Out with the old and in with the new. Cleaning house will give you instant feelings of gratification and accomplishment. Having space for new things will bring different kinds of possessions into your life just as surely as your thoughts will.
Spring cleaning isn’t just for windows and it isn’t just for Spring time. The best way to start a new cycle in life is to wipe away the layers of accumulated dust. And dust can accumulate under the best of circumstance.
Time to throw away the old beliefs, the self-limiting speeches and your same old story. Get out your largest trash bags and start filling them up with the proverbial baggage you just don’t need anymore.
Clutter causes disfunction and if you’re not careful you will bury yourself under the years of trash that will most certainly hold you back. Think of yourself as you would your car. A full detail every few months will have you breathing long deep sighs of fresh air.
Put your old beliefs to rest. Go through the ceremony, engage in the mourning period and cut the umbilical cord. Do whatever it takes to bury the past where it belongs so you can move forward with an open mind and embrace the miracles in any given moment.
Letting go is hard. Changing is scary. Get it out. Let your tears cleanse you. Now’s the time. April showers bring May flowers!
It’s time for a fresh start. Clean house. Wash up. Disinfect. Set new examples. Surprise yourself. Be curious. Be refreshing. Re-set your clock now. Glow, sparkle and twinkle. Make a wish.
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud
was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
Taking stock of what you say can be more important than taking inventory of what you have. Are you replaying the broken record over and over in your mind? Where are you getting your information? Haven’t you heard? You shouldn’t believe half of what you think.
You should also only believe half of what you see and almost none of what you hear. Everyone has an opinion. The problem is everyones judgments are based on their own lack of experience. Most people are very knowledgable in one area. They went to school on a subject or they took a job right out of college and they became an expert at whatever their job description was.
Is life so hard that you would so easily give up on yourself and not see the rest of your potential? Are you so blinded by grief that you will believe and feed into whatever negative rubbish your neighbor wants to inflict on you because of their own lack and fears?
Being a late bloomer I’ve spent most of my life in struggle. Self inflicted struggle caused by making the wrong decisions and not knowing enough. My life has been trial and error but never without lessons. What I have learned is not to listen to the wrong people. Never turn your back on what your heart feels and giving up is not an option.
I’ve had two very interesting exchanges in the last two years with two different people I thought were my friends. I learned valuable lessons in both exchanges and I walked away a better person for it. In the first instance, I had a friend tell me “What, you can’t come down off your high horse for one second?” and the second lesson came when a dear friend of mine said, “You act like a producer all the time. You treat everyone like they work for you.” Now mind you, in the second instance the fight occurred after I hired this person to be an actress in a very important personal project of mine.
The first friend I walked away from. Haven’t hung out with her since. I saw the humor in the exchange and moved on. The second friend and I are still friends but I gained something that day I have never let go of. A proud sense of accomplishment and self-respect. I realized that I had changed. I wasn’t treating anyone any differently or talking to anyone in any other tone then I always have. On the contrary, my trying to help my friends backfired on me. I had improved my social standing and maybe they weren’t ready to accept that.
I learned that when it’s time to change sometimes it’s also time to say good-bye. You can only do, say, suggest, and advise so much, then you have to walk away and let people figure things out on their own. Sometimes they never do. But it’s not your responsibility. You are your responsibility.
I have another friend that has been helping me get a business off the ground. I’ve known him since I was fourteen years old. He is one of the most talented people I know on many levels but he is also one of the most negative and downright self-deprecating people I know. I don’t understand what happen to him. The years beat him down and he let them. When I try to encourage him he calls me Tony Robbins and brands it a lecture. I realize how stuck he is and there is nothing I can do or say that will change it. Even me being living proof to the contrary, it’s lost on him. I had to make the conscious decision this week to stop making suggestions and to only talk about the task at hand. If he starts to go on a negative tangent about something someone told him that becomes proof to him that it can’t happen, I will gracefully change the subject.
My friend that called me “a Producer” as if it were a derogatory thing instead of a huge accomplishment is still my friend because we have been through so much over the years and she has also on many occasions given me amazing advise. I also inherently respect her work ethic and her tenacity. She was the first person in my life that I actually learned from and I am grateful for the teachings. Her friendship has helped me strive for greater. She told me once, “You don’t ever want to be with a guy that can’t give you more than you can give yourself”. That really stuck with me.
