I came across this again today written by Erma Bombeck after she found out she was dying from cancer.  Speaks directly to my heart and I wanted to share...

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER...

• I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
• I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
• I would have talked less and listened more.
• I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
• I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
• I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
• I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
• I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer's day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
• I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
• I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
• I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
• Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
• When my children kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go and wash your hands for dinner.'
• There would have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's'.
• But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it. Live it and never give it back.

STOP SWEATING ABOUT THE SMALL STUFF!!! Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.  Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

Fulfillment...

Everything I've learned about how to be successful and fulfilled in life can be summed up this way...

1) Know yourself.
 
2) Be yourself.
 
3) Offer yourself to others.

No more complicated than that...

I choose love...

Will I feel this ache in the pit of my stomach around this time EVERY year -- will it ever go away completely? Not even sure I want it to... 

With another 9-11 anniversary approaching, I'm reminded of the path my spiritual journey has taken -- from an angry, vindictive, self-righteous, shutdown 'victim' whose first love and ex-husband was crushed to death in tower two of what was the World Trade Center ...to now being an essentially open-hearted, joyful person with a greater capacity for deep, genuine compassion who supports the bold project to build a mosque next to the site of that same tragedy.

I choose love not fear.

I'm learning how to move through the moments of my life without grasping onto thoughts and feelings that don't serve me...choosing instead to respond and take action with an open heart as soon as I am able. Progress not perfection, right, and the teachings of Adyashanti have been very helpful. 

I will be sharing a video featuring Adyashanti at my next Meetup scheduled for August 21, 2010.  Adyashanti is a spiritual teacher from the Bay Area who gives regular Satsangs (teachings) in the United States and also teaches abroad. He is the author of several books, CDs and DVDs and is the founder of Open Gate Sangha, Inc. a nonprofit organization that supports, and makes available, his teachings.

I love Adyashanti's teaching style on resting in our natural state of BEING and using INQUIRY as a way of moving through the moments of our life, especially the tough ones. Check him out.

Our Thoughts Lead Us Away From What We Are Here To Experience

I'm reposting this from Gangaji (www.gangaji.com).  I just love the simplicity and profound truth she is able to communicate...

Our Thoughts Lead Us Away From What We Are Here To Experience

 My invitation is very simple. It is to stop your internal conversations long enough to directly experience the aliveness in the core of your being. If we are willing—for at least a moment—to stop believing that what we know is the whole truth, and to open our minds to what is unknown, then the answer is here, and it is always here. In that openness, you can inquire, is this enough? Is this fulfillment in itself? In your discovery a lifetime of deep inquiry is available to you.

The question I continually get is "How do I stop?" or "Well, yes, I can stop in your presence, or I can stop right now, but what about tomorrow when I go to work, or when the children are crying, or when I'm in a different setting, a different context."

It is really all the same, and certainly my answer is always the same. The question is really, "How do I find the resolve to actually stop and be still?" Finally it is an issue of resolve, and resolve can only come from the question, "What do I want?" What do I really want?

If you are struggling, and what you want is to win an argument or to figure something out, or to know the answer, then it doesn’t even make sense to stop thinking because thinking helps you figure out the answer, or it helps you make points in an argument. But If what you really want is peace, or the truth that transcends the argument, or the truth of yourself, then resolve is there to actually take a moment and simply stop, stop what you are doing: stop the winning, stop the figuring, stop the knowing, and simply be aware of what is here.

I am never speaking against thought. I recognize the power of thought and the necessity of thought in particular circumstances. I respect that and I am in awe of it. But what gets so much overlooked, and where there is so much unnecessary suffering, is when we rely on thought to give us peace, or the truth of ourselves, or to give us the truth that transcends all arguments.

Peace is immediately discovered in this moment by simply stopping. The question, "What about the next moment?" is already leaving this moment. That question itself is trying to figure out what will happen; it is trying to know. If we are willing to stop figuring and to stop knowing, then the answer is here, and it is always here. It is very simple.

What is simple and what is complicated? Is the source of authenticity complex or simple? The result can be either complex or simple, but is the source of authenticity complex or simple? It is my discovery that it is utterly simple and immeasurably profound. So simple that even words like profound are too complicated. Simple beingness, aware of its being.

Focus...

I love this quote as I try to integrate all the things I want to do in this lifetime.  It's become more and more important that everything I do aligns with my one big overarching idea...to remove any blocks to love's presence in my life and to bring more of that love into the world by my words and actions.


"Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of the idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, that is way great spiritual giants are produced". ~ Swami Vivekananda

Waking up...

Eckhart Tolle's teachings have helped me to WAKE UP (over and over again ;-)... to genuinely commit to developing my ability to be in the present moment. And practicing being present has helped me to make more intentional, conscious choices (like sticking to my new exercise and nutrition routine) instead of going through my day-to-day making excuses and living by default -- essentially reacting to one thought after another. 

We all think, right -- thoughts about past and future come and go naturally -- but the choice is to not over-identify with my thoughts, to recognize that who I really am, my essence, is untouched by those thoughts. My essence is peace, love, connection...and therein lies my joy. And I can drop down into that knowing any time. NICE!

Trust is Granted Not Earned - Audio

I've been heads down a bit working on some developing opportunities. I'll be back posting full force shortly.  In the meantime, check out what Mike says about trust...peace & bliss!

Trust is Granted Not Earned - Audio

Stop and Hear the Music - Audio

Great reminder - Stop and Hear the Music - Audio

Infinite Potential

I've been meditating and reflecting on the ideas Bob Proctor so brilliantly lays out in this video for years, and there's not much more I can add so I figured I'd show it to you and let it speak for itself.

I love playing with these ideas and experiencing the truth of them for myself.  Once you get this, life explodes with possibility - both personally, professionally.  Enjoy!

Striving for passionate imbalance?

I read a great quote yesterday in this month's Success Magazine about what "marketing" means when done with high integrity.  I'm paraphrasing, but it went something like this...

"Marketing is not about selling; it's about serving".

I love it when I feel something resonate as truth.

One of my primary goals is to align all aspects of my life -- both personal and professional -- in a way that feels powerful.  So I often wondered how I could be so passionate about life coaching AND equally passionate about marketing & consulting (since marketing often gets a bad rap).  But that quote made it all clear. 

The reality is that I approach marketing consulting as a way of serving just like I approach coaching ...partnering with people to solve problems; clarify a vision; address needs; accomplish meaningful objectives.  There are an infinite number of ways to be of passionate service to others -- coaching and marketing are just my favorite two.

I've also given up on the idea that the ultimate goal in my life is to be "in balance" -- to find some never-changing mythical way of life that represents the perfect combination of daily activities to maintain some Zen-like state of being.  As I approach my 43rd birthday, I instead try to imbalance my life toward moments that make me feel strong!  And I identify and build into my life as many of those empowering moments as possible.   

Who knew living a life of "passionate imbalance" was such a beautiful thing! Life is a trip...

Haiti...

Reflecting on Haiti tonight with a full heart.

I see the soul of the Haitian people...their faith, strength and determination in the face of such destruction, such incredible suffering. And I feel so helpless yet so broken open with gratitude for my life.

Seeing our connectedness on display as the world responds with love in all its forms, I'm reminded of what lies underneath our fears, our struggles, our anxieties, our fascination with separation...love.

There's nothing more powerful, more precious than the human spirit standing unashamed with a wide open heart.

Stay strong men, women and children of Haiti. Something good will come even of this...