The Tranquility Within

The tranquility of God is mirrored in us. It's so easy in the hectic pace of life today to forget that the peace of God is with us and ever present. We get caught up in the externals and move away from that inner peace because we forget to acknowledge His spirit within us.

Wayne Dyer has said EGO stands for edging God out. When we allow ego to control our thoughts and actions, we edge God out and move away from the peace and tranquility God has given us. Those who are living a life truly in Spirit outside of ego resonate that peace within. You feel a certain calmness and joy in their presence. That is the Holy Spirit working through them and that gift of true peace is available to us all. We just need to make the space to nurture and connect with God's presence within us each and every day.

"Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart." - Ecclesiastes 5:19-20

A Little Bug’s Journey

Once again, a powerful lesson was taught to me just by quietly observing Mother Nature. I was sitting at my daughter's eighth grade promotion when a bug crawling on the floor caught my eye. It was busy scurrying to somewhere looking very determined to reach its destination. It then came upon the shoe of the person sitting next to me. It reacted in much the same way we often react when we hit a road block. The bug first stopped and sat for a moment and then tried to push through a few times as if the obstacle wasn't there. I then watched it step back as if to assess the situation and to my surprise, it turned right around and started marching straight back from where it came. Little did that bug know that if it tried going just a little to the left or just a little to the right, it would have easily gotten around the obstacle and continued on its journey. It chose however to go back to what was known and comfortable rather than chart out on a new course. How many of us do exactly the same thing when confronted with an obstacle in our life? Do we embrace it and look for the hidden opportunities or do we chose to retreat back into what feels safe and comfortable?

One thing that is guaranteed in life is that there will be obstacles to face. It is our choice to either chart a new course or retreat to safety. The opportunities are always there; we just need to have a willingness to open our hearts and minds to look for them within the obstacles. As this tiny little bug showed me, those opportunities are often just a little to the right or a just little to the left of our current path and require us to get outside our comfort zone to fully discover them.

The Impact of One Voice

God can teach us a lesson when we least expect it! I was at church last Sunday reciting the traditional prayers and singing the hymns. The person behind me was doing the same but at a much faster rate – about a verse and half off from everyone else. What amazed me was how powerful that distraction was. Try as I might, I could not tune her out. All I heard was her voice over the hundred plus that were in unison.

I was starting to get agitated wondering why this woman was continuing to do this and more so, why I couldn't just block it out. Then, as if God whispered to me, "Do you choose to focus on the one negative distraction or the power and beauty of the hundred other voices around you?" Wow! Those words reached deep within and called out something I am guilty of. There is so much positive in our lives us but how many times do we choose to focus on the few negative things and allow that to distract us away from the positive? What we focus on clearly is a choice we make and God pointed that out to me this past Sunday in a very powerful way.

While it was hard to continue to block out her voice, I realized this is something I need to work on not just for that moment but for every moment in my life. We need to make a conscious decision to ignore the negative and focus on the positive until it becomes second nature. God has provided us with an abundance of the positive, we just need to be willing to tune into that and embrace its fullness.

Don’t Stop Believing

I attended my daughter's concert earlier this week and it is amazing how God can reach out to us in places we least expect it. I've been feeling very tired and drained recently, partly due to a health condition but more so to do with my mindset.

These past few months have shown tremendous growth for my business, stretching me in new ways that are both exciting and challenging. It has been a wonderful ride but the passion and energy that was fueling me was now getting lost in all I had to do. I started wondering, "Can I do this?"; "Am I really meant to do this?" Self-doubt never helps a situation and once that starts creeping in, it can grow like a weed.

God, in His all-knowing wisdom, was very much aware the self-doubt was starting to take root and knew it was time to intervene. It was then He whispered the voice of encouragement in the most unexpected way.

