Giving Thanks

I've been reading the follow up book to "The Secret" titled, "The Power" by Rhonda Byrne. It expands upon the basic principles taught in "The Secret" in what I've found to be a much more powerful and brilliant way. She made a connect for me the other day, and fitting given this time of year, that I perhaps always knew but never really was aware of. When we are grateful we are actually giving love. We are acknowledging the value and meaning around everything that comes into our life when we live from a place of gratitude which ultimately is a place of love. Every time we feel grateful we are giving love. Gratitude is probably one of the most sincere ways we can express our love. Whose heart doesn't warm up when someone takes the time to say "thank you" or "I appreciate you". The feeling that gratitude creates is the emotion of love. It brings forth an energy of joy, warmth and happiness and whatever energy you give out will return to you in abundance.

It seems fitting on this eve of Thanksgiving to really think about all that we have to be grateful for. The hectic pace of our lives and the negative presence of the media can very quickly move us away from a place of gratitude and thanksgiving. Take time this Thanksgiving to practice gratitude in everything you do, from having the ability to smell all the wonderful scents of Thanksgiving dinner to the warmth and fellowship of friends and loved ones. If you're stuck in traffic, take a deep breath and be thankful for the opportunity to have a car, for the amazing network of roads we have here in the States, for the ability to take off and go spend time with loved ones. If you find yourself alone this Thanksgiving, give thanks for your life and for this time to step back and quietly reflect. Be grateful for everything in your life – your past, your present and your future. Be grateful for the desires and passions of your heart for they are a glimpse into God's will for your life. Be grateful in everything you do!

Jesus provided us with a beautiful example of living a life purely from gratitude and thanksgiving. Jesus always began his prayer by thanking our Heavenly Father and spoke words of thanksgiving before performing every miracle. Gratitude is at the center of almost all religious faiths be it Christianity, Islam or Hindu. For example, Mohammad the founder of Islam is quoted as saying, "Gratitude for the abundance you have received is the best insurance that the abundance will continue." An attitude of gratitude prepares our heart to receive the love and abundance that we are sending forth. Whatever we give, will be multiplied in its return to us. Probably no other verse in the Bible captures the principle of gratitude better than this:

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

May this Thanksgiving holiday hold an abundance of gratitude and blessings for you!

Learning to Let Go

You cannot trust without letting go. It sounds so logical but I never realized the strong bond that exists between trust and letting go. You cannot have one without the other. We can say we trust but if we are still harboring feelings of worry, fear, uncertainty or anxiety, we are not fully trusting. Trust requires us to move forward in a deeply rooted faith and completely let go of those feelings, emotions or actions that are holding us back. We have to let go of the circumstances as we understand them and fully trust in the process of a higher power to see us through and bring us to where we are truly meant to be.

Trust comes from your heart and is centered in spirit. Those things that stand in the way of our ability to trust are just created in our mind and therefore not real. They are just mechanisms our ego develops to keep us safe, comfortable and what we perceive to be secure. To trust means to give a smaller voice to ego and a larger voice to spirit. It means releasing the grip ego has on us and not allowing it to inhibit us from moving forward. Letting go and trusting allows God's spirit to flow in our lives with unmeasured energy and confidence. To trust means to live from your heart and not from your mind. When you live from your heart you are truly connecting with spirit and a spirit led life will lead you to fulfilling your life's purpose. Learning to trust also means learning to let go.

 

Our Truth Is Revealed In Our “Buts”

The excuse always seems to follow the "but". But is truly a powerful word because it points directly to what is holding us back. Think of how many times you think about doing something and then finish the thought with "but…". It literally shifts your mind from action to inaction. The thought before the "but" is your heartfelt desire but what follows the "but" typically shuts down that desire. But can almost be viewed as the transition from spirit-centered mindset to and ego-centered mindset. You begin in spirit but ego steps in to make sure you play it safe and stay in that place that is comfortable and predictable.

If you want to get clear on what's holding you back, start paying attention to the words you say after your "buts". For example if we say we want to do something and then finish the thought with "but it's too expensive" it very clearly calls out a lack mentality and that belief is probably showing up in many other decisions as well; decisions that could have a profound impact on your life and business. How you do anything is how you do everything so don't fool yourself by thinking the words you say after your buts are a one-time occurrence. Think about the "buts" in your life and become aware of how they are influencing your decisions. You might be surprised by what they reveal. Once you have an awareness around what's holding you back, you are that much stronger to confront the "buts" in your life head on and move through them. Our truth is most definitely revealed in our "buts"!

