How to Live Before You Die - Steve Jobs' Commencement Speech

3 lessons to live by...

• "You can only 'connect the dots' by looking backwards. So you have to trust that the 'dots' of your life will somehow connect in your future.... You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever - and go for what you know is true"
• "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.  And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking. Don't settle."
• "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition." 
  
  
  Here's to continuing the Journey.... trusting that your 'dots' are connecting, refusing to 'settle', having the courage to follow your heart.
  
  
  -Becky

Don't Limit God?

Growing up in Mainstream Church, Southern USA, I learned that asking God for something specific - i.e telling God what you wanted - limited God in some way.... so that (s)he couldn't bring you what you really needed.

In some metaphysical teachings I've heard "don't ask for specifics" - just focus on generalities and leave it "open".

Then in other new thought circles I've been taught, "YES! Absolutely ask for exactly what you want and envision it in every detail."

So for years I've battled in my mind about which the hell way DO you "ask so that you can receive"? Do you set specific goals? Do you affirm, "I now make $100,000 dollars a year" (when you're making only 50% of that or less?) Or do you affirm something more "reasonable"?

A couple of days ago it hit me like a "duh" thump on the head.......

It's both... And.

You have to know what you want - exactly - otherwise you end up in a vague fog wishing and hoping for "something" better. All the while, your real focus is either on what you currently have and don't want or what you don't have that you want..... Either way, the focus is on the "don't have" - the "wanting" - the "lack of" - because that is the clearest picture in your mind.

So you get more of what is currently in your life - and in your mind's eye or focus.

You remain a "victim" of your world, waiting for something outside of you to come "save" you.

(Been there, done that. Many times!)

Knowing what you want - precisely and exactly - enables you to "see" a new picture in your mind. (A "new reality" so to speak.) And the more details - especially feelings - you can add to the picture, the clearer and sharper the picture.

But it doesn't stop there.

You must "see" this New Reality with a handful of detachment.

The feeling of what you want is the fuel. The details of how it arrives is like the "vehicle".

If you're expecting it to come to you in a yellow Ferrari, for instance, and a blue Jeep Cherokee shows up, you'll be left standing on the curb because you were too focused on a different way to get there - in this case the yellow Ferrari - and didn't even notice the Jeep Cherokee.

Adding "this or something better" to your picture leaves the door open for what you want to come to you in the best way for you.

Plus, I always add "for the highest good of all" as well. (We don't live in a vacuum. Whatever it is we want is usually going to involve other people in some way. Putting out the energy of "win-win" is good Karma as well as just good "metaphysical manners"!)

However, it doesn't stop here either.

Once the picture is in your mind, you're feeling all the wonderful emotions as if what you want is already part of your current reality, and you're open to it showing up in whatever way is best for everyone concerned....

Now you must take inspired action.

Sitting on the couch, visualizing, feeling good, and putting out good energy won't cut it. It's a third dimensional world we live in. You've got to DO something to bring it into the physical world.

So, when you get a nudge or an idea to go talk to somebody or do something or say something..... GO DO IT - SAY IT.... Follow through. Even if it's scary. (Actually, especially if it's scary!) These are promptings from Spirit / God.

You're "new reality" is on it's way. Following through on the nudges or ideas is your demonstration of Faith.

So really.... it's not putting your faith into action that limit's God.

What do you think?

Here's to continuing the Journey... getting a clear picture of what you want, feeling how awesome it is, and showing your faith by taking inspired action.

-Becky

What's YOUR Dream?

I was reminded again this morning about the Susan Boyle story..... a 40-something woman that never gave up on her dream..... who faced ridicule and humiliation but kept going and did it anyway! 

She is a role model for all of us.... Don't let life kill your dream!

See her first audition where she surprised the world......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Lyrics: I Dreamed a Dream

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high,
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

When I was young and unafraid
When dreams were made and used,
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung,
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hopes apart
As they turn your dreams to shame.

And still I dream he'll come to me
And we will live our lives together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather....

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seems
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

Here's to continuing the Journey..... and having the courage to LIVE your dream.

-Becky

I'm on a Mission...

This morning I had an epiphany.....

When I was working in Corporate America, I used to say "I'm on a mission!" whenever I was involved in solving a customer problem or researching an answer to a question.

It meant.... "I'm running full-steam ahead... Stand aside! I'm bound and determined to get this solved."

