Gratitude is the elixir that changes everything.
Here’s an excerpt from Pray–30 Prayers for the Universal Soul. It’s a Prayer of Thanksgiving.
En-joy.
“Great God, Mighty Creator,
…Thank You for the Life Force which is my vitality.
Thank You that I have a rump to sit on.
Thank You that sometimes, God, You sit me down to do nothing so I can let You do everything.
Thank You that skin covers my body. How would I live without my beautiful caramel skin?
Thank You that I am surrounded with protection.
Thank You for the fingers gripping the pen which flows now gracefully from word to word across a white expanse of paper.
Thank You that I can reach out with holy hands and do Your holy work in the world.
Thank You for knuckles.
Thank You for teaching me to be flexible in my approach to all things.
Thank You for the skull which protects my brain. How would I live life without a skull?
Thank You for protection on all sides.
Thank You for my knees. They bend and bend and bend and rarely, if ever, complain.
Thank You for teaching me to drop down and pray.
Thank You for the cellulite on my thighs. It’s just confirmation that I’ve been eating food.
Thank You for the things in life we sometimes call unattractive, forgetting that they are gifts….
Thank You for palms. They’ve held hands and hearts and money and ideas and secrets and cares and hurts and the weight of the world when I forgot to pray. They’ve dug and waved and clapped and smacked and rubbed and pointed and shared and given and held and uplifted and praised and shaken and carried and patted and pressed and smoothed and formed and shaped and created and written and gestured and silenced and shoved and pushed and led and guided and protected and wiped and soothed.
These hands. These precious and amazing hands.
Thank You for my hands. Thank You for my holy hands, doing Your holy work….
Amen.
Tags: Gratitude, how to pray, inspirational messages, prayer, words of inspiration
Quitting, Obstacle and Resistance went out to lunch.
“Something’s got to be done about Commitment,” Quitting complained, “she’s taking over, and she’s messing up my game.”
“You too? I’m having issues with her myself.” Resistance began his tale of woe…
“The other day I went to visit Spiritual Seeker, trying to see what I could do to stop her from going to the next level. Usually, I’m pretty effective, so I just tried the same old thing I always do.”
“Uh-huh…” Obstacle was hanging on Resistance’s every word. “What happened?”
“Commitment had gotten there before me. Can you believe Spiritual Seeker had committed to a daily practice of prayer and meditation, and I couldn’t get in edgewise!”
“Aw man, that’s just not fair!” Quitting was getting more heated by the second.
“Well let me tell you what happened to me,” Obstacle chimed in. “I went to get in the way of Successful Businessperson the other day, and guess what?”
“What?” both Quitting & Resistance sung.
“Commitment was right there with him, sitting in his office, while he was making his business decisions. She’s relentless. When I came in, trying to throw myself in front of him, getting in the way as best I could, she just held his hand and he stepped right over me. I was floored, literally!”
Now Resistance was mad.
“That’s not the worst of it!” Quitting told his woe tale next. “I was working on Studious Student for the longest. You know her grades aren’t that good. I thought I almost had her to the point of giving up, but then, out the clear blue sky, that darned Commitment showed up, and it was over for me! All my hard work, down the drain.”
“Like I said, she’s messing up my game! I think that dame is trying to kill us.”
All of a sudden, Obstacle got a strange and curious look on his face.
“Do you notice that when Commitment is around, the people we’re trying to work on don’t even seem to notice us? It’s like we don’t even exist! I’m tired of being treated like a second class citizen every time she shows up!”
“Yeah!” Quitting and Resistance chimed, while trying to figure how to do Commitment in.
Except that Quitting gave up on the idea, and Resistance couldn’t get going. Knowing he’d have no chance against Commitment on his own, Obstacle went home with his head hung low.
If you’re letting Quitting, Resistance & Obstacle get the better of you, call on your girl Commitment. She’ll get rid of that three-some in no time.
Blessings,
VAL
From The Teachings of Abraham, Esther and Jerry Hicks share that there is only one thing that ever stands in the way between us and anything we want:
RESISTANCE
That’s right, our own resistance is the only thing that ever keeps us from experiencing what we desire.
