On the road to success do you get in your own way? (Part 1)

It goes without saying that we all want to be successful. We dream big, imagine what life would be like and sometimes we even start building a foundation for success yet for some reason there are times we become stuck or blocked on the way. The people who we perceive as successful were not without challenges and pitfalls; they persevered, climbed out of the pit and turned stumbling blocks into stepping-stones. How did they do it you might ask. The answer to that question is simple. They got out of their own way by focusing on success instead of the energies which come up time and time again as they moved closer to their goal.

Of course there are many reasons why you get close to success and movement seems to abruptly stop just short of your goal. This is precisely the time to take time in meditation to see what’s happening. I’ve listed here the top four energies which I continually see come up during reading sessions and workshops. It’s interesting to note how easily it these 4 energies take over. If you don’t take time to acknowledge and clear them out it is YOU who get in the way of your own success.

Fear of Success

In a recent workshop on creating one of the students left trembling and in tears. I spoke with her a few days later and asked about her experience. She told me that in the workshop she created something so BIG that she became overwhelmed with what she had just put into motion and it frightened her to the very core. The truth of what happened was that all the energies about how much her life would change, what she would have to let go of and who she might have to leave behind in the process came up. At any point on your road to success pictures and energies will get stimulated and you can move through them and let them go or you can hold on tightly. Worrying about ‘what’s next’ is also a fear which should be addressed. Once you’ve put into motion your success it’s in motion! If you allow the fear to control the outcome, you’ve gotten in your own way. Let go of the fear and allow success to unfold before your very eyes!

Limiting Beliefs

Is there a limit to how successful you can be? Did someone once tell you that for some reason you weren’t good enough or smart enough to be truly successful? Were you programmed to believe your life should unfold in a certain order or what your particular role should be Did you identify with what they told you and at some point it became your truth? I see this a lot when I read women. They are in a struggle to meet the programming of being a wife and mother vs. a successful business woman following their dreams. In a sense they are limiting their experience to one or the other. There are many people, not just women, who hold on to the belief that life is supposed to be a certain way. If you believe what others have told you about what your role should be or you put limits on your success you are getting in your own way. Turn your attention within and discover what makes you tick, what YOU believe about yourself and know that you indeed can succeed no matter what. Find those things YOU are enthusiastic about creating in your life. Your idea of success might very well be completely different from someone else’s. Welcome support from others, ‘divorce’ the naysayers in your life and in the words of a dear friend ‘believe you can achieve’ and you will! Read More

I have split this post into Part 1 & Part 2 to go into more detail . Part 2 is about raising your havingness, clearing resistance and measuring success. CLICK HERE for Part 2.~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com

‘Single tuft of grass in stone desert’ © Mlehmann78 | Dreamstime.com

Jan 17 2012

On the road to success do you get in your own way? (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of “On the road to success do you get in your own way.” CLICK HERE for Part 1.

No matter where you are on your road to success there will always be something that comes up. This is what growth and expansion is all about. You do not need to allow the energies or pictures which inevitably surface to stop you. It is the steps you take when these energies get stimulated that makes the difference between staying stuck and moving forward again. Getting out of your own way is about taking back your power and creativity from those places you’ve given up space to in the past.

Raise your havingness!

Havingness is about how much can you have. It may be that although you dream it and wish it your ‘havingness quotient’ doesn’t allow you to have your success. One can see what I’m talking about clearly if you take a look at how many lottery winners end up broke after a few years. While one could argue that they made poor decisions it is more about how much they could have and felt they deserved. On the other side of the equation you see people who came from humble beginnings become VERY successful. They stopped identifying with their past and found value in what they could bring to the table. Chris Gardner, portrayed by Will Smith in the movie Pursuit of Happiness, struggled financially and then was homeless before he took charge of his life. By raising his havingness he created (and attracted) opportunities. If he didn’t recognize and connect with his intrinsic value and continued to identify himself as a hopeless, homeless man he would not be where he is today. Raising your havingness can be as simple as connecting with your value and that you deserve all you are receiving. Have gratitude and give thanks every step of the way.

