STOP TALKING ... START LISTENING ... AND REPEAT AFTER ME!

We all face obstacles, moments where we wonder, "How am I going to survive this?"

We struggle to find out why, we fight for answers, and sometimes we just decide to give up. We come from the "flight or fight" mentality because it's all we know.

We all have those experiences where we either come out swinging or we bury our heads in the sands of denial. It's human nature, it's the way we've been conditioned.

It's hard to face criticism for things we wish would go away. It's hard to hear the truth when we want it to be false. And a lot of us become fatalists when we let our minds wonder into the future that hasn't even happened yet. That's right, we project an outcome before the event even takes place.

Why?

Why??

and

Why???

Because it's easier to kneel to the condition than to rise to the occasion. WE THINK, it's easier to expect pain instead of healing, chaos instead of peace, poverty instead of prosperity, failure instead of success.

We let the world's conditions dictate our outcome.

We are not the world's conditions, We are not our neighbor's story.

Our lives aren't written in permanent ink!

We are ALWAYS changing, events and experiences are never the same, and just because history has dictated certain outcomes in other people's experiences, doesn't mean that's the end-all-be-all story of our lives!!

People bend perceptions and expectations all the time. Things evolve and change because we do. Technology changes and we discover new and inventive ways to create, produce, and execute better more efficient ways of doing things.

There are so many moments in this life where we bend perceptions and make them a reality. Where facts that we thought were law become the stepping stones to pushing precedence and limited thinking.  That's right, just because a precedence has been set doesn't mean that's the be-all-end-all. It never is.

It's time we stop saying we've lost the race before it's even started. Stop looking at the hare and thinking because it has long strong legs it's going to win the race. <---we already="" how="" know="" out.="" span="" story="" that="" turned="">

We aren't limited by what has happened. We aren't the outcome of what appears to be. We are exactly what we decide we are going to be. It's time to let go of what the world thinks we are and start embracing the Truth of who we are!

First Person POV Statement....

(read aloud if you need to)

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I am a mighty moving force. I deserve all the good, all the grace, and all the love waiting on my discovery. I am a gift living in the present. I am the miracle the universe produced and keeps producing with every breath I take.

I let go of my old ideas and embrace my new thinking today! I release the fear, guilt, pain, shame, and anger that doesn't serve who I am.

Today I let love, peace, health, abundance, compassion, happiness, gratitude, and grace fill my cup until it's running over. Today I recognize that I am a blessing not only in my life but in the lives of everyone I come in contact.

The goodness within me greets the goodness within everyone I interact with today.

I am worthy of living a positive life.

I am worthy.

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You are worthy! You are the biggest gift to this world, no matter your past mistakes or accomplishments.

Today, the world is blessed to have you in it! Remember that.

With LOVE and COMPASSION,

Gretchen.

Truth is When You Are Done Proving Yourself

You don't have to sacrifice yourself in order to be brilliant, you just have to be willing to do the work.

Be willing to be vulnerable, be willing to let go of being right, or being something to everyone. Be something to yourself. This isn't self-indulgence, it's self-reliance, self awareness, self-fulfillment. It's diving so deep into who you are, that when you come up for air you gasp at what you discovered. You marvel at the idea that you are not the body you are housed in, or the material things you accumulate. You discover that within every experience you've had, there was something greater at work than your own ego, ideas, beliefs or wishes. You discover that your connection with others is a stronger bandwidth than you anticipated.

Your Truth is complete abandonment of your ego and need of having to be right. It’s letting go of the idea that you must be heard, or be proven. What in the world do you have to prove? Stop talking and people will suddenly listen. Stop arguing and people will take notice, stop the riggers of discontent and people will stop feeding that monster. 

When you let go of your need to be right, be heard, or be proven it can be scary. Suddenly you're floating in an ocean of uncharted territory. Instantly you have to tread water where before you swam a strong stroke. You have to float on your back and not foresee where you are going. But in doing that, it begins to create an understanding that what is happening to the world outside of you, isn’t what is happening to the world inside of you. You will discover that you are more than enough.

But, you have to learn how to silence the voice inside your head. You know the one that tells you, “You must fight to be right!”  

Let me clear something up for you, YOU DON’T HAVE TO FIGHT TO BE RIGHT. 

