Sunday, April 28, 2013

The sky's the limit...









“If you want to raise the quality of your life, raise your standards.”
~~~Tony Robbins



These days, I am doing some challenging interior work. I am indulging my creative mind and giving myself permission to dream  BIG! I'm trying to work out in my mind what my life could look like with no self-imposed limitations. For example, if I could pack up and go anywhere in the world, I would move to Italy, no question. 

I have always had a strong connection to all things Italian: the language, the culture, the food...and of course, the men! In fact, I am leaving for my next trip to Italy next Sunday. This will be my fourth trip since 2005 and my first solo vacation ever. I'm staying in bed & breakfasts in Rome & Florence because I want to experience what it feels like to live there, albeit as a guest in someone's home. As much as I LOVE hotels and all the amenities that come along with them, I don't want this trip to be about that. I feel like this is an opportunity to "try on" daily Italian life. I'm testing the waters...indulging in the fantasy of living there someday.
My dream come true...

And who knows?

No one is stopping me from fulfilling that dream but me.
Sure, I can come up with a list of reasons why I shouldn't:
it's not practical, I'm too old, it's too risky.

Then there's the 'other' list....
you know, that one that we keep secret?

Who do I think I am? 
That's for other people, not me.
I don't deserve too be that happy.

Your second list might look different, but I think, if they're honest, most people would admit that have a similar version of their own.

Why do we do this?
Where do we learn that dreaming BIG is unrealistic?
Who says that your dreams can't come true?

I think it's extremely important not to get so locked into the details of what your ultimate life would look like, that you become unwilling to let life unfold. There are infinite possibilities and there needs to be some wiggle room so that opportunities can present themselves in any number of miraculous ways. 

That said, I think the parameters of what I deem possible in my life need to expand...I need to live outside the proverbial box that I've locked myself into. Even if I never end up living in Italy, I need to honor my dreams. You never know what's waiting around the corner when you allow yourself to open to the possibilities.....

Instead of saying "That's not possible for me,"  I need to change my response to, "Why NOT me?"

WHY NOT??




Monday, April 22, 2013

Turning a corner.....






 “Weak minds lead to weak actions. A strong, disciplined mind, which anyone can cultivate though daily practice, can achieve miracles. If you want to live life to the fullest, care for your thoughts as you would your most prized possessions. Work hard to remove all inner turbulence. The rewards will be abundant.” 
~ Robin Sharma

So, I am thrilled to report that I have experienced a Miracle!
According to ACIM, a Miracle is a shift in perception.

That's exactly what I got!

The shift started subtly after my last post. Perhaps writing the post was the catalyst necessary to shift the focus of my attention...from "fighting the current" and pushing against the natural flow of the metaphorical river of my life, to turning to face the opposite direction. I started to ride the current of the river, to go with the flow...AKA acceptance.
For me, acceptance and gratitude are the magic formula for a contented life.

I often forget that and frequently need to be re-minded of that fact.
Unfortunately, pain is still my greatest motivator.
I wish that wasn't so, but at least my threshold for pain is getting lower. 

A dear friend has been staying with me for the past week and I'm quite sure that her incredibly positive energy has been a major contributing factor! 
For that I am forever grateful.

She is about to embark upon a MAJOR life change...tomorrow.
She is leaving the country to travel the world. She is also starting a blog tomorrow to document her experiences...

Please join me in following her blog, ananda423.
SO excited to live vicariously through her on the journey...

She has been truly inspirational and I have had the privilege to observe the process that has led her to this point.

It amazes me how one moment can create a shift which can ultimately change the course of your life!
For me, this contains a tremendous amount of hope....and possibility.

You never know what's around the next corner..and the next and the next.

The possibilities are endless......
keep moving in the direction of your heart.

Peace and love
xox




Sunday, April 14, 2013

Lessons....and moving on



“You take whatever works from wherever you can find it, and you keep moving toward the light.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert


The last few months have been full of interesting and sometimes painful learning experiences. In some ways, I feel like I've lost my footing....my trust has been shaken and I have had to walk away from people, places, and things that once were once an integral part of my daily life.
