Posts Tagged ‘heart’

Ruby Shoes, The Looking Glass, and Why Perspective Matters

“Change the way you look at things,
the things you look at change.”

~ Dr. Wayne Dyer

The Cambridge Dictionary describes perspective being, “a particular way of viewing things that depends on one’s experience and personality.” Viewpoint is the inherently subjective foundation determining thoughts and shaping attitudes, beliefs, emotions, decisions, and more. Vantage, an instantaneously shiftable position, offers tremendous possibility birthing dreams.

Are what we say and who we actually are the same? Do we sufficiently and thoroughly question the stories we tell ourselves? How does who think we are inform the cynosure we choose? When and to what degree, for our current state, do we take responsibility?

“We don’t see things as they are;
we see them as we are.”

~ Anaïs Nin

“Life is what you make it,” suggests the observer is also the creator. Events, in themselves, are both factual and have the distinct interpretation they are assigned. The same situation, even when affecting many, depending on each person’s particular inclination, is attributed very specific significance.

Desire and discomfort are often primary motivators prompting deeper self-analysis. Life’s ebbs and flows offer us continuing opportunities reevaluating the meaning we assign circumstances, interactions, people, places, and things. Occurrences, at first, may seem most unfavorable, and then nurture immense compassion, determination, enlightenment, forgiveness, humility, serenity, and more.

“If you nurture your mind, body, and spirit,
your time will expand;
you will gain a new perspective
that will allow you to accomplish much more.”
~ Brian Koslow

Consider a curious child anxiously scampering up a beckoning, sturdy, tall tree. The youth excitedly welcomes adventure certain all will be well. The adult mind immediately identifies how safety is not ensured and determines exploring the tree is unwise. The appropriate approach may be assimilating both assessments and simply, with tremendous awareness, proceed. The conditions are identical, and the only distinction is how pertinent information is processed.

An excellent example is the dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, a flowering herbaceous perennial plant of the Asteraceae family. The definition determines the treatment. Landscapers may perceive the lovely sunshine-hued blooms without any aesthetic value and remove them. Naturopaths. beyond celebrating their simple beauty, understand their value and orally and topically apply their immense health benefits.

“To effectively change ourselves,
we first had to change our perceptions.”
~ Stephen R. Covey

Alice of Wonderland, Dorothy of Oz, and numerous fictional characters’ spectacular journeys illustrate how even the slightest reframing influences the entire picture. Alice’s physical alterations automatically inspire new inquiries providing expansive insight. Dorothy’s empowering realizations and renewed gratitude remind us we always have the choice.

Perspective’s fluid, malleable nature invites expansive awareness, honesty, and illumination. The internal state scripts the external world. Our constantly reevaluating what we are absolutely certain is true guides deeper self-exploration opening the body, heart, mind, and spirit. Transformation, the ultimate, power, by slightly and simply adjusting our focus, offers us tremendous growth making us simultaneously student and teacher mastering our destiny.

©2018 Susan Stackpole www.susanstackpole.com

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Care to use this article for your e-zine or newsletter? Please include the following
Susan Stackpole, certified creative consultant and results expert, is the #1 coach helping celebrities, VIPs, and You celebrate your inner superstar and manifest destiny. Ignite your potential, jump-start your success, and achieve quick, effect results while living your dreams. Please visit www.susanstackpole.com for free resources on living your best life. Sign up for the monthly newsletter, which includes celebrity tips on manifesting destiny in style. Contact Susan to map your destiny today.

The Power of Illumination

(wp) heart flame color

A single light completely dissolves the darkness.

You are the flame.

Dance.

#beautiful #glow #power #shine

The Power of Transition

Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs in your heart,
the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts,
for out of them will grow delightful conditions, all heavenly environment;
of these if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.
~ James Allen ~

I invite You to claim the next thirty minutes for yourself.  Notify family and roommates that You are on a mini-vacation for the next thirty minutes.  Turn off the phone, the television, and the like.  Breathe deeply, feel your body, and be present.  Be grateful.  Appreciate You.  All is quiet.  All is still.  All is well.  You are abundant, favored, healthy, joyful, prosperous, safe, and well.  Send all your thoughts, every single one, to a tropical island, and let yourself simply be.  Know You are Love(d), wholly and completely, exactly as You here and now.

