Living Your Best Life

So I normally don't write two days in a row but this is burning within me so here goes! 

Are you living your best life?  Do you have passion?  Do you know your purpose?  Do you listen to the thoughts in you head that say you are inadequate?  These are all questions that 8 months ago I would not have been able to answer with anything but hopelessness, but now I can answer with knowing who I am and the greatness that is within me!

Getting up each day and knowing who you are and finding greatness in all you do is liberating!  This is not a "pie in the sky" feeling that comes and goes, this is a deep rooted belief system that comes naturally in everything you do. 

We all have bad days, have things that happen to us that are unexpected, things that go left when we want them to go right...however our response to these situations is what tells what kind of life you are living.  I used to get overwhelmed with the smallest of things that did not go my way or people who I allowed to have power over me.  I would sit in my counselor's office and tell her about how I couldn't do certain things, how I was powerless, how I was broken and I really believed with my head all these things to be true.  She would energize me by telling me about my greatness and how fearless I was, about how brave I was and I would believe her and leave feeling it, but within a few days the feeling would be gone. 

I started to wonder if I would ever change..then something amazing happened, one day I left my head and took up residence in my heart!  I know this sounds silly, what does that mean exactly, how do you live in your heart, isn't that just being emotional?  My answer is a resounding no!  It means that you discover the you that has been there all along.  We get so side tracked with life that we forget who we are.  We forget that greatness is in us and has always been. But I am here to tell you that when you discover this truth something happens that is nothing short of AMAZING!  You start to live, you have a fresh perspective on EVERYTHING!  The positive takes over and it seems that in spite of yourself you find greatness in everyday life.  Does negativity try to creep in, yes it does and you can choose to let it have a place as I did last week, however, it doesn't last long as what you know to be true in your heart is much more powerful!

Most days I am so full that I can't help but "spill over!"  I share this message in small and big ways everyday and I must say that it is energizing watching others discover greatness within themselves.  This is not a come and go trend, but is something that when it gets grounded in you you become FEARLESS in all you do!  You will live life without wondering what you are missing, but instead knowing you have purpose and passion.  The words "I can't" leave your vocabulary and the words "I am fearless" become part of your daily life.

My hope and desire for you is that you find greatness within-as it is already there!  Find a counselor who believes this (look up counselors who are trained in the  Nurtured Heart Approach) and have them start to speak greatness to you. Sorrund yurself with positivity.  Look deep within yourself to your heart listen to what is it saying. Tune out the negative voices in your head.  Evict fear, worry, misery, doubt from your life.  Just these small changes will start you on your journey to greatness.  Believe me when I say you will start living like you never have before, I know I have.

Evict Fear and Discover Greatness

Living FEARLESSLY, discovering your GREATNESS, what is this really all about anyway? What makes living this way so special and how can it change your life? Isn't just figuring things out as you go along an okay way to live? Well, yes if you just want to be okay, but what if you discovered a way to live with passion, with purpose, with anticipation, wouldn't you want that more?!?

You see, I once lived in a "giant" apartment building in my head where every apartment was occupied by fear, doubt, worry, misery...you get the picture. I thought that the few times a year I had hope was all there was because I was renting out all the space in my head to negativity. Since so much time was taken up keeping the "apartments" occupied, I never took the time to check out the space in my heart which is where fearlessness, hope, passion, greatness lived.  Then I was introduced to the message of GREATNESS!

As time went on I discovered how to take back the power and "evict" all the residents  in my head and move down into my heart.  I refused to give power to fear and chose to walk away from the negative things and people in my life who "sucked" life out of me.  That did not mean I did not have to face the fear, it just means as I went through all the stuff that got me there to begin with I was able to replace it with FEARLESSNESS(courage) and discover and accept the GREATNESS that had always been within me but had been overshadowed. I began to really live life unlike any way I ever had before.

Yet I would have to say what is the most amazing thing about this life is this - you get to help others discover it too!  I experience this almost daily as I share this message, however, nothing compares to when you get to help your chidren discover this about themselves. Tonight I got to watch my teeenage daughter move from hopelesness, fear, discouragement to hope, fearlessness and passion.  I listened to her with my heart and helped her to move into her GREATNESS - what a wonderful thing to experience!

So, what is it in your life that is keeping you from discovering the GREATNESS within?  How has fear taken up residency in you life?  How can you help yourself and then in turn others discover GREATNESS and FEARLESSNESS?  I challenge you to look within yourself, get help if needed and discover this life of GREATNESS!  It is already in you just waiting to be unleashed. Evict the occupants in you head and make the move to your heart-I promise, you will not regret it!

