Stepping into our bigger selves

Filed Under Authenticity, Gratitude, Joyous Living, Stretching the comfort zone | Leave a Comment

In a recent class discussing living a full life, my instructor asked us to go into our hearts and see (or hear or feel) what our deepest heart would long to have written on our gravestone.  (It wasn't as morbid as it might sound, honest!)  Mine went something like, "Loved God and shared that love with all her heart, soul, and being."  When each of us had the opportunity to discuss our epitaph - and to feel what our lives would be like if what we'd written had come to fruition, I was filled with incredible joy and the excitement of possibility…like the windows of possibility were being thrown open.  Dr. Laird suggested that I not just look at the window, yearning for those possibilities, but rather take a chance and step through those openings.  These images, he said, were Divine images, showing me as a new creation - don't hold back…step in to this new creation of someone who is, basically, for me, a "fool for God."  I'm reminded of the near-ecstacy I felt reading of Saint Elizabeth who "loved Jesus to distraction."  So often, I feel I just want to chuck all my pretenses and just say "yes" to Divine guidance…to be that fool for God.  What are my options?  I can keep playing safer…looking "good"/normal/mainstream on the outside.   I'll stay relatively safe…unfortunately, safe hasn't been all it's cracked up to be, at least not for me.  If I want to live this rich, juicy life, time's a'wastin'.  Let me be the quirky, joyous, irrepressible creation that makes me feel fabulous!

Where’s my focus?

Filed Under Freedom Challenge, Gratitude, Joyous Living, Sparkle | 2 Comments

I've been fortunate enough to get to spend the last week with my son, Tre, and his family…wife Shelly, 4 year old Serenity, and 2 year old Connor.  Being around the little ones, especially, has been such a treat, reminding me of the joy and enthusiasm I want to continue to maintain.  They are bundles of energy - and such a kick to watch and be with.  At times, though, their energy exhausts me and I start to feel OLD.  But I do know enough about tools for living a joyous life to know that focusing on what doesn't feel great isn't going to do me a whole bunch of good.  Much better to focus on the joy of hanging out with perfect models of unabashed joie d' vivre!  Besides, I really do feel fabulous and am sharing that in a Remember  Your Sparkle teleclass at the end of October http://www.joyouslifeworks.com/courses_teleclasses.htm.

In some way, Divine Inspiration, added to my sense of the rightness of "staying young" in a teleconference I was privileged to be a part of with Jeanna Gabellini and Eva Gregory (www.abundanceabounds.com ) about focusing on what you want and in a post by my dear friend, Adam Kayce (monkatwork.com ) about Joy.  Sure, feeling old is going to happen when you're 50-plus hanging out with a two-year-old, but why dwell on THAT, when I can be inspired by this little gift from God and focus on how big my heart feels when I'm with him?

Are there areas of your life you know you want to be changing the focus on?  What's your "focus dial" dialed to?  Something you want or something you don't?   

Remember when…

Filed Under Gratitude, Joyous Living, Sparkle, Stretching the comfort zone, Success | 2 Comments

Over the last several months, I’ve been enchanted by the idea and experience of “sparkle.”  It sends me back joyous childto being about four or five, when I just loved being myself.  I hadn’t had teachers reprimand me for always wanting to do show and tell.  I hadn’t yet gotten my first (humiliating) birthday spanking in front of my classroom.  Whether or not I did actually sparkle at that age, I don’t know, but what I do know is that when I remember (a full-body remembering) being that age, the feeling that comes over me is a sense of sparkling from within.  And when I feel like I’m sparkling, I am happy, joyous.  I have a sense of being all I need to be.  Like having God’s Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.  And with THAT approval, I’m good to go!

