Awaken the Genie Within

Wise Words

While reading I came across some very wise words on one page of the book. When I feel like I can't say it better myself, then I simply choose to write it exactly as I read it!

The following is from Lessons In Living by Susan L. Taylor.

"Life is for living, not for rushing through. We are meant to experience each moment fully, to savor each second, for that is where our peace and power is. Haste, tension and frustration are habits that rob us of our joy."

"We can't control what happens out there in the world, but we can put ourselves in charge of our inner world. There will never be a time when we can't find something to worry about - but there will also never be a time when we can't choose to stop worrying."

The Stories You Tell

Throughout life we've been sharing stories. Stories of success, stories of funny experiences, as well as stories of experiences that had you feeling less than happy. That last set of stories is what I'd like to focus on.

When something happens in your life that upsets you or has been quite traumatic, it's not unusual to tell the story in a way that makes you more of a victim than anything else. As you share yourself in that way, it keeps you in the vibration of that experience which doesn't generally allow you to move on from it, learn from it, or serve your highest good. If anything, you just keep instilling how lousy you feel about the experience, and the people listening will more times than not, give you responses that support you in continuing to feel like a victim in some way.

I'd like to invite you to consider sharing your stories of pain, frustration, anger, disappointment, fear and so on, in a way that actually brings you out of being the victim and into a place of empowerment and greater understanding.

Now, I'm well aware that it's much easier to go the other way and relish in the support from others in your present emotional state. However, in the long run, all you're doing is prolonging the changes you want to see in your life and the joy you want to feel.

Be willing to practice your storytelling so when you're finished, you actually feel better than worse. Even if you tell the whole story from a victim place, do your best to finish it up with a statement that allows you to recognize something from the experience that helped you grow. The more you do this, the easier it will be to share the growing experience right from the start.

Be Willing To Outgrow

You know when you were much younger and you used to play with certain toys, like Barbie Dolls or GI Joe? And then one day, you realized you had outgrown those toys and you moved onto something more appropriate for your age.

The same can be true for your life today if you let it be so. There comes a time in your life when you know it's time to let go of certain habits or perhaps people, but you may find it difficult to do because you're afraid to step out of your comfort zone or maybe you need to know that there will be something to fill that void.

Well, there is something I know for sure. The Universe abhors a vacuum and will always replace what you've outgrown with something more in alignment with your present Spiritual readiness.

It's so important to be willing to outgrow your limited thinking, the fears the keep you stuck, the anger that holds you back or the beliefs that no longer serve you and be willing to step into a place of growing, yet again.

Outgrowing is part of the cycle of life and one that keeps you moving forward at all times. What aspect of yourself are you willing to outgrow now?

A Divine Spirit

I'm feeling a little nostalgic as my 18 year old son prepares to leave for a 2 month trip through Europe to be followed up by a quick week home and then off to college. His days of living at home full time are coming to a close and it had me revisiting the last 18 years in my mind. One event stands out above all else and I'd like to share it with you.

When he was 4 years old he was playing with his 6 year old friend and neighbor, Danny. There were two police officers in the neighborhood for reasons I don't recall. When they left, Danny said to Kyle, "Did you see how tall that black policeman was? He was huuuuuge!"
Kyle's response? "What black policeman? They were dressed in blue!"

In that moment I saw the way my 4 year old viewed the world and I desperately wanted to freeze time and always have it be like that for him; seeing people beyond the color of their skin, the shape of their eyes or anything else that makes us look different from each other. A thought that didn't even enter his consciousness.

It was such a profound opportunity to fully recognize that we are not born with any preconceived notions, ideas or prejudices. How we see the world and the beliefs we hold are all learned. And if that's true, then that means anything we don't like about ourselves in regard to our choices, behaviors or thinking, can be changed, allowing ourselves to reconnect to the Divine Spirit that we are naturally.

Creating Our Own Disappointment

How many times have you found yourself disappointed with someone in you life? Disappointed because someone said s/he would do something for you and s/he didn't. Disappointed because someone said s/he'd be there for you and that didn't happen. Disappointed because you believed that someone would actually do for his/herself what was promised and nothing was done.

Perhaps you've experienced disappointment in others more times than you care to think about. Well, I'm about to challenge you on the reality of disappointments.

What if I said, the disappointment has nothing to do with the other person and everything to do with you? Maybe you're searching for the unsubscribe button right now or maybe you're intrigued.

The fact is, people can only do what they can do. And even when their intention is to follow through with what they say, they still only do what they do. They either do what they say or they don't. End of story.

Therefore, it's up to us, after just one time of being disappointed by someone, to consider that their word may not be as reliable as we had hoped. And, that they're really not willing to behave any differently for the time being.

People will often reveal their behaviors and patterns very quickly, and it's us who aren't always willing to see what is being shown right from the start. As we continue to put our faith and trust in someone who is not holding his/her own, then the real disappointment rests on our shoulders. We disappoint ourselves when we keep expecting someone to do something different than what s/he is doing. So in truth, we are disappointed with ourselves. Not the other person. They haven't done anything we didn't already know about, we just keep pretending like we don't already know or conveniently keep forgetting.

