It’s All In How You Look At Things

December is a time of both reflection and expectation. As the year draws to end, we can’t help but find ourselves reflecting on the events and activities of the past year and look forward with joyful expectation to the year ahead. We start thinking about what we’ll do differently next year, what goals we’ll set and how events from the prior year that either caused heartache or joy will influence us as we go forward.

I’m amazed the power that one day can have on our mindset. In reality, nothing has dramatically changed in our lives between December 31st and January 1st but how many of us wake up on January 1st feeling different and I’m not just taking about that New Year’s Eve hangover : ). We embrace the idea of a new beginning and a chance to make improvements in ourselves and our lives that somehow felt beyond us just 24 hours prior.

Never underestimate the power of our minds. Wayne Dyer has a quote I love, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.” We’ve been conditioned to look at the New Year as a new beginning and as such, we look out with excited anticipation of all the opportunity that awaits us. In reality, nothing has changed in our lives other than the passing of another 24 hours. But we embrace this time of year to self-reflect and make positive changes in our lives – we change the way we look at things and things we look at do indeed change. Tasks that burdened us before are now approached with a renewed sense of spirit and energy. Losing 10 pounds seems undoable on July 1st but January 1st; we’re ready to take that challenge on.

The biggest challenge is to maintain that sense of energy and excitement throughout the year. We have the power to do this as we’ve already demonstrated on January 1st. Hold onto those feelings and when you feel like that energy or excitement is waning, and it will because that is the reality of our life, repeat Wayne Dyer’s quote, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.” We have a choice in how react to the hardships, even the simplest ones that come into our daily lives. A traffic jam or a long checkout line can so easily throw us off course and change our mindsets. Don’t let it rob you of that magic you found on New Year’s Day – make the choice to continue looking at your world with the joyful expectations of the New Year!

The Magic Of The Moment

We’re entering what probably is one of the busiest times of year for most of us. The holidays with all their treasured traditions have been officially ushered in now that Thanksgiving is over. I can remember feeling tortured as a child as this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas passed ever so slowly. What a different experience now as an adult! The days seem to go by in the blink of eye and I feel like we’re just putting away the Thanksgiving turkey when Christmas Eve comes knocking at our door.

As a child we had the gift of time and a free spirit to take everything in and experience life without limits. Perhaps that’s why time moved more slowly back then. Living in the moment came so naturally where now we have to make a concerted effort to do the same. When did we lose that childlike quality to live in the moment? When did we start moving away from the present moment and living our lives thinking about yesterday or worrying about tomorrow?

I don’t think we’ll ever know the answer to that but the ability to live in the moment is a precious gift we should all have on our “wish list” this holiday season. It’s easy to get lost in the hectic pace and extra demands of the holidays and when it all comes down to it, we do have a choice in how we respond. This time of year can be just a magical as when you were a child. The wonder and beauty of the holiday season is all around us but if we’re focused on everything we need to do or worried about what we haven’t done yet, we’ll most surely miss out on it.

As I write this, it’s snowing and I’m watching the neighborhood children outside my window happily playing. Mind you there’s probably two inches of snow at most on the ground, but that’s not stopping them from sledding and building snowmen and snow forts. All they see are possibilities and they are living in the moment to bring those possibilities to life. They are experiencing life without the self-limitations we’ve grown accustomed to as adults and their joy is contagious! We can most definitely learn a lesson by watching our children. Take time this holiday season to embrace your abundance and live in the moment. Let yourself reconnect with that inner child you lost so many years ago and watch the possibilities magically unfold this holiday season and throughout the new year!

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!

You Reap What You Sow

"For whatever a man sows, that and that only, he will also reap." - Galatians 6:7

We reap what we sow. How many times have we heard this? I can still hear my mom saying this to me! Of course, then is was in the context of bugging my brother and then crying to my mom when he'd give it right back to me : ) While we all know and understand this on one level or another when it comes to our actions, how many of us really know and understand this as it applies to our beliefs and mindset?

