Awaken the Genie Within

Using All Your Strength

As a very independent woman it took me a long time to reach out and ask for help when I needed it most. I used to think it was a sign of weakness if I couldn't figure something out, accomplish a goal or even move through an emotionally difficult time, all on my own. I believed if I involved another person then I didn't really accomplish anything or I'm actually not as strong as I think I am. Boy am I glad I gave up that belief! And trust me on this one, it is just a belief.

Over the years I have worked with many people who had that same belief. When I shared a certain story with them it always seemed to reach them at a level that immediately shifted their thinking and supported them in the process of being willing to ask for help.

I just came across that story while I was doing a little house cleaning in my office and thought I'd share it with you.

A boy and his father were out walking when they came across a large stone. The boy said to his father, "Do you think if I use all my strength, I can move this rock?" His father answered, "If you use all your strength, I am sure you can do it."

The boy began to push the rock. Exerting himself as much as he could, he pushed until sweat poured off his forehead, but the rock did not budge. Discouraged, the boy told his father, "You were wrong. I can't do it."

The father placed his arm around the boy's shoulder and said, "No, son. I was not wrong. You didn't use all your strength. You didn't ask me for help."
Anonymous

Where are you not using all your strength in your life?

Favorite Emotion

One of my mentors, Susan Gregg, mentioned something on her podcast that got me thinking. She said, "We all have our favorite emotion." and as I thought about this I realized how true it was.

On the surface, most people would say that their favorite emotion is happiness or love or joy or any emotion that feels good. But when we take a closer look, although people would like to believe those are their favorite emotions, many don't necessarily live their life as though they are. In fact, I can think of a lot of people whose favorite emotions are more in line with anger, sadness and even fear.

You see a favorite emotion isn't necessarily one that you really like having, it's actually one that you tend to spend more time with. It's an emotion that automatically comes up before any other emotion when you're in a challenging situation. It's an emotion that runs your life at an unconscious level.

In order to experience significant change in our life we must become aware of any favorite emotions that don't serve us - the emotions that hold us back from making peace or joy or love our new favorite emotion.

I'm now inviting you to get really honest with yourself and see what your favorite emotion is. If it's one that serves your highest good, stay with it! If it lowers your energy and keeps you stuck, then it's time to do things differently and think from a more empowered place.

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The Genie Within Transformational Community teleclass begins tomorrow, Sunday, July 26th at 5pm PST.
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I'm Unique!

While waiting for my plane last Friday to take me back East for the weekend I was drawn to a young girl who was sitting directly behind me. Since the back of our chairs were very close together and she was being quite animated while talking, it was difficult not to tune into her.

After she proudly shared what she had accomplished the gentleman she was speaking to said, "How in the world did you pull that off?"

With an upbeat delivery full of great confidence she said, "I'm unique! And my uniqueness let's me do things others can't or won't. It's really that simple!"

I found this to be such a unique and brilliant answer that I found myself taking a peek over my shoulder to get a look at this wonderful soul. What was so amazing is she couldn't have been more that 11 or 12 years old.

Now I don't know about you, but I've never met a preteen who thought that being unique was an advantage in his or her life. The fact is we're all unique and when we're truly willing to embrace our uniqueness the easier it is to love ourselves and appreciate what we have to offer the world with our unique Being.

Be willing to love your uniqueness and allow that part of you to shine outward for the world to get a glimpse of. There isn't another person on this planet who is like you and that's fantastic. You have something within you to offer that no other soul does. Find it. Embrace it. And let it be the reason you are able to pull things off that others can't or simply won't.

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The Genie Within Transformational Community teleclass starts Sunday, July 26th at 5pm PST. We'd love to have you and share your wonderful unique self! Learn more and sign up here: Awaken The Genie Within

Upeksha

I'm always in awe how things show up in my life at the perfect time. I just posted my latest video at my website Awaken The Genie Within - this week it's about relationships. Now relationships are something that are truly the heart and soul of my work. Not just the intimate ones but all relationships, including the one with Self.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to write in today's blog but I knew I wanted to share something touching about relationships. While choosing to wait for something to move through me I picked up a book I'm reading by the Buddhist monk - Thich Nhat Hanh - The Teachings On Love.

When I opened the book I immediately recognized my blog for the day. Equanimity (Upeksha) - one of the four elements of love from the four Brahmaviharas also known as The Four Immeasurable Minds. Upeksha simply means... "nonattachment, nondiscrimination, evenmindedness, or letting go."

This is what I'd like to share from the book:
Without upeksha, your love may become possessive. A summer breeze can be very refreshing; but if we try to put it in a tin can so we can have it entirely for ourselves, the breeze will die. Our beloved is the same. He is like a cloud, a breeze, a flower. If you imprison him in a tin can, he will die. Yet many people do just that. They rob their loved one of her liberty, until she can no longer be herself. They live to satisfy themselves and use their loved one to help them fulfill that. That is not loving; it is destroying. You say you love a person, but if you do not understand her aspirations, her needs, her difficulties, she is in a prison called love. True love allows you to preserve your freedom and the freedom of your beloved. That is upeksha.

As I mentioned in my newest video about relationships - it just happened to be the day of my 28th wedding anniversary when I recorded it. That was not intentional - it was simply one of those synchronistic moments that let's me know this is exactly what I should be doing in the moment.

One of the reasons I believe we've gotten this far in our marriage is because we have learned to allow each other our freedom - to pursue our individual aspirations while supporting each other through the difficulties along the way.

No, it's not always easy, but not being easy is never about the other person - it's always about ourselves and about the choices and allowances we make during the not so easy times.

If you feel like you're being imprisoned in a tin can then it's time to uncover why you're allowing this to be.

If you're needing to imprison someone then you need to ask what you're afraid of that you can't let her or him lead the life s/he wants for her/himself.

You can watch this week's relationship video here:
Awaken The Genie Within

P.S. The Genie Within Transformational Community teleclass starts in 2 weeks!
Come join us and make the rest of 2009 your best year yet!
Learn all about it here:
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Hallelujah! It's A Miracle!

Those were the exact words spoken to me while I was on the phone inquiring about my dog's license for the county. Apparently it can take months before the license is sent. I, however, just wasn't willing for that to be the case for me. You see, Lacey (my dog) and I have a date to get to the dog beach near my home asap and without that license we can't go.

The woman I was talking to said, "I'll check your record but if you just sent your check and application in a few weeks ago, it would be a miracle for the information to be processed already and to get this license before August. We are swamped and so far behind."

I have no idea why, but I found myself saying, "Well, miracles show up a lot for me so let's see what happens."

The next thing I hear is, "Hallelujah! It's a miracle! Your paperwork has been processed and I can send you the license today!"

Then she said, "I don't know how this happened but I want to start hanging out with you because those miracles you expect are obviously working for you!"

We had a good laugh and then I said; "You should try it because you just never know. And besides, you've got nothing to lose when you're allowing for the possibility of a miracle!"

The same goes for you! Start expecting those miracles!

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My next Awaken The Genie Within Success Principals video is up on my website. If you're not on my main subscriber list you would not have received my email notice about it but a simple click here Awaken The Genie Within gives you the opportunity to watch it now. Enjoy!

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