God does not create our lives on a budget

I heard someone say this recently and it felt like a big "aha" moment for me – it truly changed my mindset on how I approach living my purpose. We so often live our lives from a place of lack – lack of skills, lack of confidence, lack of money, lack of time, but we fail to recognize that our Creator is about abundance and not lack. He created us with the idea that we should lack for nothing. I truly believe we are part of a bigger divine purpose and once we understand what our unique purpose is within the context of a greater purpose, we can make a significant contribution that is not only fulfilling for us personally but allows that greater divine purpose to shine more fully.

God has a very special and unique plan for each and every one of us that is interwoven into the lives of those who we directly and indirectly touch. I knew God would support us in fulfilling that plan but my actions and inner beliefs showed I didn't fully embrace that belief. When presented with an opportunity that I sensed was being given to me for a very special purpose but yet made me feel very uncomfortable, I'd question my ability to do what I sensed I was being asked to do or hold back financially, wanting that reassurance and confirmation of the how and the why before proceeding. That one statement, "God does not create our lives on a budget" almost instantly brought an awareness of how my actions were not aligning with beliefs. I suddenly recognized that I was allowing a mindset of lack overshadow my decisions and that in order to truly step out in His purpose for me, I had to embrace on a much deeper level that God truly does not operate from a position of lack. He will provide all we need at exactly the right time to manifest His ultimate plan and purpose for our life. He wants nothing more than to see that purpose come to life and be fulfilled. With that in mind, why would He hold anything from us?

If we sense we're making decisions from a position of lack, we need to look inward and examine where that lack is coming from. Are we living outside of our purpose and that sense of lack might be God nudging us to realign with our purpose or are we not trusting in Him to provide what we need? He would not provide us with an opportunity to move forward in our purpose and then hold back on what we need to make it happen. More times than not, I've discovered that God works through providing us with opportunities. For example, we may be provided with an opportunity that requires us to make a financial investment that feels uncomfortable given our current finances but it you are truly living in your purpose, I can promise you God will present you with another opportunity that will more than make up for that investment. You first must step out in faith in accepting that initial opportunity to get to and reap the benefit of the second opportunity. Whether or not we take that opportunity purely rests on our shoulders. We just need to be in tune and aware enough to recognize when those opportunities are presented to us and then have a willingness to step forward in complete faith and trust that this is the next step we are required to take without get caught up in the how or why. Once we can fully embrace that, the lack goes away and we can begin truly living a life fulfilling His purpose and experiencing the abundance He has for us all.

Enthusiasm Leads to Greatness

"Nothing great in life has ever been achieved without enthusiasm" – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I just read this quote in a book I'm reading, "A New Earth" by Eckart Tolle and it really resonated with me. While I know how great it feels to be enthusiastic about something, I never tied it to greatness. But, as I sit here and think about all those people who have achieved greatness throughout history, it is evident that enthusiasm is at the center of what they do. Winston Churchill for some reason comes to my mind. He was faced with the heavy weight of some incredible challenges, more than any of us will hopefully ever have to endure, but he approached each on of these challenges with a strong belief in his core values and with a sense of enthusiasm that what he was doing was ultimately for a higher purpose.

How often do we check in with ourselves to see if we're approaching our actions with enthusiasm? A great idea will initially excite us and the thoughts of how to bring that great idea to life just seem to flow. That is because we are operating from a place at that moment that is directly connected to the divine source and His vision and purpose for us are just flowing into our lives. When we live a life from a sense of purpose, you cannot help but be enthusiastic. You are riding on the current or energy of life. At that moment of inspiration, we are given a glimpse of the greatness we are each capable of and the guidance on how we can get there. We are of course open to that guidance at that time and allow those thoughts to flow freely. But all too quickly, our ego steps in and before you know it, the potential we saw and all the energy and enthusiasm that accompanied that is now replaced with doubt and uncertainty. "Who am I to think such things" creeps into our mind. Before we know it, we've stepped out of that flow from which inspiration and enthusiasm are born and allowed that inner critic to take over and direct our thoughts and actions. Once we give into that, the enthusiasm is gone. What once inspired us now feels unachievable and more like a burden. Rather than stepping into our greatness, we shrink from it and settle for something far less.

