Smart Stuff for Tough Times

The title of this blog post is the name of a new seminar series that provides tools, information and inspiration in a timely and cost effective fashion. In these tough times, it becomes ever more critical that people have affordable access to self empowerment. So, with the help of some talented colleagues, I'm making this happen.

This seminar series, "Smart Stuff for Tough Times" is all about making resources available locally. To that end, we are taking it to everyone who asks for it, and then some.

Here are some of the topics we'll be addressing:

Practical tips for day-to-day money management in tough times
How to find the right path for you
Making the most out of being laid off/unemployed
How to set up your own small business easily and fast
Resume and personal presentation tips to land that job
How to stay upbeat and motivated when the chips are down....

...and much more.

Our first set of seminars is already booked at the Women's Building, 3543 18th Street between Valencia and Guerrero in San Francisco. We'll be doing this seminar after the first of the year as well in Sacramento, Fresno, San Jose, and Monterey.

The cost is quite low. A full day seminar costs only $40.00, an evening seminar only $20.00. Groups are welcome to inquire, and you can register for any of these programs or get more information by calling 415 467 6559.

There's also a website (just a temporary one but it will get you basic info):
www.smartstuff4toughtimes.com
Here's the link to the "Smart Stuff for Tough Times" calendar of upcoming events:
http://calendar.yahoo.com/smartstuff4toughtimes
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I'll be posting some tips and homework next week centered around year end assessment AND last minute gifts from the heart. After that, we'll all be planning 2009 according to our Life Purpose and Grand Passions. Woo Hoo.

It's snowed a foot in the last 24 hours at my parent's place in the High Sierra. Looks like I'll be visiting a White Christmas this year.

Stay warm.

Follow the juice

It's been yet another glorious day of unexpected gifts.

Here's what I've learned about Life Purpose and and Universe at large: the Universe delights in giving us gifts. All the time.

Really.

The trick is to follow the juice. Okay, so what the hell is "the juice"?

"The juice" is that which lights you up, makes you happy, feels good and right and natural and most of all feels effortlessly powerful. It's the energy that keeps you up 'til 3AM working on a project, the magic elixer that turns a long day of work into something to be proud of, and excited about. It's also the people that come into your life seemingly by "accident" (there's no such thing, by the way) that are dynamic and inspiring and healthy to be around. "The juice" is enriching and forwarding and delicious. Always.

"The juice" is the river you ride that makes your dreams into goals and then into reality. It is the empowering force of Nature that beckons us towards our best selves. It is ever present, pervasive, and ubiquitous. It's everywhere, and everywhen.

Where's your juice? It's usually in your Grand Passions, and your Life Purpose. It's in your great loves and your humble service. To access it, practice giving in to it. Let it guide you into shops and parks, museums and grocery store, libraries and unexpected adventures.

Say, "yes" to your own juice. Follow your curiosity, your instincts and your nose. Take a chance and prove to yourself that this simple awareness has the power to change the world for the better. Try it, you've got nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Start with you. Follow the juice. Do the doing, be the being, LIVE.

Life is where the juice is.

"It's too BIG!"

..cried a client to me in a private session. He was dismayed at the size of his Life Purpose, and thought he could never, ever accomplish it.

I know that feeling. The one where your stomach does this tightening/rolling/plunging thing. The scared feeling, the one mixed with excitement at first that turns to out and out fear.

Oh yeah.

Here's the good news: Your Life Purpose is NOT too big for you. Though right now you may not see how on earth you're going to actually DO it, you're just the person for the job.

Here's some more good news: the "you" that you are today may well be overwhelmed at the prospect of living a Purposeful life, but the "you" that you're becoming will be able to handle it all.

You see, it's not the "you" of today that will be doing all of whatever it is you're meant to do. It's the "you" that you're becoming just by following the "juice" of your Life Purpose that will be more than capable of completing the tasks you start today.

It's like when you first thought about driving, before you knew how. You had no clue exactly how you were going to do it, but you -knew- that one day you'd be big enough and old enough and such to drive. And now, you're a great driver, I'll bet. Now you can handle all sorts of on-road situations that would have daunted or killed you many years ago when you were inexperienced.

It's the same thing with Life Purpose. To take meaningful action on your Life Purpose today does not require the equivalent of race-car driver skill. You simply start where you are, taking action in the direction of your Grand Passions and Life Purpose.

By the time you get to the point where you need "mad skills" to accomplish your big goals, you will have accrued the necessary experience and resources to handle whatever comes your way with grace and aplomb. This happens quite naturally in the course of Purposeful living.

The moral of today's homily? Dream big, and take action. Leap and the net will appear. You're absolutely capable of handling what comes up in the course of taking your own Purposeful actions.

Put aside your fear and trust that everything will work out brilliantly whilst doing what you can today, and it all WILL work out.

Brilliantly.

Because that's just how the Universe works.

Tra la.

Victorian lingerie and giving thanks

On the weekends Thanksgiving through Christmas I sing and dance on stage for money. I do this in Victorian costume, which includes the requisite corset, bloomers and camisole.

You can't go to Target or Macy's and get this stuff, ya gotta make it. So this week I am making underwear. Big green and purple underwear. This stuff is comprehensive. And warm.

I have to spend the holiday away from my family in order to be on time for my gig. This makes me so sad I could cry, as any time I can spend with my aging parents is very precious to me, and the loss of any opportunity to be with them is like a knife in my heart. The consolation is that I'll be with them for Christmas, and they're only a phone call away, anyway. I'm just so blessed to still have them both.

Here is this week's homily:

In this time of uncertainty, when folks are losing their jobs and homes and sense of security, it is even more important to give thanks for everything that is good in our lives. It is when things seem tough that we -most- need to cultivate and hone our appreciation skills. Focusing on what we lack is the road to ruin, both financial and spiritual.

Give thanks.

Perhaps this country's economic downturn will create a sharper appreciation of everything we DO have.

If you're reading this blog, you have access to a computer, access to electricity, and the ability to read. Your brain is able to process the information you read. You're probably indoors, have enough food to eat, and clothes on your back.

Give thanks.

Take this week to ponder and renew your appreciation for all the abundance in your life. You have so much, and yet, if you're like so many of us, you complain regularly about what's not right, about what you -dont- have.

You are rich.

Really.

You have so much, are so much, get so much, and most of all, have so much to give.

This Thanksgiving, please share the wealth...

Hold the door for strangers.

Smile at the guy who cut you off in traffic, he probably didn't mean it personally, after all.

Rake your neighbor's yard.

Call everyone you love and tell them so. If they're not there, leave a message of love. Write a short note to those you can't call, they're worth the stamp.

Give anonymously to a charity. Time is as precious as money.

Remember to say "please" and "thank you".

The blessing of Thanksgiving lies in the reminder to be grateful, and to share what we have.

After all, it costs nothing to be kind.

Give thanks.

Quitting before the miracle

Wednesday morning. Uh oh.
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Yesterday I was talking to my one of my best friends, who was expressing dismay at my dogged determination to try try again, to put myself out there and risk my home and security in the process. Impassioned, I exclaimed, "I don't want to live a safe little life. I HAD a safe little life, it damn near killed me. I don't want to quit before the miracle. All around me people quit before their miracles and end up wondering, 'what if?'. Not me, not me. I just can't live like that anymore. I just can't." Tears poured down my face.

It's true. I just can't give up on my dreams for me, and for you all. A lit up world full of purpose-filled people is my dream, and I know that, despite how things look right now, it's all gonna work out better than fine for all of us. I know it in my bones.

It's that "in the bones" knowing that spurs me on, that prods me off the couch and into the office, that gets me on the phone making the formerly tough calls (it gets easier). The knowing makes me edit this book I'm trying to finish, to stretch myself, to be uncomfortable but wildly fulfilled.

A Purpose driven life is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage and clarity and faith in oneself.

Now how the hell do you get those, fercrissakes? Courage and faith and clarity, that is. I get mine every day from knowing my own personal Life Purpose. It may sound corny (and I frankly don't care if it does, corny suits me), but knowing why I'm here and what I'm about makes all the difference for me. It's given me access to inner resources I didn't know I had.

HERE'S THE COOL PART:

This self awareness is not peculiar to me. Over and over I see confused, uncertain people leave their Life Purpose session or one of my Life Purpose Discovery seminars lit up, transformed by the natural clarity of Purpose.

Some are awe-struck by the scope and splendor of their unique Life Purpose. Some get giddy. Some grow thoughtful and deeply introspective. Others express a sense of "I always suspected it was something like this, but now I know for sure".

It's this inner knowing that confers for some people the first feelings of true courage they've ever really felt. And I dare anyone to witness these realizations in person without being deeply moved. When I see what this knowing does for people, I want to bring that level of confidence and surety to everyone. It's one of the best things ever.

It takes courage to be true to yourself and to what you know is right. it takes courage to claim one's birthright. It takes courage to admit when you're wrong, when you've erred, when you've failed to do as you said. It takes great courage to stay your course when those around you doubt. Confidence is born of adherence to one's own inner clarity and sense of direction. This kind of confidence is born of Purpose.