Resisting the process

Every journey to success is a process. There is no way around it. Resisting the process not only makes the journey longer it can also cause it to be painful and frustrating. Until you clear the resistance to the process itself, whether it is yours or anothers, you will remain exactly where you are. In spirit there is no time or space. What you create, dream and imagine is already out there waiting for you to clear enough space (and raise your havingness) for it to come in. In the physical realm things take time. Get out of your own way by clearing resistance. There is plenty of resistance and competition in the world today. Step out of it. Take time each day to find peace and neutrality within. Allow everything that comes up or at you to gently fall away.

Measuring Success

Each of us has a different measure of success. For some it is money, for others it is fame. Some measure success by number of pounds lost on the scale while others by what they see in the mirror. Some measure success by their number of Facebook friends or Twitter followers and others by the quality of people in their life. However you measure your success be sure to be specific and include more than one thing. In fact take a moment now to think of at least 3 things that will clearly let you know you’ve arrived at a particular destination. Make one your real goal and the other two from other areas of your life. Picture yourself basking in the glow of success and measure it to YOU not someone else.

Every journey has its pitfalls and challenges but with strength of spirit and perseverance you can succeed. Success comes in CANS so don’t believe anyone who tells you, you can’t. No one is immune to challenges and is happy and successful all the time. Not everyone will embrace your success or support you on the way. It might feel like an uphill battle at times but in the end it is all worth the journey. There are plenty of energies and naysayers that get in the way so don’t YOU be one of them!~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com

‘Single tuft of grass in stone desert’ © Mlehmann78 | Dreamstime.com

Jan 11 2012

Life is a Verb

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines life as a noun. It goes on to say it is ”a:the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body b: a principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings.” If there is a “quality” that distinguishes us from being “dead” that quality lies in choosing to live life as a verb.

The meaning of life is only truly defined by what is important to each of us as individuals. There is not one ‘singular’ definition. Life is what we breathe into it. It can be dormant and bland or full of sparkle and excitement. It can be merely existing and responding or full of vitality and passion. We can let life pass us by unconscious to the possibilities that present themselves each day or we can live with conscious awareness knowing that there is growth, change and endless possibilities. Life is what you want it to be and you can live it as a noun or a VERB.

Breathe life into your life!

Engaging in life is what breaths life into it. Bring your passion and purpose to the forefront and create from that vibration. Seeing what you are passionate about come to life by creating it moves you beyond your fears and fills your heart with new purpose. Think about those things you’ve created in the past which left you feeling fulfilled. If you created something amazing in the past, trust in your ability to do it again. You know in your heart what breathes life into your life. Follow your heart and it will lead you to places unimaginable because what you decide to bring into being today opens doors to other opportunities.

BEing is not passive!

Engaging in life means engaging with yourself first. The state of being-ness is not merely sitting in a chair void of life and thought. In fact it’s just the opposite. It is a time of discovery, consciousness and healing. It is a time for facing your perceived fears, moving past them and feeling what YOU are feeling. It is a time to bring your spirit to life and listen to your inner self. It is a time for more of who you are as divine being to come in allowing body and spirit to live and work together. Can you envision what could be created when your body and spirit are in harmony? Imagine if you will what it would be like if you looked inside yourself to find answers as much as you look for them outside. All your answers lie within you and all it takes are a few quiet moments to listen.

Breathe new life into your life! Decide now, in this very moment to live life as a verb. Engage in life by turning your attention within and listening to your inner guidance. Shed the layers of responsiblity heaped on you by others which you have carried with you for years. Move past your fears and connect with your vitality and purpose. Live with the excitement and joy brought forth by breathing life into your life! Life is a verb…engage!~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com

Dec 28 2011

Resolve to Evolve

As the end of the year approaches it’s time to think about ‘resolutions’ for the new year. It’s also the time to take notice and celebrate your achievements from the last 12 months. The time is NOW to join the EVOLUTION REVOLUTION and resolve to evolve!

What are your resolutions for the coming year? Many people make “body” resolutions like losing weight, quitting smoking or being more active. These resolutions are great AND very beneficial for your good health. Have you considered making resolutions to grow and change your spirit as well? Your spiritual resolutions are equally important! They could include a daily meditation practice, daily prayer, following your dreams, expanding inner calm & peace, being more loving and living life from non judgement with awareness.