But now I am realizing a much larger spectrum of this statement. It’s the same philosophy in sports. You want to become a better tennis player you pursue a game with someone who is a better tennis player than you. And so it is in life. You want to become successful and rise above your circumstance find people who are where you want to go and start hanging out with them.
You want to be CEO, go to an office and ask if you can interview the executives. You want to be an actor, take every workshop you can and practice, practice, practice. You want to be an Entrepreneur, go to seminars and take classes.
There is a wealth of information at our disposal. You must Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway!* It is never too late and you are never too old. Don’t let others ignorance and limiting beliefs hold you back. Rise above the pack and make your own rules, set your own sights on greatness and it will be rewarded. Don’t ever give up on your hopes and dreams. Just be prepared to revamp them a little. A dream is only a dream if you don’t write them down. Make your plan of action and then get started implementing your strategies and objectives. Before you know it, your dream will have become a business.
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.” ~ Henry Ford
If you had access to the keepers of your life flashing before your eyes what questions would you ask? How would you greet the efferevescent premonitions? Whatever would you wear?
You can’t really wait because life waits for no one and you can’t look toward the eternal sunshine of a spotless mind because well, that’s just not where you would look.
How many years have you been here? How many impressions do you carry in your music box? If in the glimpse of kaleidoscope eyes you were given an opportunity to see who you really are would you take it?
You may not remember all of yesterday and tomorrow only half matters. Your life is not a book mark or a paper weight. It’s a night in shining armor and the most heavenly scent.
Your life is in the moment of a single breath and a droplet of rain. A place where the lilacs whisper in the wind and where magic swirls around in the air.
The future can be capricious while the next day may never come. Honor the significance and don’t forget to blink. Time might even slow to a most certain stop while you wonder.
Measurements don’t apply here and feelings are just words if you don’t know the definitions. The infinite possibilities are taken from you if you forget. Liken it to a wish upon a star.
Is there still hope in you? Find it. Is there trust beyond the depths of the deep? Drink of it. Is there promise that your light will shine eternally? Believe in it.
Refuse to consider the hyperbole and make your own luck. Forever has been here all along if you just know where to look.
photo courtesy of http://www.wallpaperfever.com/zen-wallpaper/page-2
“The way to develop decisiveness is to start right where you are,
with the very next question you face.”
~ Napoleon Hill
Being the W Chaser generates all kinds of questions. I most certainly want to know the where, who, why, and when of every little thing. But how do we know the right question to ask? Where do we go for answers?
We know there are no stupid questions (thank God), and the more we ask the closer we get to the truths of the matter. If we spend more time asking questions instead of saying “I” this or “me” that, we will grow exponentially. We don’t live in simple times so questions are changing. But are the days of a Thoreau influenced rhetoric really a thing of the past?
Life moves fast and keeping up with the Jones’s is no easy feat. People are rushing around in such haste, sometimes we forget our manners. We misplace our compassion and we are quick to judge. We react so fast that by the time we are done arguing we aren’t even talking about what sparked the flame to begin with.
What we bury will eventually come to the surface. The rain will come wash away the cover and we are left bare to face the veracity of our existence. We will have inflicted pain on love ones. We will have become so self absorbed we will forget that anyone needs us. We will become so wrapped up in what we own we will forget who we are. We will walk around in transference and never get to the bottom of anything.
The self absorbed human prophecy of consumption is bound to conquer, if we don’t relinquish the ego. Time promises change if we can be without judgements and to be without judgements is to engage. A rhetorical question and the Socratic method. Inquiring minds want to know and investigating souls are bound to grow.
If we can only stop ourselves from the engagement of the defenses long enough to ask questions. Take time every day to sit in silence and ask yourself some questions or one big question. Write it (them) down or say it (them) out loud. Before you go to bed at night ask a question and ask for the answer to come to you in your dreams. If you wake up in the middle of the night, write down whatever you remember and see if the answer to your question is there. Pick a question and write it down with your writing hand on a piece of paper then with your other hand write down whatever comes to mind. See what happens.
Remember when we were kids and we questioned everything around us? That’s how we get to the bottom of it. We can’t be afraid to ask.
“Ask and ye shall receive.” Matthew 21:22
Really? Really.
photo courtesy of http://www.birdwallpapers.com/golden-pond-wallpaper.html
Checks and balances. We go through most of our lives trying to acquire stability, to get it right and to evolve.
