Many of us are faced with the challenge of choosing how to move forward. The lucky few are able to see a way, the rest of us are left hanging in limbo or plagued by frustration. We all wish for an easier way, a simpler answer, a guide or instruction booklet. Why is it that we have this need? Why do we feel cheated when things don't work out? There seems to be the perspective that we will get what we expect or we deserve certain results.

Now I'm not one to go shouting life's not fair. I truly believe it is fair, terribly so. The saying "What you put in is what you get out" holds much weight in my perspective on life. When I feel cheated or down on my luck, I look back at the recipe that created my situation and I realize I was missing a few ingredients, did things in the wrong order or simply didn't give it enough time.

I'm confronted with my role in my life and I have the choice to accept playing a part or not. Often I'm unwilling to give up things I value to get things I want. This serves me well when my choices turn out badly and I'm only saved by sticking to my values. On the other hand, there are some values that perpetuate me making bad choices, leaving me kicking myself saying why didn't I follow my intuition. In that case I really have to inspect what is driving me, what is creating my reality, and what is keeping me from moving forward to where I want to be.

There is no single recipe for everyone to apply successfully, just as not every recipe will suit every situation and some recipes only work for some people sometimes. I can't tell you what the key is to manifesting the reality you desire. What I can do is mention some key ingredients that you have at your disposal, and just maybe I can give you a measuring jug to give you some idea of how to begin.

As with every recipe, there is an instruction paragraph. This is it. Firstly, you're bound by your beliefs. If you believe you can succeed, you will. Second, change takes time. Learning to embrace change for positive reasons gives you more power. Third, you're always learning. Being aware of opportunity means being open to learning new things. Lastly, if something isn't working, do something, ANYTHING, differently. Use any of the following ingredients in your personal recipe;

Ingredients:

Patience
Drive
Direction
Flexibility
Love
Honesty
Perspective
Endurance
Action
Creativity

Now ask yourself, "What is this goal worth to me? What won't I give up to get it? What will I compromise on? How would I like to achieve this goal? What do I want to learn from getting to this goal? How am I going to prove that this goal is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound?"

Now get going! Nobody but you has your life in their hands. How do you want to remember it?