A Divine Truth Telling:The Art of the Enlightened NO!

I realized as I was going through my calender, there were some engagements and appointments that just left me feeling "yucky".  Now the occasional pap smear or dental appointment doesn't really apply here because although there are things that I would rather be doing, those are must do's in my opinion for maintaining health.
But those are not the kind of appointments I am speaking of here.  I am talking about the engagements and people that I just don't feel good being around.
Example, I belong to a start-up group and I had done a lot of work helping with the promotion, creating blogs, and websites at the expense of my own entrepreneurial pursuits.  That was a choice I made, I totally get that. However, I became resentful because I felt the work I'd done wasn't even being utilized.  I decided that I needed to take a step back and really figure out what really, and I mean really resonated with me.
I remembered reading in Gay Hendricks book, "The Big Leap",  where he talked about staying in your zone of genius. He describes the zone of genius as a place where you have transcended time and space and you are totally connected to Source and you are doing the work you love.  There is a spirit of synchronicity where things just flow and that is where most of us creatives want to be right?
Gay recommends that if you want to stay in your zone of genius, then you have to say no to the things that are not congruent with your values.  In comes the Enlightened No.  It basically means you are saying no to people and appointments that leave you feeling yucky but you are doing it from a place of love. For example, he gave this response for declining a request asked of you very lovingly.
"No, I cant at this time AND thank you for asking me."
He says by using the word AND, you are continuing to include(which is what love does) rather than using the word "but" which is used to exclude. Interesting huh?
I do believe it is important to offer selfless service to the world and I also believe that you can do it in a way that serves you as well.  You can give of yourself without giving up yourself.  Just use the Enlightened NO!

Taking A Soul Rest

Life has been a whirl-wind of activity lately always.  After moving into a new home, closing-not closing-closing on the previous home, project deadlines, working a full time job, writing, taking care of family, and everything else that we do, I need to sit down!

I wanted to rest.  I wanted to just sit and revel in the nothingness of the moment when I was reminded by Daniel Laporte with a wonderful post she wrote.  She reminded me of sivasana or corpse pose.

In yoga, after you have finished with your session of deep stretches and breathing and sweating, you complete with sivasana or corpse pose.(Which is greatly needed I might add.)

This is the position I was in "off the mat".  Yoga is a practice where the lessons are taken "off the mat" and into life such as balance, strength, awareness of the moment etc. I was taking the practice of sivasana off the mat and into life.  I was in a neutral position and completely relaxed and my spirit was soothed. My stress was reduced and my body's healing process was supported.  I was non-doing.  That is what the essence of sivasana is.

I will not rush to the next project, I will not force myself into positions that my body is not yet ready to maintain.  Instead, I will ease myself into the next agenda and gently notice how I feel while I am there but until then, I will remain in corpse pose for as long as my soul requires it.

If You're Happy and You Know It...

Are you still waiting for your circumstances to change before you’ll allow yourself to be happy?  Most of us have preconceived ideas of what would make us happy, and we refuse to be satisfied until those things happen.
The problem is that even once specific things happen in our lives, we’re rarely satisfied with them!  Instead, we shift our focus to something even bigger and better, believing “it” will make us happy (or happier).  We never allow ourselves to reach a point of contentment.  Have you done the same thing to yourself?

The good news is that you can decide to be happy NOW – even if not everything in your life is perfect.  Below you’ll find 3 easy ways to do so:

1) Be grateful. (This just happens to be my favorite.  You can often find me in a Rampage of Gratitude!)  Gratitude is one of the most powerful states of mind that you can adopt.  Not only does it make you feel good, it shifts your focus from what you don’t have to what you DO have, and keeps it there!  As you focus more on what you are grateful to have in your life (even the really small blessings!), you worry less      about anything that may be lacking.  The result? 

A more pervasive sense of happiness!

2) Take time to smell the roses.  If you spend most of your days feeling rushed and scattered, it’s hard to feel happy and content.  In order to be truly happy, you need to make time for yourself to relax, dream, and take pleasure in life’s simpler moments.  Beginning today, make sure to spend time doing things you love on a regular basis.  Read books that stimulate your imagination; listen to great music like this song here; take long walks, and generally make an effort to enjoy your life as it is right now.