Natural Healing Process

Rose bushes 1, Linda 0. That's the score that took place while I was out in my garden trimming my roses. Thinking about all sorts of things that I needed to get done except what was in front of me in the moment, I lost my footing and went flailing into the rose bushes. Ooouuuch!

Wearing a pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt, you can imagine what I looked like when I was able to stand back up. Thorns throughout my body, scratches all over my legs and arms and enough blood to have me running into the house to clean up the mess. Oh yeah, a little swelling in certain areas from the toxins. Just lovely.

After I cleaned up, I went back out to finish the job, only this time with great attention and care. It went much smoother.

It's been several days since that incident and I've consciously chosen to watch the healing process that has taken place throughout my body. Nothing short of miraculous! In just a few days the scratches have diminished tremendously, swelling is gone and there's no more tenderness anywhere.

Our bodies don't need to Awaken The Genie Within, manage any emotional energy or quiet any Gremlins in order to heal. It already knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the healing will happen. And, our body certainly doesn't have to reconnect with the Soul to start the healing process because there was never a disconnect to begin with. Our body knows that it's just a physical manifestation of Spirit and therefore completely connected to Spirit where healing is always going on.

When the mind doesn't get in the way with its ongoing processing about what happened and why it happened, the healing can take place in a miraculously short period of time.

So the next time you find yourself needing to heal emotionally, do your best to let your mind stay at rest and let Divine guidance assist you in speeding up the natural healing process that is always available to you.

Growth From The Inside Out

Any person who is on a path of spiritual awakening is well aware that the work to reconnect with our true essence is an inside out job. And as true as I know this to be for myself, I was still struck by a thought I recently had; growing from the inside out exists in every aspect of life. Life is about growing out of the darkness and into the light.

This is nature's way, and since nature is perfect in its ability to continue to grow and expand even in the most challenging conditions, why in the world would we want to do it any other way for ourselves.

The majestic beauty and strength that nature proudly reveals to the world, when she has moved from the dark to the light, is there for all of us to experience in our own lives when we commit to our personal growth from the inside out as fully as mother nature.

Comparison - The Self-inflicted Pain

Perhaps one of the greatest ways we bring pain onto ourselves is through comparing anything and everything in our life with someone else's life. Whether it be a job, physical appearance, finances, children and anything else you can think of that you find yourself comparing from time to time.

What is there to be gained from comparing your life situation with someone else? If we look at this from both ends of the spectrum, either way it's lose/lose.

Perhaps you compare yourself to someone like this, "Hey, I'm looking pretty good compared to that person." Or "Man, compared to that homeless person, I've got it great!"

That may appear to have a positive spin on it but I must warn you, it's just as damaging to yourSelf as taking on a negative comparison. Why? Because your Gremlin is just as involved in the positive comparison for yourself as the negative.

The Gremlin says, "As long as there's someone who has it worst off than me, then I'm okay."

But the minute you see someone else who you are envious of in some way, you're now thrown to the other side of the spectrum feeling less than about your circumstances. The result? You're now a human yo yo. Up, down, up down.

But when you come from your Spirit, comparison isn't even a consideration because your Spirit already knows you're exactly as you need to be in the moment. If you choose to make some changes because you want to and not because of some external comparison, great! If not, that's perfect too!

Watch yourself as you move through the day and see where your Gremlin has you playing the comparison game and the emotional energy that creates for you.

Your Authentic Self

More and more I am experiencing the desire of those I coach to pull off their mask and reveal their authentic Self. I have to admit, nothing brings me more joy when clients step onto that path of their life. And, the best part is, they start experiencing more personal freedom and joy. Talk about win/win!

Let me ask you a couple of questions. Do you feel successful on the outside but like a fraud on the inside? Is your public face a mask that reveals a strength but the inside is scared? Are there people in your life who drain you? Do you make decisions based upon what others think or want, just to be accepted?

Your authentic Self, is that place, deep within, that has the answers to all those questions. This is where your truths, beliefs, values and dreams live. It's there that you know how you really feel even  though you may be uncomfortable admitting it to the world or even to yourself at time.

If you've been living everyone else's life other than your own, it's never too late to awaken your authentic Self and listen closely as the truth is whispered to you. This takes some courage. It means being willing to say no when you might normally say yes and the yes isn't authentic.

Give yourSelf a gift today. Let go of your have to and shoulds for just a little while. Slow down, listen to what your heart is telling you. What you hear?

Look inside. Who do you see?

When you start to see a glimmer of your authentic Self, allow it to flow to the surface and take the steps needed to begin your authentic journey. Remember, it's the infinitesimal steps that can create the biggest transformation.

"The most common despair is...not choosing, or willing, to be oneself, but the deepest form of despair is to choose to be another than oneself."
    Soren Kierkegaard - 19th century Danish philosopher

Watch The Secret

I know I don't normally put two posts out on the same day but I believe the movie, The Secret, is so worth seeing. It can be viewed on your computer for $4.95 or you can purchase the CD.

It's all about the Law of Attraction and they did a wonderful job with it. If you want some other insights around this Universal truth I highly recommend taking the hour and a half it takes to watch this movie.
Here's the link: http://www.whatisthesecret.tv/

Enjoy!