Thriving in Any Economy
Published on 5 Jul 2010 at 8:04 am.
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Filed under Feature Articles, Personal Development Strategies, Special Events, Spirituality & Inspiration, Videos.
Are you one of those people who has difficulty with uncertainty? Perhaps you have a fear of the unknown or become influenced by all the fear-based messages that seem to bombard us at every turn.
Imagining worse case scenarios only heighten anxiety and stress when we lack information. Worrying doesn’t bring answers to allay concerns. We only make ourselves more miserable. Putting too much attention on expecting the worst only amplifies the potential to attract more of what you don’t want into your life.
The best response to worry and fear is having trust and faith that you are where you are supposed to regardless of the situation you face. No matter what is happening in your life, the one power you always retain is your attitude.
Fears, worry, negative thinking, and beliefs about lack….create constriction rather than expansion. We begin thinking, “Ok what do I need to do to create more…money, clients, time….?” If we feel a sense of urgency, we can literally feel the stress and tension building up in our bodies and begin problem-solving to manage the situation. Making important decisions from fear rather than calm clarity rarely goes well.
Yes, I know that all sounds great and we are human after all. Slapping a big grin on your face and always being upbeat and happy 24/7 is unrealistic. To me being fully alive is feeling the full scope of emotions.
One of the best ways to navigate through uncertainty and remain in the flow is to focus your attention on the abundance in your life rather than the potential loss of things. Fear and negative thinking creates more constriction and struggle. It’s a decision to remain in faith, trust, and gratitude or tumble into the darkness of fear down to despair. Are you up to standing strong in your faith?
During troubling times we find out the stuff we are made of – faith, trust, courage, resilience, creativity, tenacity….
I remember a period in the early 1980’s when my life seemed to fall apart and I plunged into a depression. I was always the go-to person who held it all together and I was falling apart. While this was one of the most painful times in my life, it represented a life-defining moment. It was the first time in my life I ever really prayed and it was the beginning of a deeper conscious awakening to find out who I really am.
Stop listening to all the doom and gloom messages that suck the hope out of life. Choose to see each experience as a learning and healing opportunity; one that can lead to possibilities beyond your wildest imagination. Things are not always what they appear……Our faith and trust in ourselves, others, and the Universe is POWER.
Focus on all that is rich in your life - friends, colleagues, loved ones, pets, accomplishments, things you have created, nature……. Invite all that is truly meaningful and joyful to take center stage in your heart and mind. Life is full of unpredictability and you can flow with each experience, succumb to the negativity, or fight against it which can create more resistance.
The key to being in the flow is to move through experiences rather than fighting against them. Bring your inner wisdom, intuition, and instincts into every decision and strategic action you take. It’s a process and an ever unfolding journey full of incredible opportunities if you are open to them.
Ready to take the next step in creating an exciting future?
Join me for the biggest online conference I have ever hosted! Say YES to the life you were born to and register for a three week life-changing tele-event, Your Powerfull YES: Courageously Living An Inspired Life, July 27- August 12, 2010 with some of the most influential and inspirational teachers of our time including: Neale Donald Walsch, James Twyman, Marci Shimoff, and Dr. Bernie Siegel to name a few. Sign up now for this FREE event and learn critical tools to thrive in any situation. You might experience healings right on the call!
See you there!
Blessings,
Lorraine
www.livinganinspiredlifenow.com
www.powerfull-living.biz
PS!!! Want to help me spread the word and earn some great affiliate commissions? Click here to learn more
http://www.powerfull-living.biz/blog/2010/07/05/thriving-in-any-economy/trackback/
The Vow of Emotional Independence - Debbie Ford
Published on 3 Jul 2010 at 7:37 pm.
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Filed under Courage Series, Feature Articles, Personal Development Strategies, Spirituality & Inspiration.
I just love Debbie Ford. I have followed her work for many years and I find her wordk and words so full of brilliance and inspiration. On Friday, I received her newsletter and it included her invitation to take a Vow of Emotional Independence.
