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A few weeks back I attended a conference in Melbourne which had international author, speaker, pastor, social activist and professor of sociology, Dr. Tony Campolo as their guest speaker.
It was a great event … yet there was one message that Tony shared that continued to stay in my mind days after the event had ended.
You see, Tony a former spiritual advisor to President Bill Clinton was visiting Australia as part of a series of speaking engagements for humanitarian organisations Compassion and World Vision.
Being only 78 years young Tony shared some amazing stories of inspiration, hope and possibility via an array of inspiring metaphors and analogies that really provoked my spirit, and challenged me to ask a deeper question …
“Was I ‘really’ living each moment with aliveness?”
At one point he shared the story of how several years ago while delivering a talk on sociology he turned to one of his young students and simply asked “Young man, how many years have you lived?”.
The student somewhat bewildered by the simplicity of the question replied “24 years”. As if seeing the opportunity to delve deeper into the young man’s life experience, Tony replied “No. Not ‘how many’ years have you lived” …
But how many moments have you ‘really lived’ … with complete aliveness, with full presence, and an inspired connection to everything around you?
Overcoming Our Addiction to ‘Busyness’
Isn’t it interesting … while all of us may think at some stage think that we are really living, instead we are simply have allowed ourselves to become slaves to busyness, to habit, to the status quo, captives of the comfort zone.
Many chase the material – but miss the wholeness within!
Our truly alive moments are those that ignite our souls, that challenges us to step out and partake of adventure, that leave us feeling like…
“Yes I did contribute something of value and significance to the world today”.
Too often it can be easy to fall into the trap of nurturing and maintaining certainty in our lives, when our higher selves quest for so much more.
When actor Morgan Freeman was asked why his film The Bucket List co-starring Jack Nicholson was so focused on death, he responded by saying that it wasn’t about death, but more so about how to live every precious moment of life fully.
The 3 Simple Shifts
We need to constantly remind ourselves that each and every day above ground is a ‘gift’, the opportunity to do something new, the chance to live more fully, and to love more openly.
So here are 3 simple ‘shifts’ that can help you engage, embrace and accept more of the ‘life’, ‘fulfilment’ and ‘aliveness’ in your life:
1. Engage Uncertainty
In life it can be too easy to run away from the situations which challenge us to step into uncertainty. For uncertainty has the potential to bring up fears, doubts and shortcomings.
Yet it is in the face of courage, when we step our of the comfort zones, and into the growth and our adventure zones in our lives that we are most free. Free to follow our dreams, to be all we can be, to live fully in our greatest light.
Engaging Uncertainty is therefore an oxymoron, for it holds within it the seed of possibility and freedom for our lives. Take one step towards ‘engaging uncertainty’ in your life each day, and you will begin to see the true courage within you rise.
Question to Consider: How can I powerfully engage uncertainty in my life today?
Affirmation for Success: Whatever happens – I’ll handle it!
2. Say Yes to Opportunity
Have you noticed how easy it is to say ‘no’ to the opportunities in our lives?
When we are in harmony with our own hearts, souls and spirits. When we are embracing the highest aspects of our being on purpose, then opportunities start to present themselves that are in harmony and synchronicity with our highest intentions.
The key is to first get clear, of the emotional and past baggage that often keeps us captive and separated from our highest self. This is the key reason I created the Soul Path Intelligence program – to helps people simply learn to get themselves out of the way, to find their unique way back home to themselves!
Once you are clear – your job then becomes one of assessing the opportunities that present to you each day, and following those that resonate with your heart, that bring you expansion and fulfilment. But to do this you must be willing to say ‘Yes’ to the opportunities when they present!
Question to Consider: How can I embrace the fullness of my life today? Where do I need to say ‘Yes’?
Affirmation for Success: I say ‘yes’ to life – and all of life says ‘yes’ to me!
3. Live One Day Spontaneously
Are you attached to your daily routine? If so, don’t worry – you’re not alone! While your routine keeps you feeling safe and comfortable, it also is one of the greatest barriers to experiencing aliveness.