My genius mother used to say, “Don’t forget, you are the company you keep, so choose your friends carefully”. “Umm okay well I’m 10 so my friends are kinda limited to whomever is in walking distance”.
Then as I got older I realized some other meanings to this very wise suggestion. So being the late bloomer that I am, I have most recently set out on a journey to conquer some things and change the vibrational level I’ve been residing on. When you change your address, you change your neighbors.
There is no getting around the truth and the truth is, we grow up surrounding ourselves with that which we know. It’s comfortable, familiar and nothing but a prevorbial brick wall. Have you ever been in a relationship with someone you argue with all the time? Is your spouse or best friend a heavy drinker but you don’t drink at all? Do you surround yourself with people that uplift you or deplete you?
I’ve spent a large portion of life in denial. Being the social butterfly found me in the company of other people with the same affiliations. There is nothing uplifting in staying out all night only to have to recover in bed all day. We were facilitators. We abandoned our values long enough to seek a higher consciousness. What goes up most come down.
When you engage in a false hope with people living the same erroneous existence, you are incarcerating yourself with a long list of liabilities. And the more impediments you add to the pile the deeper you go in the hole. Well if you want to get out of the hole. Stop digging.
Taking stock of your life isn’t easy but it is courageous. They say, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Well isn’t it time you acted as a substitute while you await their arrival? We are always stronger than we think. We are always capable of miraculous feats and sometimes it takes some good old fashion isolation to get us where we need to go.
Twice now in my lifetime I have made tremendous recovery. I set out to change something in my lifestyle and in order to truly and unequivocally make the change I had to separate myself from all of what I know. I had to cleanse the patterns and habits out of my system. I spent a lot of time alone taking stock of my choices. Why was I making decisions in my life that left me feeling berated or depleted? Because it was all I knew.
Yes I am successful. I do very well. I am lucky for my career and not a day goes by that I don’t say thank you for my blessings. But if I’m this good I know I can be better. It’s time to surround myself implicitly with that which is uplifting. Time to rewrite my story. Exchange the liabilities for some valuables.
It’s time to acquire assets. The benefits will make us better people and what I realized was the truth in being the company you keep. I find myself surrounded by people with the same hopes, dreams and determination as me. There is solace in the mutual exchanges of energy. Walking away from someone with a smile on your face means you are being uplifted. Friendships are meant to be inspiring. Undeniable confidence is contagious. We’re not here to be better than each other we are here to be better together. Assets know that. Liabilities want to control you.
“Be the change you want to see in the world” (Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948) ).
When you set your sights on being the best person you can be, you will find yourself surrounded by the same kinds of people. Trade in your liabilities for some uplifting assets and see where the wind takes you. Birds of a feather, flock together.
photo courtesy of http://www.wallpaperfever.com/zen-wallpaper/page-4
“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing”.
Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865)
All walks of life, different aspects of time, and many magnitudes of vibrational levels. It never ceases to amaze me how many people walk around related by their traits. I’ve been learning a lot about the difference between being of service and being an enabler.
The ecosystem of mankind is made up of givers and takers, trend setters and innocent bystanders, the balance of nature and survival of the fittest. Recently, a new friend said, “We have a lot of the same characteristics”. At first, laughing it off, I registered that we were the same in a lot of ways. But my innate sense of individualism screamed, “There is a hidden message here”. With a smile in my eyes, I asked her what she meant. Sure enough the similarities she spoke of were the ones that were bred in the necessity to persevere through childhood circumstances. The protection mechanisms.
Opening the box of memories wasn’t easy but after much speculation it was evidently clear that the truth in her words had been hidden from me. Denial. What a glorious pastime. But temporary. The truth always comes out.
The role I play is the giver and most of the time giving too much in exchange for what hopes to prove everlasting connections. Sometimes the blurter always the true at heart. The entrepreneur in me wants to share and my first instinct to give can lend itself to misunderstanding and lead to feeling guilt at not giving away the shirt on my back. But I must stay true to the trend setter in me and respect that not everyone is the same.
Forming partnerships is important but the equal exchange of give and take is essential. We must find our balance. We must know when to say no. When to stand up for ourselves and when to know that not all partnerships will pan out. We are all meant to fulfill a purpose and not everyone has the same purpose. We must be brave enough to face the facts. We need to respect that some people are risk takers and others are not. We can’t ever be afraid to go it alone.
