How Was Your 2018?

I know what you’re thinking.

“Here it comes…another lame request to ‘review your year.’”  

Nope. Well, sort of. 

Yes, I’m suggesting you review your year but in a very different way. Ask great questions, be curious and really relish the last 12 months. I trust you’ll remember the times you screwed up, wished you’d made another choice or never started that project that was doomed from the start. I hope you’ll learn the lessons that have been presented to you from these challenges and look at them as a way to grow. 

What I want you to do now is spend as much – or more – time reviewing your success!

What were your greatest successes of the year? I encourage you to ask yourself questions like: 

• What made the most positive impact on me this year?
• How did I make a positive impact on others? At work? Home?
• My biggest success?
• Where did I shine this year? 
• What brought me the most joy? 
• How was I of service? 
• How did I grow personally, professionally? 
• Where and when was I the most loving? 
• As a result of this past year, what do I want to do more of next year?

While we’re all quick to remember our failures, I find we seldom spend significant time identifying, understanding and celebrating our wins! And while you’re at it, be sure to remind your loved ones, friends and colleagues how they contributed to your year. Help them remember their acts of love, encouragement and support. Perhaps you’ll even suggest they do their own year end success review.

Find some quiet time to reflect on your year, acknowledge your successes and be grateful for the opportunity to be the love that you are.

Diane

Obstacles on the Road of Life

You know what I mean…those obstacles that you believe prevent you from living your best life.

Divorce. Health crisis. Family drama. Death of a loved one. Financial issues. Yep, in one form or another we’ve all experienced road blocks, obstacles and difficulties on our life path. But what do you do with the road blocks? That’s the challenge.

Sometimes the obstacle is just a bump in the road, sometimes it feels like the only bridge “off the island” has been washed away and you feel “stuck” in place until you can be rescued.

I know the feeling. While I’ve weathered my share of obstacles in life, I realized I was given a fresh insight recently. I’ll explain.

My sister and I were traveling back from a delightful weekend at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York where she attended a workshop. I spent a blissful few days reading, writing and walking the grounds of this beautiful wooded campus.

On our way home to Virginia, my sister was mindfully driving south on the busy interstate through a rocky and winding section of Pennsylvania. We were talking, laughing and enjoying the trip when we rounded a corner and suddenly – in our lane – was a heavy industrial metal double sink and additional debris. In an instant, she navigated traffic in the adjacent lane to miss the wreckage and bring us safely forward.

In a split second it was over. I looked at her and realized our lives could have taken a drastic turn if she had hit the debris which could have propelled us into on coming traffic or plunged us off the steep ledge into the valley below.

Scary, but it happens.

We both gave a sigh of relief and said, “Thank you, God!” several times as we continued our journey. Not ten minutes later, in an even more perilous situation, more dangerous road debris suddenly appeared. This time an unsuspecting car merging into traffic from an on ramp, sped forward not knowing my sister had to quickly cut him off to avoid the rubble thus risking a collision. She didn’t have a choice. No time to react, no safer way to avoid a crash. She just did it and, again, a chorus of “thank you, thank you, thank you!” resounded through the car.

Evidently my sister can drive like Mario Andretti. Who knew? Not me!

As I marveled at her driving skill and tried to calm my nerves, yet ANOTHER near miss occurred. I can’t make this up! A tractor trailer in front of us quickly swerved to reveal some sort of huge beam that spanned the entire lane…another brush with disaster that my skillful sister avoided “just in time.”

We looked at each other in disbelief. That was the last brush with possible tragedy for the day and we arrived safely home a few hours later.

Thank you God, thank you Sis!

Within twenty-four hours, I was driving the fifteen minutes from my home to town and took “the back way” along an unmarked country road to enjoy the summer day. As I rounded a tight curve, I saw a downed tree blocking my lane. Whaaat!?!

