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Put on your ROBE!

bathRobeWhat ROBE, you ask? The ROBE of intention for living this day or completing this task, the ROBE of your life.

Perhaps this sounds silly and unnecessary. “Really, now. I wake up, get out of bed, and get going with my day, don’t you?” Well, yes, if we are blessed with yet another day on this planet, each of us does that. Today’s tidbit asks you to consider how you take those first steps of your day or approach the next activity and invites you to “don your ROBE” in the process:

(R)elax (O)pen (B)elieve (E)nergize

First, Relax. Loosen the tight grip on plans or fear, anxiety or even, for the moment, excitement. Open. From your relaxed being, open to possibility, to what is present right now in your awareness. Review what lies in front of you and (re)commit to your engagement. Then, Believe. Feel the assurance of “Yes, I Can!” or “Yes, this is what I am meant to be part of today.” Finally, Energize it. Channel your energy into what lies ahead. Focus the gift of your life energy on whatever it is that you are choosing to participate in. Don your ROBE, then go! Don’t forget to pause and review the impact of your ROBE when you’re through.

How will your ROBE support you today?
What beauty does your ROBE reveal?

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Come back!

Recently I wrote about practicing full presence in this activity or in this conversation. Especially when we are in relationship with another human being, whether that is a one-on-one connection or as a member of the audience at a speaking or performance event, the gift of full presence is kind, appropriate and energetically supportive. Do we give it 100% of the time? I for one, and, I suspect, most of us, cannot answer that in the affirmative. Even if it is our intention to be fully present in a given moment, it isn’t easy! Our minds wander into yesterday or tomorrow. Our body sends us messages and we stray into our own personal space of need. Our emotions act up with boredom or reactivity, and we follow their lead. When it is your intention to give full presence and you wander, I encourage you to learn the skill of coming back. You will need it!

Imagine you are in an auditorium filled with people and you’ve come to listen to a friend speak. You begin to stray …

  1. INTENTION: Notice the part of you that committed to being present, the voice inside that says, “Come back!”
  2. DISCERN: Now put yourself up there on that stage, experiencing your audience members drifting off. What do you need? Maybe you want to see a visual clue that folks are paying attention (smiles, sitting up straight…). Maybe you want to hear their reaction to your words (Yes! Ah ha!…)
  3. GIVE: Channel that to the speaker. Give your undivided attention, your presence.

Will you stray again? Probably! Can you come back … again? Of course! Know that you you can practice coming back everywhere – with your children, friends, coworkers, clients, even with yourself!

What is the impact of full presence?
What is “coming back” over and over worth?

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There Are No Sacred Cows

Kuhl

I want to share with you a simple tool that came to me this morning and brought me tremendous freedom. I woke after a fitful night of sleep to a day filled with appointments. My mind raced with thoughts like:

Should I cancel that one?
I can’t possibly skip that!
There’s just too much.
Blah, blah, blah.

Somehow, I managed to pause long enough for a breath deep enough to hear a whisper from my heart:

There are no sacred cows, Jeanne

In that instant, I knew that I could choose. Any of the five appointments in this day could be cancelled or rescheduled or happen without my attendance. Yes, all of them! I am not indispensable. I can let go, trust that others will understand, take care of Jeanne.

What happened? I decided to release one option in tomorrow and move one option from today into that slot. I agreed to decide later if I would do my usual noon exercise. Then I moved into the day. Most importantly, I moved into it free, light, at choice, able and willing to BE in each remaining activity 100%.

What are you holding as a sacred cow?
What can you release in order to come fully present now?

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Keep your eye on the ball!

This past weekend I played softball for the first time in 45 years! What’s really amazing about that is: after my hubby found me a glove and played catch to warm me up, I proceeded to go to right field and … get this … CATCH the only two fly balls that came my way! Really, I did! I also made contact with the ball at the plate – twice! While the team would have been better off if I’d let myself get walked, I actually hit the ball and ran! Crazy amazing!

