There IS MORE & YOU DESERVE To SOAR

“People who soar are those who refuse to sit back and wish things would change.” Charles Swindall​​

The world can seem angry, chaotic, and blaming - especially if that's how I'm feeling on the inside.  Violence, unrest, disharmony, and negativity stream incessantly on our radio waves . . . if I choose to tune my attention outwardly.  Life may appear to be a race to nowhere, where I feel stuck treading on a perpetual treadmill, where time seems to be quickly slipping away.  But I have the power to change my course, and it's as easy as making up my mind.

If you're feeling like I do, like there's something missing, that there's more, THERE IS!   There are more joyful things in life than simply paying bills, clocking in, cooking dinners, cleaning toilets, grocery shopping, and mowing the lawn. When all I saw was the routine and the drudgery, I wasn't eager to jump out of bed in the morning.  Nope, I wanted more but I wasn't sure exactly what it was that I was looking for. 

CHANGE is something I wanted everyone else to do. 
If everyone else would just change, my life would be different! 

I learned, like most, the hard way.   

Change that I am going to see must come from within myself. 

Change is about moving myself from feeling separate, isolated, lonely, fearful, angry and in pain into a state of peacefulness where I could relax and really enjoy life as it comes to me. 

Lasting change only comes about when I genuinely believe that everything will be alright. 
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Letting go of fear is not an easy task! 
*I had to learn how to replace my fear with love, especially with loving myself. 
*I had to tell my mind to ease up long enough to let my heart feel: love, safety, nurturance, meaning, identity, and belonging. 
*Mostly, I had to feel deserving of love.

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Yes, life conditions and hardens us.  We all have our fair share of sh*t, and fear does a number on us. 
*Fear keeps us from going within. 
*Fear can keep us from finding out that we have all the power to save ourselves.  *Fear kept me living as a victim, looking outside of myself for answers. 
As a victim, I felt isolated, in pain, and searching for someone to do it for me.   

Responsibility is scary.  It's easier to make excuses and to blame others, but how could I change my experiences if I didn't take responsibility for my own life.

Bikram yoga helped me to find space to observe my thoughts so that I could change them.  This wasn't easy at first, but in time, with practice and much patience, I learned how to release old beliefs and habits and began trying out new beliefs, behaviors, and methods, and in turn, experienced newfound FEELINGS! 

I'm not going to kid you . . . this period of back and forth had me angrier than ever.  Trying on anything new takes time.  As I learned how to become more patient with myself, I accepted the anger as part of the process.  With more and more acceptance, I eventually settled into new habits and slowly began building myself up with more positive thoughts rather than beating myself down with negativity.

I learned . . .
*to take baby steps -
*to take each day as it comes.
*to start from right where I am in each moment. 
*to watch my words and to make little alterations.  For instance, when I catch myself using the word can't, like in:  "I can't do that."  I change "can't" to "won't."  "I won't do that" gives me a whole different imagery. 

I replaced old habits with rituals: 

NOW . . .

In the morning, I take some time to reflect. I write.  The first page or two that I write is simply a mind dump.  I dump all that's there to get it all out onto the paper.  After a good dump, I have space to get creative.

Throughout the day, I stop to take a few deep breaths. 
Whenever I catch my mind wandering, I simply bring it back to my breath.  It takes only a few minutes to enjoy a few cleansing breaths to feel grounded and to get back on track. 

Here's a quick grounding exercise that I do: I take a  deep, six-count inhalation through my nose, breathing in love. I hold this sense of fresh, loving, new breath at the top for a couple of seconds, and then I firmly blow out all the stale, stagnant energy on a eight-count exhalation from my mouth.  It feels good to imagine blowing out all the negativity, stress, and fear.  With focused, intentional breathing, I'm able to let go of all the stuff that's keeping me from experiencing the new.

In the evening, I take time to review the day and to show gratitude.  I write.  I make sure to acknowledge the little things for which I am grateful.  A smile.  A thank you.  My warm bed. My health.  Reviewing each day is important for seeing what I can do better.  Where did I do well, where I can I do better?  Living mindfully, with gratitude, makes living joyful.

My greatest teacher is the MIRROR. 
Out there is always a mirror --a reflection of the rejection we have within us.


As I learned to look into the mirror in Bikram Yoga class, I learned how to use that mirror as a reflection of the {rejection, shame, doubt, fear, anger, negativity} I have within me.  Realizing that we all have pattern addictions, patterns that we adopt to keep ourselves from being in present time, as a way of getting away from being where we are and from knowing what's really going on, then I became more accepting of myself and with others.  Addictions go beyond just the chemical kind.  We can be addicted to food, finding fault in people, fear, debt, and rejection. 

Now, I feel good "seeing" myself honestly, for noticing thoughts and patterns, for experimenting with new ways of thinking and being.  As I love myself more, I don't feel rejected by anyone and even if they do reject me, I don't pay any attention to it.

With mindfulness, I grow more confident.  More patient.  More accepting.   I'm learning how to go inside to look to see what's there. 

Daily journaling and positive affirmations help me to recognize patterns so that I can begin to change them.  

Practicing inner peace helps me to connect with Spirit, to tune into my higher Self.  I like feeling connected on a soul level.  I like sending out good vibes into the world.  I love feeling intimately connected with Source, especially  with the realization that I don't need a middle man to do the job for me.

