Awaken the Genie Within

Something Better?

Sometimes a song will play on the radio while I'm driving that I just love. I can find myself get a little giddy when I'm given the surprise of a great song as I travel along. However, I recently noticed something that intrigued me and I realize I do a lot.

The minute a wonderful song shows up my Gremlin chimes in and says, "Oooh, maybe there's an even better song on another station." and before I know it I'm flipping quickly through the stations not willing to commit to the first song I heard - just in case. I laughed at myself, because by the time I get back to the first song, I've missed some of it, diminishing my listening enjoyment!

This experience got me thinking about other areas in my life that I might do the same thing. You know, the old, 'grass is greener on the other side' syndrome. I was pleased to discover I don't do this very much, if at all, anymore. However, as an example, in the past I signed up for tons of newsletters or inspirational quotes from various people not wanting to miss any pearls of wisdom. All that did was bring me lots of anxiety because of the amount of email I received! I wasn't willing to commit to one or two that benefited me the most for fear of missing something better.

That may seem like a shallow example but the point is to be willing to look at your life and see where you aren't committing to something because you're afraid you'll miss out on something better. This can happen with relationships, jobs, or even buying or renting a place to live.  When you're afraid of missing out on something better, you're basically putting your life on hold.

Holding the Hand of Mediocrity Through Resignation

Resignation is like holding the hand of mediocrity
~ Reverend Michael Beckwith

When I heard Reverend Michael share these words it touched upon one of my truth chords. I thought about times in my past when I resigned to some situations even though I wasn't satisfied with the way things were. Bottom line, it was the easy way out. I didn't bother to go the extra mile or think that maybe, just maybe, I could do something different so I could move beyond the mediocrity of the circumstance. I didn't stand up for what I believed in and really wanted.

Occasionally I'll challenge a client for something greater because he or she is on the verge of resigning to the way things are and it's hard for him or her to imagine it being any better. It's not always easy to recognize when we're stepping into a place of resignation. We can fool ourselves into believing that we've done all we can do and that the way things are really is good enough. But, in our heart and soul, we feel something different.

Take a look at any area of your life that you've resigned to that now has you holding onto mediocrity. Is it happening out of fear or plain old laziness? What would happen if you took back your resignation and put in a little more effort? Wouldn't it all be worth it if it brought you more joy, energy and peace in your life?

Take Back Your Power

When my girlfriend told me that she finally took back her power I wanted to shout it out to the world. I was so thrilled that she decided to step up to the plate in two areas of her life - work and her kids.  Hesitating for way too many months to speak her truth, she literally woke up one morning fed up with walking on eggshells and worrying about everyone else's reactions if she said what she needed to say. So she wrote her three kids and boss separate emails, addressing the issues relating to each person.

For the first time she told the truth about things that she had been holding back because she feared she would hurt her children's feelings and that she might lose her job. When she told me the things she wrote, I even found myself wondering if this would blow up in her face. However, my Genie within knew, with the conviction and confidence she was feeling, no matter what the result, she would be fine. Why? Because it was her truth and it needed to be expressed so she could free herself from her self-imposed prison. This was the only way she would be able to move to the next level in her life.

Her choice paid off big time. Her boss took her words to heart and gave her a promotion along with a raise. Her kids thanked her for giving them the wake up call they needed inspiring them to take the action that was necessary for improvements. All this, just because she chose to take back her power.

Who have you given your power away to? How would your life improve if you took back your power? When you've come up with those answers, decide what you can do to take back your power and go for it with a vengeance.

Sacrifice Being a Victim

Every now and then I give my clients a little kick in the butt when I feel they need a loving, but firm awakening. And this is exactly what I found myself doing with a client I've been working with for the past 2 months.

She's been through a lot in her life and to her credit she's done a great deal of work on herself over the years making many sacrifices to achieve her desired changes. Not an easy thing to do. However, during one of our sessions, it occurred to me there was something else she wasn't sacrificing which kept her from really taking off - being a victim.

When I shared this with her, the silence that lingered over the phone line let me know I hit a cord. After about one minute she spoke up in a voice that had me straining to hear her.

She said, "You're right. I get a lot of pleasure from being the victim because people respond to me in a way that feels good."

Now that took a lot of courage to admit - not to me, but to herself. We worked on this for a few sessions and in a matter of weeks she sacrificed being a victim. Because of this, she is experiencing monumental growth and joy in her life.

Making sacrifices in your life isn't always about giving things up on a physical level. It's not always about giving something up to create more time for something else. Sometimes you've got to dig deep and see what belief or behavior you haven't been willing to sacrifice that's ultimately holding you back mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Today, I invite you to dig deep and see what you haven't considered sacrificing that could ultimately shift your life experience, if you did. Then the next step, of course, would be to actually make the sacrifice.

Can We Focus On the Solution?

The man on the other end of the phone asked me that question when I repeated myself about a financial issue that was still not handled as promised weeks ago. The minute he asked the question I realized that I was more invested in hanging on to my story a little while longer - the one about what they did wrong instead of being willing to move on to the solution. It was obvious my way wasn't going to get us anywhere and this poor soul wasn't even the person I originally dealt with.

My buttons were pushed big time the minute the question was asked. I knew I was now wrong in my behavior and I either had to shift my focus or it was going to be a long and miserable conversation. I'd like to tell you that the shift occurred with grace but I'm afraid I can't. It took a few minutes for my Gremlin to simmer down and once I calmed down we were done with the conversation in five minutes. This gentleman knew what needed to be done and I stopped him from proving his expertise for the first ten minutes of the call!

It never fails to amaze me how powerful the Gremlin is and how much it wants to be in control and right! It would rather be right than happy. Although, I suppose from our Gremlin's perspective, needing to be right makes it happy!

How often do you find yourself repeating what's not working to people just to make sure they know they screwed up? We all do it from time to time, so no need to beat yourself up about it. Just be willing to notice when you're headed in that direction and once you see it happening make the choice to change directions and focus on the solution.

And I do promise you, when you do, you will feel sooooo much better!