Successful leaders establish their persona not by describing their attributes and values to us, but by simply living them." Frank Luntz

Expecting other people, degrees or events to deliver your happiness in response to what you say or do is as effective as burning a book when you don't like what it expresses, instead of going to talk to the author of the book. It's like hitting the movie screen when you don't like the movie.

At Mixonian Institute we believe that everyone is meant to be happy, to live lives full of meaning, contribution and prosperity. Life leaders are people who savor each day while constantly honing their crafts.

But the thing is, it's not a matter of winning the lottery, marrying the millionaire, connecting with the right people, getting into the right company or club; it's all about how you choose to deal with what is in front of you right now.

It's all about growing into the person you want to be.

This is what life leaders look like...even when you catch them unawares.

Life leaders know what they want to experience. They constantly revisit their life intention, revising and refining their goals. They learn to separate what they really want from what they're supposed to want. (Journalling is a great tool for doing this, even if you don't like to write.)

Life leaders know that the path is made by walking baby steps. There is no rescue in the one big client, the killer contract, the amazing sale, the right mutual fund, that coveted promotion.

You try something new, fall down, lose money, pick yourself up (again,) and keep moving forward. Kinda like when you learned to walk. Kaizen is the Japanese word for constant small improvements.

Life leaders realize that success is a process that starts inside you.

There is so much clutter in the environment; so many voices calling you to buy, to eat, to drink, to go this way or that. It takes guts and focus to listen to the very quiet voice inside you.

Life leaders are grateful...for their health, their relationships, their wealth, their opportunities, their blessings. Even when there doesn't seem to be so much to be grateful for, life leaders find things to appreciate. Right here. Right now.

Life leaders constantly work with their thoughts to reprogram their brains for success and happiness.

(Mixonian Mindset Vitamins are good for this and the next 2-week delivery starts January 16. Shoot an email to info@mixonian.com if you want to receive the next batch. These are brief e-mailed messages to raise your energy level.)

Another way of putting this is that life leaders constantly question their assumptions. It's very hard to do this by yourself and there are MANY resources out there to help you. It's helpful to look at all the assumptions you hold related to money (do you think it's evil or corrupts?) strong relationships (is it all about finding the right person?) health (is it genetics?,) happiness (is it all in the luck of the draw?)

That's why Einstein said that you can't solve a problem with the same mindset that created the problem.

Life leaders take extreme care of themselves: body, mind and spirit. No one else can do that for you. It's a matter of investing time and resources in your health, your financial IQ, your professional skills, your relationships and having fun!

Would you want to be operated on by a surgeon who wasn't getting much sleep, or eating properly? Would you trust a physician who doesn't take the time to keep on top of what's going on in her specialty?)

The reason these people become life leaders is that their commitment to being authentic and excellent makes them so attractive that other people want to be around them. This has nothing to do with company or national politics; thank God.

What's one thing you can do today to uplevel your own high-impact life leadership?