Negativity Versus Greatness-It's Your Choice

Something interesting happened this week that showed me just how much the GREATNESS message has rooted itself within me - I got sick!  Now that may not seem like such a big deal, but as a result of this I was forced out of a routine I have had for the last several months and I allowed it to throw me off and my response at first was not good.

Getting sick put me out of balance as I could not get up and workout and I also felt physically drained  so I allowed my day to slowly fill up with negativity.  In addition, I made a new friend and am helping them discover their GREATNESS and it scared me as I did not feel qualified and so I gave power to fear!

It was these two things combined that caused me to feel quite overwhelmed and I stopped listening to my heart and camped in my head over a period of three days with the breaking point coming on Wednesday.   As I sat in the presence of my two friends on Wednesday morning and starting "spewing" negativity I was challenged to start moving from my head to my heart, to remember who I was, to be FEARLESS and a shift began to take place and within 90 minutes and a calmness swept over me. 

In the midst of this shift I realized that GREATNESS does not come and go, it is ALWAYS there,  I choose to live it or not.  Here is what is so amazing by what happened- my friend who is discovering her GREATNESS saw it in action as she watched me shift back from my head to my heart and to speak from within and what I know to be true. She was inspired by my behavior as she saw GREATNESS within overcome fear, anxiety, doubt and be replaced with FEARLESSNESS. She now has a reference point to remember when she feels overwhelmed. 

Funny, but even in the midst of negativity-we can choose to have a positive impact or not.  It was through all of this I learned that the message of GREATNESS in grounded in me. I am FEARLESS because I shifted back. I no longer stay in that negative place, I know how to find my way back to GREATNESS and in doing so can inspire others to do the same.

So, what will you choose on those days when negativity looks so inviting that you just want to wallow in it for a while and ignore the GREATNESS within.  As someone shared with me, it can be either a mud pit that mires you down or a mud spa that invigorates you to change!  I would rather have the spa, wouldn't you?

Living With Expectancy

This week has been one of the most amazing weeks I have had in a long time!  What makes it so is NOTHING special has happened. It has been the same routine of getting kids to school and me to work, but every day thus far I have greeted the day with expectancy of what is going to happen!  I have been lsitening to my heart all week, looking for that out of the ordinary moment, wondering what was going to happen next, but nothing extraordinary has...or has it? 

I realized today, that living life with expentancy raises your level of GREATNESS a notch or two!  As a result of this, I have had some of the most amazing converations with people this week about my journey to GREATNESS and how it feels to live this way.  Nothing, and I mean nothing beats when someone walks up to you and says, you are not the same person you used to be, you are so happy!  This is my open door to share my message about GREATNESS and how everyone has it and how they can live fearlessly as well. 

All over Facebook this week there have been qutoes about how your life should be inspiring.  About how your life is your message.  I have found this to be true.  This week, all I did was get up each day and expect something GREAT to happen, and it did.  I have been able to share GREATNESS with many people who have known me before I discovered it within myself and now that I have discoverd it they want to know what happened.

Don't ever underestimate the influence you have on another as it is powerful!  Tomorrow when you get up and go about your day, do so with expectancy of what can happen as you walk tall in your GREATNESS!  You will be amazed at how many others you will touch.

What Is Your Message

Today I heard the following...your "mess" becomes your message (Terry Crist, Pastor City of Grace Church).  This is a powerful statement as we all have a message to share as we learn and discover who we are and the greatness within us. 

I remember as I started my journey I would use the phrase "I am a mess" quite often and my friend would consistently remind me how far I had come and what I had learned and what I was doing to move forward. As time went on, I stopped saying that I was a mess and started to believe that I was fearless instead and it was when this transition took place that my "mess" became my "message."

This is where I am now, sharing the message of GREATNESS as I have come to understand it and as it flows from my heart.  I have been humbled the past few days as I have received such positive feedback from this blog and how it has touched the lives of those who are beginning or in the midst of discovery of their own greatness.  It has caused me to see the importance of the impact our lives have on another.  15 years ago I lost a good friend to cancer, and yet to this day the impact she had on my life is still present, I still think on things she told me, showed me with her life.

We have a responsibility to share our message of hope, of greatness, of fearlessness.  Too often we focus on the negative of what has happened to us, of what we feel powerless to change, of the things that overwhelm us.  But, truth be told we ALL have a message to share.  One of change, positivity, hope, GREATNESS!  It can be the small step we took yesterday, or the huge strides we have made over a period of time, neither is of any less importance as both offer hope.  What will your message be and who will you share it with?

