When I thought about what to write today, the song “My Way” by Frank Sinatra came to mind. I hadn’t heard it for a long time, but I have been thinking lately about what it means to do life my way.

Here are the lyrics to “My Way“

… And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain
My friend, I’ll say it clear, I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain
I’ve lived a life that’s full, I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this – I did it my way

… Regrets, I’ve had a few, But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do, and saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this – I did it my way

… Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew, When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all, and I stood tall, and did it my way

… I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried, I’ve had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that,  and may I say, not in a shy way
Oh, no, oh, no, not me – I did it my way

… For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels, and not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows – And did it my way

… Yes, it was my way

Songwriters: Paul Anka / Gilles Thibaut / Claude Francois / Jacques Revaux

Wow, pretty powerful song lyrics. I wonder how many of us can say we live life our way? I’m working toward it every day. I know now that what we make of life is what we get.

If we could imagine living the life the way we want, we are halfway there.

We can accomplish anything we set our minds to.

First, though, what we want to accomplish must be believable to us. I mean, wanting an Olympic medal in track and field at age 55, competing against 25-year-olds who are faster and stronger, might be out of reach, and the mind might not be able to believe it can happen.

However, if we want to achieve realistic goals, such as a better job, healthy relationships, a new house, or the financial means to travel and enjoy life, we can surely accomplish those things.  We just need to believe in ourselves and follow the action steps.

I’ve read numerous books on how to change your life and watched YouTube videos from personal development experts and YouTubers who use paper planners for better time management. While I learned a lot and tried to utilize their methods and ideas, it wasn’t my way, and I felt like I was competing with someone else’s plan of action.

How do we know what “our way” is?

We need to figure it out. Only we know what’s best for us. Taking the time to get quiet and ask yourself what it is you want is the beginning of doing things your way.

Once we know what we want, then, like mapping out a road trip, we need to write out the way to get that life. What steps do you need to take? What actions do you need to take? What things do you need to learn? Write it out. Seeing it on paper (or typed out) will give you a better guide than just trying to remember everything in your head.

Doing the action steps will get you to where you need to go, little by little. Don’t get discouraged if things aren’t moving fast enough. Good things take time. Trust in that.

Let go of the old to make way for the new.

 Letting go of the old program in your mind and replacing it with what serves you better will make an incredible difference in your life.  

Doing it our way means we have to be courageous and strong and listen to our minds, even when things look bleak, and we want to give up and give in. Don’t. Keep the faith that you deserve what you want out of life. You really can live life your way.

Having the belief that we can do it our way is the answer. With belief, we are able to create healthy boundaries and prioritize ourselves when needed. That doesn’t make us selfish; it makes us smart because we need to take care of ourselves before we can give parts of ourselves away.

A person who feels complete makes choices based on what’ll give them the most significant return on investment (ROI.)  Those of us living incomplete lives, allowing guilt and obligation to be the deciding force, aren’t doing a good enough job of believing we deserve better.

Everything comes down to thought.

Everything. Every invention was first a thought. Everything in our lives is now a result of what we have thought about in the past. It’s true. Whatever we think about, we become.

I like Jack Canfield’s explanation of the law of attraction. He’s a personal development guru who offers a wealth of valuable information on how to enhance one’s life.

Let’s live life our way. That means honoring ourselves and doing what feels good to us. Nobody can make us feel something. Our minds create those feelings by themselves. It might be challenging at first to choose ourselves over other things, but the more we do it, the easier it’ll get and the better we’ll feel.

Thank you for reading this. I’d love for you to leave a comment.

To doing it our way,

Francesca

Created by a human for humans.

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