As I see how thoughts make me feel, especially when I'm connected with Source in mediation, I can hear my own inner wisdom. 

Trusting that I have the answers I've been looking for within is empowering.  I simply need to quiet my mind down long enough to hear them.  

Change comes when I make up my mind, not to just sit back and wait for the world to change, but realizing that changing my thoughts gets me on my way to greater change - to finding inner peace and harmony so I can see that inner peace and harmony reflected in the world

To commit to making change:

I AM HONEST.
I AM WILLING TO FIND OUT.
I DON'T JUST LIVE ON AUTO-PILOT, saying this is JUST THE WAY I AM or JUST WHAT I DO


I need to FEEL good enough.
If I love myself, then others will love me. I had to learn and practice unconditional love.
*loving affirmations
*gratitude journal
*loving-kindness meditations

Loving myself wasn't easy at first. But learning unconditional love first for myself, no matter what they've said to me or did to me in the past, invites the world to love me unconditionally. 

If I want love and peace for others in my life, I must do this for myself first so that I can teach others how to come from a loving place of the heart.

I need to FORGIVE myself.
Forgiveness of others first comes by forgiving myself. 

​I need to Ask Myself:
How do I give love to the world?
How do I help?
What do I do to create my own inner harmony?
What do I do on a daily basis to make myself feel good inside?
Do I sit around and complain about what I don't have?
Am I mad at myself and others, blaming, playing the victim?
How do I express unconditional love in my life?
Is there a small area in my life where I am willing to give unconditionally?
How am I experiencing peace within and around me?
If I'm not doing anything currently to experience peace within and around myself, am I willing to begin?
Am I ready to create inner harmony and peace?
Do I really want to change or do I want to sit and complain about what I don't have?
Do I want to become a person who really has or creates a much more wonderful life?

AND CONTINUE TO ASK MYSELF:
What do I really believe about this?
What do I feel?
Do I really want to do what they're asking me?
WHY do I want to do this?.

WHY do I do it?
If what I am doing is NOT POSITIVE or NOURISHING, where did it come from?
Was it something that was taught to me as a child?  If I can notice, maybe it's time to let it go. I don't need it anymore.

IF I BELIEVE THAT IT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS, I CAN'T CHANGE.
IF I BELIEVE THAT I KNOW EVERYTHING, a KNOW-IT-ALL, THEN I CAN'T CHANGE. There's just no room to let a new idea to get in.

I MUST BE WILLING TO LEARN & GROW.
I NEED TO BE WILLING TO WORK TOWARDS MORE UNDERSTANDING, KNOWLEDGE, & AWARENESS.

TO EXPERIENCE LIFE DIFFERENTLY . . . 
I don't berate what used to be.
Instead, I . . . 

Learn more.

Study.

Read books.

Listen to tapes.

Talk to other people.

Learn about myself.

Learn about my beliefs.

Learn about the way my particular mind works in a way that enhances my life.

Explore new avenues.

Allow new ideas in.

Expand consciousness.

I CONTINUE TO ASK MYSELF HONESTLY: how do I reject my myself?
Where am I not accepting?
What pattern addiction do I have? 
How can I change this negative addiction into a positive one?
Why don't I become addicted to loving myself?
Why don't I become addicted to doing positive affirmations.  To become addicted to something that supports and loves me?

Yes STRESS is a REALITY.   But stress is a choice.
We use the word STRESS so much that it's almost become a cop out.
Think about what stress really means . . . . stress = fear

Next time you notice how stressed you are . . ask yourself, what are you frightened about?
How are you overloading yourself? What are you doing to burden yourself?
What are you doing to yourself that's creating fear within you so you don't have inner harmony and peace? 

Don't just use one little word as a cop out.

Inner harmony is being at peace with yourself – When at peace, you do things one thing at a time. Don't let things get to you. You can't have stress and inner harmony at the same time.

If you're feeling stress, Ask yourself, how can I release this fear?
How can I be at peace with myself?
What can I do?

Nothing has any power over you  Don't give a little word like stress power over you. You are the power. You are powerful. You're the one who can make the change.
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Life is easier and more fun when you love yourself. You have to come from a loving space of the heart and practice until it becomes permanent. People resist loving themselves. But when you do, you enjoy waking up. You're glad to find yourself there.  I know I do!

Everyday, every step of the way, is the day for change. I start my day by affirming, “Today I breathe in only love, light, and positivity, nurturing my body and soul. With every exhalation, I blow out all negativity, sending my fears and worries along with it."

Today I choose to be open; to smile and to laugh.
Today I am grateful.
Today is a beautiful blessing knowing that the universe is on my side.

Intentional, positive thinking raises my vibration, makes me feel lighter, and fills me with feelings of love and light. A higher vibration alerts the world that I'm ready, willing and open to inviting positivity and it rewards me by sending abundance my way.

Today is the day to write a new script for my life.

Remembering that thoughts are an investment makes me choose to invest wisely. I refuse to wish things would change. I refuse to wait for others to make me happy. I am intentional about creating the change I want by creating an inner beautiful home, and I am witnessing the world change accordingly by becoming a brighter place, one that is allowing me to soar.