What Do You Believe

As I think about greatness tonight, I am reminded how important it is to believe that you have it within you and not just talk the talk.  When you are around those people in your life (and we all have them) that seem to "suck" life right out of you, it is important to remember who you are.  It is one thing to talk about your greatness, about living in your heart, about not listening to the voice in your head saying you are less than you are.  However, if this is not firmly rooted in your heart, all of these things get lost and you fall back into the negative pattern you had before you discovered the greatness within.

It is one thing to use the "language" of greatness, and this is one of the ways it takes root in your heart, but it is quite another thing to believe it so deeply that is does not get lost in the chaos of the negative life of another.

I discovered about myself tonight that this has taken root in my heart.  As my head screamed to "flee" that I was not capable of the chaotic, negative relationship before me, I was able to reset and remind myself through the language of my heart that in spite of what another thinks, I  believe that I have greatness within, whether it is recognized by them or not.  This is the first time on my journey I have not come away feeling so overwhelmed that I forgot who I was and what I have learned.  Don't get me wrong, I also discovered a few more things I need to work on, but overall, I was able to stay in my heart and celebrate who I am without acknowledgement from them.

So, I ask you, what or who is it in your life that is keeping you from the next step to greatness on your journey.  What steps do you need to take to reset and think differently, not only about yourself, but about the situation or person that you allow to rob you of your greatness.  I have been told often in the past few months that I am in control of my actions, that no one has the control unless I give it to them, tonight I discovered that to be true.

Greatness is not a feeling, it is a part of the very core of who you are, NO ONE has the power to take it from you unless you allow them to.  With every heartbeat, greatness flows, don't forget this as it is  this truth will ground you in your belief in who you are.  Greatness is not an option, you were born with it, we all were.

Recognizing Greatness

I wrote earlier about the commercials on greatness during the Olympics and here I am again as I cannot get one phrase out of mind mind and have been pondering it for several days.  The phrase is as follows, "GREATNESS is no more unique to us than breathing, we are all capable of it, ALL of us."  Think about this for a moment.  We all breathe in and out each day without even thinking about it, we do not have to tell ourselves to do this is is a natural reflex to stay alive.  Yet, we have to convince ourselves of the greatness that we are all born with.  We downplay our accomplishments (I am guilty of this). We allow life to get in the way of acheiving all we are capable of and look at others and say to ourselves about their acheivements, that they are special, they have more talent, but in reality, we have the same amount of specialness and talent as the next person.

I belong to on online workout group.  It was started as a challenge to motivate each other to work out and to be healthy, but what has happenened is far more than that, as part of what we do is post something amazing about ourselves each day.  This is a group of people, most who have never met each other cheering each other on and pouring out encouragement, belief in acheivements and goals.  This is GREATNESS! We not only recognize it in ourselves each day (sometimes this is harder than the workout we do), but we recognize it in others.  What is sad about our society today is that we do not recognize the day in and day out accomplishments of others.  We are good at noticing the big acheivements, but what about the daily effort we all put forth.  The breathing in and out if you will.  For some, and I have been here, the biggest thing they do that day will be to get out of bed and face the world fearlessly.  In addition, how about recognizing what you do each day to acheive greatness.  This is not being boastful, but rather accepting and believing in what you are capable of each day of accepting and acknowledging your greatness.

We all have something to offer not only to ourselves but to others each day.  How will you show and accept the greatness in you, and how will you reflect another's greatness back to them?  Do not even think about it, just do it in the same way that you breathe each day, effortlessly.  This is not an intellectual function.  What you say and do will not come from your head, but from your heart, your inner most being.  Follow your heart and the rest will follow. YOU HAVE GREATNESS!  Believe it, I do.

Going through the Motions

Today I learned from my daughter an important lesson.  She shared with me the following " What you're feeling isn't as important as what you're doing."  This is such wisdom and when she shared it with me it was full of conviction.  So many times we base our actions on what we feel that day, what our head is telling us, versus what we know in our hearts to be true.  We forget that our actions have a huge impact on others, we can either build up or tear down another simply by what we do.

 As I went throughout the rest of my day, this statement kept coming to mind and I became very aware of my actions.  Words, while powerful as shared in my previous post can also be empty.  I may share that I see greatness in you, but is there passion behind the words, can you "see" that I believe in you or am I just saying the "right" thing, but it is hollow.  Feeling and doing are what I call partner words -just as fear and courage are.  You can be feeling many things such as fear, anger, doubt, but what are you doing with each of these, is the fear becoming courage, anger becoming grace, doubt becoming victory?

