Getting Clear on Options

That’s what I’m doing right now.  It’s funny.  Because I feel like I’m up to some pretty big things in my life.  I’ve set some big goals, and my focus feels rather “laser-like” — it’s like I’m honing in on a specific picture, and the more I hone in, the clearer and more detail-rich it becomes.

As I was driving to serveral appointments this morning I came to realize something.  You see, I’m all about “possibility” – standing in possibility, embracing possibility.  You get the idea. What I’ve realized is that one of the challenges which I’ve inadvertently set up in my life, up until now, has been that even as I entertain possibility, part of me tends to allow “failure” to be one of the options within the realm of possibility.  Makes sense, doesn’t it?  I mean, when you’re going after something, failure is definitely a possibility.  Or is it?

Here’s the epiphany I had this morning:  I can choose to allow failure as a possible option OR I can banish it from the kingdom so-to-speak.  I’ve got a big, hairy, audacious goal right now.  10 000 subscribers by July 9th, 2009, for my podcast series.  By anyone’s standards, that’s going after something in a big way!  What I decided this morning is that there is only room for success as far as this objective is concerned.  And I will do what I need to do to make it happen.  Given that success is the only option that I’m willing to entertain — and success in this case looks like 10 000 subscribers — it’s now up to me to keep working my plan, keep spreading the word, keep asking for help, keep focusing on success, leaving zero room for anything else, so that I achieve my objective.

Bottom-line:  for me, right here, right now, success is the only viable option.

Time to Cross the Bridge

I’ve often used a bridge analogy when talking about reaching my goals.  For me, it seems an apt comparison.  You see, I’ve often had the feeling of seeing my goal “on the other side of the bridge”, knowing that all I need to do is cross it, and the goal is mine.  I’ve also had the experience, however, of not crossing the bridge.  And I’ve finally come to realize what stops me.  Fear (big surprise).

Truthfully, I’ve known for a long time that fear is what holds me or anyone else back from the achievement of their goals.  I guess what I’ve really just realized in a “hit me over the head” sort of way is the specifics of the fear, what I’m actually afraid of.  It’s a fear that’s got a pretty big hold on me actually — and I know this because I thought I had ditched this one a long time ago.  The fear that stops me from crossing the bridge, is the fear of leaving the stuff on this side of the bridge behind, and more specifically, the people on this side of the bridge.

Let’s face it; on this side of the bridge I’ve got people I know and love, people I’m comfortable with, people who get me (I think).  And while my goal is definitely on the other side of the bridge, these people aren’t.  Now, I know that some of them may in fact come with me — there may well be people who cross alongside me or follow behind.

What stops me, however, is the not knowing.  I don’t know for sure if the people I love will join me — they might choose to stay behind.  They might decide that they don’t like me when I’ve achieved my goal.  And I don’t know who’s on the other side.  I might need to establish a whole new support network  in order to be with my goal.  In short, it’s fear of loss and change that’s stopping me — and others I know — from moving forward.

So here’s what I’ve decided (gulp)…it’s time to let go of the fear, if nothing else, and start walking over the bridge.  It’s time for me to truly live into the idea that stepping into a new level requires me to be willing to shed the old.  Some of the old may stick around, and I need to move forward regardless.

Bottom-line:  I can wait for everyone to join me on my journey before I step forward, or I can take the first step and trust that those who are menat to be with me will be, and those who aren’t — well, they won’t be.  And there will be others.  And it’s all good.

From “Please” to “Thank You”

The message of gratitude is everywhere.  Over the last decade, it’s as though the world has finally awoken to the fact that while there is much to long for, there is just as much (if not more) to be thankful for.   Really, expressing this thanks, standing in the abundance that is here NOW, is a great way to allow whatever it is you’re longing for to show up as well.

In some ways, I’m reminded of some of my interactions with my children.  The big request right now is for a dog (yep, we’ve reached the “Can’t we have a dog?” phase of childhood — actually, my son’s been here for a while, but we’ve managed to keep the idea at bay due to allergies!).  Allergies and such aside, what my husband and I have explained to our twosome, truthfully, is that as parents, we’d like to see our children being appreciative of and responsible for the things they already have, before entrusting them with another pet.  They’ve already got a hamster and a fish.  The children each have responsibilities related to each pet.  Some days these responsibilites are met; other days, those same responsiblities are neglected and if anything, there’s a barrage of sighing and grumbling about the amount of work that needs to be done.  Which provides my husband and I the opportunity to say, “if you can’t be grateful and responsible for what you have, how can we responsibly give you more?”

When it comes right down to it, I’m sure the universe gives us as humans similar responses. I’m certain that, even as we get clear on what we want and start asking for that, there’s a way in which the universe says “but are you appreciative of what you’ve GOT RIGHT NOW?”