Your Truth, who you are will be revealed the second you stop trying to prove who you are. Truthfully, the mere fact that you were born is proof enough that within you is a power at work greater than anything you feel you need to prove. There is nothing more to prove, nothing more to argue about. How you live your life, how you cooperate, coordinate, facilitate and participate is nothing more than a reflection of what you’ve been taught to expect or believe to be facts. Well, and we all know facts can change.

Your Truth is unchangeable, it’s non-negotiable, it isn’t fiction or woo-woo. Your Truth is irrevocable, it’s dynamic and never stagnant. It is who you are when the world turns away, it’s the Divine spark that never stops burning, it is your creative process, it’s the connection you have with nature. Your Truth is love. Pure, unadulterated, non-sexual, unconditional, irreplaceable, bigger than child/mother connection, LOVE. It’s not explainable, it’s undefinable, it’s limitless in its totality. Your Truth is the omnipotence of God acting through you.  

When we see our Truth for what it is, we begin to understand why we don’t have to waste our breath explaining who we are or feel the need to prove anything to anyone. We don’t need to because the Universe is doing it for us by acting through us.

So today, I stop trying to prove I’m right. I stop arguing for the conditional when the unconditional is at my fingertips. I let go of the idea that limited definitions, or the human condition creates any part of my Truth. I am a child of God, carrying out my life the best way I know how to. I let go of the need to fight to be right. I let go of those people who feel the need to fight to be right. I embrace the Truth of who I AM and I approach everyone, (and I mean EVERYONE) with kindness, compassion, empathy and understanding. How freeing it is to know I don’t have to play in the muck and mire of discontent. That my Truth is ultimately their Truth too.

It’s so empowering to know that there is a greatness in each and every person I come in contact with, and I have the ability to connect with them at that level. Even the people who hate me, even the people who hurt me so deeply. Everyone has this capacity, and it’s in our willingness to discover it, nurture it, come from it, and embrace it that will give us the most freedom. Freedom from the bondage of pain, suffering, hate, anger, jealousy. It is an evolving process, a life’s work that will never be done. It’s a forever process of enlightenment, unfolding discovery, involvement, evolution and continuum of growth.

Today, if I have a millisecond of clarity and experience a sliver of my inner Truth, I know that I have moved closer to the pinnacle of my life’s work. It isn’t the instant we hit the ground that we are searching for, it’s the thrill of flying through the air after we've jumped.  That’s where we find the most growth in our humanity, and our spirituality. It isn’t about sticking the landing, but what we do while we are flying through the air that matters.

Thanks for hanging out and reading my ramblings!

Love,

Gretchen

Do We Really Need Will Power?

Where there's a will there's a way. Well, if there's a way, where will it take me? 

Too often we think we have to believe in this elusive power that some how bubbles up within us when we finally reach the end of our rope. A power that magically show's up because we've FINALLY gained the "will" to make it happen. We dig deep to find this infamous "will power" that's lost or gone, or nonexistent until we're desperate enough to find it. We don't have to search outside of ourselves or plunge into the depth of despair to find that thing called will power. We've always had it, and it never runs out!

Within you, at all times, whether you recognize it or not, you have access to an infinite power that's always residing in your soul. At the center of who you are, at the level of your understanding, there is greatness, an energy, a power that is willing to work for you 24/7. You don't have to coerce it, bargain for it, or manipulate your place in this world to get it. You don't have to do anything of the sort, because this power is with you constantly and never runs out! 

See, we're so busy believing in our limitation, that we miss the truth about who we truly are! We're limitless, we're plenty-filled, we're the light that dissipates the dark. We're the manifestation of the greatest gift of all ... LIFE! Never forget, we give to the world, exactly what we believe we're worth. Too often we're caught up in the belief that we don't have the will power, or we can't find a way to make it work, so we start believing we are too old to start, too set in our ways, too unlucky, too poor, too sick, too unhappy, too fat. blah, blah, blah.

STOP.DOING.THIS.TO.YOURSELF! 

