Living the Luminous Life: Would It Be Okay With You If Life Got Easier?

By Maria Nemeth, PhD, MCC

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
— Mark Twain

The Encarta Dictionary defines luminous as “emitting or reflecting light, startingly bright, inspiring, radiant, resplendent, stunning, splendid.”

Our experience is luminous not when we are thinking about living our lives, but when we are fully engaged physically in reality. The experiences that reflect luminosity are those based on actions taken with clarity, focus, ease, and grace. By clarity, I mean seeing what is truly important in creating a game worth playing with goals worth playing for. By focus, I mean directing our energies and attention toward accomplishing what calls to our hearts. By ease, I mean venturing farther than I normally would in going for our dreams — with a bit of elegance instead of struggle. Finally, grace means being consistently grateful and using spiritual principles so that we are ever aware that all is well.

You deserve to live the life you were meant to live, and you have the energy to do so. It’s time to focus that energy instead of wasting it. And by energy, I mean your money, time, physical vitality, creativity, enjoyment, and relationships. All these are forms of energy that you and I can learn to focus toward what we truly want in life. We can master this energy or we can remain frustrated and in a perpetual bad mood.

Luminosity summons images of light and radiance. All of us want moments in which there’s enough light that we can see clearly all the possibilities open before us. We want our eyes to see and our ears to hear what has always been there.

Luminosity is also about going toward the light, being in love with the light, and not even worrying about getting away from the darkness. I’ve learned that whatever I try to get away from only follows me, nipping at my heels. Going toward the light gives more hope. It takes less energy than trying to get away from something — and it’s much more fun.

It takes guts to turn your attention away from what you think is wrong with you, others, or your work environment — to turn from complaints to contribution. It takes daring to become focused on dreams instead of dilemmas. You may be worried that if you don’t look at your shortcomings — or those of others — something bad will happen.

We all become used to looking at problems and concerns. It’s a familiar focus. Predictable. Comfortable in a weird way. And the thought of leaving them behind can make us anxious.

Right now, just to begin, ask yourself, “Would it be all right with me if life got easier?” Just entertaining that question will put you on a path toward luminosity. You’ll be going toward the light, and before you know it, you’ll be experiencing luminous moments in your everyday life.
 

Maria Nemeth, PhD, MCC is an author, speaker, and master coach, as well as the founder and director of the Academy for Coaching Excellence. She offers simple yet powerful tools to purpose-driven people who want to train their brains for success. Click here to watch Maria’s TEDx talk, “Would It Be Okay With You If Life Got Easier?” Click here to order Maria's book, Mastering Life's Energies: Simple Steps to a Luminous Life at Work and Play. Click here to register for Maria's online book study, Mastering Life's Energies. The first of six sessions begins on Friday, September 7, at 11:00am Pacific.