The Shift

Do you feel there is change in the air?  A significant shift happening?  On my radio program “Journey to Center” on Empoweradio.com I have interviewed astrologers, healers, teacher and experts and they all confirm this is true.   The big question is do you feel it?   And how is it affecting you? 

For me it is showing up in some unexpected ways.  I had a studio/gallery and private counseling practice in Idaho, my neighbors were not loving me and there seemed to be other “hints” from the universe that maybe it was time to consider letting it go.  My husband suggested I put it on the market just to “see what would happen.”  I thought perhaps we would sell it in the spring.  Maybe you have heard, for the most part real estate is not moving, things are slow and somewhat depressed.  Imagine my surprise when we got an offer two days after we put it on the market - and then a bidding war.  We were in escrow within a week.  Now my studio/gallery is gone.  What?  What just happened and what do I do now? 

I am now getting to explore and consider what I really, really want.  Where do I want to put my energy,  focus and intentions?  I have recently said, “I am not where I have been, and I am not where I am going, I am kind of in the uncomfortable in between state,”  and my strong intention is to make friends with what is and affirm frequently that I am shifting and expanding in grace, ease, acceptance and joy.

What comes to mind is a vision of the caterpillar becoming the butterfly, that in between stage the where the creature is literally liquid inside of his chrysalis, no longer a caterpillar, but not yet the butterfly, and if you were to crack open the chrysalis during this in between state, it actually looks like water.  It is an amazing and mysterious process of shift and transformation.   

Are you like me and feeling a little like liquid?  If so, just know you can give yourself permission to relax, be patient and set the intention for clarity.  The liquid state is not the time to press, push or attempt to fly.  I am patiently and faithfully allowing this process of transformation and for my wings to form.  Then when it is time, I will emerge from my chrysalis, rested, refreshed and allowing the gust of wind to gently  lift me up and carry me to my next adventure!  I hope you will join me! 

For more about “The Shift”  listen to my radio interview with Jim Self: 

http://www.empoweradio.com/home/shows/journey-to-center/journey-show-info/1184-October-2011---Jim-Self-Shift-Expert.html


Please be in touch and let me know your thoughts how you are feeling and what you are doing.  Blessings of peace, grace, ease and love.

Loss

Loss, is never easy, especially if we have a strong attachment to someone or something.  I recently lost my duck Afflack (affectionately known as Flacky by my family and me) and spiraled into grief.  I knew he wasn’t much longer for this world.  My research revealed that Ducks tend to live 7 or 8 years and he was at least 7.  Arthritis contorted his legs and feet and made it difficult for him to walk.  As I watched him stumble around the pond towards the end of his life, my eyes would fill with tears.  It is painful to witness those we love struggle.  However, loss and pain is a part of life on planet Earth, and as much as it hurts, if we can make friends with these experiences, (or at least relax our resistance to them) the tears, hurt, and grief can flow through us, rather than get stuck in our physical, mental and emotional bodies.   

One thing is for sure, everything here is temporary.  I have the image of us as a part of a cosmic soup, part of Spirit. We bubble up and put on our skin, fur or feather suits; we play and flail about for a while, then bubble back into Spirit.  But  from this side of the bubbling, it feels like a great loss when someone dissolves back into that other realm. 

A few years back I lost a dear friend to suicide.  I knew he had been in great pain and thought I could help soothe his angst.  When he made that decision, not only did I feel like a failure as a friend, I felt like I had lost a  touchstone to love; the same feeling I have now with the loss of my duck.  My friends were worldly representations of love, and when they were suddenly gone…I felt they had taken my love with them.  This is the core of grief – being separated from love.

The Course of Miracles say, only the love is real, everything else is an illusion.  So whether we are losing a friend to death, divorce or otherwise, only the love matters…only the love is real.  My friends may no longer be here in physical form for me to hug, but they still do exist and so does the love.  I occasionally feel the sting of tears at the back of my eyes but unlike certain losses from my past, I don’t resist the tears.  I let them flow through me, and I consciously connect to the love, respect, gratitude and reverence in my heart for these special beings.  My tears have become like free flowing prayers. 