Well, maybe that's just me that feels that way. Probably not, but it IS in perfect sync with my Life Purpose, so it feels really really good and intrinsically right to me. That's why I do this work, am writing these books, and continue to look for ways to light people up in these tough times.

I am so grateful for this work. It comes at a time when we as a people need a sense of inner clarity and Purpose. So grateful.

So, dear readers, the moral of this rambling tale is this: You (me, you, him, her) are all meant to live fulfilling lives, to know and live according to your own unique Life Purpose. Do not fear to know or fear to act upon your Purpose. The people who really love you will still love you. The folks who loved only their notion of you will fade away. This is a GOOD THING. Do not resist it. Whatever gap is created at their leaving will be filled with those who celebrate you, love you, respect you. Love, let go, and continue to live Purposefully.

After all is said and done, when you honor your truest and most authentic Self, you automatically render yourself courageous.

In conclusion I'd like to admit that I'm not perfect (if only for the sweet relief such a declaration brings), but I AM Purposeful. A day late, but Purposeful.

How about you?

Incessant noise

I work from home. On both sides of me, my neighbors are doing major construction on their properties, and we all live close by one another. The noise all day has been deafening.

My head is pounding. My mood is dreadful. All I want is some quiet.

What I am reminded of is all the incessant internal noise I used to think was normal.

The damning voices, the constant chatter, the lack of internal peace before I got clear about what it was I was here for, was deafening. I could barely hear others for the din.

It's a wonder I survived.

As I allowed myself to listen to the sure, steady voice of Purpose, the cacophany quieted. From that place I could hear not only myself, but truly hear others for the first time. During the time when the internal noise was strong, I heard outside voices only through the filters of my constant interior commentary.

Now, when others speak, I have much more time, attention and internal space to listen.

This phenomenon of quiet listening is common amongst those whose life paths are internally Purpose generated, I've observed.

Since all Life Purposes are in harmony with one another on the meta level, it becomes simpler and simpler to put aside past agendas or present concerns and just listen from a place of cooperation. When we realize that there really IS enough happiness to go around, we stop seeking to "get ours before it's all gone" and instead focus on increasing the aggregate experience of joy on this big blue planet.

Sometimes still I am mightily distracted by the noise, both from within and today, from without right next door. I get Purpose amnesia, and forget myself.

All it takes is a bit of quiet, a tiny break from the incessant noise to remind me that something else is possible. That all this head-splitting din is avoidable through taking a breath and in that breath choosing to living a simple, deliberately joyous life. A Purposeful life.

I took a walk.

When the incessant noise is gone, you can hear the birdsong.

What an amazing blessing.

And like that, my mood is lifted. I love my job.

Responsibility, participation, and the vote

During the Life Purpose Discovery process we examine the subject of responsibilities. It's one of the Foundation Lists that make up the core of this work.

One of the things I have noticed over the years is that, by and large, we as a society had become apathetic and complacent about voting and our personal stake in the democratic process.

When I started to do this work, I expected more people to mention their civic duties: voting, jury duty, that sort of thing. Very few mentioned these things without being prompted. They just didn't seem to care.

I was surprised. Now granted, I was raised in a multi-generational military family, so we took our civic duties very seriously. I still do. And, even though I have been a noted political and socail dissident in my family to some degree or another since my teens, I have always been a sentimental patriot at heart.

My Dad, the career Navy man, says, "If you don't vote, you can't bitch". He's of the opinion that by failing to vote you forfeit your right to have a voice in what happens in this country. He's got a point. Participation in the system makes a difference.

Whatever your ideology, your beliefs, your party affiliations or lack thereof, your participation is critical. We rob ourselves, our local communities and the nation when we fail to exercise our right to vote. Our responsible voice is lost, our wishes are not taken into account when we fail to speak.

When we do not vote, we abdicate our basic responsibility to our democracy: to make our voice heard. It is only by casting our votes and making our wishes known that we can begin to own our country once more, and go from beleaguered subjects to empowered citizens again.

The unprecedented numbers of early voting ballots and the extraordinary turnout in my local polling place gives me renewed hope for our nation. We are rejecting our previously endured disenfranchisement, and are galvanzed to action. We are voting in record numbers today.

Hooray for us. When we take responsibility for our own individual voices and participate in the election process, we send a powerful message of involvement and concern along with our opinions.

To live Purposefully means to act in accordance with your own best enlightened interests. It means being true, and being a player in the Big Games. Voting is a Big Game, with big stakes.

Please vote. Whatever your opinions, vote. Honor the covenant between ourselves and our government, and vote.

Because if you don't vote, you can't bitch.

Thanks, Dad.

Vitality

On the quest for a better understanding of the word, I looked it up in the dictionary. Here's what I found:

vitality: 1) a. the peculiarity that distinguishes the living from the non living b. the capacity to live and develop; also: physical or intellectual vigor, energy 2) a. power of enduring b. lively and animated character. 3) the capacity to live, grow, or develop. Synonyms: life, stability, strength.

I just love that what makes us alive is characterized as a "peculiarity". How perfectly splendid.

“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is
translated through you into action, and because there is only one
of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block
it, it will never exist through any other medium and (will) be
lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to
determine how good it is; nor how valuable it is; nor how it
compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it
yours, clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.” Martha Graham

So here you are, already possessed of one of the greatest gifts life has to offer: vitality. It is your birthright, and it is up to each and every one of us to safeguard it, to nurture it and cultivate its employ in our day to day lives, lest we be reduced to merely existing.

The daily practice of Purpose driven living encourages you to expand your present relationship with the peculiar quality of vitality that is yours alone. Through the discovery and use of your unique Life Purpose, your experience and expression of vitality is enhanced and deepened. You’ll find this increases your satisfaction in every aspect of your life, from your work to your love relationships to your spirituality to your playtime.

You’ll also become more keenly aware of all the things in your life that you have to be grateful for, and you’ll become better able to express that gratitude with ease and joy. This effectively engages the Law of Attraction on your behalf, creating ever expanding opportunities to be grateful.

You'lll notice that one of the synonyms for vitality is strength. I posit that this is because vitality bespeaks a kind of inner resilience and solidity borne of an acute awareness of one's own Life Force. Further, it is this solidity that translates into the other synonym for vitality, stability. To possess an abundance of vitality naturally implies the stability that is indeed synonymous with reliable strength, both with vigor of body as well as of spirit.

An increase in vitality is one of the effects of knowing your Life Purpose, and of living it. When you do what you’re meant to be doing, you’ll experience an increase in overall happiness, satisfaction, and vitality just by doing it.

Abundant vitality, now that’s MY kind of peculiar.

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HOMEWORK CORNER: How’d you do last week with the 100% enquiries?

For this week: Create a superhero costume for Halloween that reflects your Life Purpose or Grand Passions. For example: Captain Happiness or The Eye Opener.
Get gruesome or silly, have fun, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Only the mediocre are always at their best

So here it is, another blog Tuesday and I am once again sitting at my desk waiting for the muse to tickle my fancy.

I've started and erased and started this entry again and again. First one okay idea, then another that is only alright. Nothing thrilling, nothing profound or earth shattering in its glorious genius has come.

What's an author to do? Moreover, what's a Life Purpose coach and author supposed to do when the creativity stream seems dry and a deadline looms?

Well, I'm gonna try telling the truth, just because it's the obvious place to start.

I'm stumped. Sometimes I've not got a great idea pounding away inside my head demanding to get out. Yet, I've committed myself to writing this blog every Tuesday, come what may. Or today, no matter what does NOT come.

So, for today, I'm letting myself off the idea hook. At least I am right now. No telling where this entry will end up, though I suspect there is homework waiting at the bottom of the page for you to do....heh.

Sometimes it's enough just to keep my word. No heroics are needed. Profound truths can come another day. Clever witticisms will shine another time. Sometimes it's enough just to do what I said I'd do, without great fanfare or an over-the-top effort.

Every day, my giving 100% varies. Some days 100% means that I can save the world, inspire and delight one and all with my writing plus cook and clean and be a great friend and dutiful daughter and romp the Moose with no effort whatsoever. Some days 100% means that I am on top of everything.

And then there are the 100% days where I am off my feed, as it were. On those days, it becomes far too easy to make myself wrong for not accomplishing the same amount of stuff I did yesterday when I was in crack form.

Sometimes my best ain't.

I guess that's my point today. Some days 100% is impressive and amazing. Sometimes 100% is not. Some days I can't even face -attempting- 100%, though those days are blessedly rare. We all have days when we're in top form, and some where we're just draggin'. Nonetheless, if we show up no matter what that looks like from day to day, if we just agree within ourselves that sometimes just making a genuine effort or admitting to ourselves that we can't save the world today is all that is really needed, then there is no need to assign blame.

Do what you can with what you've got. Treat yourself and others with loving kindness. Forgive yourself for expecting too much of yourself sometimes, and for letting yourself slide other times when you had more to give but held back.

The word integrity is a favorite of mine. It means, amongst other things, a cohesive whole. When you accept the natural waxing and waning of inspiration and energy, you are in integrity.

Do not resist the ebb and flow of life's energies and gifts. Do not resist where you are, even if it seems at odds with your goals and dreams. To resist only keeps you stuck.