Why would we do that? Why would we resist our own good?
That’s a good question, especially considering that life could be a party most of the time, if we allowed our good.
Hence this post, 7 Reasons We Resist Our Good.
Of course, none of the reasons are true, and none of them carry us any closer to what we want.
Shining the light on these error patterns of thinking exposes them for the lies they are. And, a quote from a sacred text is offered to move past limiting beliefs and resistance to our own good.
Here we go:
∞
1. I just feel so unworthy.
Thoughts and feelings of unworthiness will keep you out of the kingdom, meaning they will keep you from your good.
A Course In Miracles, Lesson 35: “My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.”
∞
2. I’ve been such a bad person, I don’t think I could ever make up for it. When I think about some of the things I’ve done, I feel so bad about myself.
Feelings of guilt and shame block your good from coming to you.
Isaiah 54:4 — “Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of they widowhood any more.”
∞
3. I don’t deserve to have what I want, so I’ll just settle for this instead…
Thoughts and feelings of underservedness causes you to settle for less than your absolute best and your overflowing good. Exercise your spiritual entitlement, which comes from being a child of God.
A Course In Miracles, Lesson 77: “I am entitled to miracles.”
∞
4. I don’t know how to get what I want.
You don’t have to know how to get what you want, the Universe knows how to get you what you want and is more than elated to get it to you. Remember, whenever you ask ‘how’ something is going to happen, you are minding God’ business.
A Course In Miracles, Lesson 71: “Only God’s plan for salvation will work.”
∞
5. I want it, but I’ve never had that before.
Going beyond your current experience is what life is all about: growth, expansion, being bigger, better, stronger than you were yesterday.
3 John 1:2 — “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
∞
6. If I really go for what I want, I might lose friends and people along the way. They may not like me anymore.
And?
Psalm 27:10 — “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.”
∞
7. I’ve tried so many times before. The defeats have been crushing. Trying so hard and falling so hard doesn’t feel good. It seems that every time I give it all I’ve got, I hit a brick wall and get knocked down. I don’t have the strength to keep getting up.
Get up one more time. And one more time. And one more time. That’s all you ever have to do: get up just one more time.
Luke 18:27 — “He replied, “What is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God.”
∞
You are worthy, deserving and entitled to the highest & fullest expression of God as you, which manifests as overflowing abundance; vibrant and youthful health; sublime happiness; unending joy; harmonious & supportive relationships; fun; and every good thing.
∞
The best part of it is: God has already given them all to you.
All you have to do is drop all resistance and receive your good.
Divinely delicious, isn’t it?
Let’s hear your comments below…
Be blessed!!!
VAL
P.S. — If you liked this post, check out the post: You Are Never Alone…
And, if you want to pick up Esther & Jerry Hicks book Ask & It Is Given (a personal favorite) and The Law of Attraction–The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham (another favorite), here are the links:
Enjoy!!!
Tags: inspirational messages, inspirational words, Law of Attraction, motivation, positive thoughts, positive words, Valerie Love
I confess. This past weekend I dipped into overwhelm.
So today I’m sharing some of my overwhelm thoughts, along with the Divine answers to each, with the intention of supporting us all in knowing that there is always plenty of everything, including time, resources, ability, support and capacity to do anything we’re divinely charged with.
∞
Overwhelm Thought: This is too much to do! It’s humanly impossible!
Divine Answer: That may be accurate, what you have to do may not be humanly possible. Yet all things are possible with God. Get on your knees.
∞
Overwhelm Thought: There’s not enough hours in the day!
Divine Answer: There’s always plenty of time to do the things you really desire to do, and that are in accord with your divine purpose and with God’s highest idea for your life. Besides, time isn’t real. It can be bent to accommodate your will.
Remember, you are a reality creator of the highest order.
∞
Overwhelm Thought: I need help!!!
Divine Answer: Ask for support. This is a universe of mutual support; all you have to do is ask and be open, ready and willing to receive support.
The I-can-do-it-all-by-myself thought and the if-you-want-something-done-right-you’ve-got-to-do-it-yourself belief both have to die in order to gracefully and gratefully receive support.
