"A book is a part of life, a manifestation of life, just as much as a tree or a horse or a star. It obeys its own rhythms, its own laws, whether it be a novel, a play, or a diary. The deep, hidden rhythm of life is always there -- that of the pulse, the heart beat." - Henry Miller
WRITING
Your life is your story; every year you write a new chapter, a new beginning in the book of your life. Story-telling, observation of the human condition, and thoughtful meditation and reflection on life has been a big part of Panney's life experience from the journey through childhood until now.
As a writer, Panney's goal is to make a difference, change the world, and transform people’s lives, one story and one person at a time. She has served as the former Feature Editor for ASIAM journal and was a finalist out of thousands of applicants for the CBS Diversity Writers Program. She has been featured in several journals including Audrey, Woman International, East West Lifestyle, Jade, Hydrogen, and Enchant. Panney was recognized as "The Asian American Entertainer to Look Out For" by the Asian Professional Exchange, and honored as one of the "2010 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business” by the Asian American Business Development Center, a nominee for "Excellence in Arts and Literature" for the Asian Heritage Awards, and featured in "100 Passionate People" by TaiwaneseAmerican.org, which in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, highlights some of the passionate people in Taiwanese America contributing to the diverse fabric of our country, in which Panney is part of the First 100. She is also the author of several articles, meditation, hypnosis, and self-help CDs, including a blog as the Hollywood Relationship Advice expert for The Examiner.com, and an advice column, “Ask Panney Wei” for Hydrogen magazine and www.hydrogen-mag.com. Her popular blog “A Panney For Your Thoughts” keeps her fans in the loop of her day to day thoughts, events, quips, and activities. Panney is also writing a novel and is the author of an upcoming self-help book series on attracting the love of your life. Stay tuned for more clips of her work and updates on books, articles, appearances, and more!
Through Panney's newsletter, podcast See the Way with Panney Wei , and her blog, A Panney for Your Thoughts, she'll share a positive, empowering message with you each week to keep you inspired, hopeful, and determined, to create and live the life of your dreams.
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Conquering the Year: Part I
By Panney Wei, C.Ht.
CEO, See the Way Consulting
Host, "See the Way with Panney Wei" podcast
Hello everyone! I’m wishing you all to have the best year and hope the year of the Fire Monkey has started out right for you. This is the lunar year of the Fire Monkey, which means it’s going to be a year of great movement, change, and hopefully like the monkey, full of surprises and a plethora of positivity that will help boost your life to the next level! To take advantage of this year, make lasting change, and get it started on the right track, I was asked by some friends at NAAAP to contribute to a monthly blog to share some tips from my own life and others to empower you to create the life you’ve imagined for yourself and success in your personal and professional life! Part of my purpose as a NAAAP National Advisor and Founder of Women in NAAAP as well as my work as a hypnotherapist/executive life coach and speaker is to pass on whatever wisdom I’ve gained in my life experience so that it may benefit future generations. I am honored to be able to connect, communicate, and help you through this blog and truly hope it can inspire you and give you the courage to reach your dreams, your goals big or small, and achieve the life you’ve always imagined for yourself, your family, and your community, and pay it forward as well.
In this first article, which will be featured in two parts, we will be talking about conquering this year with courage, vision, and confidence. I will be sharing with you several tips that will help you forge ahead, overcome obstacles, and take a leap towards your dreams or goals for the year.
