February 17: A Safari of Self and Spirit

ResortpicsOct12th009“Uncovering the source of the Nile or charting the course of the Amazon are outward parallels to the inner journey you are on today – a safari of the self and the spirit.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

This sounds so serious, doesn’t it?  I think that Sarah is right though, and it makes me want to take this journey of self-discovery to yet another level.  I feel as though I haven’t worked quite hard enough, or given myself enough time each day to go deeper.  I realize that I have only scratched the surface.

“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition.  What you’ll discover will be wonderful.  What you’ll discover will be yourself.”  Alan Alda

I have accomplished so much already on this spiritual journey, but like a healthy diet that leaves you wanting to be even healthier, I am ready for more.  I am ready to take this thing to the next level.  I am ready to head to the wilderness and slay any dragons that may still be lurking in the dark.

Are you with me?

Shalom!

February 16: At the End of Our Exploring

animals_DragonTamer“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.”  J.R.R. Tolkien

Tolkien is telling us that as we take this journey of self-discovery, we cannot ignore our fears.  If you don’t know what you are afraid of, how do you have any chance of conquering it?

I think that, in addition to acknowledging and addressing our fears, we also must look at our belief system.  Specifically, our beliefs about ourselves.  For example, poor self-esteem or feelings of unworthiness are major contributing factors to many of our fears.  If you overcome an improper belief system, you will conquer your fears.

Sarah talks about T.S. Eliot’s belief that there is really nothing to fear from self-awareness because at the end of all our personal exploration, we will arrive back where we started and know in our hearts that we finally belong there.  I personally know this to be true.  Having taken the journey of self-exploration and facing my dragons head-on with the help of prayer and meditation, I am back where I started – finally writing, creating, and developing meaningful relationships through my real estate career – and knowing unequivocally that I am doing what God intended for me to do.

“As in the best old tales, at the end of your exploring, you will live happily ever after.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

How wonderful is that??

Shalom!

February 15: Meeting the Inner Explorer

meditation“There is only one journey.  Going inside yourself.”  Rainer Maria Rilke

I am having trouble reconciling Sarah’s advice to fantasize about creating a travel excursion, complete with picking up travel brochures, with going inside yourself.  I see nothing wrong with fantasizing about your dream destination, I just don’t see how that helps me to find my authentic self.

Since today’s passage doesn’t really resonate with me personally, I will share a quote that does:

“To experience peace does not mean that your life is always blissful.  It means that you are capable of tapping into a blissful state of mind amidst the normal chaos of a hectic life.”  Jill Bolte Taylor

Being able to remain calm and blissful in spite of everything happening around us is really the key to living a happy life, isn’t it?  I think I do a fairly good job of this, although like everyone, I do have times when I let external circumstances get me down.  I don’t stay in that space for long though.  I am by nature a happy and optimistic person, so for me, living authentically means maintaining a positive attitude even when the car breaks down or something doesn’t go as planned.  Life happens, to every one of us, and if we can learn to maintain our peaceful center in spite of it, what a difference it can make!

“Many marvels await discovery as we continue on the path to authenticity.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

What have you learned about yourself so far?

Shalom!

February 14: “Buried Dreams”

IMG_3049“Where there is great love there are always miracles.”  Willa Cather

I love this quote on this day of love.  It led me to do a little research on Willa Cather.  Willa is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for a novel that she wrote entitled One of Ours, although it doesn’t appear that she became a published writer until after she was 40 years old.  Born in 1873, I wonder how Willa would feel knowing that she is an inspiration for over-40 women in the year 2014?

“Over the years we’ve buried many a precious dream under layers of soot and rubble.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

I don’t know about you, but my buried dreams are many.  I am grateful that, at 52, I still have the opportunity to make those dreams come true.  One dream that I had for over two decades was becoming a realtor.  That dream came to pass last November, and I can see now that there wouldn’t have been another time in my life that would have been the right time.  It is a tremendous amount of work, starting a real estate career.  I don’t know how I would have done it while raising my children – having evenings and weekends to devote to them was too important to me.  I also needed the firm that I am part of to be created.  Olive Branch Realty stands for everything that I stand for – due to the nature of the real estate business, I think I would have found it very difficult to be part of a firm that is not based on the Christian principles that we are based on.

“…while I have learned that dreams need doing as much as they need being, I have learned that the being always comes first.”  SBB

God’s timing is perfect.  I held onto that dream of being a realtor for a very long time, and when I paid close attention to the message that I was getting from Him that the time was right, and I moved forward on that message, everything fell into place.  I am getting another message now, one that is telling me to write, write, write.  I am listening.  What about you?  What message do you get if you take the time to listen?

“The dream was always running ahead of one.  To catch up, to live for a moment in union with it, that was the miracle.”  AnaÏs Nin

Shalom!