And … like most everything in life, a lesson can be found. Here’s today’s lesson:

Keep your eye on the ball!

Whether the ball is a softball, a hardball, a task, a goal, a dream … focus is important. On the softball diamond, looking at the ground while in pursuit of the ball or looking ahead to where you’ll throw it before securing that fly ball in the glove is a recipe for failure.

Our dreams, especially the big ones, may not be in our mind 100% of the time, with every daily task and interaction. Yet, daily reminders, daily visioning, daily focus on the dream in order to discern today’s step forward will help insure the dream’s unfolding.

What dream are you moving toward?
What helps you “keep your eye on the ball”?
What step will you take today?

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If Nothing Changes …

… nothing changes, right? Right! Yet so often, we human beings, creatures of habit, continue the routine, day after day, month after month, year after year. We dream of the day when:

  • we’ll have time to exercise
  • we’ll start that diet
  • we’ll look for a new job
  • start painting again
  • take a sewing class

The list is different for every one of us but, unfortunately, many of us have the list. What prevents us from taking action on our desires? Where is the will power to “Just do it!”? Why is change so hard?

Let’s examine Webster’s definition of “adult”:

“having arrived at maturity, or to full size and strength; matured; as an adult person”

And “maturity”:

“the quality or state of being mature; especially full development”

And “mature”:

“having completed natural growth and development; having attained a final or desired state; having achieved a low but stable growth rate”

Perhaps we’ve been brainwashed into a belief that stability is good, change is bad? And mistakes, those that naturally accompany the learning process, are simply NOT adult? These thoughts, along with: “No, I couldn’t try that … I’d look silly.” or “I can’t start the diet because I have way too far to go and I’ll never get there!” or “Piano lessons are for kids; I can’t learn at my age!” are likely swimming in our mind. Each thought of change is immediately countered with thoughts of why that change is not an option.

Well, keep it up, and the Law of Attraction:

You attract into your life whatever you think about. Your dominant thoughts will find a way to manifest.

also stated as:

Thoughts held in mind produce after their kind.

will be alive and well in your life!

From an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Rhonda Byrne describes the Law of Attraction as “the most powerful law in the universe” (*). She goes on to say that we “create our own circumstances by the choices we make in life. And the choices we make are fueled by our thoughts – which means our thoughts are the most powerful things we have here on earth.”

Are you ready to live your dreams? Are you ready to make the “impossible” life changes?

Start with your thoughts. Begin by becoming aware of them. Fair warning: it is said that we think between 12000 and 50000 thoughts per day! Be gentle. Use your journal to transfer your thoughts to the page where they can be “seen”.

Beyond awareness, consider using the Law of Attraction with your thoughts. Become intentional about the thoughts you *choose* to hold in mind. Take time each day to become still and to bring to mind one positive idea, one goal, one dream. Focus on this “one”. Hold it in mind as you purposefully think thoughts in support of it. Yes, the mind will wander. But, YES, you can redirect it and bring your thoughts back to the “one”, back to your dream – over and over and over again!

The Law of Attraction can then draw to you ideas which support your dream. This powerful law will also bring situations, opportunities, and people into your life which make your dream come alive. How? As you move through each day conscious of your dreams and goals, you will become more observant. All that has always been there, but which you’ve never noticed, will suddenly appear bold, vivid, and real. Aware of your dream, you will become aware of the ways in which the universe is there to support you in making your dream a reality.

So dream! Thoughts held in mind, produce after their kind. Thoughts are powerful. Our thoughts shape the world we live in. Change your world by changing your thoughts.

If thought changes, everything changes!

 (*) Rhonda Byrne, is creator of the movie, “The Secret”. Learn more about “The Secret” at www.thesecret.tv. Join a local spiritual community where the principles of the law of attraction are taught and practiced: Unity of Appleton: www.UnityOfAppleton.com