Most of us would rather give than receive. We associate receiving with being weak and powerless, like something’s wrong with the people who can’t do it all by themselves. The exact opposite is actually true: you tap into your innate supernatural powerful when you know the Universe supports you and you become an open and accepting receiver of that support.
∞
Overwhelm Thought: I’ll never finish all this.
Divine Answer: How do you eat an elephant? A bite at a time.
∞
Overwhelm Thought: This is due and I’m not even near finished!!!
Divine Answer: Breathe. Pray. Know that whatever isn’t finished today can be tackled with freshness tomorrow. Give yourself a break. Take a walk. Relax. All is well, and everything is FOR you. Then, after you’ve calmed yourself and your spirit, go to the individual/party that is expecting that completed project. Share honestly and truthfully where you are with it and re-negotiate a new time-line that works for both of you.
Then set an intention (before you go back to work) to experience ease and excellence in the completion of your project, and that all aspects of it are coming together, in this right now moment, better than you can even imagine.
Remind yourself that the universe can awe you with its ability and willingness to instantly and elegantly do whatever you need done.
So there you have a few Divine Answers to overwhelm. What do you do to effectively decrease and eliminate feelings of overwhelm? Share your comments below…
Until next time, stay calm. All is well.
VAL
Tags: inspiration, inspirational messages, motivation, positive thoughts, Valerie Love, wisdom of life, words of inspiration
For years I struggled with how to say no. And mean it. As a result, I got myself caught up in things I really didn’t want to be in, or doing, with people I really didn’t want to be with.
In the process of growth, we realize, somewhere along the way, that we’ve got to have a strong NO to get anywhere in life, especially to live big dreams.
So I’m presenting here 22 Ways to Say No.
Before presenting the ways to say no, four reminders are in order:
1. If low self worth and/or low self esteem are operating at high levels in your consciousness, you’ll continue to be challenged in saying no.
Another way of putting it is: the more self-love, self-appreciation, self-worth and self-esteem you develop and acknowledge, the more comfortable you’ll become with saying no.
∞
2. When you don’t have a strong YES, you won’t have a strong no.
Another way of putting it is: When you take a stand in your life for what you believe in, when you decide to live on purpose–no matter what it exacts from you, and when you decide what you’re FOR, you can easily articulate what you’re NOT FOR.
Example: A strong stand for peace means NO to arguments and conflicts.
∞
3. When you are more concerned with what other people think of you than you are with what you think of you, you won’t have a strong no.
Another way of putting it is: when you know your truth–which arises from the core of your soul, from the deepest parts of your being, from your heart and from your Spirit–and you stand in it, you’ll know that this is the only thing that really matters, and everyone else’s input is simply food for thought, not law.
∞
4. If you need other people’s permission to say no, you’re in trouble.
Another way of putting it is: once you say no, mean it. End the conversation. Your decision has been made. Don’t make your into a question. It’s a statement.
∞
Here’s How To Say No–22 Ways. Have fun with them and always infuse your responses with love:
1. “Check back with me in 24 months.” (This short circuits people who try to rush you into saying yes.)
♥
2. “Thanks but no thanks.” (It’s important not to get huffy or mad with the person for asking you something you think is out of the question. Thank them.)
♥
3. “Thank you for asking, but that’s just not for me.”
♥
4. “Perhaps that would work in another time and space–it doesn’t work where I am now. But thank you for asking.”
♥
5. “I’ll consider it in prayer and get back to you within 12 months.”
♥
6. “No thank you. What else do you want to talk about?”
♥
7. “That is a project I would love to do, however my plate is full. Thank you for asking!” (Use this one only if it’s true, there are some projects you would love to do, but you can’t say yes to them all at the same time.)
♥
8. “It doesn’t align with my purpose.”
♥
9. “My coach has challenged me to stay on purpose and that isn’t purposeful for me. Thanks for asking.” (Great for deflecting the focus away from you if you’re just beginning to flex your no muscles.)
♥
10. “My coach challenged me to under-commit myself, so I’ll pass.”
♥
11. “That idea doesn’t work for me. What other ideas do you have?” (If you’re saying no to a specific idea, but not to the whole proposition.)
