WOW. I've experienced it before, but sometimes you forget, ya know?
I'm talkin' energy flow, people, and the belief that the energy we put out there comes right back at us. We reap what we sow, so to speak.
So here's a recent example from the life of moi: a few weeks ago, my dear partner, Robert, and I stumbled upon our dream home. We weren't looking, but when opportunity came knocking, we checked it out, instantly fell in love with the home and the surrounding space, and chose to dive in with an offer together! Right around this time, we also decided to get hitched. (Technically, he asked, and I said "yes!") Big stuff, right? I mean, I'm almost 37 and have never gotten married, nor have I bought a home by myself, much less with someone else.
What preceeded these two events, though, was an intense time of self-reflection, seeing and owning up to some painful truths about each of us as individuals and together in our relationship, and a decision to dig in, work hard, love harder, and see what happened. The energy we chose to put into our lives was full on, positive, "we can do this!" kinda juju. And look what we're getting back!
Along with all of this, for me, has also come bunches of fear, which was surprising. After all, when Prince Charming finally pops the question, we all live happily ever after, right? Rose petals and rainbows? Well, what I've found is that sure, I'm thrilled at the events of late. And, I'm terrified! And, there's no where else I'd rather be.
One of the fears has been financial. How the heck am I going to pay for my full half of this place, anyway? This past year has been one of intentional debt accrual (with coach training, my leadership program in California, getting certified, etc.), and Robert's wonderfully taken over our combined expenses for a while. Now the rubber's hitting the road, though...time to hike it all into high gear and not only pay for what I used to contribute (my half of utilities, groceries, etc.), but now there's a fat mortgage in there, too.
I panicked about this for a few days. The result? I felt sluggish, dazed, worried, and my jaw started aching and popping from all the mid-night clenching I was apparently engaged in. So, I made a decision. I could continue down the path I was on, which was getting me nowhere fast. OR, I could choose to put different energy into the situation. A few days ago, I chose the later. I chose to believe that there's no way the universe/god/goddess/etc. would have placed this amazing home in our laps if we also weren't going to be blessed with the means to be there. And I also chose to believe that we're not given what we're not up to dealing with. (And in that light, it's kind of an honor to have all this challenge before me; someone must thing I'm up to it!)
The result? As of today, I have a new client and three more potentials. They've all just appeared, as if "out of thin air." But I believe differently, because it's happened before. When my energy shifted, and I put positive energy out there, I got positive energy back. But the trick? It's got to be real. Totally. Completely. No niggling doubts!
So. Where are you in your life? C'mon...you've gotta be willing to really look. Where are you hanging on to potentially negative, small, stuck energy or fear? Where might you play with letting go of that perspective and choosing something new?
After all, our good friend Albert Einstein defined insanity as something like, "doing the same thing you've always done and expecting different results." My other personal favorite: "if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got." Maybe not grammatically perfect, but point made nonetheless!
Find that spot, big or small, where you're stuck, and choose to put different energy into it. If your intention is really true, I suspect you'll be blown away by what you get back!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Bliss...Right Here, Right Now!
Yo, blog readers!
Following is a short article I wrote on spec for a magazine. They said, "Thanks, but no thanks!" So, I pass it on to you here instead of there! Enjoy!
Mmmmmm… bliss. The word alone conjures up images of a warm bubble bath, phone off the hook, decadent bonbons within arm’s reach, candles all aglow on every nearby surface, and perhaps even a hunky massage therapist at your beck and call, just itching for his cue. Can you say, “Calgon, take me away”?
Unfortunately, our prevailing culture often does say we have to “get away” to experience bliss. It’s the good old “if-then” paradigm. “If I plan a great getaway vacation, then I’ll be able to relax,” or “If I get a different job/relationship/hobby, then I’ll be able to have a balanced life,” or “If I work my butt off now, then I’ll have the life I really want when I retire.” It’s a paradigm that, by its very nature, staves off bliss. Hello, counter-productive! Oh, and by the way, no guarantees that the “then” part of the equation will ever actually happen. Often, in our mad-cap, you-are-what-you-do world, it’s simply replaced by another “if.”
So what’s a girl to do?
Happily, everyday bliss isn’t far away. Working through the following three steps can lead you to a life chock full of everyday moments of bliss.
1. What’s bliss to you? First and foremost, what makes you feel “blissed out”? Completely relaxed? All aglow like those bath-side candles? Awash in the savoring of a moment? There are as many ways to feel bliss as there are women reading these words. Figuring out what’s blissful to you is the first step in feeling it more!
