Monday Morning Musings: 1/5/08

Muse Upon This:

“What if you had no obligations?

Stick with me if your initial reaction was “but that is so irresponsible!” I am not saying get rid of your obligations, I am encouraging you to shift your paradigm around things you see as obligations. Do you know what some synonyms of “obligation” are? Duty, Task, Job, Onus, Liability, Requirement, and then this beauty, Burden. Can I just say, “yuck”? I had a yoga student (who is also a yoga teacher) recently say: "I want teaching to be a natural part of my grace." When she said that, it got me thinking. What if everything I did was a natural part of my grace? The root of the word grace is from Latin and means “pleasing and thankful.” So, what if we did everything from a place of gratitude and love rather than seeing them as a “burden”?

Okay, so what are some burdens you have? How can you reframe them? Here are some thoughts I wrote about taxes awhile back. I reposted the more important points in light of this musing. You can also read my comments to learn about a life-changing shift I made. What else are you ready to shift? Let us know...also let us know if you can’t see how to shift it. We’d love to brainstorm ideas!

Monday Morning Musings

Muse Upon This:

"Remember, you have the capacity to choose.
Choose life! Choose love! Choose health! Choose happiness!"
(Joseph Murphy)

Yep, you can choose! And a great place to start is in your New Year's Resolutions. As we move into the season of resolutions, set a positive intention for the new year. (I prefer “intention” over “goal”. “Intention” feels more as if it comes from spirit and “goal” feels too outward oriented.) Let your intention move you toward something you want rather than away from something you don’t want. Instead of “I don’t want to be overweight.” Make it “I choose health, vibrancy, and high energy!” Instead of “I don’t want debt.” Try “I choose abundance in my financial life!” You deserve and are worthy of your intentions. Choose life! Choose love! Choose health! Choose happiness!!

So, what are your new year’s resolutions? I love to set them and create them from a very deep way. I set a theme for each year and let that guide my resolutions. Want to know my theme from past years? Want to know this year’s theme? Read on...

I am teaching a New Year's Day workshop along with fellow muses, Karen and Marya. It is a day-long workshop for defining your dream and using the practice of yoga to bring it into your life. Want to play with us? Want 2009 to be an inspirational year?

Monday Morning Musings

Muse Upon This

“My real role in life is to suit up and show up
and then turn the results over to God.”
-Unknown

Are you fully showing up everywhere in your life? Are you playing full-on? Are you really suiting up and showing up? Where are you holding back? What excuses, or “Good Stories” have you created to help yourself feel better about not doing what you know in your heart you are capable of doing? What will it take to get you playing your full game?

I realized a few years ago I wasn’t playing my full game, doing what I knew in my heart I was capable of doing. My big wake up call was when a student offhandedly mentioned, “You know, there are people out there who need to learn from you. Your playing small is hurting them.” Hmmm...that made me think. I never thought of letting my fears run areas of my life as hurting others. If you aren’t yet sharing your gift, the world is waiting for you to share your gift. I am waiting. What will it take? I have something more I am going to add to my life that I have been holding back on...I am publicly committing...want to know more? Read my comment. Want to join me? Come on...isn’t it about time?

Monday Morning Musings

Muse Upon This:

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by
the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from safe harbor.
Catch the wind in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.”
--Mark Twain

What is something you have always wanted to do? Something you might have admitted only to your journal? Imagine having it still undone five years from now... How does that feel? Is it time to begin? Is it time to let the wind catch your sails? Is it time to explore? Dream? Discover?

Monday Morning Musings

Muse Upon This:

What can you give today?

The Law of Giving: “Wherever I go, and whoever I encounter, I will bring them a gift. The gift may be a compliment, a flower, or a prayer. I will gratefully receive all gifts that life has to offer me. Each time I meet someone, I will silently wish them happiness, joy, and laughter.” (Deepak Chopra, The Seven Laws of Spiritual Success)

I love the description of giving Dr. Chopra states here. There is so much more to giving than things we have brought. And an important aspect is to also gratefully receive that which you have been given. In the spirit of Dr. Chopra’s definition of giving, what can you give today?

Monday Morning Musings

Muse Upon This:

“Your mind must be like a parachute –
it’s of no use at all unless it opens up.”

James Murphy

So, what are you doing to keep your mind open? Is it open? When was the last time you challenged your beliefs? Did you even think that your beliefs can (or should) be challenged? (You can read more about what I think about beliefs here...) What are you doing to open your parachute?

Monday Morning Musings

Muse upon this:

What is your dream day?

I don’t mean, “Gee, I wish I could sleep in...” I mean the pinch-me-I’m-dreaming sort of dream day. What would make you come alive, vibrant, and excited? My parents have begun gifting their children with our dreams days. (Fabulous, eh?) The best part has been in the deciding what that is, what would be the most amazing experience for me? My husband drove 5 exotic sports cars on a day with Road and Track. (The photo is below! He calls it his "Ferrari Smile!) My sister is off to Costa Rica with me on my yoga retreat in January. Me, well my dream day is...read my comment below.

So, what is your dream day? Let us know and then schedule it. It truly doesn't matter if is it in the year 2012, just put it on your mental calendar. My dream day is scheduled in my head for 2010 and I am already excited!