♥
12. “That idea doesn’t work for me… here’s what would work for me…” (then state what would work for you.)
♥
13. “I’m working on a project now that requires my full attention and focus. When I’m done, I’ll contact you.”
♥
14. “Let me ask Jesus and I’ll get back to you in 40 days.”
♥
or
“Let me ask my Inner Being and I’ll get back to you in 40 days.”
♥
or
“Let me ask Buddha and I’ll get back to you in 40 days.”
♥
or
“Let me ask Allah and I’ll get back to you in 40 days.”
♥
or
“Let me ask the Goddess and I’ll get back to you in 40 days.”
♥
or
“Let me ask ____________(name of your deity) and I’ll get back to you in 40 days.”
♥
15. “I’ll be fasting for clarity in the new year. I’ll include your request. You’ll hear from me in late January if it’s a go.”
♥
16. “Sounds like a great idea. I’m not interested but I think _________ would be. Is it okay if I give her/him your number?”
♥
17. “Sounds like a winner! I won’t be participating, but I wish you amazing success!”
♥
18. “I’m honored you thought of me! I’ve got my hands full now so I won’t be participating. Thank you anyway!”
♥
19. “That sounds fascinating! However I’m not taking on any new projects at this time. Be blessed in your undertaking!”
♥
20. “I’m not in the market for an opportunity like this right now. Thank you anyway!”
♥
21. “I’d love to spend time with your little darlings. Let’s schedule a time next year.” (For those of you who can’t say no to those lovely babysitting opportunities… can you tell I’m being sarcastic…)
♥
22. “I don’t feel like it.” (Works amazingly well with kids and mates, though you may have to repeat it several times before it really hits them. I tried this one Thanksgiving vacation when I wanted to just sit down and watch movies. The family had every imaginable request while I was laying back in the massage chair watching Tyler Perry. I just kept saying “I don’t feel like it” and it worked… they didn’t know what to do with that one.)
♥
Tip: For persistent people who keep asking, repeat your NO response 3 times, only slightly varying the wording. They will get the point, unless they are incredibly dense.
There you have it, you are now fully equipped to say NO!
Your NO is not just in words, it’s in your being, which will be reflected in your demeanor and your tone as you deliver your NO powerfully.
For it to be effective, your NO must arise from inner strength.
Remember, your life is to be lived on your terms, not someone else’s.
Love you,
VAL
Tags: Daily Inspiration, how to say no, inspiration, inspirational messages, motivation
Sometimes I get too serious.
Most times I’m working on my business, or working with coaching clients, or writing books and blogs, or speaking and conducting workshops, and I’m in school.
Because I love what I do, I don’t always remember to pull myself away from it, just to have fun.
So I’m sharing here a snippet from my upcoming book about having FUN!
Yep, stuff you do just because…
Just because it curls your toes in pure delight…
Just because…
I’m talking about constructive fun. What’s constructive fun? It feels good, it’s good for you, it’s good for those around you and it’s good for the planet.
Nuff said. Here’s the list of 50… and remember to HAVE FUN today!!!
