SpiritBeautifulRevolution

Surrender to what?  Doesn’t that imply, or overtly state, “giving up”?

 

After all, who wants to wave the white flag at dreams and goals you’ve fought so long and hard to achieve?

 

My friends, I know EXACTLY how you feel. I was told when I was 16 by a friend of mine that “no one likes a quitter”. How could she have known that an innocent statement on her part could have been taken so literally by me and caused me so much pain later in life? That is, until, deliberately or inadvertently, I “gave up” the fight on so many seemingly unattainable goals, and as a result got so much more out of my dreams.

 

The problem with fighting for your dreams and goals is that very often the fight comes from a place of fear – the fear of not achieving, of not getting, of being made a fool.  Fear, as I am sure you are aware, is a very negative place to be.

 

When we fear, our vibration is low (yes, here we go again) and often we lack appreciation for all that we have.  We are so wrapped up in the struggle, heroically slogging away every day, constantly obsessing over what we want or don’t yet have, we don’t take the time to rest or see the positive.  Fatigue doesn’t usually lend itself to clarity, as I’m sure you are aware. When we are tired (spiritually or otherwise) we make bad decisions and are generally not very nice to be around. Now, looking at it from an energetic point of view, when we are cranky and miserable, do you think that anyone positive is going to want to be around us?

 

I didn’t think so.

 

When you have laid all of the ground work for your goals, and made an active effort to pursue and realize them, at some point if nothing is working, does it not make sense to just “let go and let God”?  The ultimate act of faith and trust is to TRUST that if your goal is truly meant for you, that it will come to you. Maybe not in the package that you are demanding (or hoping/wishing/dreaming for), but perhaps in something better than you could have imagined?

 

Let’s imagine a scenario that probably has happened several times in human history. I know that I’ve seen it about ½ dozen times in my life,and I’m not that old. (I’m pretty sure I’ve pulled this on my parents, too, when I was little).

 

A little kid and her mom are at the grocery store, at the check out, and little Molly sees a candy bar.

 

“Mommy, can I have this”, she asks, full of hope and anticipation.

 

“No, sweetie, we are having a surprise after supper, and this will spoil it.”  Mummies really do know best, sometimes. (Ok, most of the time)

 

“But I REALLY want it NOW!  I don’t care about the surprise, I WANT the candy bar NOW!”  Petulant, the child looks like she is going to go into orbit in about 10 seconds as her colour builds and eyes bulge.

 

“NO, you will have to wait, don’t you want to know what the surprise is? Everyone is going to have some, and it’s going to be so yummy.”  Mommy is trying her darnedest to be patient, while onlookers at the store try to ignore the imminent implosion of the child.

 

Suddenly, the child throws herself onto the floor in a fit of passion and rage. More than a little p.o.’d, her mom drops her groceries, picks the child up and leaves the store. (don’t you wish more parents would do that?) 

 

So, they get home, little darling gets sent to her room and SURPRISE, everyone gets ice cream cake for dessert, except for Molly. And all because she couldn’t trust her mom that something was coming along that was better than a cheap old chocolate bar.

 

So, replace the elements in the above story with the following:

You are Molly, the little darling…

Your mom is God, or the Universe (Universal energy)…

The candy bar is the vision you think you want…the one for which you are willing to throw yourself down in a fit of passion…

The ice cream cake is the even better surprise that the Universe (God) has in store for you… but of course you don’t get any because you were being a brat.

 

Guess what, folks?  You get nothing because you are so willing to settle for your idea of what your goal or vision should be, and how you should get it, that you can’t trust that God might deliver you something that’s infinitely more satisfying and in a way that’s much more fun.  Instead, when you fear that you’re not going to get something, you act in a way that in essence prevents you from achieving anything.

 

How’s that for the art of surrender? 

 

So, the next time you really, really, really, want something, at some point, you are going to have to give up the fight and let your desire leave your psyche and head out into the universal pool of energy. Only when you let something go is it able to pick up enough energy to come back to you; only when you trust that there is a reason for everything that happens, or not, are you on track to achieving your goals.

 

Now, go surrender - and have some ice cream cake while you’re at it.

 

© SBR SpiritBeautifulRevolution 2008

www.spiritbeautiful.com

 

 

 

 

Now that you know what you don’t want in your life, it’s time to have a little fun and think about what you do want.  If you have a hard time narrowing things down, you are not alone.

 

It’s not as easy as you thought, now, is it?

 

Identifying what you want has to go beyond “a nice car, a nice home” or “to be happy”. Who doesn’t want all of that?  To really narrow things down, then, think about how you want to feel – because when you “feel” something, as we have already discussed, your vibration will change accordingly.  Have a look at what could already “be” in your life, or what you could get that would help you achieve that feeling. 

 

Let’s say, for example, that you want to own your own home.  How would owning your own home feel?  In your mind’s eye, how would you feel when driving up to your home?  Excited, happy?  Where is your home located?  At the end of a long, winding driveway, surrounded by fields and hills?  How about overlooking the ocean, and smelling the salt air, hearing the waves crash? 

 

How would you feel as you open the front door?  Ideally, a home should be your safe place, a place of love, comfort and peace.  Let yourself feel that, and anything else positive you can associate with your home. 

 

Take it a bit further. How is your home decorated?  There’s no point in envisioning modern elegance if you prefer rustic comfort, because you won’t get the same feeling from it – and it is your fantasy, after all.  Hey, as you’re imagining all of this, play some music that evokes the feelings you want to get from your home (everyone’s different, remember, so that’s completely up to you). Envision pets, a partner, art, furniture, the view from your rooftop deck…oops, that’s mine, my apologies. You create your fantasy as you wish. 