When you include and put into practice your spiritual goals for the year you create tremendous change, expand your inner (and outer) universe, live from your truth and evolve as spirit! These resolutions bring you back to your spiritual self and knowing who you are. They also help you with the other resolutions because as your attention turns within you are less affected by other energies that constantly pull you away from what you really want!

Keep in mind that New Year’s resolutions often fizzle quickly and I’ve listed a few reasons why this happens. I’ve also listed positive steps you can take so yours don’t fizzle this year.

There was no plan for taking the necessary steps to reach the goal. Make a plan! If you want to lose weight for instance, what needs to happen for you to do it?
The goal wasn’t realistic and within your control. Be realistic! Make sure it’s a good fit for your life and it’s in your control. If it’s out of your control and not a good fit you probably will give up on it.
The expectation was it would happen over night. Start slowly! If you resolve to meditate each day start with 5 or 10 minutes. If you’ve never meditated you are not going to be able to miraculously sit down and quiet your mind for an hour a day.
Impatience & punishment for perceived failure. Patience and forgiveness are the keys for successfully achieving your resolutions. If you stumble forgive yourself and be patient. Get right back up and try again!
Maybe it’s not YOUR resolution. Turn your attention inward and make sure that your resolution is something YOU want and not based on a picture or concept of someone else’s.

Evolution, which includes growth & healing, is a gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually better form. Spiritually there is no time or space but it does take time to manifest in the physical. To begin the process it’s a good idea to do a little review. What were your new year’s resolutions from last year? What manifested? Where were you successful? What inspired you? In order to know where you’re going, you need to know where you’ve been! Turn your attention within to reflect upon what worked, what didn’t, the dreams that manifested, the changes you’ve made and how far you’ve come in the last year.

Celebrate and honor your successes from last year!

Positive change must be grounded by a strong foundation and your successes ARE that foundation. Building on what you already have achieved instead of betting your success on the unknown starts that positive change, well, POSITIVELY. When you know you are and have been successful in the past you trust yourself and there will be no doubts about your ability to do, have or create something NEW in the future.

Come on! What are you waiting for? Build your foundation for the future! Join the evolution revolution! Make caring for mind, body, spirit and soul a priority by resolving to evolve!~Shine Your Light Debbie

Spiritlightinsight.com

“VesicaPiscis” by ©Daniel Holeman

Nov 13 2011

Looking from the Seat of Your Soul….

: Photo courtesy of Kate Janes ©All Rights Reserved

Entertain for a moment that you are sitting in a comfy chair and looking through a window. What you see on the other side of the window is your life. A glimpse, if you will, into the physical aspects. This is one time it’s OK to be a “voyeur” and do a little self stalking As you watch the scene before you also take notice of the inside details and the window itself.

Perhaps the window frame is beautiful with lovely curtains. There is comfort from your easy chair and it feels good to be right where you are. Consider for a moment this is the seat of your soul and this is you BEing. What you see on the outside is life as you have created it. What do you see? Is it bright with gardens growing different types of flowers? Or is it rainy and muddy? Are there rolling green pastures teaming with life? Or is it black & white lacking color and vibrancy?

As you watch yourself through the window notice your emotions. Notice if you are merely working to make a living or living to do what you love. Do you see passion, love and enthusiasm filling each moment? Or do you immediately want to close the blinds and not look at all? Closing the blinds not wanting to see is common. The world outside especially with the current state of affairs may not be something you’d like to look at but in reality this is your life and how you’ve created it with your choices and reactions to outside influences.

Many times people don’t want to take responsiblity for what’s going on in their lives and yet at some level, it was created by them. They have left the comfort of their easy chair to go outside and have forgotten how beautiful it is inside. Some have forgotten, in a sense, that they have the choice to navigate life from an easy chair, and to be in agreement or alignment with what is created.

What do you see when you look out your window? Do you like what you see? Is it full of joyful enthusiasm and zest for life? Does the outside match YOUR inside? Do you find yourself REACTING to energy or are you GENERATING your own? When you are in alignment with who you are and generating your own energy you create your life based on what YOU want.

