I Want To Know

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dreams
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your
fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.

If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after a night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

By Oriah Mountain Dreamer

The Invitation

The Invitation Oriah Mountain Dreamer Canadian Teacher and Author
	It doesn't interest me what you do for a living I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love for your dreams for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon... I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain mine or your own without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy mine or your own if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful be realistic to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence. I want to know if you can live with failure yours and mine and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes." It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children. It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments. © 1995 by Oriah House, From "Dreams Of Desire" Published by Mountain Dreaming, 300 Coxwell Avenue, Box 22546, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4L 2A0

Don't Read This....

If you want to stay stuck where you are with whatever you are unhappy with in your life, DO NOT READ THIS. I repeat, do not read this.

However, if you truly want the simple truth that will set you free from anything in your life that you don't like, then read on. Read the following statement carefully. You need to let go of what is, in order to allow space to create what isn't. That's right, you have to let go of what is, in order to create space for what isn't.

Think about it, if you want to be 10 or 20 pounds lighter, you have to let go of seeing yourself the weight you don't want to be. To create the possibility of being 20 pounds lighter, you need to let go of your attachment and obsession about being heavier than you want to be. Once you release that attachment you have created the opening to become the weight you desire for yourself.

It's the same with relationships and moving on to a new reality. You need to consciously and subconsciously release that old relationship to create space in your life for a new relationship to enter or be created. As long as you are carrying any resentment, bitterness or attachment toward your former partner, you are not free to move on. You may be asking why you can't seem to meet anyone, but the reality is that your emotional closet is filled with the memories and emotional energies of that previous person.

And what if you say you want a new job or career but you can't seem to make it happen. Again, you need to detach from your current reality and begin to identify more with what you want in order to make it happen. By letting go and detaching from your current reality, you open yourself to the possibility of getting clear on what you do want and taking steps to make that happen in the present.

So to create something new, you have to let go of what currently is. When you create the visual and energetic state of what you want and marry that with taking action to create it in the present, you are creating a new reality for yourself that you choose. This new reality begins with action today that will manifest into full reality as you stay your course, not allowing yourself to get bogged down with 'what is' in your current reality that you don't like.

Remember, you get more of whatever you focus on. If you put your energy on all the things you don't like about your current weight, your current partner, current job, or anything else that you don't particularly like about your life in its current state, you strengthen its hold on you and your life. The minute you let go of 'what is' and start taking action and doing things that draw your attention to 'what isn't' that you want in your life, you have begun the creation and manifestation of that very thing in your life.

I challenge you right now to assess what is going on in your life that is weighing you down or making you feel dissatisfied. You hold the key to creating whatever new reality you want for yourself. Don't wait to create the life you want. The future life you dream of having one day is not out there somewhere. You are creating your future right now with the thoughts you are telling yourself.

I wish you clarity, love and light in taking action today to create a life you love.

Namaste

The Art of Letting Go

The cliche of 'Let go and let God' is so old - but so true. As human beings, we spend so much energy and time trying to change and influence things that we have so little human control over. We forget that there is a power much greater than ourselves at work and in charge. While knowing this doesn't diminish the deep desires or wishes in our hearts for something to be different, it can bring a peace to our being just to know that we aren't in charge.

Being God isn't my job. My job is to have faith and belief that there is a power greater than me at work. A power beyond my comprehension who sees beyond what my eyes can see or heart can feel. It's actually a relief to know that I'm not God. That's a big job - way bigger than any human can even fathom.

So today, I let go and give all things to God. In the grand scheme of things, I don't really control anything anyway. I am here to fulfill the destiny and fate that was determined long ago. I do have choices to make along the way, but in the end, the path that I am to go down will appear before me - either in a straight or curvy line.

I celebrate where I am in life - knowing that I am in the exact place doing the exact thing at the exact moment that I am supposed to be doing. And to all of us: FORGIVE everyone and anything that has ruffled your feathers, struck you wrong or hurt your heart. Few people in this world do things out of the badness in their hearts to hurt another human being. Things done that hurt others are typically done as a result of the other person trying to protect themselves or influence change in another person to encourage them to open their eyes to another choice. Once again, that other person is on their path doing what they need to do to learn the lessons they are here to learn.