I've always understood this to mean, "be kind to others and they will be kind to you" sort of thing but upon reading this scripture recently, I suddenly gained a deeper understanding that this goes beyond just our actions. Our thoughts and beliefs also determine our outcomes. When our thoughts and beliefs are focused on the positive, we reap the positive. When we focus on the negative, we reap the negative. God is asking us to not only think about what we sow in terms of our actions, but also in terms of our beliefs and mindset. Proverbs 4:23 very clearly reminds us of this, "Be careful what you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts".

In order to truly experience and receive all the abundance and success God has planned for our lives, we need to cultivate a healthy, positive mindset. When we do, we'll most surely reap the rewards. Make a commitment today to work on your mindset and embrace your future with excitement and anticipation. Don't let your fears override your dreams. Believe anything is possible, take action in faith and get ready to experience the abundance that God has planned for you. How do I know this? The Bible tells us so!

The Goal-Purpose Connection

I just heard something from David Neagle, an extremely gifted life and success coach (www.DavidNeagle.com), that really gave me pause to think. “Your goals give direction to your purpose”. I never had looked at a goal in that manner and in fact, this statement totally turned my understanding of what a goal is upside down. We are so focused on setting and reaching goals but are we missing the mark? The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. I had always viewed goals in the short-term and self-contained within the project or whatever I was working on but now see goals are much bigger than that! Goals are in actuality the vehicle we use to fulfill our life’s purpose. Rather than focusing on setting the goals first, should we not first focus on our purpose and the form our goals around that? Something to think about.

What I’m coming to understand now is that goals actually are the stepping stones of life. When we set a goal, it gives us a sense of direction and purpose. But without a context to frame our goals, we often get off track and feel like we’re just going through the motions. Our goals should ignite a passion deep within us and not just be another task on our "to do" list. When we view our goals in the bigger context of our life’s purpose, we then realize that as each goal is set and achieved, we are closer to fulfilling our ultimate destiny.

Just as a rudder guides and directs a ship through the vastness of the sea, our goals guide and direct us through the vastness of our life. Understanding this concept has helped me tremendously to put my goals in perspective. Now, before setting any goal, I ask myself, “Does this align with my values and bring me closer to God’s purpose for my life”. If the answer is yes, I can be sure it will lead me to the next level and closer to fulfilling the ultimate destiny God has planned for me.

Embrace The Fear

“To be the best, you have to be willing to be uncomfortable and embrace it as part of your growth process.”

I found this quote in on of my favorite inspirational books, “Training Camp” by Jon Gordon. To be the best at whatever we do requires going outside one’s comfort zone, which is definitely easier said than done. It’s so easy to get complacent and convince ourselves we don’t need to strive for better but life is a journey that’s meant to be revealed to us over time and with each new chapter, new opportunities emerge as we continue on our journey to become even better than we ever imagined.

But recognizing and embracing these opportunities usually requires us to get uncomfortable for a while. Our inner spirit can sense that something better is just within our reach, but stepping out into that is another story. All sorts of emotions come up when we’re ready to step out and that’s what makes us uncomfortable. Fear of the unknown and self-doubt are typically the biggest things that hold us back. The good news is that everyone is confronted with the same feelings. It’s what we do with those feelings that define the best of the best. I love this quote “Feel the fear and do it any way” (The Success Principles by Jack Canfield). And there in lies the key, the best of the best feel the fear and dot it anyway. It’s part of the process and the sooner we learn to accept it as part of the process, the quicker we’ll grow and experience all the exciting opportunities that await us.

The best of the best are passionate about what they do and are always striving to learn and improve. They don’t let being uncomfortable stand in their way for achieving their inner desire for greatness. They also do it with a sense of humility. They know that no matter how much they learn, there is always an opportunity to learn more and at the same time impart what they’ve learned with others.

Learn to embrace being uncomfortable; it really is sign that you’re heading in the right direction to achieving all that life has in store for you. Don’t let fear hold you back, move forward in spite of your fears and enjoy the wonderful rewards that await you at the other side of those fears.