Before you know it, something wonderfully ordinary or unexpectedly extraordinary makes itself known. The energy shifts, and things start to feel like they're moving again.

So, take it from me, not having a clue or being tired or uninspired is not a bad thing, it's only a thing. Like eveything else, it passes. Like everything else, your seemingly low 100% has the potential to make a positive difference. Don't worry that your 100% today is not the 100% you gave yesterday. It's still 100%, yes?

And on those days when there is nothing at all left to give? Save yourself.

After all, only the mediocre are always at their best.

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HOMEWORK FOR THE WEEK:

Observe yourself in your day to day life for a few days, and then answer these questions:

Where do you give 100%?

When do you give 100%? Who do you give it to?

What holds you back from giving 100% in your life?

Who do you know who gives 100%, and where do they give it?

Where would you like to experience 100% in your life?

What would it take to allow yourself to give 100% to your one precious life?

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....and I thought I had nothing to say. What was I thinking???

Curveballs

I firmly belive that, if we are indeed judged in the afterlife, we are primarily graded on how well we handle Plan B.

Last night one of my Queens fell and broke his leg in 3 places, the talented git. He's in the hospital, and I am picking up the slack as he was the caregiver for his slightly disabled partner.

Curveballs. You think you know what's coming next, and then WHAMMO!

Here's a quotation that I love....

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“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. “ --George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, from the Epistle Dedicatory

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Even when curveballs occur, living according to your unique Life Purpose is the best way to handle whatever Life throws at you. Try it and see.

What's that you say? You don't KNOW your Life Purpose? How fortunate that you're here, then.

www.lifepurposeworks.com

This work will change your life.

Musing on Acts of Faith

I'm being groomed for success from within and without.

The Queens who are keeping me are scathingly honest about what needs to change. New make up, new hairdo, new clothes, and a renewed committment to looking good when I go out in public is arising like a kraken from the sea. A force of Nature unleashed?

Erm.....

So, now my hair is shorter and redder than the photo in this blog, my makeup -does- look much better, and my new clothes fit better and I look better as a result. Getting ready for the book cover and the book tour, I call all this.

These are some of my acts of faith. Along with writing, editing, formatting and such I am performing acts of faith daily in service of my Life's Purpose. It's not religious, it's scientific. The Law of Attraction states quite clearly that what we focus on expands. Deliberate, purposeful action produces positive results. And we all know how much I am fond of positivity.

What I know about consistent acts of faith is that they demonstrate to the Universe at large that I am sincere in my desires. My acts of faith put into play the Law of Attraction on my behalf, with my best interests at heart. The exact same is true for you.

Now for many years my dominant thought patterns were those of challenge, scarcity and struggle. Life was much harder than it is now. Granted, it was more predictable. LOTS more predictable. But it was small and shallow, like a pale watercolor take on a life intended for Technicolor vibrance. Sweet sometimes but ultimately unsatisfying. Purposeful living seems so risky, but is so rich by comparison that there really IS no other good choice for me.

I have sacrificed my need for predictability for the adventure I'm living now. I cast it upon the altar of my dreams, and offered it up as proof of my committment to those dreams. And the Universe has answered with such an extravagance of love and practical support that I can no longer deny acting in faith as a viable life strategy.

So now my life is filled with act of faith. You know, it's funny. I never realized that washing clothes, paying bills, exercise, and doing guerilla marketing were acts of faith. But they are. Paying attention and acting upon my intuition and Purpose based urges are acts of faith, too. Blessedly, they are precisely the things that I need to do to demonstrate my willingness to have what I say I want. It's walking the talk.

This has meant that I have had to let go of some significant control. I closed a business that was only okay. I narrowed my focus to one little niche called Life Purpose when it seemed safer to generalize in my coaching practice (boy, was I ever wrong about THAT!, as it turns out). Someone else pays my bills now. I never thought I'd be a writer being kept by two gay men who believe in me and my work so much that they've invested their capital (talk about a sobering and humbling act of faith).

(Just an aside: being grateful as a spiritual practice really DOES increase the things one needs to be grateful for. Be careful what you wish for)

What is CRAZY COOL is that what I most love to do is exactly what I need to be doing as my acts of faith.

That's what acts of faith are, really. They are demonstrations that tangibly prove you're actually willing to have what you say you want. They're not BIG HUGE SIGNIFICANT actions, most of them. What all acts of faith have in common is that they relate in a positive fashion to the subject at hand, whatever that is. They materially contribute to the overall integrity of the participant and the object of faith.

Moreover, acts of faith build strong bridges to dreams and goals faster and better than anything else. Consistency is key.

Let's face it, purposeful living is a perpetual, radical act of faith. Deliberately taking conscious tangible action toward a better world (that starts with you, by the way) redirects the energies of the Universe toward greater affirmation of the richness of Life.

In these trying times which seem filled with uncertainty, it is still possible to live Purposefully. Indeed, it is even more necessary that greater numbers of Purposeful people of goodwill act in accordance with their Life Purpose.

Only by acting harmoniously in Purpose with one another can we achieve real, substantive, meaningful change in our world. By affirming our separate and mutual Highest Truths we can more easily make our way out of whatever challenges we face with grace. At their heart, all Life Purposes are in harmony with one another. Within the context of Purpose, great change is not only possible, it's inevitable.

"We can change the world" -CSN&Y

Talk about acts of faith....
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QUESTIONS TO PONDER FOR THE WEEK: What is my Life Purpose? What are my acts of faith? Where in my daily life can I increase acting in faith?

ACTION PRACTICE FOR THE WEEK: Pick one area of your life that you want to change. Identify 3 very small things that you can do to shift the situation. Do them. Note what happens, and please feel free to send me some email telling me about your results.

Example: If you want to be more organized, an easy way to start is to put an empty box in your closet and when you go there for anything, put at least one thing for Goodwill in the box. As soon as you've put the box in place, call Goodwill and make an appointment for them to come take stuff later that week. At the end of that time, no matter if you're done with the whole closet or not, take the box out of the house for charity to pick up. Ta Da, progress! Small things/actions count, see?. P.S. Don't forget to get a tax credit receipt for all your charitable donations.

Insufferable positivity

My best friend Ian called yesterday evening and was relating a small epiphany and mini psuedo rant to me.

In the course of the conversation, he told me that some of my "insufferable positivity" was rubbing off on him, and went on to provide a few examples of how this change is manifesting in his day to day life. He allowed as how this was not an altogether bad thing.

My reaction to these revelations was, as one might expect, gleeful. I was enamoured by the truly rich phrase "insufferable positivity". Those were yummy words like unto ambrosia to me, as I do fancy myself as something of an insufferable instigator o' positivity. That he characterized it as insufferable is something I take as a high compliment. I take great joy and a certain perverse satisfaction in being insufferably positive.

It really pays to be insufferably positive. It's good for the spirit, great for the body, enlivening for the outlook. it's also highly profitable.

In its most advanced stages insufferable positivity becomes chronic, and leads to a life of delight and wonder.

Insufferable positivity can be both cultivated and contagious. It can chafe on the cynical, and it is true that some folks can be pretty resistant and resentful of this level of positivity. They can get downright nasty. Those are not the folks I hang with.

In order to further the daily practice of insufferable positivity, it is sometimes necessary to distance oneself from the most negative and toxic souls in one's immediate sphere for a while. Friends, family members and co-workers who always complain or talk badly about others are not the most healthy energies to cultivate around oneself. Walk away.

The road to fulfillment and success is NOT filled with bitterness, malice, ill will, self pity, arrogance, contempt, meanness and nastiness. Stay away from those emotions and the folks who practice them. They and their kind are poison, and sadly their poison can be all too seductive. First thing you know, you're dissing this person and that person or joining in on the complaint bandwagon. Stay away. Wish them well, and stay away.

To further minimize negative energy and input, limit your TV news watching, newspaper reading, and other passive-angst building activities. This may sound a bit like I am advocating ignorance and apathy, but I am not. I AM asserting right here and now that we are bombarded with negative images and messages all the damned time. One of the reasons we as a culture are so stressed out is that we are constantly being told how dire things are by the nedia in all its forms. It's unhealthy.

It is entirely appropriate to politely ask to change the subject if the conversation you're involved in spins negative. It's also okay to politely and quietly excuse yourself from negative people and situations. Really, it is. And the relief you'll feel will far outweigh any social unease you might feel by redirecting the conversation or leaving. Many's the time I've asked to change the subject and been thanked, as we often don't realize we've been sucked into doom-n-gloom until someone comes along and snaps our ass out of it.

It it rarely useful or productive to challenge, call out, get in the face of or otherwise argue with negative folks. Resisting them in those ways feeds their own negativity, and materially contributes to the aggregate level of negativity around you. It can also suck you in and spark your own negative feelings including righteousness and superiority. Baaaaaaaaaad idea.

Rather than resist the negativity of those around you, practice insufferable positivity. Look for the silver linings, knowing that you will always find them. See the shadows that fall so darkly behind the light of positivity as intrinsic to the whole glorious experience of light, and let that render the darkness warm and rich.