My life is not without risk. My endeavors show that I seek out the opportunities and I am a master at problem solving. The offerings are presented in the energy exchanges, messages and signs. It is up to us to figure out what we bring to the table and what we can do to make the flowers grow. Life doesn’t want to hear about all the things you can’t or don’t know how to do. Our very existence depends on our ability to ask the right questions, to be resourceful and to make our own luck.
For those of you who know me, you know that of all the things I have acquired over the years, the most important has been my inherent ability to turn obstacles into opportunities. Persistence and perseverance make up the recipes for success. You can’t turn your back on what the world presents to you. Did Bill Gates give up after his first failure? Did Marilyn Monroe go home after her first failed audition?
When I run into people I haven’t seen in a while their response is always, “Oh you’re still at that?” And I laugh, and say, “Yes, it doesn’t happen over night. You can’t give up on your endeavors and projects. You have to come to a place in your life where giving up is not an option. That’s how dreams come true and stardom is born, and the Pulitzer Prize is awarded to someone new every year.”
We must believe in ourselves. We must take our character traits and use them to the best of our ability. We must learn to shine and give and take and move forward. We must want to uplift any situation we choose to be a part of. We must treat our opportunities, and ourselves with respect and honor. We must encourage our friends and love ones. We can’t ever give up on our hopes. We must live with integrity. We must cultivate self motivation.
If life is long and you have to fill it you have know in your heart of hearts that the world waits for no one. You must grab the reigns and make your own luck. We are not alone and a lot of us get the same idea at the same time, but only a handful will create that next big thing. Well I think the hand is really big and we can all fit. Don’t you?
What is your replacement value? What do you bring the table? Do you know what you leave behind?
On the road less traveled there are many more people. There is so much to do. Lots to see. Places to go. In the hustle and bustle we lose ourselves. In the pursuit to escape from wherever we come from we don’t realize we are at risk of becoming that which we run from.
As elusive as it may seem, the past is with us. It is in the form of a look, a reaction or a call to action. It is in the way we dress, our manners, our judgements and our satisfactions.
I’ve been on a self fulfilling prophecy to change my story. And if you have been on a similar journey, then you might relate to this. It started out wanting to let go of the past. Then it became a necessary roughness to learn from it. It was inevitable that eventually I would have to face it. In the eyes of the truth the light comes on and the music plays and you can take a deep breath again.
I read somewhere that it is in the silence that we truly get to know ourselves. Silence is hard. Your inner dialogue tries to play tricks on you and tries to get you to do things out of boredom or fear. But if you don’t argue, if you don’t engage in the mockery, the mind will rest. And the solitude reveals secrets.
When you discard the disguises you are all you have left. It is only you that you have to answer too. It is in the undisturbed halls of your mind that the answers roam freely waiting to be discovered.
In the end we can’t hide from the past. Without forgiveness we will never heal. Living in mere speculation is not enough. If we don’t get to the bottom of it we will live it over and over. We are all extremely valuable and we need each other. What we bring to the table is a feast and we need to be grateful for the invitation. When we come to terms with the fact that everything that has ever happened to us came from a choice we made on our own, in the first place, then we will be on the right track, pivoting on our heels as we wave. Thankful for the experiences, the lessons and the remarkable journey it has been.
photo courtesy of http://www.wallsave.com/wallpaper/1920×1080/zen-nature-colorful-bamboo-185509.html
Sometimes good old fashion pen to paper is enough to clear your head, jog your memory or embrace some silliness.
The surroundings are overcast with hints of winter and the ocean ripples toward far away lands. The trees whisper in the wind and you can’t help but wonder what they’re saying. Some harmless brain spew promises a glorious day of creativity. Dr. Seuss inspirations encourage light hearted banter but your mind doesn’t let the Oscar Wilde in you get any rest. Delving into history shows that you’re made up of both. This is where the past meets now and it’s a quiet collision. Some memories never leave you so you carry them around like a lucky charm. I hope Matt Andrews is playing a piano somewhere singing. I hope there is space and there is someone in it. I hope there is room and it is occupied. The moon is full and gives light so you can see what is ahead of you. A subtle glance. I catch you. I look away and I feel your eyes on me. Imagination works its wonder. Memory of a kiss and kiss pull away. I didn’t mean to leave you but the words are on paper only. Feelings are internal and kept to yourself. You look at me and I want to be lost in you forever. There is an open door but you still knock. You walk in and look around. Searching the room for me. It spins, it tango’s, it mixes drinks. A picture is taken, a demo recorded and the laughter fills the air. The drum you play is the heart. The words you sing the soul. The ivory keys on your piano keep you moving. You’re intriguing. The linear righteousness has vanished. You’re famished. You ask. You speak. You know. You hear. You need. You want. You’re horizontal but you look down. You’re vertical but you see behind you and I may be closer to being found. Lights flicker, candles lit. No breath to blow out. Sulphur fills the air and a cough is heard. Footsteps on the wooden floor and they approach. But they don’t. It’s just a tapping. Misconceptions. Sony sound. Rewind and do a playback please. I missed it. Digital enhancements. Qualitative kisses. It always comes back to kisses. So give notice. Seven days in advance. The flash is on but there is no film. That radio plays no music. The only sounds that you can hear are the warnings. Because this is only a test. This is only a test.