Not knowing if a car was coming towards me and not having an option to pull over or turn around, I swerved and safely avoided yet another possible calamity.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?” I thought, truly terrified and fearful I had been cursed and doomed to certain catastrophe.

Then it happened.

Amid my frantic thoughts, a calm internal voice arose.

And I knew. I suddenly knew, without a doubt, what had happened.

My sister had repeatedly avoided certain disaster the day before by instinctively following her inner guidance. The divine within her safely ushered us both around the road blocks to safety.

No question. I was there. She didn’t have time to recognize, assess and react to the road conditions. We couldn’t discuss her options, Google possible scenarios or call anyone for advice. She followed her guidance, without having time to think about it. And we were safe.

The next day, yet again, I was delivered from danger by surrendering to my own inner guidance. Following my unconscious “instincts” brought me to safety. Again.

I got it.

I suddenly knew that the road debris was a symbol for “road blocks” in life. Whether it’s stress over upcoming bills, concerns about weight, relationship challenges – the specifics don’t matter. The truth is that the God within each of us, that inner divine spark of the Universe…whatever you want to call it, knows how to navigate life for our highest and best. Our job is to relax into spirit and trust. I realized the “rescue team” comes from within. 

Once I understood this message, I was suddenly calm, my breathing steady. I felt totally serene.  

I get it. Rest assured I’ll be doing my best to fully utilize my internal GPS in the future and I hope you do too. What does that mean?

Guidance Provided by Spirit.

Three Reasons to Be Optimistic Right NOW

I’m always surprised when a quick note on Facebook gets more attention than I expected. Maybe it’s because often my “well thought out” topics are more ego driven than I’d like to admit and the “quick posts” often come from a deeper part of me. The part that really knows what’s going on. The same divine part that’s in you.

One of those posts came through a few weeks ago. I remember that morning being aware I “needed” to post on my business page when this popped into my head and I quickly typed:

Three reasons to be optimistic:

1. You're alive.
2. You're responsible for the life you create.
3. The tools/resources/opportunities you need are within your reach NOW.

Go inside and ask the divine intelligence within you for guidance. Keep asking, be open to answers and ALLOW the divine to work through you.

Yes, it can be that simple! I've found that when my life was the hardest, my thinking greatly contributed to my difficult experience.

There's always another way. Your ego loves the drama, your divine self loves to see you happy and peaceful. Which inner voice will you listen to?

So why did people respond to this? Maybe it resonated with a current personal issue or maybe it reinforced their own beliefs. Here’s a few more thoughts on each point:

1) You’re alive. 
No matter the physical or emotional condition, humans on some level know where there’s life, there’s hope. There’s a chance to change something of consequence even when the only thing that can be changed are your thoughts about the situation. THAT changes everything. When your perspective changes, your experience changes.

2) You’re responsible for the life you create.
Here come those pesky thoughts again! While you may not believe you create issues such as family drama or serious situations like tragic accidents, natural disasters or acts of war, you are totally responsible for how you react to everything in your life. Your thoughts about life situations – big and small – create the quality of your life. Will you grow from challenges or stay a victim of circumstance? Do you want a more peaceful, happy life? Are you willing to stretch out of your “comfort zone” to find new ways to be in the world regardless of the situation? It’s not easy. 

I find encouragement from the words etched on a favorite bracelet: “If you want something you’ve never had, you must do something you’ve never done.” These words remind me that I must change my thoughts and actions to create anything new in my life.

3) The tools/resources/opportunities you need are within your reach NOW.
When you can relax into this truth, everything changes. EVERYTHING. Just like MacGyver can think his way out of any dangerous situation, so can you. And you don’t need fancy science tricks to do it (but that IS super cool). While your ego thrives on fear, stress and overwhelm the true part of you, call it your soul, divine self, highest self or whatever you believe it to be, knows only peace, love and joy. Even in the most brutal situations, it is possible to tap into your divine core for guidance and to find the peace you crave. 