2. Where are the gaps? Once you know what bliss is to you, look for the ways in which you might be staving it off. Maybe part of what’s blissful to you is savoring phenomenal food. So, what’s in your fridge? What restaurants do you frequent? Where do you “if/then” yourself around food? (“If I go to that great café, then I’ll be able to savor my food.”) Maybe bliss to you is being outside. So, how many days do you spend umpteen hours behind a desk, gazing longingly out the window, feeling like you’re stuck inside? It’s easy to unconsciously limit ourselves on a daily basis by not consciously weaving in a few moments of bliss. Where are the gaps in what’s bliss to you and the choices you make each day?
3. What’s possible? Once you see where your gaps are, brainstorms some ways you can add bliss into your daily mix. Maybe you let yourself indulge in a small square of high-octane organic dark chocolate after lunch each day, or you let yourself go to the Saturday farmer’s market and buy fresh, local fruit that you savor throughout the coming week, or you start a container garden so you can have your very own fresh cherry tomatoes and basil all summer long. Maybe you start parking a few blocks farther away from the office so that every workday starts and ends with a walk. Maybe you surprise the next person who comes to your office for a meeting by suggesting you walk and talk outside instead. Maybe you promise yourself five minutes outside each morning, no matter what. The possibilities are endless!
Despite the marketing savvy of our friends at Calgon, bliss doesn’t have to be a far-off concept. It’s available right here, right now, and it comes in your size, your flavor. All you have to do is see where it might live in your life today, and step toward it. I promise, it’ll be waiting there with open arms!
Following is a short article I wrote on spec for a magazine. They said, "Thanks, but no thanks!" So, I pass it on to you here instead of there! Enjoy!
Mmmmmm… bliss. The word alone conjures up images of a warm bubble bath, phone off the hook, decadent bonbons within arm’s reach, candles all aglow on every nearby surface, and perhaps even a hunky massage therapist at your beck and call, just itching for his cue. Can you say, “Calgon, take me away”?
Unfortunately, our prevailing culture often does say we have to “get away” to experience bliss. It’s the good old “if-then” paradigm. “If I plan a great getaway vacation, then I’ll be able to relax,” or “If I get a different job/relationship/hobby, then I’ll be able to have a balanced life,” or “If I work my butt off now, then I’ll have the life I really want when I retire.” It’s a paradigm that, by its very nature, staves off bliss. Hello, counter-productive! Oh, and by the way, no guarantees that the “then” part of the equation will ever actually happen. Often, in our mad-cap, you-are-what-you-do world, it’s simply replaced by another “if.”
So what’s a girl to do?
Happily, everyday bliss isn’t far away. Working through the following three steps can lead you to a life chock full of everyday moments of bliss.
1. What’s bliss to you? First and foremost, what makes you feel “blissed out”? Completely relaxed? All aglow like those bath-side candles? Awash in the savoring of a moment? There are as many ways to feel bliss as there are women reading these words. Figuring out what’s blissful to you is the first step in feeling it more!
2. Where are the gaps? Once you know what bliss is to you, look for the ways in which you might be staving it off. Maybe part of what’s blissful to you is savoring phenomenal food. So, what’s in your fridge? What restaurants do you frequent? Where do you “if/then” yourself around food? (“If I go to that great café, then I’ll be able to savor my food.”) Maybe bliss to you is being outside. So, how many days do you spend umpteen hours behind a desk, gazing longingly out the window, feeling like you’re stuck inside? It’s easy to unconsciously limit ourselves on a daily basis by not consciously weaving in a few moments of bliss. Where are the gaps in what’s bliss to you and the choices you make each day?
3. What’s possible? Once you see where your gaps are, brainstorms some ways you can add bliss into your daily mix. Maybe you let yourself indulge in a small square of high-octane organic dark chocolate after lunch each day, or you let yourself go to the Saturday farmer’s market and buy fresh, local fruit that you savor throughout the coming week, or you start a container garden so you can have your very own fresh cherry tomatoes and basil all summer long. Maybe you start parking a few blocks farther away from the office so that every workday starts and ends with a walk. Maybe you surprise the next person who comes to your office for a meeting by suggesting you walk and talk outside instead. Maybe you promise yourself five minutes outside each morning, no matter what. The possibilities are endless!
Despite the marketing savvy of our friends at Calgon, bliss doesn’t have to be a far-off concept. It’s available right here, right now, and it comes in your size, your flavor. All you have to do is see where it might live in your life today, and step toward it. I promise, it’ll be waiting there with open arms!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