If there isn’t anything to say does it mean we aren’t living? Sometimes not feeling moved means we’re moving. Is contentment a place we arrive? When we are comfortable we are real and when we are real we can be spontanious.
Pleasurable antidotes don’t need labels or titles. We don’t need to see fireworks or shooting stars to assure us we are living. We need to awaken what lay dormant within us. We need to trust that our lives will show us the way to our true path.
When we are being true to our innate desires, that will always be enough and it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t fit into someone else’s portrait. Let them drink their bourbon while you bask in life’s bubbly.
We must not ever compare ourselves to what others have. Let them do their thing and you do yours. We aren’t all meant to fit perfectly into one puzzle. There just aren’t enough corners.
The journey is our own. Our own sense of accomplishment will be different for everyone. What makes one person happy may not seem at all appealing to the person sitting next to them. The beauty of life is relativity. There will always be differences of opinion. Conjecture based on half the facts and less story. When people share their version of your story it’s not who you really are. And who cares what people think anyway? Their opinion of you is based on their own testimony and it’s not up to you to judge anymore than they do. Don’t you ever engage in such narrow minded banter. You know better.
Let your internal sun shine and don’t take any grief. It holds no value in the world of energy exchanging playing cards. And aren’t you here to play? I suggest you play nicely like you were taught when you were young. You shouldn’t need to be covered in armor. If you are, you are playing with the wrong people. Change games.
photo courtesy of http://desktop2wallpapers.com/wallpaper/Positive-Energy/
Everyone loves a payday. Validation for a job well done. Recognition for accomplishments. Endorsements for good behavior.
The payoffs come in many forms. They are compliments from loved ones, awards for good measure, and accolades for being honorable.
There are payments for services rendered, bonuses, incentives, motivations, and stimulants. There is nurturing, caring, promoting, developing and strengthening. There is looking outside ourselves for formal cognizance and there is looking within ourselves for our own self-preservation.
If we don’t allow people to hold us up, we can never be let down. Self discovery will cast a light on the elements within ourselves that inspire us to be responsible for who we have become. Perception is in the eye of the beholder and it’s time to live up to our standards.
Change begins when we love ourselves enough hear the heartbeats in our story.
Important question 101: After your payoff do you feel elevated or depleted?
If you work out hard for an entire week why would your payoff at the end of the week be a fat greasy cheeseburger with french fries? Is that a celebration or self deterioration?
If you work out hard for an entire week why wouldn’t your payoff be a nice 30 or 60 minute massage to comfort your aching muscles?
It doesn’t matter if your payoff has been depleting or encouraging. Our bodies and our minds get used to both kinds and our subconscious does not discriminate. It will follow along like Simon Says engaging in whatever payoff pattern we employ.
It’s time to try something different. Something new. A payday that benefits us in all the right ways.
You have to look at what you want to change and have a replacement ready for that in which we have the power to change. I always find it best to work in lists and columns so you can list the pattern or activity on one side and the payoff counterpart on the other. This time we can make a third column and add what our new payoff is going to be.
Remember repetition breeds success. Any habit can be adjusted, changed or replaced in 21 days. Be honest with yourself so you can invoke the change you wish to see in your life. The new emotional paydays will be worth the effort.
photo courtesy of http://cheetahgurlz90.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-nurture-your-relationship.html
Out with the old and in with the new. Cleaning house will give you instant feelings of gratification and accomplishment. Having space for new things will bring different kinds of possessions into your life just as surely as your thoughts will.