 

Think about the number of bedrooms, the layout, draw a floor plan, think about your garden. After all, as Gloria Steinem once stated “Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”

 

The point is you need to feel passionate and excited, it will greatly enhance the process, and we know that passion will set things in motion, even if we can’t see it with our own eyes.  Our passion today can become our reality tomorrow, provided we don’t get in our own way.

 

I think that a vision board is a great tool, so go ahead and use one.  Don’t think about how you’re going to achieve, let a higher power figure that out. Don’t try to control how grandiose your dreams are – when you ask for your dream person, situation or object, ask “for all of this or something better”. Don’t limit yourself, because our universe is limitless, and you can be, too.  For some more pointers, you may want to check out  www.spiritbeautiful.com .  When negative thoughts creep into your dream-time, just say “stop” or “cancel” and immediately turn your attention to the good stuff.

 

Avoid desperation and doubt. Give yourself some time every day to imagine your desire with passion and joy, and then let it go. It’s out there, if you keep the faith, it will find its way to you eventually.

                                                                                                                               SBR

 

© SpiritBeautifulRevolution 2008

 

What role does passion play in your life?  What role does passion play in achievement?  What is the relationship between being passionate and being spiritual?

 

I have asked myself this several times throughout the last year or so, but today I witnessed the results of passion. As I sat in awe of the performers of Riverdance, as the energy brought tears to my eyes, it struck me – nothing great is ever achieved without passion.

 

What makes someone keep going in striving to reach a goal when there is nothing else left?  What makes a young dancer keep going in spite of the odds that s/he will not reach a position of privilege in a dance company or show?  What makes a researcher discover breakthroughs in medicine that will benefit millions of people? What makes a teacher stay up to all hours of the night painstakingly putting together curriculum that inspires even one student who will change the world? It’s passion.

 

Passion is the fire to have such single-minded focus that you can’t imagine failing. It’s just not an option.

 

Passion is the reason to keep going when it just doesn’t make sense to continue.

 

Passion is the difference between “a good job” and “achieving beyond your wildest dreams.”  Passion is the difference between existing, “doing all right”, and really living.

 

Passion is fragile, it needs to be nurtured, and sometimes the most adverse of circumstances provide the fuel for the fire. I think of upcoming actors and how the odds are so against them even landing a paying gig, let alone winning an Oscar. BUT, it happens (one example is, of course, my all-time favorite actor Matt Damon J). Is it dumb luck? Maybe there’s a little bit of that involved.  Is it talent? There’s probably a lot of raw talent that is required. But what good is luck and talent if a person doesn’t have the fire to get up everyday and follow through on what needs to be done, to take action?  Matt Damon sure didn’t get where he is by sitting on his butt and eating cheese doodles all day. (and trust me on this, you won’t get where you want to go by doing nothing, either)

 

Instead, in spite of all odds, he had the passion to stick it out when common sense (or maybe people in his life) should have told him to quit. (disclaimer: I am not suggesting that Matt Damon doesn’t have common sense, because I think he’s lovely). And he is not alone in his achievement. I think of people in other industries, with other talents, who have taken a passion for something and turned it into something BIG.  These people definitely march to the beat of their own drums, because following your passion isn’t for conformists, weaklings, sissies or “yes” men and women. It takes courage to follow that fire in your belly, especially when the people whom you love the most are discouraging you. Perhaps they think they are doing you a favour, giving you a reality check – or maybe they can’t imagine a life that is beyond the confines of what they already know.  In the end, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, because this life is yours, and if you don’t live it, no one else is going to do it for you.  And wouldn’t it be unfortunate to reach the end of your days, and look back and regret the chances you didn’t take?

 

After seeing Riverdance today, I had to sit down and evaluate what the heck passion means to me, and how it is related to the more spiritual path I’m trying to forge. I realized that passion for me means rediscovering the lost part of myself that is bigger than the desk job where I spend 40 hours a week. It is honourable, this work I do, we do, whatever it is. To be responsible, to contribute to society, to pay our taxes - there is nothing wrong with that.  That in and of itself, however, is pretty dull. There are some of us who want MORE, and there’s nothing wrong with that either.  Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we followed our hearts and dreams and contributed with all of the passion in our bodies, instead of grudgingly giving 40 hours a week and hoping to win the lottery so we can quit and do what we really want?

 

Maybe the lottery that’s really worth winning is the one where the winner takes a chance and does what he loves, and loves what he does.  Perhaps the real challenge is to admit what makes our hearts sing, and find a way to partake and be responsible to ourselves?  I’m not talking about being selfish to the point where your family suffers. I’m talking about building something for yourself that helps you be the best person you can be, so you can give the best of yourself to yourself, to those you love and to the world. Wouldn’t THAT be fantastic? Our world could be a true utopia if more people contributed their unique passions and talents.

 

What I do know is that passion can be lost, found, born, altered – it changes because we change as people as we go through various rites of passage and life stages. That’s OK, it’s healthy and normal. What I think is important is that you look at who you really are at this very moment (because Now is all there is), as difficult as that may be, and admit what sets your heart ablaze. You don’t have to tell anyone about this, it’s none of their business. The sooner you get real with yourself, the sooner you start living according to  your passion.  When you do this, you will begin to live life more in tune with your spirit.