Even though I know what I know, loss hurts, pain hurts.  However, I am not adding to that pain by suppressing my tears, ignoring my pain, or putting challenging emotions in the closet and locking the door.  Suppressed emotions, and unshed tears, can rule our lives from the shadows and put a blanket of gray haze over our lives.  This tactic is often the cause of disease, unease in our bodies. Tears are not the enemy, they are our friends.  In fact, according to Gary Zukav “tears are the healing balm to the soul.”

So today I celebrate my friends, those still in physical form and those who have blended into Spirit.  I am also rinsing my soul off in the process.  If you are reading this, I want to thank you for being a part of my Earthly experience.  Let’s flail, dance and play for a while, and let’s allow the tears flow when they present themselves.  And may you experience a whole,  loving, rich, and fully-lived life.

Change One Belief

Buddha has said the world is a manifestation of our minds. What we think and what we believe creates our reality, so when we change our beliefs, we can change our world as well as the trajectory of our lives.


Years ago when I was asked if the world a safe a loving place or not I immediately answered “NO” with great conviction. My life had been filled with plenty of proof loss, betrayal, lies and abandonment, nope, definitely not safe. Then a teacher I respected a great deal, Dr. Ron, shared with me his perception of God and the universe, he described God as: “My very, very best friend who wanted the very, very best for me”. Ron told me he felt safe, loved and very protected at all times. I thought, wow, what must that feel like? Then Ron said, “You can’t know unless you open your mind to that possibility”. So I decided I consciously chose to change my belief, if only temporarily, and be like something like a spiritual scientist. I reasoned if things did not work out, I could always go back to this other way of being that was clearly not working for me.


So one night, I lit a candle and chose to invite Spirit in relax and trust that I was loved and all was well. The Universe responded in kind, I was soon met with miracles, grace, and manifested a great job two days later. I am happy to report I never did go back to that other way of being.


William James has said: “Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.” As human beings we have free will and choice, we have the incredible opportunity to choose what we want to believe - and what we believe we will eventually experience. It is easy to get sucked into the drama and fear if we watch the news, or read statistics and reports about the economy, but we have a choice, and those choices are backed with incredible power.


Another belief I consciously changed was my opinion about relationships. I grew up in a home where I saw a lot of fighting, disrespect, discord and eventually divorce. I think I made a decision very early on that relationships are hard, and ultimately they do not work. So, guess what I experienced as I got older? Lots and lots of challenging, painful and unsuccessful relationships. One day someone said to me he knew he had met his wife, because things were easy Easy? It never occurred to me that a relationship could be easy! So I opened my mind to the possibility and then looked for examples of those kinds of relationships. I only found two, but that was enough to open my mind to the possibility. I created and ideal scene to manifest a husband and included the fun and easy part. have since manifested that relationship and 10 years later it is still fun and easy! I know if I did not change my belief about men and relationships, I would not have manifested this incredible partnership.


I personally know how changing a belief can change your life, so when I heard about an opportunity to submit a story about how changing a belief changed you life for a book, I knew I had to do it. Bob Burnham is creating an anthology about this very subject. You can listen to my interview with him on Empower Radio by clicking this link: http:// www.empoweradio.com/home/shows/journey-to-center/journey-show-info/876-June-2011---Author-Bob-Burnam-Tools-For-Writing-and-Publishing-Your-Own-Book.html




So, if you have a great story about how you changed a belief and it changed your life, check out www.changeonebelief.com and share it, you have no idea how you might be able to uplift and inspire another. And if accepted you will have the title “Amazon Best Selling Author” to add your resume!

Creativity - Our Lifeline to The Creator!

