fulfilling life that aligns with your spirit
9 Ways to Celebrate Your Life & Strengthen Your Faith Muscle
Published on 26 Nov 2008 at 7:07 am.
4 Comments.
Filed under Attraction,Feature Articles,Personal Development Strategies,Spirituality & Inspiration.
“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming — Whoo Hoo– What a Ride!” Attributed to Bill McKenna, Anonymous and in a Nissan ad.
Last Tuesday. November 18, I scheduled a teleseminar as part of my compelling Conversation Series for Powerfull Living on the Topic of “Fear & Faith”.
I’d been feeling an inner nudge for weeks to schedule a call that addresses the fears and concerns folks are feeling during this period of extreme change in the US and around the world. With the recent election, bailouts of different banks and companies, rising unemployment and the focus on our economic crisis, shifting from fear to faith can be a huge challenge for many.
According to William Bridges, author of “Transitions”, “Change is an external experience of something new, clearly defined, often with a starting point or a stopping point. It can be sudden something we know about in advance. Such as ending a job and starting a new one, being married and getting divorced. Transition on the other hand, is the psychological impact change has on people. Transition can be highly emotional and personal”. (I wrote about change in an earlier post here)
I’ve specialized in helping people to work with their fears for years and doing a special call talking about how to deal with all of the emotional turmoil folks felt important. Heck, I needed it too. So, I invited my good friends and colleagues to join me: Anita Pathik Law, Kimberly Marooney, Kathleen Gage, Christine Kloser and Paula Langguth Ryan. 250 folks registered to hear the call and sent in about 30 questions to ask the panel. To date, about 300 people registered for the call and recording. Click here to access the recording
What a call. The conversation was scheduled for 90 minutes and it ran almost two hours. We shared tons of tips and insights to maintain a positive prosperity mindset, attract abundance, shift from fear to faith, and (we hope) ways to deepen your spiritual foundation to face change with renewed strength and confidence.
We told personal stories of rebounding from being homeless, facing bankruptcy, overcoming illness, and terror to find faith.
The conversation covered:
1. Stretching out of your comfort zone to fulfill your dreams. Playing it safe is a way of holding yourself back from living your passion and purpose to achieve your soul’s vision. It is one thing to be cautiously purposefull and another to use excuses and reasons to resist making changes out of fear. The result can be lots of regrets or an incredible life.
“Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.”- Arnold H. Glasow
“Vision is not enough. It must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs.” Vaclav Havel
“You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen”.- Paulo Coelho
2. Gratitude is an amazing abundance magnet. Begin your day focusing on all you’re grateful for that brings richness and deep meaning to your life. Appreciate the gifts and blessings in every experience whether it is desired or undesired for the opportunity to evolve. My friends always make that list. My life would be very different without the amazing friendships I’ve cultivated over the years. Just look at this panel! Paula suggested writing five things you’re grateful each morning that happened today before they happen. I love that!
“Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate or value into your life”. -Christiane Northrup
“Being able to the appreciate gifts that all experiences bring, good or bad, right or wrong makes the difference between being a victim of circumstances, or the hero of your life story”. – Lorraine Cohen
3. Regain emotional perspective. Become centered, present, and still to slow down the inner chatter. Fear-filled thoughts focus on the future and “what if thinking”. Take a few deep breaths, look around your environment, come back to the present moment, and put your attention on what is good and right in your world. Incorporating daily spiritual practices such as meditation, inspirational reading, a gratitude journal, and self-care will soothe fearfull thinking.
Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny” – Frank Outlaw
“Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results”. – anon
4. You are always creating! Become aware of your thoughts and the words you use to talk about yourself and your life. The three elements of creation are : thought, word, and action. Your emotions give your thoughts the juice to manifest things quickly. Faith is believing anything is possible. Be mindful of what you wish for and give energy to because you are creating every second. If you’re not attracting what you want, take a look at your beliefs, thoughts, and language.
“To understand the magical nature of the mind is to acquire awesome power. It is to understand that at every moment of our lives, we have the power to accomplish everything we want”.- Deepak Chopra
“The key to having whatever your heart desires – bar nothing – is finding a way to feel good about your Want; not to wish for it, yearn for it, long for it, sigh for it, or feel discouraged about it, but just feel good about it. Remember, need is from fear, desire is from excitement.”- Lynn Grabhorn
5. Dump the negativity. Turn off the doom and gloom on TV and stop reading the negative stories in the newspapers. Yes, you heard me. I’m not saying stick your head in the sand and be uninvolved in the world. We seem to be addicted to fear, pain and drama in the news and on TV. It’s all about choice. Is it time to do some house-cleaning with the folks in your life? Are you surrounded by people who lift you up or bring you down? Where are you choosing to put your attention?