February 13: “You Have a Unique Point of View: Loving Your Authenticity”

Novel“A sobering thought:  what if, right at this very moment, I am living up to my full potential?”  Jane Wagner

Yikes.  I don’t like the sound of that!  It is a sobering thought, and one to really put some thought into.  We are still early in the year.  We have a lot of time to make a big difference for our 2014 transformation, yet there is no time to waste.  When I read that quote, a light bulb went off in my head.  An aha moment:  if I am going to live up to my full potential in life, then I have to live up to my full potential every moment of every day!  I can’t keep living like I have a thousand tomorrows to reach that potential, to make my dreams come true!

“I’d gone through life believing in the strength and competence of others; never my own.  Now, dazzled, I discovered that my capacities were real.”  Joan Mills

I have been dreaming of writing a novel since I was a young girl.  I can’t tell you how many I have started but never finished.  I’m not getting any younger now, am I?  Yesterday, I picked up one that I started several months ago, and I read what I had written so far.  I really liked it.  I mean, if I had bought that book for myself, I would want the story to keep going.  So today, in front of you, I am making a commitment to finish that book in 2014.  No excuses, no I’m too busy’s, no letting my other commitments get in the way.  Writing is a big part of what I was put on this earth to do, and it is time to stop procrastinating.  I am going to ask for it and I am going to claim it.  Today.  You are my witness.

Shalom!

February 12: “Once Upon a Time You Trusted Yourself”

YoungGirl“Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live.”  Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

A few days ago, I mentioned how Brené Brown had inspired me when she shared how she worries what people will think when she chooses what to wear.  Oddly enough, just a day later I was chatting with two business women, and one mentioned how she worries about looking “stupid” due to her choice of clothing.  I laughed inside when she said it, because she was very attractive and well put together, and I realized that we are all so much alike.  Why do we worry so much about what people think?

“Try to contact the girl you once were.  She’s your authentic self and she’s waiting to remind you how beautiful, accomplished, and extraordinary you really are.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

I try to reach back to my ten-year-old self as Sarah suggests, and I’m not sure that I was ever the child that she describes.  I have always been such a pleaser, I don’t know if I ever trusted my own instincts.  So how did I learn to trust them in recent years?  Is it the magic of turning 50?  Perhaps being disappointed too many times by trusting and following the wrong people?  Meditation and prayer?  Reading books like Sarah’s that teach me a lot about myself?  I think it is a combination of all of these things, and I am grateful for the wisdom that comes with middle age.  It is a wonderful place to be.

Shalom!

February 11: “Divine Discontent: Learning to Live by Your Own Lights”

Psychic-Energy“Every time you don’t follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness.”  Shakti Gawain

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were unhappy, and you felt guilty for feeling that way because you knew how blessed you were?  A few years ago, while still working as chief operating officer of a wonderful Lakeland law firm, I felt that way.  I was so full of discontent, and I struggled for a couple of years over what to do about it.  It was a wonderful firm, full of wonderful people, and I was compensated very well.  How could I be unhappy about all of that?  But it wasn’t any of those things that were making me unhappy; it was the fact that I wasn’t where I belonged any more.  There was a time when I did belong there, but I had outgrown it.

“What is going on is part of the process.  I call it Divine Discontent.  It is the grit in the oyster before the pearl.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

I have learned that there is a difference between being grateful and listening to your inner voice when it is telling you that it is time to make a change.  If we were always happy about our current situation, we would never grow.  Without that “divine discontent,” we would not move on to the next chapter that life has planned for us.  Had I not felt that discontent while I was living in Upstate New York, I would not be in beautiful Lakeland, Florida right now.  I shudder to think of it!

“Be very careful to safeguard your newly recovering artist.  Often, creativity is blocked by our falling in with other people’s plans for us.”   Julia Cameron

I am very blessed to have a husband who supports whatever my inner spirit is leading me to do.  That is why I am able to be a realtor today.  What is your inner spirit asking you to do today?  Will you ask for it and claim it as Sarah suggests?  Your fellow readers are here to support you.  Let us know how you make out!

Shalom!

February 10: “Creating an Authentic Lifestyle for Yourself and Those You Love”

peace“Turning away from the world and toward your own happiness is the path of authenticity.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Oh, how I wish someone had made this book a requirement for ninth grade English.  Can you imagine learning these lessons about being your authentic self when you were a young teen?

“When you learn what you can live without, you are able to ask life for the very best because you possess the gift of discernment.”  SBB

I agree with Sarah’s quote.  Like many people in the last few years, my financial situation has been less lucrative than it once was.  I have learned so much through the experience.  I am so much less wasteful today than I was previously.  I am almost embarrassed to admit some things, like how I would replace a pair of mildly worn shoes without even trying to scrub them clean first.  Eating out more times than not with no thought to what we were spending.  We were frivolous in so many ways.  Having to pay attention to our spending has taught me so many lessons.  I like myself better now.  I am proud of being more fiscally responsible.

