“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” ― Thomas A. Edison
One of the biggest impediments to success is fear of failure. When you embrace it all and learn from your mistakes, then whatever happens is used in a positive way, and you get to enjoy the whole journey – not just when you win.
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” ― Marilyn Monroe
The truth is life is more interesting when you can break out of the box and see the world from the edge. Mainstream is good, but you don’t want to get stuck doing what everyone expects of you. When you stretch your limits you get to experience new parts of yourself – the interesting parts that make you unique.
Real genius knows that imagination is more important than facts. So pay attention to it in your own life. Imagination is freedom; it gets you out of the box and into new possibilities. And that’s the first step to success.
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ― Oscar Wilde
It sounds easy to be yourself, but it is actually one of the biggest challenges you will ever face. It is difficult to follow your own voice and passion when you know those you love expect something else. But isn’t this your life? Are you not here to manifest your dreams?
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
Stop waiting for change and create it in your life. Too many wait for life to happen. Become the friend you want to have, give the love you want to receive and take the risks you imagine in your mind.
“It is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.” -- Benjamin Franklin
Pay attention to what you choose to repeat in your life, humans are creatures of habit. Unhealthy choices become habits when you don’t stay aware of what you are doing. It’s just as easy to develop a healthy routine as an unhealthy one -- just stay conscious.
"To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are." -- Muhammad Ali
If you don’t have enough faith fake it. Pretending is a great second choice – it teaches you how to act like a winner. And when you have confidence you attract opportunity. When you can play with life then life plays with you and you get a surprise bonus.
“Change before you have to.” -- Jack Welch
"What you're thinking is what you're becoming." -- Muhammad Ali
When you complain about your life, you are creating more lack. When you keep a positive attitude, acknowledging the problem, but having faith in the solution, then you are moving toward abundance and happiness. Be vigilant with your thoughts.
"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." -- Harry S. Truman
Get out of your way, put your ego aside and you’ll be surprised at how easily things get done. When your ego is too needy, it attracts other needy ego’s and they end up doing battle. Remove the conflict and magic happens.
‘It is dangerous to be sincere unless you are also stupid.” -- George Bernard Shaw
When you are too honest without discriminating who you reveal your truth to, you are not wise. There are too many people who use truth to serve their own end, without respect for others. So be smart and know with whom you share your spirit and your secrets.
“He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions.” -- Louisa May Alcott
When you have strong beliefs, you part the sea, you attract support and you also attract opposition. That is why many people avoid committing to their convictions. However, to create something in this world, to manifest your dreams, you’ve got to believe and give it your all.
There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the passion of life. --Federico Fellini
Passion is why you are here, to feel strongly about something, someone, or just life itself. If you are missing your passion, then you have avoided knowing yourself -- you don’t love yourself. Everyone has passion, but not everyone pays attention to it because to surrender to passion is to have faith and let go of the control.
"It makes no difference how many peaks you reach if there was no pleasure in the climb." — Oprah Winfrey
The journey is what life is about, not the prize. The prize is the motivation, however most of your time will be spent in the quest to achieve it. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing then you’ve missed the essence of life – joy and the pursuit of your passion. That’s what you’re here for, not just to survive, or to reach a goal, but to experience all that life has to offer.
A life without the word “no” is not a life at all. A missing “no” leaves you with a sense of powerlessness because you have no defense against the demands and expectations of others. People pick away at your energy, talent and time because you have given up control over your world by not setting boundaries. This leaves you with the need to manipulate or avoid people and situations. Little by little your world shrinks and your stress level rises, until you are isolated and alone. Your are letting fear lead, fear of rejection, fear of disappointing others, and you increase your insecurities and decrease your sense of self worth – all because you chose not to say no.
You may ask yourself how can one simple little word be so important, yet so difficult to use. Chances are you grew up in a world where love was conditional, that is, you received it only when you did what others demanded of you – follow your own path and emotional support disappeared. This happened when you were a child, dependent and helpless; now you’re an adult and if you deicide to change this you will also change your life. Only you truly know what is right and wrong for you, so step up to the plate and take a stand. Real love stays present even when you disagree; it’s there because it values all of you. The truth is confrontation is essential to happiness. You may think that avoiding it creates harmony, when in truth it does the opposite. Your anger goes inward, frustration builds and you block your forward movement because someone else has a conflicting desire. Don’t let others determine your destiny! You decide who enters and under what circumstances they stay, and if you guard your gate well, a sense of safety will prevail. Saying no shifts you from defending yourself, to creating a world you love through choice. The domino effect takes you upward: your instincts get stronger, new experiences are eagerly embraced, opportunities appear and controlling relationships are out – after all you’re in charge of your own life.
I believe that 80% of most problems stem from the lack of this little word no. The solution is simple commit to conquering your fear and practice, practice by repeating in your minds eye word for word what you wanted to say to your boyfriend, husband, friend or boss. Repeat it and give your mind a new path, a new pattern to trust. If you do this every time you miss an opportunity to express your truth, then one day very soon, the words will just come forth – they’ll fall out of your mouth on their own volition. You will feel so good about this new skill that you will actually begin to look forward to your next confrontation. As you learn to say no, anger will dissipate and the path to your greatest potential will unfold. So make a commitment today to master the word “no,” make it a part of your repertoire and change your life.
"Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever." — Lance Armstrong
Most people quit when they are so close to the finish line. The journey has made them tired and worn out and so when an unexpected obstacle presents its ugly face, they feel that the challenges are never ending . . . they give up. You can always take just one more step, endure one more breath and when you do you get to the finish line a winner.