Let go - and trust that all is well in the world. Even if it doesn't appear that way on the surface, God and a higher power are in charge. Today just celebrate that there is a God - and know that you can lean into that with a knowing that this too shall pass. Everything works out. Live your life and love those around you. Life is short.

Namaste

Is Your Past Defining Your Future? Three Easy Steps to Break Free From Your Past

How much do your past experiences determine your current reality? Way more than you think. What effect are your past experiences having on how you live your life today and how you perceive yourself? We often either consciously or subconsciously, allow our past experiences to define who we are or how we perceive ourselves. In addition, we are creatures of habit, so we will naturally recreate our past experiences because our ego is drawn to and feels safe with what it knows and is familiar with.

Do you want to feel more happy, loveable, successful, independent, you name it. We all have identified qualities that we desire to experience more of.  If your past experiences have not encouraged or supported those experiences, ask yourself what is blocking you from receiving them. You may want these things on a conscious level but are self-sabotaging them away from yourself subconsciously.

So how do you stop subconsciously self-sabotaging or recreating patterns from the past that no longer serve you? The first step is to identify and acknowledge what from your past you want to change or do differently in the present and future. You may have made decisions about where you live, the type of work you want to do or the qualities of a romantic partner that are important to you, based upon an outdated belief system. Or your belief system may contain beliefs and values that you inherited as a child and that are not in alignment with your adult self.

We inherit much of our self-identity from our caregivers and our early life experiences. If you want to create a new path and free yourself from past non-working decisions, you must evaluate your core beliefs and values. These are the subconscious and conscious operating system variables that affect your decision making to go in one direction or another. Take a look through the core values list below and pick the top five that are most in alignment with how you want to live your life today. Also identify those beliefs and values that you inherited and no longer serve you. 

Now that you have identified them, write them down and carry them with you in your purse or wallet. Refer to them when you are making decisions or are unsure about any decision you are about to make. To live in closer alignment with your core self and feel more in balance with your life, ask yourself if making this decision brings you closer or further away from your core values. Any decision that takes you further away from what is most important to you in life will throw your life further out of balance.

Stay in tune with your guiding principles in life. Your core values provide a roadmap to creating a life that you feel good about and that is in alignment with what will bring you joy, happiness and contentment. We are all in charge of what happens in our lives. We are the creators of our individual reality – the center of our own universe. We have no one to blame but ourselves if our lives are not the way we want them to be. We have the ultimate control over every decision we make. Realize the control you have and take responsibility for creating a life you feel good about, that serves you and those around you who love you. 

You came here for the experiences you would have in this life time. Take charge of your life and make every decision one that supports your higher self’s mission and reason for being here. To explore your beliefs and values, and create a roadmap to your ideal life with someone who understands this process and can guide you, reach out to me. My purpose in life is to help you connect with who you truly are at your core, identify and heal anything that has happened in the past that may be getting in your way, and support you in creating your ideal life – however you define that to be. I care and am here for you.

Namaste

The Values List

Abundance

Accomplish

Acquire

Adventure

Artistic

Be passionate

Be spiritual

Be present

Capable

Coach

Comfort

Community

Compassion

Encourage

Energy

Enjoy

Dependable

Dedication

Courage

Dare

Danger

Dream

Enlighten

Excellence

Expert

Facilitate

Family

Fun

Gamble

Glamour

Grace

Guide

Have fun

Health

Humor

Imagination

Improve

Impact

Influence

Inspire

Inquisitive

Integrity

Invent

Joy

Laugh

Love

Learn

Mastery

Observe

Open-minded

Originality

Orchestrate

Peace

Persuade

Plan

Play

Pleasure

Provide

Realize

Reign

Relate with God

Religious

Risk

Romance

Satisfied

Responsible

To create

Security

Thoughtful

Thrill

Support

Stimulate

Unique

Truth

Wealth

Influence

                  

Are You Inspired?