3) Love the journey.  Many of us make the mistake of pinning all of our expectations on some vague, far-off result, like the completion of goals.  We believe that once we “get there” everything will be perfect and we’ll finally be happy.  However, there is much to be gained from enjoying the journey TO your destination!  Make it your mission to revel in every moment that you’re working toward higher goals.  Enjoy the sense of self-mastery and accomplishment you gain with every goal you achieve.  Make it a worthwhile journey and you’ll savor the end result that much more!
The most important thing to understand about happiness is that it is largely a CHOICE you make from moment to moment.  Though certain serious situations make it difficult to feel happy at times, most often we allow the little things to bother us and block any happiness we would otherwise feel.  Embrace happiness, and it will grow to monstrous proportions in your life!

Ready to work one on one with me to increase your happiness factor?  I have a few spots available for one on one coaching.
To find out more, please visit The Light of Inspiration Company or schedule your 20 minute Inspiration Appointment today!

Just finished an inspiration mini-coaching session with the talented @HeySharonda - she had me laughing, facing fears & dreaming big!less than a minute ago via web Favorite Retweet ReplyJo Crawford
sacredcraft

Design vs. Default

Do you tend to let your outer circumstances set the tone for each day?  Do you allow other people and events to trigger feelings of anger, frustration, impatience and more?
When you do this, you are not using the power you have available to you!  By using the Law of Attraction, you can turn every day into a great day.  One way to do that is by using intentions and visualization to create your day.
When you first wake up in the morning, spend 10 minutes or so thinking about the types of things you’d like to experience that day.  How would you like your workday to go?  What kind of people would you like to meet?  Would you like to receive some great opportunities to advance your career or financial situation?  How would you like to feel for the majority of your day?
Grab a blank journal or notebook and jot these details down!  Once you’ve gotten all the details written down, spend a few minutes vividly imagining each scenario in your mind, exactly as you would like it to happen.  Pretend you’re watching a movie in your mind, seeing it all play out exactly as you’d like it to.
Most importantly, allow yourself to feel as if they were actually happening now.  Immerse yourself in feelings of excitement, joy, happiness and gratitude as you enjoy one great experience after another.  Use this same process for every experience you’d like to have that day.
By the time you’re finished you should be feeling fantastic; buzzing with good spirits and high expectations!
Then continue with your normal routine, taking special care not to be “attached” to any specific events or experiences, just simply staying open to whatever comes.  Keep affirming that great things are going to happen to you that day, and you feel great about all of the blessings and abundance in your life.
At the same time, avoid getting entangled in feelings of worry, anxiety, frustration, and anger as much as possible throughout the day because those feelings will interfere with the positive energy you’ve already put out.
As often as you can remember, call to mind images of the things you visualized earlier and allow good feelings to flow over you again.  Affirm and know that wonderful things are happening, even if you don’t see them quite yet.
By using this process on a daily basis, you’ll eventually start to notice that good things are starting to happen.  You’ll find yourself being in the “right place at the right time” and generally enjoying greater opportunities and abundance.
 

My Empowerment Playlist

Oh so inspired by Jo over at Crafting The Sacred with her Self Love Mix Tape, I thought I would share my own empowering playlist.  Enjoy!