When I tell someone of their greatness do I just use the words I have learned or do I draw them in by the actions of my life?  We must live our lives with conviction, with passion, with purpose, because it is through this that our feelings no longer dominate, but our "doing" is what makes the difference.

Over the next few days, live your life by doing versus feeling.  Become aware of your actions - do they line up with your words or you going through motions without passion. Living a life of greatness is one that is lived with purpose because you are living in your heart.

So again, think on these words "What yor're feeling isn't as important as what you're doing."  What are you doing today?

Who Are You Listening to

How powerful is the spoken word?  On the road to greatness I have discovered that when you have someone who believes in you it makes the journey that much easier.  We all have a voice in our head that sometimes wants to yell so loud that it tries to drown out everything.  But when you are pursuing your greatness this voice is silenced by the one in your heart that is even louder.  However, even though this may be true most of the time, every once in a while the head wins…this is where having that one or two people in your life that speak the language of greatness is so important.
People will tell you a lot of things in an effort to help you “fix” whatever you seem to think is wrong with you that day.  However, the person in your life who speaks the language of greatness will not try to “fix” you but will show you the path that leads to your heart and belief in yourself. I know this to be true because I have a friend like this.  I cannot remember a time when I have come to her with something I say I can’t do, that it has not been has been turned into an I will, I can, I believe.  As a result, I have accomplished things in the past 6 months that I would have only dreamed possible (or impossible) before.

So, what is keeping you from listening to your heart?  Who is that person in your life who believes in you and can speak the language of greatness, not to “fix” you (you are NOT broken) but to show you what you are capable of and to cultivate greatness in you?  The words that are spoken to us are powerful, even the ones we say to ourselves.  I challenge you to get up each day for the next week and start out your day by telling yourself you are fearless, you are capable, you have greatness.  Also to find a person who will reflect these things back to you and who will help you reset when you allow the WMD’s (worry, misery and doubt) to take over.  I guarantee, you will begin to believe things possible about yourself that will amaze you and change your life.  Once this takes root in you, pass it on to another, then the fun begins!

Awakening Your Greatness

I have been deeply touched this past week by a series of commercials has been airing during the Olympics on greatness.  We have a tendency to look at these athletes as greater than us, the same way we may look at celebrities, or those in powerful positions.  But what makes them any different than you or me?  I believe that we were all born with the same amount of greatness in us and through the course of life we forget that it is there.  We may have come from a dysfunctional family, struggled in school, not successful in sports, or in our minds at anything.  But the truth is regardless of all of these things there is an ember of greatness within each of us that is just waiting to be fanned into a flame. 

I have lived life on both sides of this coin.  When I was younger I believed that I could do anything in spite of coming from an emotionally and sexually abusive home. I lived in my heart and pursued things that others were afraid to – I moved in my greatness.  But as I entered into a dysfunctional relationship and the shadows of my childhood rose up and swallowed me I took the elevator from my heart up to my head and put an “out of order” sign on it and stayed there for many years, afraid to feel.

Then I was reminded of the message of greatness once again, and that little spark in me started to glow.  I was reminded that I was not “broken” that I had purpose, that I was fearless, that I was brave.  As these words were spoken to me my heart came to life and the spark turned into a flame.  The journey at times was rough and many tears were shed and at times I did not want to believe, but greatness when unleashed is a force that can overcome all fear, all doubt and bring to life the person you were meant to be.

So, what is it that can fan that ember of greatness in you to become a flame?  What are you listening to in your head that is keeping you from your heart?  You are NOT broken.  You have the same amount of greatness in you as the next person.  It is there waiting for you to discover it as I discovered it.  Listen to your heart it is speaking to you- what is it saying?

The beginning of the journey

Throughout the last 8 months I have taken the journey from my head to my heart. The beliefs that I had of I should not, I could not and I was incapable and useless were replaced with I am fearless, I am brave, I have greatness and I am capable. While this is only eighteen inches in reality, you may feel you are on a long journey that will never end, but rest assured, it will change your life forever. In fact, it is on this journey that you will discover how to truly live as I did , how to be fearless, to find your greatness, to discover all you are and what you are capable of. While it can be intimidating at first if you take this step you will be transformed. What is stopping you? What is the fear? I encourage you to be fearless, to take the first step to wholeness...you will see, your greatness will come through and you will learn to be brave.