Recently I found myself surrounded by extended family for a long weekend.  Typically I would leave such a weekend feeling deflated and even a bit beaten down.  This time I decided to do my best to detach from the situation so that I could observe the interactions from an objective viewpoint.  This was not always possible, as there were times when my own ego was teased out of it's protected shell. 

For the most part, I was able to stand back and watch the dynamics unfold as Mothers, Daughters, Fathers, Sons and status members from across the entire family interacted and jockeyed for power and position.  It was both sad and fascinating to see.  The hopes, expectations and roles everyone had either buffeted against or dutifully climbed into had clearly been established long ago. 

So much of who we are is proven to have come from these people we call family and yet in moving in and out of each others lives we carve our own way and become other beings.  This can sometimes be overlooked by the other players if the changes are subtle and still in line with their general idea of who you are and where you fit in the family.  If, on the other hand, you have truly reinvented yourself by moving so far away from the you or your yesterdays that it questions the overall family dynamic then it is possible you will become an outsider. 

As human beings we are driven to gather, to be part of a group, a family.  So much so that we may unconsciously climb back into old uncomfortable roles to satisfy the need to remain connected to our family.  Still in the equally important drive to reach our full potential it may be time to free ourselves from the constraints of such limiting family ties.  Opting instead to create our own families, be they of blood or friendship, so that we may fully express our own light in the world.
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It's the last day of January.  The New Year is getting older by the minute and you may find yourself wondering where has the time gone.  Perhaps you started the year off eager to tackle some major challenges, or create some new avenues of creativity and even professional success.  Yet, now as a whole month has sped quickly past, you find your faith in reaching those goals is dwindling.  If so, I urge you to reconsider your position and realize that anything worth having in one's life is worth reaching for. 

You may not have succeeded yet but if you BELIEVE in yourself you will soon succeed.  Choose to participate in the process of achieving your goals, take action and most importantly - no matter the circumstances - keep the faith.  Remember, as James Allen stated in As  A Man Thinketh, "When he realizes that he is a creative power, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow; he then becomes the rightful master of himself."

Many of the greatest teachers of our time have shared similar messages of harnessing our own power.  Encouraging us to BELIEVE that we are each endowed with the ability to do great works.  This is the premise behind The Power Plan - to actively participate in creating great works every day of our lives.  Those who get the best results understand they need to believe to succeed.
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It's true, resolutions without results are worthless.  If you find yourself resolving to make the same changes as you did at the beginning of this year, or even more troubling..., the same changes from the year before that then your resolutions have become worthless.  In fact one might even say they've become detrimental to your long term sanity and success.  As Einstein once said, "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity".  So, rather than sitting their nodding your head and gnashing your teeth, take this chance to make a permanent change in the way you start your New  Year and reach for results. 

That's right, stop reciting out dated resolutions and start putting a plan of action into affect that will give you the real results you are looking for.  If you are still struggling with finding the proper motivation to propel you forward consider finding help.  Get a mentor, a partner or a coach to give you the confidence and direction you need to move forward.  You may even consider joining a group of people who can help motivate you through accountability and encouragement.   

The best thing you can do is FOCUS on finding solutions and commit to starting each day of the New Year asking yourself what one thing can I do today to reach my goals?  Once you find the answer get out, get moving and take action.  Lean on the  success of having taken the first step and let the momentum carry you through to victory!
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Respect Yourself 12/12/2010
 
Wish you could get some respect?  Just remember, no one likes spending time around a "poor me".  If you want people to care about and respect you - you need to respect yourself.  Everyone has challenges in life and if you find yourself constantly regurgitating yours then you may soon find people avoiding spending time in your company.

If you want to move forward in life and feel good doing it try taking one step toward making a change.  When you shift your perspective from complaining to changing you draw to you the people, places, opportunities and tools needed for real success.  Conversely, if you continue to bemoan and retell the tragedies and injustices you feel you've suffered you will continue to draw similar circumstances and experiences into your life. 

Next time you find yourself wishing people would listen, pay attention, or care about you - ask yourself if you have been doing your part in taking care of yourself.  If so, chances are you'll find people who are eager to lend a hand in helping you reach for your dreams.  The first step is finding self-respect so do what it takes to make yourself proud each day and soon you'll be able to respect yourself.


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Forget about the "trickle down" theory, it doesn't work in economics and it doesn't work in life.  If you want a real life shift than it's all about making waves.  What's better for bringing about a personal shift in consciousness and enhancing one's life, than knowing that when one person prospers, succeeds or even rising above life's challenges then all those in their sphere are lifted up.  Look at what the rescue of a few valiant Chilean minors did to grip the hearts of people all over the world - for several weeks there were probably more good thoughts sent out to Chile than any time prior.  Add to that the level of good multiplied in the lives of those who shared the news of progress made and from moment to moment as each minor was lifted back to the land of the living the world was a better place.

Sadly, most of the news we hear and share is less than uplifting or soul satisfying.  However, we each have the choice to spread the horror or look for the hope in any situation.  When we choose to find the best in the moment we can help turn the tide.  Despite the media's relay of endless doom and gloom - we can choose to rise up and ask for more.  We can ask for more from ourselves and more from each other by looking for silver lining, the upside, or the lesson to be learned. 

