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Daring …

How many times have you heard, “I dare you!”, especially out of the mouths of children? Actually, only out of the mouths of children! It seems, as an adult, daring has been trained out many of us. While that isn’t totally a “bad” thing as some of those childish dares were quite dangerous, the quality of daring has a place in our “grown up” world, especially for those of us who choose to be leaders on this planet. Ready?

Dare to disturb
Dare to be wrong

Do you dare to disturb the status quo, the way we’ve always done it? How else does powerful change happen? If we always do what we’ve always done, how will we experience anything but what we’ve always experienced? Actually, in this world where so much is evolving so quickly, trying to keep the status quo is nearly impossible!

Do you have the courage to be wrong? Do you dare to move forward without knowing the steps? Do you dare to be wrong in service of your vision, your dreams, your powerful intention for something better?

Today, notice where your daring is absent but needed. Notice where you go with the flow without question. Notice, too, where you are afraid to take a step because you might be wrong, you might fall down, you might fail.  Then …

Dare to disturb!
How will you shake up the status quo today?
Dare to be wrong!
Where will you feel the fear and do it anyway?

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What support will you receive today?

Recently I wrote this:

Separate or Among: You get to choose!

Today’s message is very aligned with being “among”. Do you value independence? Do you believe you can do “it” yourself and that you don’t need support? Perhaps you would answer “No” in some areas of your life but in others, your response is a very strong “Yes!” Maybe you collaborate well at work but when it comes it improving your diet your stubborn streak says, “I can do it myself!” Or perhaps it is your emotional well-being for which you take full responsibility and refuse any loving attempts from friends who offer a listening ear.

Here is a truth: We don’t do “it” alone! We need support. And we need to be a support to others. I suspect that the most independent among you could list several others in your life for whom you offer support. True? And for each one of those that you support, realize that they are receiving support and releasing a bit of independence.

Today, consider giving someone the gift of supporting you. Ask yourself:

Where am I struggling to do “it” alone?
What stubborn streak am I willing to set aside so I can receive?
What kind of support would have a powerful impact?
Whose gifts would match my support need?

Then – ask for support – today!

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Separate or Among? You get to choose!

PeopleWorkingTogether

Imagine you in your life – in the activities you do, at work, within your family, in your volunteer commitments – anywhere that you are in the presence of a group of people. Close your eyes and put yourself there now. In your mind’s eye, what do you see?

  • Are you physically present and emotionally absent?
  • Are you physically present but off to one side as the judgmental onlooker?
  • Are you physically present but lonely or depressed and assuming that no one cares?
  • Are you deeply engaged, perhaps to the point of taking over the controls?

Perhaps you’ve been all of these at various times! How do they work for you? Likely, not too well. These ways of being, of seeing ourselves, don’t feel good and certainly don’t result in our personal best having an impact on the world around us.

Consider another way: always among. It is a choice we make each and every time we enter into relationship with the world around us. We can choose:

  • to see ourselves as separate: thinking and feeling our way into isolation or into control over others
  • to see ourselves as one among many: collaborators on this life journey, supporting one another, sharing personal gifts and talents for the good of the whole, sometimes leading, sometimes encouraging, sometimes just doing what needs to be done

Notice where you show up as separate. Experiment with an intention of among. See each person as an individual contributor to an interconnected whole. Each is one among many serving something greater than their personal agendas. Then ask:

What are we creating?
What is their contribution?
What am I to offer now?

What does it feel like to be among?

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A Knowing I Deny

How often do you find yourself saying:

I was afraid that would happen!
I had a sense this choice wasn’t the right one.
I knew it!

Every one of us comes into this world complete with a strong intuition, a sense beyond the standard five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. The sixth sense which used to sound so elusive and available only to psychics and other out there folks (who some of us thought were crazy and untrustworthy!), is actually standard on all human vehicles. If you don’t believe me, think again about those phrases above. How did you know it? You didn’t know by way of your intelligence, you knew because you sensed it, your intuition was speaking to you!

The problem?
You, like many of us, ignored the message!

In some cultures, intuition is vital and honored. I think about the Native Americans who walked the earth fully listening to her messages. They knew so many things without the benefit of the TV weatherman or the Internet, without deep, rational thought. They just knew.

In other cultures, intuition is trained out of us. Early on, as we move in the world with our sensitive knowingness on display, we are told to ignore it. “You don’t feel that way!” or “It’s okay. Go to Grandpa.” Later in life, imagine telling your supervisor, “We need to do it this way – I just sense that this is the right direction.” How will your supervisor respond?

Today, I just want to invite you into a relationship with your intuition, to notice when there is a knowing you deny. For starters, just notice. Become familiar with your sixth sense and begin to honor it with, “Oh! I did know that … and I ignored it this time.” Notice how you knew it. Does your gut get tense? Do you get a headache? Does fear show up? However it is that your intuition speaks to you, begin to remain aware of the messenger and, when it shows up, rather than ignoring it, stop. Pause. Say, “I hear you.” and get curious. “What are you trying to tell me?” Listen for the answer. Then make an informed choice about how you will proceed in the situation.

What is the knowing you deny?
What if you honored it instead?

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Are you ready for rainbow swirl?

Take a moment to think about the world you live, play and work within. Browse your outer world, but survey also your inner world, the beliefs and ideas you allow to impact your choices. If your world was ice cream, would it be plain vanilla? Succulent strawberry? Charming chocolate? Maybe it’s a bit of all three and you’ve got Neapolitan going on!
neapolitan

If you do move around in Neapolitan, are you segregated:

NeapolitanAgain

allowing some ideas and beliefs in one area of your life but not another, showing up some places as plain vanilla and others as succulent strawberry?

Today, imagine expanding your scope, the colors and flavors and style that you play with on your life journey. Imagine you added orange sherbet, pistachio or rainbow swirl:

icecreamswirl

What is possible with a bit more color?
What magic will you create with orange sherbet?
What will your rainbow swirl stir up?