Spiritual Guide | Inspirational Speaker | Lorraine Cohen

I awoke this morning with today’s article swirling around in my head. That’s how inspiration often comes to me from Divine inspiration.

I’ve had Self-Love on my mind and in my heart because I have been on a very deep journey of  “waking up” for the last few years. In fact what is true is that I have never felt more alive and aligned with my life path.

I am not the “me” I used to know or thought I was.  I am more aligned with my true nature and my prayers to have a deeper relationship with God have become a reality.  I believe one of the reasons I feel so much Grace and joy is because of my focus on self-love.

Love is our Divine nature and the Essence of the Divine. The absence of love separates us from who we are and God. Love is the bridge back “home.”

Below is a list of thirteen ways to love yourself which is really my list - the ways I love myself. This is a list that continues to expand as I do.

1. Commit to daily spiritual practices for stillness and communion with the God of your understanding. The relationship you have with your personal Divine is the most important relationship in your life. Prayer, meditations, journaling, inspirational reading, creating an altar, walks in nature, chanting, ceremonies and rituals…are all ways to deepen this most sacred relationship of love.

2. Ask for help when you need it. To be a great giver, you must also be a great receiver. Allow the people in your life to love you in return. And remember to invite the Universe to help – ask your angels, guides, Archangels, nature spirits… to be of service to you. Become helpless, which means acknowledging that you cannot do it all, all the time. Until you become helpless, God is helpless. “Let go and let God”.

3. Forgive yourself when you think, act, and do things in ways that are less than love. Each of us has done things that we regret, that have hurt another, or been unloving – resentments, jealousies, blaming, judgments…are expressions of inner pain. We cannot forgive absent of self-love and compassion.

4. Amend your inner self-talk. Become consciously aware of how you speak to yourself inside your head and what you repeat to others. Soften your language and choose words that treat YOU with love and respect. Look for ways to love your humanity rather than to condemn yourself.

5. Take responsibility for your thoughts, feeling and actions.  Be a great role model of integrity in the ways you choose to show up in the world. Make amends when you have messed up in your humanness, let go of the “blame game”, and look at life as a grand adventure for learning, creating, and evolving.

6. Make choices that allow your heart to be expressed. Giving permission for your creativity, passions, gifts, strengths, and talents to flourish opens pathways for greater happiness and prosperity. You might even feel your soul smiling with joy!  (I often do and it feels great!)

7. Set healthy boundaries and stick to them. Be willing to love yourself enough to say no and stop when you need to. Say yes when it feels right rather than from guilt or fear. Cultivate a courageous heart to teach people how to treat you by the ways in which you value yourself .

8. Surround yourself with emotionally safe people who positively support and love you.  Having a circle of friends who cheer you on, share your values, lovingly tell you the truth, kick you in the butt when you need it, celebrate your victories, compassionately listen (without fixing) when your heart is hurting can be a lifeline back to your true SELF on those days when LIFE feels hard.

9. Be willing to boldly go where you have never gone before. Dare to step out of your comfort zone to take those inspired leaps of faith that feel Divinely guided. Your soul would NEVER nudge you to do something that would put you in deliberate danger or cause you pain without purpose.

Doing the shadow work, inner child processes and walking through pain are pathways to liberation from the darkness of  past to the light of a brilliant future.

10. Do at least one thing every day that is personally pleasurable (I don’t mean something for another!).  Look for ways to nourish your mind, body and spirit. What makes you giggle with delight? What juices and excites you with joy?

11. Hydrate yourself with good, clean water.Invest in a high quality water system to nourish your body. Add a pinch of Celtic salt daily to strengthen water absorption in the cells of your body. You can be drinking plenty of water and still be severely dehydrated (I was!)

12. Eat healthy chocolate such as Xocai chocolate. If you are a chocolate lover, this particular raw chocolate is reported to have the highest antioxidant values on the planet. People regularly eating this chocolate have received miraculous benefits including ease with weight loss, reduction in joint pain, cardiac reversals, eliminating emotional overeating, heightened positive outlook….

13. Eliminate processed and fast foods. Choose organic, whole, and raw food options as often as possible. Consider the food sources you are putting into your body that can create future illness, aging, and affect overall well-being. Your body will thank you!

Exercise, getting regular dental and health checkups contribute to keeping your body at optimal health. How you physically feel affects every area of your life!

As you read this list, notice the ones you most relate to.

Which ones do you commit to regularly?

What would you add or change to be more self- loving?

The greatest wound that humanity suffers is a lack of self-worth.

The greatest gift you can share with others is love and it first begins with loving yourself! If you cannot truly love yourself, you really cannot love another with the full capacity of your heart.