I remember going on holiday to Thailand several years ago, and it literally took me 3-4 days before I could fully unwind, settle into the resort/beach clothes and not think about thing I had to do. So wouldn’t it be good to have a spontaneous holiday/vacation in your own life once a week, once a month?
So take the challenge … pick one day this month where you can just live spontaneously – no plans, no watch, no agendas, no routine – just doing whatever you feel like in each moment – spontaneously. If you need to … put on the beach clothes – take yourself out of your familiar environment and allow your soul, your inner-child the freedom to play, explore and just be.
I know you will find it liberating!
Question to Consider: If there were no plans, if there was no routine or demands on my time… how would I love to live fully today?
Affirmation for Success: When I am present – I am free to experience the beauty of this moment
For centuries there has been continuing debate over whether our ‘destiny’ and ‘fate’ is defined by divine providence, by chance or just pure downright luck.
But the blending of science and the new fields of quantum research are now showing us that maybe our ‘soul paths’ are not so much directed by influences ‘beyond our control’, but more so from our own unique ability as human beings to set an intention, to make a powerful decision for our lives, and then taking constant and consistent action.
As a musician I’ve been avidly following the latest series of American Idol and The Voice Australia. What always fascinates me about these ‘ reality music shows’ is how ordinary everyday people, who often doubt their own abilities, or question their own right to ‘shine on the world stage’, often make it through to the finals, and then on to live lives where they get to do what they really love – and best of all – get handsomely paid to do it!
Even in these latest series we were inspired by the lives of 18 year old Harrison Craig in Australia, and 20 year old Lazaro Arbos from America, both who experienced severe stuttering and social anxiety while speaking, but who had the unique gift of still being able to inspire and touch the lives of millions through their singing. Both summoned the courage, the willingness and humility to put them selves ‘out there’ on the world stage.
Accessing Your ‘Cubic Centimetre of Chance’
Both of them engaged the ‘magic’ that author Carlos Castenda refers to as “their cubic centimetre of chance”.
“All of us, whether or not we are warriors, have a cubic centimetre of chance that pops out in front of our eyes from time to time. The difference between an average man and a warrior is that the warrior is aware of this, and one of his tasks is to be alert, deliberately waiting, so that when his cubic centimetre pops out he has the necessary speed, the prowess, to pick it up.”
So for this month’s post I thought I would share 3 key insights that can help every individual, every business owner, and every leader ‘open up’ to the incredible opportunities that are presenting themselves in front of you each and every day
Insight #1 : Opportunities Are Everywhere – But Get Clear First
It’s a funny paradigm, the moment you start saying ‘Yes’ to life – then life starts saying ‘Yes to you!
Each and everyday opportunities are presenting themselves to us, whether it be a chance meeting in a café, a sign on the car in front of us, a wrong phone call that comes through when we least expect it. The reality is that when we have set a purpose for our lives, when we have gotten clear on our own intentions and life goals, and when we are clear from all limiting beliefs and patterns that hold us back – then life simply re-presents to you what you have been radiating and reflecting internally all along.
In fact UK mentalist and hypnotherapist Derryn Brown conducted an interesting study where went to a small village in country England and found a man who considered himself unlucky, and who believed “good things don’t happen for me”. For almost two weeks, Derryn placed lucky opportunities around him, from winning a lottery ticket on the ground, to organising a big billboard truck with the words “You have Won a Prize – Please Call 9828 2929” passing by right in front of him.
So what happened? In all situations that Derryn presented the man did not even see or recognise a single one! Why? Because his past mental conditioning and programming meant that his brain and consciousness simply avoided the opportunities, almost deleting them from his awareness all together.
The moment the man began to consider the possibility that he was lucky, and that good things could happen for me – his life began to change forever. But first he had to clear within himself first!
So how do you notice, accept and take advantage of these opportunities?