Personally, I love the idea of sparkle and sparkling.  Still being in touch with that young, enthusiastic, joyous part of me is one of my greatest blessings.  I think that anyone who gets in touch with their sparkle is going to be better off forlittle girl sparkling having done so.  Frankly, I can’t quite understand why not everyone relates to “sparkling” or wanting to sparkle, but they don’t.   And I’ve found myself thinking I should  “dim” my sparkle (you know, change the wording, eliminate the word sparkle), to accommodate those who aren’t raving sparkle fans, but my sparkle joy keeps insisting on being experienced.  So, if my deepest self refuses to dim my love of sparkle to appease those who can’t relate to sparkling, I guess I’ll follow that. And for those who do relate to the idea of sparkling…I say let’s set the world ablaze with our sparkle!   

Inquiry

Do you relate to inner sparkle?  In what way or ways? Do you not relate to sparkle?  Why is that?

Photos:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/myblueeyeguy/188576489/

            http://www.flickr.com/photos/beija-flor/5125391/  

Regaining balance after a leap

Filed Under Embracing uncertainty, Gratitude, Joyous Living, Setbacks as opportunities, Stretching the comfort zone | Leave a Comment

 For all my enthusiasm about putting new learnings into practice, one thing I hadn't taken into consideration is that, for me, I really need to periodically take time to integrate the new learnings, expansions, etc.  I've been so excited about "moving forward" and taking new actions…some of which were pretty bold expansions of my comfort zone…that I hadn't taken much time to adjust.  It hit me this weekend, after venturing to beautiful Lake Tahoe to take part in a retreat, that I've been experiencing so many shifts that all of a sudden (or so it seems) I was feeling very unsteady.  Who am I now?  Where am I standing?  Identifying where I am and where I'm going is one of my "coaching strategies" - and I wasn't doing it!  

One of the "blessings" of this is realizing, experiencing the fact that my emotions can be great guideposts.  After all the enthusiasm, suddenly I was feeling cranky, uncertain, sick to my stomach.  Rather than going to my usual, "what's wrong?" I was able to ask myself, "what are these feelings telling me?"  And I kept seeing the many bold actions I'd taken in the last month that dramatically expanded my comfort zone (going on a retreat where I knew almost no one and presenting my Speaking Circle work there were probably the "last straws").  It's a great reminder for me to put into practice more of my recent learnings - to pause and breathe(!), adjust as necessary, and then continue.  In the past, the "what's wrong?" would have stopped me, now it doesn't have to!  YAY!  I can feel my way along this path.  Sometimes, I will be able to leap and bound, and sometimes I'll inch along.  And I can embrace both ways as just right for the moment!

A great post about expanding one's comfort zone in smaller increments was on Edward Mills site:

http://www.evolvingtimes.com/2007/09/51-ways-to-expand-your-comfort-zone.htm 

I'd love to hear about other comfort zone expanders!

Learning the way

Filed Under Gratitude, Joyous Living, Sparkle | 5 Comments

I love being enthusiastic!  Most days since I've returned from Wizard Camp have been pretty exciting.  At least partially because I'm consciously putting to use a number of the great things I learned/had reinforced - which, frankly, I'm not always very successful at doing.  But having completed Wizard, I notice I am wanting to do things differently.  I've recognized a number of things that haven't brought me the results I want and can try new ways of doing things.  Being excited, choosing to focus on the things that support my enthusiasm are new ways of behaving for me - and they are working…so why not?  One of the things I've been doing is reviewing my notes…refreshing my memory, "installing" the upgraded software.  And my favorite practice is FEELING the way I want to be in the world.  Sounds a little weird, but the gist is that I was really impressed by a woman trainer I met.  Something about her stirred something in me and I finally realized that she and I have similar "vibrations" and that I was resonating with her and in doing that, I was more in touch with my enthusiasm and love of life.  So that's been among my favorite practices the last two weeks.  More on that soon!

INQUIRY: What's in Your Glass?

 Checking out Adam Kayce's Monk at Work, I saw a popular post that struck me as being fun and interesting.  He's borrowed from another blogger (both attributions follow), and I've decided to include it, too.  I'd love to hear what you've got to say about "What's in Your Glass?"

