Hitting the START-button!

You might say that I have been in a bit of a funk lately... I have not been feeling very inspired as for what to write about. A writer’s block sounds odd to someone like me, who usually has a harder time shutting my brain off and my mouth up!

Then it hit me… stop waiting around for inspiration to hit you and just friggin’ START!

So here it is… a little experiment on this START-ing theory since at this starting point, I only have the vaguest idea of what it is that I am meant to share today…

I wonder how many things people put off because they are just not "feeling it" at the moment or feeling they do not yet have what it takes to get something done. How much time and effort is spent on gathering resources, doing research, reading books, and searching for inspiration and motivation when all that is really required is the simple effort of beginning?

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”… the only real effort towards propelling yourself forward in life and in creating anything really, whatever that may be… is choosing to hit your own START button!

Who cares if you do not exactly know where you are going? Who cares if you do not have the perfect roadmap, the exact plan, a thorough outline, or the final blueprint? Even the perfect plan was imperfect in the beginning, starting with a single line or a sentence; perhaps a statement of a dream!

I have learned that all successful people have one thing in common; they value active CREATION over active imagination… So they do not just sit around and think things over and over… they actually act on their ideas! Even when they have no idea on how to actually get something finished. If you do not start somewhere, you are essentially going nowhere... Sometimes it is just about starting, letting go and trusting your inner roadmap.

Within all of us lies the roadmap that takes us to our dreams. My dream life is pretty much the life I am living, coaching a few clients at a time, helping them (and me) grow and evolve in life, then spending the rest of my time loving and nurturing my beautiful family and doing what I love doing, one being the act of writing. Now, this is what we can call a statement of my dream life! But, in order to live that dream life I can’t spend my days thinking it over and over, waiting for inspiration to hit me… I have to actually create it… just start and trust that I will find my way because what I am seeking is already seeking me...

Is there anything that YOU want to create in your life that you are not creating as of now? Are there topics and things you keep exploring, researching, and gathering resources for but have yet to do and take into ACTION mode? Perhaps it is time for YOU to take out that pen and paper and see what comes out when you allow your body to be a tool for your higher self. What occurs when you express your true self’s desires… What answers show up to the questions: What do I want to CREATE in life? And, What is my dream life?

Your inner roadmap is in place, you were born with it, and the only time you truly feel lost is when you are simply not moving at all!

To find the inspiration to truly move forwards; start dreaming!

When your dream is clear to you it can be quite easy to hit that START-button even though you still may not know all the How To's. Just take that first step and... go for it!

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” ~ Goethe

And, herein, ends this experiment on what it is like to hit the START button without having a set plan in place... and LOOK!! I just completed a posting:)

Time for Change?

Maybe it is that subtle, little voice in your head or that feeling of being drained and exhausted all the time. Sometimes it is that uncomfortable sensation of something crawling up your spine or perhaps a knot in your stomach. Whatever the clue may be, something in you clearly knows that things are not “right”! Something is out of balance. You are out of balance. It is time for a change!

Whether the urge for change is related to a specific something or to some kind of “something”, you just know... it is time! Something has to change... starting NOW!

Albert Einstein defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results”. Given that definition we have probably all had moments of insanity in our lives. Within us may rest all kinds of fears and resistance to changes. We may think that we will feel safe and secure if everything stays the same, but that brings out even more fears since we cannot resist change… change is constant and never-ending! Looking back just a few years we can most definitely list out countless things that have changed in our lives and in our world. So as far as I can tell, we can either choose to embrace change, flow with it, learn from it and help create it or we can keep beating our heads up against a wall…

What in YOUR life is due for a change? What factors are up for reexamination? What is due for an upgrade… and what can you do without all together? What is it that you keep doing over and over again… only to be getting the same (undesired) results? The real question is; “How long are you going to be beating your head up against a wall before you realize that it hurts like hell!?”

