Take ownership of your spirit . . . .

If you've ever attended a concert and watched a performer "put it all out there", you'll know what I mean when I talk about owning your spirit. It can make your hair stand on end when you witness someone living a life that you know comes from deep within their soul. They loose their inhibitions and all concern for what others may think. 


We are the owners of our human spirit, and it's up to us to believe that we have it in us just as much as the performer on stage. You can set yourself free by changing how you talk to yourself about your capabilities. The greatness you see in others is also in you. I promise you that you can find it inside you, no matter who you are, no matter who you've invented yourself to be. 

Allow the passion that is buried deep within you to shine. Tap into it! It's there.

Partial text from the book

Reinventing Yourself

by

Steve Chandler 

"Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be. Close your eyes and let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before."

-Erich Fromm

Never too busy for this . . . .

Happy Monday!

Make it a great week, my friends.

Fun or Drudgery? . . . .

Can I tell you something? I really do believe that living your dreams or following your passion, does not mean that you need to make HUGE changes in your life. There are so many ways to live a very contented life, and to be the happy person you deserve, just by enjoying what you're doing at the moment. All it takes is for you to live with intention, and to put your heart and soul into how you spend your day. Are you in an office setting, in your own little cubicle, and have no intention of leaving that job? Then I hope you don't feel a sense of dread when you step into that office. I hope you're making the most of your time there. I hope you have surrounded yourself with photo's of your loved ones and things that inspire you. And most importantly, I hope you're proud of what you do and the way you do it. If you're not happy in your job, but have no intention of leaving, then change your perception of the job! I guarantee if you are not happy doing what you're doing, then you are most likely not putting forth the best of your abilities. That's where the change needs to be made. I'm not saying you need to leave your job, I'm merely saying you need to approach it differently. When  you walk in the door the next time, walk through as if it were your first day. Remember that day? You were excited and wanted to do the best job you could do. Approach it with enthusiasm and determination. Be the best you can be. Get psyched again, and give the best of YOU. No one can ask more of you than that!  Bottom line, when you enjoy your job, you have more energy, more fun, and you look forward to Monday.

If, at this point, you still feel like you are going through the motions, if you're mentally exhausted, and no longer feel enthusiasm in how you are spending your day, then perhaps a change of pace is just what you need.

"Work is either fun or drudgery. 

It depends on your attitude. 

I like fun."

-Colleen C. Barrett

Start with I . . . .

What does it take to fully inhabit your life? It takes realizing how important the I, is. That means you. Let me explain.......

This is not about other people, it's not about changing the world in big ways, it's not even about doing great things---rather, it is about doing small things that give you life, bring you joy, help you inhabit the stories of your days---and, by extension, help change the world and the lives of others around you. To fully live, you must be present in the biggest way possible. 

It is so tempting to start with They instead. If only They would let me. If only They would see my value. If only They would stop expecting so much (or so little) of me.

Stop.

Great change does not come when we present our case to the king and believe he will all of of a sudden "get it," or when we leave it to His Majesty to give us what we want or need. It won't happen. Permission, change---whatever you want to call it---it doesn't come to us when we sit and wait for it, or when we ask for official sanction. If Rosa Parks had waited to pull together a National Bipartisan Task Force on Bus Seating, she'd still be standing at the bus stop, and so would a lot of other people. Great change doesn't come with official endorsement. It just never has. Change occurs at the edges, without permission.

Why do we give up our power to the very people who took it away in the first place? Why am I waiting for permission? Why am I letting other people measure my worth? What stories do They tell about me that I've started believing?

Stop saying They.

There's no doubt work needs to be done on the systems---the organizations that measure appreciation in cubicle sizes, and there's no doubt we sometimes don't have the power to make those changes ourselves. But many times we can't wait for the systems that created the mess to fix themselves. We can't wait for the conditions to be right for change. It will take too long. We cannot give our power away to the people who took it from us in the first place. Put your arms around your own life. Find the change you can make and make it. 

Start with I.

From the book 

Life is a Verb

37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally.

by Patti Digh