There is always, always something good to be gotten out of every situation. A gift, a lesson, a friend, greater clarity, wisdom, all are the treasures of insufferable positivity.

I love treasure hunts.

Recipe for Living

Take yourself,
Peel off all layers of egotism and self pity,
Cut out all seeds of unkind thoughts and unhappy emotions,
Remove all prejudices and worries.

To this add:
one firm belief that life's worth living.

Mix well
With one practical ideal that you are Somebody.
Season with a sense of humor and optimism,
Sweeten with love.

Then add one strong determination to live at your highest every hour of the day, come what may.

Let effervesce for three hundred and sixty-five days,
Garnish with smiles and pleasant words,
Serve with gentleness and courage.

Note the effect.

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This is from the Yankee Kitchen Cookbook 1969. Author unknown.

Tips for combatting procrastination

To get out of a chronic state of procrastination, it’s important to get moving. When you’re just beginning, this means doing ANTHING different. Start by getting your body moving. This step alone can cure a great deal of ennui immediately. Stand up if you are sitting.

Yes, right now. STAND UP!

Now do two or more of the following in rapid succession:

• Move to another seat, and then
• sit on the floor, or the table
• Take a walk around your immediate surroundings, even if it’s only a lap around your chair
• Whistle
• Stretch your hands above your head, and then swing them down to your sides
• Make a funny face
• Shrug your shoulders up and down
• Sing: briefly, loudly and off key
• Dance

Doing just one or any combination of these activities immediately shifts your energy. Notice that shift, feel the novelty of the unfamiliar activity, and let that fresh energy fuel the next subsequent purposeful action.

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This is an except from the second of the upcoming Life Purpose Works workbooks now being edited and readied for publication. The first book of the series, "Reclaim your Life Purpose" will be available as an e-book shortly. The second, "Live on Purpose" will be released before the end of the year.

Wonders and miracles and how things change

My angel investors did not appear until after I let some things, people and behaviors go. Such is the Law of Attraction and its corollary, the Rule of Release.

The people who I am now attracting into my life are so much different than the ones who are falling away from me. It's obvious to one and all that I am living a more purposeful life, and those who are not on that now changed wavelength are uncomfortable, feel repelled, and no longer hold the same allure as once they did.

In order for the Law of Attraction to work effectively in my life, I must continually be willing and able to release that which does not serve or honor my highest being.

Now that's some serious work.

What I'm noticing about releasing things, situations and people is how much less psychodrama there is when I do it from a place of Purpose. When I am in alignment with my Life Purpose, the transitions are less jarring. I do not mean that it's always easy, it's just gotten simpler.

Let me digress for a moment or three about the difference between simple and easy.

So many times in our lives we are faced with a simple choice, the answer for which should be (and usually is) obvious. When pondering that choice all sorts of thoughts creep in, and our desire for comfort and our reliance on the familiar override what we know in our best Self to be the best decision. We then choose easy over simple.

The simple thing is usually the best course of action. Not the easiest, but the best. We humans like to compli-damn-cate every god blessed thing, pretty much. Thus does simple become daunting. When we are faced with getting outside our comfort zone, of dancing out there on our growth edge, we lose our nerve. We don't see the net because we're supposed to jump with both feet into our own Purposeful life. And because we cannot see the net, we do not jump.

Only after you jump does the net appear.

It is only when we dive headlong into our higest aspirations that the Universe gets the message that yes, we really DO mean to walk our talk, and the resources seem to magically appear. (CLUE: it's not magic, it's the Law of Attraction)

And that, my friends, is why some eagles have to be pushed. Sometimes the folks around us can see what we cannot, which is that we too can fly. So, the good ones push us.

In order to succeed in life we have to choose people we can rely on to help us get where we're going, and then we have to learn to trust them.

How do we choose? It's simple (heh, you knew I wans gonna say that, huh?). For the best results, choose allies who you know in your gut have your best interests at heart, whose own life and self you admire, and who already walks their own talk. They don't need to be perfect, they just need to be reliable people of goodwill who are able to hold space or take action as needed. Those are the best pushers.

Sometimes those folks already exist in our lives. Then it becomes necessary to explcitly enroll them as supporters of you and your Life Purpose. This is usually easier than it sounds. Just ask.

Sometimes, there seems to be no one around who you can trust to have your back without interjecting their own agenda for you. The folks around you in your support network are too emotionally close to the action to be objective. Maybe the scope and scale of your challenges and goals are beyond their capacity to embrace.

In those cases, I heartily recommend getting a life coach.

Coaches are great pushers. They don't run the race for you, that's not how it works. A coach's job is to encourage, cajole, kick butt, inspire. A coach sees not just who you are today, but who you are at your core, as the miracle incarnate that you are. Yes, they see your challenges and weaknesses, but far from being daunted by them, they devote themselves to your empowerment.

Coaching is not for the faint of heart. It's not therapy, though you will learn and grow through a coaching alliance in ways you cannot imagine today. Coaching relationships in the real world give to "just folks" what Olympic athletes get from their coaches: expertise, mentoring, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to your Best Self. They have the experience and perspective necessary to push us out of our ruts and into our bliss.

Since we did not incarnate on a planet of over 6 billion people to do everything alone, it then behooves us, one and all, to create relationships of empowerment and possibility with one another. This is a great deal of fun to do, actually.

Seek out wise counsel. Use the resources in your life to help you release what needs to be let go of, and open yourself up to the very real possibility that you could really live the life of your dreams.

Even eagles need to be pushed sometimes. Leap and the net WILL appear.

Grand Passions

Ahhh,the moon is in Leo, the Sun is in Leo, there's a solar eclipse in Leo today, and I, my dear readers, am a Leo. It's a big huge woo hoo day. I've a lot to do, but wanted to write a few thoughts down as they sprang to mind a moment ago. Welcome to my stream of consciousness.

Oy.

I was just hit by the great a glorious concept of Grand Passions. Now before you tell me that this concept is nothing new, I must hasten to explain what it is about Grand Passions that I am presently lit up by.

In the big ol' general context of Life Purpose (you know, that's the stuff I'm mad about these past few years), Grand Passions are the primary places that people should focus their thoughts, actions and energies for maximum postitive results.

When you go through the Life Purpose Discovery process, you become acutely aware of a great many things about yourself in a very short amount of time. One of the big things about this work is that it's fast at helping you recover your awareness of Self. It's also simple and profound.

Anyway, one of the cool things you get from the process is a comprehensive list of your passions. This is a crucial piece of the equation, because your passions are how you amplify the impact of your Purpose in the world. Your passions are the optimal vehicles for the unique expression of your Life Purpose.

Thus it naturally follows that your Grand Passions are the most potent, most effective, most satisfying conduits for your authentic expression of Self.

If you absolutely lovelovelove it, if your life would be hollow without it, it's probably a Grand Passion. If it is unthinkable that you could not express or act in accordance with it, it's a Grand Passion. If it fills you with inutterable joy, it's a Grand Passion.

Okay, so the smartass in me says, "Hey, I lovelovelove ice cream. Wait, does that mean I have a Grand Passion for Ben and Jerry's??? Woo hoo, I get to eat ice cream all the time!! Hot damn!" Uhhhhh, no. Sheesh.

Don't mistake an intense pleasure for a Grand Passion. More about this particular piece of the picture in another post. For now, let's just talk some more about Grand Passions.

I posit that most all of us have a great many passions that vary in degree. I likewise opine that most all of us have only a scant few, and in some cases only one, Grand Passions in our lives.

To complicate things a bit, I also believe that we are all ultimately here to teach and learn lessons about Love. AND I know that we are all here to increase our knowledge and grounding in the eternal consciousness that we really are, inseparable at our core.

That being said, on -this- earthly plane we're all here with a unique set of skills, talents, gifts, affinities and aversions that shape our expression of Self. When we become clear about our Life Purpose, these passions and abilities become imbued with a kind of power that some call "Divine". Whatever you choose to call it, it is a naturally replenishing internal wellspring of motivation and inspiration. And it is our birthright.

We are meant to know, to cultivate, and to build on our Purpose by using our passions as conduits to the infinite power source that surrounds us. And our Grand Passions are the place in us that resonate the most strongly for the highest good.

Now let's be clear, a Grand Passion may not seem practical, or reasonable, or feasible, or even sane sometimes. It's downright scary for a -lot- of folks to contemplate living in accordance with their Life Purpose by pursuing their Grand Passions.

I submit that the people who have done exactly that are the ones who have created lasting, positive change in the world. It is precisely that combination of Grand Passion and Purpose that opened the doors for them, or made them realize that a closed door was no impendiment to full authentic self expression.

So, let's review this chain of thought: Life Purpose good. Passions good. Grand Passions even better. Purpose plus Grand Passions equals ultimate experiences of richness.

Allow your Grand Passions to drive your actions today. Do something, anything, toward living more fully on Purpose. Let yourself out.

Is good. Is very good.

More to come later, but now I have to go sweat because it's move it or lose it, donchano? Old age ain't for sissies.

Sun and moon in Leo, tra la la la la.....I feel Grrrrrreat!

