Where Have I Been?

I have been creating a new blog (actually 2)...leading my first retreat in Costa Rica...preparing for a new radio show...signing a contract to publish a book...designing a new, dynamic program called "Ignite Your Life"...and continuing to expand my new company musélan.

My apologies for my lack of attention here! I have now combined my blogs to be in ONE place at StudiesWithLaura.com. Please join me there!

Celebrate the Gray

I had a client this morning who exhibited something I see in many of my students – black and white thinking. She tends to only feel excitement and celebration when something is done to completion. Taking steps toward the completion is worthy of brief mention but certainly not celebration. Celebrate the Gray, everyone! Celebrate each step you take toward something. Celebrate anything the represents movement toward where you want to be.

The “Yeah Buts”

In my line of work, I often have the privilege of listening to people’s dreams. Their face lights up, their energy becomes vibrant, and the excitement is palpable.

Then, predictably, the “yeah buts” begin. The “yeah buts” are the limitations, our own fears we place around the manifestation of our dreams. “Yeah, but, I need life insurance.” “Yeah, but, it takes money to get it started.” “Yeah, but, I have no time to work on it.” (Guess what? The first one is the most common reason I hear for not following your dream! And, just so you know, I have been on self-pay health insurance for 15 years.) Truly, I can see their balloon of joy slowly, if not rapidly, deflate.

Okay, so stick with me here, what if our excitement is because we are listening to God’s plan for us! (Or, we are finding our life’s purpose.) When we resonate with messages our soul is giving us it feels good, really good! In fact, it feels inspired (“in spirit”).

One of my favorite quotes is, “If you feel far from God, who moved?” So, in incredibly simplistic terms, I feel good when I feel connected to God (or, when I let myself feel good, I am able to connect to God or my Higher Self). So, when I hear inspired ideas, I know that person is connecting deeply to her soul and is connected to God. When the “yeah buts” begin, she is slowly moving away...

So, what to do? Focus on the dream, on the excitement. Then stop. Your limited (very limited) human perspective will come up with all sorts of ways your plan wont work. Stick with the good!

Tell God Your Plans!

“God laughs hardest when you tell Him your plans.”

I have heard that quote so many times and never really understood it. What does that mean? God laughs when you get excited about something? Really? If you don’t believe in God and just see the Universe as responding to the thoughts you put out there, the quote still doesn’t make sense! I had to find out who gave us that toxic little gem – John Lennon. Now, with all due respect to all the Beetles fans out there, I tend to look to higher sources for my Truths, especially if the idea is going to affect my dreams.

Go ahead, tell God your plans. I am sure God is just as excited as you are...

A Video to Inspire You!

The Positive Power of Fear

Really, fear can be a positive thing. Or, at least, getting past a fear can be a positive thing. It propels you forward with incredible energy to move beyond other fears. Fears keep us stagnant, stuck in our current consciousness and moving past one takes us to a new level.

Recently, my seven year old daughter, Sierra, discovered the power of getting past her fears. She has always been afraid of feeding animals. Whether it was a treat to a friend’s dog or feed to an animal at a petting zoo. She would desperately want to feed the animal and try, only to pull her hand back in fear. Recently we visited a petting zoo. She was attempting to feed a sheep and was again pulling her hand back. I asked if she wanted to go, telling her it was okay to be afraid and she would be able to do it eventually. She looked me straight in the eye and said, “Mommy, I promised myself I was going to do this. I am not leaving until I do.” (I was so proud of her!) I sat with her silently for twenty more minutes before she finally did it. Then I continued to supply her with sheep feed for another 45-mintes as she experienced the exhilaration of getting past a fear. (It was the best $5 I ever spent!) (Yes, this is actually her, feeding those fabulous sheep!)

A day later, she told me that her math class was going to be performing a play. Not all the children could be in the play because there weren’t enough characters. She asked her teacher if she could be in it. I asked her if she was excited and she said, “No, being on stage scares me. I am ready to get past the fear, though.”

Did the experience with the sheep affect her? Of course it did! It gave her strength, energy, and the consciousness to let go of more fears.

So, do you have a large fear you want to overcome? Start with some smaller ones, they will set you up for the bigger ones!

(By the way, I asked her if I could write about what happened and she agreed as long as she could help me write it. In retelling it, she had the same boost of power that she did when she was feeding the sheep! Interesting, isn’t it? Reliving situations that make us stronger, give us a boost of positive energy. Just think of what reminiscing about things that made us weak do...)

Related Posts:
My Response to Fear
monday morning musing (on fear)

Manifesting On the Mat in Costa Rica

Join us on a Costa Rican Yoga Retreat and
experience manifesting through your body.

Want to join us in Costa Rica for a fabulous yoga retreat? We will be at Samasati Yoga and Nature Retreat Center January 24-31st. You will enjoy 3 daily yoga sessions with Laura and assisted by Karen (an early morning wake up, a before dinner stretch, and an evening relaxation.)

The greatest challenge of manifesting is taking the first step into the freer, more open space that allows us to flow more freely with the Universe. The afternoon yoga session we will be doing will strengthen our ability to take what might be fearful steps to creating the life we dream of. In the evening we will focus on letting go, allowing the waves of possibility to flow to us.

You will also be able to enjoy eco-tours such as a waterfall trek:
A zipline ride through the canopy of the jungle:
Or spend an afternoon strolling on black or white sand beaches:
Or reading in the hammock on your veranda:
Or sitting in the hot tub overlooking the Caribbean sea:
You will also enjoy 3 gourmet, vegetarian meals daily in their open air restaurant and regular visits from toucans and monkeys!