Get clear in yourself first – Only when you feel clear internally, will life reflect back what you truly desire. So get clear on your dreams, get clear on your purpose, get clear on what you are willing to receive, and then watch what turns up in ‘your reality field’.
Insight #2: Step Beyond Fear and Awaken the Power of ‘Yes’
So what do you do when opportunities start presenting themselves to you?? Just say “Yes”
Yes is one of the most powerful words that we have in our language. It has the possibility to create multi-million dollar business deals, it has the potential to allow us to accept a marriage proposal, it has the power to encourage the first steps that our children take on their life journeys.
But what inadvertently happens as adults is that we become conditioned to our natural ‘fear response’. In the face of opportunity it can become all too easy to say ‘No’ and remain in our unconscious comfort zones, than to say ‘Yes’ and accept the power we have to live an adventure in each moment.
So the lesson? Watch the movie “Yes Man” staring Jim Carey. It will awaken you to the power and possibility to transform our lives, just by using this one simple word.
Then get used to saying to yourself “Yes I can”, “Yes I am allowed”, “Yes I am good enough”, “Yes I am worthy of success” and “Yes I am ready” when the perfect opportunities start presenting at your door!
Insight #3: Give Up the Excuses and Start Moving
The final key to taking advantage of the synchronicities and opportunities in your life is to:
Start Giving Up The Excuses
Its all to easy to make up countless excuses for why our business is not making money, why our marriage is not working, why are lives feel empty and lack meaning.
It is much harder though to look deep within our hearts and souls and admit the truth. That wherever our problems and challenges seem to rise up and manifest – we somehow manage to be there!
In these moments we need to be honest with ourselves. We need to look deep within and ask “Am I truly being the person in this situation that I was divinely created and crafted to be?”
If the answer is no, then look at who you really need to become on the inside, in order for you to experience the nourishment, love, rewards and success you deserve on the outside.
Just Start Moving and Take Inspired Action
Its very hard to attract opportunity to you when you are stagnant, stuck, or not moving. Life energy follows motion, it follows courage, it follows faith and action.
Once you have let go your excuses, its time to take powerful action towards creating what you want. This action is inspired action – not force. It is the action that presents seamlessly and magically when ‘preparation’ seems to meet ‘opportunity’.
In these moments, you know in your heart that you are on track. That life and the universe support you, and that your destiny is assured. All you have to do is say ‘thank you’ and take action to claim the destiny that awaits you in that moment.
Remember ‘The universe loves speed’
and it takes courage to follow your own heart and soul.
It takes faith to act when the path is not clear. It takes resilience to get back up again and hold true to your greatest dreams, even when all around you say that what you desire to create is ‘not possible’, ‘not practical’ or ‘not realistic’.
All great leaders were once visionaries with an almost impossible dream. So do not be afraid. Do not hold back. Instead light the flame so that all those who see and recognise your light will be inspired to do the same.
And if you really want to get clear in yourself and unlock the hidden opportunities in your life make sure to book in for our next Soul Path Intelligence™ program. You can find out more atwww.soulpathintelligence.com
What do you want the rest of your life to be about?
In the absence of all fear, who would you not be afraid to be?
If life handed you a ‘golden ticket’ what dream would you manifest?
If you won $70 million how would you spend the rest of your life?
Why ask these questions? Why ask them now?
Because at this point in time humanity as we know it rests on an all important threshold – a threshold that holds within it the potential for great change and tremendous transformation on all levels. However in order for this global and world change to take place, it requires a new generation of leader, men and women who are willing to rise up and find the courage and strength within themselves, to first transform their own lives in doing so transform our world.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi
There is no coincidence that you have been drawn to this place, to read this article, and to question and delve into the relevance of it for your life.
For you are one of the many ‘spirited warriors’ and leaders around the world that at this time in humanity’s consciousness is being called, summoned and gathered to be the force of change, first in your own life, second in the lives of those you love, and finally as a powerful example in the world.
So how do you embrace this new quest, this new mission?