Joyride with a dutiful daughter

It's been a trying week. Got a message from my brother's wife telling me that my Dad was in the hospital, and that my mother, who suffers from (amongst other things) vascular dementia, had driven herself somewhere. I called Mama to discover that my sweet darling mother was scared and not doing well at all without her constant companion of the last nearly 56 years. I cannot in all good conscience leave her alone at a time like this. I call my clients and business associates, reschedule everything, worried and anxious to get to my parents so far away (it's a 4+ hour drive).

I packed a bag, some supplies and the Moose into Lucille and off we went willy nilly to the High Sierra where they live. Dad was hospitalized in Grass Valley with an infection which required IV antibiotics but was not life threatening. He's also preparing to be treated for prostate cancer and has diabetes. Meticulous about both his own self care and that of my Mom, he was mostly bored and so was not as great a concern as my fragile mother who was home alone. He'd be out in a few days.

I stop on my way to their house to see him in the hospital. He seemed fine, though obviously worried about Mom and relieved that I had come up to care for her. After reassuring myself that he was well enough for me to relax a bit, I hurried on to see my mother.

I arrived with all my usual good humor, wanting to put her at ease. I comforted and reassured my Mom, and settled in for the duration. Mama is calmer with me there at the house with her, and I've had a couple of important conversations with my Dad while he's been hospitalized , so this is all going well. As the smart daughter they're so proud of and the first born, it falls to me to be the one initiates the hard talks about difficult subjects. Good thing I do what I do for a living. We make plans for moving them closer to medical services, doing more estate planning, all things that are long overdue in my opinion. This is good.

Daddy calls multiple times a day to talk to Mama, and that makes her feel better. With her dementia, she asks after him over and over throughout the day, and worries over the silliest things, but I comfort her and love her and answer her every time, because I know she needs the reassurance.

I call my brothers daily and let them know what's going on. I have a good family. My brothers are both good men of strong character with very nice families of their own. My folks did good with us. It hurts us all to see them decline into old age after so many vibrant, vital years. Quite sobering.

Wednesday morning is going okay, but Mama seemed off. Her neighbor and friend Clancey was visiting and was worried about how Mama looked and was acting. Mama suddenly got flushed and sweaty and -very- shakey. I took her pulse, which was highly irregular. Uh oh. Off to the clinic in the nearest small town 5 miles away. They take eleventy hundred EKG's and then recommend she be taken by ambulance to the same hospital my Dad is in.

We compare notes about Mom. After examining the evidence at home, we come to the same conclusion. It seems Mama, with her dementia, was claiming to have taken her very important morning meds but was not. She'd forget. I had no idea about that since Daddy was calling each morning to talk to her and tell her to take her meds. No one had any idea that this glitch was happening. After 5 days untreated, her body was starting to react badly. Off she went. Poor scared lamb. I do my best to reassure her, but cannot go with her in the ambulance. I follow the ambulance containing my mother closely for the one hour ride to the hospital. On the way I call Dad to let him know what's going on.

Oy.

Dad is discharged 15 minutes before Mom arrives by ambulance, so he is there to greet her. Tears and embraces ensue between them as the EMT's unload her stretcher. To me (as their twice divorced daughter), they have been married all their lives (she was 17, he was 21). They are still very much in love, which fills me with awe and admiration along with all the love I feel for them. She is so frightened, and so is he, and they cling to one another. My heart fills and breaks and fills again. I love them both so very much.

Mama's heart arrithymia requires tests that promises to keep her 4 days in the hospital. On the 3rd day, I take a drive alone down out of the mountains in my miata to visit, bring her some personal things, all that. The doctor arrives after an important test and declares that she passed, and can be released immediately.

Mama pleads, "Don't tell Daddy, let's surprise him!". Noooo Mama, you've got a very bad back and bad knees and bad hips, we can't get you into the low and small miata without hurting you.

"Please" Mama asks.

Mama has never ridden in my miata before, though I've had it 6 years. With her considerable physical limitations it never seemed feasible. But okay, let's give it a try. I figure I can always call Dad and have him drive down their van and get her if she can't get in easily enough that we can get her out again without causing her too much undue pain.

The nurse wheels her out to the side entrance while I put the top down and fetch an extra pair of sunglasses (the ones with the rhinestone frames) and my wide brimmed driving hat out of the trunk. Carefully we get her into the passenger seat. I spray her and me with sunblock, she jams the hat over her short white hair, slips on the gaudy sunglasses, declares herself to be a movie star and off we go back up into the mountains. It's a beautiful afternoon.

I have a friend who leads a swing band, and his album is in my car's cd changer, so on it goes and Mama's hands and toes start tapping. Before she was so crippled she was a great swing dancer. When a song comes on that we both know, we both sing it together, loudly and with big smiles.

Every so often, Mama or I exclaim, "Daddy is just gonna CRAP when he sees you/me!" and then we both laugh uproariously. We'd raise our hands straight up over our heads ands wave them just because we could. Joyride in a convertible, helping my Mama surprise her Love. Richness.

I remember thinking how precious this hour was, and how I would remember it always.

After a beautiful ride into the splendor that is the High Sierra, we arrive home. I honk and honk 'til Daddy comes out. I shout from behind the wheel, "Look what I brought you!".

He looks and looks again to see who it is in that hat and glasses beside me, bursts into tears and hurries to her side of the car. They embrace and murmur sweet "I love you's" and cry on one another's shoulders before the car is even turned off. So much in love. Such good friends. Finally he opens her door and gently, gently, helps her out of the car and slowly up the stairs to their front door. Together again.

I do not need to tell you what I learned, what I gained, what I felt, how it was. I just want to tell you all how blessed I am to come from such fine folks, how honored I am to witness so epic and ordinary a lifetime of love, and that I wouldn't trade this last week for all the money in the world.

A dutiful daughter? Yes, and a grateful one.

Risk living an authentic life

It is amazing and heartening to me what comes of staying true to my own Life Purpose.

In the last week an angel donor/investor appeared offering words of praise and wads of money. The new workbook/journal went into beta testing. I freed myself of an unhealthy business relationship. Clients have been starting to knock down the door. I've been kicking ass at the gym.

It is obvious to me that I am finally allowing the Law of Attraction to be my ally.

In the new workbook, I talk a bit about how important allies are. I've mentioned them in previous posts of this blog. Real allies ennoble, empower, champion, encourage your greatness. They are your strategic achievement team.

So, who are your allies? Who's in your corner? Who's got your back? Which people in your life have your best interests at heart? Who can you count on?

Do you think that there's no one you can rely on except for yourself? Some folks do, you know. They insist that there is no one that they can count on, and they're usually right. They're right because the Law of Attraction says that which you focus on expands, that thoughts become things. They're right not because those folks don't exist, but because they cannot see them. If they could see the help all around them, they would have to change their world view. If they changed their world view, their lives would change.

Thinking that you can count on no one makes for a very hard life. Cooperation takes a back seat to scepticism. Wariness wins against goodwill. You suffer.

Now I'm not advising that you throw your good sense away, or that you put yourself in harm's way. I -am- saying that it's often the case that we outright refuse offers of help and assistance that are born of goodwill. I'm saying that it is mete, right and appropriate for us to enlist the aid of other purposeful folks, as we all have something to contribute to one another.

Here's a for instance: I hate to crunch numbers. Data entry makes me itchy. I'd pretty much rather sand my face off than balance my checkbook. Now, I know how to do all those things, I just hate 'em. This could be a Very Bad Thing, except that I know a very fine man who absolutely loooooooves to do all that stuff. It's in sweet alignment with his Life Purpose, and not in synch with mine. So, all I do is give him a very paltry sum and he does it for me. Everybody wins.

There's a much smarter, easier, better way to live a purposeful life than doing everything yourself: get some allies. Friends. Family. Mentors. Teachers. Coaches. Service providers. Vision holders. Butt kickers. Fans. Partners. They're all around you, waiting to be of service.

Let them.

Here's an excerpt from the new Life Purpose Discovery Journal/workbook about allies.

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GET SOME ALLIES:

Every successful person in the world has used help to get where they were going. The smartest sought out assistance early and often and continue to ask when in need. Only the most clueless and stubborn people refuse to get help. Let’s face it, we didn’t incarnate on a planet of over 6 billion people to do everything by ourselves.
Dump the bad old ways

This is the perfect opportunity to rid yourself of any old notions you might have about asking for help. After all, misplaced pride or a sense of shame has no place on the path of a purposeful life. Any opinions, emotions or feelings that prevent you from accessing all the resources available to you are hindrances to the authentic expression of your Life Purpose. Turn away from the folly of thinking you need to do everything on your own. Remind yourself over and over as many times as it takes that it’s smart to ask for help. It does not profit you, nor does it profit the world to think otherwise.

Here’s a basic fact about Life Purpose: All Life Purposes are complimentary to one another.

What this rightly implies is that they are meant to be used and expressed in concert with others. We are meant to Even in the most solitary of lives or activities, it is important to remember that living in accordance with our Purpose helps to promote and sustain that energy in others as it nourishes ourselves.

Help comes in many forms. One of the most readily available forms of help comes from other people. We call those people allies.