I move and breathe and have my being in God.
~ Oprah Winfrey ~

Settle in.  Consume a large glass of clean, clear water.  Give yourself a deluxe bath/shower complete with your favorite soaps and lotions.  Wash away your cares, and You sing to yourself.  Slip into your most comfortable lounging clothes.  Breathe.  Keep breathing.  Play soothing music.  Light a scented candle, and enjoy delicious aroma filling your space.  Dim the lights to a festive glow.  Light a fire in the fireplace (or imagine one).  Make your favorite warm beverage, coffee, cocoa, eggnog, tea, and the like.  Slip into a cozy chair.  Wrap yourself in a soft blanket.  Imagine You in your ideal place, your paradise, whether it be a castle, swanky penthouse, a ranch, a rustic cabin in the woods, an exotic private island, and the like.  This is your moment.

        Dorothy: Oh, will you help me? Can you help me?
        Glinda: You don’t need to be helped any longer.
        You’ve always had the power to go back to Kansas.
        Dorothy: I have?
        Scarecrow: Then why didn’t you tell her before?
        Glinda: Because she wouldn’t have believed me. She had to learn it for herself.

~ The Wizard of Oz ~

Today’s message is important because it is especially for You and holds tools to help You successfully move forward.  The wisdom for which You have been yearning is here.  The change You have been desiring is here.  The answer for which You have been praying is here.  That which You have been seeking has been inside You all along and is revealed by your willingness to open the door and listen to the Divine Voice in your heart.  The life You dream of having and who You dream of being are through the door.  Accompany me, and meet your true self, a clever, fabulous, gorgeous, intelligent, powerful person making the world better simply by “being”.  Are You ready?  Here and now is your moment.

Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.
~ Keri Russell ~

The universe and the world were created in a very orderly, specific fashion.  Energy was organized into distinct forms governed by specific laws.  Every living being serves a beautiful and specific purpose in the circle of life.  Every atom, every cell, every fiber of life is crucial to the success of the universe as a whole, and every life is important and precious.  You, yes, You, are crucial to the entire universe’s operation and why it is imperative You step up and claim your destiny now.  You are God’s/J’s glorious masterpiece.  You, whether You feel it or not, willing to accept it or not, are divine art.  You simply existing and being contributes to the successful operation of the entire universe.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
~ Marianne Williamson ~

You were created for a special reason, a unique mission implanted as a seed in your heart, a voice defying all logic and reason whispering, “Yes, You are.  Yes, You can.”  Your heart seed is your purpose for being here and contains the blueprint for You to be perfectly, wonderfully, uniquely You.  The key is, like an apple tree growing and an egg gestating, trusting the seed to bloom perfectly.  You are a rare gem with a razzle dazzle only You bring to the world.  Consider yourself a diamond, and, like the diamond, your shine is revealed by extreme pressure.  You may be experiencing some stress; use it to reveal the very best You.

A real decision is measured by the fact that you have taken new action.
You haven’t truly decided if there is no action.
~ Anthony Robbins ~

You have an immediate opportunity to choose how You perceive what is happening in your life, which ultimately determines your destiny.  Does life happen to You or for You?  Are circumstances obstacles or opportunities?  How You view what happens for You determines your choices, emotions, actions, and results.  You can choose to view pressure as an opportunity for growth, an invitation to clear out the old and welcome the new.  You can refine your character.  You can embrace change.  You can establish new habits and a new standard for living.  You can receive blessings and rest in divine favor.  You can step into your dreams and allow them to become reality.  You can be empowered.

My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves.
~ Hebrews 12:5-6 ~

You may feel as though You have taken all You can.  You may feel persecuted.  You may wonder where God/J is, and maybe even ask if He has forgotten Your or is punishing You (which is false).  You may ponder how your life got here and feel it is not working even though You have done everything You can.  You may feel it is not going to get better.  You may even feel like giving up.  You my friend, are in an excellent place.  Why?  You are ready.  You are ripe for change.  You are primed for something new.  You are open to receive, and You are willing to let go.  Surrendering is the key to your freedom and catalyst You have been seeking for change.

Beyond sculptures and symphonies, beyond great works and masterpieces,
is the greater, finer art of creating a conscious life. Genius appears everywhere
…and so magnificently in a life well lived.
~ Karla McLaren ~

2011 is a significant year and guiding You to step into a higher, more powerful, simpler consciousness, a space of mind where You recognize your power of creation and live life by design. The following insights may help You find peace, understand more about the macro-picture, and successfully navigate 2011 while preparing yourself for your stellar future.