There's been a lot of talk in the coaching world about "what's your theme" for this decade. As I wrote in my January ezine issue (TIPs for the Journey) several days ago, this year will be my year to Step Up and Step Out - Step Up and embrace my life purpose, and Step Out of my comfort zone so that I can show up in a bigger way. There are some goals that I want to achieve that I've (obviously) just been giving "lip service" to (since they're not part of my reality yet).

The main one is more like a "life purpose" - something I have known and felt since my late 20's.

I was thinking about all this this morning when it "hit me"....

"Becky, you're 51 years old.... It's time to BE and Do what you know you're here to do! The rehearsal's over. Quit making excuses. Get out of overwhelm - your favorite self-sabotage technique - Stop wondering why you haven't reached the success you wanted..... It ain't happening because YOU'RE not happening! Step up to the plate and GO for it. It's now or never, girl."

So.... Stand aside! all you "issues' that I've let hold me back! You're not keeping me playing small any more. I'm on a mission.... I am determined to BE what I came here to be and Do what I came here to do.

This is the year for Becky to step up and step out and LIVE her Purpose - 100% - full steam ahead!

Here's to continuing the Journey.... reconnecting with that inner calling..... and going for it with purpose and passion!

-Becky

P.S. This Thursday is the first new moon of the decade. I invite you to join me in planting your seeds of intention and desires at my New Moon Telegathering. Find out about it here.

You See What You Expect

The old adage, "Seeing is believing," which implies that we must rely on the physical sense of sight to verify that something is true, is being replaced by "when you believe it, you'll see it" (or as Wyne Dyer titled his book, "You See It When You Believe It."

Last night I experienced this phenomenon first hand....

My husband and I were downstairs in the den - he was at standing by his desk (which is in the corner directly away from the back door) and I was sitting on the couch (on the opposite side of the room). I left the room for a few minutes to go upstairs. Then came back.

While I was gone, I heard him rattling around. When I came back down, I expected to see him by the backdoor (getting ready or just coming back from smoking outside) or standing/sitting at his desk. My eyes check both places as I came down the stairs. He was not at either.

So I called out, " Are you there?" (sometimes it's hard to see him sitting at his desk, when you first come down the stairs as there are shelves and a ficus tree in front of the desk.)

When he answered, "Yes" and then got up out of the chair I was standing next to, I jumped about 3 feet off the ground. (The chair is one of the first things you "see" when you come into the room from the stairs.)

It was pretty freaky - and amazing that I just completely looked over (through?) him.

But it's a perfect example of.... you see what you expect.

It made me wonder.... what else am I not "seeing" that's right in front of me?

And taking that deeper.... what "beliefs" might be holding me back from "seeing" my potential .... or might be keeping me from creating and achieving my heart's desires?

"What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve."

- Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich

Here's to continuing the Journey.... believing.... and seeing.... clearing the way for possibilities to become reality.

- Becky

Couch-Potatoe-itus

I don't watch TV much, but when I do, it's always an interesting experience....

My husband's daughter was visiting over Thanksgiving and we spent Friday evening watching TV.... So for the first time ever, I watched Ghost Whisperer, Medium, and Burn Notice. All very fascinating, but after 3-hours my brain was toast. (Interesting.... I have a 3-hour tolerance for shopping and cooking as well....?)

I had been finishing some things up back in my home office and had gone down to the den to see what everyone else was up to. And even though I would have rather done something else, and Ghost Whisperer was already 20-minutes into the story, I quickly got pulled in.

Then Medium started.... and I noticed that even though I could have gotten up and left the room, I continued staying there... watching.... It was sort of an "addiction" feeling. Then I got caught up in the story and forgot about it.

By the end of that show, my brain was feeling very full and I was tired... but I stayed put.... I felt that "addiction" feeling taking over again... and it was easier to just "give up" and stay there.

Was I suffering from a bad case of "couch-potatoe-itus"?

The next morning, thinking about all this... I marveled at how people could spend hours and hours watching TV each week.... giving up all that time watching other people making money living their dream.  - Remember, all those actors in the shows AND in the commercials are getting paid. I've not heard of anyone ever getting paid for Watching TV.

But... maybe I'm the weird one... I'm "psychologically  unemployable" as well.... I can't understand spending 40-hours a week, every week, building someone else's Dream!

I've got dreams of my own. And I'd rather spend my time and energy making my own dreams come true!

What are your dreams? Desires? Goals?

Do you spend time working toward them?

Here's to continuing the Journey... being entertained.... working on dreams..... finding a balance...

-Becky