Alignment is How You Straighten the Road to Success. 3 Things You Can Do Today

By Jackie White

Hey kids, today we are going to use our imagination! Can you get that out and dust it off? I know, it might have been some time since you have used it, right?

Ok, we are going to imagine we are going on a road trip. For this road trip, we are near your home state, but you do not have a map. Have you ever been on a road trip without a map? You might wind up somewhere, but who knows where? It could be fun, for a while. It could be aggravating and time-consuming and you might end up in a dead-end town. Hmmm, maybe not a good plan.


Friends, let’s now take that road trip in another country where you have no idea about the language, terrain, weather, or localities. That’s getting a little dicier. You might be completely lost and you cannot communicate. Maybe there you are in the middle of nowhere and it’s beginning to snow heavily, now what? It’s a little scary.

Now, let’s take our little imaginations on what could be the best road trip of your life. The one that leads to the place of your dreams! Is that somewhere over the rainbow for you? How are you going to get there? Did I hear someone say you have a goal? Yes! I love it! How can you be sure that you are going to get to that goal and is it the right goal? Dang, where is that map when you need it?

Don’t worry triple-A is here! We can map it out properly so that you are assured you are following the correct path. You need 3 markers to align so that your road is paved with success!

The Alignment Trifecta For Success

1. Core Values: To determine what you feel in life is important, you should begin by identifying your core values. These are your beliefs that drive all other behaviors. Once you go through this exercise, you will see clearly what is fundamental to your definition of how life should be lived. Go to FindYourSoulShine.com/Resources for a list of core values you can work through.

Example: If one of your core values is “charity”, then an important part of your life is going to be about giving back to others 

2. Feelings: Emotion is a tricky fella. It is part of everything we do, yet we do not take into account its power over how we behave. Some people really dislike acknowledging their feelings and they are reluctant to see how they drive your behaviors. Just pay attention here to what you are doing and how you are feeling. Think about how those two things are connected for you.


Example: Here is a very simple example. If you feel that you are not worthy of more 
then you have today, that is you believe that you do not deserve anything more, then you will behave your way into making sure that you do not go after big dreams.

3. Habits: Habits are the behaviors that you repeat automatically. They can be good and not so good. We all know we shouldn’t be eating that candy bar, but sometimes we overindulge more often than not. Sometimes habits sneak in and sabotage our efforts when we aren’t paying attention. The key is to replace those bad ones with the good ones. Go to FindYourSoulShine.com/Resources for more on habits. 
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Example: We might be on a roll with reading every night as we had planned and then 
one night we don’t, then the next night it happens again. You start binge-watching Netflix 
instead. You aren’t really paying attention until you are a few weeks down the road and 
you realize that you fell out of a good habit and replaced it with a bad one. 

Your behaviors are a result of your core values, your feelings, and your habits. When aligned these are the winning combination that will take you from “I don’t know what I want or where I am going” to “I got this. I am clear and the path is set.” That would be a good feeling, don’t cha think?

Take the time to do the work. Find out your core values, pay attention to your feelings and habits, and then use your imagination to envision your life. 

Here’s to possibilities!

Shine On!