Here’s your invitation:
The Vow of Emotional Independence
I, ______ ________, am committed to living free of the strangulating grip of fear, shame, doubt, worry, anger, and sadness.
I promise to give my power to the force greater than myself rather than some food, substance, bad habit, or disempowering craving.
I will stand for my highest expression rather than allowing others’ judgments to define who I am.
I will always make sure to please and take care of myself instead of succumbing to any people-pleasing habits.
I will listen to the voice of my soul rather than listening to the voice of my critical internal judge.
I will find joy in each and every day of my existence rather than get caught up in the insanity of my world.
I will take care of my planet and let my voice be heard instead of waiting for someone else to do it for me.
I will choose powerfully each and every moment to make choices that leave me feeling inspired by myself and will graciously let go of my self-defeating behaviors.
I take this vow NOW as a positive stand for my soul’s highest expression and for every man, woman, and child on this planet today.
As I set myself free, I am freeing myself and others from the violence of my darkest thoughts, my negative projections, and my limiting self-image.
And now I ask all the powers that be to support me in living this vow each and every moment of each and every day.
As I surrender my will for the higher will, I know that I will be guided from my darkest thought to my greatest dream, from my head to my heart.
Today, I commit to living in full accordance with this vow.
And so it is.
Live as if this is your birthright and your destiny - because it is.
© Debbie Ford, July, 2010
Hey - then join me for the biggest online tele-summit I ever hosted with 19 of the most influential and inspiring teachers on the planet today including Neale Donald Walsch, Marci Shimoff, James Twyman, Dr’s Bernie Siegel and Eric Pearl to name a few. I tried getting Debbie Ford but she was all booked up! The event is called, “Your Powerfull YES: Courageously Living An Inspired Life!” It’s FREE and it runs July 27 - August 12. Register now. Let’s create miracles together!
Happy 4th!
Blessings,
Lorraine
www.livinganinspiredlifenow.com
www.isayyesnow.com
www.powerfull-living.biz
Turning Tragedy Into Hope And Healing
Published on 20 Jun 2010 at 9:54 am.
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Filed under Feature Articles, Personal Development Strategies, Spirituality & Inspiration.
“It’s one thing to do nothing because you don’t know about something, it’s another to find out about something and do nothing” – Lorraine Cohen
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” -Albert Einstein, or Benjamin Franklin
Last week one of my dearest friends, Dr. Lori Leyden sent me an email with a link to a ten-minute video she invited me to watch. This morning I made time to be fully present and view the video. It was an emotionally humbling experience for me.
I met Lori a few years ago through a mutual friend and her warmth and loving heart immediately drew me in to want to be closer friends with her. As I have come to learn more about her, I discovered that her passions and current life path have called her to do some pretty amazing work on the planet. Last September, she made her third trip to Rwanda to work with genocide survivors.
As a result of her trauma healing work with orphan genocide survivors in Rwanda, Lori formed Create Global Healing, committed to developing heart-centered healing & leadership programs for traumatized youth, US students and humanitarians. To make a donation to Global Healing, click here (I did!)
Take a look at her video (I couldn’t post it here because the html margins were too wide)
As I watched her video I was reminded of the capacity of the human heart to rebound when love and compassion are present. If the people in Rwanda can forgive and heal the atrocities they faced, our hearts can be strengthened in hope and faith that no matter what happens in our life. We can rise above our circumstances and create a future of our own design.
My dear friend Anita says, “We cannot heal absent of love and during any period of crisis and change, faith, prayers, and a strong circle of spiritual support are essential in navigating any challenge”. So true
Anger, hatred, greed, fear, resentment …stifles our loving heart and spirit especially when we become aligned with be-ing those qualities as our normal way of showing up in the world.
I have written that we are living in incredible times of upheaval and change. We are on the threshold of a world age coming to an end and a new one beginning. There is no longer a norm to compare. Forget business as usual. We are in uncharted territory and we do have a GPS – our spiritual nature; our Divinity within that connects us with all of LIFE and Creation.
