Balance & Shine....

We jump out of bed and rush to the shower.  From the shower, we pour ourselves into our clothes, grab the quickest and most convenient on-the-go breakfast, and curse traffic hoping it will propel us to our destination more quickly.  If you begin each day with the renewed spirit of entrepreneurship, you raise your disciplined body with your internal itinerary and find that your life's day is navigated by the compass of the happenings of life hopefully sprinkled by the tasks you actually need to accomplish.  In a world where it's common to hear, "there aren't enough hours in the day," how do we find the balance?  More importantly, when our mastery of our time shows it's face in our success, how do we deal with the excessive glamour that may come with it?  

It is no secret that when we look into the lives of the rich and famous, the glamour and glitz are sometimes overshadowed by the negativity that accompanies it.  The lives of these sought after and looked up to celebs bombard our desires on a daily basis.  Whether through the gossip-filled blogs or through water-cooler conversations, the famous are idolized to no end.  From the outside in, you can't see the things they give up, their insecurities, their demons and turmoil, and their lack of balance.  We all do our best to balance, and believe that in the hands of a fabulous personal assistant-extraordinaire, lies the balance that makes your life happen as it should.  What we learn when the truth is exposed is that the balance we so desperately yearn for, they yearn for as well and many lose grasp of it and also the ability to live the lives and enjoy the luxuries they worked so hard for.  

It's no secret that we lost a legend recently.  Whitney Houston left the earth and the saddest part: her legendary lifestyle, achievements, and memory were sullied by the part of her that struggled.  The part that wasn't wrapped up in diamonds and fur.  The part that fell off of the beam of balance, time and time again.  As I look at the endless videos, remembrance films, and interviews with those who knew her, I think of how sad it is that things ended up the way they did.  I know God does things on His own time, but sometimes, you can't help but wonder.   

A close friend of mine and I had a discussion a couple of nights ago about "wanting too much" and our feelings associated with that.  Coincidentally, we always discuss balance which prompted this hodgepodge post.  We both have clearly learned to better balance our lives as we've matured, but we're still learning.  There was a time that I felt that the right balance changed depending on the time and the goal.  Whatever your priority is at the time determines how you balance everything else.  For me, there is an evolution of balance.  It's never the same nor is it ever perfect enough to where one end of the beam isn't tilting closer toward the ground than the other side.  In regard to the idea of wanting too much, it's no secret to anyone who's spoken to me and some of my crew, that we want it all.  We work hard and aspire to do so much.  In my mind, the sky really is the limit!  I desire much knowing that God, himself, places those desires in my heart.  He doesn't place the same wants in everyone which leads me to believe that He knows that I can handle the blessings that he gives me knowing that I will use them to ultimately bless others.  That is, after all, what we're all here for...to be a beacon of light for others.

Don't allow guilt to rob you of the joy and dreams that your desires give you.  You were placed on this earth to do what you're currently doing and achieve what you're working on.  Shine brightly but refuse to let the brightness of the glamour steal your God-given light and balance.  

Until next time...keep the forward movement.....

Onward & Upward....

Life is all about change.  If you dare disagree, you’re in complete denial.  Whether you’re accepting of that change or desperately fighting against it, it happens.  Though everyone describes it as an earth-shattering experience, it can be a very scary process.  To leave what you know, even if you desire something else, takes you out of your comfort zone.  Being uncomfortable causes you to begin to reach up and pick out the worst of scenarios and frighten yourself even more.   In the end, however, it is more than worth it.

For a long time now, I’ve found myself at a crossroads.  I was in a place that I desperately abhorred, but didn’t see an easy way out of.  Though at times my entire being wanted to just get up and run, my sensible self told me that, that wouldn’t be the best idea.  Running would simply add to whatever I was running from, not eliminate it.  With the understanding of that, I decided to stay.  At the beginning of this year, I thought to myself “how awesome would it be if I could leave this place and embark on something new that was intertwined with my passions.”  I decided that the best thing I could do was continue to work hard and pray.  I did just that.  I was careful to request my desires specifically and made sure to keep believing.  One things for sure, if you don’t truly believe in your dreams and desires, no matter how hard you work, you will never attain them...and that’s simply because you don’t truly believe you can.  As days passed by, I didn’t allow myself to waiver or be saddened by the circumstance.  I kept pushing on.  Finally, one recent afternoon, I decided to do an exercise that I often do with some of my life coaching clients.  I decided to write a letter about the situation as if it had ALREADY been taken care of.  This letter was the viewpoint of being on the other side.  I even re-wrote it twice to make sure it was perfect and slipped it into a book.  That, my friends, is one form of an exercise of putting your desires into the atmosphere.  You can see it and it becomes more real.  Well, God definitely heard me because a short 45 minutes later, things completely changed in my life.  The very thing that I wrote about on that piece of paper happened!  I was so excited!  My heart beamed with thanksgiving.  Later that day, a part of me, although happy, naturally began to think of all the negative “what-ifs” in my new situation, but I didn’t allow them in my spirit long enough to even consider planting a seed.  I knew, without a doubt, that because of the way things happened, my steps were being ordered and I was that much closer to my destiny.  

Today, I encourage you to step out on faith and embrace the changes.  There will always be change.  That is what life is.  You may not always understand the purpose of the juncture, but trust that it will take you to your destination.  Be lead by your belief in the one that orchestrates the changes, and not crippled by the uneasy angst that tries to steal your peace.  Know that you are meant to achieve all you desire as your wonderful change moves you onward and upward! 

Until next time....keep the forward movement....