Awaken the Genie Within

Using Your Time

The other day I was sitting in a parking lot becoming rather frustrated. The reason being was this parking lot came in the form of one of those California freeways. For a moment I could feel myself becoming irritated, looking around at which lane would get me where I wanted to go faster. As I switched lanes a few times I realized that no matter what lane I was in it always seemed as though the one I just escaped was now moving faster.

I laughed at myself and recognized how I was creating the stress that was building internally. And then I realized I had a choice. Keep playing the "find the fastest lane" game or simply sit back, relax and become joyful that I had time to myself with no interruptions. I liked the latter choice much better.

So as I sat in my car, crawling along the freeway, I focused on my breathing, then I thought about some wonderful, recent past experiences and other things I was looking forward to. Before I knew it I was smiling and the stress has disappeared. I was finding myself actually grateful for the traffic because it gave me the ability to reflect and notice how wonderful life has been lately. This was a gift.

We are often so busy going from one place to another or planning for whatever we need to plan for that it's easy to lose those opportunities we're given by the Universe to just reflect, appreciate and relax.

Traffic, long lines at the post office or grocery store gives us the ability to practice patience, relax, breathe and get present. I know there are times when we're in a hurry but the truth is, the lines and traffic don't go away just because of our hurry. So why not take a deep breath and use your time to do your best to let go and allow.

Two Days We Should Not Worry

I recently came across this piece and thought I'd share it with you. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.

Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with all its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and its poor performance; Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, Today.

Any person can fight the battle of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities, Yesterday and Tomorrow, that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad, it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday, and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, Live but one day at a time.
Author Unknown

A Needed Break

I missed posting twice last week and I don't mind sharing with you that my Gremlin was working overtime trying to get me to give in and.....

"Write something. Anything!"
"There are people who expect to see your posts 3x's a week. Not one!"

This is what he kept saying to me and he was soooo persistant at trying to take me down. But I won and I'm really proud of this win. Because there were several times I almost caved as I sat down at the computer attempting to write something worthwhile even though I knew I had nothing worthwhile to say. Your time is too important to waste on words without substance. And apparently my Genie thought so too, since he wasn't sharing any insightful words of wisdom.

The truth is I've been incredibly busy the past 2 weeks and I was depleted. And like many of us when we're depleted, it's like trying to squeeze water from a rock. So I simply chose to take a needed break from blog writing until I was feeeeling ready to go.

The rest of the month is a bit full as well so I'll just have to wait and see how I'm feeeeling before I commit to writing another blog this week.

When you think you need a break, listen to that voice inside. It's there for a reason. Stop doing anything that you really don't have to do. Don't listen to whatever it is your Gremlin tells you. If anyone gets upset with you so be it. That's their problem, not yours. You need to take care of you before you're able to take care of others.

Hey, I know you know this already, but I figure it never hurts to hear it again. So are there any needed breaks in your near future?

I'm Only One Person

The post office was an absolute zoo as it can often be on a Saturday. I had to pick up a package and even the "pick up only" area was unusually crowded. I stood patiently waiting my turn, observing the woman behind the counter as she did her best to manage her energy in a flurry of demands from co-workers and customers.

Finally, gently, but firmly, she said to everyone, "I'm only one person, so please be patient." The chaos seemed to simmer down a bit. Her co-workers backed off and the customers were more understanding. I kept my focus on her and found myself sending her tons of appreciation and love for the great job she was doing.

When it was my turn, she looked at me and smiled as though I was the only one in the room with her.
Her intention to be of service to others on her terms was very powerful. That simply means, even though people were pulling at her from every direction, she chose to be completely present working with one person at a time and not getting caught up in trying to please as many people as possible so they felt like things were moving more quickly.

And because of this, she easily calmed others during their impatient moments with her smile and composed demeanor. I was witnessing someone who was a perfect example of emotional energy management.

There's no question in my mind, because this woman was in complete control of her energy, every person she needed to help was out of that post office more quickly than if she got caught up in the energy of the masses.

When you find yourself being pulled in 20 different directions sometimes you have to remind people, calmly,  "I'm only one person." Your emotional intent alone can reveal that you too want to complete the tasks at hand with ease, order and as quickly as possible.

And that is something to be admired and appreciated for by others.

Peace With Adversity

Wanting to feel at peace in life is perhaps one of the greatest desires people share with me. The tricky part here is this; learning to be at peace even during times of adversity.

You see, life is never always going to be adversity free. There will be circumstances that are going to challenge you from time to time. Some will be small and others will be whoppers. Peace, like happiness, is an internal choice. Peace is not something you find outside of yourself. Peace is not something that is determined by what you are faced with from day to day.

You must choose. And that choice must be made every single day you wake up. "Today I will allow myself to maintain my inner peace in spite of what is showing up around me."