It’s a great idea to enlist the aid of as many allies as you can get to assist you in living a purposeful life. Actually, it’s more than a great idea, it’s a necessity for most if not all Life Plans to enlist the help of allies in order to live richly.

Create a Purpose Group

Make a list of the people you trust that have your best interests at heart. Be sure to include any positive connections you have in the workplace, at church, school, or at the gym. Don’t forget your therapist, life coach, counselor, hairdresser or anyone else who you confide in. Include the friends and family members who’ve always had your back.

After you’ve made your list, pick the people you’d like to tell about your desire to live a more purposeful life. Seek them out and explain the work you’ve done so far, and tell them about your plans. Ask for their support.

Some folks have created a dynamic network of purposed people around them, and they encourage one another to live on purpose.

One of the best ways to connect with other Purpose driven folks is to create them. Give copies of this workbook to others as a gift. Explain your idea for a “Life Purpose Group” project.

Regular meetings of your Purpose group can support the completion of each section of this workbook, and you also have the opportunity to share insights, tools and results with one another. This kind of Purpose group has proven to be a very powerful tool for empowerment through the creation of camaraderie, ongoing support and accountability practices.

What is Life Purpose, anyway?

The following is an excerpt from the soon to be released Life Purpose Discovery Journal, a comprehensive workbook designed to help you answer the questions, "Why am I here?" and "What am I supposed to be doing?".

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

What your Life Purpose isn’t:

Your life purpose is not a job description. It’s not a career path or an astrological sign. It’s not any kind of thing that lumps you into a limited number of categories with millions of other people like Myers-Briggs, numerology or enneagram assessments.

It should not be confused with the enlightened sense of awareness which asserts that we are all formless Eternal Beings of Light. That is a completely different discussion.

It is not a religious or political position, an opinion from anyone else, or something someone once told you that you should be or do. It’s not the expectations of your parents or teachers or employers or anyone else. It’s not the amassing of wealth or power for it’s own sake. It’s not self sacrifice.

What your Life Purpose IS:

Your Life Purpose is the overarching fundamental context of your life. It is the touchstone for true fulfillment. It is the basic noble theme that underlies every meaningful, positive action that you can possibly take in any direction in order to authentically express yourself. It is the universal powerhouse of energy that inspires service, transformation, and genius. It is unique to you and you alone. When embraced, it’s an inner knowing that tells you where best to direct your energies and talents.

In the calm center of your soul, Life Purpose abides as a wellspring of unlimited natural internal motivation and enthusiasm. It transforms your experiences through a simple shift of perspective. Your purposeful thoughts and actions are the most effective vehicles you can use to enrich not only yourself, but the world at large. It’s joyful, compelling, satisfying. It feeds both yourself and the world at the same time. It informs your future, and makes sense of your past.

Purposeful living is our own Divine Love, Power and Grace made manifest.

Getting big stuff done.

I am tickled many colors (pink is just not enough) to announce that the new Life Purpose Discovery Journal is being released into beta testing tomorrow.

This is a BIG DEAL for me. It represents the first significant publication goal I've met in the quest to bring this powerfully cool work into the world on a much larger scale.

Miracles have been happening every day this week. One of the biggest was that I got a spontaneous substantial offer to invest in my business this week, right out of the blue. For me, that's another clear sign that I'm doing the right thing. I've been getting them like gangbusters lately. Thank you, Universe. I want to tell the world how grateful I am for all this abundance. Thank you, thank you.

Calloo Callay.
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Here's a poem:

The crows career into treetops
I can smell the fog
It licks the mountain ridge
Falls softly back again.

The Moose barks at other dogs
As they pass our gate
Then goes down the stairs
To catnap in the shade.

The clocks tick relentlessly
Slower than my heart
I wish that I were wistful
But I've got work to do.

An excerpt from the new workbook

We all feel adrift sometimes. We’ve all been situations where we’ve felt lost. And at one point or another we’ve all questioned what we’re doing with our lives and wondered what our purpose is on this earth. I’m here to tell you that you DO have a purpose and it’s easy to find.

I came to do this work as a natural progression of my Life Coaching practice. What I noticed is that folks who were clear or got clear about their Life Purpose during our work together made faster progress, easier decisions, and experienced what I observed to be a greater sense of satisfaction with their lives in general. They seemed more willing to make significant changes with less grief. And the changes they made seemed to stick.

What I also began to notice was the ever emerging, unavoidable patterns of affinity and repulsion in the lives of my clients, colleagues, and friends. It was those patterns which became beacons to me, a kind of individual roadmap to the soul’s purpose, laid out so neatly and obviously that I wondered at its simplicity.

In our society, there are certain proscribed roles for people to which we have become so enculturated that we believe them to be the only viable, practical options for success. Far from encouraging individual excellence, authenticity and empowerment we as a culture channel the energies of countless souls into mainly meaningless days filled with work that matters little to them, consigning generation after generation to lives of quiet desperation. Yet at the same time, we tend to revere and celebrate those with the fortitude, tenacity and drive to follow their own drummer (when we’re not castigating them for being different). We laud many of them as geniuses, as though they are somehow profoundly different from the rest of us.

The actual fundamental difference that separates the sometimes feted but certainly successful few from the rest of society is an inner certainty, an irresistible sense of Purpose at the core of their being that guides their actions and supports their dreams. They are clear about why they’re here, and as it turns out, that makes all the difference. Those folks measure success by their own terms, because they know who they are and what they’re about. The rest of us measure life, success and happiness according to the opinions and values of others. And that is just warped and all the way twisted out of kilter with Nature, as I see it.

What I came to know is that our Soul, Authentic Self, Higher Self, whatever you want to call it, is ALWAYS, and I do mean always, seeking to express itself in the course of each and every person’s daily life. And express itself it will, intentionally and for the greatest good, or not.

Creating awareness of one’s unique Life Purpose as a powerful catalyst for lasting change becomes the order of the day. So, here we are.

Taking it out into the world and synchronicity

There's a whole passel of burrs under my proverbial saddle goading me to take my Life Purpose work out into the world on a much larger scale. This means that I have to get all sorts of new legal entities created and structures adopted to handle the upcoming projected growth.

This is what living my purpose means right now. I am becoming the businesswoman I knew I needed to be in order to get my work seen and heard and most of all experienced by lots of different people. What amused and heartens me is all the cool daily examples of synchronicity that are popping up to help me on my way. I am grateful.

I'm blown away with how things are going these days. Situations that once scared the living snot out of me are becoming easier to do in light of my purpose. My work is being well received. Gratifyingly, lives are being changed for the better by the people that are living them.

Empowerment is running rampant around here. There's a robust work ethic springing up from formerly barren sources. Cooperation abounds. It ain't perfect, but it's damned close.

I'd just like to point out that I'm not doing this alone. There is a web of support, a network of angels and allies looking out for me, helping me along at every turn. Somehow the bills still get paid while I finish this set of books. New clients are showing up in increasing numbers. Program directors and non profits are starting to take notice.

Coincidences and serendipity color my world these days. Synchronicity paints my life with vibrant experiences in direct proportion to how much I live my life Purposefully. This simple truth becomes more vivid for me at every compelling turn.

Lots and lots of other people are directly involved in my success. What a blessing this is. What a -relief- it is to not have to do this all alone.

I cannot see the whole path clearly laid out before me, but I know by the terrain that it is the right one. I am encouraged.

Thank you for reading this blog, and for caring about the quality of your own life. I urge you to let the people that surround you support you as you live ever more consciously according to your -own- unique Life Purpose. I invite you to call those you love forth into their own Purpose-filled lives. I know in my deepest, sweetest being that this is the way of healing, of empowerment, of balance and ultimately of peace.

My dreams are peopled with folks joyfully living on Purpose all over the world.

Join me.

Join US. All it takes is a bit of clarity and a whole lot of willingness to live an authentic life. I guarantee you won't be doing it alone.

It's a GREAT ride.

Hating money is not the answer

Okay, so for a long long time I detested dealing with money. Hated it. Thought it was the root of all evil, resented it, all that. And guess what? It didn't like -me-, either.

After many years of avoiding money and grudgingly admitting that I needed it, I was beaten down. I felt beaten up, too. I had struggled and toiled and expended much effort on not only the aquisition of that filthy lucre, but the resistance to it and all I thought it stood for. Exhausting, discouraging and deeply unrewarding times ensued. I was wiped out in all sorts of ways.

So sometimes shift happens. Books and seminars appeared in my path, pointing the way to self examination. I began to notice that my quality of life was really quite fine. I was and am blessed with a roof over my head, fresh food and a kitchen to cook it in, a car that runs and gas in the tank. I've got clothes for almost any occasion, and money to spend on things that I don't strictly need. I can indulge my desires. I gave over the management of my accounts to someone clever who loves to play with numbers, and delights in being of service. Professionals and talented amateurs restored order to the chaos my resistance to money had created.

In the place of that now cleared clutter was much space to fill. But fill it with what? More stuff, geegaws and souveniers of nothing much? Blech. Been there, done that. The idea of "now cleared" rang in my head. What else could I clear out? Hmm, my files are a mess. 15 minutes a day will fix that in the space of a month at most. And so it was. Closets and the garage are full of crap I simply don't use. Time to clear that space, too. Garage sales and craigslist help me winnow down the astounding amount of cool stuff and crappola that purging produced.