Monday Morning Musings

Muse upon this:

Make today unforgettable

What can you do today to make this day unforgettable? We tend to live much too unconsciously day-to-day with days flowing into each other, weeks flowing into weeks, months into months, etc. until we realize many days have passed that were unremarkable, unmemorable, and very much the same. What can you do today to make it unforgettable? I posed this question to the muses a few months ago and one did something so fabulous, it still makes me smile (and, frankly, cracks me up!) Want to see a photo? Here it is. MuseBeth thought about just doing yoga on the floor, but she felt it would be forgettable so up on her desk she went! Realize this woman is a Vice President of a large corporation. Can you imagine the affect this had on her secretary who took her photo? Yes, it might be silly and isn't that just what we need in our life? And you know...we Muses still remember this from MuseBeth making her day unforgettable for her and many others.

What are some more unforgettable ideas? What about a random act of kindness? Pay for someone behind you in a drive thru or at a toll booth, smile at total strangers, call a friend who needs it. Buy flowers for yourself. Eat breakfast for dinner. Apply for the job you have always wanted. Begin the book you want to write. Schedule the vacation you are dreaming about. Write a love letter to your spouse. Make today different than all the others. Make it unforgettable. What will you do? Share with us...

Monday Morning Musings

Muse Upon This:

How do you know what you want?

“Some people say they don’t know what they want.
They’re lying.
You always know what you want. You may not want to admit it, thought, not even to yourself.
When you state what you want, you then either have to start making it happen or you have to start making excuses for it not happening.
Sometimes it’s just easier to say you don’t know what you want.
But that’s a lie.
You do know.
So admit it.
No one is looking.
No one is listening.
So what do you want?”

Joe Vitale, Life’s Missing Instruction Manual

Cuts right to the heart of the matter, doesn't it? How powerful. I experienced a “want” that I kept hidden from myself for years because I wasn’t up to what it was going to teach me. Curious? Read my response below. Let us know what you want! If you aren't ready to share, let us know you have stated it for yourself!

My Response to Fear

Yes, it is true. One Muse responded, “I’d wear a bikini!” Although it was a bit tongue-in-cheek, it affected me. I realized I was afraid of wearing a bikini. Then a friend told me, “I once saw a woman on the beach who was overweight with stretch marks wearing one. She owned that bikini. She was fabulous!” And I realized I wanted to feel that comfortable in my own skin and I was going to! I bought three and will be sporting them proudly on the beach in Costa Rica!

You can get over fears that quickly or sometimes it takes time and baby steps. Doesn’t matter what it takes, when you are ready, begin taking the steps. Getting past fears is powerful. The rush from buying bikinis gave me the power to commit to my first retreat in Costa Rica! Do you want to live from fear or love?

Okay, so tell us...what would you do today if you weren’t afraid? (And, what one step will you take today toward living from love instead...)

Related Posts:
monday morning musing (related to this response)
The Positive Power of Fear

Monday Morning Musings

Muse Upon This:

What would you do right now if you weren’t afraid?

Interesting questions, isn’t it? How many of you have even considered that fear is an option? No one has the same fear. To me that says that it is possible to not be afraid of whatever I am afraid of. The interesting thing about fear is it keeps us stuck, really stuck in our current state of being. We don’t move forward in the area in which your fear lies whether it is our relationships, financials, emotional life, even our physical bodies. Then when we take a step to move beyond our fear...the power is spectacular! My daughter learned of this recently and you can read her tale here.

I posed this question to the Muses a few months ago and it began a flurry or emails. One email in particular affected me deeply. In fact, I bought three in direct response! Curious as to what it was? Read more...

Now, leave a comment for others and us. We want to know what you would do right now if you weren’t afraid!

Related Posts:
The Positive Power of Fear
My Response to Fear

Monday Morning Musings

Muse upon this:

"When would now be the right time?"
James Arthur Ray

We all tend to put things off, "I'll start writing my novel when I have time." I'll start to exercise when I buy some equipment." "I'll work on my relationship tomorrow." What do you really want to do in your life? When will you finally do it? So, when would now be a good time?

The Art of Manifesting Your Dreams

~ To Live Your Authentic Life ~

The Art of Manifesting is learning how to make more conscious choices about what you put out into the world with your thoughts. You will learn to think differently by uncovering the false beliefs you have and revealing your fear areas so they no longer control you. As you do so, you will experience a new level of joy about your life. We believe that you will then be living “authentically”. Authentic living is living your true purpose; what resonates on a deep level as “right” for you. When you are living authentically, each day is joyful, easy, free, full of possibilities and opportunities. You will be able to see thing from a new perspective and appreciate all, even the challenges because you know there is a purpose to them as well.

Each session will have an introduction to the topic, followed by group discussion. You will then be encouraged to explore each topic more deeply though homework assignments – delicious homework that involves moving closer to your dreams!

Live classes begin quarterly and teleclasses begin January 2009. More Information.

Awaken to Joy

"Discover Joy in the Life You Are Already Living"

Join Marya and Laura for a unique teleclass program with monthly topics and weekly inspirations. The program will take you step-by-step through bringing more positive influences into your life and making the negative ones more conscious so you can make different choices. Join us for a month or for a year.

"The Awaken to Joy program has transformed my life. Through the monthly topics,
I am able to explore my thoughts, beliefs and my life, releasing
those things that no longer serve me. It has taught me the path of joy.
Every day is filled with joy of many types. My personal life is happier.
My job life is happier. My family relationships have improved dramatically.
Taking this course is one of the best decisions I have ever made."
Tracy Whipple

Tammy's Values