Shauna Niquest, author of Present Over Perfect (please see my last post), also reminds us of the awesome and beautiful responsibility we have to decide how to make our life. She also warns us that we must do it, otherwise the world will tell us how to live, if we let it. "Don't let it. Take up your space. Raise your voice. Sing your song. This is your chance to make or remake a life that thrills you." What do YOU want? What do you love? What ways of living have you simply accepted because someone told you to or because it seemed smart or practical or easy? Who are you? Who are you not? What do you want in your life? What do you want to leave behind?
This advice given to the former "yes-aholic", Shauna Niequist by her mentor, is one of the main premises of her book, Present over Perfect. After years of saying yes to too many things, she found herself unhappy, angry and tired. After much reflection she realized that she was trying to be all things to all people, saying yes out of the need to seek love and approval outside of herself. She wanted to be seen as competent and strong. However she realized that too many inauthentic "yeses" led her to a life that felt shallow. She now says that our best selves come from conserving and prioritizing our yeses, for the people closest to us. "You can't say yes, without a no. If you're not careful wi
Please don't try to hide. There have been a few difficult times in my life where I have wanted to hide, feeling immersed in self-doubt, guilt, regret, shame and a lack of hope. I didn't want to be seen. I didn't want to even look at myself. And one day during one of those times, I caught myself in a stare, while looking into my bathroom mirror. How sad that poor innocent woman looked and for what? Had she really done anything wrong, doing the best she could in this crazy thing called life? If she were a child, how I felt I would embrace her, kiss and hug her, and let her know how special she was and that she'd be okay. And, on that day, I chose to let go of the pain. Oh, the joy that then en
Dr. Joe Dispenza reminds us that when we emotionally react to leaders or people in power, they capture our emotions and our attention; and by doing so, they have captured our energy. This is how people gain power over us. Instead we can try to model kindness and compassion, so that we can inspire others and collectively move from states of fear and aggression to feelings of wholeness and connectedness. I know that's easier said than done...so how do we practice reacting to life in peaceful and positive ways? For me I have found that my meditation practice has been my secret weapon. My daily practice helps me to cultivate greater awareness, so that I can bring it into my life. When I can feel