You're so important to your world. You're the expression of love, you have a vital role in this thing called life! You don't have to search for this power, because it is right where you are. It isn't misplaced or lost, nobody stole it from you, or hid it away. It's that still small voice that rings truth into your head, it's the pride you feel when you did something amazing, it's that energy swirling in your belly when you look back at what you've done and see progress, it's the bigger than life thinking, the unconditional love you've shared, it's you, my friend. You don't need Will, or Tom, or Harry, or even Dick!

You don't need to believe or rely upon any power outside of yourself. Stop listening to the naysayers of the world or the ones in your head. YOU have the most influential thing in your life, your thoughts! You have within you everything you need to navigate this world. Stop listening to those who want to see you suffer, those who want you to be as miserable as they are! See those people and experiences for what they are, time suckers, energy zappers! If you took a couple of minutes a day, just the time it takes to brush your teeth, and closed your eyes, and said (out loud) one great thing about who you are, and where your power lies, you will see the truth of this thing called will power. It isn't something you fight for or believe doesn't exist; your "will power" is nothing more than your recognition of your inner power you've had all along.
You're the expression of your life. Every morning your feet hit the floor is another day, you have the privilege to find your purpose, dig deep into your soul, and start believing that you're the "will" that makes the way.

I know my posts are lengthy, I know what I'm writing here is a broad stroke with a utopian brush. I totally get that everything isn't so peachy all the time and that my idealistic beliefs are too much for some. But sometimes in order to get the pendulum to move we must pull it to it's highest point possible and let go. Never believe you don't have the ability to pull back on that pendulum and let it go. You have as much right as anyone else to live a dynamic, healthy, loving, prosperous, harmonious, peaceful life. Take a moment today to find a quiet place and just tell yourself, I AM BEAUTIFUL, I AM SUCCESSFUL, I AM THE LIGHT DISSIPATING THE DARK. You say it enough, eventually the naysayers have to believe it ... even the ones in your head!

Thanks for hanging out and reading my ramblings! 

Self Love is Empowering

If you wouldn't say it about someone you love, then don't say it about yourself. There is power behind your thoughts and words, use them wisely when you self talk, in your head or out loud!

We are bombarded with words, thoughts, pictures, videos, books and images of an unrealistic idea of who we are told we should be, or look like. No matter what words are heard, no matter what pictures you ache to be like, or what belief system you subscribe to, you must not forget that you are beautiful just the way you are.

YOU ARE the miracle that life is made from. YOU ARE so important in someone's life. YOU ARE love in action. YOU ARE the expression of life dancing on the edge of new discoveries. YOU ARE brilliant. YOU ARE beautiful. YOU ARE smart. YOU ARE perfect just the way YOU ARE.

YES, you lady, YOU---> the one who feels ugly, stupid, less than, unloved, unimportant, and worthless. I am talking to the people who have been battered down by a belief that they are anything less than perfect. Victims of pain, suffering of the body and soul. I am talking to you.

YOU are the most important thing in your world. Without you, who would experience life for you? Through you? As you?  You have a purpose, if you didn't you wouldn't be here. I'm not saying life is easy all the time, or telling you to ramble off a couple affirmations and everything will be peachy. That's not what I am saying at all. What I am saying is when you decide to discover the spark of greatness that resides within you, I want you to foster it instead of trying to blow it out. I want you to know that whatever is occurring in your life can be over come or can be made peace with.

It may seem difficult at first, finding that inner spark, that deep desire to be at peace, that source of greatness that resides hidden within your soul. But, if you take a moment to celebrate the smallest of accomplishments, the tinniest of moments you felt good, you will begin to feed that energy within you that knows what to do and how to do it. You need to trust in yourself, trust in the love that bubbles deep down. Believe in the miracle you are. Have faith in the beauty that is pushing to come out.

We have become prisoners to the ideology that beauty rests in the epidermis of what others see. We've continuously drank from the cup of being unworthy for too long. We've clung to the belief that our words are inadequate and our opinion is of no value. And for what you feel it's worth, I'm here to say, that simply isn't true! The truth is, you are just as important as any other person in this world. From the president to the crazy cat lady down the street. No one is more important to experiencing your life than YOU! PERIOD. You are so amazingly awesome, just the way you are!