The Answer:Exists simply in being willing each and everyday to embrace, engage and enact ‘small acts of courage’ in your daily life.
The greatest barrier to all human evolution and growth is the ego’s fascination and preoccupation with the emotion of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of financial security. Fear of not being safe. Fear of being hurt or abandoned. Fear of being rejected. Fear of being unloved.
The good news however, is that in each of the situations that you experience fear, you are also presented with a unique opportunity to choose in favour of your highest self, to choose in favour of your soul, to choose to embrace courage.
So each day, as you go about your daily lives, take a moment in the morning before you start your day to expand your own consciousness, your own internal capacity to move beyond the mind’s limits that keep you captive, and instead seek to find your power, unleash your potential and BE courageous by answering the following questions:
Where in life is my soul calling out for more joy?
What am I afraid would happen if surrendered and let go of my attachment to success?
What one small act of courage can I take today that would bring me greater happiness, joy and fulfilment?
Remember, courage is not something that you need to find.
It doesn’t exist outside of you. It is part of your essential nature, it is an inherent and everlasting aspect of your soul already. All it needs is for you to stand in your power and embrace it.
To respond with courage, when life would want you to react. To stand-up and be counted, when life would have you hide. To take responsibility, when life would have you blame outside influences. To speak your truth, when life would have you keep your feelings hidden. To be your authentic self, when life would have you give in to other’s expectations and needs.
Every moment is an opportunity to show the world your truth. To be COURAGEOUS.
Life Wisdom for Today
“Feel the fear, but do it anyway!” – Susan Jeffers
The greatest gift we have as human beings is our ability to consciously create our destiny through the setting and realisation of intentions. The start of the year provides the perfect catalyst and cycle of life-force energy to powerfully sow new seeds and to set powerful intentions for your new year.
Top 6 Principles for Creating Powerful New Year Intentions
So in this short master-class video I wanted to share my Top 6 Principles for creating powerful New Year intentions that will help you bring greater clarity, focus, and intent to what you want to create, manifest and receive in your life over the next 12 months.
1. Expand Your Tent, Stretch Your Desires, Dream Bigger
The number one reason that most people don’t get what they want, is usually because they don’t really know what they want! Getting clear on your intentions before the start of the year is a brilliant way to give your life greater direction and purpose.
However, as human beings we’ve also been conditioned into thinking too small. As individuals with truly unlimited potential, we often choose goals, outcomes and intentions that keep us within our same comfort zone. Instead of shooting for the moon and reaching the stars, we aim for the clouds and often hit the ground!
So this next year, make sure to set one BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) that will make you stretch and reach beyond your comfort zone. After all, it is only when we reach beyond ourselves that we discover just what we really capable of.
2. Set an Engaging and Inspiring Theme for Your Life
While goals and outcomes may give us strategic direction and focus, it is sometimes better to also set an ‘overriding theme’ or purpose for your life over the next year.
So if you could describe your next year as though it were a book title what would it be? E.g. From Rowing to Sailing, Stand Up and Stand Out, Inspired to be a Loving Mother, Money Mastery Made Easy
You set the direction of your life through your intentions. When you set a theme for your life it gives you reason to align your thoughts, actions ad behaviours each day towards the realisation of your theme and life purpose.
3. Look Closely at Your Motivations
When you set your intentions it helps to look closely at each one and ask the question “What is my motivation for creating this? Is it fear or love?”
You’ll be surprised at just how many of our real desires are driven by unconscious patterns and forces that stem from fear. And when we try to ‘create’ from a basis of fear we simply end up creating more fear.
So it helps to remember, that you may not always get what you consciously want, but you will always create in your life what you unconsciously want! Therefore make sure that your dreams and intentions are fuelled by love.
4. Turn Your Intentions into Symbols
Too often we get so caught up focusing on the physical and material aspects of what we are trying to create i.e. the form. But in the art of deliberate co-creation, we need to learn to release and let go of the form e.g. focusing on having the boyfriend that is 6 foot, tall, dark, handsome, rich and has the perfect abs. Instead we need to ask for what we want, and then trust that God, the universe and spirit will bring you this – or something even better!