Given the limitations of our humand, fairly linear-thinking brains, I believe that there’s a story we’ve got going that says “I ask for something, I get it, then I show gratitude.”.   What I want to entertain is the possibility that the process is more circular.  In other words, we can start with any of the three points.  And I think, starting with gratitude actually serves better.  Being grateful for what’s here right now, keeps you grounded in the present.  Being grateful for what’s here right now shows that you can be resonsible for more.  Being grateful for what’s here right now creates the space for what you’re wanting to show up.

Bottom line:  it isn’t necessarily that you must first ask, then receive, then give thanks.  Instead, it can actually serve to start by giving thanks.  Show your appreciation — truthfully, genuinely, in a heart-felt way.  Then you can ask.  And be grateful again.

Stand Your Ground AND Go With The Flow

Seems paradoxical, doesn’t it?  I’m not trying to be.  It’s just that I’ve had ample opportunity this past week to experiment and play with the idea of standing my ground.  As you know, I’m implementing new ideas, launching new products and basically allowing my company to morph in ways never imagined when I started coaching 6 years ago.  And what I’ve realized, as I’ve gone with the flow of inspiration, is that when I choose to go with an idea — when I choose to run with a new notion — I’ve got to simultaneously choose to stand my ground and stick with it until it catches the wind and takes off.

Napoleon Hill says that successful people are those who make decisions quickly and change them slowly if at all (or words to that effect).  In other words, you’ve got to be open to inspiration, catch hold of the idea as it makes itself known to you, then hold on until you get irrefutable signs that it’s time to let go.  You cannot waffle in the face of what appears to be rejection.

Bottom-line:  if you’ve got an idea that excites you, go with it.  Do what it takes to make it a reality.  Be prepared to hold on to your vision, even when it seems to take a while to take root.  Eventually, it will, so long as you’re willing to stand your ground.  And when it takes root, it will bear fruit, whatever that looks like.  I personally am choosing to stand my ground and go with the flow — that is actually what I’m feeling inspired to do.

Dealing with the Voice of Judgment

Description: Ever find yourself saying “I don’t have a choice?” What gets shut down in your life when you operate from this frame? How can opening up choices serve you? What would be possible if you operated from the premise that you ALWAYS have a choice? Listen in on this podcast and find out how embracing choice can fill your life with a greater sense of EASE.

Summary: The fifth segment to the Your Life, Your Way series of podcasts: Podcast 5 — Dealing with the Voice of Judgment

A little different from the voice of Fear (although certainly influenced by it), the Voice of Judgement has 3 prongs to it.  In this segment, Gail addresses each specific examples and offers strategies and questions to ponder to support you in finding new ways to dance with the whole “judgement” thing.”

Time to Leap

I once read a quote, or a saying, or something thought-provoking,  the essence of which was the idea that at some point, when it comes to reaching the next level or goal, you have to jump with both feet.  I remember being struck by the metaphor.  I got an image of jumping off a cliff — sometimes, after all, going for what’s next can have that same stomach-churning, fear-filled sense, you know?  And yet, if I truly believe that my dream is accessed by jumping, then I have to allow both feet to leave the edge.  Now, please understand, this is purely metaphorical — I am not planning to actually jump off of anything other than my front stoop anytime soon!

The reason I’m choosing to write about this now, today, is that I’m once again in that space of feeling like it’s time to make a leap.  I’m a little bit afraid, feeling a little trepidation, actually feeling like there’s a lot riding on this “leap”.  Let’s face it:  I’m taking a leap of faith.  I’ve got a vision and a plan to support the vision.  I’m striving to put it into action, taking steps as it were.  And now it’s time to let it go and watch it do it’s thing.  And letting anything go can be a little bit scary.

All this being said, I’m committed to making this a success.  Yes, there’s a lot riding on this course of action – or at least, that’s what I tell myself.  And, unless I fully commit to the plan – unless I take both feet off the edge and JUMP into my dream, I’ll never realize the full potential of what’s possible here.

So, here’s the bottom-line:  when it comes to grabbing your dream by the horns, are you willing to do what needs to be done?  Are you willing to take a risk?  Are you willing to leap into success or failure as the case may be?  Because until you’re willing to lay it all on the line, your dream will in fact stay just out of reach.  Always.  So take a big breath, count to 3, and then LEAP.  It’s the best way to grab your dream and make it yours. (Gulp)

Dealing with the Voice of Fear

Description: Ever find yourself saying “I don’t have a choice?” What gets shut down in your life when you operate from this frame? How can opening up choices serve you? What would be possible if you operated from the premise that you ALWAYS have a choice? Listen in on this podcast and find out how embracing choice can fill your life with a greater sense of EASE.

Summary: The third segment to the Your Life, Your Way series of podcasts: Podcast 4 — Dealing with the Voice of Fear

Dancing With a Million Ideas (More or Less)

It’s an interesting phenomenon that I’m experiencing.  Last week, I made a commitment to be open to the invitations of the universe and respond to said invitations without hesitation.  My objective here is to build some momentum based on creative, inspired energy.  What I didn’t bargain on was the myriad of ideas and invitations that would come my way.  Honestly, it’s as though every waking moment is filled with idea after idea after idea.  It could almost stop me in my tracks!