It’s not your fault if you have difficulty being kind, compassionate, forgiving and loving with yourself. Your past experiences, your family dynamics, cultural conditioning has all shaped who you have become as a human being.

Withholding self-love is painful. It can feel like living in hell inside with no way out, because wherever you go, you take YOU with you.

What’s blocking your ability to be immersed in this love is within your grasp….

Ready to fall more deeply in love with yourself?

That is the opportunity I am offering you today.

On Wednesday, September 18, we begin a Journey into Self-Love for 4 consecutive weeks. This journey through Self-Love will provide opportunities to explore what love means to you, Divine Love, personal & inner integrity so that you can embrace your value and align with your true nature of love.

Register through Friday, September 13 midnight EST at a special tuition of $197. On September 14 the tuition goes up to $297.

What is unique about this program are the transformational meditations and deepening processes that are Divinely inspired and created right in the session. People report breakthroughs right on the calls!

Read about the program and the testimonials from past participants.

Imagine your testimonial there. What would you like it to say?

Learn more and register here

I believe it will be one the best investments of self- love you gift to yourself this year! And yes, you do desevre it!

Love and blessings,

Lorraine

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one”. – Elbert Hubbard

Concern #3:

What if my decision upsets others?

It might.

Is your goal to make decisions that please EVERYONE? (read my article post on Keeping Everyone Happy)

In reality, that’s a difficult, if not impossible, goal to reach consistently. The choices you make might cause some distress or ruffle some feathers. So what if they do?

So often the greatest leaps we make in our life come from those experiences that stretch us beyond our comfort zones and challenge us to think, feel and act in ways that bring out our best qualities, strengths and gifts!

If being in contribution (helping others) is a core value for you, when you are true to yourself and follow your heart, you will be assisting others to grow and to be their best. In this way, you can be a positive role model for others!

Whether you own your business or work within an organization, you might relate to this example:

Gail (not her real name) is a stay at-home mom with two young children. She had a strong desire to start a home-based business. She knew that getting her business off the ground would initially require a great deal of time, energy and focus. There were many business and personal decisions to consider.

One main concern was the impact that building her business would have on her children, marriage and personal time. How would she balance it all? Would they be upset because she was so busy? What if…?

To succeed, Gail and her family will all have to make certain adjustments in their relationship as a family. Having a home-based business will provide many opportunities for them to grow and evolve as a family and as a team.

There are no guarantees that the choices you make will please everyone and end just the way you always dreamed!
 
Making the best decision might challenge the people in your world to step out of their comfort zone. In that way, you serve others by providing experiences for them to grow and evolve into their potential.

To learn more about overcoming your fears and objections, register for my 4-week program, How Do I Choose? beginning Tuesday, April 5 at noon EST. Based on my popular ebook, you’ll learn a blueprint for making calm confident AND wise decisions in any situation

Click here to check out this powerfull program

Or, so you don’t miss out completely, you can get started with my blueprint on your own by investing only $37 bucks for my eBook. It’s a great beginning point to start shifting how you make decisions NOW.

To purchase your downloadable copy, click here:
http://www.powerfull-living.biz/choosing.shtml

Love and blessings,

Lorraine
www.isayyesnow.com

“One thing is sure. We have to do something. We have to do the best we know how at the moment…. If it doesn’t turn out right, we can modify it as we go along”. -  Franklin D. Roosevelt

Concern #2:

What if I make a mistake?

What if you do?

Can you imagine if we all did things perfectly all the time?

How would we learn?

How would we grow as people if we always did everything right the first time?

The beauty of making a mistake is that you can learn something new, something you might not have known before that you can begin to integrate and implement into new ways of doing things. Trial and error is a great learning curve.

Facing an important decision, you can only consider what’s best based on what you think/feel and the information you have at that moment in time. If more information is needed, get it.

If you’re under pressure or deadlines, I believe that if you don’t feel 100 percent on board (in your gut) to say yes, then the best choice is NO. 

Making decisions for the wrong reasons (you feel you should, have guilt, feel influenced by others, or are feeling fearful) rarely turns out well. Regrets and doubts creep in when we feel pressure to say yes before we are fully committed to the decision.

Even after making the best choice, having some trepidation, fear or doubt is normal when faced with key decisions that might be life changing.

There’s no such thing as a perfect decision. If you are unhappy with a situation in which you wish to remain, you have two choices:

1. Change the situation.

2. Change your way of being in that situation. Change your way of thinking, feeling and acting in that situation. Approaching a person or situation from a different point of view might create a different result that is more desirable.