A great way therefore to get out of thinking in the constraints of ‘form’ is to simply turn your intentions into symbols i.e. draw, paint, cut out pictures or create a mosaic of the ‘essence’ of what you are trying to create in your life – and most of all what emotional trait it would give you.
5. Make Sure Your Intentions Serve Others
When muscle tested, candidates that set intentions where there was only perceived or real benefit to themselves consistently tested weaker than those who set intentions that also would provide a benefit to others.
One of the keys to life transforming new year intentions is that the more your intentions serve others, or aid and helps some worthy cause, the greater the energy that surrounds them, and the quicker that they manifest on the material plane. Is it any wonder that it is often those celebrities, and successful individuals that contribute and serve humanity in greater ways that consistently seem to receive and enjoy greater rewards??
6. Expand Your Personal Presence and Self-Worth
It goes with out saying, that in order to experience more in your life, you first have to become a person that is capable of receiving more. Self-worth and self-image are inextricably linked to what you are willing to allow and receive in your life. Choose to see yourself as someone that is worthy of greatness, and you become a person that attracts greatness into their lives.
Visualising and seeing yourself ‘already’ as the person you most want to be, is one of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself. Is it any wonder that Jim Carey, Bruce Lee, Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield, Oprah Winfrey all spent time imagining, believing and seeing themselves as successful at their ventures – before they even experienced it in reality.
So look in the mirror today – and instead of seeing yourself as you are – choose to see the amazing, brilliant and incredible person that you are becoming and being … right now!
Are you consistently applying lots of effort, but receiving very little reward?
Do you often feel like you’re taking two steps forward and one step back?
Does your heart long to experience less struggle and striving, and more freedom, flow and fulfilment?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, then the good news is ‘you are not alone’!
In fact you have probably got more in common with the other 7 billion people on the planet who are actively seeking to expand, grow and develop, yet consistently find themselves being held back, resisting and sabotaging themselves from their innate natural state of freedom, flow, success and fulfilment. Welcome to Life 101!
The greatest gift of our soul is that it is always seeking to experience greater, and greater expansion and growth. Yet the reality is that anything that is moving will always experience some form of resistance, while anything that is stagnant or resting in the same place will eventually fade away and die.
Your job therefore as an ever expanding soul and being, is to evolve and become the best you that YOU can be, and this requires learning how to align your own internal energy to produce your greatest results with ease, joy and happiness.
So how do you align yourself for success? By understanding that when your actions and behaviours are aligned with your thoughts, when your thoughts are aligned with your values, when your values clearly reflect your life and soul purpose, when your soul purpose is aligned with the higher purpose for your life, and when your higher purpose contributes towards the Divine Will for humanity and the world – then miracles are possible.
So how do you create greater states of internal alignment between your body, mind, soul and spirit?
5 Simple Practices to Align Yourself for Success
1. Creating Greater Rapport Between Your Ego and Spirit
Much of the conflict that takes place in our everyday lives takes place at one of two levels – our conscious behaviour, thoughts and patterns, and our unconscious behaviour, thoughts and patterns.
Your job as the master of your life is to harness the innate intention of your soul to direct your will towards bringing greater harmony, balance and purpose to these two aspect of your being. This inner-battle is best symbolised by the images presented in the major arcana of the mystical tarot that depicts two horses, one black (representing ego), one white being (representing soul) being guided by a chariot driver (yourself), who holds the reigns and must direct these two aspects of self to work together towards its highest intent.
Contrary to popular myth it is not necessary to rid yourself of ego, for to do so would be futile. Your ego brings great strength, resilience, and power to your life when it works in harmony with your spirit. Likewise, a life that is completely bound in spirit, without the grounded connection of ego would spend most of its time with its ‘head in the clouds’, dreaming, but producing little result.