PART I
Tip #1: Face your Challenges
When you’re faced with formidable obstacles and it seems like life has crashed down all around you, or you feel weak, and cannot see the light or breakthrough, remember that deep inside you, everyone has hidden reserves of energy, strength, and the determination to get through anything in your path. We are all faced with challenges in our life. Challenges exist because if we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t appreciate the good times, come to know the difference, and find the balance. I’m grateful for all the challenges in my life. They have made me stronger, wiser, and a deeper and better human being. When I was in my late teens, I struggled with the life-threatening illness, bulimia. It was triggered by having to quit my skating career after skating for over eleven years competitively. It was my passion having devoted so much of my life to it, but my parents wanted me to forge a different path and so being under their roof and a minor and respecting and honoring their wishes, I had to comply. Because of the disappointment and other factors in my environment at the time, I fell into a depression, experiencing a loss of identity and self, and it was one of the darkest periods of my life. The depression triggered the illness that led to a near death experience that changed my life forever. This was a major challenge to overcome. The only way I could over come it was to change my circumstances, changing my mindset into one that was positive and one of strength, and using the power of my mind and complete belief in myself to scale these challenges and get my life to where I want it to be. It was probably the biggest ordeal I had to overcome at that point in my life. I took all of the wisdom and experience I gained from being a competitive figure skater and applied it to overcoming my illness, heal myself, and coming out a champion. One of the tools I used was the power of my mind with hypnosis and meditation which allowed me to change the way I felt about myself, change my internal chemistry and physiology and make better choices in living a healthier, dynamic life. It took time, resilience, patience, and taking each day at a time to overcome my illness, but I plugged away at it each day until I reached my goal. This is what I want for you as well. Anytime you are faced with a challenge, the best thing to do is to set the goal in your mind, and apply every amount of fortitude each and every day to your goal. If it is a difficult challenge, it’s important to find teachers, hypnotherapists, therapists, mentors, or wisdom from friends, books, and anything that you can get your hands on to help you reach your goal. Go all in because you are worth it! Even though you must face and experience the challenge alone, you are not without guidance. There is help all around you if you look for it. I promise that over time, you will inevitably reach your goal. What has worked for me as I travel and advance in different areas in my life whether it’s personal or professional is to have a champion mindset. I tell myself I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, and that way, I’m able to face any obstacle with the courage and the motivation needed to transform any negative situation into a positive.
Tip #2: Dig Deeper, Recharge, and Set a Vision
The new year is a good time to dig deeper into the most important areas of your life especially the areas that you feel that have been lacking or not been given the right amount of time, energy, and care into. Whatever you put your mind, focus, and energy into, is where you’ll get the most results. What’s worked for me is setting a vision for the future. Everything in life happens in moments and phases, seasons and reasons, and timing is a big part of it. But life is also being prepared for when the opportunities show up and give you an opening to boost up your life. You have to be ready for the opportunities. If you set a vision for yourself about what you want to achieve in the future, then you’ll plant a seed in your subconscious mind to know where you’re going and take steps to achieve it. So often people get caught in the rat race of working day in and day out but often forget to check in with themselves to make sure that what you’re doing every day and spending time on has meaning in your life. That’s why taking a moment to recharge is so important. Part of setting a vision for yourself is to allow yourself first to take a moment to regroup and do some self-reflection on the status of your life. Is your personal life to your satisfaction? Are you experiencing some career dissatisfaction or remorse or regret in any area of your life? Is there something missing in your life in any area? The areas that I focus on are areas in my life that add value, meaning, or purpose to my life. Those are: family, professional life, personal life (friendship, health, & community), and mentorship. At different phases in your life, these areas might shift. Perhaps you’re getting married, making a change to your personal life, wanting to date again or start a family, then the categories of your personal life or family will require more attention. If you’re starting a new job or changing career direction, then the area of your professional life will require more effort or attention. You get the picture. Take a moment to do some self-reflection and dig deep within your soul to see what makes you happy, what areas need extra work, love, and attention, and answer those questions I’ve shared here and anything else your heart desires. Meditation helps, journaling, and doing some goal-setting exercises. It’s in those quiet moments of reflection that inspiration hits. After taking time to recharge and do some self-reflection, the next step is to create a vision for the future. This can be simply what you’d like to accomplish 1, 5, 10, 15 years or more from now. Set a trajectory for the year and an image of what it looks like, and write down your goals. In my experience as a hypnotherapist, research shows that planting a seed in your subconscious mind about the goals you want to reach both in the form of an image and feeling is most instrumental in goal-setting and helping you attain your goals. As I’ve learned being a former athlete, athletes use this technique for excellence in sports performance, and it’s the same technique you can apply to any dream or goal you want to achieve in life. What I’m teaching you here is that whatever your mind can see and believe, you will achieve. So go deep, set a goal, visualize it, and then achieve it!