It’s not that there will never be stormy days and times you won’t want to shut the blinds tightly. You can’t control the weather or the actions of others but you certainly can choose to react in alignment with your dreams and vision of how you want life to be. When it’s stormy you can choose to see beams of sunlight behind the clouds to find the bright spot in the storm and when the storm has passed you might even see a rainbow!

If you have gone outside put your umbrella away and come back INSIDE! Take a seat and notice how beautiful, safe and comfortable it is inside. Align yourself with what’s inside then look outside your window and see what you see. Find the sunbeams playfully hiding behind the clouds. See life clearly and if you don’t like what you see, picture it how you want it to be and watch it change like magic! ~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com

Oct 9 2011

Is Something Holding You Back?

The photo on this post is a sculpture called “Freedom” created by Zenos Frudakis. From where I sit, this piece is profound in its perfect depiction of what it looks like to finally break free from whatever is holding you back. Energetically the cement which surrounds us means something different for everyone. It could be programming, invalidation, fear or a myriad of other things including common concepts from the world at large.

To move forward you must chip away at the cement tomb of energy to free yourself and live a life which rings true to who you are. When I speak of freedom I’m referring to releasing the energetic chains which bind so you can uncover truth and break free to live a passionate life of your choosing. It sometimes even means you must release yourself from the confines of your own mind.

Sculptors like Frudakis and the great Michelangelo look at a cement or marble block and chisel away at the outside until a beautiful form is created and emerges as a masterpiece. You are already a masterpiece in your own right and the only way to emerge is to work from the IN-side OUT! Instead of chiseling your way in, you grow and expand therefore releasing yourself by blasting out lies, energy and/or anything else which keeps you from being free.

It’s all about your inner world!

Your connectedness to your inner world is how you experience your outer world. If you are looking from the OUT-side in you may only see the form others have projected upon you. Looking from the IN-side out you first see who you are, your true spiritual essence, and from that vantage point there is clarity about what is NOT you. Perhaps all those times you were made ‘wrong’ or felt like you failed or you didn’t feel like you were good enough, maybe, just maybe there was something else at play; And that something else was NOT coming from YOU!

If you allow someone else’s opinion or energy whether it be parents, friends, employer, significant other or whomever it might be, to affect you and invalidate your creation (or what you’d like to create), take away from your success, or make you wrong, you have taken on their truth. No matter how much they love you and you love them, or how well-meaning they are if you are living from someone else’s truth, you are not free.

Meditation is the best way I know of to re-connect with your inner world and resources. Turning your attention within allows you to find truth. YOUR truth. It reconnects you to your passion and freedom. It helps you expand your creativity and find your answers.

Don’t you think you’ve stared at the cement or marble trying to figure out how to free the masterpiece inside long enough? Step INside, take out your golden chisel and allow your masterpiece to emerge, be free and dance in the light!~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com

A Lesson on Letting Go (dailymuse.spiritlightinsight.com)
The Meaning of Freedom (lkramer14.wordpress.com)

Sep 22 2011

Do you have a Fear of Success?

Fear is a powerful energy that can stop you dead in your tracks. It is an energy that can run in the background without you even knowing it. It could simply be that little doubt in the back of your mind or on a larger scale, cause panic attacks, or self sabotage. Typically we delve into letting go of our fear of failure but there is another side to it; The fear of success.

Rather than focus on failure, it is helpful to focus on success. If you are focusing on failure, guess what’s going to happen? You are probably successful in many areas of your life but there’s this one thing….the one you want most which eludes you. Do you have a picture of what life would be like if you succeeded in that particular area? If you can’t see your success clearly it’s time to begin seeing yourself as successful!

Fear is a funny thing. Not the haha kind of funny but interesting to look at. If you’ve been unsuccessful achieving your dream there may be an underlying invalidation or a doubt in your mind that says you ‘can’t do it’ because you’re somehow not worthy or good enough to have it. There is also the ‘what will I do then’ thought. Oh yes, that one! If your focus has always been on say losing weight, what will you focus on once you hit your goal? If you’ve spent time and energy trying to ‘find the one’, what happens when you do?