It may take a long time for someone to acknowledge and even realize that “something” has to change, and that it is time to embrace the process of change. It is time to let go of some things, destructive thoughts and behaviors and/or the need for control. It is time to let go, let loose, go out there and do something different, constructive, new and exciting… and in return inviting something different, constructive, new and exciting into your life!

It may take years to get to this point in time where you know and feel that you are ready for change! You are done beating your head up against a wall. You are done with fear, resistance and suffering… You are done being the one that keeps holding yourself back… You are just DONE! You are ready to surrender, ready to let go… and flow with it…

The blessing is that once the “awakening” has occurred, the change itself can happen in an instant! It can be as sudden as the flip of a coin… but first you have to get REAL with it!

So, what is it that you want to change in your life? What new reality do you want to create for yourself?

Ghandi's famous saying goes, “Be the change you want to see in the world”...

Be the change and you create the change!

What ever happened to REAL beauty?

This is some of the best social advertising on this topic.

Our perception of beauty has been grossly distorted through constant adjustments and manipulations. There is nothing beautiful about being fake… be a REAL beauty!

I am perfect!

Or maybe not? There are things I do that I should not do, there are things I consume that I should not consume and there are things I say, that I should not say. That’s me! There is a yin in every yang. Like I tell my clients; nobody can be one hundred percent, one hundred percent of the time. Trying to be perfect all the time is actually a pretty solid recipe for failure. It makes more sense to find a balance you can live with, and a balance you are proud of, and feel good about. Then all you have to do is stick with it!

I go by what I call the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the time I am at my best behavior and then I have the flexibility to allow myself 20 percent indulgence. If I eat 80% healthy 80% of the time, I feel great. If no more than 20% of my consumption is indulgence such as coffee, toast and chocolate, I feel content and not deprived of anything. Every now and then I like to up my antics when it comes to my diet, health and lifestyle, and raise the bar to 90/10, and occasionally to 100%. One hundred percent is what is required if you get on a detox program, which is great for your health yet only realistic as a lifestyle change when it is a shorter term commitment, and you can see a light at the end of that tunnel:)

When at work, I am content with being 80 percent productive and 20 percent indulgent. It makes work so much more fun when I also create time to goof off on the internet, read the news, do research, take a break with a book, call a friend and listen to music. These are some of the wonderful perks I get from working for myself. Plus, the 20% indulgence time is what usually provides me with much of the inspiration I receive for wanting to create something so it makes the 80% productive time, even more productive. For me, 80/20 is a good balance. It is actually so good, that it is pretty much perfect!

So let’s talk about this notion of perfection. Who decided what constitutes the idea of being perfect? Who made the rule that you have to be 100% all of the time? I mean, isn’t it you that creates the rules for your life! People, who are obsessed with being perfect, suffer, because they repeatedly tell themselves that they are not good enough. So who created the standards that you go by? Was it your parents, your friends, family members, society, and popular culture? Do you feel like you have repeatedly received the message that you are not good enough!?

It is worthwhile to ask yourself where your thoughts are coming from, and where and how the filter from which you view the world was created. Because when you think about it, you may be living in an old story of what perfection really is. You may very well realize that you are indeed perfect just the way you are. You are the only YOU there is so that alone makes you perfect at being YOU!

So, as far as I am concerned, I am perfect! At least I am perfect at being me:)

No is a small word that has yet to turn into a big YES!

Saturday afternoon I was feeling a bit discouraged and somewhat indifferent about an idea I have been carrying around in my passionate mind. The idea is based on making a significant contribution to thousands of individuals but it requires a few people’s ‘buy in’, and I had just come up against a closed door!

My mind started playing games with me; Why not just let this go and get on with your life? Why focus any more time on this when there is so much else you can be creating? Why do you even care so much?! There is basically nothing in it for you, so let it go!

And, I did… for about 2 hours…

Unbeknownst to me my husband had rented a movie called Yes Man for our movie night Saturday. It was the absolute right movie to watch in this moment in time, highly entertaining, and had a great message. Interesting how the right things just show up at the right time, huh?