1. Ride in a swing at the park.
2. Ride a roller coaster.
3. Chase butterflies (but don’t catch any).
4. Go white water rafting.
5. Lay on the beach.
6. Sit on the edge of the pool and swirl your feet around in the water.
7. Go roller skating with a bunch of kids.
8. Have a milkshake.
9. Climb a tree.
10. Take a cruise.
11. Dance.
12. Dance naked.
13. Have a pillow fight.
14. Fly a kite.
15. Play Frisbee with your dog.
16. Pet your cat.
17. Go to Disneyworld.
18. Laugh.
19. Smile.
20. Lay on the grass and cloud gaze.
21. Hang upside down on the monkey bars.
22. Race your kid.
23. Chase your kids.
24. Play tag.
25. Tickle your kids.
26. Tickle your partner.
27. Get tickled.
28. Go on a road trip with good friends.
29. Do a laughing meditation.
30. Watch cartoons in your pajamas.
31. Walk barefoot on the beach.
32. Make someone laugh by being silly.
33. Have an impromptu picnic.
34. Look for seashells.
35. Go snorkeling.
36. Learn to surf.
37. Tumble.
38. Make a snowman.
39. Make snow angels.
40. Have a snowball fight.
41. Play hide and seek with the kids.
42. Play hide and seek with the adults.
43. Play Simon Says.
44. Roll down a hill.
45. Put a happy face sticker on the greeter in Walmart.
46. Hug the mailman.
47. Hug the UPS guy.
48. Take a nap.
49. Watch old comedy shows from the 80’s.
50. Pretend you’re a duck for the day (don’t go to work as a duck).
Join in the conversation below…. what do you do for fun? Keep it clean!!! (-;
Blessings!
VAL
Tags: how to have fun, inspiration, motivation
The other day, on my morning walk, I noticed that the tree at the end of my street was barer than it was a few days ago.
Fall is approaching. Leaves were strewn around the base of the tree, lying this way and that, some being gently rustled by the soft wind.
It occurred to me in that moment that trees don’t mind what happens.
Every year, they lose all their clothing. Not just some of their clothing, all of it. All their leaves drop to the ground over the course of several weeks. And the trees don’t mind at all.
When considering how attached to things we as humans can be, I’d think that losing all my clothing every few months would be just one of the many challenges of being a tree.
Plus, trees have to stand outside, in the bone-numbing cold and in the sweltering heat. They take the wind, and the downpour, the lightning and the snow. And they don’t mind at all.
In a way, we’re all subject to the same things trees are.
We lose things: clothing, people, money, jobs, stuff. And we’re not usually as graceful about it as trees are. Some of us find it hard to let go.
And we’re all subject to the seasons of life: cold winds blow, the heat gets turned on, rainy seasons come, and lightning and thunder can make their visitations too.
Here’s a powerful teaching from J. Krishnamurti:
“This is my secret.
I don’t mind what happens.”
Wow.
I’m working on that one, because I still mind what happens.
I mind when things don’t go the way I wanted them to.
I mind when people say things I don’t like.
I mind when I’m having a conversation with someone and they absolutely don’t see things my way.
I still mind what happens. And sometimes I mind a lot. A whole lot.
So my lesson from the tree–in silent surrender–was to learn, on a deeper level, to not mind what happens; to disentangle myself from the web of attachments…
attachments to people
attachments to outcomes
attachments to having it my way
attachments to the status quo.
There’s a peace that settles in when we don’t mind what happens. There’s a stillness, a calm center, that can’t be rocked by the events and happenings of the outside world. From this place, it’s easier to not mind what happens.
When we’re thinking too much, it’s easy to mind what happens. The ego is only too anxious to tell us how much we don’t like what’s going on, and how much we wish it would be some other way.
The issue is, it’s not some other way. It is what it is, and the sooner we come to peace with the right now moment, whatever it looks like, the better life becomes, in every way.
Trees don’t mind what happens.
Do you?
Tags: inspiration, inspirational messages, motivation, Spiritual Life Coaching, wisdom of life, words of inspiration
We’ve all got them, those excuses we use when things don’t turn out quite the way we had hoped, planned or anticipated.
I call them canned excuses.
They’re the so-called reasons we use for giving up when the road to the realization of our goals is harder than we had anticipated.
Some even start new endeavors with a canned excuse held in reserve–in the back of the mind–ready for use when things don’t turn out well.
It happened to a business associate of mine recently. She started her new business endeavor, ready to excel, after having done research and deciding that the business was perfect for her.
She dived enthusiastically in, making calls to prospective business partners to build her business.
Then life happened.
First she had an unexpected financial setback.
Then she found that the learning curve in her new business was steep, which meant learning lots of things she didn’t know before.
Feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, she gave up.
But not without an excuse.
The excuse was that it was too difficult to build her business now, without a job (even though she had been out of work specifically looking for a business to start) and that she needed money now.
It’s a canned excuse I recognized well, I’ve used it myself. Not the job part, but the money part I could definitely relate to.
You see, one of my canned excuses was, ‘I don’t have the money to do that’.
