Embracing Fear

We've all felt it....that tingling tight sensation in the pit of your stomach, the twisting knot in your throat, the clammy sweat in your palms, that uncomfortable restriction that pains the senses, that makes clothes feel too tight, the air feel too thin, the internal red siren that demands immediate escape,...and although that sensation is often associated with  negative connotations I have become increasingly certain that the symptoms of fear are quite often more deserving the distinction of being considered growing pains then the usual dismissal with which we label them.  The birth of any new development into which time is worth delving is almost always announced by the painful passage of the awkward, the uncomfortable, the confusing, the scary, the ugly, and the unclear. Greatness is reserved for the courageous who dare to brave its painful arrival. I speak confidently of this because I am in the thick of such a transition...

Opportunity presented itself to me recently and my first reaction was to say no as I felt my throat tightening and the backs of my knees getting sweaty. I was presented with an opportunity to step into an arena of new responsibility, creativity, leadership, and administration and my first inclination was to run the other way. I looked for all the reasons why I should say no, why I should maintain my current status as a follower and not a leader in this part of my life and then a very wise friend spoke to me some jewels of truth. They reminded me that I would never regret trying something new but I might regret not giving the situation a chance. I knew they were right and when I allowed myself to reposition my minds perspective I realized a glaringly obvious truth. By allowing myself to consider the possibility of saying yes I recognized that all of my fears and reasons for wanting to retreat were really the excuses of someone who was just nervous about how it would feel to have to experience the gangly awkward developmental stages of growing into success. All my reservations were really just the excited marks of a recognition that I was about to jump into another level of awareness, success, influence, and persuasion and that I was going to have to raise my personal bar and accountability to myself and to others. A scary and exciting and inspiring crossroads, indeed! Because once you have become the biggest fish in your pond it is quite easy to want to maintain the status quo and to resist swimming upstream to join the bigger schools of life. But who is going to finish their journey here and be grateful that they played it safe? Who is going to be glad that they didn't risk big, didn't reach for their dreams, didn't give every opportunity its fair shake?

One of my favorite mantras is to, "Take no prisoner, Leave no regrets, Take everyone along for the ride" and I am confidently living with integrity in that philosophy because I said yes to that opportunity a few weeks ago. I can honestly say I am reaching another level of living within my passions and hence my purpose. I find myself exhausted and yet constantly re-energized by what I am doing. My days are long but my mind is constantly racing towards the next challenge facing me in this new chapter of my adventure here and I am so grateful for every day, every obstacle, every moment. I am blessed because I am doing what I was designed to do and I am confident that beyond the initial fears I held I am in the process of spreading new wings capable of carrying me and so many others to greater heights. I am grateful for the fear that let me know that I was, I am, and I will do a great many things through the power of He who is my strength. Because what is interpreted as fear is very often just the telling symptoms of a life of courage that is in the process of doing the very thing at which lesser men scoff.

Wanting what you Have to Get what you Want

"You have to want what you have before you get what you want"...do you believe that? The more I marinate in that idea the more I am convinced that it is true. When you learn to be grateful for the blessings already present in your life you treat them, and yourself, with greater levels of respect and accountability. And the respect and good stewardship that you invest in your life will naturally begin to be matched by the people around you. Treat yourself with respect and you will garner respect. Take pride in your work and more work will be given to you. Bless yourself with love and gratitude and you will receive the same measure multiplied back into your life. Its the principle of seedtime and harvest. You reap what you sow. As simple a thought as that is, it is a stark truth that somehow continues to be dismissed.  Whatever energy, positive or negative, that you are putting into your life, your relationships, your work, your talents, and your own dreams will be returned to you. So if you are spending time complaining, comparing, despairing, and wallowing in self-pity and the morose contemplatation of lack then that is the same place in which you will remain. But if you take stock of your situation, realize your blessings, assess your growth opportunities, and take steps big and small to show respect and love for the beauty that is already in your sphere of control then you will be amazed at the changes that begin to occur. Your life is a direct product of your investments and awareness. Today I aim to be aware of the blessings in and around my life and i aim to invest love, respect, passion, and gratitude into my every moment. I hope you will join me because your life is a miracle and the gifts of Love are bursting at the seams to be embraced by you. Lets really live, my friends. Lets really enjoy, participate, and discover the power of living within gratitude. Every day can start with a "Thank you" to the Creator because you are a masterpiece of a creation.

2012 is here, are you?

It is a new year, my friends, and I'm sure that with all of the new years resolutions we have made or have thought about making or have contemplated and then decided to not risk failing and so have not made that we can agree that with every new years mark we are hopeful for a better year in the future. But along with that hope and excitement we all have some decisions to make. First of all, and I'm sure many of you have heard a version of this before, but the only way to see  change happen in our world is to start by changing ourselves. A little less global version of that idea reminds us that it is the crazy person who would repeat the same action and hope for a different result. I would like to think that I'm not crazy but I have to ask myself....how many times, seasons, periods of my life have I been miserable or discontent with my situation but have allowed myself to keep wallowing in the vacillation of depression and blame? More simply put, why have I allowed myself to ever blame other people for my current state of affairs? If when I look at my life I don't like what I see I really have no right to accuse other people for putting me there. I am so blessed at this point in my life and am truly able to say that I am in a state of abundance but you know what?, I don't know how long this season will last. It may last a year, ten years, ten days, ten more minutes, but I had better be ready for the winds to change (because they will) and I had better be ready to approach life,myself, and others with the same gratitude and compassion and energy that comes so easily today. Because in a new year we start out with high hopes. But those high hopes are only valuable if they are accompanied with a high output of directed energy and passion as well. Don't just hope for change. That's what victims do. Make the changes in your life, however small or big, that you know are necessary for you to experience the changes and growth that you are desperate and eager for. Take the time. Look within. Then look around. And take a chance. Risk big. We are never promised more than today. So give this day everything within you. And don't hold back from seizing opportunities, challenging yourself, putting yourself in awkward situations that demand that you expand and redefine the lines that confine you. Life is short and we all will come to our own finish line. When you look back, its not about how long it took you get there but its how you ran the race that will bring you peace or discontent. And here's the thing, we get a new chance ever 24 hours, every 7 days, every month, every year, even every minute and second to make another decision about how we will approach our lives. Passion. Love. Compassion. Grace. Kindness. Patience. Diligence. Vision. Lets open our eyes to the areas in our lives in which we desire change and growth and lets attack 2012 with action and passion together. Happy New Year, everyone. Lets do this.