When we hear and follow our inner nudges, the whispers of our heart, the yearnings to return to our Essence, the “who we really are” which is the embodiment of love and compassion, we can transform ourselves and the world.
In truth, we are all connected in collective consciousness as ONE. The choices you make today and the actions you take creates not only your own future, it also affects the world and future generations to come.
Several says ago President Obama spoke about the Gulf oil crisis and the changes he believes need to be made to bring accountability and long-lasting change here in the US. The clean up process has already deeply affected wildlife and industry as well as the economy.
I recall a movie I saw years ago called, “Network” when people began rebelling against the status quo and began yelling out of their windows, “I’ve had enough and I’m not going to take it anymore!”
We can no longer sit on the sidelines and stay silent spectators believing that we are powerless to effect change or that it is none of our business. We are part of the whole world, not just the town and country we live. We are all creating the world we see.
What we are witnessing in the world that brings out the worst of our humanity is an invitation for the best of our humanity to be revealed and show up. Love is the only real antidote to pain. And sometimes things must fall apart to create the space for something greater that is more aligned with our Essential Self to manifest. Sometimes we must be shocked, horrified, or scared into waking up from our sleepwalking existence so that we begin living the life we were born to and become actively involved in designing a new future that embodies the best of our humanity with a social conscience and community spirit.
“There is one thing stronger than all the armies of the world and that is an idea whose time has come.” - Voltaire
We can view the world with fear, worry, despair… or we can step into wonder, curiosity, love, compassion, forgiveness…. and invite the best of who we are to emerge in unity; to begin to create a unified one-world community of love, prosperity, and peace.It begins with one person at a time, one step at a time. When we stand unified for a common good, we create magic!
Would you like to live in a world like that?
Do you wonder if it’s possible?
It is.
It is within your grasp
The world is changing and you are a key player in designing a new world. Your deliberate loving thoughts, your feelings, and your actions can transform the world. You must summon the guts to challenge the behaviors, systems, and structures you have both consciously and unconsciously allowed to continue that are not positively serving yourself or the world. You must have the chops to say YES to live the life you were born to. You must decide to shift from crisis-driven, fear-based reactions to inspired self-initiated actions.
Two of my favorite quotes are by Ghandi:
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”.
Some ways to begin:
- Recognize the opportunities to be of loving service to others. As you give you also receive at the same time because we are all connected as ONE.
- Be unwilling to turn a blind eye when you know you can be of help to another.
- Surrender to what you cannot change and embrace the moment as you create a new future.
- Give generously when you feel called, inspired, and nudged to do so.
- S-t-r-e-t-c-h out of your comfort to step into a grander version of who you are meant to be
- Lead with your heart and your passion. Look at life through the eyes of love and compassion. What would love see, say and do?
- Go the distance even when you feel afraid and trust your SELF to guide you safely forward.
The time is NOW.
Let’s make some miracles together!
Have a great day 
Blessings,
Lorraine
www.isayyesnow.com
www.powerfull-living.biz
http://www.powerfull-living.biz/blog/2010/06/20/turning-tragedy-into-hope/trackback/
Do You Believe In Miracles?
Published on 4 Jun 2010 at 7:50 am.
10 Comments.
Filed under Courage Series, Feature Articles, Personal Development Strategies, Spirituality & Inspiration.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle“.- Richard Crashaw
This article was originally was published on The Bridgemaker blog
I have written that last year was wild in stretching me waaay out of my comfort zone with painfull and exhilarating experiences. I saw last year as a clean up year; one that invited us all to come back to the basics of what we value most, to go within and ask those deeper questions, “Who am I ? What is longing with in me to be expressed? What am I being called to do and be?”And to be willing to let go of the people and things that are not really serving us to live who we came here to be which can bring up a whole lot of fear and discomfort.