Remember this: the divine intelligence that is in you knows exactly what to do. Use prayer or meditation to go inside and ask that part of you, the part connected to all there is, for direction. I often ask, “what is my next best step here?” Sometimes I have to ask more than once. Or several times. That ego is strong when I’m fearful. But it’s not stronger than love. Love is the energy that will manifest in new ideas, a call from an old friend with an exciting opportunity or a new workshop on just the topic you need. Whatever you need to go forward will be provided when you allow divine intelligence to direct your actions.

And yes, that divine part of you is present in everyone else on the planet. While it’s tempting, and sometimes feels justified, in pointing out when others are acting from ego, it’s not your job to judge others. You’re responsible for your own thoughts and actions. Period. Trust that everything is happening for your ultimate good and, just maybe, the actions of others are giving you an opportunity to choose a more loving life.

Yeah, I know that doesn’t seem fair, but I didn’t make up this life thing. I just know life is better when I understand, accept and act from these truths:

1) I’m alive.
2) I’m responsible for the life I create.
3) The tools/resources/opportunities I need are within my reach NOW.

A Look Back and Ahead...

So how was your 2016? Did you experience a few surprises? Maybe a shock or two? Most of the world did.

Although some great things probably happened as well, many times as a result of life's turmoil’s we find strength, courage and resolve we didn't know we had.

And let's be honest...most of us would prefer to live "happily ever after" without those pesky life problems. I know I would. But I've learned through the struggles we have the chance to find even deeper wells of love within us. (Just because it's true, doesn't mean it's pleasant.)

The biggest lesson I learned last year?

Situations will constantly evolve, people will come and go and sometimes life isn't fair. However, you can always choose to react to life's challenges with love and respect. And when you forget that, forgive.... and choose again. 

Although we had happy additions to our family this year (my first grandchild is due in February and we welcomed a wonderful new brother-in-law in March), much of our country, and the world, is feeling unsettled. Uneasy. Fearful. Unsure.

That's why most of this year I'll be sharing ways for you to experience "Less Panic, More Peace." We'll be looking at techniques to help you bring consciousness to life's chaos in a way that taps into your most loving and compassionate self. We can all do that. And we'll do it together. Until then, remember #LessPanicMorePeace.

Thanks A Lot, Eckhart Tolle…

                                                                 Source: Eckhart Tolle

So things in my life are starting to make sense. I mean, in the BIG picture, cosmic, my place in the Universe kinda way. I’ve been feeling pretty good in general. Yes, despite a few minor setbacks, life is good and I’m excited about my future.

Then one of my friends reposted this from Eckhart Tolle’s page on Facebook:

“Challenges are here to awaken you and even if you’re awakening, life continuously gives you challenges and then the awakening accelerates and deepens.”

So of course I type “Yes to this” in response to my buddy’s post. I want to look cool and all.

Then I think, “WHAAAT?!?!”

“Now wait a minute, Eckhart,” I say as I continue the conversation in my head. “You’re considered a spiritual master by many and we all know you’re super smart, but are you SURE about this? I mean, really, are you VERY, VERY SURE this is true?”

But I know he is.

No matter the heartache, regardless of how much we think we’ve suffered and despite how spiritual we are…no one in human form is exempt from life challenges. No one.

I think challenges are just part of this life thing. I don’t believe God “tests” us, but I do believe we encounter events, people and experiences that give us an opportunity to choose how we react.

We invariably have an opportunity to grow and deepen our understanding of this life, and what’s beyond. Although I can’t say I’m a big fan of challenges, I do see them differently than I used to. My reactions have shifted from what they’d have been even a few years ago. While I don’t always hit my mark, I do always intend to react from love and with love. And sometimes I can do just that. I’m starting to get it. The crazy part is, I’m starting to appreciate the process.

I’m not going to lie.

I still much prefer to learn from a joyful experience than a painful one. But I still learn. And most of all, I am deeply grateful for the lesson and learning that results.

Thanks a lot for the reminder, Eckhart…