A Story of Two Dogs

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I cannot help but start thinking about what I am grateful for. This past year has been an amazing journey for me, opening up my new design business, starting a coaching business and really experiencing a personal transformation in how I think. I am truly grateful for all the opportunities that have unfolded in my life this year. As they say “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. So many wonderful teachers have come into my life this year to truly help me understand and appreciate, “how I think is how I am”.

My journey started in January after I picked up the book The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon literally on whim. It is a quick read (my favorite) but the wisdom presented in these pages is beyond measure. I’ll share a simple story with you now from The Energy Bus that is truly profound and really opened my eyes and literally started me on my journey:

A man travels to the village to speak to the wise man. He says to the wise man, “I feel like there are two dogs inside me. One dog is positive, loving, kind and optimistic and then I have this fearful, pessimistic, angry and negative dog and they fight all the time. I don’t know who is going to win.” The wise man thinks for a moment and responds, “I know who is going to win. The one you feed the most. So feed the positive dog.”

We spend far too much time feeding our negative dog. The power of our mind is incredible. We so often live in our left brain, whose primary purpose is to connect our thoughts and experiences, forecast an outcome and protect ourselves from harm. But those thoughts and experiences are frequently interpreted in a negative light and instead of seeing possibilities; we experience anxiety, stress and become fearful of that which would require us to act in faith versus logic. Our right brain is our creative side, experiencing the here and now, seeing the possibilities and the goodness in everything. It doesn’t know fear or anxiety; it only understands positive energy and the light it brings to us to share with others.

Expressing our gratitude for all that we have is the first step to feeding our positive dog. As we begin this holiday season, take time out each day to acknowledge the good things in your life. Start a gratitude journal and write down ten things each day you are grateful for. We’ve all experienced the stress, anxiety and even sadness this time of year can bring. By focusing your minds now on gratitude and getting into the habit of gratitude, you’ll be amazed just how much more relaxed you’ll feel to really enjoy this holiday season.

A Burning Desire

"If you feel something in your heart, if you have a vision for it, then it's no longer a risk." —Isaac Mizrahi

I found this quote earlier this week and it really resonated with me! To me, it speaks of being in the true presence of pure passion. When you have a burning desire for something, it takes over and literally propels you forward to take risks you may not otherwise take to turn your vision into reality. While fear exists, your desire is stronger and you’re able to move through the fear. But the key is to have a burning desire or as Isaac Mizrahi says, “to feel something in your heart”. It is given that life will present many obstacles and it is how we respond when confronted with those obstacles that sets our path. A burning desire sees you through those and puts you on the path to success. You no longer view obstacles as taking risks but rather part of the journey to achieving your vision. Rather than obstacles stopping you in your tracks, you move through it focused on the prize. You’ll be tasked with doing things that are well outside your comfort zone but moving outside your comfort zone is what allows you to do greater things. You’ll find your vision becomes that beacon of light to guide you and your burning desire is the fuel that allows you to move towards that beacon of light.

Embrace your vision and allow it to create a burning desire within your heart. The rewards are tremendous and the journey will be well worth it!