Find your WHY.

In the past week, I have had 3 seperate conversations where this idea was brought up. However, I had not actually seen the video until this morning when my friend Meesh shared it with me. I think that is called synchronicity.

Powerful and inspiring. It's worth the investment of 18 precious minutes of your day. Thanks to Meesh for sharing.
Enjoy!

5 Books to Shake up Your Life!

A friend asked me today for some recommendations of books - see he's trying to change his life. He wants to shake up the status quo and is ready for some new discovery! My favorite kind of thing to do!!

Here's a few that continue to help transform my life. If you have others to recommend - please post in the comments!! I would love to find more...

1. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield - it's a great easy, fun read. But it really gets to the truth for me. I love all of the subsequent books too. I downloaded a cheat sheet with the individual insights that I carry with me and use to refresh and remember.

http://www.celestinevision.com/books.html

2. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn - work of fiction, it may take you a little bit to get into, but trust me - so worth it. Will turn your perspective upside down. And visits to the zoo will never be the same ever again. http://www.ishmael.org/index1.cfm

3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo - I love all of this man's work. But this book in particular is a gift! I recommend it to all teenagers, college students - anyone starting out in life. But also to anyone of us who feels like they are needing to find their way in life... enjoy the journey!

http://bookreviews.nabou.com/reviews/thealchemist.html

4. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle - wow. I have gifted this book to so ma

ny people. It revolutionized my life, my being, my thinking. Deep healing came as a result of these simple teachings. If you aren't a reader, I really enjoyed the audio version of this book. Be prepared though - it will change you. http://www.eckharttolle.com/home/

5. Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman - this book is incredible! And all of his subsequent work is great - they take you deeper

into this idea of having a peaceful soul, but a warrior spirit! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Read, ponder, meditate - but enjoy it! This is the fun part - exploring new ideas, new ways of beings, new understandings. And as you discover something true for you - please share it with us and the world, we want to learn it too.

Namaste.

Look up...

I was hiking today in beautiful Bryce Canyon, along the Sunset loop. It was bright and sunny, with several feet of fresh fallen snow and long stretches of blessed solitude.

Ironically, I repeatedly caught myself looking down. I was so focused on my steps to be sure I didn't fall in the snow. Soon, I would get inside my head and start thinking through all the different challenges in life right now. And inevitably when I do that, I begin to feel a lack, scarcity.

Then, something would draw my attention up and I would see this:

Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with breathtaking beauty and awe. Lack was replaced with abundant gratitude. I remembered who I am and where I come from. Simultaneously, I began to imagine all that is possible in life.

As I walked on, rather than looking down and focusing on the immediate steps and obstacles, instead I walked with new purpose and power. I envisioned the future and set clear intentions of what I want. I think that's what they call empowerment.

So, when you find yourself looking and feeling down...

LOOK UP.

Identity and Social Amnesia

I've been thinking a lot about the labels we use to describe ourselves and the titles or descriptors other people use in relation to us. Just for fun, try this... make a list of all the words, names, roles that you have heard in reference to you over the last month. I tried it, here's what I came up with:

Mother
Daughter
Divorcee
Crazy
Funny
Single mom
Inspirational
Secretary (imagine how much I enjoyed that one)
Guru
Manager
Single mom
Mean
Too nice (yes, I see that dichotomy too)
Leader
Coach
Off the deep end

Half of those, I'm not okay with for different reasons. They are more than just the words, our society has associated meanings with each of those words. Do we allow these labels and words to define who we are?

OR is who are much more elemental and divine?

What if you strip away all the exterior and superficial labels? What if you get right to the heart of who you are? Then what would you see?

At an elemental level, I am...

A Goddess in Training
Spirit
Divine
Love in action
Mother
Keeper of Truth
Light

From now on, when I hear an artificial label, I am going to play social amnesia and replace it with one of these. And always remember who I am.

Blaze YOUR Trail

We have all heard the adage of taking the road less traveled. What about taking the road only you know? One that has never been traveled before?

In my humble opinion (as I try to figure it out myself), life is about blazing your own trail. Connecting to that deepest part of yourself where you know who you are and what you want to do. And then, here's the key, having the courage to follow what you know!

To blaze brave is to step onto your path fully and intentionally.

To courageously move forward.

To listen to your instincts and follow them every time.

Blazing brave is having the self-assurance and trust

to do what you know is right,

even as everyone around you tells you are crazy.

The greatest blessings in my life have come from pivotal moments when I was faced with doing what was normal and expected versus trusting my intuition and doing what I knew to be right for me.

Were the choices easy? Of course not!

Was it a walk in the park once I made my decision? Yeah right!

Did the challenge reward me with an amazing life and growth? Absolutely!

So if you are faced with a decision at this very moment. Or feeling that unease and discontent when things aren't quite right...

BLAZE BRAVE...

Take courage and follow your instincts.

I believe and know that you can.

E.