Awaken the Genie Within

Forgiving First Continues

From the amount of emails with questions I received about Monday's post, Forgiving First, I thought I would share some thoughts to address those questions. Forgiving is about you, not the other person.

Forgiving first:

Allows you to release any energy you're holding that doesn't serve you which can keep you from fully moving forward.

Gives you the opportunity to free yourself up to be grateful for the lessons gained from the experience and use those lessons to your fullest advantage.

Is being able to choose to keep the person in your life or let the person go with a clear conscious. And yes, you can accept an apology and still move on from that relationship.

Gives you the freedom to set some new ground rules so the situation doesn't repeat itself.

Is telling yourself you deserve better.

Allows you to move beyond the illusion of the human being and into the Soul of who they really are even though they can't expose that at this time in their life.

And forgiving first means no longer using someone else's actions and behavior toward you as a reason for not living the life you desire and being the person you want to be.

Forgiving First

When you've had a fight with someone, do you ever find yourself experiencing an internal struggle that won't allow you to be the first one to say I'm sorry? C'mon now. Be honest here. I know I've been there and I'd hate to think I'm the only one!

Well, I'd like you to consider the self-empowerment that can come from being willing to take the stand of forgiving first even when you are so hurt and feel so wronged, that it's not a possibility in your mind. Especially when it's a situation that's been going on for years. Now with that said, I do realize, the longer it's been going on, the harder it is to move in a forgiving direction. The only thing we may expect and want from an extremely painful event, is an apology from the person who hurt us before we'll ever consider uttering the words, "I forgive you." and mean it.

So here's a question that just might enlighten you to a new possibility. What if the person who hurt you deeply, was so angry at him/herself and so embarrased and ashamed that he/she is finding it impossible to come forward and apologize? And what if all they want most of all, is to hear you say first, "I forgive you." so they can then open their heart and soul in step with the magnificent act of courage you just displayed.

Just a thought.

Jet Blue and Human Mistakes

Most people know by now that Jet Blue had a huge faux pas with their airline recently and it upset a great deal of people to say the least.

Although I wasn't personally affected by the events that took place, I did receive an email from the company which I can only assume was sent to all of their customers.

What struck me was the heartfelt apology, embarrassment and disappointment they expressed about what happened. Along with this email was a video apology from the founder and CEO, David Neeleman. As I watched the video, I saw a man who was no longer a CEO but a human being with vulnerabilities, concerns and nervousness. He wasn't reading from a cue card, his comments weren't polished or overly prepared. As a matter of fact, it actually felt as though he were speaking spontaneously from his heart, in the present moment.

Watching the video, I truly felt for this man. He was in a difficult position and it took courage to show himself in this light. He did what he felt was in the best interest of the company and his customers, as well he should. It's not important if someone influenced him to create the video. What matters most is the fact that he did step up to the plate.

It's so easy to get on the bandwagon with others and verbally rip apart companies when mistakes are made. Often forgetting that those behind the scenes are real people, just like you and me. People make mistakes all the time. Yes, some mistakes have a bigger impact than others, and this was a big one.

Decisions were made that may not have been the best call in the moment, but it was still a human mistake. And when someone is willing to come forward, take full responsibility, admit to their mistake and sincerely do what they can to make up for the mistake, perhaps we need to remember that we're all human, we all make mistakes and we're all doing the best we know how in the moment. Because of that, I believe it's worth finding it in our hearts to drop the judgments, forgive and move on the next time we find ourselves on the receiving end of a human mistake.

I've included the video link if you haven't seen it and would like to.
http://www.jetblue.com/about/ourcompany/promise/index.html?source=ap_2promise

Wow!

There's a commercial that's been airing a lot that shows various vignettes of people seeing something and simply saying, "Wow!". Some wows are full of excitement. Some are more quiet and awe like. While some exude joy and laughter.

When I saw this commercial my first thought was how great it would be to allow ourselves to find something every day to be wowed by. And then my next thought, which I credit my Gremlin Gertrude for, was there probably isn't something to be wowed by every day of our lives.

Well, when Gertrude shows up like that, I choose to challenge her. So I decided to find something to be wowed by every single day for as long as possible. And you know what? 7 days into this little experiment I'm glad to report there's been something to say "Wow!" to each day.

And all of these wows do run the gamut of total excitement to a state of quiet awe. The best part of this experiment is the fact that it's become a part of my day to day experience and I find myself attracting to me more and more things to be wowed by that I may have never noticed before. The advantage to this? It lifts my spirit and raises my vibration! And when your vibration is raised........Well I think you know the rest of that thought!

So starting today, I invite you to move through all of your days looking for things to be able to say "Wow!" to.

Look Up. Way up!

While on my daily walk today I do what I often do when I'm walking up a big, long hill. I put my head down and just focus on the small area of pavement right in front of me. When I look too far ahead I start to feel less energetic, as if I'm not going to make it to the top and want to turn around.

Well, today I experienced something very different. With my head down and plodding along, a little voice in me said, "Look up. Way up!" So I did, and what a difference it made.

I saw an expansive, beautiful, blue sky with magnificent clouds and lush, rich green trees with the sun's rays shining through them. I felt so connected to my surroundings that it brought tears to my eyes. It was as though my entire Being was opening up and I found myself both energized and grateful for the listening to that gentle, kind voice within.

Many times we put our heads down with our nose to the grindstone so we can do exactly what we need to do in order to accomplish a goal. As practical and helpful as this can be to keep us moving forward, it can also be limiting, shortsighted, all encompassing. When we're willing to take a moment to look up, way up, we can see the bigger picture and gain greater insights. A new perspective that can leave us feeling elated and renewed in the moment, giving us even more momentum to keep on going.

