Shaun Rawls - F-It-Less: 18 F-Words to Reframe and Repurpose Your Life

F-IT-LESS

18 F-Words to Reframe and Repurpose Your Life

SHAUN RAWLS with LAURA MORTON

F-It-Less

18 F Words to Reframe and Repurpose Your Life

2021 Shaun Rawls All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book shall be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, and photographic, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

Published by Forefront Books.

Cover Design by Bruce Gore, Gore Studio Inc. Interior Design by Bill Kersey, KerseyGraphics

Jacket Design: Bruce Gore | Gore Studio, Inc.

Jacket Art: Shutterstock Images

ISBN: 978-1-948677-48-6

ISBN: 978-1-948677-49-3 (eBook)

The dedication of this work goes to those whose inner compass pulls at them, whether it be a subtle or not-so-subtle pull, and points them towards something bigger and better something great.

I BET, IF YOURE ANYTHING like me, you were raised by your parents, teachers, and local religious leaders never to say, F-it! or any other curse word, for that matter. Especially not in mixed company. Too bad our well-mannered, well-intentioned elders couldnt raise us never to feel that waynever to be so fed up, frustrated, stuck, or defeated in at least one area of life that tossing in the towel or folding up shop and never trying again seem like viable options. Despite my upbringing, I did cuss, and I suspect you did or do too. I worked my way up to saying the F-wordor, I should say, I worked my way down, as circumstances have to get pretty low for us to just throw our hands up and wave a white flag in an act of defeat or sheer defiance..

F-it! may be the mother of all F-words, but there are plenty of others. As Ive discovered, there are lots and lots of F-words, some leading to a state of F-it!, andheres the good newssome leading out of it.

Thats right: On the road to being fed up, frustrated, stuck, or defeated, youll find yourself being fractured, flawed, and fearful, among other things. But there are mindsets you can adopt and actions you can take to help you move to a state of being fantastic, formidable, fun-loving, free, and so much more instead!

When you think about it, theres an F-word for just about every exasperating experience you can face. And there are also F-words to help pull you off that dangerous road and put you back on the right trackthe track to what I fondly call a F-it-less life.

Are you with me? Want to trade in a few of those choice words youve been muttering under your breath orworseshouting at the top of your lungs? Want to abandon the places they drive you mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually to live a life far more fulfilling than you ever dreamed of? You can, you know. This book is designed to help you do just that.

If youre ready to reframe and repurpose how you see life, F-It-Less tells the story of an existence completely transformed by some very powerful F-words, and, more important, it shows you the step-by-step process to transform your own life as well. I invite you to read on. Your journey is about to look and be so much more promising than ever before.

Things Change

W ILLIAM E DGAR R AWLS M Y D AD

I ve had it.

Im done.

Its over.

Thats it.

No more.

Sound familiar?

Ive been a corporate trainer and a life and business coach for years, so Ive heard all of this (and far worse) before. Ive seen people throw up their hands, push themselves back from the table, and cry, I cant take it anymore! Weve all been there. We all know that point of sheer frustration and exhaustionthe point where were tired of swimming upstream against the current, tired of settling for something less than we deserve, and tired of resisting forces that seem larger than us, whether they are mounting bills, pressures at home, school, or work, or even the sameness of our everyday routine.

F-it! Im out of here, Im done, I dont give an F what happens anymore.

I get it. Ive been there too. More times than I care to admit.

And while thats true, I also understand that walking away as though you dont give a damn always seems a lot better in fantasy than in reality. At the end of the day, weve all got real-world responsibilities, financial obligations, and people counting on us to show up.

Dont get me wrongIve made my share of mistakes, and if I could go back in time and do some things differently, I would. Yet at the same time, I can never forget or discount the fact that the choices I madeas difficult as some of them weregot me all that I have today.

No regrets.

Why?

Because over the years Ive recognized that I cant live my best life weighed down by remorse. Its wiser to live it with forgiveness for the times when I should have consulted WAZE before making a sharp left turn or two, and with gratitude for the bumps in the road that landed me where I am now, in a life I truly love.

What would you say if I told you I had a formulaa secret of sortsthat could help you hit a mental reset button before you ever got to the corner of F-It and Im Done? A formula that allows you to push past being pissed off, past all your emotional baggage, past your fears, and past the so-called rules? A formula that compels you to take worthwhile risks? One that leads to what I call a truly F-it-less life? A life without all the resistance. A life that works with you, not against you.

What if there was a way to reframe how you see the F-word? A way to perceive better prospects for yourself whenever you get to that point of no return?

Would you want to know more?

Of course you would. And, even more important, you should.

Hey, theres no doubt that there are times when saying F-it! feels like the only way out. In fact, during those times, thinking or even saying F-you! can make you feel better for a moment. Im from the South, where we usually choose to say something subtler, such as How nice or Bless your heart because were far too polite to actually say, Go F-yourself! But you can rest assured that, in the right situation and circumstances, were thinking it.

A lot of people believe that an F-it mentality means giving up or giving in, not caring, or being indifferent.

And for some, that approach worksfor a while. But soon enough, you have to pay your bills. You have to go back to work. You realize that the carefree, I-dont-give-an-F attitude that felt so good at first has lost its luster. And when that happens, reality sets in.

You see, when life throws us a curve, its purpose is to separate the weak from the strong. And if youre paying attention, it will actually reveal your weaknesses and strengths to you. Rather than standing up to challenging circumstances, most people use them as crutches. They start blaming everyone and everything but themselves for how disappointing their life is. They take zero responsibility for the choices theyve madethe choices that got them to this point in the first place. The kind of F-it mentality Im talking about doesnt suggest that you forget whatevers going wrong in your life. Nopethat wont help you. The kind of F-it mentality I mean is constructive. Its actually about taking responsibility for the things that have happened, learning from them, and applying their lessons going forward. I call it