When we realize that our thoughts, actions and experiences have a great effect on the world around us we will understand that now is not only the time for change but that WE are the ones who can bring about that change.  Our lives are connected just like the molecules of a snowflake and the drops of ocean in the sea.  If we want to have a better world it's time for each of us to make some waves!
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People may not always "get what the deserve" but they always get what they believe they deserve.  Sadly, most people spend their time believing they deserve the worst.  This leads them to attract the worst and not the best life has to offer.  Since they are convinced life is hard when something good appears unexpectedly they instantly become resistant and push their good away.

If you want to have more good in your life - YOU must believe YOU DESERVE it!
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When I was young I was afraid of the dark, I had trouble sleeping, ran from imaginary monsters in the middle of the night and generally hated being in dark places.  While in time, I "grew" out of this habit I believe now that one mystical experience allowed me to realize I was always safe.  I soon understood that it wasn't the dark that was the problem but the things I had hidden in the darkness that were causing my distress.  When I finally uncovered the truth of my past and stood up for myself, the nightmares ended, and the work to become whole began.

It is the internal turmoil of things left unsaid, actions hidden and unknown forces feared that seem to fall under a veil of darkness within.  These places where we believe we can hide away that which challenges us or calls into question our idea of safety are really not "places" at all.  So it is no wonder that when we fall asleep or find ourselves in darkened solitude that they take shapes seemingly all on their own.  We can only banish them when we realize we are in control of them, and in fact it is us who are responsible for their very existence.  For it is not the past that harms us but our own relentless, internal, pilgrimage to resurrect the missteps, tragedies and transgressions of the past  that bring the memory of the moment back to life. 

Hypnotherapy is a great tool for managing the power of such regression by taking the client from the shadows of their past into the light of present day.  Even better, when coupled with The Power Plan program a person can take control of their whole life by designing action steps to help create a brighter future full of purpose, passion and power.  
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Before you get your brain wrapped around the axle, you can relax, it's just a trick question.   There are so many variables involved in being able to answer this question you'd just be jumping the gun.  However, many of you reading it may already be half-way through describing a plethora of examples of how "other" people have or use too much.  It can be a bit of a knee jerk reaction to assume that the "much" in question is monetary when for all intents and purposes it could just as easily have represented "love".

So, now, replace the idea "how much" with "how much love" and what is your answer?  How about "energy" or even "patience"... does your idea of "too much" change?  If so, how so and why?  Perhaps these are the better questions to ask, as they lead us to opening our minds instead of closing them shut like well oiled steel traps.

Then, maybe when we realize that the answer to "how much" really depends on our own ideas and desires then it can become clear that just like "love", or "energy" or even "patience" the maximum threshold for "how much money" we consider "too much" is also self-regulated. 

If you find this true than I encourage you to spend a little time stretching your own limits and allowing for the possibility that there is no such "thing" as too much.  Life provides you as much of anything; love, patience, energy, and even money as you are capable of accepting.
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Recently my husband and I were watching TV and a commercial came on for a very popular wedding gown designer's new casual clothes line.  I was so stunned by what I saw I actually backed the commercial up to do a double-take and sure enough my first glance was correct; one of the models was so emaciated that her vertebrae were protruding from her skin. Considering the old adage that the camera adds ten pounds, I can only imagine how truly skinny this young girl must have been to be so visibly skeletal.  When I pointed this out to my husband he turned away, groaning in disgust.   I made the comment, "well, sadly, that's what sells as sexy these days."  to which he replied, "there is NOTHING sexy about that."

I thought about his comment and all the people who I've known who are trying to get to a certain pant or dress size, all so they can feel sexy, and I realized what a waste it is.  It became clear to me that Sexy isn't a size, sexy is an attitude.  Sexy is found in the confidence of a step, the curve of a hip, the trail of a laugh, the relaxed way in which a woman or man lives in their own skin. 

We don't need to wait to reach a certain weight to feel or be sexy.  Healthy, happy and confident may be just enough to do the trick at any size.  Plus, feeling sexy in the skin we are wearing now may be the perfect catalyst for taking better care of it and our body long into the future.
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Like everyone, old enough to remember the events of 9/11/2001, I know exactly where I was when I found out about it.  My husband and I were living in transition from California to Oregon and I had taken a temporary position as a Customer Service representative at a local bank while we settled into our new surroundings.  It was just after 7 a.m. (PST) while he was driving me to work when we heard the newscasters talking about the trade centers and the planes on the radio.  I remember thinking this was some kind of bizarre radio stunt - it just didn't seem real.  As I listened to the cracking and trembling in the radio announcers voice it became very real.  We turned the radio up and drove on in silence for a while trying to let it all sink in. 

When I arrived at work I jumped on the phones to help quell the fear of our banking clients who were concerned for their lives and their life savings.  It was both sobering and awe inspiring to listen to person after person come to terms with the immense change that had been foisted upon them in a matter of minutes.  The days ahead were long and tiring but deeply rewarding as we helped our clients realize that they were not alone and that there life savings were safe.

Through the endless stream of video images and T.V. interviews a picture emerged, not of destruction but of triumph.  A picture to strangers realizing they were somehow connected in this amazing world together, and inextricably responsible for caring for one another.  The images of people covered in suet and ash leaning and carrying one another from the wreckage, people who only the day before may have never even smiled at each other on the street - these are the images I choose to remember.  These are the images that still fill me with awe and inspiration for the immense power of unity that lies within every human spirit.  We are ONE nation and for our generation 9-11-2001 proved that better than any other day since.
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