Tip #3: Figure Out What You’re Passionate about
Shouldn’t everything you do in your life be worth it, worth your time, energy, focus, attention. Time is precious and if you haven’t felt excited or enthusiastic about your life, now is the time to change it! It’s the New Year and the lunar new year of the fire monkey. The element of fire in Chinese culture represents passion, energy, movement, and the fire monkey also represents ambition, adventure, and change. So keep that in mind as you re-focus your life and your goals. Think about your passions, hobbies, and things or causes that make you feel fulfilled and bring you satisfaction or joy. A meaningful life is a life well lived and one with a purpose. Take the time to figure out what you’re passionate about. It can be an organization you’d like to be a part of and contribute to, a cause you’re passionate about or believe in, a hobby or subject you enjoy, or a career or industry you’ve always wanted to embark on. You deserve to be happy and figuring out what you are excited about, gives your spirit energy, and your heart joy are some keys to figuring out what you’re passionate about. You don’t have to do it for a living, but you do have to feel alive, so engage in things and opportunities that add value to your life. Maybe it’s making a difference in another person’s life, lending to a cause you believe in, or balancing your work life with hobbies that nurture other parts of your personality. What works for me is making sure that I don’t take my time for granted. Time is a luxury and time is limited. At the age of 22, overcoming my life threatening illness and surviving my near death experience taught me the value of time, of living up to my potential, the importance of figuring out my life purpose and passion, and having the courage to do it. There is a quote I’d like to share that sums up what I feel about living one’s life at this moment, “No matter what one does, regardless of failure or success, the experience is a form of success in itself.” Life is about trying new things, figuring out what you’re passionate about, and doing your passion. If it doesn’t work out, you can always go back to what you were doing before. The experience is the gift; the journey is the destination, and the most important thing to do is to try new things and do things that give you LIFE, not take away from it. Now go for it!
Stay tuned to next month’s article, which will be part 2 of this article on conquering the New Year! In the meantime, please try to apply tips one through four to your life, and see how things will change or shift in your life. Change might happen fast or slow, but it will happen if you set your mind and intention to it. I know you can make this the best year of your life! If you have any questions or topics you’d like to hear about or struggles you need help with, please email me directly at panney@panneywei.com. I will always do my best to provide the best solutions to the issues pressing on your mind. Have a fantastic month!
Warmest Wishes,
Panney Wei, C.Ht.
Conquering the Year: Part II
By Panney Wei, C.Ht.
CEO, See the Way Consulting
Host, "See the Way with Panney Wei" podcast
Hello everyone! Hope you are all enjoying a good month. Last month, I introduced some important tips that would help you tackle the New Year in part I of “Conquering the New Year.” I hope they have been helpful. Here are the last five tips from my own life experience that may inspire you to take your life and career to the next level!
PART II
Tip #4: Don’t Waste Time
We’ve talked about filling your life with passion and purpose because time is limited. When I had my near death experience with my life threatening illness at age 20, I realized that time waits for no one, and your life is precious. When you also have children and you’re with them day in and day out like I am with my daughter and working with children, it really puts things in perspective on how fast time flies. Your youth is an asset. The sooner you can realize that and take control of your life and use time and your youth on your side, the better off you’ll be in the long run. It’s just plain simple facts. We live in a linear reality where day-by-day, time goes by, and death does not escape anyone. I learned that the hard way. It was through my illness and near death experience that I learned this valuable lesson. I chose life, and decided to not waste a minute living my life for someone else, or someone else’s dreams or expectations of me. That was one of the many gifts of overcoming my illness as well. So I would love to impart that wisdom to you. When you’re young, you have more time to cultivate your goals and make things happen. Everyone has dreams in their heart but many people lack the courage to act upon them. I encourage you to rise up and be a leader, be an inspiration and an example to others by acting on your dreams, desires, and goals. That kind of visionary action is inspiring. Ambition in its purest form and achieving goals with integrity, passion, hard work, and patience is the kind of life my family and I live. I see it when my husband produces his films and takes projects from beginning to end, building people, his company, their brands, etc., and working on the many projects present in his life. He recently produced the films Looper, Linsanity about NBA basketball player Jeremy Lin, Sneakerheadz, and his company is putting out the upcoming Snowden this year. Some projects take years to develop but he works on them each and every day, and I admire that kind of resilience and passion. He never wastes a minute in his life. He’s either nurturing his career or nurturing the people in his life.