If you succeed at the very thing you’ve wanted most whether it be happiness, love, a successful career, a family, it means life as you know it will completely change and you must focus your time and energy on something else. Many people (maybe not YOU but many people) are so comfortable in the seeking that just when success is in their grasp they quit because they don’t believe they can succeed or can’t picture what life will be like once they get it.

When you create a clear picture in your mind of having the relationship you want, losing weight, visualizing your book being published, painting or putting an idea on paper, a successful career, whatever it is for you, trust me the fear will come up! Just let it bubble up and then send it on its merry way!

Here’s where it get REALLY interesting=>Is the fear really yours? AH HA! Take everything I just wrote and throw it out the window because more often than not the energy of fear you experience IS NOT YOURS! In fact, any energy that doesn’t feel good, is out of your control or stops you from moving forward IS NOT YOURS!

Take a moment to ponder this. When you are successful in ALL areas of your life, it changes in ways you can’t even imagine. What does that mean for your friends and family? Might one or two of them be uncomfortable because they don’t feel successful in some area of their own life? Are you being ‘nice’ and not taking steps toward your success so others are comfortable?

I now recommend you take a deep breath! Let go of everything that just came up for you. Indeed it might not be a fear of failure that gets in the way but the fear of actually succeeding…and that fear might not even be yours so LET IT GO! ~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com

Is it Fear of Failure or Fear of Success? (inkspeare.wordpress.com)

Sep 7 2011

Patience is Not Passive….

“Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is active; it is concentrated strength”~Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

By definition patience is “Persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; …. Patience is the level of endurance one’s character can take before negativity. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.” Wikipedia

Strength in character one can take before negativity. What a wonderful trait to have! Energetically true patience creates a sense of inner calm. Patience liberates you in the sense that you trust yourself and your ability to create! When you lose your patience often times an energy has come in that is not yours in the form of doubts or control.

As you patiently wait for your ‘ship to come in’, your dream to manifest in the physical or anything else you are joyfully putting out into the universe to come back to you, it’s important to remember that things take time to materialize and become real. There is a tremendous amount of trusting yourself in being patient but do not confuse having patience with being passive!

When opportunity knocks answer the door!

Follow the signs! Once you put it out there, listen to your intuition and watch for ‘signs’ of which direction you should take. Putting a dream out there doesn’t mean you don’t have to do anything. For instance, if you are looking for a job or relationship and sitting at home ‘wishing’ for it, all the patience in the world isn’t going to help. Get out there! See and be seen! Listen to and follow your inner GPS and by all means when opportunity knocks…ANSWER THE DOOR!

Let go of your ‘mock up’ (the picture you’ve created for what you want.) Re-creating it and focusing on it instead of letting it go locks it in place. Holding on is like you not trusting it will happen if you let it go! Create it, dream it, wish it, be specific and let it go. Have trust and do the things you need to do to make it happen! Once you’ve let it go, get on with your life. Patience is not about sitting around. It takes strength and sometimes a lot of energy.

Don’t patiently wait for the right time! There will never be a ‘right time’ or ‘more time’. If you are patiently waiting for things (or someone else) to change clear out the expectation that those things will change. There are things that need patience and some of them take a lot of strength but expecting something to change that is not within your immediate control is a waste of energy.

Patience is not passive. It takes inner strength, trust, faith and energy. It also takes a bit of gentleness toward yourself and others. Think of it this way, if you want to get to the top of the mountain do you stand at the trailhead patiently wishing to reach it or do you start hiking to the top? Have patience my friends but by all means…keep moving and don’t miss a new opportunity while you are waiting!~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com

Four Steps To Developing Patience (psychologytoday.com)
Patience (creatingreciprocity.wordpress.com)
The Confession (blog.livelikeafruitfly.com)

Sep 1 2011

The Risk of Shining Outweighs the Risk of Blending In!

Photo Courtesy of Lake County Forest Preserve

Making the decision to live from the truth of who you really are verses blending in with the status quo is indeed risky. It might mean people will see ALL of you even those parts where you feel you are imperfect. It might mean everyone won’t like you for speaking your mind or not giving up space to their dramas.