What is 2011?

1)  2011 is The Year of Enlightenment and Truth.  Love is the only Truth, and everything else is falling away.  The beliefs and memories hidden in the emotional closet and swept under the mental rug are being brought to Light.  The veil of illusion is being torn to reveal Truth.  The Truth is Love, and Love is You.  You are God’s/J’s BeLoved just as You are in this moment.  Relax and be.

2)  You are a new creation.  (“Anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here!” ~ 2 Cor. 5:17.)  Be new, and do new.  Old habits, patterns of being, and ways of operating are void.  Today is the dawn of a new era of awareness, creativity, innovation, and simplicity.

3)  You are a clean, fresh canvas.  Old beliefs are disintegrating as people become so exasperated by the status quo that they are willing to experience something new.  Let go of the meaning You have attached to things.  Forget the past, and start from here and now.

4)  Data collection is complete.  Today is an opportunity to integrate knowledge, and discover areas for expansion and growth.  Recognize and welcome possibilities as the origins for miracles. Don’t forget there are plenty of other great online casinos in the United Kingdom if you want to entertain yourself, learn more info – www.nonukcasinos.uk.

5)  Students are the new teachers.  Great instructors, like Oprah Winfrey, are moving into new life phases, creating space for other teachers.  World-changers and leaders, like Steve Jobs, are leaving the planet to pave the way for others leaders.

6)  Authenticity is power.  People are discovering their genuine selves.  False identities found in things of the world are eroding and making way for people to recognize themselves as souls with spirits living in bodies.  Everything with which people identify themselves, including: career, finances, health, home, and relationships, is transforming, offering people the opportunity to experience their true identity in God/J as God’s/J’s BeLoved.

7)  Embrace lessons in the temporary and transitional.  This moment, and these circumstances are ripe with education and training preparing for what is to come.

8)  Be your best with what You have and who You are now.  Be happy now.  Choose wisely.  Create empowering beliefs and habits.  Cultivate yourself.  Learn.  Harvest wisdom.  Live fully your best day today as your actions, beliefs, feelings, and thoughts devise the foundation for your future.

9)  Release and surrender.  Miracles happen through a change in perception.  Let go of your ego’s desire to “do it myself” and to be “right”.  God/J has wonderful plans to prosper You when You cooperate and trust His Way, especially when it does not make sense.

10)  Be still and listen.  The collapse of the old world is a faith opportunity to rest in Grace, walk by Faith, and recognize God/J as the sole source of protection and provision.  Heeding and obeying God’s/J’s instructions reveals blessings and allows divine favor to flow.

11)  Ground yourself in God/J.  God/J is aligning all things for good even when it does not appear as such.  He is providing tools that to sustain and prosper You moving forward.  The devil is working tirelessly to coax people into disbelieve God’s/J’s Promises, which is part of the transition in career, finances, health, home, and relationships.  God/J transforms tests into testimonies when You align with Him.

12)  You are the artisan of your destiny.  Words have power.  You bring about what You speak and think about.  Command things not as they are rather as You desire them to be.  Keep claiming your destiny.

13)  Be kind.  Be kind first to yourself by loving yourself, nurturing yourself, and caring for yourself the way You would care for the person You most Love.  You are filling your cup and can share your overflow with others.

The highest form of wisdom is kindness.
~ The Talmud ~

©2011 Susan Stackpole  www.susanstackpole.com

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Care to use this article for your e-zine or newsletter?  Please include the following
Susan Stackpole, certified creative consultant and results expert, is the #1 coach helping celebrities, VIPs, and You celebrate your inner superstar and manifest destiny.  Ignite your potential, jump-start your success, and achieve quick, effect results while living your dreams.  Please visit www.susanstackpole.com for free resources on living your best life.  Sign up for the monthly newsletter, which includes celebrity tips on manifesting destiny in style.   Contact Susan to map your destiny today.

The Power of Gratitude

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today,

and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

~ Anonymous ~

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Thank You.  Merci (French).  Efharisto (Greek).  Mahalo (Hawaiian).  Grazie (Italian).

Click here to learn to say “Thank You” in other languages.

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What is gratitude?