Authenticity and You

The dictionary defines authentic as; Worthy of trust, reliance or belief. Genuine. 
When I apply that word to people in my life I describe them as people I can count on. Who are a joy to be with because I know what to expect from them. They don't live from a hidden agenda and they inspire me to be my best authentic self as well.

And as nice as that sounds it's not always easy for people to live in a place of authenticity consistently.

When you get right down to it, authenticity is about trusting yourself above all else. It's about being comfortable enough to show your true Self to others without concern of what they may think of you.

There are a few advantages to trusting yourself enough to being fully authentic. The more you do, the more you attract authentic people to you. Your authenticity radar holds a greater awareness to recognize those who aren't living from their authenticity. And perhaps the best advantage of all, you don't have to keep changing your Beingness depending on who you're with. Now that's exhausting!

When you're the real deal, people who are in alignment with that energy will show up and add joy into your life. While the others, will simply come and go with little fanfare. Authenticity and You allows for  more peace and truth to be experienced on a day to day basis.

Sounds like the kind of days I'm interesting in having. How about you?

Grtateful For 20 Years In Jail

I read an article in the Los Angeles Times recently about a man that brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. Not so much because of what happened to this man, whose name is Timothy Atkins, but because of his heart and how he's responding to what happened to him.

Timothy, and his friend, Ricky, (who was killed while in prison) were sent to prison for a murder they didn't commit. 20 years later, Timothy was released when the young woman who put them there in the first place due to her testimony, finally came forward and told the truth of their innocence and her false testimony.

Now, you might expect any human being who lost 20 years of his freedom and his friend to murder, might have just a little bit of anger built up inside. Well, not this man. He took this experience and chose to make lemonade out of lemons.

"I was a gang member. I was a thief and I had a drug habit. The life I was living before, I probably would have ended up dead."

And as if that wasn't enough he went on to say; "The past is the past. If I see her, I'll speak to her and if I can help her I will." Referring to the woman who gave the false testimony.

He went in at 19 and was freed at 39 years old.
What's his plans for his future? He wants to counsel at-risk youths.

Timothy is a magnificent example of what it means to live from a place of compassion, forgiveness and love. He is a living example of how we are always at choice with the stories we choose to create about our lives no matter what circumstances are thrown at us.

So tell me, what's your life story?

Love Is The Stuff Inside

While standing in line last week waiting to get through the airport security check-in, there was a man in front of me carry a colorful box with a handle. What really grabbed my attention was what it said on the outside of the box; Love is the stuff inside.

I just felt so good when I read those words because I believe there is no greater truth. Love is the stuff inside!

When we get down to the core of what's real in life, it's love, and that love can come from only one place. Inside of each and every one of us. Some people have an easier time than others allowing that love to come through but the bottom line it's still inside there, no matter how deep you have to dig, it's still there. And it's up to all of us to be willing to keep going within to feel the love we carry inside and share it with others.

If you've been a little stingy with your love lately, now is always a good time to reach inside, pull it out, and share it with as many people as you possibly can!

Oprah, The Secret and An Inspired Action

What I'm about to share with you is a perfect example of the Law of Attraction in the most beautiful way. And, when there is complete faith, with the purist intentions, you can make anything happen for yourself!

If you don't already know, Oprah had some of the people from The Secret movie on her show yesterday. A dear friend of mine forwarded an email to me from her girlfriend knowing I would absolutely love the story and how things unfolded.

Her girlfriend watched The Secret and loved it so much that she decided to send the DVD to Oprah with a passionate letter about the film.

She received a phone call from Oprah's Executive Producer who had just seen the movie the night before she received the package and loved it. She also explained that because of the amount of mail Oprah receives she never calls people who mails anything to Oprah but made an exception in this case. The producer was going to have Oprah watch it since she hadn't seen it yet.

When my friend's girlfriend learned that Oprah was doing a show with some of the people in the movie she called the Executive Producer several times asking to come see the show. There was no return phone call.

On a whim, she decided to book a flight to Chicago to see the show even though she didn't have a ticket for the show. (Oprah gets 6,000 requests a day for audience tickets!)

She ended up getting in to see the show sitting in the 2nd row, center and had dinner with the panel who was in The Secret and on the show! She met with Oprah after the show and shared her story.

Oh yes, one last thing. A while back, she put together a picture of herself standing next to Oprah as part of her Law of Attraction exercise and sure enough, before she left to come home, she had a photo taken with Oprah after the show was over!

So take this story to heart and know that this woman is no different than you. When you take action with anything that you are inspired to act upon and follow through with unwavering faith miracles do happen!

Are You Compensating Your Life?

When you really give some thought to the question, are you compensating your life, what's your honest answer?

When you compensate your life you live a life that isn't being lived from your truth. A compensated life is one that has you doing and saying things just to receive approval from others. You pretend to be happy when you're really not. You get defensive easily. You laugh at people and circumstances only because those around you are doing so. You take on responsibilities that don't feel right. You say yes, when you mean no and no when you mean yes.

I'm well aware of this kind of a life because I lived it for a long time while growing up and into my early adult years. Being on the other side of it I now see how exhausting it is to live such a life. The amount of energy it takes to do so is enormous because it goes against every fiber of your Soul's truth and that takes work.

Allow yourself to start noticing when your compensating your life and the feelings that come with it. It may take some effort to recognize this and decide who it is you really are. What your truth is. During your time of compensating you've developed a whole other Self and that could be one of the reasons many people don't feel comfortable in their own skin.