It was a complete lie, a fabrication, but to me, it was legitimate.
The truth is, money never stops anyone from doing anything they really want to do. It hasn’t ever stopped me, and it probably hasn’t ever stopped you. What you really, really, really wanted to do, you did. You found a way to make it happen. You might not have had all the money when you first got the idea, but somehow, the money showed up.
Why?
Because what you were going for was far more important to you than your excuses. It had meaning for you. You had to make it happen. And you did.
But when there’s something we’re going for that’s bigger than anything we’ve ever done before, and when it exacts more of us than we thought it would, and the road becomes really tough, and the negating voice is saying ‘just quit, this is too hard’, that’s when we have a choice…
Either we’ll press on and win by achieving a new level of success,
or
we’ll back down and quit, offering one of our canned excuses as the reason it didn’t work out.
A whopping 80% of people who start out in network marketing companies quit. I use this example because I love network marketing and have belonged to several, all of which were profitable for me.
Yet, there seems to be a contingent of folks (they may even be the majority) who’ll try a network marketing company for a few weeks or months (or sometimes only days) and quit, offering a canned excuse like, ‘it doesn’t work like they say it does’ or ‘the product is not really all it’s cracked up to be’ or some other thing they’ll make up about why they didn’t succeed.
The same folks seem to say the same things over and over again (only slightly varying the excuses).
Don’t do that to yourself.
If you’re going to quit, just say you’re quitting because you bit off more than you could chew, or because you’re riddled with fear, or because you don’t know how to do the new thing you’re trying to do.
Don’t turn to one of your tired, worn out, canned excuses because…
Excuses keep you out of responsibility.
Excuses are the pain-killers you use to make yourself feel good when you quit.
Excuses are the crutches you use to hobble around in mediocrity.
Excuses are the stories you make up to convince yourself (and others) that there was no way you could have succeeded.
There’s a saying in the network marketing world: ‘you can either make excuses, or you can make money, but you can’t make both’.
For me, it means that excuses are never productive. They’re masks, lies, impediments to greatness, and they destroy your ability to reach your potential.
Don’t do that to yourself.
Become aware of your canned excuses, your so-called reasons to stay out of greatness.
Be aware of the stories you make up that don’t get you anywhere.
Be aware.
Be very aware.
The next time you speak to someone about why something didn’t work out for you, be aware of what’s falling out of your mouth and ask yourself two questions about what you’re saying:
- Is this true? (Let your Inner Being answer, not your human self.)
- Have I ever said this before (about some other situation)?
The answers will be telling.
Love you all the way into mindful living,
VAL
P.S. — Feel free to leave any of your old canned excuses in the comments below, you know, the ones you don’t use anymore. Once you recognize a canned excuse, you can easily let it go!
Tags: achievement, conscious living, Destiny Living, inspirational messages, mastery, motivation, success, words of inspiration
In the book of Genesis, Jacob wrestles with an angel all night with one idea in mind: to not give up the fight, to not let go of the angel, until he receives a blessing.
Whether you believe this story is actual or not, there’s a powerful and life transforming lesson in it for you.
The message for you now is to stop playing around…. It’s time for you to stand up and demand what’s yours from Life, and settle for nothing less.
You’re the one who says what you’ll receive from Life. You make your demands by right of what you hold in consciousness.
Whatever you mentally agree to, Life will pay.
It’s called the Law of Compensation… you are at all times being compensated for what you think and believe.
No one is doing anything to you.
You’re not being singled out for an unfair life.
Nothing is happening to you that shouldn’t.
If you believe life isn’t fair, that there’s not enough to go around or that life is hard, that’s exactly what your experience will be: seeming unfairness, lack, limitation, struggle, hardship and suffering.
If you believe Life is abundant, joyous, loving, blissful, and that you can flow with Life, easily and gracefully, these beliefs are being compensated as well, with an abundant, joyful, graceful and fulfilled life, full of loving people and experiences.
You’re being compensated for what you believe, and you can just as easily change your beliefs as you decide to.
You get to choose.
You choose by mentally stating, believing and knowing what you want your life to be.