As I've said before, Change is messy, uncomfortable, and scary.
And it doesn't follow my schedule.

Change is like a river....it goes along at its own pace, twisting and turning according to its own path. 
It's up to me whether to fight the current and swim upstream (**painful**) or to go with the flow of the current, trusting that I will end up exactly where I'm meant to be (not my default reaction).

Going with the flow does not mean that I'm going to arrive at the end of the journey unscathed...in fact, chances are that I'm going to get some bumps and bruises along the way.
But at least I'm heading in the right direction.

Fighting the current is exhausting.
It involves pushing against something/one stronger than me, something/one who is fighting me every step of the way, something/one whose goal is for me NOT to end up in the direction that I'm heading.
My experience shows me that all bets are off when I try to do this....no tricks are off limits. Hitting below the belt is definitely allowed. That something/one fights dirty and I will never win.

Why do I continue to waste my time and energy fighting a fight that I cannot win when it's so much easier to ride the current in the direction that it's going?

Perhaps one day I will discover the answer to that questions, but today is not that day.

Today, I am willing to let go and stop trying to hold on to things/people in the past that no longer serve the person I am in this moment.

I have some clarity today. 
I am moving forward into my future.
People and events from my past helped to create the woman I am today...but some will not join me on this next phase of my adventure.
I don't have the strength (or desire) to carry that load another step.
I am leaving that baggage right here...
and walking away.

Peace and Love,
xo








Sunday, April 7, 2013

Here comes the sun.....





“You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That's the only thing you should be trying to control.” 


Well, I am thrilled to report that the insanity of last week's post is behind me!
The beauty is that very little changed regarding the situation that was consuming me...what DID change was my perspective. I was finally willing to see things differently: being happy became more important than being right. 

Pain has a way of doing that sometimes...at least for me. As much as I wish I could find the motivation for change under more gentle circumstances, history has shown that pain is my greatest motivator. 
Fortunately, my threshold for pain has become significantly lower over the years. I am (generally) able to find the willingness to make the necessary changes to extricate myself from an uncomfortable situation in much less time than it once took.

These days, I have a wide variety of tools at my disposal.
I have been listening to several Mariannne Williamson lectures on my iPod this week. I chose to saturate myself with the wisdom contained in the recordings:

* I choose to see peace instead of this. 
* There is no order of difficulty in miracles.
* A healed mind doesn't plan.
* I am not my drama.

I am so grateful for the resources available to me. I am fortunate to have several trusted friends who are traveling a similar path to my own. They are my "go-to" ladies. They "get" me...and I was able to work my way through the "ick" with their love & support.

I am a lucky girl, indeed!

Peace & Love,
xox








Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Where's my pink cloud?



“The best we can do then, in response to our incomprehensible and dangerous world, is to practice holding equilibrium internally - no matter what insanity is transpiring out there.” ― Elizabeth GilbertEat, Pray, Love

Ever have one of those days? 
Sure, you have....we all have.
Trouble is....sometimes a few too many of them get strung together and you're left feeling like that's all there is.

That's how I'm feeling today.
I feel like I've been getting sucker punched by Life lately...ain't that a B*TCH?!

Normally, I can use the tools at my disposal to pull myself out of a funk....things like gratitude, being of service, praying for a miracle.
I feel like I've emptied my toolbox and nothing seems to be working.

There is some CRAZY stuff going on in my professional life...things so far beyond my control that it's ridiculous to think that I can change the situation. And yet.....I keep looking for the loophole. You know, that one that I missed? There's gotta be a way to do something, right?

Nope.

Nada.
Zilch.

It's pissing me off because now I've let it grow into a resentment...and you know what they say about those:
Like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die?

It was suggested to me tonight, by someone I trust, to recite the Serenity Prayer...as many times as it takes. Kind of like a mantra....over and over and over and over and over again.

I'm gonna give that a try. 
I'll report back in a few days & let you know how THAT worked.

In the meantime, just for the record...

ENOUGH!

p.s. Sorry for the rant...
hopefully I'll be back to my blissful yoga bubble self next time.

Peace & Love