Every experience, regardless of the outcome, provides opportunities to learn and grow. Your attitude is key in how you view each situation and the benefits you receive!

To learn more about overcoming your fears and objections, register for my 4-week program, How Do I Choose? beginning Tuesday, April 5 at noon EST. Based on my popular ebook, you’ll learn a blueprint for making calm confident AND wise decisions in any situation

Click here to check out this powerfull program

Tomorrow I will share Concern #3

Love and blessings,

Lorraine
www.isayyesnow.com

“There is no such thing as  a free ticket; every decision has both opportunity and cost”. – Priscilla Elfrey

For the past few weeks I have been talking about making decisions. Over the next three days I will share three concerns that affect decision-making  from my eBook and program, How Do I Choose? beginning Tuesday, April 5, noon EST.

Getting out of your own way

There are many questions to consider when making important decisions. I have found three fears repeatedly come up, causing stress and anxiety for many people.

Each of these concerns is grounded in fears: of rejection, the unknown, being alone, abandoned, failure, being embarrassed… Notice which ones you most relate to.

Concern # 1: How can I be sure my decision is the right one?

So often, people who are struggling with making decisions tell me their biggest challenge is being sure their decision is the right one. They often look as if they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, feeling pressure to come up with the right choices. Whew! In fact, fear of making a mistake is a prime reason so many people procrastinate.

What makes a decision the right one? What makes something the wrong decision?

How do you distinguish between the two?

Would you say a right decision is one that:

• Makes everyone happy? (C’mon, is that even possible?)
• Has a positive outcome – one that you really want or like?
• Goes smoothly?
• Feels good?
• Carries the least consequence, or causes minimal disruption/change?

Would you say that a wrong decision is one that:

• Had problems not anticipated?
• Produced an outcome that didn’t work out the way you hoped or wanted?
• Caused stress, emotional discomfort or pain for you?
• Cost you time, energy or money you were unprepared to spend?
• Upset others?

Let’s eliminate the idea of good or bad decisions, shall we? Good, bad, right, wrong…according to whom? According to what measurements and who created them?

In reality, you can only know what you know by being informed and thoughtful in your choices.

Imagine viewing your choices and outcomes as “learning opportunities.”

Letting go of the pressure of having to make right or wrong decisions can be very freeing and allow you to better evaluate the options before you.

Approaching your choices with an attitude of curiosity and with a desire to learn will free you from self-reproach if the outcome you intend fails to occur.

Instead, consider the idea of making the best decisions in any given situation at that moment in time. Imagine approaching situations with the intention of making the best choice you can with what you know and what your heart (that “inner knowing” inside yourself) is naturally attracted to.

To learn more about overcoming your fears and objections, register for my 4-week program, How Do I Choose? beginning Tuesday, April 5 at noon EST. Based on my popular ebook, you’ll learn a blueprint for making calm confident AND Wise decisions in any situation

Click here to check out this powerfull program

Tomorrow I will share Concern #2

Love and blessings,

Lorraine
www.isayyesnow.com

Is this you?

• You’d rather get a root canal than make important decisions.
• When faced with even the smallest decision, you waffle and procrastinate.
• You’ve paid penalties or “lost out” because you simply couldn’t make a decision.
• You make impulsive decisions you regret.
• You second guess yourself and choose safe choices rather than the ones you know are right.

And then you beat yourself up for acting too slow or moving too fast!

With all the changes happening in the world and in our own lives, making choices can feel overwhelming, confusing, and scary.

When making decisions, most people ask friends for advice, which may be helpful or create more confusion and angst, and weigh the pros and cons to make a sound, reasonably logical choice.

They may have a sense of what is best for them and want to be sure they don’t make a mistake they regret. Often, after doing the practical steps, they come back to their initial intuitive nudge.

If you are relying solely on your mental abilities to guide you, you are edging your heart and soul out of the experience.

Your mind/ego is invested in creating problems and finding ways to solve them.

Would you solicit advice from someone who was having an emotional meltdown? And yet, when we feel in the throes of emotional conflict, that’s exactly the part we often go to for guidance!

Does that seem nuts to you?

Your heart and soul is invested in creating more joy and prosperity in alignment with your life path. When making a choice that is aligned, the first inner response is often peace.

The key is repositioning the part you are empowering to guide your choices - your head or your heart?

Imagine how your life would change if you made decisions from inner peace, excitement, and positive expectancy even if the choices were uncomfortable?

Yesterday I was facing an uncomfortable financial decision with a time constraint. Speaking with a colleague, she asked me if I had used my 5-step blueprint from my new program, How Do I Choose, beginning April 5.