Resisting the Process

I've been feeling very tired lately and not sure why. Business has been very good and I've just been brushing it off to some long work days lately. But as my tiredness continued, I was forced to step back and look deeper. What I learned was truly amazing.

I love to journal and decided to write about my tiredness. I wrote down everything I was feeling and the frustration of not having the energy and focus I so needed to get everything done. The answer that came back as I jotted down my thoughts was that resistance was the source of my tiredness. I immediately knew to what – ironically enough, hiring a design assistant to help me in my business! What flowed next was a powerful lesson for me and one that I want to share with you all.

I very clearly heard God say to me "For you spend much energy moving away from My purpose for you. The fight is what is draining you. Step into the process and your energy will return." Resistance to anything is draining. It takes so much more energy for us to resist something than to go with the direction we feel we are being led. Resistance takes a toll on our mindset as well as our physical health. We are all scared when presented with ideas or thoughts that create a vision of something bigger than we think we are or not within the scope of where we think we should be. The "who am I to think" mindset sets in and we start resisting all the opportunities that are laid before us to grow and fulfill our divine purpose. We may think we are maintaining the status quo when we don't take action but there is nothing further from the truth. When we resist, we start moving backwards. There is no such thing as standing still – the world is constantly in motion down to the smallest particle on this earth and we are no different. We are either growing or shrinking from who we are meant to be. When we resist, we are moving away from that divine path God has intended for us. If God has clearly pointed the direction and provided the next step, it is ours to take in trust and faith that God will continue to show the way and He will. He will not overburden us and will enable us to do all that He desires for us. He very clearly told me that He cannot give me any more until I take this next step because it will overburden me and that is not His way. Those words touched me deeply and opened my eyes to how I was actually standing in my own way.

God has so much to give all of us. He sees many steps beyond where we are at right now and knows the great potential that lies within all of us. We just need to trust and have the courage to step forward in faith.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." – Jeremiah 29:11

Life Lessons from a Little Bird

My kids often tease me about how much I love birds; I find it so peaceful just sitting back and watching them. Well, I'm amused that God has chosen these little creatures to teach me yet again, another powerful life lesson. I guess He knows the connection I feel for them and knows I'll pay attention if the lesson comes through them. As I sipped my coffee this morning, I glanced out our kitchen window to watch the birds and noticed something didn't look right. My heart sunk because I saw a bird not moving on our bird feeder. I assumed the worst and went outside thinking "What a great start to my day, removing a dead bird". But to my surprise, he started fluttering all about as soon as I approached the feeder. His tiny little head was stuck inside and I could only imagine how he felt as he sat there trapped with all these other birds around him helpless to come to his rescue. I reached out to try and gently pull him out but each time, he fluttered around so much that any effort I did to rescue him was to no avail. In essence, he was standing in the way of his own success. I saw a very clear way to release him but he would have to relax and let me lead the way. I then opened the top of the feeder so his attention would be drawn upward and sure enough, he stopped fluttering and just quietly watched me. It was only then that I was able to free him. He popped out, definitely a little stunned and then flew away. I stood there with a big smile on face realizing the amazing message God had just given me through this little bird.

How many times has God tried to help me and move me along in realizing the bigger vision He has for me but instead I flutter about just like this little bird? I don't stop long enough to acknowledge or accept His help. Instead, I stay focused on doing it my way. I'm no different than that bird, wanting to know the next steps but too busy fluttering about to see God clearly pointing the way. It's only when I seek out the calm and silence do I feel His presence and see the way He is leading me to go. I know God has such a bigger vision for us all and we are all often guilty of keeping ourselves so busy and not relying more on God to show us the way. My little interaction with this bird today was such amazing life lesson for me and one I know I needed to hear. This bird taught me the power that resides in just being still. Rescuing that little bird showed me how we often stand in the way of our own success, feeling trapped by our own perceived circumstances and not realizing the way is right there in front of us. I feel so incredibly blessed to have been given the opportunity to experience God's word firsthand. He taught me how to just "be" today and quietly wait for His guidance. All the answers are truly right in front of us, we just need to open up and acknowledge His presence.

