Watch your thoughts, they become words
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
–Frank Outlaw

Since I’ve been combining some of the Power Tools for Living On Purpose with the intention to create a breakthrough in my personal relationship with money and finance, I thought I’d share an excerpt from my recent book, LIFE ON PURPOSE: Six Passages to an Inspired Life, about one of the tools I’m using. (for more on the book, go to http://www.wbradfordswift.com/lop/amazonlopbook)

Read more about my own journey along the Purposeful Path and what’s unfolding with these tools of transformation under PERSONAL REFLECTIONS – MY LIFE ON PURPOSE in this ezine issue. So, here goes:

Have you ever stopped to notice how much of your life is habitual in nature? I believe the saying goes, “man is a creature of habit,” and if that is true then the patterns that we live will determine the quality of our lives.
As the quote from Frank Outlaw suggests, our habits and patterns of thought (and emotions, I might add) are integral to who we become, which ultimately shapes our destiny.

In this chapter we will explore how to identify off-purpose patterns that are a reflection of the Inherited Purpose, and how to release them for on-purpose patterns that reflect our true life purpose.

Imagine for a moment that the power that is encapsulated in that last sentence—the possibility of taking a habit that does not serve you, does not nurture you or those around you, and substituting a new habit that nourishes and enhances life. Let’s look at a simple example. Let’s imagine for a moment that you have a habit of smoking cigarettes, and you have come to the realization, as have many people, that it is a habit that does not support who you truly are.

Imagine not only that you stop smoking, but that at the same time you invest the money, time, and other resources that you had been using to smoke to starting a fitness program at the local gym, a new habit that really does serve what you are up to in life.

Now imagine taking one old, non-supportive habit each month and substituting a new, life-supportive habit. What would your life be like in twelve months? It would be unrecognizable! This example gives you some idea of the power in this tool for living on purpose. Ready to get started? Well, check back tomorrow and we’ll begin. In the meantime, you may want to practice a little purposeful patience and persistence.