I want all of you to live a life of passion so that when you wake up, you’re excited about achieving your goals and not wasting a minute! Having dreams is living a life of excellence and living up to your potential. There is nothing in your life that you can’t achieve without the power of your mind and belief in yourself. You might have many naysayers along the way, but as I mentioned before, it’s better to act on your dreams than to be a person who just daydreams and lives a life of regret. The experience and the journey is the goal in the end. No experience is ever wasted. The only thing you can ever waste is the time waiting for things to come to pass. The world needs people with grit, drive, vision, and love for what they do, and the depth of your dream often fuels the potential for your future. Don’t waste time. Take one day at a time to plug away at your goals. Break down your dream into baby steps that are achievable, and give it your attention each and every day. Just like a baby does when they’re trying to walk. Or from my experience as a figure skater, whenever I wanted to accomplish a new jump, a new spin, or a new routine, I would break it down into pieces and practice every day until it became muscle memory and I accomplished my goal. If you don’t waste time worrying about your goals, but instead plug away at them each and every day, breaking the steps down little by little, you’ll find that you’ll reach your goal sooner than you think! You can do it! Think about the athlete that has dreams to compete in the Olympics. Their lifelong dream may take years to accomplish but they will accomplish it over time. Your attitude should be to go big or go home! That’s how I view my life and hope you do too.
Tip #5: Fill your Life with People You Care About and Are Worthy of Your Time
There are many steps in the journey of life as you climb up towards your goals. Nobody gets to the top without some assistance or encouragement from others. The climb can sometimes be tedious and treacherous. This applies to both your personal and professional lives. There will be people who suck the life and energy out of you, and those who add value to your life. In order to maximize your time and potential, it’s best to surround yourself with people who are worthy of your time. These people are the ones who love you, support you, nurture you, elevate you, and raise you up. They believe in you or learn from you, or you learn from them. They are your mentors, your dearest friends, your trustworthy partners, the most intimate or loyal members of your family, and they are your teachers. If there’s anyone in your life that makes you feel less than yourself and less than your potential that you were born with, then it’s time to let him or her go. Only surround yourself with those individuals that are a true reflection of who you are. Because in business and your personal life, you are associated with whom you surround yourself with. So make sure to choose wisely.
Tip #6: Purge the Negative and Excess From Your Life
Being a success in life also means nurturing good, healthy relationships in both the personal and professional areas of your life. As your life expands and you become more successful, life gets busier, fuller, and it may be challenging at times to balance it all. You realize how valuable time is and there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. When you start feeling overwhelmed and wondering if you can do it all, that’s when you really should apply this sixth tip, which will help relieve stress and eliminate the things, or even people that might bring you down. It’s time to purge your closet of the negative and excessive things and situations you don’t need in your life so that you can make this year the best year yet!
Just like we do spring cleaning in our homes, we have to do some spring-cleaning in our personal life as well. Once you figure out your passion and set a plan into motion to make it happen, tip #6 is to look at other areas of your life that might be taking too much time away from your goals. If you’ve taken the time to create a vision plan for yourself and done the soul-searching necessary to achieve that, now it’s time to cut out the excess that can be potentially harmful or impede you on the road to success. This means letting go of unnecessary people, commitments, things, and activities that don’t serve you anymore or add positive value to your life. If there are people in your life that are haters, keep them at a distance, and don’t make them your friend. If you have friends or relationships that aren’t mutually rewarding, look at that as well and see if they need nurturing or letting go. Look very closely and dig deep as to why you attract certain negative people in your life if you are surrounded by negativity in your personal life, and do your best to purge it from your life. Negative people, those who whine, disrespect, demean, complain, and gossip about others usually are not the most successful, and certainly not happy. If you have negative people in your social circle, they will only bring you down, both emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, where it will start negatively affecting the other aspects of your life. Do your best to avoid doing these negative behaviors as well, and associating with people who are always negative and exemplify this type of negative behavior. Just like purging your closet of things that don’t fit you anymore, it’s time to purge your spiritual, emotional closet as well so you leave room for better people to come into your life, more opportunities, and more time to nurture the healthy and good relationships you do have and most especially, your dreams. It’s one of the best things you can do to create the extra time that’s needed towards achieving the goals that are important to you, and nurturing and maintaining the relationships in your life that need nurturing as well.