Yup. Running through the steps, I already knew what my decision needed to be. I just didn’t like what I felt I had to do. I already had the clarity, my inner conflict was surrendering my resistance to take the action I knew was best.

Without using my steps for clarity, I would have exhausted myself going back and forth inside. Once the choice was made and the action taken, I felt a sense of calm and peace. Within hours, several opportunities came through to receive abundance which just about covered the financial commitment I had just made.

You might be at a crossroads in your life, reassessing your relationships, your business, and wondering what steps you should take next. You might know the desired outcome and feel unsure about what to do to get there.

You might even feel untrusting of yourself because of past choices that didn’t turn out the way you expected and wanted.

There is a difference between lacking clarity and resisting your Wise Self!

The brightest sun can be obstructed by a few clouds and is no less brilliant because of those clouds.

My new program, How Do I Choose? will give you the practical steps to shift from old decision-making paradigms that keep you in fear and constriction.

Learn how to partner the skills of your mind with the brilliance of your soul to make confident, meaningful choices that expand your life. In just 4 short weeks, you’ll have a simple, yet powerfull 5-step blueprint that you can use over and over to make big and small decisions.

Your investment for the program is only $127. We begin April 5.

Register now and start taking your power back.

You can also join me on March 30 for a special FREE call. Click here to sign up!

Blessings,

Lorraine

On a call yesterday with one of my mastermind groups the question of defining productivity was raised. One of the women was sharing about how busy she was.

In addition to her own media relations company, she has been working on launching a new spiritual network site and preparing for her second book campaign.

Her commitments have kept her working weekends, long hours into the night and she was hoping for some personal time this weekend. She also said her spiritual practices and the activities that feed her spirit and body have been sorely sacrificed to respond to the demands of her deadlines and client needs.

Another member said she was feeling an exhaustion she had never felt before. After four long years of pursuing a life purpose and passion, miracles were popping up all around her and she was having a hard time keeping up with everything. There was still so much to pull together and she was hoping to have one day to just sleep decompress.

Both ladies are high energy go, go, go women with a strong work ethic and a pull to be productive especially when the opportunities arise.

Productivity….

What does that really mean?

And according to who?????

I was facing a similar question this past week.

Last weekend, a dear friend gifted me with the opportunity to become a Oneness Blessing Giver.  The weekend is called “The Oneness Awakening Course”.

The program began on Friday evening and ran through Sunday night. What an incredible experience!  I played full out – opening myself to experience and participate in all of the exercises, healing, heart openings, and deepening with Source (God). The group was amazing, the environment was magical, and the facilitator was skillful and loving.

She suggested we take at least three days to integrate the weekend especially if we wanted to offer any blessings to our folks.

The next day I felt dopey. All I wanted to do was rest, sleep and do my spiritual practices in between working with a couple of clients I had already scheduled. So, I gave myself permission to take the day for myself.

The next day I still felt sluggish, foggy, and physically tired even after sleeping deeply the night before. So, in between some prior appointments and a little bit of work, I rested.

Guilt started creeping in.

Was I being too self-indulgent?

I wasn’t being PRODUCTIVE, right? I had work to do and I was just lying around!

I resisted the urge to do more and rested. Frankly, I didn’t have the energy, passion, or focus to push.

By the third day, I felt a little more energized and the pull to rest was still very strong.

More guilt.

 I was reminded by my friend Anita Pathik Law who wrote a blog post on Chemicalization:

She wrote:  ”For many of us, it can feel like the age old “two steps forward, five steps back.” What was all happy, harmonious and easily working, suddenly (or so it seems) seems to fall apart. I see this in spiritual development and healing all the time. The newly found nirvana is met with an earthquake of contrary energy. 

We feel tested in our new level of faith and feel like the honeymoon is over. It’s painful and messy and tests us in huge ways. And, it is normal! In fact, this universal phenomenon actually has a name and is called chemicalization.
 
Emmet Fox says this, “It seems as though everything begins to go wrong at once. This may be disconcerting, but it is really a good sign. Suppose your whole world seems to rock on its foundation. Hold on steadily, and let it rock, and when the rocking is over, the picture will have reassembled itself into something much nearer to your heart’s desire.”
 
The challenge is not giving up five minutes before the miracle. The opportunity is to allow the natural process and not give into the potential doubt that can come when faced with a barrage of “evidence” that is contrary to your faith, and the commitments made from your newly expanded consciousness.
 
New awareness requires a chemicalization of sorts – an integration and re-patterning—that shakes everything up and out of you so you can decide what to keep and what to release.  Our belief bag needs to get dumped so we can truly choose, from this new vibration, what we will continue to carry into the creation of our future reality.
 