The Practice:
Take out a blank piece of paper out and simply draw a line down the middle of it. On the left side write the title ‘Gifts of my Ego’ and on the right side write the title ‘Strengths of my Spirit’.
Now brainstorm all the benefits and strengths that both your ego and spirit provide you.
When you have completed your lists imagine that each is a horse, and ask them: What they need from you to create a more harmonious, productive and fulfilling life? How can they each work more closely with each other to use their gifts and strengths for your greater good? Who do you need to develop yourself to become a better ‘chariot driver’?
2. Let Your Soul Be Your Guiding Compass
Whether you realise it or not, your own soul is your best and most trusted ally in life. It knows exactly where you are, where you need to be, and what brings you great joy in each moment. All you need to do is find the stillness within and take the time to ask it for its highest guidance for you right now.
The Practice:
Take out four pieces of paper and on each write in the big letters the letters N, S, E an W.
Find a large space where you can move freely in your living area or home, which is quiet and where you won’t be disturbed. Stand in the middle of your room. Place each of the pieces of paper at least a meter away from you in a circle, where the N is placed at 12 o’clock, E at 3 o’clock, S at 6 o’clock and W at 9 o’clock (representing the points of a compass).
Now as you stand in the middle close your eyes and place your hand on your heart. Ask your heart to be awakened and to provide you with the highest clear guidance for your soul. Then ask your soul to show you the direction that you are currently heading in your life, and as you feel compelled simply turn in that direction and take a step forward. Open your eyes and see where you are on the compass.
Go back to the centre of the circle, close your eyes and now, ask your soul to show you and guide you in the direction of your highest life path at this moment. Turn to it and take a step forward. Open your eyes and just notice where you are? Is there a difference? How do you need to bring your current life into alignment with your highest soul path?
3. Learn to Love What You Resist
In my many years of working as a hypnotherapist and counsellor what I noticed most amongst my clients who were experiencing limiting behavioural patterns, self-sabotage and resistance was that every behaviour has an underlying benefit to the soul.
The Practice:
So rather than fight or resist the behaviour, instead start by first thanking it for being there, thank it for all the benefits that has been providing you (even if you don’t see any in it right now).
Then ask it if it would be willing to share with you why it is presenting itself to you? Ask it to share with you its higher purpose and benefit?
Then ask your higher-self to share with you some alternative and more empowering ways to experience those benefits right now?
Simply by learning to love your resistance you allow it to share its greatest gifts with you, and by doing so you create the pathway to integrating yourself towards wholeness, rather than living a fragmented life.
4. Let Go of What You’re Tolerating
As simple as this sounds, it is often one of the most challenging realisations for many people. In the same way that trying to hide inflated beach balls under water takes lots and lots of energy, so to, the people, activities and tasks that you are tolerating in your life right now, are also draining your chi and life-force energy.
The Practice:
Make a list right now of all the things in your life that you are currently tolerating, know you need to stop, or that you need to complete.
Then go to work at eliminating these ‘beach balls’ from your life!
5. Your Only Job Is to Get Clear
I was recently at a seminar in Melbourne recently where the seminar leader shared some powerful advice that really resonated with me. He said ‘you only job in life is to get clear about who you are, why you are here and what you do’. Then you simply need to allow the people, places and situations that resonate with your true-self to turn up!
Surprisingly, the number one reason most people don’t get what they want, is because they don’t really know what they want! Or if they do know, then most of the time what they want is really being driven by other people’s needs, expectations or demands.
The Practice:
So what do you value in life? What do you hold as being most important to you? If you had only one more year to live what would you do?
If you won $70 million in the lottery what would you do with the rest of your life?
If I gave you a magic wand and three wishes, what three aspects of your life would you most want to change and how?
Learning to align yourself for success, and developing greater levels of alignment both internally and externally is one of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself. Just as a river that is free from obstacles, rocks, sticks and branches will flow with ease, so too your mind, body and soul when aligned have the capacity to produce and reflect tremendous life force potential.
Remember, you are here to be the best YOU that you can be!