“But I’m not an artist!” I hear this statement frequently from friends, clients,  and students.  Are you breathing? Yes?  Then you are an aspect of Creative Intelligence, therefore innately creative and intelligent. As human being we are creative beings, however, somewhere between 2 and 3rd grade we may have forgotten. Perhaps Little Johnny’s crayon rendition of a tree got picked for the art fair and yours did not. Perhaps you had a sibling who could draw really well, so you decided it wasn’t your thing, or perhaps you got a C in a craft class. Or maybe you KNEW you were an artist, but in high school or college you were told to pick a more logical career, or the term “starving artist” got stuck in your psyche. Whatever the reason the artist was put in the closet, or set to the side, I invite you to extend your hand to the creative aspect that resides inside of you, bring them out into the sunshine and into the world.


I know it can be scary to put the toe in the creativity pond, but we can go slow. Rather than going to the art store and picking up a 4 foot canvas, tubes of paint, and a dozen brushes, it can be less daunting to pull out old magazines and tear out pictures that make you happy. Then arrange them on a piece of cardboard or poster board. You may be amazed by a theme that emerges. This process can literally be a doorway to your heart, a portal to your soul and give you valuable feedback about who you are and why you are here.


Another suggestion is to look at the activities you participated in as a child… there is always valuable information about what aligns us to that something greater, to fulfillment, and joy. I have never gone into a kindergarten classroom while involved in an art project, where the children were not having a GREAT (and sometimes very messy) time. As kids we LOVE to play and create. It’s not about WHAT we create, it is that we GET to create! When we get back in touch with that joyful, happy, creative being, we naturally and easily come into alignment, greater health, and deeper fulfillment.


As a kid I loved to sit outside on the grass with crayons and pencils and draw. I also loved to collect colorful stones, play with clay, and pick flowers. As life became more serious, I put my “childish habits” away. Somewhere along the line I also started to get depressed, anxious, and sick. In my Masters Program at the University of Santa Monica, part of the healing process included inviting back the inner child. “Little Tammi” told me in no uncertain terms, it was time to create. I was scared, but I complied. As I did, I started to feel the fog of sadness lift, and a ray of golden sunshine pierce the gray that had become my life. Creativity, and my inner child, have been my constant companions ever since. And now I love supporting others in tapping into the well of fun, joy, beauty, and wisdom within.


As I hold the hands and hearts of my students when they come to an Art for Healing class or Mandala class, I assure them that everything is going to be O.K. They have already done the hardest part…they showed up. I make the process accessible, simple, and fun. By the end of the class many have said: “I can’t believe I created that!” Well, you didn’t do it alone, God did it through you! This is why I create and why I support others in creating. It is a lifeline to the Divine.


If you are ready for a more fulfilling life, greater health, more love, and more joy, consider creativity.  Look up classes in your area and see what ignites a spark inside of you. Ask your inner child what would be fun for them, and DO IT! Create a collage and send me a picture, I LOVE this stuff!


You can also go to my radio interview with creative genius, artist, author, inventor, jewlery designer and mother, Elizabeth Bryan at http://www.empoweradio.com/home/shows/journey-to-center/journey-show-info/862-May-2011---Elizabeth-Bryan-Creativity-Can-Change-Your-World-and-Feed-Your-Soul.html


Let me know your thoughts and be in touch if you need a "Creativity Coach" or want to share your creations. I would truly love to hear from you! God bless and may you have a happy, healthy, prosperous, and creative life!

Mother's Day

Ah Mothers Day, a holiday created to honor and acknowledge our Moms. Perhaps you called your mom, got her flowers, took her to brunch, or purchased a card or gift. If your mother is no longer in physical form maybe you thought of her, or said a prayer on her behalf. Perhaps some of you reading this blog are not on the best of terms with your mother, but I would imagine, even if this is the case, you can conjure up appreciation for the gift of life.  If you are a mother, perhaps you were celebrated on this day, I certainly hope so!  To be a mother is the most profound gift of the soul, of sacrifice and of great love.