“People who soar are those who refuse to sit back, sigh and wish things would change. They neither complain of their lot nor passively dream of some distant ship coming in. Rather, they visualize in their minds that they are not quitters; they will not allow life’s circumstances to push them down and hold them under.”– Charles R. Swindoll
“There is one thing stronger than all the armies of the world and that is an idea whose time has come.” – Voltaire
6. Be a good Samaritan. Helping others is a great way to shift from fear and constriction into a more expansive and loving space. Is there someone who might benefit from your support? Generously share your love, energy, time, wisdom, resources, contact, money….. to help another for the pure joy of it.
“You can get everything in life you want, if you’ll just help enough other people get what they want”. Zig Ziglar
“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it”.- H.E. Luccock
7. Lighten up. Are you being too serious and forgetting to enjoy life? We can get so caught up in the details of what we have to do that we forget how to beand let our “inner kids” come out and play. We can experience pleasure in the little things that bring great joy. Deliberately schedule things in your calendar that are fun TODAY. It’s wonderfull to have things to look forward to that make you smile.
“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning”. J. B. Priestley
“Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we’re here we might as well dance”. – anon
8. Celebrate all the miracles, gifts, and blessings you receive each day. My friend Anita calls them “whispers and kisses from God”. Yesterday, I was looking for some jeans and more casual clothes for working at home. I was having a challenge finding what I had in mind. Following my intuition, I stopped by a local store I’ve passed a dozen times without going in. They had exactly what I wanted at 50% off and I saved a bundle. You bet I counted that as an answer to a prayer request! Your intuition and gut-instincts are a gateway to your spirit. Begin noticing all the big and small ways guidance, support, and abundance flows to you in all forms, including money! Oh, that penny or small change you might find on the ground? Pick it up and toss that into a bowl to remind you of the way the Universe is winking at you with money.
“The difficulties, hardships and trials of life, the obstacles one encounters on the road to fortune are positive blessings. They knit the muscles more firmly, and teach self-reliance. Peril is the element in which power is developed”. W. Mathews
“A coincidence is a small miracle where God chose to remain anonymous”.- Heidi Quade
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”.- Paulo Coelho
9. Suspend Judgments and embody love. Can you go a full 24 hours without being self-critical or judging others? Are you game to test this out for at least one day? Instead, put your attention and intention to be the embodiment of unconditional love – towards yourself and others. Can you do it? I dare you. In fact, I double dare you to look at yourself and the world through the eyes of love for the next 24 hours.
“…Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of the Universe. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others…” – From A RETURN TO LOVE by Marianne Williamson
Mark your calendar! I’ve just scheduled a second Compelling Conversation on Fear and Faith for December 15. To be among the first to receive the details, sign up for my email list or subscribe to this blog. It’s going to be a great conversation!
Cheers,
Lorraine
www.powerfull-living.biz
PS: Are you facing changes in your life that feel overwhelming, scary, and confusing? You are invited to a Spiritual Support Circle weekly call on Wednesdays alternating at 12noon or 4pm EST to accommodate time zones for spiritual and emotional support through the end of 2008. To learn more and sign to to receive the information for the calls, click here
PPS: Register for my special conversation with Neale Donald Walsch on December 11 as we talk about his newest book, “Happier Than God.”
Lola Fayemi / Nourishment for your spiritual awakening on 26 Nov 2008 at 11:48 am: 1
Wow there’s a lot of juice in that post. I love the Frank Outlaw quote and can see myself using that A LOT in future!
Wonderfull post!
In love, light and abundance x x x
lorraine on 26 Nov 2008 at 9:44 pm: 2
I was very juiced when I wrote it Lola
Thanks for the comment
Blessings,
Lorraine
Joan in ME on 1 Dec 2008 at 1:42 pm: 3
enjoyed reading it. best part was that it included little things we really CAN do every day…the hardest part for many people is getting started!
lorraine on 1 Dec 2008 at 4:42 pm: 4
Hi Joan,
I’m a believer in recognizing all the ways we are powerfull. It’s easy to forget that and slip into seeing ourselves as victims. Our reality is whatever we assign it to be. Attitude is key and remembering we are Creators.
Blessings,
Lorraine