Finding Your Why To A Meaningful Life Bill Johnson Session Facilitator University of North Carolina at Greensboro

My Influence

Kick-Ass Questions… Free-write activity. One minute to answer each question. Go with your first response. No deep thinking allowed! Answer honestly and quickly from your heart. Should be focused on you, not on what others expect from you.

“The quality of your questions determines the quality of your answers and the quality of your answers determines the quality of your life.” Skip Downing

What’s always on your mind. What do you think about a lot What’s always on your mind? What do you think about a lot? If you were on the computer/internet, what would you spend your time reading or searching most?

What positive things do people say about you What positive things do people say about you? What do people thank you for most often?

Who inspires you. Who would you most like to be like Who inspires you? Who would you most like to be like? Who are your heroes, your role models? Who do you envy most?

What do you help with that seems natural or easy for you What do you help with that seems natural or easy for you? What do people come to you for? When you’re at your best, what does it look like?

What are you amazing at doing (can be work- or life-related) What are you amazing at doing (can be work- or life-related)? What are you great at? What do you do particularly well?

When do you feel powerful, passionate, free, incredibly useful, excited, and/or inspired?

Who do you want to help. Who would you like to inspire Who do you want to help? Who would you like to inspire? Who’s lives would you like to change?

If you had a chance to be known for something special or unique, what would it be? How do you feel you contribute (or could contribute) to society?

How would you like to be seen, recognized, acknowledged, awarded, praised – now and/or in the future? What’s the legacy you want to leave behind? If you were to die tomorrow, what would you want people to say about you?

What is your biggest fear? What’s is the thing that scares you the most?

This is your chance to…

A life manifesto: Is a declaration of your beliefs, opinions, motives, and intentions. Is a document that declares what is important to you. Functions as both a statement of principles and a bold, sometimes rebellious, call to action. a constant source of inspiration to you, one that can often be easily read every day, a promise to yourself, every day.

Prime the Pump… Questions What are my values? What is my purpose? What was I born to do? What are my unique strengths and talents? What is it that I can do for the world? How can I use my strengths, values, ideals, and purpose to serve my community and the world? How do I want people to remember me? What would my ideal life look and feel like? What characteristics do I aspire to and want to cultivate? What principles do I want to live by? What would I do if I weren’t afraid? Topics How you want to treat your partner. How you want to handle challenges, hardships, struggles, obstacles. How you want to treat your body. How you want to serve people on a daily basis. How you want to learn. How you want to live your life. How you want to be remembered. What you want to achieve. Who you want to be, what you want to become. How you want to treat other people - may include family, friends, people you meet every day. How you interact with the world.

Examples Devote yourself to a mission to serve others. Live extraordinary. Make every day an adventure. Consciously choose your actions. When you’re discouraged, forget yourself and uplift others. Plant seeds for others to harvest. Keep moving forward…no matter what. Choose long-term growth over immediate gratification. Be an initiator, not a criticizer. Be a player, not a spectator. Be a sculptor. Leave your fingerprints on the hearts of those you touch. Act on your inspirations, with a relentless passion for excellence. The only way to succeed is to follow my heart. Don’t lie on your deathbed tortured by “if only’s.” The world is better because you lived. I am not held captive by fear. While others complain about problems, I create solutions and opportunities. I cherish innovation as a noble purpose. I make the world better, brighter, happier. The status quo is my enemy. I am proud to be a pioneer, renegade, idealist, visionary. I am not a cog in another man’s machine. The riskiest life is playing it safe. Life’s only guarantee is my freedom to choose my responses to circumstances. I put my money on guts over brains, tenacity over talent.

Bill’s Manifesto Love Rebecca with all of your heart – just focus on all of the good, knucklehead! Amanda and Bethany are the two greatest joys in my life! Push yourself to be 1% better every day. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and bring out the best in you. Failure sucks…get over it quickly and move on! Nothing soothes my soul better than a good chocolate chip cookie. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there – there are people who actually want to hear what you have to say. You know who your true friends are when the “crap” hits the fan and they’re still there with you. Make time every day to look inside yourself – you’ll really like what you see. You’re an exceptional athlete; train like it! Keep learning, keep sharing, keep creating, keep growing – it’s your way to make a difference in the world.

What do you want YOUR life to look like?

Your Vision Statement: Is a statement that defines what you want your life to look like in the future in a specific time frame. Provides the direction for your future. Moves you from idea to action. Write your statement as if you’ve already completed it. Is something that you look forward to working on every day! For today, I want you to focus your vision statement on one year from now…

Categories Work/Career/Education: Start a business, get high school/college/professional degrees, get certificates, find job/employment, identify career/vocation, be a mentor to someone, join professional organizations and associations, create professional group Money/Finance: Increase income, reduce debt, create retirement, savings, emergency fund, limit expenses, get health benefits, reduce taxes, create budget, give to charity Lifestyle/Social: Purchase clothing, housing, vehicles/transportation, electronics and/or technology equipment, do community work, improve self-image, start dating Personal Growth: Live according to values/life purpose, work on goals/dreams, learn new skills

Categories Family/Friends/Relationships: Spend quality time with parents, spouse/life partner, siblings, children, relatives, childhood friends, pets, co-workers, colleagues, bosses, roommates Health/Well-Being: Address physical, mental, relaxation, exercise, diet/nutrition, happiness, reduce stress Recreation/Fun: Travel, adventure, sports, music, arts/crafts, hobbies, writing, add play time, cook Spirituality/Religion: Develop regular practice (prayer, church attendance, etc.), read scriptures, increase belief in higher power, faith, worship, serve those less fortunate, meditate, yoga Self-Management: Managing time/life, get organized, reduce clutter, eliminate bad habits, create rituals

One year from now… I have trained another 75 Purpose and Vision Navigator Programs, several who have now created their own Navigator programs and practices across the country. The program is recognized by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a best student success practice, providing recognition and funding to expand the program on my campus. My Design Your Life Workbook is ready for the new students enrolled in the Design Your Life courses in the 2015-16 Academic Year. Rebecca and I have completed a 3-day couples silent meditation retreat program, connecting with our soul and with each other at a much deeper level. Amanda and Bethany will spend a week traveling to a Caribbean island with Rebecca and I to connect. I have paid off my credit cards and car loans in order to move closer to being debt free, in order to create both a savings fund for emergencies. I am physically fit and pain-free so that I compete at the Masters/Senior level in both tennis and running – and ultimately winning a race in my age group. My course, Journaling for Life, has been approved, allowing me to move forward for my application to create a minor and/or certificate program in Life Design.

Contact info Bill Johnson Student Success Coordinator, Life Coach, Instructor Office of Life Planning and Personal Development School of Health and Human Sciences University of North Carolina at Greensboro whjohnso@uncg.edu 336-207-6795 Blog - http://thedreamdean.wordpress.com Twitter - @thedreamdean1