Inspiring Beauty

Flowers for Pampered Chef Party, originally uploaded by tamantha.

Sometimes the most beautiful things are so inspiring...thanks, Tamantha.

Your Story

Your Story: One of the greatest gifts of learning about manifesting is you finally learn that you are the creator of your story, your life. You get to write it. Much of your life so far (and perhaps all) has been based on the stories others told you and you believed. Some stories were wonderful and therefore you thrive in those areas. Most of the stories were limiting and have only served us by keeping us small in those areas of our life.

I recently learned first hand of the power of our stories. It seems like it is such an insignificant story, but it represents something so much larger for me. I love coffee. I love the smell and the taste. I stopped drinking coffee the day I handed in my research thesis for my masters. (I was up to a pot a day.) I quit mostly because I was cutting out chemicals from my diet and the only way I could make the coffee sweet enough for my taste was with sweet-n-low. Anyway, I have told this story for years — I graduated in 1996 — you do the math. “I just can’t drink coffee without sweet-n-low”. (Feel free to add a whine and self-pity to that sentence — it was always full of it.) Whenever I tell the story, I also add that I miss it. I love the smell and my husband makes delicious coffee every morning so I smell it a lot. Finally, about a month ago, when I was telling this story for the umpteenth time, my husband said, “You have got to stop telling that story. You have changed so much who you are. Why don’t you try coffee today, right now, with your new consciousness.” I did and I loved it!! I put in a single teaspoon of sugar and I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor. I had told that story for years and it had truly affected me and how I was living.

Granted, the story is insignificant perhaps, but I really got in that moment the power of our stories. What do you tell yourself that is negative about your financial situation? Your job? Your marriage? Your weight? Your business? Your home? Your children? If it is negative or something you don’t like, then rewrite your story. We assume today will be just like yesterday. Today can be completely different if you allow it. You can change on a dime, really. Sometimes it takes longer, but it doesn’t have to. It is really as simple as saying, “I am ready for this to be different.” Then you need to decide what you want, or better yet, how you want to feel, and begin to strive for that feeling. Your story is only a story and it can be changed.

A great start to writing your new story comes from a great book I am reading called, Zero to Zillionaire by Chellie Campbell. She says to write the story of your life so far with only the highlights. Tell about all the wins in your life, all the silver linings. (She also recommends writing your story from the perspective of your losses, but I do not recommend spending any time there — although it is quite illuminating!) Start your day reading of your exploits and see how your day unfolds.

Aim For the Stars!

Our Deepest Fear
By Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

If you want to read the rest of this beautiful quote, I posted it here. Powerful, isn’t it? Is there some place in your life in which you feel you are not living up to your full potential? Here is another fabulous quote I love:

“The greater danger for most of you lies not in setting your aim too high and falling short;
but in setting your aim to low, and achieving your mark.”
--Michelangelo

I was reading something Wayne Dyer wrote a few years ago that sparked a deep, inspirational energy inside of me. He said, “I didn’t want to die with the music still in me.” (He was on his way to serve in the armed forces after being drafted.) It got me thinking about areas in my life in which I thought I had more in me to give than I had allowed so far. I wanted more. Are there areas in your life in which you want more because you know you are capable of much more; capable of even, dare I say it, greatness! Does thinking of yourself in the same place you are now in 10 years sadden you? Set your aim higher! You are absolutely capable of more and the world is waiting for you to reach your goal.

Let Your Light Shine

Call of the Raven (formerly Nature's Special Effects), originally uploaded by Walkabout Wolf.

Our Deepest Fear
By Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us;
It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

Never Answer a Question From Fear

Have you ever heard that there are only two true emotions: fear and Love and all other emotions are derivatives of those two? The closer we are to feeling pure love or joy, the closer you are to being connected directly to our Soul, Spirit, Intuitive side, Higher Self, whatever you decide to call it. And, of course, the corollary is the closer to fear we feel, the more disconnected we are from our Spirit. I think we all agree that we make better decisions when we are connected to our Intuitive side and when we are feeling good.

There is a line from a book series I have read to my daughter. It is such a great line and its wisdom continues to resonate with me months after reading it. “Never answer a question from fear.” Hmmm...what a great way to live your life! How about taking it further and never answer a question or make any decision from negativity (which, of course, comes from fear).

Judith Lasater has what she calls her “Duck Index”. (And, no, I can’t remember how she came up with that name!) Anyway, the Index has a rating that goes from one to ten in reference to how she is feeling (how connected or disconnected she is from her Spirit.) When she is feeling very connected she is a ten. She doesn’t make any big decisions when she is feeling below a seven. She pulls herself up and then considers the issue. If she is a five or below she puts herself in seclusion until she feels better. As I recall, she doesn’t want to affect people by her negative state when she feels so low. Such a powerful idea! When your consciousness is actually taking away from the consciousness of others, you no longer interact. What a fabulous technique for taking care of yourself and the world at the same time.

For your Inspiration

Control

Judith Lasater, an internationally renowned yoga teacher and author, defines control and impatience as, “resisting what is”. We all have that feeling someplace. We like “what is” somewhere in our lives and as change begins to creep in, as it inevitably does, we resist the changes. But, if we are truly connected to our inner selves, and on the path of growth, we need to trust that that change is what we need, it is something good, something we need to learn. One of my clients had a beautiful insight about the gentle changes that were coming into her life as she relaxed her control. She was beginning to understand how her attempting to control the areas of her life had caused her suffering. She hadn’t been allowing the changes the Universe had in store for her. “It is as if the Universe is subtlely righting itself.” I love that thought! How wonderful to view changes in your life in that light.