change and take one small step daily toward that goal.

Did you know money values is an extension of your personal values? Your set of core beliefs and principles shape your relationship with money and that drives your decisions regarding how you save, spend, and invest. For example, if you value freedom and security, your goal will likely be to save and invest in order to have a worry-free retirement. If you value legacy, you may care about leaving money to your children or grandchildren. If you value travel and making memories, you may spend your money on those very things. If you value generosity, you may spend money to help others. We all spend our money on what’s important to us. What’s important to you and are you spending your money on those things or are you spending on what society, family, friends, and social media tells you to? Above all, don’t spend on things you don’t need. Warren Buffet warns that, “if you buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need.” Be intentional with how you spend your money.

We’ll always have the Golden Rule and it’s an important rule to follow. After all, it’s in the Bible. Matthew 7:12a says, “Do for others what you want them to do for you.”

Let’s not replace that wonderful rule, but add to it. The Diamond Rule is “Treat others like they want to be treated.” I’ve seen a few other alternatives; however, the following one caught my attention: “We should leave others’ lives better than our own”.

Wow! That’s pretty powerful. Can you imagine a world if we all did that very thing?

Have you ever heard of the “say-do gap”? It’s the gap that’s between what you say you’re going to do and what you actually do. How big is your "say-do gap" In the areas that really matter in your life? I don't know about you, but some of my gaps are bigger than I want them to be. I vow to work toward making those gaps smaller. How? I have a plan ... yes, a physical plan that I call my Life Fulfillment Plan. And it's changed how I live my life! I now have less drifting and more intentional living and I'm loving every second! If you're interested in learning more, shoot me a message! I'd love to share with you!

Does your body, mind, and/or spirit look the same as it did this time last year? Live your life today (and every day) so that a year from now, you'll be able to look back and say "I made a difference".

There is no such thing as failure. Only feedback.