Clarity of Vision

The week before Christmas, where I live was hit by a severe snowstorm that lasted several days. That’s highly unusual for this part of the Northwest. We had almost four feet of snow, mixed with a dose of ice, making power lines throughout the area collapse. As a result, for five days I was without electricity!

At first, I was frustrated. I had several days worth of computer work that I had planned, and no electricity meant no computer (yes, we’ll be getting a generator!). As I took stock of the situation, I was grateful to have a huge fireplace with plenty of seasoned wood, lots of warm layers of clothing, a propane cookstove under a dry porch, candles and battery-operated lights, and a stocked kitchen. There were many more who were not so fortunate.

So, I hunkered close to the fireplace, brought out some journals and a trilogy I was reading, and relaxed into a quiet space created by what was beyond my control. The realization hit me that this is what I had been asking for — time with nothing to do that would allow me to write and reflect. Funny how spirit always provides what you ask for, even if it’s not in the form you expect.

What did I learn from having this experience? Many things…

• Accept with grace that some things are beyond my control.

• Even the best laid plans can go awry, so don’t put off what I can do when I have the resources.

• Be careful what I ask for! The universe always gives me what I want, just not always the way I expect it.

• I have choice in how I respond to unforeseen events. Look for the joy in the adversity, with gratefulness being the most direct route to joy. Find the things that make my perspective positive instead of stressful. Which leads to…

• Find ways to improvise; it’s a great way to refocus my mind from the adversity at hand. I kept thinking of  MacGuyver and his Swiss Army knife.

• Charge my re-chargeable batteries frequently!

• Have at least one phone that doesn’t require electricity :-).

• Be grateful for those interchangeable gloves-to-mittens; they are sooooo useful.

Okay, now I’m getting off-track…

Seriously, the most significant lesson I got out of the past week is that it’s important to stop and appreciate what I often take for granted… heat, water, electricity, warm food. These are blessings in my life. At any point in time, I might not have them. If that happened to you, how would you respond? Will you gracefully adapt, or will you wilt under the distress?

For me, I’m going out and buying a fishing pole; we have a river nearby that just might provide food if the next time I’m stranded I haven’t been to the grocery store ;-).

Ever wondered why you aren’t getting what you desire, even when you think you are following the Law of Attraction?

One clue: Look at your “But” statements; they reveal your sneaky beliefs.

What are those? Let me give you some examples…

“I’d like someone who is physically attractive, intellectually stimulating, emotionally available, mentally stable, and spiritually expanding,” I said with conviction and seriousness. Then I added, “But, I don’t know if there’s really anyone out there who has all of those attributes.”

What do you think I got in relationships? Lot’s of people who didn’t have everything I wanted. Here’s another…

“I want financial prosperity… But, money goes out faster than it comes in!” Guess what happens?

And another…

“I bring healthy, positive, and uplifting friendships into my life.” What I added was, “But it’s hard to find new connections.”

Those sneaky beliefs are everywhere! Not just when saying affirmations, they often come up in conversations with others, in humorous things I say to myself, as passing thoughts.

What I say and how I think are part of my awareness, creating that energy, no matter how slight the thought is, or how frequently I might utter a statement about that thought. When the energy is there, the law of attraction does its work, effectively canceling out the affirmation that the universe wants to answer. Whether joking or serious, thoughts make up my belief system, even if I don’t immediately realize they are a part of my thinking.

So, to be the container for what I want to attract in my life, I have to pay attention to what my real beliefs are regarding what I desire.

What are your “But” statements that are keeping you from being the container to receive your desires?

A few years ago, I attended a college graduation ceremony. I don’t remember the speaker’s name, but I clearly remember the story she told. She had graduated with a degree from the college she was now addressing. After a few years of working in that field, she knew it wasn’t a passion of hers.

After months of soul-searching, trying to decide what to do as a profession, she was standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf full of cookbooks, picture books of food, and travel books related to eating. Her husband walked into the room and asked her what she was doing.

“I’m trying to decide what to do with my life,” she replied. “I just don’t know what my passion is.”

Her husband rolled his eyes, looked at the wall of books, and suggested that she look more carefully at what was filling her library.

Message received, she went into the food industry and is now one of the leading authorities in her field.

A few weeks ago, after having read The Passion Test by Janet Atwood, I stepped in front of my bookshelf to see if it reflected a direction I might follow. What I saw were shelves of books on spirituality: The Bible, texts on Buddha, the Baha’i, Native American, Jewish, Mormon, Islam, Shamanism, and many, many more. Alongside of those were books on healing and personal and spiritual growth. Almost as many, were books on writing and publishing.