I showed up to my daughter's concert, tired and frazzled from yet another day of running around in twenty different directions chasing down deadlines and "to do's". The concert had already started and my heart sank thinking I may have even missed their portion of the performance as I raced to into the building. As I got settled in, my ears suddenly tuned into what they were singing, "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. These young children sang it with an energy and spirit that spoke directly to my heart. I knew this was more than a verse in a song; it was a message I was meant to hear. And as God often does, He placed that message in front of me again two more times within the next 24 hours; once on the radio and again in a reference to that song in the book I was reading. By the third time, I clearly understood, it's not for me to ask how can I do this, but rather to believe in the outcome and the gifts God has given me to fulfill His purpose.

Now, when self-doubt creeps in, I just simply tell myself, "Don't stop believing".

The Answer Lies Between the Waves

I just got back from watching Soul Surfer – such an inspiring story on so many levels! The movie is based on the true story of then teenage surfer Beth Hamilton who tragically loses her arm in a shark attack just as her competitive surfing career is taking off. There are so many beautiful insights and words of wisdom in this movie as we watch Bethany come back stronger than ever. Her sheer will and determination are so inspiring and while her faith is truly challenged (tears rolled down my cheek as she asked "What kind of God would do this to me?"), she digs deep within and discovers so much about herself and her true purpose in the process.

There is one scene at the end of the movie when Beth is competing for Nationals that really spoke to me. Recognizing the pressure of this moment for Beth, her father simply tells her to "get to that quiet place between the waves, listen and then just trust your instincts". Don't follow the pack but rather go inside yourself and use your instincts to tell you where that next wave will be.

Such telling advice for us all! When we are looking for answers and feel the pressure of the moment, how many of us look for that space between the waves to connect with source and trust our instincts? We are quick to seek out others for their advice but fail to realize the true answer already lies within us. Her dad's advice reminded me once again just how important it is that we find that space to get quiet and allow ourselves to just listen and connect with source. That's where we will find our inspiration and that answer we've so desperately searched for. It's all there; we just need stop seeking outside and trust source to provide from within.

Let Your Purpose Lead the Way

"Once you clarify your purpose for doing something, the way to it becomes clear". I just read these words from Oprah in her January issue of Oprah. Yes, I know I'm a little behind in my magazines J. Anyway, these words really struck a chord. We spend so much time trying to figure out "the way" when we should instead, be spending that time clarifying our purpose.

She goes on to point out that fear comes from uncertainty. When we know what we want, it helps release the fear that can so often stand in our way and sabotage our results. When desire to achieve is greater than our fears incredible things happen. The soul of that desire rests in your purpose. When you are confident and feel connected to your purpose that overrides everything and allows you to move forward in ways you never imagined having the strength or ability to do so.

I'm learning that there is such power and inspiration when we connect with our purpose and live our lives centered in that purpose. It truly does define "the way". We just need to be willing to step back and really focus on connecting with our divine nature that resides in that purpose and then step forward with complete faith and confidence that the way will show up.

It’s Not About Doing, It’s About Creating

I've been feeling somewhat disconnected in my design work these past couple of weeks, almost like I'm going through the motions but not sensing that creative energy and flow. With so many projects on the plate right now, I have not allowed myself the time or thought to sort through those feelings and just keep pressing forward to get it all done. I've allowed deadlines to become the driver.

It wasn't until last night as I sat quietly listening to a concert my 5^th grade and 8^th grade daughters were participating in that I got that nudge to remind me where I've strayed.

The concert included students from 5^th grade all the way up through high school and to see the talent and passion in these young students was truly inspiring. Especially the high school students; their joy and passion for music shined as they performed. I watched one girl in particular close her eyes as she pulled the bow across her violin and I could see how deeply lost she was in the moment and I could feel her passion for the music she was creating all the way up in the bleachers. It was then I realized, it's not about doing, it's about creating.

We all "do" each and every day but how often do we stop to find inspiration and create? How often do we allow ourselves to get lost in what we love to do? We forget that we shine the most when we are living our passion and creating our lives from that passion. When we stray from that, we feel disconnected and life becomes hard and challenging. We find ourselves going through the motions, pushing for results versus letter our passion guide us to the answer.

It's amazing how God will place certain people or moments into our path to help get us back on course. I love that my reminder came in such a beautiful and meaningful way through the presence of a young violinist.