Brand New Heavies~You Are The Universe

Pure Gold~Earth Wind & Fire

Raul Midon~Sunshine

I AM~Guru Signh

Become a Magnificent Manifester

One of the most common goals people set when first learning about the Law of Attraction is to attract more money into their lives.  They're sick of struggling, sick of not having enough, and they're eager to find relief.  Unfortunately, attracting money is often one of the most difficult objectives, simply because money carries such heavy emotional weight in our lives.  There's a lot riding on the success (or failure) of our goal to attract more money!  Namely, our peace of mind, happiness, security - and much more.
Unfortunately, placing such strong emphasis on the outcome of money attraction only creates more blockages.  The more you think you desperately "need" more money; the more you believe you can't be happy without it; the more frustrated you get when it isn't showing up - the longer it's going to take to attract it.
The good news is that there are a few simple things you can do to make the process easier:
1)  Lighten up!
The more tense and serious you are about attracting money, the harder it's going to be.  If you instead look at it like a fun game, you'll be devoting a perfect mixture of light, positive energy to the process - which is a natural prosperity attractor!  In fact, make it your mission to be lighthearted and easygoing about money and everything else in your life from now on.  Not only will you end up attracting more money, but also more love, joy, peace, fun and passion in all areas of your life.
2)  Be what you want to attract.
Another common blockage is the perception of "here and there."  You believe you are HERE, in the midst of lack and struggle, and you are trying to get over THERE, where there is peace and abundance aplenty.  What you'll eventually realize is that there is no "here or there."  There is only right now, and whatever you are communicating to the universe right now is what you are creating in your physical reality.  Rather than focusing on trying to ATTRACT more money, BECOME a person who has all the money they could ever need.  Think, feel and act as if your goal is already achieved, and the universe will make it so!  Focus daily on feeling happy, abundant, peaceful, secure, and grateful and you will attract life circumstances that correspond with those feelings.
3)  Let go.
Don't worry about "how" your money will come.  Don't focus obsessively on winning the lottery, receiving an inheritance or anything else specific.  Let the universe decide how it will come.  Keep your eyes open for opportunities to receive more money and act on them if you see them, but otherwise detach and know that it's on the way!  This is easier said than done, but the more you try to control "how" your abundance comes, the more blockages you create. 
Additionally, be sure to let go of WHEN money comes into your life.  You might be tempted to set a deadline, but the universe has its own timing and wisdom.  Be willing to trust and let go, and you open a gateway for immense blessings to flow into your life.

Have You Heard Yourself Lately??

Did you know that you talk to yourself all day long?  No, not the mental chatter about activities and chores that you need to remember throughout the day.  That’s a form of self-talk too, but I’m referring more to the things you say to yourself on a regular basis; and more importantly, the tone in which you say them.

When you make a mistake, do you berate yourself angrily?  Do you put yourself down or call yourself derogatory names?  When you have a hard time making positive changes in your life, do you bemoan what a “worthless” person you are and conclude that you’ll never do anything right?

Negative self-talk can be incredibly damaging to your self-esteem, especially if it’s a big part of your daily life.  When you keep saying things like that to yourself, eventually you begin to believe them!

Most often these messages begin as statements uttered by the adults in your life when you were a child.  They may have said something negative about you when your actions displeased them, or perhaps they had a habit of saying unkind things even when you didn’t deserve it.  As painful as these experiences can be, even worse is when you pick up where they left off and keep repeating the same negative messages to yourself over and over!

The good news is that you can change your self-talk any time you want.  You just have to know how to become aware of the tone of your messages and consciously replace them with more encouraging ones.

Try these simple steps for starters:

1) Develop awareness of your self-talk.  It may take practice, but if you keep “listening” in to your inner voice, you’ll begin to notice when you talk negatively to yourself.

2) Challenge the negative messages.  When you notice yourself saying something negative such as, “You’re such a screw-up, you can’t do anything right” – stop yourself and challenge that belief.  Is that really true?  Maybe you mess up sometimes, but do you ALWAYS mess up?  Probably not.

3) Replace the negative messages with positive messages.  When you realize you’re saying unkind and untrue things to yourself, simply turn it around in your mind.  Using the above example, you might say, “Wow, that’s not true at all!  I do plenty of things right.  It’s true I make mistakes, but so does everyone.  I’m a good person and I try my best.  That’s good enough for me.”

Over time, your efforts will pay off in the form of stronger self-esteem and respect for yourself and your capabilities.  It probably won’t happen overnight, but the more you work at turning your self-talk in a more positive direction, the better you’ll feel about yourself.


 

---

Some Will, Some Won't, So What!

Sitting here wondering what did I think was going to happen when I finally decided to unstrap my status quo leash and run free with who I really am and what I believe.

Apparently, there have been some questions to a colleague of mine who began helping me promote my services.  She began receiving feedback regarding the Law of Attraction application on the front page of my website.Her questions were coming from fellow colleagues who were wondering how could she promote the Law of Attraction?  I have to admit, it did strike a nerve but I stand strongly in what I believe which is...

That is a story for later. 

A series of God Winks lead me to this very point. To be able to withstand the criticism that goes along with being percieved differently. As I explained to her, I knew that as soon as I started opening my big mouth, this was going to happen.  I say this light heartedly.  I understand the need for some to feel safe and comfortable and stand in judgement of someone who has a different belief system than the one they hold dear.  I am not a threat to that.  I honor and repect the lives of others and what they believe.  I only ask for the same treatment.