It may seem like a simple thing, but I think we live in such a wasteful society, and I am ashamed to say I was very guilty of being an active participant in that improvident culture.  Living with less has definitely given me the gift of discernment.  Today would be a perfect example.  I needed a new camera for my business.  In the past, I would have gone to one store, bought the best one they had without a blink, and left the store without any comparison shopping.  Today, I researched the cameras available and decided on the one that would provide what I needed within a certain price range.  I then left the store, researched reviews online to ensure its quality, and checked pricing for that camera at multiple locations.  It was $30 cheaper if I drove a few miles north to Best Buy.  I humbly admit that in the past I would have convinced myself that my time was worth more than the $30.  Today, I drove to Best Buy.

“It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.”  Somerset Maugham

Developing patience also allows you to truly enjoy the rewards when they come in a way that you can’t appreciate when you live a life of instant gratification.  Last week I went shoe shopping for the first time in three years, and I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it.  I made a day of it, taking my parents with me on a road trip to DSW in Tampa, followed by lunch at International Mall.  I have wanted to take them there for years, but I never made it happen.  Suddenly, through the beauty of this transformative experience, life is becoming more meaningful.  I hope it is doing the same for you.

Shalom!

February 9: A Fresh Canvas Every Twenty-Four Hours

94857135873008921_cZoVDmYi_c“Today, don’t rush through your inner preparations as you get ready to set down a piece of your soul on life’s canvas.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Sarah talks about all of the preparatory steps necessary to live our lives authentically.  Quieting our minds in meditation, using the discovery journal, and becoming aware of our true preferences are some examples she gives.  The other day I spoke about how I was able to calm myself from becoming stressed when rushing in fear of being late.  Recently while sitting in meditation, I realized that I was wound up so tight I would spin like a top if you let me loose.  My shoulders were hunched up around my chin, arms tight and hands in fists.  What was that?  By taking this time, I realized there were some things going on that I needed to pay attention to.

“…our preparation won’t have been in vain.”  SBB

I realized after that day’s meditation that I am allowing the world around me to infiltrate my peaceful existence.  This led to the realization that I need to figure out how to be in the world without the world being in me.  Everyone is in a hurry.  Everyone is stressed.  They are not with me on this transformation journey.  It takes a constant awareness and being present in each and every moment to keep their negative force from penetrating my soulful state.  With some people, their presence is so intense it requires a lot of effort on my part to keep that undesirable aura at bay, but I have learned that it can be done!  Not only that, but often my peaceful state can penetrate and effect change in their stressed out being.  How wonderful is that?  As I continue on this journey to discover my authentic self, I have learned that this is another reason for my being, to bring peace to others and make them smile.  I am working on making that happen, one beautiful spirit at a time.

Shalom!

February 8: “You Are an Artist”

art“Inside you there’s an artist you don’t know about … Say yes quickly, if you know, if you’ve known it from before the beginning of the universe.”  Jalai Ud-Din Rumi

I’ve known it.  I’ve known it for as long as I can remember.  But like Sarah says, I felt uncomfortable thinking of myself that way for most of my life.  I was a quirky, insecure kid, always afraid to be myself, afraid of being different.  I always had creative passion.  In high school, I really wanted to take shop and art.  I didn’t have the confidence to take an art class.  I was afraid I wouldn’t be good enough.  And back then, shop wasn’t a requirement for girls, and in fact, no “cool” girls would have dreamed of entering that dirty, greasy world where the “burnouts” hung out.  I didn’t understand that participating in something like that, something that was considered far from mainstream, was cool.

“With every choice, every day, you are creating a unique work of art.  Something that only you can do.  The reason you were born was to leave your own indelible mark on your personal world.  This is your authenticity.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

The beauty of growing up is learning that our uniqueness is cool.  It takes some of us much longer than others.  I finally took a painting class when I was in my late 30s, and discovered I wasn’t half bad with some guidance on how to get started.  But it wasn’t until my late 40s that I really began to appreciate the coolness of my uniqueness.  I may be a bit quirky, but I have discovered that I am not so unorthodox compared to my business contemporaries as I once thought.  I think we all have a bit of quirkiness inside of us, and I know I for one really appreciate – no, enjoy – the quirkiness in others.  It is so much more entertaining than someone too straight-laced, isn’t it?  Your unique work of art may not be art in the way we think of it, but whatever your unique gifts are, they are art, for they are something that exists only because of you.

“If you are willing to step out in faith and take a leap in the dark, you will discover that your choices are as authentic as you are.  What is more, you will discover that your life is all it was meant to be:  a joyous sonnet of thanksgiving.”  SBB

What are your special gifts?  Are you using them to become your most authentic self?  If not, 2014 is a great time to start!

Shalom!