  I think it is wonderful to acknowledge our Earthly mothers, and regardless of that relationship, I think it is also powerful and important to take time to acknowledge and appreciate Mother Earth, the Divine Feminine, and the feminine qualities that reside in each and every one of us.




The qualities of compassion, connection, kindness and love are that of the feminine. Others include support, nurturing, sharing, and deep affection.  So if you have ever had someone see the best in you, hold you as you cried, laughed with you, celebrated with you, sat with you when you were sick, sad or confused, you experienced the energy of the feminine. This is ultimately the energy of God, Spirit and the Universe. God consistently sees the best in us, wants to sooths our hurts, forgives our mistakes, loves us unconditionally, appreciates us, is amused with us, and wants to bestow great gifts upon us…if we can receive them!






 Living with an open heart is the energy of the feminine. If you have given of yourself without an agenda, seen someone through the eyes of love, if you have encouraged one who felt sad, lonely or confused, if you experience empathy or compassion for someone in pain, if you have uttered a prayer on anyone’s behalf, if you have prepared a meal, given a gift, smiled, laughed or felt a connection with someone, I am acknowledging you on this incredible and magnificent “Day of the Mother!”






The world feels out of balance to me, it feels masculine in the extreme. The energy of war, competition and greed has taken us off track and into a world of hurt. I think by taking a moment to acknowledge the feminine it can create miracles and bring us back to a sense of peace, balance, softness, sweetness, appreciation, and love.




  So join me if you will, and open your heart in deep gratitude to your mother, to Mother Earth, to Spirit, and to yourself. Send out blessings of gratitude and love, and then open your heart WIDE to receive every drop of love, kindness, and affection ever given to you from your mother, and from every person, animal, angel, guide, nature and God. Relax into this moment of connection, appreciation and great love - generously giving and graciously receiving. And know I am sending you blessings of mother’s day affection, respect and love from my heart to yours!

RETROGRADE!

I have been feeling pretty darn frustrated and stuck - and dealing with many clients, students and friends who seemed to be in the same boat. So I thought to myself, “I wonder if Mercury is in retrograde?” I am no expert when it comes to astrology, but I believe it can be a powerful tool and guide when we need some help understanding the lay of the land here on planet Earth. So I did some research and not surprisingly it was. I also discovered Saturn was in retrograde as well.

A planet is described as retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. Of course the planets really never go backwards, they all move around the sun in the same forward direction. However there is an optical illusion and they SEEM to move backwards due to cosmic shadow-play. For the sake of clarity, imagine driving along the freeway and if you are driving 60 miles and hour and you approach someone driving 40, it will appear as if they are going backwards for a moment in time.

All planets go into retrograde, with exception of the Sun and Moon. The qualities of the retrograde planet influence the house they are in. Mercury turned retrograde in Aries March 30, and goes direct April 23. Knowing this little tidbit of information can support us in realizing we are not crazy! This is simply a time to relax, turn inward and be more introspective, rather then try to push forward full steam ahead. Because, unless you can defy gravity and the power of the heavens…it will not be very effective!

What does Mercury affect? Mercury rules thinking, perception, processing, communication, commerce, education and transportation. Mercury retrograde gives rise to challenges in these areas and likely includes misunderstandings, miscommunications, glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. Traveling can be tough and a feeling of “stuckness,” frustration, and confusion is often present for most people.

It is not generally a good idea to make important decisions while Mercury is retrograde, they will often be clouded by misinformation, challenged communication and scattered thinking. Mercury is all about mental clarity and the power of the mind, so when Mercury is retrograde these intellectual characteristics tend to be less sharp than usual.