You can blend in, going with the flow of others instead of your own but in the end, you’ll find you are asking yourself why. When you blend in, you lose a part of yourself. For some, blending in is the very thing they need and want to do. They don’t want to upset the apple cart so to speak. They are content living their lives from the programming set up for them by parents, teachers or society. They are not wrong for wanting this and you are not wrong for wanting something different!

The rare pink katydid shown in the picture is beautiful! She runs the risk of being seen and eaten by any number of predators. Unlike the other katydids she does not blend in with the leaves for safety. She shows herself. What a shame it would be if we did not have a chance to see her! This katydid is rare and unique…just like YOU! There is no one like you anywhere and you have a contribution to make. You might not realize it but you do. We ALL do!

When you bring your rare, unique energy in to your body you stand out in a crowd. There is no camouflage and it might feel uncomfortable at first. Although standing out in a crowd, living life to the beat of your own drum is risky you will find great value in doing so. It allows you to bring forth and create a life you are passionate about living! What’s the point of living a day-to-day existence if you are not living your dream?

Deciding to be your own person may take some healing in areas of your life where you’ve lived from someone else’s picture of what or who you are. You might need to clear pain, heal past wounds or let go of being responsible for someone else’s pain. There is nothing noble or enlightened about carrying around other peoples pain and not shining so others are comfortable. You have a divine right to be here and you have a divine right to shine.

Choosing to show your true colors to the world opens up a whole new world for you! Isn’t it interesting that the rare pink katydid flourishes despite the risk of showing herself? She might be rare but she exists, proudly showing her bubblegum pink self for all to see. So to you I say; Show yourself and make your contribution to the world! Come out, come out wherever you are!~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com

Playing it Safe Doesn’t Serve You… (dailymuse.spiritlightinsight.com)
How will you show up in the world? (dailymuse.spiritlightinsight.com)
Live on Purpose! (dailymuse.spiritlightinsight.com)

Aug 25 2011

A Lesson on Letting Go

Image by jah~ via Flickr

The words ‘letting go’ are thrown about as if it’s an easy thing to do. Letting go is never easy but if you shift your perspective and take time to first clear the energy that might be holding it there the process becomes a lot easier!

Letting go doesn’t mean wiping it clean from your memory banks. It is about is de-energizing an experience and taking back your energy from something you’ve given it up to. Letting go means freedom for you and whatever (whomever) you’ve held on to. You’ve heard of smothering? Well, holding on tightly feels that way so at the very least breathe!

If you are holding on to a picture or energy, all your energy is in the “holding on” and you are right in the middle of it. Not letting go takes your valuable energy away from other things like creating. It also takes up space which could be used for bringing in something wonderful. Here are a few tips for letting go…

Clear the effort: If you find yourself in effort “trying” to let go remember there’s a bigger picture. What does the situation represent? What are you or did you learn from it? Is holding on comforting because it’s so familiar? Don’t worry about what you’re actually trying to let go of. Create the intention of letting go of the EFFORT.

Say hello to fear: Let’s face it there’s fear in letting go so while in meditation identify what you are afraid of if you let go. Fear comes up when you don’t feel safe. Grounding & centering brings you into present time and makes your body safe. It also helps to find neutrality; Let go of the wanting to know why or why not.

Clear the resistance: It is common to resist an energy picture or difficult memory. If you find yourself resisting letting go of something in particular, don’t concern yourself with whatever it is. Let go of the resistance. Resistance acts a bit like glue and what you resist persists!

It might not be YOUR energy: If you find yourself trying to solve or fix an energy and it seems impossible to clear no matter what you do, it’s not YOUR energy. You can’t solve or fix energy in your space. Your energy feels good to you. It is comforting and familiar. Once you recognize an energy isn’t yours shift your focus and attention back to you. Ground and simply allow anything that isn’t you to move out.

Ask for help: There is a tendency to isolate when your inner world is in turmoil. This is precisely the time to get out there and make things real. Don’t sit at home swimming in it! Take a meditation class, get an energy healing or get a reading! (I know shameless plug )

These are only a few of the things you can do to help in the process of letting go. There is a big bright world of possibilities in both your inner and outer world to experience so GROUND, BREATHE & LET GO of the small piece your holding on to!~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com