How do you live an inspired life? All of us go in and out of feeling motivated and inspired about our path in life and what we are doing with our lives. The times when we feel like we are 'in the flow' of life and moving with the natural current. Remember times when you felt like lady luck had touched you and you experienced a flow of great events or situations that you were happy about? Those are times when you have connected with positive energy and continued to flow in that state, attracting positive energy and situations back to yourself.

What happens when we fall out of that 'flow' and how does it happen? Falling out of the flow is like stubbing your big toe first thing in the morning and staying connected with the energy of one unfortunate incident for the rest of the day. Many times we will realize that we just aren't feeling 'up' or happy about ourselves or the day. Many times we won't even realize that's where we are at until someone else or something brings it to our attention. Either a person comments about our 'mood' or we start experiencing unwanted consequences or events throughout the day. Either way, these are red flags to do a 'check up from the neck up.'

We all have the choice to 'direct our thoughts' to those things that bring us happiness and light. To shift quickly out of a funk into an inspired state, think of two or three things in your life that you absolutely love or that make you happy. Focus on them until you find your state shifting from out of the flow to into the flow, or at least neutral. The trick is to move your energy state up from the lower energies of sadness or anger, to higher vibrational energies that are connected with happiness and joy. If you can make the time, write out a list of these things that truly inspire you. Read this list throughout the day and re-write it when you feel inspired to do so. The longer the list you can create and the more frequently you review it, the better. This is your gratitude list.

Even better, make a vision board of images and words that depict the ideal, visionary life that you wish to create and experience for yourself. Each of these things keep us focused on what we 'want' not on what we don't want. Remember that what we focus on we get more of - so if you are focusing on what you don't want, guess what, you will get more of that.

So once you've reconnected with your positive energy, how can you keep that fire alive all the time instead of intermittently? Stay focused on your gratitude list and look at your vision board. These are visual messages that your brain takes in consciously and subconsciously. Assess the people you are allowing in your circle. Minimize the time you spend, or limit your interaction with people who don't lift your spirits or tend to bring you down. You are in charge of your destiny and your energetic state. If you don't like the way you feel, do something about it. Think differently and you will feel differently.

You CAN do it!

Namaste

Three Easy Steps to a Balanced Life

In life there is the ying and yang to everything. But in our world of consumption and promotion through the media that more is better, our balance can easily get thrown off. Too much of even a good thing can be too much. So how do you know if you're off balance? If you don't already know, ask yourself some key questions about how you are living and experiencing your life.

1. How would you rank your level of satisfaction with each life area below? Ask yourself to honestly rate the categories below from 1-10, 10 = very satisfied to 1 = out of whack. Identify where you are deeply satisfied in your life.

• Physical Environment
• Career
• Money
• Health
• Friends and Family
• Romance
• Personal Growth
• Fun and Recreation

2. In the areas that are not a 10 ask yourself why?

3. For most of us, we are out of balance in one or more parts of our lives. Choose one or more slices of life to focus on and make a commitment to yourself to get more balance in those areas. It will make for a more enjoyable and happy life.

So what happens when we are out of whack with our priorities in one way or another? It can lead to health issues, relationship breakups,  depression, misuse of alcohol or recreational drugs, and a host of other problems. Many times we get out of balance by pursuing what we think will bring happiness or security - money, power or title in our work. The important thing to realize is that chasing the carrot is an illusion. Having meaning and balance in your life is much more important. If you are aspiring for a higher position, more money or a prestigious title - do it in a balanced way. If this is your aspiration, your performance is going to speak for itself.

So regardless of what your carrot is, whatever that thing is that you are chasing in life, do it in moderation. We all need goals to strive for in life to keep us focused and hopeful of something more, different or better than where or what we are or have currently. It's how we go about pursuing those goals that is important and will either fuel us or burn us out.

I encourage you to assess your life every couple of months and see how balanced you are and identify any areas you have become more ying than yang or vice versa. Imbalance creeps up insidiously sometimes and we don't realize a problem is brewing until we have kept our eyes shut too long behind the wheel and we are about to crash into a wall.

Love yourself, be kind to yourself and stay in tune with your heart and your body - they will always be honest with you if you listen.

Namaste