Catherine Ponder, in her book “The Dynamic Laws of Healing”, says “Chemicalization results when an old set of ideas, an old way of life, tries to hold on, while a new and better way of thinking is trying to appear.”

Thank you Anita! The exhaustion I was feeling was part of my own chemicalization process! Prioritizing my self-care to support my renewal and integration was essential.

Was it productive?

Hell yeah!

Allowing myself the time and space to just “be” helped me to gain greater clarity and intuitive direction about some of my next steps.

Being productive isn’t all about how much you do or based on your ability to prove how much you have accomplished. Or having to earn something to be given the right to relax, slow down, play…

I believe true success is independent of what you do; rather it is about who you are and how you show up in the world, spiritually awake or asleep.

Taking time to rest, eat well, have fun, connect with loving relationships, nourish yourself when your body and soul is crying out is an act of love that will fortify you, lift your heart, open your creative juices, invite prosperity, new opportunities….

We service our cars when they need maintenance so they will continue to run well and yet we can easily neglect our own needs until we create something dramatic or painfull to catch out attention. Yikes!

Choices…

Creating sacred space to commune with your SELF – mind, body, and spirit takes nothing away for what may feel to be important. Tuning in to respond to your needs and soul urgings is part of the continuum of living an inspired joyfull life.

When we feel vital and alive, we are at our most productive and creative because we are manifesting from love and joy.

Challenge Your Rules

I have to…

I should…

If I don’t do this I will be…..

I can’t have this until I

I can’t say no because if I do I…

To be successful I

I have to work hard to…..

Whose rules are those????

It’s one thing to have guidelines and values to live by that support you in personally and professionally flourishing as well as consciously evolving.

It’s another to be living by standards that hold you hostage and suck the life out of you.

If you struggle with giving yourself permission to have greater balance in your life, take a look at some of your rules. Do they expand or constrict you?

These are new times. Traditional ways of working, living, being are falling apart. Old paradigms, rules, standards are shifting to allow us a greater sense of freedom to become the true creators of our reality.

We are redefining our relationships, businesses and ourselves. We are experimenting with new ways of thinking, feeling, and doing things that can feel scary, strange, and even undeserving. This is new territory and it is unfamiliar. 

What’s exciting is that we have the opportunity to create a whole new reality, individually and collectively through the choices we make every moment of every day.

What is your heart crying out for?

What are you denying yourself that it’s time to say yes to?

What choices will you make today to align with your SELF?

Which rules need to be changed?

Blessings,

Lorraine

PS!!! Do you struggle to make decisions? Do you procrastinate and miss opportunities because you feel confused, overwhelmed, or scared?  Do you worry about making the right decisions because you fear making mistakes?

Say goodbye to indecision.

Learn a 5-step blueprint for making rock solid decisions with my new program, “How Do I Choose?”

If you have been wishing for a way to make calm confident decisions without driving yourself crazy, join me for a powerfull 4-week series beginning April 5, 2020 that will help you to make more meaningful and thoughtful decisions that feel right – in your heart and in your bones! 

Make the decision to register by March 24 for the early bird savings: http://tinyurl.com/47qbch7. This just might be an answer to your prayer…..

Each month I have the opportunity to submit articles that my very dear friend Alex Blackwell publishes on his blog, The Bridgemaker. Alex has been blogging for several years and his heart-warming, inspiring articles inspired me to begin sharing more on my heart and passions on my blog.

I love how Alex writes. I love the things he cares about  and talks about because he loves people and wants to make a difference in the world. I know Alex  wants  us all to have happy and prosperous lives.  Me too!

Please enjoy one of Alex’s latest articles. I hope you feel inspired to say YES to his invitation!

The World Needs Your Gifts Right Now

Work while you have light. You are responsible for the talent that has been entrusted to you. – Henri Frederick Amiel

The world needs your gifts right now.

The Haiti earthquake; an African water crisis; the persisting Afghanistan War; an oil well explosion; the Pakistan floods; North Korea attacking South Korea; and the ongoing recession contributed to a difficult year.

But the world isn’t beyond repair; it just needs some gentle healing, a touch of grace and your beautiful gifts.

Our world can be whatever we decide to make it.

While we can’t stop earthquakes or floods, we can combine the gifts we have to influence others to make better decisions. We can use our gifts to show kindness, extend peace and help others choose love instead of fear. We can use our gifts to make our brothers and sisters comfortable and to feel as worthy as anyone else.

A new year and a new choice

With 2011 only days away, we have a choice.