In my own mind though, I sometimes struggle with the fear of saying something that may not go over so well.  What does that boil down to really?  Fear of rejection.  We have all experienced this at various times in our lives.  So who are we really living for when we do this?  Are we living for others as they dictate to us the name of the God we serve, the gender of the people we love, even the shape of our bodies.  When we walk and talk in a way that is not in harmony with who we really are, we die a little every second. 

You get one shot at this, make it yours, make it count and be a light the way God(not man) says you should.  Only you really know what that looks like for you.

Unconditional Love, Blossoming & Transformation

The End of an Era

The beginning of my healing and personal development started partially because of Oprah.  When I was about 20 years old she became part of my daily routine.  This was the first experience in thinking differently and doing more than just the status quo.
She showed me through her stories that no matter what has happened, you can gain strength and rebuild a new life.  I learned that if it was possible for the guests of her show, it was surely possible for me.

I learned that I can forgive.  Not the false letting go of the past and still believing someone owed me something type of forgiveness.  A deeper, more divine forgiveness that allows me to free myself and others from a bondage that holds us both down.  I was able to silently offer forgiveness to my parents, for example.  Understanding that they made their own choices and did the best they could with what they have and the outcome was me.

I learned that no matter what your age, wage, or stage in life, you have something to offer the world.  We have been given plenty, despite the appearance.  There is so much that we can pay forward in this life to help someone else in this world.  It creates such a tremendous ripple effect and the light we shine is truly a bright one.

It's a work in progress.  These transformations don't take place overnight.  It works only if you work it.  It takes self-awareness and  to make the decision of how you will serve humanity each day.

I choose to be a blessing by sharing my stories, my triumphs and my challenges.  I choose to give back to the world by helping women answer the call of their vision.  I hope you have been moved to do the same.

Who has been a catalyst for your growth and improvment of living?  I would love to know.

Healing Vs. Cure

In Eric Butterworth's Book entitled: The Universe is Calling-Opening to the Divine Through Prayer, he challenges the reader to think differently about a  prayer and really letting go and letting God work.
He writes,"Traditional medicine may do a pretty good job of curing your symptoms, but you can only be healed causally by making a concerted effort at a mental house cleaning...then consciously letting go, and letting God."
He goes on to state,"An aspirin may cure a headache.  But healing can only come through the release of tension and by dissolving the attitudes or emotions that are responsible for the tension."

The mental housecleaning is the daily "renewing of your mind" as stated biblically in Romans 12:2.  Working with your thoughts and attitudes daily can increase the healing power within you to overcome conditions in your life that challenge you.  It consists of tossing out limiting beliefs that are not serving your highest good and replacing them with the Spiritual Truth that God can do no more for you than He can do through you.  


Journaling Exercise:
What could be possible for you if all of my hurts were healed?
What beliefs about myself are keeping me from living the life I truly desire?
Am I willing to release the beliefs and attitudes that are not serving my highest good?

The Storms of Life

The Midwest has been getting rocked by storms these past couple of weeks.  It is not uncommon to hear tornado sirens ring through out the day and night in the spring and summer.  Unfortunately, sometimes we become immune to the sound of the sirens and do not take heed to the warning to head for cover.  This can have some tragic consequenses.

In daily living we have personal storms and we also have a warning system that we also unconsciously ignore. When we have entered a danger zone we may feel a flutter in our chest, tension in the back of our neck, or flushing in the face just to name a few.  We must reconnect with the Inner Teacher and pay attention when we are in relationships that are not harmonious, lack of self-care, or not living your true purpose.

Just as Jesus the Christ was awakened to calm the storms on the sea, we too can awaken the Christ within to calm the stormy parts of our life.  Just as the storm survivors gain wisdom from the challenges that come from not taking notice, we can also learn from our inner alert system.

In what ways are you signaled when you are in the danger zone?  I would love to hear about it.

The Unfolding

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.  Here is the first step in stripping it all away.  No editing, no filters or trying to find the politically correct way of stating it.  This is who I AM.  In the Spirit and Love of the Creator.  I have discovered my path, my purpose, my vision and some understanding.  I invite you to go to the depths along with me and when we meet fear we can hold on to each other.