“until a person can say deeply and honestly, “I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday,” that person cannot say, “I choose otherwise.”
― Stephen R. Covey

I recently attended a training workshop.  The facilitator said to me that I need to get in touch with my humanity.  She said my head and my heart need to connect.  I heard her, and understood, but how do you choose to make your heart connect with your mind?  Seemed like a huge abstract concept to conquer.  I agreed with the facilitator, but I left that Sunday evening feeling a little overwhelmed and honestly a little confused on what was necessary for me to do to make this connection.  I jumped back into my life, but by Friday an insurmountable wave of funk came over me.  I couldn’t shake it.  I couldn’t talk about it.  The following Monday I was literally on the couch really unable to do anything productive, so I sent a text to three of my process partners, and the one that responded took time to process with me.  It was really amazing, and I got clarity on my funk.  I had gone through a transformation, but tried to live my life in the same way that I was before the transformation.  My process partner listened and helped me get to the heart of my funk.  That was a start, and prepared me for the next level of my training…

In the first level of the training, I became aware of some things that were holding me back, but in the second training I broke through those barriers.  I humbled myself and learned what real humanity is all about.  I am forever changed and so excited to live my life with this new clarity.  I’ve made a choice to impact the world with humility and love for humanity.  The way we live our lives starts and ends with making a choice. At any point we can decide to be different.  Really…we can!  Are you a procrastinator…You can choose not to waste another minute of your life.  Are you a person that is closed and distrustful…you can choose to be open and trusting.  Have you been hurt and are afraid to be loved, you can choose to be loving and open to big possibilities.  Will this require you to be vulnerable?  YES!!!  Will this require you to risk disappointment?  Yes!!!  But I have one important question for you…How is playing it safe working for you?  Are you in the career of your dreams? Have you experienced a deep, powerful connected love?  Are you showing up for your family and friends in a real meaningful way?  If your life is not where you want it to be, you have the ability to make the choice to be different right now!  In being vulnerable and putting yourself out there you take the risk of falling, but you also take the risk of soaring and growing in ways you never imagined.  I’m here to tell you it’s worth the risk, and you are worth the work it will take to get there…

My Takeaways:

1.  Life is what you make it, and at any point, if you find something is not working for you, you can choose to change it.  It really is that easy.
2. Sometimes you need someone to see through your BS and tell you what you need to hear, so that you can then do the work…
3. Vulnerability is one of the greatest strengths a person could have.  Without it, life is much smaller than it can be.

My Challenge for You:

1.  In what ways are you living small and safe?  Think about your career and your relationships.  Pick one area in which you can make a choice to show up differently, and be vulnerable to the outcome.
2. Think about a time when you felt really hurt or betrayed.  Now think about that same time and look in the mirror and figure out your role in the breakdown.  Be vulnerable in owning your part, and do one thing different and be open to a different outcome.  Journal what that experience was like for you.