Tip #7: Have Faith
Faith is one of the strongest virtues you can have when it comes to realizing your dreams. There will be ups and downs but having faith in yourself and your dreams will keep you in the game longer than your competitors. Life is full of tests. Many of these tests are there to determine your character. How you handle challenges, stress, and how you overcome them is a way to determine what kind of person you are. Do you give up easily or complain when the going gets rough? Or are you the type of person that will stay positive and rise to the occasion and power through? What has worked for me for every obstacle I’ve ever had to face is staying positive, and having faith and endurance through all the good and the bad in life. I do believe that through faith and hard work, you will reach your dreams.
Tip #8: Keep Going, Don’t Give Up, and Believe in Yourself
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” On the journey towards reaching your goals, there are usually obstacles to overcome. Nothing good in life, and this is for anything comes with real ease. The goals you want to achieve in life are tough because they’re supposed to be. Overcoming obstacles helps to build the confidence necessary to achieve even greater things and when you are a leader, your challenges will be ever present so you can be a positive example to others. I’m not saying that life won’t have quiet times of respite or amazing moments of joy. But I’m reminding you that life has challenges and the challenges come so that when you overcome them and finally reach your dream or goal, the achievement will be that much sweeter and more amazing. Think about the years of training an athlete has to endure every four years so he can compete at his events and eventually the Olympics. It was the same mindset I had as a competitive figure skater and tennis player. It was that positive, strong mindset that I learned as an athlete that I apply to every area of my life. It’s helped me when I worked in business development, fundraising, getting through school, and goals in one’s personal or professional life. It’s the same attitude you can apply to any area of your life that seems difficult or insurmountable. I always love it when I see my clients, students, and colleagues continue to forge ahead despite naysayers and negative people. It’s important to keep going, stay persistent, and don’t give up. If you are loyal to your cause or your vision, you will eventually achieve your goal. I guarantee it. A good example of a person who did that was Steve Jobs who left an amazing legacy with his Apple products that we all enjoy today. When he first started, there weren’t a lot of people that believed in him. He had obstacles to overcome. But he had the foresight, vision, and insight that he anchored in his head, heart, and soul that fueled his every move and helped him stay the course. He wasn’t going to stop until he completed his mission and dream to change the world. That’s the kind of vision or passion you should have for everything in your life. It’s the type of vision that keeps you going. So keep going, believe in you, and don’t give up. You will make your dreams come true!
In Conclusion
My wish for all of you is to have a truly great year! It’s a lunar new year of the fire monkey and a time of movement, change, ambitions realized, and positive energy. I hope that the tips I’ve shared will help you get through any obstacles in life, inspire you to reach your goals, and elevate your dreams. There’s nothing you can’t achieve without the power of your mind. Remember, whatever your mind can see and believe, you can achieve! Make this a great year and one to remember!
Warmest wishes,
Panney Wei, C.Ht.
“In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. And yet the menace of the years finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”~ From Invictus by William Ernest Henley
Living Life with Purpose and Passion: Find it, Create it, Do it.
By Panney Wei, C.Ht.
CEO, See the Way Consulting
Host, "See the Way with Panney Wei" podcast
A dear friend of mine recently passed away at the young age of 44 years old of heart failure. It was a sudden death, tragic in many ways as he left a wife and child. We were sad about his passing, but because I knew he had lived a full life and a life of purpose working as an oncologist improving the lives of people around him in his unique way, the sadness of his passing was lessened by knowing that he had completed his purpose in life or at least had been quite content in his life. Even though my friend lived only forty-four years, he lived them with passion, zest, and joy, taking advantage of every moment he could muster living life to the fullest. He was one of the most authentic people I had the privilege of knowing and his joy spread to all he knew. I believe part of his happiness lay in the fact that he fulfilled his life purpose, and balanced his time well with his friends, family, traveling, and establishing good work-life balance. He was a good example of what personal happiness looked like. I never got the sense that he was unhappy or unfulfilled, and I was honored and graced by his presence in my life.