As I mentioned Mercury is retrograde in Mars-ruled Aries, which may make some feel some anger, impatience or just plain grouchy. Mercury in Aries gives a nervous disposition that frequently reveals itself as a “short fuse.” Some symptoms likely to occur are headaches, fatigue, stress, tension, pessimism, depression, and general malaise. It is a really good idea to consider what might nurture you at this time to bring you into a state of peace and balance. Maybe some extra time in meditation, a massage, bubble baths and just some quality time to yourself!


Another piece of the astrological puzzle is Saturn in retrograde. This is not quite as challenging, but it is still nice to be aware of it. Saturn is not as close to the sun so it is a slower moving planet, it went retrograde January 26 and will go direct June 13.

Saturn in retrograde slows down the normal rate of activity so that more effective methods and strategies can be developed. Saturn rules the physical and psychological structures in our lives life. It produces the rules and regulations, our sense of responsibility, and our limitations. It encourages us to cultivate our boundaries by checking in with ourselves, honoring ourselves and saying NO when we mean no.

Saturn turning retrograde gives us the opportunity to go back, reorganize, redefine, or renegotiate any activities or commitments that are a source of frustration. If you try to press forward in areas that are not good for you, the frustrations will increase. This is a good time to energetically “weed your garden.” You may want to consider any current sources of frustration and remove them, or at least refine them. Pay close attention to boundaries and do not spread yourself too thin, or say yes if you really don’t want to.

Lastly it is not recommended that you start any new business activity while Saturn is retrograde. Organization is elusive and lots of additional work will be needed to put thing into order down the line. So, in other words, this is a great time to slow down and allow yourself to “cocoon” a bit. Give yourself permission to be creative: write, paint, read, meditate. Ask yourself what would really honor me? What would really nurture my body, mind and Spirit? Then really listen to the wisdom that bubbles up from within.


So, what do you think? Does this information help? Be in touch with any additional thoughts, information, and/or stories. It is really nice to know we are in this together! Sending you blessings of grace, ease, relaxation, nurturing and peace during this season of retrograde!

SURRENDER!

“Surrender is faith that the power of love can accomplish anything, even when you cannot foresee the outcome.”  ~ Deepak Chopra

Surrender as described in the dictionary is to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand, to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another 2 a : to give (oneself) up into the power of another especially as a prisoner b : to give (oneself) over to something (as an influence) intransitive senses : to give oneself up into the power of another : YIELD synonym see RELINQUISH.

Surrender, it sounds a little scary doesn’t it?  Even if the power we are surrendering to is the power of the Universe! I don’t know many people who would even consider such a thing…until life becomes horribly painful, absolutely unworkable, or entirely impossible.  I certainly know that was the case for me!

15 years ago I was in a place of emotional devastation and there was no place to go but to my knees.  On the floor on my bedroom floor of an apartment I could no longer afford, I surrendered utterly and completely.  My attempt at being the director and creator of my life had failed miserably and it seemed I had no choice but to give up.  I had a heart to heart conversation with Spirit and said I wanted to come home.  Almost immediately I had a sense of warmth and compassion wash over me like nothing I had experienced before.  I felt I was being assured that everything was going to be O.K.  I just needed to relax, keep breathing, and be open to signs and support from God.

I had never lived my life in that way, I had always tried to figure things out, push, and control.  It was clearly time to do something radically different.  Rather than tell God what I wanted, I surrendered and now asked God what He wanted from me.  I asked for synchronicity and support and it didn’t take long for it to arrive. Signs showed up as messages from people, dreams, and intuitive hits.  I listened to inner promptings and information from friends and found myself going in a very different direction in my life.  I ended up in school, I also ended up painting and writing - all things that I had never considered while living in my head.

I love this saying “The same energy that can move the planets around the sun, turn seeds into flowers and trees and turns embryos into babies, can take care of your life…if you let it.”  But we live in a choice-based, free-will world, so before Spirit or the Universe can take care of us, we have to invite it in; we need to surrender to it.