So how do we sustain that flow of inspiration and enthusiasm? First, know when that inner critic has taken over, stare it directly in the face and say "Who am I not to be great!". Embrace the dreams and ideas that are born from inspiration and recognize they were divinely given to you for a very specific reason because your purpose is meant to shine through them. Don't look for all the pieces to be in place before you take action but rather step out in faith without always having all the answers in front of you. Find some quiet time each day to connect to your dreams and ideas. Get lost in the possibilities of what could be. And finally, don't be afraid to ask for help. All too often we feel as though we have to go it alone. We're afraid to ask for help for fear it will allow others to see a perceived weakness or inadequacy within us. Learn to ask "who can help me" versus feeling like it has to be a personal struggle. God did not intend for any of us to go it alone and as such, the path to achieving our purpose will not be reached on our own. He endowed each and every one of us with a unique ability and when embraced and applied towards a much bigger whole, the results can be incredible. Inviting others in magnifies the potential for greatness that lies within us all and allows us to step into our purpose with energy and enthusiasm.

Change Your Reality

"It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not" – Anonymous

I included this quote in my ezine this week where I talked about how the tendency towards perfectionism can really be a disguise for feeling inadequate. But the issue of feeling inadequate goes much deeper. I think man has struggled since the beginning of time with believing in themselves. Why is this such a difficult concept for us to grasp? When we believe in ourselves, we feel good, energized and things just somehow start to fall in place. We get a taste of that inner peace we know about and hear people talk of and everything in our lives for just that moment feels right. But rather than living a life totally believing in ourselves and sharing our unique gifts with others, we tend to fall back into our habit of living in a reality that centers on lack and questioning our abilities. No one is immune to this struggle. Even the greatest athletes and actors who have clearly accomplished so much still confront this in their daily lives. I remember once listening to an interview with Meryl Streep and she said still questions her ability to be a good actress. I found that absolutely shocking how someone who has clearly accomplished so much in her career could even begin to question if she is good enough. 

Many philosophers over the ages have provided us insightful quotes in an effort to share their wisdom and help us overcome this struggle. They have all deeply felt the pain and complexity of the struggle that lies within ourselves and hinders us for experiencing true peace. We all are familiar with, "I think, therefore I am" from 17^th century philosopher René Descartes who did his best to deny the existence of a divine source and searched for the meaning of man's presence. But his quote, which is just as relevant today as it was back in the 1500's, demonstrates this struggle is not bounded by time or place. I find it interesting that Descartes in all his efforts to find a meaning to man's existence came to the same conclusion that has already been provided for us in the Bible. Proverbs 23:7 says "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he". The reality of life most definitely resides in our thoughts and what we embrace as truth in our hearts. If we believe we are not good enough or can't do something, then that is our reality and unfortunately that is a reality too many of us have painted for ourselves and have grown accustomed to. But consider for a moment if you were to paint a different reality. Change those thoughts of not being good enough into positive affirmations that you are good enough and you can do whatever you put your mind to. Exercise those thoughts on a daily basis just as you would exercise a muscle and allow yourself to embrace a new reality of peace, abundance and success. Don't give into the struggle to go back to your old reality but rather press forward to overcome that struggle stay focused until you find yourself living in a new reality that provides you with deeper fulfillment and a sense of inner peace. We have been told since the beginning of time that that reality does exist and all we need to do is make the conscious decision to embrace it. God has a given each and every one of us a unique gift or talent to share with this world and our role is to uncover what that is for us and then live our lives in the reality of moving forward fulfilling that purpose. In God's eyes, you are more than good enough to fulfill that purpose, you were uniquely created just for that very reason!

Where Competition Doesn’t Exist

When you are connected and in the flow of your purpose, competition does not exist. Competition stems from a mindset of lack. You are buying into a belief system that there is limited supply or resources and you need to compete to win your share or position. In God's eyes, there is nothing further from the truth. God has a unique purpose or calling for each one of us and he will provide all the resources we need to achieve that purpose and more times than not, provide whatever we need in abundance. If you feel the urge to compete for something, question where that is coming from. Competition moves us away from living a life on purpose and trusting God for the desired outcome. We become centered on ourselves and our relationships to others rather than looking inward and focusing our attention on our relationship with God and his desires for us. When you are truly living your life from a place of purpose and connection with God, you will find peace in trusting that all you need will be provided for at exactly that right moment.