“You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.” Oprah Winfrey
It’s not enough to want, wish or desire, you’ve got to put your request out into the world and ask for what you want. What you are really doing is demanding that others make room for your wishes, and the more you are convinced that they have value, the more space your desires will have in the world.
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Dreams and goals that live in our imagination are wonderful, but to bring the invisible into reality one needs a goal and a plan. It doesn’t matter if you keep the plan or change it, but you need one to begin the process of creation.
What needs to happen to change danger into transformation is a little bit of magic – you’ve got to accept and let go all at the same time. If you can accept the letting go happens on its own. Accept your worst experience and most dreaded emotions, they are the source of your greatest strength. When you have suffered and learned, you become wise. Besides, the shadow is what you stand on when you reach for the light. Muhammad Ali learned how to use his shadow. "Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even." So listen to Ali and own all that you are, no more judgments or discrimination; let the past go and move into the now, the only place where life is really happening.
"How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct." -- Benjamin Disraeli
It is so easy to jump on the bandwagon and criticize something that is not going well. However, it is a lot more challenging to give support where it is needed, or provide a better idea to get the job done.
If I'd observed all the rules, I'd never have got anywhere -- Marilyn Monroe
Rules, which ones to break and which ones to obey? I always say go to the consequences of your actions, if you can accept the worst thing that could happen, if this is truly important to your spirit, then do it. No risk is just as bad as too much. Find your balance.
"I have a bias toward action - let's see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away."--Indira Gandhi
Big dreams are fabulous but to make them happen you’ve got to be able to break them down into steps, into the next step in particular. Study up on your dream; know what’s needed to get to where you want to be, then set smaller goals that you can achieve now. When you keep your dreams conscious and put daily effort into what you want, dreams do come true.
“Ambition is so powerful a passion in the human breast, that however high we reach we are never satisfied.” -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Allowing oneself to feel satisfied, even when the job is not done, is an important part of the journey. If you can’t take a breath and feel good about what you’ve done so far, chances are success won’t make you happy either. So enjoy every step along the way, and then when you get to the top, you’ll have already reaped your reward – the prize is no longer essential to your happiness.
September 2011
Horoscope
Pluto goes direct on the 16th and the stagnation of summer ends with a feeling of hope and a desire to meet the challenges of change. So keep the faith no matter what is happening around you; change is in the air and the restructuring of our lives has begun. Move through the problem and you’ll be guided from above.
LIBRA (Sept 23- Oct.23): You feel pulled in many directions. The key to accomplishing something is to set priorities and know which challenges are more important. If you try to do everything, you can become paralyzed, and not get anything done. Don’t get stuck in the future, be present and the rest will take care of itself.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22- Jan 19): Who to pay attention to first; everyone wants a piece of you at the same time. However, Capricorns are focused and they have the passion to stay on track. So draw on your strengths, don’t let the little stuff slow you down. It’s your time to be noticed so keep the steady pace and you’ll achieve your goals in no time.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20- Feb 18): You have a new vision of where you are going, and you’ve taken some steps to get there. Don’t let the temporary delays make you feel as if it will never happen. You are close to major shifts in your life, so embrace the new, let go of the old, and you’ll begin to manifest your dreams.
ARIES (March 21 – April 19): With Uranus racing back to the beginning of Aries, there may be a resurgence of what happened in early March. Uranus brings revolution and change; so don’t be surprised if you are uncomfortable with your past or old routine. It’s time to add something new to your path. You know what you need, reach for it.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Earth signs do well this month. Things flow, love is in the air, work is coming your way, and with it more understanding and support. Doesn’t get better than that. So don’t waste the good air, take a deep breath and give thanks for your blessings along with the people around you that have helped make it happen.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 21): Where in your life have you been lax? It’s not a mystery, if you take the time to look. With Saturn in your 5th house of authority you are being shown exactly what you have neglected, and now you’re paying the price. Don’t continue to ignore what needs your attention; solve the problem and it’ll go away.
CANCER (June 22- July 22): Not an easy time for Cardinal signs, you feel overwhelmed. No problem. Just slow down and move forward one step at a time. When you try to do too much, you only make things worse. Make a list and start crossing out your “things to do” from the top. Before you know it the list will be empty.
LEO (Aug 23- Sept 22): Your relationships are having a confusing time. So do have some extra patience for awhile. They’re trying to sort things out and in so doing, may neglect your needs. Nothing wrong with letting them know how you feel, but adding pressure to their inner struggle will not make it better.
"To think is to differ."-- Clarence Darrow
Don’t be afraid to see things differently than others. And whatever you do, don’t undermine your own point of view when it’s different, that makes you a follower; not an original. Your mission here is to bring forth your uniqueness and remember, everyone needs their ideas challenged, opposition makes one think more clearly and become more focused.
"The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can't find them, make them." -- George Bernard Shaw
Don’t wait for life to happen, make it happen. Be clear on what you want, take responsibility for where you are, learn as much as you can about what you want to achieve, and take risks. If you do all of this, you cannot fail.
"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you." – Princess Diana
I believe in a Cosmic Bank that returns to you what you give – not from the same person you gave to, but often the gift comes from a stranger. If you have a lack of abundance in your life, look at your ability to receive. The Universe can only give to you what you are ready to embrace, not just mentally, but emotionally and spiritually too. So make a commitment today to open your arms and receive.
Love is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction.--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
When you first fall in love you don’t see beyond the attraction and the desire to be together. However, for love to last you’ve got to have more than electricity. When you share a vision of your life together you’ve got something to build on, and then in spite of the problems you may face, you can keep moving forward in the same direction, giving yourself time to work out the differences.