I now understand the act of surrendering is really about relaxing and silencing the limited, fear-based, incessently chattering monkey-mind.  When we do this Spirit, Love, or our Higher Self can be accessed and heard.  Surrender is ultimately releasing control, fear and resistance.  It is consciously choosing to place faith and trust in something far more vast and far more capable than our small, scared, separate-feeling self.

Here is another wonderful quote about surrender from Chuck Danes: “The power of surrender, just as the miracle of nature effortlessly produces the beauty of its surroundings, you have been provided with and hold the power to effortlessly attract and create YOUR desired miracles in each and every area of your life if only you will trust, surrender and allow it to be so.”

I thank God for my rock bottom experience of years ago.  That was the day I opened my heart fully to Spirit and let Him take over the drivers seat of my life.  Today, I have a truly blessed, love-filled, miracle-filled life - and I am abundantly clear I did not do this on my own! My life is a co-creative process, and Spirit my constant companion.  Now rather than God being an afterthought, He is number one on my list. When I think I want something I give it to God (often articulating a preference, but releasing my attachment)  and know however things work out was/is God’s highest ideal for me - because I invited Him to drive!   I now trust this process implicitly and completely and recommend to it anyone who asks me for support or my opinion.

The surrender process is simple, you can take any liberty with this you would like, but here is an example I have used a lot with great success.

“Dear God, I am in some discomfort, pain, confusion, fear, etc.  I don’t know what to do, or what the highest good for me is, but I know You do. So, just now, I invite you in.  I am requesting your support, God, You decide for me."

And then RELAX!   Know your situation, be it financial, a relationship, a health issue, or whatever the challenge may be, is now in God’s hands…and what better place could it possibly be?  The next step consists of you paying attention to signs from the Universe.  Those signs can look like dreams, inner promptings, information from people, a billboard, something on television, a phone call and more.  Just keep your eyes, ears, and heart open!

At first surrendering may not be easy, but with some practice you will relax, knowing you can really trust that the Universe is on your side.  This process can support and guide you to your highest path, your greatest good, and the pinnacle of your potential!

Do you have any thoughts or feedback?  Please write to me, I would love to hear any stories or support you in any way I can!

CHAOS!

I long to be centered, aligned with Spirit, and feel the world solid beneath my feet - that is why the name of my website, blog, and radio show is “Journey to Center.” Unfortunately life in its natural color is not always so balanced, clean and clear. Chaos, yuck, it brings to mind messiness and discomfort. Chaos comes from the Greek word “khaos.” To the ancients, chaos was the first state of the universe, or the emptiness of the outer darkness. In modern times, chaos has come to mean disorder, confusion and a total lack of organization. Most of us probably would not consider chaos to be positive - but are their gifts or an upside to chaos? I was assured by some of my recent guests on my radio show on Empower Radio that chaos can indeed be a very good thing.

I was informed by my experts chaos can shake up the status quo, support us in breaking out of habits and patterns and uplevel in our lives. It may be a good idea to set the intention to make friends with chaos if you are on a journey of awakening, self-discovery, or have the desire to expand in consciousness, because it seems periods of chaos are going to inevitable!

I have experienced periods of profound chaos, where at the time, if I were asked, I would have described it as horrible, awful, and tragic. However, in retrospect, the chaos was exactly what I needed to shift, change, learn, grow and expand. Like the phoenix rising from the ashes those periods of confusion, messiness, and discomfort supported me in journeying to a place of higher altitude and greater awareness. Although uncomfortable I feel the quality of chaos certainly contributed to helping grow up spiritually.

In his book Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative Genius, Michael Michalko says, "It is impossible to think unpredictably by looking harder and longer in the same direction. When your attention is focused on a subject, a few patterns are highly activated in your brain and dominate your thinking. ... If, however, you change your focus and think about something that is not related, different, unusual patterns are activated." Chaos sometimes involves deliberately looking at something in a new way, forcing new associations to form new and different patterns.

