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Life Mapping: Being Your Best

by Brian Mayne(more info)

listed in mind matters, originally published in issue 106 - December 2004

Life Mapping is a simple but profound technique that helps you create your grandest feelings, take your grandest actions, and live your grandest life.

We live in a rapidly changing world where the escalating pace of change is greater today than at any other time in our recorded history. Every aspect and area of our lives is changing. The way that we work, the way that we mix and interact, the way that we shop and eat, in fact, for the majority, the entire way that we live our day-to-day lives, is changing. In this time of great and rapid change, now more than ever before, we need to take our security from developing a changeless inner core.

Looking back, I can see that my whole life has been filled with change. My journey has been unusual. I was born into a Gypsy lifestyle and travelled with the Fun-Fair until I was eighteen. At 19 I opened a night-club and, within a few short years, became quite successful and wealthy. However, things changed dramatically and by age 29 I suddenly and dramatically lost everything, including my home and my marriage and ended up almost £1,000,000 in debt.

After falling apart, becoming depressed, and letting my health suffer, I eventually took stock of my situation. It didn't look too good! Not only did I have massive debts, but also had nothing to put on my CV, having always worked for myself. The very worst thing though, was at the late age of 29 I still couldn't read or write. I had dyslexia, did poorly at school and left early without any qualifications.

Financial-Material
Choose qualities in alignment with achieving your purpose

A Hidden Blessing

I now see that whole period as my absolute good fortune! In my effort to make some extra money, I joined a sales company and met a man who helped me to change my life. One of the first things that he said to me was "if you think that you can, you can, and if you think that you can't, you can't, and either way you're right!"

I'd heard the saying before, but this time it appeared at a point in my life when I was ready to listen. I believed in the man who was sharing this old truth with me and, over time, he helped me to believe in myself.

One of the first things he guided me to understand is that we all create our own reality. For better or worse, richer or poorer, we all, at some level, influence our life through the thoughts that we think and the actions that we take.

I decided to commit myself fully to his philosophy and, in the years that have passed, I have overcome my dyslexia, improved my health, paid off my debts, created a new life for myself and put my own ideas into books, tapes and training programmes.

Some years ago I developed a powerful technique for achieving anything you truly desire called 'Goal-Mapping'. I have shared the technique with thousands of people and have used it myself for all manner of achievements. The most important thing I've learnt is: the real value in any achievement is not in the thing itself it's in who you become in the process.

Who you become as a 'person' through pursuing your goals, the growth you experience, the qualities you develop and the confidence you build, these are the real treasures you gain.

It was this realization that led me to the development of 'Life-Mapping' which is specifically designed to help people become their grandest vision… to develop themselves fully and live their life's purpose. Whether you want to improve your mind, emotions, health, finances, relationships, or feeling of connection to the universe, Life Mapping can help you because it enables you to be at your best and, when you feel your best, you naturally produce your best results.

Allow me to share the key points of the technique with you now, that you may be enabled to apply them to your own life and experience their power.

Your life-map in pictures
Your life-map in pictures

Step 1. Discover

The first step of the process is to discover your purpose. One of the most important of life's lessons is that 'everyone has a purpose', something you are uniquely gifted to do. When you are 'on purpose', doing what makes your heart sing, you find your passion and thereby your power. Having an overriding purpose to your life is like having a beacon to steer towards, a light to be guided by during dark or turbulent times. Therein each goal that you set becomes another stepping stone to move you further along the path of your purpose.

Sadly, the vast majority of people never know that they even have a purpose, let alone what their purpose may be. So many people spend their lives like wandering generalities; as a cork bobs in the ocean, so people without a compelling purpose are thrown by the waves of change. This is not so for persons who are clear in their purpose. Those that are focused on their mission are safely anchored from the waves of change by a deep unchanging sense that they are on purpose – that they are of value – steadfast in their feeling of inner peace and clear on their chosen direction.

The discovery of your purpose always begins with 'you'. Ask yourself: 'what do I want my life to be about?' Sometimes you will receive your answer quickly. Often it will take a little while, but always the answer will come.

To help you discover the direction of your purpose I would like to ask you seven 'empowering' questions. These questions are designed for you to give snap answers to. Please spend only 30 seconds on each one.

  • If you won £1 million pounds on the Lottery what would you do differently in your life?
  • If your doctor told you that you would live in perfect health for the next six months, but at the end of that time you would drop down dead, how would you use your time?
  • Which one quality of character, if you were to develop it further, would serve you most fully in your life?
  • If I had a magic wand, and could grant you any one skill or ability, what would you choose?
  • What is it that gives you your greatest feelings of pleasure and satisfaction in life?
  • What legacy would you like to leave, how would you like to be remembered?
  • What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew that you could not fail?