We can choose to live in our own little world or we can choose to lift our heads and take care of bigger pieces of our world – pieces we can touch, influence and nurture with the gifts we have been given.

Naive thinking?

Perhaps.

But I know this: If we choose to perform positive, thoughtful actions each day the world has a chance for the beautiful redemption it deserves.

Will you join me?

Will you stand by me and choose love?

Will you say, “Yes” to kindness?

Will you use your voice, your words, your time, talent and treasure to make a difference?

Will you write a song, start a blog, promote a cause, or donate to a charity?

Will you help an elder with her yard work, teach a man to read who never learned, give a compliment, smile, kiss your partner good night or give your child unconditional love?

You don’t have to do big things to make a difference; you just have to give the gift of the amazing you.

My hope is you take time over the Holiday season to look deep inside to see the gifts God put there. Recognize these gifts and celebrate their remarkable power. Show these gifts to the world and then watch as you become a courageous agent of change.

The world needs your gifts right now.

Will you share your gifts with the world right now?

Be sure to visit Alex’s blog, The Bridgemaker

Enjoy his other articles and subscribe to his blog!

And I couldn’t resist sharing this message I received in my email from Neale Donald Walsch on the 23rd because it fits so well with this article.

“On this day of your life, I believe God wants you to know…..that there is a light which cannot ever be extinguished.

It is inside of you. It is you.
 
Let your light so shine upon the world that the world will know Who You Really Are — and its people will know why they really are as well, through the light of your example.
 
The darkness of our world awaits you — not to engulf you, but to be transformed by you. During this Season of  the Light, be its Source for all those who search for Joy.”

Love and blessings,
Lorraine

By Anita (Ani) Pathik Law

Clarity. Trust. Certainty. Faith. Direction. Energy. Motivation. Passion. Connection. Peace.

One can’t argue that no matter the focus of our desires or payers, these are the states we seek to embody.  Filling ourselves up with distractions and denials isn’t working they way it used to.  The deep inner questioning and energetic tug-o-wars are taking their toll.

Something’s gotta change.

A Higher Will-A Higher Way

We’ve all heard and used the mantra, “When there’s a will, there’s a way.” But whose will and whose way?  Human will, which comes from the conscious mind, is governed by the subconscious and can’t beat out the power of the imagination and expectation that forms through false conditioning and repetitive, negative, or undesired experiences.

Divine Will, on the other hand, can seem elusive and often does not come with a step-by-step instruction manual or a clear description of what you can expect. It is not as fear based and is challenged by our own ignorance (ignoring the truth), and resistance (who me???).

Perception is power, plain and simple. And, what we perceive as real, true, possible or impossible, good or bad, is not always rooted in Higher Intelligence. Rather, most of what we perceive is rooted in human conditioned intelligence and a mind heavily influenced by fear, lack and limitation.

Elevating yourself in consciousness opens you to a wisdom beyond your own, a will that is higher and stronger, and a way that tends to be much more creative than what we come up with in modes of struggle, pain, or survival.

The Motivating Force is the “Cause”

We live in a world of cause and effect relationships. If I do this, that will happen. If I think that, this will happen. If motivated by fear, lack or insecurity(cause), choices become limited and the effects are often undesirable, in the long run. Faith, prosperity consciousness and trust, the opposite (and more preferable) motivators, expand choice and almost always guarantee a much different approach, thus, facilitate much different effects.

Motivation and energy are also greatly impacted by “which will (human or Divine) is leading the way.” Aligning with human will causes us to have to draw from our own energy, whereas aligning with Divine Will, sources us with the energy, inspiration, information and motivation that is, well, simply Divine!

The Warriors Within Your Mind; Not Enough vs. Trusting in Abundance

Just think about two common warriors within the battles of your own mind; we’ll call them “Not Enough” and “Trusting in Abundance.”

Not Enough is a warrior for negativity, lack and fear. He was given his name because from the time he was born; his eyes have been tuned to lack. He is critical, judging, and is known to engage in preemptive strikes based on assumptions and negative expectation. He is hyper vigilant, suspicious, and has a way of sucking the energy, fun and faith out of just about everyone he meets. He plays devil’s advocate and sees his main mission as one to spread the word that trust and faith are stupid and that they only way to get buy is to withhold, hoard, and attack any and all positivity, no questions asked.
 
Although mean spirited, especially to hope and faith (he was known to trip them up with doubt whenever the opportunity presented itself), he often came across as a helpful protector, and when things didn’t work in the ways of people’s desires, he would say “I told you so!” Most of the people who follow Not Enough, become perpetually unhappy and dissatisfied, but are righteous and forceful in their opinions and see faith as irresponsible and ignorant.