This doesn't mean you can't get angry or feel sadness. It doesn't mean that you walk around with a smile on your face 24/7. It simply means that even with those emotions, you stand in a place of understanding that things are happening in the moment as they need to. You recognize that you have the power to make choices along the way to either change the circumstance or wait patiently until you do find a way that takes care of the issue. And, also in that state of peace during adversity, is the understanding that sometimes doing nothing is the best solution, because many issues can clear up on their own.

I know this is not an easy concept. And there are times when I, too, find myself struggling to remain in a peace with adversity. But what I have come to learn is the more I am in a feeling of inner peace, the quicker the adversity falls away.

Surrender For Real

After 5 years of tremendous emotional suffering, my hairdresser has finally freed herself, literally overnight. She is a perfect example of the instant transformation that can take place when we choose to surrender for real around a circumstance that brings nothing but pain, anger and turmoil.

5 years ago she went through a very ugly divorce and had tremendous anger toward her ex. They have a 6 year old son, and as we all know, divorce with kids is never easy.

The other day she got to a boiling point that took her to her knees, literally, crying out for help. She asked for help in forgiving, letting go of needing him to change and allowing herself to change so there could be a better experience in their present relationship. She was completely willing to be, do and have something different for the first time since the separation.

She shared with me that within a 1/2 hour of her crying out for help, she experienced a feeling a tremendous peace and understanding toward her ex that she never felt before. The next day he called her out of the blue and they talked for 45 minutes. This was huge because they hadn't talked for more than 5 minutes at a time since the separation and it usually ended up in a fight.

During the conversation he apologized for his behavior over the years. She apologized for hers as well. End result, they spent their son's birthday as a threesome for the first time in 5 years. No fights and appreciating each other in a way they never did before.

It's been a month now and their relationship is in perfect harmony as parents, and they treat each other with great respect.

If you want something to change in your life with another person, you must absolutely start with yourself and make sure you surrender for real to the process of wanting it to be different. There is an energy exchange taking place all the time with people and when an emotional shift occurs in you toward another person, you have literally freed yourself from the negative vibrational hold that kept the two of you in turmoil. Once that hold is released, there is a spiritual and emotional freedom that is like no other. The absolute key? You must being completely willing to surrender for real.

To Move Or Not To Move

When people talk about not being able to move or that they feel paralyzed because of some difficulty in their life, the most important thing to do is, MOVE. No matter what's going on in your life and no matter how bad it may seem in the moment, the fact still remains that creating change is all about movement, because without some kind of movement you will remain stuck.

Even the tiniest amount of effort to move forward gives you the ability to feel somewhat in control. And in the world of the Genie Vs. Gremlin, that little bit of internal control is enough to quiet the Gremlin long enough to bring your Genie back to life and attract new opportunities and feelings to yourself.

Sometimes the forward movement might mean giving back in some way so you take yourself out of your own circumstances and become part of a bigger picture. Doing this can always put things in perspective for you quickly.

The key is to start somewhere, and until you do, nothing, absolutely nothing, is going to be different for you any time soon.

Telling the Truth Takes Courage

There are all sorts of truths that exist in your life. Being true to yourself with your desires and needs. Telling the truth to those you have a relationship with. Telling the truth about what you believe when no one else feels the same way. Admitting a truth to yourself when you've been hurt and how you played a role in getting hurt. Coming clean with the truth when you know you did something you shouldn't have.

What I've come to learn for myself is that telling the truth has always served me in the long run. And at some point in my life, I asked myself, "What's the truth I want to represent for myself?" Knowing that, made it easier to tell the truth even in those times when I knew it could lead to someone or something falling away from my life.

I fully trust that anyone who exits my life or any opportunity that slips through my fingers because of my truth, just doesn't belong in my life.

When people and opportunities are in your life based on a lie or half-truth, somewhere down the line it catches up with you. And it can drain you without you realizing why you're being drained until one day, you wake up, and you've lost your zip, your joy for life, and you find it hard to get it back.

Until, of course, you muster up all your courage, and simply start telling the truth for yourself.

Stop Being So Stingy

Right now, how is your breathing? Is it full and deep or short and shallow? If it's the latter, stop being so stingy with your breathing! C'mon, together, let's take a deeeep breath in and blow out. Better. Again. Deeeeeeeeep breath in, deep from the belly and blow out. Aaaahhhh, much better.

As generous as we are in our life with other people, the one place we forget to be generous with ourselves is our breathing. Our breathing is our life force and that certainly deserves some attention. Full on breathing isn't just for those moments when you're in meditation. It's for all the moments in your life. The more you remember to breathe deeply and fully the more you'll find yourself feeling at peace during your times of stress.

I know you already know this and I already know this too. BUT......considering how stingy we are with our breathing I just thought another gentle reminder couldn't hurt.

So time to breathe your way out of this post for today.
Deep breath in and out, gooood, deep breath in and out, thaaaat's it, deep breath in and out, perrrrrfect......