Yes Man is about this NO-guy who starts saying YES to each and every opportunity that presents itself, a courageous shift indeed. It so happens that even highly questionable occurrences or opportunities start leading to great things happening in his life. All because he said YES!

The movie ended up being a ‘wake-me-up-with-a-hammer-to-my-head’ reminder of how much I wanted that YES!!! I really, really want this person to say YES to what it is that I want to create! That three letter world can change the lives of so many people, and can lead to so many good things which means I have to say YES to the opportunity of bringing that significant someone to a solid, butterflies-in-your-tummy-excited, heartfelt YES!

A NO is just an opportunity for you to change your approach in getting to YES! So how do we get people to say YES to us? We help them see how saying YES will enrich their lives. That is all that is needed. Everyone wants to say YES to life! People want their lives to mean something; we are all here to make a contribution. Coming to a closed door simply meant that I had not been clear on the benefits; that I had not appealed to that person’s sense of contribution. I now have an opportunity to create a much clearer understanding of what I am offering.

So, I am thankful for that door not opening up right away. How else would I have gotten the opportunity to get even more creative in my approach?

I am saying YES to this challenge and saying YES to life!

Create a New YOU by letting go!

Life is not as much about finding yourself as it is about creating yourself!

When we want to “find” ourselves we electively embark upon a personal growth journey and push ourselves out of our shells, continually trying out new things, exploring the world and ourselves in it and incrementally we grow by expanding our comfort zones. This is how we learn that we can be bigger, better and happier than we thought possible. It is a given that pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone can be quite intimidating at first, otherwise it would not be called a “comfort zone”, but anything worth achieving is often very scary at first.

People who hold onto their fears and always choose to “play it safe” simply do not grow, at least not electively so. They merely respond and react to whatever life brings along and for the most part they try and stay exactly where they are at. Does not sound like a recipe for a fun life now does it?

So the question is; Who are YOU when you are not holding back?

The answer to this question applies to any and all areas of our lives. What could you create and what kind of relationships would you have if you did not care about what other’s thought of you, if you were not concerned about being judged or about receiving someone’s approval. You would just be YOU, the amazing, wonderful, laid back, joyful, fun-loving, carefree YOU!

Create a New YOU today by simply letting go of all the made up inhibitions that no longer serve you. Who are YOU when you are not attached to The Story of You? Who are you when you let go?

If you let go a little, you will be happy a little. If you let go a lot, you will be happy a lot. But, if you let go completely... you will be FREE!

Have fun:)

Things to be grateful for when stuck in transit with two young children

In the past three days I have learned that my easygoing demeanor and tendency for being a bit absent minded can get me into a lot of trouble very quickly.

As I showed up with my two children to JFK airport, after an amazing trip to Iceland, I did not have a care in the world. All I needed to do was get through immigration, reserve our seats, get through the security checkpoint, feed the kids and then wait at our gate for our flight to leave. Sounds simple enough, right? A few minutes before boarding my almost three year old son had a potty accident and we go running for the bathroom. Then a good 10 minutes later we get back to our gate and take a seat next to a nice gentleman who strikes up a conversation with me. He asks me where we are going and I tell him “Phoenix”. We sit and chat and I notice that there is no action taking place at the gate. I say to the man, “I wonder why nothing is happening at the gate”, and he replies, “I heard someone talk about a delay”. So I reply; “Ah, I see” and decide to sit patiently and keep the man company in between calling out to my little rascals who were running around in the waiting area. Actual departure time arrives and I walk to the desk to ask what is going on with the flight. A very frustrated lady replies; “What?! You off to Phoenix? Well, that flight just left! Did you not hear the announcement about the gate change? Did you not hear them call your name?”!
Nope, I did not!!! Although I did hear someone call out a last name somewhat similar to my children’s last name but only the first half of it so I did not think it applied to us. (My children and I do not have the same last name since we are named after an Icelandic tradition).