Trusting in Abundance is a spiritual warrior of the highest caliber; one that battles the enemies of his mind, not his flesh.  It is told that at his birth, Trusting in Abundance had a full head of hair and was laughing through a smile as bright as the sun and as fresh as a new day. As a small child, he was always helpful, generous and never needed to be reminded to say please and thank-you. Gratitude and appreciation are what guide his daily walk. By the time he was five years old, Trusting in Abundance seemed wise beyond his years and was often heard stating, with complete confidence, things like “Trust in the unfolding “, “all is working in Divine Order” and “everything happens for a reason.”
 
He spent a lot of his time in prayer and quiet contemplation and listened with more than his ears.  Most saw Trusting in Abundance as having a special relationship with the Creator, but he’d be the first to say “We are all the same, you just need to listen and be present!”

Trusting in Abundance always seems upbeat and positive, allowing the winds of change to roll off his back and rarely taking things personally. Remarkably, in spite of the odds often spoken by Not Enough, miracles seem to follow Trusting Abundance, whose mantra has always been “This or something better.” Interestingly enough, the most appealing aspects of Trusting in Abundance, are the perpetual wonder and awe he experiences as he observes the world around him.

Where Do Your Draw Energy From?

Now, imagine these two warriors fighting in the internal battleground of your own mind. Who typically wins? Whose voice do you listen to? Which do you draw energy, will and motivation from? How does the quality of that energy and motivation differ? And, most importantly, how do their vastly different voices alter what you think, how you feel, what you do, and with what level of satisfaction and fulfillment you live in?

Drawing energy from fear and doubt only produces that if it’s same kind.  Over time, we feel run down, depleted and discouraged. On the other hand, the faith and motivation we can draw from the Divine, finds courage in moments of uncertainty, and we get energy, direction and inspiration from a Source of endless supply.

Whose Will Is it Anyway?

Most of you reading this agree with a profoundly important principle; we are all here for a reason, a purpose, one of growth and contribution, evolution and service.  Our preference is to follow and be lead by a will of a more Divine, all knowing, all trusting nature. And, we know the paralyzing, stunting power of fear. We’ve felt the conflict deeply and often engage in practices, such as prayer, meditation, and staying present, in an effort to uncover and ultimately act upon the will of a Divine substance and intelligence. We know our human side and we know our Divine side.

We are familiar with the competing voices.  We truly wish to make the right and perfect decisions aligned with God’s will for our lives and we wish to grow our faith. We don’t really like it when we feel unclear of find ourselves in lack or negativity. We work to cultivate a positive outlook and are often conscious with our thoughts and our language, and are willing to explore our motivations and resonance.

But (and this is a big BUT), we also dance with fear and doubt. We reflect back at decisions made from lower levels of consciousness and can see the other choices and possibilities and how they may have unfolded in the details of our lives.  We are conscious of our energy and will reflect deeply when we can’t seem to get our bodies moving in favor of the commitments we have made, or are wishing we could make. We want to create beauty and abundance in all corners of our lives, but can see how we limit ourselves with our own unworthiness or impossibility thinking.

Imagine Being Aligned with the Divine’s Will For Your Life!

For just a moment, imagine knowing, absent of any doubt, that you were totally aligned in thought, belief, energy, and expectation with God’s will for your life. Imagine possessing clarity and creativity that came from a Source of endless supply and abundant wisdom.

Imagine your decisions and choices being directed from a place founded in love and faith.

Imagine navigating life’s challenges in an embodied state of trust and imagine being able to discern the difference between the voice of the Divine and the voice of complete and utter fear and human based insecurity.

If given the choice, which would you prefer to follow?

And, more importantly, what would you be doing (and not doing), thinking (and not thinking), feeling (and not feeling)?

To your Divine Unfolding into Perfection,

Love,
Ani

Does your life feel like a horror story? Are you ready to start falling in love with yourself and your life? Join me w/Anita Pathik Law for our 13 week transformational program, Aligning With Destiny beginning Nov. 2. Sign up for three preview calls 10/3, 10/ 10, & 10/19 and receive the mp3 downloads and some freebees. http://tinyurl.com/2g4n6ty.

It’s easy to become distracted. Sometimes we welcome distractions to avoid doing something we don’t want to do or deal with. Having a natural curiosity to learn new things can get in the way of staying focused. Interruptions, too much stimulation, weariness add to the many ways we get distracted.

One specific distraction is doing too many things at the same time. Perhaps you started doing something specific and you had an interruption and decided to stop what you were doing to handle it and then noticed something else you wanted to attend to which led to something else and…. before you knew it, several hours had gone by?