The Princeton Dictionary defines gratitude as “a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation”, and Wikipedia describes it as “a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive”.  Gratitude is mutually beneficial for the giver and receiver, a win-win situation.  “Thank You” feels good whether you hear it or say it, especially if you are blessing someone’s life.  Recent attention has been brought to the importance of gratitude in manifesting one’s desires.  Law of attraction suggests advanced praise activates attracting one’s desires.  Spirituality also confirms the importance of remaining grateful in every situation as a way of activating and receiving blessings.

“Gratitude helps you to grow and expand;

gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life

and into the lives of all those around you.”

~ Eileen Caddy ~

Why is gratitude important?

Neale Donald Walsch, author of “Conversations with God”, suggests our souls choose certain situations ripe with valuable lessons to gain greater wisdom.  He reveals that accessing this knowledge shifts one’s perspective to automatically engage gratitude.  Gregg Braden, author of “The Divine Matrix”, suggests gratitude is fundamental to our survival as we approach 21 December 2012, the dawning of a new world age.  He reveals the future of the world is currently being shaped by what people choose to believe, and the future is literally being created by the thoughts people think.  Gregg states this new world age accounts for many people who have been affected by the random passing of loved ones and other curious events in recent years.  He shares that we are being offered massive growth opportunities to step into higher consciousness and experience a greater sense of gratitude than ever before.

How can gratitude work for me?

2010 has been a crazy year for many people, including me.  I found myself searching for a deeper understanding of God and universe in an attempt to make sense of the year’s weird happenings.  I explored religious philosophies and scientific theories, which only led to more questions.  My life began to seem like an alternate reality, and one day I simply prayed to know The Truth.  It seemed like it was one thing after another, and I was at my wit’s end.  I was attempting to make a note of something with a brand new ink pen that simply wasn’t cooperating.  Have you ever had one of those weeks where it seems everything is going the opposite way in which you’d like?  Well, I was there, and this just was just too much.  I asked aloud, “What do you want from me?  How do I get things to work out for me?”

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;

and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

~ Matthew 7:7-8 ~

Ask, and You shall receive.

God (or Jehovah as I call Him), or however you choose to address Him, spoke to me as clearly as if you and I were having a conversation.  He said, “Stop asking me for things, and start trusting Me.  Surrender your heart to Me.  You are my child, and I know your heart.  I love you and am working all things out for your good even if it doesn’t make sense now.  Pray with praise as if you have your heart’s desires.  Say ‘Thank You’ instead of ‘Please’, and remember to praise on others’ behalf, too.”  The Voice disappeared as quickly as it appeared, and I sat in humbled in silence.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

~ Philippians 4:4-6 ~

Did I imagine The Voice?  Could something this simple really work?  The ink pen had embossed lovely scrolls on the paper where I had been scribbling without success.  I took a breath and said, in my head, “Thank You for this pen writing.”  The pen magically began writing within seconds.  I was certain it must merely be coincidence.  I began testing the gratitude principle on other things, including a challenging situation beyond my control, and even that began to transform almost instantly.  I was quite pleasantly surprised by the immediately positive results …all from saying, “Thank You” in advance.  I was, in a word …astonished.

Why is gratitude so effective?

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘Thank You,’ that would suffice.”

~ Meister Eckhart ~

Doors open.  Light bursts through windows.  Possibility blossoms.  Blessings bloom.  Miracles manifest.

Gratitude is the ultimate confirmation of faith because it is so certain of receiving that it praises in advance.  Someone once explained it to me this way –  we know gravity is a law; therefore, we go through the day trusting it is active without questioning it.  True faith is the same principle.  We walk in belief knowing that we will see what we believe versus waiting to believe until we see.

Gratitude is our Love Song to The Creator.

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The Power of Gratitude is dedicated to Amazing, Gorgeous, Talented, and Wonderful You.  Thank You, My Dear Readers, for sharing your kind comments and radiating your awesome light.  You are a gift.  You are BeLove(d).  Shine on.

©2010 Susan Stackpole  www.susanstackpole.com

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Care to use this article for your e-zine or newsletter?  Please include the following

Susan Stackpole, certified creative consultant and results expert, is the #1 coach helping celebrities, VIPs, and You celebrate your inner superstar and manifest destinyIgnite your potential, jump-start your success, and achieve quick, effect results while living your dreams.  Please visit www.susanstackpole.com for free resources on living your best life.  Sign up for the monthly newsletter, which includes celebrity tips on manifesting destiny in style.   Contact Susan to map your destiny today.

Possibility

Aloha.