I cleared a lot of stuff last year, released a lot of fears, and felt more connected to my faith. So, I expected this year would take off and some of the areas that were challenging to me last year would really open up.
Several months ago I began receiving a flood of inspiration to create a program on Courage which launched last month. I’ve coached people for years on how to transform fear, negative beliefs, and self-sabotage very successfully. If you have ever felt inspiration coming through you, you know how energizing and humbling it is when the brilliance pours forth. The program seemed so timely with all that is happening in the world and I was so juiced to work with people on the material and witness their victories over fear into faith, trust, and courage.
We teach what we most need to learn
Like many others, I’m still feeling stretched to my limits in many ways. One area in particular has been my health. I’ve enjoyed robust health all my life. Last fall I fell during a morning power walk and tore a ligament (which is still on the mend) and discovered my thyroid had become enlarged with a massive cyst that was pressing on my windpipe.
Hospitals, tests, medical procedure, doctor visits are among my last favorite experiences. Yours too? So in March I had the cyst drained. Within 24 hours it filled up again and the next step meant an overnight stay after minor surgery to have my thyroid removed. Aftercare included no driving for a week and rest to support my body to recuperate.
The thought of going through all this physically, emotionally, and financially (with my current health care plan) began to feel depressing. I wanted it to all just go away and for my body to heal on it’s own with out any need for invasive surgery of physical trauma.
For me, health and financial challenges can still cause me to disconnect form my SELF and begin a downward spiral into fear and darkness. I’m grateful for the clarity and strength to catch myself from falling too long and too far so that I can reconnect with Source for love and guidance. And I am blessed with incredible people in my life who love and support me personally and professionally.
For the past several months, I have been working with two fabulous healers. One in particular is Ann Taylor, who has had amazing results with folks on transforming subconscious beliefs. While I am skilled on doing this kind of inner work, I often add folks to my team so I can get out of my own way and allow for healing to occur that I might be blocking because I am too close to my own stuff.
Here’s where the story gets really good….
I’ve always believed in the relationship between beliefs and health challenges. Out of curiosity, I looked at Louise Hay’s book, You Can Heal Your Life for some clues as to what might be connected with my thyroid. Fascinating. Thyroid and cysts point back to “the victim”.
Last month ago Ann & I spoke about my impending surgery and we did some work together to invite (and allow) God to heal my thyroid.
The following day, the size of the cyst was reduced by about 30%. My jaw dropped. A week later I cancelled the surgery because the size of the cyst was reduced by 80%. Throughout the first two weeks, I thanked God for the healing of my thyroid and cyst and felt a humbling gratitude for this miracle. As I write this article, about 30 days from the initial healing session, I am so excited to feel my neck fully recovered. Thank you God!!!!
While I not advocating dismissing the medical community as a valid resource to include in supporting your health, this was a great experience for me in trusting my own body’s innate wisdom to heal when combined with Source/God/The Divine. The miraculous healing of my thyroid will continue to be a powerfull reminder that things are not always what they appear to be
Miracles happen every day. Some are dramatic like the healing of my thyroid. Some can be so subtle and easily overlooked. Other miracles are sweet and bring a smile to your face or take your breath away by their beauty and purity: a beautiful sunrise, nature, an answer to a prayer, a child’s giggle, watching my cats sleep, content and peaceful….
It takes faith, trust and courage to let go of fear, doubt, stress… that invite the dramas we create to bring suffering and pain to our life experiences.
When you partner with Source all things are possible no matter what challenge you are facing. That’s why I have made my spiritual practices have a priority in my life. I have come to believe the single most important relationship in life is with your soul self and GOD. When you are aligned with the Divine presence within you as the guiding force in your life and show up to do your part in co-creating your reality with a loving and allowing heart (to both give and receive), you will be prospered by everyone and everything.
Do you believe in miracles?
Are you open to allow and receive miracles into your daily life?
Do you recognize them when they come?
Do you appreciate and celebrate them?
