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Demon #3 …

… FEAR. Daring to change, taking a risk and trying something new, letting go and playing when you used to do the responsible thing … this is bound to bring up some fear.

What will I miss out on?
What will you think of me?
What if I don’t know how to do this new thing playfully?
What if I look like a fool?

If you are on the road from responsibility to play and you manage to move through the fear and look like a fool, then I say , “HOORAY!” You have taken the responsibility of learning to play seriously …

Huh, really?

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Independence is an Inside Job

July 4th is around the corner – this day we celebrate independence as a nation. What a gift freedom is for those of us who live here in the United States!

Yet, freedom begins within, with our thoughts, with choices we make around how we feel about the events of our lives. Without healthy independence inside, we can find ourselves locked in chains, stuck, unable to move forward with purpose and passion in our lives. These chains can be old beliefs which no longer serve us, emotional entanglement with another, inner voices which tell us we aren’t good enough, don’t do enough, don’t deserve to pursue our dreams.

When the bondage is within, independence is “an inside job”.

In what ways are you locked in chains?
What key will free you?

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Puddles

We usually think of a puddle as rainwater that was not allowed to flow naturally away. For the child in us, a puddle may be a source of delight!  Puddles occur where the ground or road or path is uneven. In time, these pockets become traps for dirt and debris which, in turn, render the rainwater dirty and undesirable.

Periodically, it is helpful to identify puddle pockets in life’s foundation and take restorative action. Begin by noticing the contamination:

What ideas and beliefs no longer serve?
What practices, once supportive, now drain you?
What relationships feel stuck?

Now dive in deeper. Dare to ask:

What in me has eroded?
What will rebuild my foundation?

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Another One Is Open!

You have heard the phrase:

When one door closes, another one opens.

I suspect that at any moment, there are actually many doors open to us. The impact of willful staring at a single door, however, is that we can’t see the others. Today, give yourself a chance to discover some alternative “doors”. Let these questions open you:

What is my craziest, scariest, wildest option?
What would I NEVER try?
Who would I ask for help if I knew they’d say yes?
What would I try if I knew I’d succeed?

Now … pick one and walk through that door!

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Stop Procrastinating!

“Procrastination is, hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage.” Alyce Cornyn-Selby

What happens when we procrastinate? Not only does “it” not get done, but the energy lost to the act of procrastinating is painful. Do any of these sound like you?

  • berating yourself for being lazy
  • always racing because you waited until the last minute
  • never feeling good about what you do because you did it in a hurry
  • the list of to-do’s is so long you don’t know where to begin

Today, gift yourself with action on one item. Just one! Estimate how long it will really take to complete. Set aside “time and a half” – if it will take 10 minutes, set aside 15. When the time comes to do “it”, set a timer, and just begin. When you are finished, celebrate!

What would it feel like to stop procrastinating?