Stop hanging around, just barely scraping by, not getting what you want, when life will gladly pay you anything and everything you want.
Make a bold statement today of what you want, and what you expect to receive from Life, in your own mind.
Write it down.
Contemplate it several times a day, with joy.
Picture it. Visualize it often, as if it’s in your life right now. Mentally see yourself experiencing it.
Expect it. When thoughts come up to the contrary, oust them immediately.
When questions and doubts come up about how you’ll get what you want, oust those immediately too.
How is none of your business.
Then be ridiculously grateful. Go overboard with it. Give continual thanks for what you want, right now. Don’t wait for it to show up in your physical world to get thankful. Know that your request has been registered with the Universal Bank… it has been received by Infinite Supply, and, if you do your work, will flow to you in the easiest and most beneficial ways for everyone.
That’s reason enough to be thankful!
I worked this process to get a car I wanted a few years ago. I wanted a Lexus RX SUV. I loved the way that car looked, and I loved the idea I had in mind of what Lexus stands for: quality, craftsmanship, excellence.
I clearly and emphatically stated that I wanted a well made car that would last and last and last. I wanted to experience the luxury I deserve. I made my request known to the Universe.
I held the image in mind… I saw and felt myself driving that car. I even saw the sunglasses I was wearing as I was zipping down the highway.
You see, somewhere along the road, I had made the decision that I wasn’t going to drive hoopties anymore. I had had enough of broken down cars, cars that didn’t start unless I jiggled wires, or cars that leaked fluids everywhere, or cars that left me on the side of the road. No more!
I was done. Fed up. I had had enough!!!
So I got to work mentally creating what I wanted. I insisted on my idea of a luxury car experience for myself and everyone I was going to ride around in my new car. I knew I deserved it.
I wrestled with the inner angel, and I wasn’t letting go until I got my car blessing.
Life gladly complied. After just a few months of doing the work, the car showed up.
It’s time for you to wrestle with your inner angel, determined to get your blessing.
Fight all night if you have to.
Don’t give up!
It’s worth the fight!
Jacob walked with a limp for the rest of his life after wrestling the angel all night. During the fight, the angel touched Jacob in the hip socket, leaving him with a reminder of the event.
Limp or no limp, Jacob became one of the richest men in the Bible: rich in sons, love, land, money, flocks, and most importantly, rich in the blessings of the Lord.
Rich in the blessings of Life.
Rich in the blessings of the Universe.
He had already determined in his mind–he had made the mental decision–that he was going to live blessed. Period.
So give no thought to your battle scars.
Limp or no limp, rich living can be yours, made possible by the blessings of the Lord.
Insist on it.
Know that you deserve it.
Accept nothing less.
Wrestle all night for it, and don’t let the angel leave until you’ve gotten your blessing.
Live rich,
VAL
Tags: abundance, blessing, Daily Inspiration, Gratitude, inspirational words, motivation, positive thoughts, positive words, Valerie Love
I remember the scene well. I was 8 years old, waiting for my mom to pick me up from school. She was late.
On that day, my worst fear as an 8-year-old came to pass: I met up with Champ, the school bully, on the playground, with no help in sight.
Champ stood between me and the escape from the school play ground, yelling obscenities and threatening to punch me in the face. Why, I wasn’t sure. Judging from the multiple scars on his face, some fresh, some aged, I could tell he meant business. I knew his reputation well and always tried my absolute best to avoid him.
The usual avoidance tactics failed me this day.
I was now looking in the eyes of the monster.
Being this close afforded me an intimate observation of the face behind the name–a face well documented with the evidence of his multiple intrusions into other people’s personal space.
According to what I’d heard, he usually won.
Tears streamed down my 8-year-old face as my heart filled with dread and terror. Any minute now, this monster would haul off and punch me dead in the nose.
I was frozen in place, unable to run, unable to move, unable to utter a word. The only thought that came to my mind, other than escape, was what my mom instructed me to do if I’d ever come face-to-face with a rabid dog: stare it down and don’t move a muscle.
Champ looked like the closest thing I’d ever seen to a rabid dog, so there I stood, and stared.