Everyone on this planet is unique and special in his or her own unique way. Every person has a unique purpose to fulfill in your lifetime that only you can fulfill because there’s no one else on this planet just like you. Your life purpose isn’t something that needs to affect the world on a large scale, or make you a lot of money. It can be something that brings you a sense of purpose each and every day or provides a solution to one of life’s problems or is making a difference in some way. Your life purpose should definitely be something that inspires you to wake up early in the morning, fuels you every day to work hard, and gives your life added value and meaning. Discovering what your life purpose may be should take time. Not everyone discovers it right away but life is a journey and the discovering of your life purpose is part of it. Give yourself time and allow things to unfold, as it should.
When my friend passed away, I was reminded again about how life is so short. It’s important to spend your time wisely doing something that brings meaning to your life, fills your heart with passion and purpose, and gives you a sense of self. Too many times we buckle under the expectations of others, which happens often in Asian cultures where honor and respect for our elders is of utmost importance. We want to honor our parents. We want to do what they want for us, but too often, we neglect our own voice and avoid listening to the whispers of our own heart, and veer off the path, forgetting to march to the beat of our own drum. It is something I particularly see often in my hypnotherapy and coaching practice and especially in very traditional, ancient cultures like Asian cultures where we constantly have to balance meeting our own needs with duty to family. Wouldn’t it better to honor your parents by being a success in a field of your choice? Wouldn’t it honor your parents more if you were a happy, fulfilled person who did things on your own terms, never gave up on your dreams no matter how long it took for you to manifest them? Your life is precious. You are a person that matters in this world. Your life and your voice and your destiny are what you should listen to, manifest, and make happen in this lifetime. When your parents are gone, it is your life that you hold in your hands, and only you are responsible for your own choices and the direction your life goes in. So my point is, what you do with your life matters very much and how you live your life matters even more. I learned this lesson when I endured a near death experience with a life-threatening illness, bulimia, when I was 20 years old. I was 95 pounds, underweight, unhappy, and not living up to my own expectations. It took almost losing my life to teach me the importance of the gift of life itself, of living life to the fullest, and having the courage to manifest my own dreams into reality. That is the purpose of life, and that is what life is all about!
How do you discover your life purpose?
Living a life with purpose and passion is easier to discover and do when you think about answering a problem that people are faced with, it brings a solution to an existing problem on a small or large scale, and it keeps you awake at night and inspired to solve that problem. Part of discovering your life purpose has to do with service to others. Ask yourself how are you serving others in your life? If you’re not serving others in your profession, how are you serving your community, your family, and your world? Are there organizations you’d like to get involved in that ignite your passions inside? When you become involved with a mission larger than yourself, sometimes, your purpose can be found there. Sometimes, you can discover your purpose in being the very person that helps solve a problem for others. Think about labor worker, Ai-Jen Poo, named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2012 known for her work in giving domestic workers basic rights, or Sarah Blakely, founder of Spanx shape wear that revolutionized the way women feel underneath their clothes. Most of us wouldn’t know who these people are, but they are working hard every day to solve a problem in our humanity, big and small, and this purpose serves as a driving force, or purpose in their life that gets them out of bed in the morning and gets them out in the world, creating new solutions to new problems, being movers and shakers in their field, and making the world a better place. For example, I am writing a book now to help people attract the love of their life, because I see a problem in how people are loving themselves, attracting the right partners, and experiencing love in their lives, and I truly believe that peace in the world first begins with peace with yourself, and then peace in the home. The more loving people and happier homes we have, the more peace we have, and the more peace we have, the more peace we put out in the world. My life purpose and mission is to help people overcome obstacles and create change in people’s lives by empowering them to heal and transform their lives in a way that they achieve the highest vision of themselves. Now my purpose has expanded to being a mother, and I remember some wisdom my godmother shared with me. She said that a mother’s life affects three generations, and it’s true. Whatever you learn, you pass down to your children, and your children’s children, and beyond. It makes me even more cognizant of my mission and purpose in life in making sure that I leave a positive legacy for my child and the people I mentor to carry with them for the rest of their lives and pass on the wisdom to others.