So, here I am, two days later, still in New York with my little ones, having waited standby at the airport through five flights.
Yesterday, we were told our odds were good for this morning; we were first on the list so we should not spend money on new tickets. Then, a thunderstorm hits the city and all of today’s flights get filled in an instant with twenty people on standby and all of tomorrow’s flights are full except for a single one that had three seats left! I decided to purchase those three seats so we are finally out of the airport and into our third hotel room. As the kids are watching TV, mommy has time to ponder these past three days and the gifts they have given me.

An old girlfriend asked me earlier; “So, you haven’t snapped yet, I would be freaking out by now if this were me!?” No, I have not snapped, probably because it is not really my style, and my 5 year old daughter has been kind enough to take care of it for me with a few challenging moments:)

When my clients go through times of adversity I usually suggest they list out the positives in their challenging situations, and list out things they can be grateful for.

I decided to take me up on my own advice and do this same exact exercise.

So here it goes… :)

Things to be grateful for when stuck in transit for three days with two young children:

1. My active imagination for I have thought up a dozen reasons for why I just had to miss this (overbooked) flight. (Pretty convinced someone was REALLY grateful for getting on board).
2. Complementary toothbrush and toothpaste... life savers in their own right, for me personally as well as for the people that cross my path:)
3. Getting to jump into a warm shower after a long day on standby with the new shampoo and conditioner that I found at the airport.
4. Clean hotel sheets… crawling into a fresh and crispy bed is simply divine.
5. For choosing to wear my denim dress for the travel. It actually looks just as good on day three as it did on day one. Only denim can get away with a four day wear.
6. For having worn underwear that dries really fast after a wash in the hotel sink. This should actually be on top of the list, it is that important:)
7. For packing two extra outfits for the kids, (once a mom, always a mom).
8. For my kid’s sense of adventure and active imaginations, even an airport can be an exciting adventure land.
9. For having a husband that misses us dearly but only shows support and encouragement.
10. For having a mom who calls and checks up on us each and every day.
11. Vending machines.
12. For packing a deodorant in the carry-on.
13. For travel companions who are far more excited about going on the air train for the fourth time than they were the first time.
14. For my tweeps who have been quite entertaining.
15. For now knowing Terminal 7 like the back of my hand.
16. For my 5 year old daughter announcing, as we walked into the third hotel we stayed in, a rather worn and outdated Holiday Inn with brass décor, dirty, sticky carpets, and faded floral patterns on old lounge chairs; “This place is gorgeous!”
17. For having little ones that keep me so busy that three days in an airport terminal go by in a blink.
18. For packing the DVD player AND the charger.
19. For wireless internet connection.
20. For my iPhone, it is like a home away from home, and has helped me search for flight availabilities, find and book hotels; keep connected to my peeps and my tweeps, and it has also entertained the kids with music and the several amazing game apps.
21. For the beautiful, caring and giving strangers that I have met along the way such as the nice man who held the elevator open for us and helped me push our luggage, and the lovely receptionist lady that let me check in 4 hours early.
22. For my fellow human beings for they never seize to be fascinating to observe.
23. For my instinct that helped me decide to put my son’s anti-bacterial eye ointment in the carry-on, even though it looked as if he was fully healed. The following day my daughter and I both woke up with the same eye infection.
24. For strollers, they push tired little ones and in between they can hold the carry-on luggage.
25. For being able to yell out in a foreign language; “Get your little butts over here, right NOW!”
26. For make-believe games, made-up stories, stickers, and paper and crayons.
27. For having a sense of humor.
28. For having had money in my bank account to rent hotel rooms, buy food and necessities, and purchase new tickets (the thought of having to spend many nights in a terminal without showers and clean sheets, with two little kids in tow is not so pleasant, so I feel very fortunate).
29. For all the interesting stories I have heard along the way.
30. For being allowed to jump on hotel beds.
31. For learning the lesson I was meant to learn.
32. For three seats having been available for us and knowing for sure that we will be going home tomorrow! Yay!!!