Reflect now on the answers you have written and ask yourself this: 'is my life in alignment with these answers?' If yes, you are on purpose. If it's no, then I suggest your answers could indicate where your purpose may lay and you should begin to steer your life in that direction. The simple truth is that no one ever became truly successful by doing something that they didn't enjoy. Your answers have come from your heart and when you put your heart into what you do, you do it with passion and power and achieve your best results.

Step 2. Define

The next step is to define your purpose in as few words as possible; to be clear it is important to get to the essence. Use no more than ten words and state your purpose in personal, positive and present tense. If you are still unaware of your precise purpose simply make a statement that represents you 'being' your best.

While everyone's purpose will be slightly different and unique, there is one universal law that affects us all: to achieve your purpose, you must become the person who is in harmony with it. Whatever your purpose may be, whether mental, physical or material, if you really intend to create it, you must become the kind of person who would achieve it.

Think about your purpose, goals or being your best and ask yourself: 'Who would I need to become to achieve this? What qualities of character would most serve me?'

We can be whomever we choose. We can choose to be happy or sad, courageous or cowardly, weak or strong, negative or positive; it's who we're choosing to 'be' that dictates the quality of what we 'do' and thereby what we achieve or 'have'.

Now choose one quality of character for each of the following life areas: Mental, Emotional, Physical, Financial, Social and Spiritual.

Begin with the 'mental' box and ask yourself: 'Which one quality of character would most serve me in achieving my purpose?' Maybe it's great patience, self-belief or commitment? There are an abundance of qualities, that when internalized, help to bring greatness to our lives. Choose those qualities that are in alignment with you achieving your purpose and goals. Once again state each quality in personal, positive and present tense, using ten words or less, then move on to ask the same questions for each of the other life areas, writing in each of the boxes as you go, i.e. (mental) I AM POSITIVE – (emotional) I AM COMPASSIONATE – (physical) I AM HEALTHY – (financial/ material) I AM ABUNDANT – (social) I AM TRUSTING – (spiritual) I AM AT PEACE.

Step 3. Design

The final step is to activate your 'right-brain' and connect your intentions to your subconscious. It's time to transform your 'left-brain' statements into 'right-brain' pictures. The power of any intention-setting technique lays in its ability to connect your intentions to your subconscious. The major pathway to your subconscious is through your 'right-brain' and your right-brain thinks in pictures.

Your pictures don't need to be works of art. You can use stickmen or simple symbols. In fact no one else even needs to be able to understand them. You are the only person who needs to know what your pictures mean.

If you draw a circle around a cup, you can fit six more of the same size around the outside. Create a symbol for your purpose in the centre, then the qualities in each of the six life areas, Mental – Emotional – Physical – Financial – Social – Spiritual, around the outside reflecting your written statements, (see example).

Begin with the pictures that come to you first. Drawing helps to activate your 'right-brain' and, because this is the creative side of the brain, it will trigger new ideas in areas that you are unsure of.

Once you have completed the circles, sign your 'Life-Map' and display it where you will see it every day. For maximum effect visualize your Life-Map for a few moments either first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Maintain this for 21 days and it will greatly increase the connection to your subconscious, thereby accelerating your growth and development.

Life-Mapping is a simple but profound philosophy. In essence it is: when we hold our grandest thoughts about ourselves, we create our grandest feelings, take our grandest actions and live our grandest life.

Further Information

Life Mapping (Vermillion), by Brian and Sangeeta Mayne is available from www.amazon.co.uk and all book shops for £8.99.

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About Brian Mayne

Brian Mayne is an inspirational speaker, author and facilitator working in the world of self-development. Growing up on the fairgrounds Brian left school at 14 unable to read and write properly. He achieved a millionaire lifestyle by his early 20s then lost his wife, home, business and was a million pounds in debt by age 29. This was the beginning of learning and applying the principles of success. Brian taught himself to read and write and is the co-author of Life Mapping with his partner Sangeeta Mayne, and Sam the Magic Genie, a charming story inspiring children and adults around the world. Brian developed the Life Mapping and Goal Mapping techniques and makes these high level skills available to Corporations and within education, inspiring young people to fulfil their true potential. Brian is happily married with a daughter (Shanti) and lives in Hampshire. He can be contacted on Tel: 01264 782543; Brian@liftinternational.com www.liftinternational.com

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