A place I’m guilty of getting distracted is when I’m cleaning my house. I stop and start things in every room! I have to laugh and remember that when I’m done, things will be pulled together. In my work, I can become distracted by a number of things (like checking my email!) which is why having a system to interrupt potential distractions becomes important.

So, when clients ask me what I do to stay focused and avoid distractions, I use these five questions to keep me on track to stay on purpose:

1. Is it urgent?

2. Does it have to be done NOW?

3. Is this the best use of my time and energy?

4. Is this moving me towards or away from what I want? (priorities, goals, vision?)

5. If I say yes, what am I willing to give up?

6. Am I using this as an excuse to avoid doing something?

7. Is this something that feels Divinely inspired? Following intuitive nudges leads to some pretty cool things!

To get clear on whether you truly need to shift your focus into a different direction will help you stay aligned with your intentions and commitments. Take time to ask yourself these questions so that you make the best choices with your time, energy, and money. If you tend to make impulsive decisions, these questions can help you eliminate potential regrets.

On additional thing I do each morning is write down 4-6 must-dos in my calendar. I’ve made a promise to myself that I will not close my office until I complete those tasks for each day. It’s a simple system that keeps me in integrity with keeping my agreements. (yes, I do have some late nights sometimes! LOL)

What helps you?

Blessings,

Lorraine
www.isayyesnow.com

During one of the recent calls for my Aligning With Destiny program, one of the members talked about feeling overwhelmed by her never ending to-do lists and the challenges to stay committed to getting things done. My program partner, Anita Pathik Law suggested dropping the idea of a to-do list and playing with a “To Love” list instead.  I just loved that idea!

Think about this for a moment. Consider the energy associated with a to-do list. Typically we think of the things on the list as chores, tasks, and responsibilities we feel we have to get handled, right. You know, the stuff that goes along with life that you gotta do even if they sometimes feel like a drudgery. When we look at our life from the viewpoint of shoulds, need tos, and have tos, the things we feel we are assigned to manage don’t feel very inviting especially when we feel a lack of choice, which of course we always have.

Do you have a to-do list?

If you do, do you look forward to getting things attended to or are you focused on getting as much crossed off as you can? And when you do get stuff accomplished, how do you feel?

Now, imagine instead creating a “to love” list. You might create a daily or weekly one that has the things you are choosing to do for yourself , others, your business because you want to rather than feeling you have to. Without feeling like you have a choice invites resistance and the desire to say NO! I won’t! Remember how you felt as a little kid when you were told to do something you didn’t want to do and you parents made you do it anyway?

Feeling you have a choice invites the desire to want to say yes and follow through with your YES!

Reframing how you look at what you are doing can make a huge difference in your attitude and energy about the things you choose to do. Notice how I keep using the word “choose’?

Our innate nature is love. By choosing to look at the people and things in your life from the eyes of love can feel expansive and joyful even if it includes the most mundane task or something you just don’t want to deal with.

For example:

When I first faced my resistance to exercise and eating more healthfully, all the reasons why I should and have and to make these lifestyle changes were very logical and obvious. Even though my decision and intention was to prioritize my health, I was still sabotaging my efforts because I felt it was more of a should and have to.

Then I thought about the gains to committing to eating healthy. I saw it as loving myself by taking better care of ME.  A healthier lifestyle invites more energy, focus and concentration, dropping extra lbs. feeling and looking great…… there are so many rewards we receive when we come from a place of love: when we show up for ourselves, others, and the world.

You might have several tasks for your business that feel important to put on your list. You might have some things you’ve been avoiding or postponing that keep showing up on your list. Now imagine if you looked at handling these things from a heart-centered space of choice and love. Imagine that you approached the business responsibilities as doing things because you love the work you do and the service you provide to others. Imagine if you looked at the tasks you do at home for yourself or your family as an expression of love and the environment you want to create rather than the stuff you gotta do when you get home.

Get the picture?

So, dump that tired old to-do list and create a new one by starting your morning and asking, “How will I love myself right now? How do I want to love myself today?”  Then write down the loving things you choose to do including the chores, tasks, and responsibilities you want to show up for.

It’s up to you as to how you approach your life - as an endless experience of things to do or opportunities to express your love. You choose.  Every moment you get to decide what you will do next and who you choose to be.

Such power you have. Claim it!

PS. Join me Compelling Conversation with Anita Pathik Law for a provocative 90 minute conversation about “Awakening to Your Soul’s Purpose; Untapping the Potential Within”. Wednesday, March 17 at noon EST. Learn more and register

Cheers,

Lorraine
www.isayyesnow.com