So, here's the thing. I have this quote I go to, whenever I am feeling inadequate. It is very powerful to me. It reminds me that we are all made from the same stuff. It motivates me to find that inner spark and nurture it to a burning inferno. So here it is, I leave you with Marianne Williamson's quote she first published in a book, RETURN TO LOVE. (Disclosure:I never finished reading it. A convo for another post someday) But when words you need to embody speak to you, maybe that was the only part of her book I was supposed to read. ;)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~Return to Love by Marianne Williamson.

There really aren't any more words needed by me on this post once you read the quote above. So, thanks for hanging out and reading my ramblings.

LOVE,
Gretchen

Even The Dalai Lama Gets the Hiccups!

As we wake up and brush shoulders with the morning and smile at the thought of a new day, or even as we breathe in the aroma of infinite possibilities while counting the tally marks of a life we've been so gloriously given, let us remember that even the Dalai Lama gets the hiccups.

Nothing is perfect all the time. Well, wait, I take that back, everything is perfectly imperfect. We all have moments where we come upon those type of people who rattle our cages. We watch them systematically create chaos in a peaceful moment, or stir the big vat of hate and anger when others have already decided to overcome it. We've all experienced those types of people that pummel the wasps nest with the biggest wooden stick they can find and walk away unscathed while the others get stung repeatedly. It is nothing new in a world where we praise the sarcastic and cuddle with the hardhearted. We celebrate the combative and get in bed with the wicked, and we do this so we can feel important; like we are part of the “team”. We will quietly stand on the sidelines while the asshole coach berates another player, because deep in our hearts we are relieved it isn't our face he’s yelling in. Hey, we all have done it, nobody is immune to life. If we were, we wouldn't be living it.

We are all born with instinct. When we come into this world we sleep when we are tired, we eat when we are hungry and we cry when we are in need. Blessed are the children, for they see with a pure heart. It isn't until the world lays at our infantile feet the life lessons learned by those who came before us. It is when the good-intentioned unconsciously impress upon us the limits we must believe we have. It is the beginning to where we see the world in a different light. We become the imprints of conditional thinking and shackled by what’s been done before. You see it in kids who don’t see color, race, sex or creed. They exist to experience life and that is it. They don’t worry about the future and they don’t live in the past. They wear their emotions on their sleeve and just as the river flows forward so does their ability to move on. It is at our most impressionable time of our lives and happens to be when we are taught what it means to limit ourselves and bend to what society expects from us. It is at that point we become conditional thinkers.

We live in a world ruled by the limited thinking of what has come before us. We live by man made laws designed to dictate what we must do to live systematically in a society with others. We all understand that most of these man made laws are in place to keep us safe. But we also live in a world dictated by something bigger than man made laws or the ticking of a clock or even the degrading judgment of others. There is a place within us that isn't affected by what we see or hear, but is ruled by what we innately know. There is a power greater than us, greater than any condition, experience, man made law or limited thought. It is our intuition, that power that swirls in your gut, that Infinite Source that we connected to and bonded with when we are born. Once we become conditioned by the world, we are taught to stifle that instinct, crush that power that surges within the deepest part of who we are.

But I am telling you, to let it out! It’s okay to feel love, peace, joy, happiness, harmony, light and abundance. You are beautiful, you are smart, you are free, you are peace and harmony. Just because someone, so long ago told you something, doesn't make it true! Did you read that? Let me write it again… JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE TOLD YOU SOMETHING, IT DOESN'T MAKE IT TRUE. We have got to stop looking outside of ourselves for validation, for peace, for love, for wholeness or joy. It is time to remove those shackles of our limited, impressions people so thoughtlessly pressed into our skin and start to reach deep within ourselves for the Truth of Who We Are. You are a light designed to dissipate the dark, you are a life, meant to live the most beautiful moments you can. You are life living consciously. Take today in your heart, and wear it there, that it is the best day ever. Today is your day and you are a miracle waiting for a place to show up. So, just show up! Show up today, live in the moment, let go of what you can’t control and embrace what you can. Be the best you, you know how to be right now, and I promise, as you do that every day, as you be the best you, you can be, each day will become new, each moment will be another opportunity to be the best you, you know how to be! Don’t forget, you only have to be stronger than your weakest thought, then eventually, your weakest thought will be replaced by your strongest intention.

Thanks for hanging out and reading my ramblings!

Taken in Lafayette, CA. on my iPhone