The Lessons of Spring

Spring has always been my favorite season but this year I look at it with a renewed sense of awe and purpose. I always enjoyed the beauty in the flowers and trees that Mother Nature unfolds for us each year but never really stopped to think about the process. It always just seems to happen without any fanfare or special preparation. But gazing out the window recently it really hit me what a miracle this process is and how it holds so many lessons for us to follow. It's like God has provided us a glorious example of how we are supposed to live right before our eyes. Each year, the nature that surrounds us moves from dull and lifeless and blooms into an incredible array of colors and textures. Think of all the energy it takes to make that happen, an energy that already exists within each plant. This energy is completely channeled to fulfilling its ultimate purpose. This energy trusts that the resources it needs to grow and survive will be provided at the appropriate time. It doesn't fear there may not be enough rain or the winds may be too strong. It fully and completely trusts in the process and each year, that process yields an abundance of beauty. Life in its purest form exists as we watch a flower grow or a tree blossom. We are no different. God has provided each and every one of us with a unique ability and purpose. It is our lack of trust and faith in the process that interferes in this divine process. We have been given the gift to think and analyze but this ability can also be our downfall. Rather than trusting the process, we question it. Rather than looking inward, we seek the advice of others. Imagine if a rose questioned its existence as a rose and wondered if would be better suited as a tulip? That divine energy that is channeled into making it a precious beautiful rose would be diluted and it would be something less than what it otherwise could have been. When we overanalyze and question, the result is the same. We sense our direction or purpose but allow externals to dictate our direction and we end up less than what we otherwise can be. Our instincts connect us to our ultimate purpose, we just need to be willing to trust in the process and follow that divine guidance. That same energy that exists in nature also exists in us. It is the energy of life that moves everything forward towards its ultimate purpose. We need to connect with that energy or spirit and allow it to guide us in our lives. God has provided us with a wonderful example of what is possible when we do. We too can truly blossom by trusting and moving forward in faith.

 

If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.

David Neagle shared this quote recently and it really resonated with me. I've heard it before but like so many things we hear, we need to be in the right mindset to connect with it and really understand its true meaning. We often think life should be about getting comfortable but in reality, life is about doing just the opposite. It's about growing and to grow, we need to get "comfortable" with being uncomfortable. If we're not pushing ourselves to reach outside our comfort zone or go the extra distance, we're not just standing still, we're losing ground. With risk comes reward but being open to taking those risks is where the challenge lies. I found tremendous strength recently in learning how to step out and take those risks. It comes down to faith. It's not about worrying what others will think or do, it's trusting your instincts and moving forward despite your fears. All the answers truly do lie within us but we're programmed to always look outside of ourselves for the answer. Learning how to quiet ourselves and seek out the divine guidance that is within each of us will move us to reach our true potential and realize the success that has always been within our reach. Take the time to nurture your soul and learn how to connect with that inner voice and recognize its guidance. Once you learn to look within, you'll discover a new world of opportunities open to you. These opportunities may at first seem overwhelming or scary but moving forward in complete trust and faith allows you to really grow and realize the amazing abundance God has provided for us all.

The Magic of Snow

It's no secret that the mid-Atlantic has gotten their fair share of snow this year. This past storm dropped just over 32" of snow on us. That's more than I can ever remember seeing in one storm in my life! Being from the northeast, I've always loved snow. That eager anticipation we all feel as a child hearing about the next big storm never left me. I still get excited every time I hear snow is in the forecast. It's like it has some magical quality that perks me up and just makes me feel happy.

As I look back on this winter so far, the snow days are my most memorable days. It's allowed us all to stop and just enjoy each other's company. I've rediscovered how the simplest things can be the most satisfying, a lesson my grandparents I know tried to impart on me a long time ago. A snowstorm magically gives us that precious gift of time to just talk to each other, play board games, and make incredible meals – activities that have almost become a luxury in today's society. We get so caught up in the future and what we need to be doing, we rarely take the time to just enjoy the present. A good snow day forces you to abandon your plans and give in to enjoying the present. It actually does more than just give you the gift time, it nourishes your soul. When all is said and done, it's the memories of how we spent our time that will remain with us. We need to remember that and make sure we spend time creating lasting memories of joy. I will forever hold onto the memory of the snowball fight we had walking our dog in the wake of this most recent snowstorm. The laughter and fun we had is priceless.

As I look out on to the year ahead, I've made a personal commitment to create "snow days" year round. To make sure I take the time to enjoy the present and just being together as a family; really nourish that bond that is like no other. I've often felt like I needed a vacation to get away and create those special moments but the snowstorms this year have truly taught me that like anything else in our lives, creating those special moments can happen anytime and anywhere. It has to start with us making the decision to make those times a priority. Doing so in a society today that almost seems to embrace stress and rushing around is not easy but I've realized this winter the benefits of doing so far outweigh the pressures of not doing so.

There's snow in our forecast again for Tuesday and even with 32" already on the ground, I'm eagerly awaiting it. I know that I will forever embrace the magic of snow!