Now the space is clearer than it's been in oh, 30 years, maybe? I feel stronger, lighter, leaner, wiser. I stand a bit straighter. I have a sense of dominion over the 'stuff' of my life. It increases with each subsequent step I take to 'keep the channels clear', as I like to call it now. Nice.

What filled the space of chaos? My subsequent individual and collaborative creations: order and grace in my living and working spaces, clarity, kick ass systems to maintain help maintain order and balance, and a deliberate positive shift in my perspective about money. I started to tell myself that money is great stuff, that there's nothing inherently wrong with it. In fact, money is good. Really good. I started some new habits in regard to my thinking about money. I tell myself that I love money, and money loves me. That money is plentiful around me and for me. That it flows abundantly to me in the course of living my life. I get into the habit of living a simple, abundant life all the time. Money then becomes a non issue. Wow. This is MUCH easier. And more fun, too.

Folks notice the change in my energy and behavior and start to ask questions. My life coaching practice, so long a limpingly weak endeavour to which I devoted little time, starts to generate more income as I share my story with others. The space created by the purge and shifts and the resulting sense of expansive possibility lead me to the keyboard and bigger things have been emerging. A workbook journal, a book, then two, clamber to make themselves known. The work I've created catches the imagination of talented, gifted and forward thinking people and their organizations. Now seminars, workshops and keynote speeches are on the agenda. A buzz is building.

All because shift happens. When I shifted my regard for money, it made me attractive to money. Like everthing else energetic, it doesn't go where there is no entrance. I opened myself up to the possibility that money itself is not evil. Through that shifted portal money pours.

Get your shift together. If you need help, I'm here.

Ciao, I'm off to the spa after lunch for a nice soak and sauna and maybe a massage followed by dinner at a nearby cafe with my best friend.

Life is good. I love money.

Resisting change, refusing help and more

I have the opportunity to render some service in my community by doing some pro-bono lay counseling and coaching work. I continue to notice both in my private practice as well as in my volunteer work some consistently recurring patterns (hey, it's what I do) that effectively hamstring the some of the finest folks you'd ever want to meet.

Which of these PITFALLS apply to you?

Negative self talk: This dandy includes internal beratement as well as what I like to call "the stories we tell ourselves". These stories include seemingly "factual" declarations such as, "I can't rely on anyone else ever", "No matter what I do, I can't seem to get ahead", "The world is not a nice place", "Money is scarce".

Refusing help: Over and over I see really smart people do the same dumb thing: when faced with a daunting challenge or circumstance they do not ask for help. They fail to use the abundant resources around them, and then wonder why their lives are so hard. Even worse, those same people outright refuse offers of assistance, help, support, and encouragement. They stubbornly, steadfastly insist that they can do everything just fine all by themselves in the face of contradictory results. They refuse to acknowledge that they are allowing, even encouraging their pride, ego, embarrassment or stubbornness to make their lives harder by requiring personal effort instead of expanding their life skills repertoire to include delegation, inclusion, and cooperation.

(whew, that was wordy)

Here's what I know: we did not incarnate on a planet of over 6 billion people to do everything alone, fercrissakes. In fact, the very smartest, most savvy folks I've ever known have sought out help (assistance, cooperation, support) early and often. It's one of the key practices that materially contributes to their overall success in life.

Failure to follow through: Talk a big game or make attainable goals, either is an exercise in futility if there's no follow through. One of the biggest mistakes I observe in this area relates to the concept of cooperation and assistance talked about above. Folks make plans, goals and allow themselves to dream, only to never manifest those desires simply because they didn't follow up their ideas with simple actions. Even the smallest step produces shift. Shifting behavior in turn shifts energy (or is it vice versa? *grin*) and personal momentum is created. Further, setting up relationships in which accountability is maintained and consequences are like gravity in their application is a sure fire way to create an environment for getting stuff done. Rewards for achievement, refocus and reaffirmation for the continued learning experience that results from unmet goals and challenges. Empowerment and tenacity naturally arise.

Guilt and blame: This humdinger is a real doozy. Folks blame, berate and assign guilt to themselves for real and (many times) imagined shortcomings or failures. They use those feelings and judgments to dis-empower themselves, choosing to mistakenly believe that they are defined forevermore primarily according to their supposed faults.

Defining the self according to the past: This topic hearkens back to the passage above on guilt and blame. So very many times I've encountered people who experience themselves as victims of their circumstances. They relate to everything through the filter of what I call their "stories". These may be anything from the tenacious clinging to past labels such as "I was an abused child so things are harder for me", "I've always been poor", "I've never been good at anything"; to the present day feelings of helplessness that are exacerbated by self talk about how trapped the victim feels. They also feel as though they are at the invariably negative effect of the people and circumstances around them, and have little or no power to effect meaningful change.

Resisting change: Most people would rather stay comfortable than risk pain through growth. Maybe not consciously, but definitely we as humans value our feelings of comfort and safety. It is when we sacrifice our gifts, talents and dreams in service of our fear of change that we become disenfranchised from our innate personal power.

People allow their fear of change to stop them from taking meaningful positive action in their lives. They also build up feelings of dread regarding relatively small tasks and aspects of their lives, blowing their significance all out of proportion and succumbing to irrational terrors. What folks tend to forget is that the temporary flash of fear that can accompany taking action or making change is far, far less debilitating than the constant grind of dread.

Believe it or not, lots of people really dread losing their small scale lives, thinking that they are, right now, not capable of handling/attaining the life of their dreams. They have the opinion that they are unprepared and inadequate to the task of achieving their dearest goals. What they fail realize is that, when they -do- achieve the results they seek, they will have, by dint of the process alone, become the person who indeed can and does handle that amazing life with deft alacrity.

So, there you have it, a Monday tome about some of the pitfalls of being human in this life and these times.

My shameless plug of the day: Folks who know their own unique Life Purpose have direct access to an unlimited internal wellspring of natural motivation. People like athletes use coaches whether they want to simply improve their performance or wish to achieve "gold medal" results. CEO's in Fortune 500 companies use executive coaches to help them hone their own considerable game and become more effective players, managers and leaders.

Combining Life Purpose awareness with the unfair advantage of coaching boosts the average life and person into levels of performance that exceed those of people who insist on trudging through life stubbornly reinventing the wheel for themselves.

I am now expanding my private practice as well as continuing to supply Life Purpose Discovery sessions in person or via phone/email. Please -do- write or call to schedule your own personal 2 hour Life Purpose Discovery session or to talk about my unique brand of coaching and how it might serve you.

A bit of inspiration

Well, my mountain is still on fire, though my town is safe. I am still periodically pondering the concept of what is truly important to me. Here's a long time favorite poem that speaks to this.

"The Invitation" by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithlessand therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

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What do you hold dear? What really matters?

I can hear the helicopters as they fly over my house

The mountain that I live on is on fire. The helicopters are back to dumping water from our lagoon on the hottest spots on the hillside far above me and over the ridge. The sky is full of smoke.

Yesterday evening I was part of the volutary evacuation of my neighborhood. I waited, car packed, dog already in his seat, until I could hear as well as see the flames advancing on my tiny town. Scary. I left, but returned after the fire changed direction and they were able to secure the town. My street is the last highest one on the mountain that they were allowing people to return to. Everyone who lives in the streets above me were not allowed back to their homes yesterday evening. Everyone 3 streets above me were forcibly evacuated, I've no idea if they've been allowed back yet.

We've been advised to stay indoors and seal up our homes (close the windows, don't vacuum, all sorts of things like that) until the air is fit to breathe again. The smell of woodsmoke is in the house anyway, and there is ash on my car from the few hours it was out of the garage during the evacuation.

Due to the valiant efforts of a great many folks, my town is so far untouched, though I just spotted the copters closer than they've been all day. The winds are up and heading in our direction again.

What becomes important at times like this? Well, I can tell you what's packed in my car right now and ready to go. A dufflebag with 2 changes of clothes, my dop kit and my jewelry (it's negotiable currency that I could sell if I need to). The dog's blanketbed, 2 bags of dog food, his favorite toy and ball, a leash and some poop bags. Until an hour ago my PC was in my miata (my soon to be published book is in it, fercrissakes), but I've hooked it back up for now. If I see any more fire it gets shoved back in the car on my way out of town again. I've packed my passport and birth certificate, along with my personal phone books and rolodex. A box of pictures, a couple of jackets.

What is important? Life. Family. Friends. What I've learned, and what I want to teach. Who I am.

The house, newly remodeled? The lovely clothes, the new measuring cups in the kitchen? The art lovingly carried back from last year's trip to Italy? Not so much.

Soon (if the helicopters stop dropping water on the ridge) I am leaving to take a neighbor with heart and lung problems out of town and to a mall some miles away, where the air is filtered and he will hopefully feel better. We do what we can in times like these, yes?

Such a strange day.

Short on time, long on love

Today I heard a fine firebrand of a young man about 20 years old say some pretty darned inspirational things, and one of the many great things he said in his short speech stood out in particular, shining like a beacon and touching my heart.