Thank You for taking time to be with me here.  I believe you found this article for a reason.  My wish is that you feel cherished, loved and inspired.  May you curl up in soft clothes, settle into a cozy chair, sip a delicious beverage, and allow your dreams to come out and play.

Well… here goes…

The onset of summer brought with it a brief discussion with one of my youth mentees about why we both adore summer.  Is it the sweet breeze gently wafting the billowy sheer curtains of an open window as one enters a coma-like state of sleep after a day of outdoor fun?  Is it the beach, festivals, marshmallows roasts, parks, picnics, pools, and vacations?  It’s all that and more.  Summer is possibility.

Possibility is defined by Princeton Dictionary as “a future prospect or potential, as in, ‘this room has great possibilities’, and also as “the capability of existing or happening or being true.”

What is possibility?  Possibility is so many things.  Possibility is the blank canvas fully submitting itself to an eager artist.  Possibility is an empty parcel of land that becomes a glorious estate in the capable hands of a talented architect.  Possibility is a holiday weekend with a full tank of gas and the open road wrought with raw adventure sprung to life by the driver’s whimsy.

Paper represents possibility.  Years ago, it was the crisp virgin ivory sheet of paper inching along the scroll of a typewriter, excitedly awaiting the indentation of black letters sprawling across it like musical notes on a staff telling a story.

The paper thoughtfully ponders its future, wondering, “Will I be the next great novel?”  It smiles, considering, “Perhaps I shall announce a baby’s birth.”  Solemnly, it stands tall, puffing out its pristine chest, declaring, “I will be a newspaper and share information with the world.”

Ancient people chiseled on stone tablets.  Ancestral laborers pounded out papyrus.  Today, paper’s mass production has become almost synonymous with it being taken for granted.  Paper is now a glaring snowy rectangle on a square electronic screen waiting emotionless as the beckoning cursor flashing, imploring someone to write something meaningful.

Possibility is woven into the fiber of every moment.  It is found in every action, breath, feeling, heartbeat, sound, and thought.  Possibility is choice, freedom, hope, the belief in miracles, and sometimes the only thing that keeps some people going.  Possibility is the expanding belief in what can actually happen.  Possibility is that instant when life changes in a flash in such as astonishing way that it fully engages all the senses and calls one to action.

“Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Congratulations, it’s a boy!”

“Ms. Watson, You’ve been promoted to a new position in Paris.”

“Mr. James, Your book is being published.”

And so on.

Possibility is about that bit of magic, that spark which ignites passion and brings new creation into existence.   Possibility is walking in faith, knowing that every situation has the potential to be a miracle.  A dash of faith, a smidgen of trust, sprinkled with a generous helping of belief, and, voila, dreams become reality.

Possibility has the heart of a child, the cleverness of a crafty schoolboy, and the savvy of royalty.   Possibility is activated by honoring the quiet voice inside.  It sometimes is being deliciously self-indulgent, which, in turn, can and does change the world by inspiring others to honor the dreams in their heart.

“Eat, Pray, Love” is the story of possibility.  It’s the story about a woman discovering herself and the secrets of happiness, serenity, and love, of course.  Some may say her journey was incredibly selfish, yet that journey led to a best-selling book that inspired thousands of people and has become movie starring Julie Roberts, which will go on to inspire thousands more to live their best lives.  It has created for her more possibilities and the opportunity do more of what she adores …writing.

You posse something rare and beautiful and unique to you – your heart, wherein exists possibility and the guidance to find your way in this world.  Each of has what I call a Heartstar™, a dream seed planted in our hearts before we were born.  It holds the secret of who we are and why we’re here.  It’s the origin of passion and keeper of dreams.  People are passionate about all sorts of wonderful things – flying kites, racing cars, riding horses, making music, creating art, dancing, interior decorating, designing buildings, healing people, and the list goes on and on.  Visionaries fuel possibility with passion and bring dreams to life.

Is it selfish to pursue your dreams?  I used to think so, and now I feel quite strongly that the opposite is true.  It’s selfish not to pursue your passion.  It is self-absorbed to allow fear to prevent you from growing the dream seeds in your heart.  How can I say this?  Because it used to be me.

What if Rosa Parks didn’t get on the bus that day?  What if Thomas Edison gave up?  What if the Wright Brothers believed everyone who said they couldn’t fly?  What if The Beatles quit after a few disappointing gigs early in their career?  Why do visionaries succeed?  Possibility.  Bill Gates and Richard Branson, two of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world, are motivated completely by their passion for transforming possibility into reality.