Do you know that you are a miracle?
You are
To everyone whose life you touch and who you allow to touch yours
I wish you a miraculous day
Blessings,
Lorraine
www.isayyesnow.com
http://www.powerfull-living.biz/blog/2010/06/04/do-you-believe-in-miracles/trackback/
Surrender and Control: “It Is What It Is”
Published on 27 May 2010 at 11:20 am.
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Filed under Feature Articles, Personal Development Strategies, Spirituality & Inspiration.
Someone cuts you off while you’re driving, your computer goes down, you have a conflict with a friend, a client fails to hire you, your cash flow is tight, your commitments and intentions for the day go awry…. and you kick into high gear with your thoughts and feelings going in all directions until you feel pretty bad, right? Exhausting, isn’t it? Dramas!!!
If you can relate to getting caught up in that mind trap (and most of us can!) you might not know much energy and inner peace the emotional turmoil costs you. Tons, actually.
The only one who really suffers is you.
Whatever you expect, anticipate, imagine and become attached to may actually manifest, which may be more of what you don’t want. Have you heard the phrases, “Life happens when you’ve made other plans, or If you want to give God a laugh, make a plan”, often hooks us into those pesky mind traps.
Reactions do not change the outcome of what has already occurred. Your thoughts and feelings make no difference in changing what has already happened. You have the power to affect what happens next as long as you are able to surrender and accept the present moment instead of struggling against it.
Because…..It is what it is.
Not good or bad, right or wrong. It just is.
Surrendering invites you to be present and being fully accepting of what is, in the moment. By releasing physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual struggles, you experience the freedom to respond to life, rather than living life through reaction.
That’s been an area of focus for me for the past few months - surrendering without resistance especially when the present moment sucks.
In your daily life, do you surrender to your experiences or attempt to control the outcome of what happens, or doesn’t happen?
The need to be in control is a sure sign of fear operating in your life…..
What needs to occur or change before you let go? I don’t mean becoming a doormat, complacent to your experiences and sacrificing your well-being: I do mean being open and flexible to the unpredictability of life and flowing with them with a sense of curiosity and adventure!
Surrender allows us to attract new possibilities and invites the Universe to shower us with blessings and gifts. Surrender connects us with the Divine and defuses fear.
So, the next time things don’t go your way, and you become aware of mounting stress and irritability, take several deep breaths and exhale slowly. Remind yourself, “It is what it is” and ask, “What is mine to do?”
Practice accepting the present moment because the only moment you have is NOW. Let go of any hopes and expectations that are unrealistic. Save your energy for things that are more pleasurable and productive.
St Theresa’s PrayerMay today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
Here’s my invitation:
For one week, surrender (as often as you can) to as many situations that arise.
Notice:
- How often do you truly surrender?
- What are your obstacles?
- How is fear influencing your ability to surrender?
- How does courageous, faith, and trust influence your ability to surrender?
- What shifts do you need to make in order to let go? (emotionally, physically, psychologically, spiritually)
- What are you noticing when you let go of resisting or attempting to redirect, shift or control? What happens? Are you feeling more relaxed, less stressed, clearer, happier, lighter?
Here’s a bigger invitation!
Pick an issue in your life that you have been struggling with, holding on to, trying to change, feeling angry about - get the picture?
What do you need to surrender in order to move forward towards resolution?
What do you need to let go of to expand your experience?
What gifts and blessings might you be overlooking that is in service to your growth and evolution? For example, can you find one thing good about situation that might create a different perspective?
Remember, you create your misery by how you choose to view your life. You are the Creator of your reality moment to moment. Choose wisely in how you show up either in reaction or surrender. The choices you make today create your future.
PS - Read my article on Shifting From A Victim of Circumstances To The Hero Of Your Life Story
Have a great day
Blessings,
Lorraine
www.isayyesnow.com
http://www.powerfull-living.biz/blog/2010/05/27/surrender-and-control-it-is-what-it-is/trackback/