It’s Just a Matter of Time…

My ezine article this week is all about time and how we make the choice to either let time define us or let us define time. As I working out this morning, I realized time is more than just something that we can either define or let it define us. Our perception of time really resides in whatever we are doing at a given moment. This thought occurred to me as I was told to go "all out" on a treadmill for just a mere two minutes but those two minutes dragged on with such a heaviness. I'd look at the clock thinking surely I must be done only to realize 30 seconds had passed by. Take that same two minute interval and apply it to something you love to do and it will fly by in a blink of an eye. So I found myself asking, "What is time?" When we say we don't have enough time, what are we really saying?

As a society, we've become so focused on time, scheduling our lives around it, constantly feeling like it's something we can catch if we just run fast enough. The Bible repeatedly tells us to not worry about tomorrow or fret over yesterday but to focus on the now. The now or the present moment is truly all we have. Is time then just that, the present moment and we've gotten caught up in labeling it and assigning it more power than need be? Rather than getting absorbed in the passing of minutes on a clock, what if we were to totally absorb ourselves in the moment, focusing our energy on experiencing everything that moment has to offer us? What if we could block out the thoughts of what we need to do later or feelings or hurt and regret for something we did in the past? Where did your last big inspiration or dream come from? It was probably in a place where you relaxed and allowed yourself to be lost in the moment. You blocked out everything else and just allowed yourself to totally be at one with the moment. Eckhart Tolle talks about the power of now in his book titled the same, The Power of Now. He encourages us to experience life through all our senses focusing on the present moment for that is where you truly connect with the divine source. As he writes, "The present moment is inseparable from life, so you are really deciding what kind a relationship you want to have with life." I now know why the Bible contains so many verses about living in the moment. God knows this is not our nature and He wants nothing more than for us to "get it". For in His all-knowing wisdom, that is where we can find Him, connect with Him and experience true inner peace and fulfill our life's purpose.

"I acquaint myself with Him and I am at peace; by that good shall come to me."- Job 22:21

The Clarity of Your Thoughts

I recently read something that had such a profound impact on me that I just had to share it with you. So many times we're racing in so many different directions that our minds have gotten used to thinking this way as well. You start thinking about one thing and before you know it, your mind is wandering and you're thinking about something else or ego has stepped in and convinced you that your thought or desire is beyond your reach so you change your course. I never really paid much attention to this other than knowing the craziness of it all certainly didn't feel right.

Well, the other day I was reading a chapter from "A Happy Pocket Full of Money" by David Cameron Gikandi (also our recommended book of the month at Design For Your Success Now) and came across this statement that at first glance made sense, you know on that intellectual level but I didn't necessary feel a strong connection with it. But as I read further, my mind wouldn't let go of it. It was as if my mind was trying to say "Pay attention, you really need to hear this and understand what it means!" The statement simply said, "The clarity of your thoughts and desires determines your success." But it was what Gikandi offered up next to explain how powerful this concept is that truly captured my attention and allowed me to embrace this on a much deeper, meaningful level. He writes:

"Changing your mind all the time "confuses" the universe. Imagine walking into a travel agency and saying "I wish to travel." Then you look at the agent blankly. He or she would be ready to make your reservation, but they cannot until you tell them where you wish to go. Imagine you now say, "Well, I'd like to go to Moscow and Timbuktu, at the same time." Again, the travel agent cannot fulfill that request. Now imagine you say, "OK, then book me to Moscow. No wait, Timbuktu. No wait. Moscow. No wait; I am not sure if I can afford it. No, I can. No maybe I don't wish to go there and travel at all." This is how many people think all day."

I suddenly saw how my thought patterns were in essence, confusing my results and hindering my success. It's no wonder sometimes I felt like I was living in chaos and being pulled in twenty different directions. Imagine the traffic jam you create in the universe when you are not clear in your thoughts and constantly changing what you want. If I just took the time to stop and get clear on my thoughts and desires and then stay focused on them, the journey would be a lot more peaceful and I can truly see the connection that has with success now. When you can align your thoughts and desires with God's purpose, it just starts to flow and when you can continue to stay in that flow, the success just seems to come naturally. The struggles fade away and your dreams and desires become your reality. I'm just now starting to see that transform into my life and it truly is amazing. Take the time to get clear on your deepest desires, stay focused and believe in them and you'll find those very desires becoming your reality as well. God will provide when you know clearly want your desires are, you make those desires known to Him and are ready to receive His abundance. Proverbs 16:3, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."