This may be an odd time with the economic chaos surrounding us for me to take a leap of faith, but I am driven to follow that passion.

For the past 12 months, I tried to mold myself into a teacher of social media, then to meld that with writing, looking more at the “business” end of my business (read: follow the money). The result has been a feeling of frustration, emptiness, and regret, all resulting from my fear that using my genius and talents in a way that honors my desires and purpose would be a financial risk.

Ironically, the other path didn’t really bring that much financial return, because it’s hard to attract something you want into your life when the vibration of energy isn’t there.

The recent upheaval in the world due to the illusory picture of the economy has been the final piece that is leading me to move to a business that encompasses healing and spirituality. Ironically, what the world needs more of right now are those who can help bring a message of change to help shift perspectives, reduce stress, and come together as a global community to help make our way through this scary time. It’s a time for healing, personally, in our communities, and in our world.

My vision for years has been that leaders become healers and healers become leaders. I have been inspired by the changing paradigm to stop dreaming about it and take an intentional leap of faith that healing and bringing that message of healing leadership to others is truly what I am meant to be doing in my business.

For those of you who are looking for more information about writing, I am most definitely going to continue to bring that knowledge and experience to my readers and clients. More than ever, the messengers of transformation and healing need to know the strategies and vehicles that will bring their voice to life.

For those of you who are looking for information from me about social media and how to use it to build your business, I will still be using those tools on this new path, researching what works in this fascinating world of technology, and will continue to pass beneficial learning on to you.

You might say it will be an eclectic mix of discussion, information, and sharing of perspectives.

I welcome you to join me. Please enter your comments at the bottom of this post. Leave your information, so others can find you. Let’s connect. That’s what the internet and social media is all about – the coming together of like minds to share information. And remember to subscribe to the RSS feed so that you know when a post or comment is made in response to yours!

Thank you for letting me take a moment of your time to share my path with you. “As Gandhi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” It is my renewed intention to follow that wisdom.

I hope you will stay tuned!
Sincerely,
Marilyn

“The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself” ~ F.D.R.

I made the mistake this morning of reading the newspaper. Waking up with enthusiasm and energy for new ideas for my business, I read the gloom and doom, the predictions of scarcity, and felt myself beginning to question my ideas for changing course in these “uncertain” times.

Ironically, the energy from the collective fear is creating the very outcome that we fear! Reactionary response is causing chaos. The more we follow the illusion that’s being created by others, instead of looking at what we are capable of creating, the closer we get to falling into the abyss, along with everyone else.

If you find yourself anxious and stressed, here are some tips for surviving these “Uncertain” times:

1. Seek support from like-minded people. Not those who are tied into the fear, but those who are looking at a bigger vision, who are working for positive change, who are willing to create something that will empower others, and in the end empower themselves.

2. Look forward, not back. A large part of human suffering stems from our unwillingness to accept what is. What has happened has happened. You can’t change it, so focus your energy on what CAN be done. Find ways to move forward into a new reality, even if you don’t like it. The faster we adapt, the faster we reduce suffering.

3. Channel your fear. If you are overwhelmed by your emotions, express them. Find good support through friends, family, and community. Instead of being fearful, focus on what you can do to change outcomes, yours, your community’s, your country’s.

4. Learn stress management techniques. Read a book, take yoga, learn meditation or breathing techniques, whatever helps you from storing the energy in your body and creating more reasons for stress. Think as it as preemptively keeping you in a good space to handle whatever is on the horizon.

5. Focus on the moment. How do you know you are living in fear? If you are regretting the past or anxious about the future, you are not in the moment, and that means you are in a place of fear. Joy can only be felt in the present. Outside of the moment, and, I guarantee, you are in a place of fear.

6. Stop Reading/Watching the News! Feel your energy when you watch or read about what’s going on in the world. If you believe in the law of attraction, the energy you are feeling is what you will bring more of into your life. This isn’t doing anyone any good, not for you, not for your family, not for the world. Put down the paper, shut off the T.V., and step away!

7. Go Back to the Basics. Everything that I’ve suggested is very simple. What is happening in the world is a wake-up call. We must begin to ask ourselves, what is important? All the money in the world won’t give us true happiness. It’s the simplest things that bring the greatest joy. Do what comes natural and free of fear, and you will find the riches you seek.

I read a story in the paper yesterday about a 92 year-old who was in his teens during the Great Depression. He remembered his dad taping up value-less stocks on the wall and telling him “never buy stocks”. They lost their home and all of their possessions, as many did during that time.

Keep an eye out for the information on how to register for the series!