"Some measure success by how much they've achieved. Others measure success in terms of the obstacles they have overcome." -Maurice Taylor, president of the 2008 graduating class of the Glide Youth Build Program.

'Nuff said.

"And lead us not into temptation"

"The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little." ~Thomas Merton

"Faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, more money"

I've been corresponding with a middle aged male friend recently, and we got to talking about mid life crisis, and how men in particular handle it. Since the majority of my private practice is is men from 30-50, I've gained some insight from these smart, insightful, honest and candid men.

I had joked that most of what I see less introspective and self aware men doing when they reach that mid life stage can be easily summed up in this key phrase, "re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic".

My friend replied, "I think the key phrase is 'faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, more money" If you can afford these indulgences, I do not think you are attending a life purpose workshop."

Here is my [edited and augmented for this blog] reply:

"Au contraire, many's the man who has come to me precisely -because- "faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, more money" turned out to be not as fulfilling a reality as they had hoped it would be.

"Faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, more money" is what I call "re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic". This is a gender peculiar thing. A significant percentage of men, when they hit their mid life crisis, look around and say, "Crap, this isn't what I want. I'm not happy." So (here's the cliche in action) some of them set about to changing things: they trade in the wife and kids for a trophy chick, get a sports car and hair plugs, and otherwise engage in ultimately futile behaviors that do not ultimately address their lack of fulfillment.

They vigorously pursue transient pleasures, trying to soothe their ever increasing sense of dissatisfaction. Those are the guys who fail to examine themselves first. Because of this critically missed first step, they lose the chance to do some significant introspection before they engage in major life upheaval. They mistakenly think that by concentrating on changing their circumstances they will achieve the sought for inner satisfaction that they are now all too aware of lacking.

They throw the baby out with the bathwater.

If they knew to look inside themselves first, they'd be more likely come to the realization that they are the source of everything in their lives. They'd realize that in order to empower themselves they must evolve, examine and re-evaluate their core perceptions as well as their present practices, goals and behaviors. Always, it's an inside job, first. Many men leave great lives they've built based on some significant and worthy core values before they realize that they can empower themselves right within the life they already have. They lack critical discernment.

Likewise, some men stay in situations far too long that are clearly toxic because they feel trapped by their circumstances, lack of meaningful direction and sense of feeling purposeless; and that comes from not going within, as well. It's always an inside job. First and foremost, an inside job. Always always always.

Here's what's worse: as a society we neither support nor encourage men to take time for personal growth, vision questing, goal reassessment, life path correction, any of that. We fail to support our men in living rich lives, mistaking the attainment of financial gain or social reputation for true wealth. We sell them, and outselves, short by not empowering them to live purposefully. We pigeon hole them, limit them, dishonor them, assigning to them artificial values and inappropriate expectations that hamstring their abilities to truly excell.

A man without a sense of purpose is a sad thing indeed.

Sometimes, changing circumstances is absolutely necessary to one's growth, health and general well being. Some other times, the only thing necessary for empowerment is to change one's perspective. Actually, the latter is true most of the time. But only by becoming clear about Self (Life Purpose, spiritual center, etc.) and taking the time and effort to clearly identify the underlying core values that need to be honored in order to be truly happy, will anyone be able to make the best decisions about what to change and what to cultivate."

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How does all this relate to Life Purpose? Well, when a person is clear about their purpose, decision making becomes easier and inbued with a sense of "right direction". The results from actions taken in accordance with their authentic core are much more likely to be directly forwarding as well as immediately and ultimately rewarding. Making the best choices regarding what to do, what to study, which relationships serve and which alliances hinder, inner clarity, all spring naturally from a place of conscious context(Life Purpose).

Speaking from my years of experience as a life coach and counselor, people who are clear about their Life Purpose make FAR fewer stupid mistakes, and the mistakes they do make are less encompassing in scale than the ones they made before they did this important work for themselves.

What I've noticed personally is that the men who are aware of and act in accordance with their Life Purpose avoid the worst of the mid life crisis. This piece of self awareness saves time and money, increases love, boosts energy, lessens suffering and provides an internal wellspring of positive motivation.

This work rocks. It changes lives.

Well, I'm off to make a vision board to give my graphic designer that will inspire the look of the upcoming (soon to be released) Life Purpose Discovery journal/workbook. This workbook will enable just about anyone to take themselves through the Life Purpose Discovery process on their own. Our goal is to have this resource available for purchase online before my birthday in August.

Futile, hopeless, discouraged? The way out...

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare. It is because we do not dare that things are difficult.” ~Seneca.

So many people I encounter on a daily basis are living lives of quiet desperation.

They had thought their jobs would fulfill them, that making a living was the best way to make a life for themselves. That maintaining a lifestyle matters more than living a full,rich satisfying life. And after accumulating enough stuff to fill a house, garage, and all their closets, they're still miserable.

Let's face it, in the great big scheme of things, "stuff" is the booby prize. No one on their deathbed ever said, "I should have spent more time at work and less time doing what I love with the people I love". That's because the "dying" have a much clearer sense of what is really important than most of us who are "living".

So, what's important? It varies from person to person, but there are some consistent themes that appear when they are asked. Here are some of the most common:

Love
Meaningful work
Making a difference
Service
Family
Connection
Spirit

What I have come to know is that, in order to live a rich fulfilling life, we must dare to take action on the things that are most important to us at the core of our being.

This is risky. There's not a lot of buy-in from our society around authentic living. There IS a lot of buy-in around looking good, accumulating possessions, getting ahead, and there's a LOT of buy-in around scarcity and competition.

It is a radical act to live according to one's inner guidance. It is risky to act on your dreams when the easy money only requires that you sell yourself out.

So, what to do, what to do?

Well, if you're at all like me and so many others, you come to realize that the trappings of success as measured by our culture is not the way you wish to measure your own life.

Then the question becomes, "what the heck do I do NOW?".

I have some answers (you knew that, right?). The first thing you need to do is get clear about your Life's Purpose, the conscious context of your life from which your unlimited wellspring of internal motivation and satisfaction originates.

After you're clear, a game plan is needed. It can be as simple as following the attractive energy of purpose, as creative as making vision boards, or as elaborate as a detailed plan/outline for creating business and pleasure that reflects your passions, skills, talents and purpose.

The most important thing you can do to change your experience of your circumstances is to change your perspective to a purposeful one. Everything, and I do mean everything, shifts when viewed from a place of lucid purpose.

So, if you feel that your efforts are futile, that your outlook is hopeless, and if you're discouraged, there is an easy way out.

I'll be talking more about how to live a purposeful life in later blog entries.

NEWS!!! I finished the first draft of the new Life Purpose Discovery Journal/Workbook yesterday. It will be ready for distribution very soon, and then you'll be able to figure out your own unique Life Purpose for yourself. 'Til then I am still doing private Life Purpose Discovery sessions both in person and over the phone.

Well, here we are....

Hello fellow travelers of this earthly plane.
This blog is intended to provide inspiration, answers and insights into living a Purpose filled life. It will include quotations, excerpts from the Life Purpose Discovery Workbook and the upcoming book on Life Purpose, and some random and not so random musings from moiself.

My work in the world is to help people uncover and embrace their quintessential nature as a catalyst for empowerment. I do this by getting folks clear about their unique Life Purpose.

My own Life Purpose is to Revel in the Light. In action terms, I light people up.

Now, if this Life Purpose statement does not mean much at all to you, then you've noticed one of the great things about this system of discovery: A person's Life Purpose statement needs to be deeply meaningful, but ONLY to the person whose Purpose it is. To everyone else, it probably doesn't mean much. The blessing is that it doesn't have to.

I've created a system that easily reveals a person's Life Purpose. Life Purpose is not a job desription or a skill set. Life Purpose, as we use it, is about creating conscious context.

The passage below is excerpted from the Life Purpose Discovery Workbook, all rights reserved.
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The critical concept of conscious context:

One of the key differentiations between this and other “find your purpose” work is
that this work is not geared toward the transcendent and eternal Self ala Ekhart
Tolle nor is it oriented toward providing a career path or job description. This
work deals with the context of one’s life. Think of conscious context like a big
container for the content, or “stuff” that fills your days and consciousness. The
“stuff” of your life is always contained within an energy field, whether you’re
cognizant of it or not. Conscious context is the keystone that provides crucial
foundational support to the overarching themes and directions of your life.

One of the biggest differences between those who succeed at fulfilling their Life’s Purpose, and those who fail to become actualized, is that the successful folks have been driven internally by a clear sense of who they are at the core of their being and/or what they absolutely have to do.

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Okay, so now that you've read the simple and concise definition of conscious context, there's one question for you to ask yourself:

What is my own Life Purpose?

If you don't know the answer to that question, you're probably wasting your valuable time and resources doing things that do not fulfill or satisfy. You've got a job instead of a calling. Your relationships are stale or downright toxic. Money, time, all your resources seem to be in short supply.

Get clear about your Life Purpose and you'll experience so profound a perspective shift that you'll wonder why everyone isn't required to know.