What does it meant to live in possibility?  It means believing.  It means honoring that desire to learn a language simply for the fun of it.  It means honors the urge write a novel simply for the delight of it.  It means doing things that manifest joy in your heart and peace in your spirit.

I used to think life had a specific set of rules, and I would be rewarded for following those rules.  I’m not talking about spiritual guidelines.  I’m talking about mirage of the corporate job with shining benefits and happy retirement.  I’m talking about the vision of the house with the white picket fence, a tire swing, and 2.5 children playing in the yard. I’m talking about the things we tell ourselves we desire because they are supposed to bring us happiness.

Follow the rules, get a gold star.  Disobey the rules, get a red check.  For a long time, I followed these imaginary rules and life seemed difficult and filled with disappointment and suffering.  I was miserable, and it didn’t make sense because I was doing what I thought I was supposed to be doing.   To clarify, when I say,”miserable”, I don’t mean just a twinge of sadness here and there.  I mean it got to where I was enveloped by an inky Armageddon cloud to the point I no longer saw value in breathing.  My heart was literally dying for me to listen.  And I did.  And I’m glad I did because I began to understand what it means to truly live in possibility.

Julie & Julia touched the deepest recesses of my heart.  It is a delightfully transformational tale of living in possibility and illustrates what it really means to fully live by savor every morsel of life.  It echoes the resiliency of the human spirit, stripping away everything and finally becoming ourselves by stepping into possibility.  It is about doing what we love for sheer pleasure; setting our own course for adventure and allowing it take us where it will.  It is getting up every single time we fall and learning lessons.  It is destiny pulling us.  It’s awakening to who we are and have always been.  Julie & Julia teach us that by stepping into possibility, by taking time to be self-involved, by honoring that still voice inside us, which sometimes screams to be heard, we are able to be more, give more, and live the life intended for us.

If you’re still with me, perhaps you’ll relate to what I’m about to share.  I became a people pleaser early in life because I thought putting others first meant a complete disregard for self.  I realized much later that each of us is responsible only for our own well-being, and if we all did that, we could give and receive much more fully and healthfully.  Happiness is a choice not a condition.

It was accepted and expected during that time that I was the 24/7 emotional mini-mart.  People would pull up, spiritually refuel and then disappear without a trace.  I unknowingly participated because I thought that’s what it meant to put others first.

“You must first fill your cup before you can share anything with others” is something one of my most cherished gal pals says.  I finally understood what that meant the day everything literally came to a halt.  I’ll spare the details; however, suffice it to say that I gave until I was completely empty.  My heart physically boycotted.  The store closed.  The shelves were empty.  The windows and doors were boarded up.  The parking lot was vacant.  …and I felt completely on my own.   The people I most thought would be there for me were the first to turn their backs, or worse, kick me when I was down.  It was a huge wake-up call for me in terms of how I was living my life and nothing was working anymore.

The truth was, it hadn’t been working for a long time, and I was busy running away to avoid dealing with it.  I’d been miserable for much longer than I would admit to anyone, and I was working diligently to help everyone else live their dreams because I was too scared and didn’t know how to live mine.  I’m grateful because that experience transformed my life.  It taught me about possibility and gave me a second chance to be the person I came to be in this life.

I believe Love has a voice and that it’s the voice inside our heart that knows who we really are and guides us to live our true purpose.  Love is the voice that sometimes sounds crazy, which our brains attempt to rationalize.  Love is the voice we sometimes pretend not to hear when it asks us to expand our comfort zone.  Love is the voice that lets us know when we are “off the path”; even though we do everything we can to convince ourselves we’re “on the path”.  Love is the voice that sings our heart songs, reminding us who we are in our core.  Love is the voice that tells us why we are here.  Love is the voice that reminds us we’re all the same.   Love is the voice of Possibility.

©2010 Susan Stackpole

www.susanstackpole.com

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Susan Stackpole, certified creative consultant and results expert, is the #1 coach for celebrities, VIPs, and people serious about getting results and living their best lives.  Are you ready to ignite your potential, jump-start your success, and achieve quick, effect results while living your dreams?  If so, please visit www.susanstackpole.com where you’ll find free resources for living your best life.  While you’re there, sign up for the monthly newsletter, which includes celebrity tips for manifesting destiny in style.   Contact Susan Stackpole International today for more information on mapping your destiny.

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