Sometimes, you can discover your life purpose in the very aspect of your life that needs the most healing. Perhaps you were raised in a home that was abusive or you were neglected as a child. Now as an adult, you feel compelled to serve children in some way, or work with others to overcome their abuse. That’s truly a wonderful and positive mission as well and can be a full circle moment for you. Perhaps you endured a challenging situation that transformed your life and you now feel compelled to help other in some way, because of the compassion it created in the space of overcoming something difficult. That is what motivated me to help empower others now on their journey. It was suffering through my life threatening illness and having to overcome it on my own that created the deep compassion I have for others and the desire to see people enjoy and live happier, content lives, and fulfill their dreams. Whatever it is for you, living your life with purpose has to do with allowing yourself to feel a space of fullness in your heart, a deep pleasure, a profound sense of self, and oftentimes, being in service to others. You will know when you’ve reached your life purpose when you feel like you were born to do something, or it’s a feeling that you’re finally at home, that the best of you is utilized in some way, and that you are happy. Now don’t mistake pursuing a hobby that you’re good at as being your life purpose or calling. Your life purpose or calling is much deeper and something you’re called to do. I remember in my life that I always loved music, was talented in playing the piano and flute and studied music for nearly 10 years, but I wasn’t meant to be a professional concert pianist or flutist in my lifetime. It just wasn’t my purpose to fulfill. Music was just hobby, even though I was good at it. I was also good at ice-skating, another passion of mine that I pursued for over 11 years, and did quite well in my skating career. But both passions and hobbies or skills were not meant to be expressed as careers for me or my life purpose. So now you have another hint. Your life purpose is more than just being good at something; it means being great at something, something that you know will keep expanding over time, and keep you growing and interested, and fulfilling some type of personal life mission and purpose in service to others.
Remember, you are an act of creation. Life is about creating yourself, and when you have that attitude, all of life is an adventure, and you will have the patience and enthusiasm to let your life purpose unfold, as it should. It’s never too late to discover your life purpose! Think about Susan Boyle, the Scottish singer who appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and took the show by storm, singing “I Dreamed a Dream”. Her life purpose was fulfilled at age 48 when she took a leap of faith to share her God-given gift with the world, and the rest is history. Sometimes dreams and your life purpose take time to discover and develop. But give yourself time! Try to think big, dream bigger, and take the time to do the self-reflective, “getting to know you” work required to take a step towards your life purpose and after you figure out what it could be, then devise a plan to make it happen. It’s that important. Your life is a journey, not a destination. Every moment counts, and every experience aren’t wasted. Don’t keep looking back at what has been, but keep looking forward to what is possible. “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." Go for it, my fellow warriors! Follow your heart, dare to be whom you were born to be, and I know all your dreams will become a reality!
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BIO: Panney Wei is an award-winning writer, TV-Radio host, hypnotherapist, and motivational speaker on the power of the mind and achieving one’s potential, inspiring people to break negative patterns and achieve their dreams in love and life. She is the recipient of the “Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business” award from the Asian American Business Development Center, ASCEND’s Top 40 Global Emerging Leaders award, an Honoree for the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women Making a Difference Awards and the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s Women in Business awards, among others. Panney is the CEO of See the Way Consulting, which gives people the tools, wisdom, and courage to overcome life’s obstacles, and essentially see the way to achieving their life’s goals and dreams both personally and professionally. As a mentor, coach, and guide for her clients and tuning into their concerns and identifying the core issues and reasons for their problems, she is able to give them the solutions, insight, acknowledgement, and feedback they desire, and the energy, inspiration, and the courage to manifest their dreams and to not only endure, but overcome their challenges. Panney is the host of the podcast, “See the Way with Panney Wei”, on ITunes for your weekly dose of inspiration and interviews with some of the brightest minds and bestselling authors and experts in our world. Granddaughter to Taiwan Senator Albert Liu and Great Grand-niece to one of China’s greatest statesmen, General Tso Tsung-Tang, famous for his dish “General Tso’s chicken”, Panney continues their legacy of service, serving as a Senior Advisor for the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), The National Asian Artist Project, and NAAAP Orange County, Toronto, LA, and San Diego, and Women in NAAAP (WIN!), a national women’s leadership she founded and launched in as the Founding National Director in 2008 to empower and develop female leaders featured in Forbes Women. Panney is working on her first book on attracting the love of your life and shares her advice on life, career, love, and motherhood through her blog A Panney For Your Thoughts. She is married to Endgame Entertainment Executive Vice President and Producer Christopher Chen (who recently produced Looper, Linsanity, and Sneakerheadz) and has a daughter, Talia. www.panneywei.com