To this day, as a grown woman, I still remember the terror I felt that day on the school playground. I was immobilized. My feet felt like they were mired in cement. My heart beat so loudly I thought sure he heard it. Intense fear grabbed hold of me. It seemed I was rendered powerless.
Champ has been my reminder of what it’s like to be frozen in place because of fear and dread. Though the physical stimulus may be different, the result is the same. When I allow myself to become deluded by my fears, I willfully become powerless.
When you allow yourself to be frozen in place by fear, you are making a choice not to live your divine potential.
There is only one solution when it comes to fear:
DO IT ANYWAY!
Just DO IT ANYWAY.
Do whatever you fear most. Dive right in.
My intention is not to oversimplify the damaging and debilitating effects of our deepest fears. But I have to say, of all the things I’ve tried with regard to overcoming fear, this is the only solution that has worked for me consistently, every time, like magic. There are several reasons why this solution works every time. Here are a couple:
1. Fear isn’t real; it is a faulty perception. Here’s the funny thing about me and Champ on the school yard: Champ was much shorter than me. I had him by several inches. I probably could have easily beaten him had I had the courage. My perception of him was that he was a bully who won every fight. I never saw his fights, so I actually had no idea how many he’d won or lost. I couldn’t tell by the marks on his face, because I hadn’t seen his opponents. His scars could have either been victory marks or evidence of having had his butt kicked. I didn’t know. Yet, my perception of him as a vicious bully whom I could never beat was the very shaky ground my fear was standing on. What if I had challenged that fear and decided, in a moment of pure lunacy, to act like I could beat him and proceed to do so? Who knows what might have happened. The issue here is that I didn’t even try, even though I had a physical advantage in the situation, because of fear. The fear was held in place by a faulty perception.
2. Further, fear is the only emotion that cannot be sustained. What does that mean? As soon as you immerse yourself fully in the very thing you fear, the fear instantly vanishes. Fear is an unsustainable emotion. You’re only afraid of the monster under the bed as long as you lie in bed thinking about the monster. As soon as you get up and look under the bed, you see there’s no monster and you realize there’s no need to be fearful. The fear was unsustainable. This is another reason why the DO IT ANYWAY strategy works every time, like magic.
Learn to live fearlessly!!!
Fear is immobilizing and debilitating. When we’re in the grip of fear, we are most likely not taking action. Not taking action means we are not living our Destiny.
For us to create and fulfill the Divine Destiny that lives within our heart, we’ll be required to take bold action. You cannot take bold action if you are riddled with fear.
The DO IT ANYWAY strategy is beautiful because it’s like pulling the rip cord on a bungee jump. It is feeling the fear and choosing to DO IT ANYWAY.
The DO IT ANYWAY strategy works best when you have a dream in mind that’s so exciting, so heart moving and so real to you that you want to dive in. Until you have a dream that is so compelling you can’t say no to it, you’re probably not ready to take bold action. When you have a dream that’s compelling, it becomes easier to practice the DO IT ANYWAY strategy. It may not be easy the first time, or even the second or the 35th, yet the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Dreaming big is one thing.
Dreaming big and mastering your fears is another.
The former causes you to live a life of mediocrity, wishing and hoping. The latter enables and empowers you to fulfill a destiny and build a legacy.
It’s your choice.
Either you can dream big and continue to let your fears paralyze you, which will only serve to give you more of what you’ve got right now. I don’t think you’re reading this because you want to stay where you are right now. I think you’re reading this to learn how to live your Destiny as you’ve never done before.
That means there’s only one viable path: dreaming big and mastering your fears.
You were created to be great. You came here to do great things. Don’t get here and decide to punk out on your life now. Make the bold choice to practice the DO IT ANYWAY strategy as a way of life whenever you feel fear beginning to immobilize you.
And know that you can face all your Champs and be the Champion.
Here’s to Living Fearlessly!!!
VAL
This is an excerpt from the book God Speaks to Me by Valerie Love. Available at bookstores and at Amazon.com:
Tags: God Is In Love With You by Valerie Love, God Speaks to Me by Valerie Love, overcoming fear, self confidence, self esteem, self improvement, Valerie Love, words of inspiration