   “What’s In Your Glass?” , a creativity-enhancer based on Terry’s namesake blog, “Ramblings From a Glass Half Full”.  In this, Terry asks four questions:

1.    How full is your glass?

2.    What kind of glass is it?

3.    â€¨What’s in the glass?

4.    Reasons for #1, #2, and #3…

My answers:

1.  My glass is brimming over

2.  My glass is a beautiful crystal glass

3.  The glass is filled with joy, possibility, effervescence, and enthusiasm

4.  Life is really good right now, I feel so blessed, I’m learning so much and being able to put learnings into practice.  Beautiful crystal represents elegance, beauty, clarity, and celebration.  Joy, possibility, effervesence, enthusiasm are filling my life right now…so much so, I just want to be running around “sparkling” people so they are roused to their own sparkle/glow/shine within them.

So, what's in YOUR glass?  I'd love to hear!!! 

Here are the attributions:

http://tshalffull.blogspot.com/2007/06/whats-in-your-glass-starbucker-meme.html and http://monkatwork.com/2007/06/05/two-for-one-the-face-behind-the-glass

Sparkle, gleam, and glow

Filed Under Authenticity, Gratitude, Joyous Living, Sparkle | Leave a Comment

stained glass"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross


This light from within is what I am working to kindle for myself.  Sometimes this light is a roaring blaze, sometimes a smoldering ember.  But always, I hope it is burning away the dross, so that the light of the Divine can be seen more and more clearly - and more beautifully - through me.  
Occasionally, it seems there are periods of time where things seem horribly "off course" and it's harder to remember that Divinity within us.  I think this is where our practices of going deep within to find even the tiniest ember are so important.  It may seem much easier to give up, to be overwhelmed by the gunk - and I've done PLENTY of that!  But at this point, I'm wanting to do things differently…to focus on the passion still left in that smoldering ember, to care for it, nurture it, fan it until I am aglow again.  Although it takes practice to remember this: at each moment I have a choice of what to focus on; I have a choice of where to spend my precious time and energy.  Since I have this choice, I'd like to make it one that serves me, encourages me, and, ideally, serves and encourages others!  Why not be juicy, sparkling, and glowing?
What would you choose?  What DO you choose?
 
(image by c.a. delagarza www.flickr.com/photos/cadelagarza/93351564/) 

Defining Success for Ourselves

Filed Under Authenticity, Joyous Living, Success | 2 Comments

I want to be successful.  When I say that aloud…or write it for the whole world to see, I start to feel a little nauseous.  It seems to have such a negative connotation for me.  But it is the truth – I do want to be successful…just not in the way I think we typically think of success.  And, therein lies the rub.  Defining success.  My mini-Webster’s defines success as 1) a favorable result.  So far, so good.  Yep.  I’m all for favorable results.  The second definition is where I get tripped up – the gaining of wealth, fame, etc.  Not that I don’t want a bit of wealth and a bit of fame, but the idea that “success” is primarily viewed as this second definition.  And because this bothers me so much (like when my sister sniped at me while we were struggling with our parents’ estate – “you just want to be rich!” – oh, yuck!), I’ve been doing some soul searching…yes, I do want to be successful…but what does that MEAN?  One of the most complete definitions for me is: success is loving being myself.  Particularly after a lifetime of self-doubt and recrimination, loving being me, with all my flaws, being able to rejoice in who I am, really is success.  I’m wondering how other people are looking at success nowadays… 

There were some interesting posts at: http://www.linkedin.com/answers/career-education/mentoring/CAR_MEN/77541-3243289 if you’re curious or want some “priming of the pump.”

If the majority of people really took a look at what success meant to them would more of us feel successful?  And if more of us felt successful, how might our world change?  Having looked at my own "redefinition of success" I know I feel more successful and much of my world seems to be responding to the shift.  I like it!

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