I was an 11 year old girl, sitting on my bedroom floor, face to face with my reflection on the mirror of my closet door. My sketchbook was balanced on my knee, my charcoal pencil poised to catalogue the features of my face as I attempted my self-portrait.

Who am I? I drew my heart shaped face, the frizzy nest of ebony hair, rounded almond eyes, cupid bow lips, the curve of a cheek, the dusting of freckles….I remember being quietly pleased. I don’t care if the editor of Glamour thought freckles were unattractive. I have freckles and I like my freckles. Maybe my hair is frizzy but am I vain to think that I liked how I looked? That some days, when I stopped to look in a mirror before I ran outside to dive into a day of summer filled childhood fun that didn’t give a passing thought to sunscreen, that I even thought that I was maybe just a bit pretty?

As I sat there staring deep into my own eyes, noting the flecks in the irises, asking myself, “Who am I?” I heard that voice that speaks in the quiet. That voice that comes from deep inside. An eternal voice that belies age and in this case youth. That voice asked, “If you were turned inside out and your face reflected your character, would you still be pretty?”

Of course, I was still a child and had a lot of growing to do; however, the lesson is relevant for us all.

“The greatest gift that you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.” – Laozi

If you are looking to create and refine yourself in such a way that gives your existence deeper meaning, to manifest a life of value that builds, connects and supports rather than destroys or just “is”, there will come a time when you choose to be the creator of yourself. You will know that you do not have to be the person that others and circumstances have molded you to be. You will choose to stop blaming others and take responsibility for every aspect of your life. You will choose to stop passively receiving the messages from the world around you and will decide to start broadcasting your own message and imprint your own intentions on reality.

The crux of the matter is that the outer world reflects our inner world, so it is imperative that you “start with the man in the mirror.” Do an assessment of yourself, and if you are honest, you will find aspects of self that range from the “fan-freaking-tastic” to the “down-and-out-fugly”.

Assessing yourself is important but it is vital that you don’t get stuck in elevating nor denigrating yourself to the point that you lose focus on the point of self-growth. Sometimes we can get stuck in thinking about everything that we have done wrong in our lives and it affects our self-worth. We cannot get trapped on that treadmill. If you are on it, get off it now. It goes nowhere.

“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.” ― Amy Bloom

Forgiveness is key to letting go. Forgive yourself. Own your light and your darkness. Say, “F*%#$ it. Yeah, I made some mistakes and I feel terrible but I have grown from them. I have tried to make amends, I own them but they will not weigh me down or hold me back.” Remember that all seeds grow in the dark.

• Think about the qualities that you already have and what you love about yourself.
• Think of people that you admire and the characteristics that they have in which you would like to embody.
• Think about times in which you wish you had acted differently.
• Think about qualities of self that you would like to change.

Like an artist sitting in front of a blank canvas, your potential is unlimited. Yet with every brushstroke and sweep of color…..as with every decision that you make in life, doors to some of those possibilities close. So you must have a strong vision of self to manifest the ultimate dream of you. You are the creator of your life. Start your masterpiece today.

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Weave Your Future Golden

Trust Your Soul to Know the Way

 

 

 

As a Creator of Self, too often we look for a mystical sign to point us to our destiny or we look for the new novel idea that will get us to where we want to be fast…..but we overlook the truth. It sounds too simple. Too straightforward. Too sane.

• No one can give us the answer as to why we are here BUT the good news is that the answer is inside of us.
• There is no short cut BUT finding your answers are possible if you are willing to be honest with yourself.

In this world of specialized experts with master’s degrees, doctorates and PhDs, where money “makes the man” and your bank account becomes synonymous with your worth, it can be easy for the common man to hear that “we do not know best”. We are told that we should consult a professional and oftentimes we come to dismiss our own aptitude and intuition in the simplest of situations.

It can become easy to believe in the world around us rather than in our own abilities. I would encourage us all to be open to another’s advice, expertise, stories, and educate yourself but know that only you can see the balance in your heart as you weigh it to be right or wrong for your life and your circumstances.

“We all have a better guide inside than any other person can be.”– Jane Austen

Scientists talk about the unchartered frontiers of space and sea but I believe the true unchartered territory for too many of us is self. Our world has become so loud that we are bombarded with messages that we do not even seek! These messages are aggressively and insidiously foisted upon us. Our parents and grandparents only had to sift through the voices of family, church, and peers until they could find their own voice.

The newer generations are constantly bombarded from waking to sleeping with messages from the TV, internet, and social media, all telling us how to be, how to look, how we should talk, think and behave and it takes great fortitude of character and inner assessment to break through the noise to find the silent chamber within where you can converse with your spirit.

“Self-trust is the essence of heroism.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you are looking to create a life on your terms, you are the expert. Do not give your power away by doubting yourself or drowning out the voice of your inner knowing. If you can accept your inner wisdom without feelings of inadequacy, without empowering the negative judgment of others or self, you will master your life.

• Find your quiet place
• Ask your soul the burning question
• What does your inner voice say?
• What would you have to do to make the path that your soul calls you to a reality?
• Be courageous
• Set your goals and work, work, work….and be patient. What you work towards will be yours.

It truly is that simple. Go get ‘em tiger.

Related Links

Weave Your Future Golden

Hello World!

Regardless about if you would call yourself an artist or not, our lives are our ultimate masterpiece. Our experiences, attitude, mental and emotional frequencies all color the tapestry of our lives. The question is,

“Does life happen to you or do you create it?”

Every thought, word and action is an outer manifestation of our inner world. Thus we must be mindful of the creations that we bring into the world. Is what we bring forth something that truly reflects us? Can we be proud of it? Do we build and add value to the world around us or do we tear down and destroy?

Imagine your life as a tapestry. See in your mind’s eye, a loom woven with the fluffy pastels that might symbolize the feelings and experiences of being a baby. That softness gives way to the smooth, energetic vibrant colors of childhood, later spotted with the ragged angst of adolescence. Here and there, the tapestry would be speckled with coarseness of thought, the dark hues of tragedy, loss or betrayal and hopefully changing into silky, light colors of freedom, balance and joy.

If you could see the “right now”, the blurred, unfocused motion of a life in action….what might it look like? Once you have imagined it…..ask yourself…..

“Why aren’t I weaving my future golden?”

A golden life would be woven with the threads of peace, prosperity, and bliss. You will have to be open to accepting your opportunities, lessons, and the circumstances that empower your soul to live its divine destiny so that you can manifest the dreams that you have only visualized in the secret recesses of your heart.

A golden life is different for each of us because we assign importance differently. A golden life is not just financial. Like diamonds, we are multi-faceted beings and to be able to shine our brightest, we must nurture all of our dimensions. To be golden is to be healthy and balanced in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual realm.

One might admire that rich man with the house on the hill, yet he yearns for someone to love and share his home with. A family man with little means wishes for fortune. You might admire a beautiful woman not knowing that she cries inside for the cure to cancer. A seemingly popular, attractive person that looks to have it all might struggle to fill the God shaped hole in his heart.

Our fate is not assigned to us. We choose it.

No matter your good fortune or lack thereof, your golden life does not just happen. It is something that you choose every day. It is worked towards and once attained, it is maintained.

Are you ready to start actively creating your life? Are you just starting your journey or are you already golden? Let’s journey together. Follow my blog for more….I just might change your life.

 

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Trust your soul to know the way