I haven’t allowed that to happen, however, because I’m aware that my commitment is to moving forward.  That’s what “responding to the invitations of the universe” means for me — moving forward on the path of my destiny without hesitation.  What I’ve had to learn (or, perhaps it’s “re-learn”),  however, is that even while there are many ideas coming my way, I don’t have to dance with them all at the same time.  If I pick one to engage with – any one at all – the others will keep circulating until I feel ready to dance with them.  That is, if they really want to dance in the first place.

In other words, I don’t have to be overwhelmed by the myriad of ideas and invitations.  I don’t have to fear that they’ll disappear and I’ll miss my chance.  Instead, I can totally trust that the really great ideas that want my attention will stick around while I give another great idea my attention; essentially, great ideas will wait their turn and I can just latch on to one and go with it for now.  The not-so-great ideas will fizzle into the background sooner rather than later, whether I give them my attention or not.

Bottom-line:  dancing with a million ideas — at least in the context of living life — means following one partner at a time, trusting that the others will be waiting when I’m done.  In the great dance of life, I don’t have to fear missing out on anything.  The ideas that want my attention will stick around.  It’s all good.

Watcha Thinkin’ About?

Thoughts create our reality.  Everywhere I look, this idea seems to be gaining more popularity.  From my perspective, that’s a good thing, because I believe that this is more than a novel idea; I believe that the statement “thoughts create our reality” is a fact.  Some may disagree, and that’s okay (I guess).  And yet, the more I read, the more I look around and observe, the more I witness evidence of thoughts being made manifest in some way, shape or form.

So it has me really getting curious on a moment-to-moment basis:  what am I thinking about?  What are my predominant thoughts?  Where do I put my focus?  And then, even as I get curious about my own thoughts, I’m curious about the thoughts that others are holding.  I mean, there are such diverse circumstances in our world at large, and even in my own small community.  What thoughts are people holding, consciously or not?

I guess that’s what I’m starting to realize more and more: oftentimes, the thoughts that dominate one’s existence tend to be unconscious in nature.  Which, in consideration of the fact that “thoughts create our reality”, seems self-defeating to a certain extent.  It’s like abdicating creative control over your life, isn’t it?  If  your thoughts create your reality, doesn’t it seem wise to be consciously choosing the thoughts you hold?

Bottom-line:  it’s time to get deliberate about thinking.  It’s time to invoke some discipline, not in a harsh, dictatorial sort of way, but in a defined, deliberate, self-aware sort of way.  Because when you choose your thoughts, you choose your reality.  So, what reality are you going for?

Don’t Just Stand There…

…bust a move…actually, bust a pattern.  It seems as though this is my theme for the week.  Pattern-busting.  And it’s an interesting paradox of challenge and ease all at the same time.  Which, as a person who subscribes to the basic premise that life is meant to be lived with ease, poses some interesting opportunites right off the hop

I know as well as anyone else that you cannot do what you’ve always done and expect to get different results.  It’s just  not a reasonable expectation.  If you want something to be different, you’ve got to take a different approach.  I also know that the if you want to break a pattern you’ve simply got to make up your mind to do so.  I believe this with all my heart: decide to do things differently, and you will do things differently.

What I’m realizing is the importance of the “with all my heart” piece; if you (or I) really want to break a pattern and replace it with a new one, we have to decide that’s what we want, and moreover we have to commit to it fiercely so that when the default patterns get set to do what they’ve always done, our commitment will over-ride the patterning.  In other words, a wishy-washy decision won’t cut it.  It has to be one that is rooted in fierce commitment.

So, what patterns are you looking to change?  Doesn’t matter if they’re big or little, hugely life-altering or moderately life-enhancing.  Whatever the pattern is, how committed are you to changing it?  If your answer is anything less than 100%, you’ve got some explainin’ to do, my friend.  Actually, forget the explainin’ and start explorin’.  What’s stopping  you from being 100% committed?  What fears to do you need to address?  What issues do you need to resolve?  What’s it going to take for you to fully commit to busting whatever pattern you’ve identified as a block to the life you want?

Here’s the other thing I’m playing with.  What if I actually don’t have to figure all that stuff out in order to be 100% committed?  What if I can trick my brain into believing that I’m 100% committed?  I think there’s a way.  It’s called:  using affirmations.  In other words, if I create an affirmation that I recite repeatedly, to the effect that “I am 100% committed to changing x”, my subconscious will believe it.  And then I’ll be able to bust my pattern without wasting time.

Bottom-line:  I am 100% committed to busting patterns that don’t serve me, in a most expedient way.  Starting now.  Will you join me?

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