Now while in the midst of chaos, I find ways to support myself. I allow myself to rest more, meditate more, and I have found it helps immensely to put order into my environment. This seems to assist me in moving through those strange and uncomfortable times with a bit more grace and ease.

On a final note, I love this quote from American writer Henry Brooks Adams: “Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.” So know I am sending you blessings of LIFE, love, expansion along with a generous dose of grace and ease!

RELAX!

I have been very busy and productive as of late and am excited about perpetuating and increasing the momentum. So, during a recent meditation I asked Spirit, “What do I do next?” I did not receive the marching orders I expected. What I got was one word: Relax. But, what do I do? Relax. Hmmm, but I like being busy and productive. Relax. Then I started to get a little sick. O.K. I will relax.

Part of staying in balance is taking that time to be quiet, still and to relax. It not only rejuvenates us physically it supports us in maintaining our connection to Source. Our society worships hard work and “doingness,” ….beingness does not seem to get very much credit. However, without beingingness the doingness can turn into busy work and be akin to a gerbil on a wheel moving really fast, but not going anywhere.

Being busy can become a habit and a gear we are accustomed to, but being busy can make us crazy! It can be the root cause of accidents, illness and disease. When we spread ourselves to thin, we lose our vitality, become ungrounded, sacrifice our ability to focus and are no longer present for the magic and miracles that occur every day.

As I take some time off, and allow myself to relax I am much more aware of the beauty and synchronicity, that I know is always around me. However, when my monkey-mind is buzzing hundreds of miles an hour, there is no space to take any of it in. Breath, relax, receive. Take a moment to acknowledge the beauty of your home, your relationships, nature and your breath! Consider for a moment what feeds your soul and do it!

Here is a wonderful quote from Abraham: "Leverage your time more by spending a little more time every day relaxing and imagining and a lot less time doing. Do a little more imagining and a little more less doing - until eventually most of what's happening is happening in the cool, calm, anticipatory state. Just imagine and relax yourself into the successes, and watch what happens."

So now, I am going to stop writing and I am going to go relax. I hope you are taking some time to relax and nurture yourself as well. Be in touch and let me know your thoughts and how you are doing!

Blessings of peace, joy and deep relaxation.

Courage

I am certain you have heard the saying, “if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got.” So, if you want greater success, more prosperity, be used for greater service, or a “bigger life,” you need to be willing to go beyond your current limits and stretch out of your comfort zone.



I remember uttering a prayer, something to the effect: “God, use me for your purpose, I want to be of service.” Shortly thereafter I was asked to do some volunteer teaching - I was panic stricken! I thought, I am not ready for this…then the next thought dropped in, “be careful what you ask for.”



Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to move forward despite fear. The root of the word courage is from Old French corage, from cuer heart, so the word “courage” can be literally translated to mean “Rage of the Heart.” I think courage is a vital quality if one wants to live a heart-based life rather than a head-based one. Further confirmation of that fact comes from the definition of courage in the dictionary: Courage - The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery. In other words…you have to be out of your mind!



I remember feeling paralyzed and afraid to move forward when some big opportunities started presenting themselves (publishing my book, teaching classes, an offer to host my own radio show). My mind said NO WAY, my heart said LET'S PLAY! The heart will encourage you to move forward and grow while the mind will keep you playing small. The mind will tell you: better the devil you know than the angel you don’t. The mind wants to “understand” and have control, the heart wants to expand, grow and give and receive love. I have found when the desire for love overpowers the need for control is when life gets really interesting, fun and exciting!



Love takes courage (what if you get rejected?), service takes courage (what if you don’t have anything to offer?), stepping out more fully into the world takes courage (what if people laugh?). If you want to uplevel and expand in your life, you will have to go through glass ceilings and be confronted with experiences, situations, and people that will take you out of your comfort zone and into unchartered territory. But it is sort of like the Indiana Jones movie, when you take that step in faith, the bridge shows up to support you. And if you don’t have the courage and don’t take that leap of faith, you may never find out that you can fly!