A Spirit of Gratitude

Thank you. Merci. Gracias. Tak. Kiitos. Mahalo. Shukriya. Danke. Grazie. Dhanyabaad. Shukran. Salamat. Just some of the many languages in which I've had the privilege of learning how to say, "Thank you". Giving thanks is an expression of gratitude, which is a critical step in the giving and receiving cycle - it completes the loop.

So, what is the loop, you ask? The loop is the cycle that begins and completes the flow of conscious creative energy. In other words, the act of manifesting a unique experience through the process giving and receiving. But do all our these experiences turn out to be happy and joyful? Not so much. Well, at least not a first... but therein lies the role of gratitude - it allows us to change our perspective.

For example, the other day I was sitting with a friend and we were talking about her dissatisfaction with her current job. When she first started this job she was very happy with the opportunity - the environment appeared to support her, the job itself was fulfilling, and she felt comfortable with the leadership. Her decision felt well balanced. Over time, however, the circumstances in her work environment changed. Now she felt constricted rather than expanded; her manager chose to lead using fear-based behaviors, like control and anger, over supportive and empowering actions; and she lost interest in the job itself. This, unfortunately, is not uncommon for many of us. She realized the situation had become imbalanced.

So, what to do now? Ah yes... the $100,000 question (which has probably gone up in price since the recent economy swing). As we were talking more about how she was feeling it became apparent she was experiencing what she "doesn't want". When we recognize what we don't want, we start to receive more clarity about what it is we do want - that is, if we're paying attention. Our immediate experiences provide us with contrast, and this contrast gives us the opportunity to make new, higher (more peaceful and comfortable), choices. Whether we choose to change our immediate situation (in this case, quit her job) or consider creating something new in the future (i.e., start looking for a new job), we have the power to change our minds. This decision-making process gives us the opportunity to honor our true desires - our highest intentions - and in return, helps us stay in our integrity. By listening to our intuition we demonstrate respect for ourselves and our choices regardless of the outcome. And respecting ourselves and our choices is the most important action we can take in any experience.

After our conversation I could feel a sense of lightness about her attitude and a sense of gratitude for this "bad" experience she was feeling. By choosing to focus on what we are learning in any given circumstance and expressing our gratitude to recognize it for what it is, our act of thankfulness shifts our feelings of constriction and hopelessness to feelings of freedom and hope. When we expand our minds we expand the choices available to us.

This week I encourage you to pay attention to those moments which disguise themselves as frustrating, aggravating or hopeless and give thanks for the awareness these opportunities are providing you. With a gentle shift in your perspective, you, too, may be able to say "thank you" in any language - especially the language of your heart.

Make 2011 a year of gratitude!

The Ambassador

The Fear Factor

Unlike the TV program, The Fear Factor, facing our fears usually doesn't involve eating strange exotic bugs or surviving potential suffocation underwater while millions of people watch. Rather, our fears come to us in little annoying thoughts and messages... but sometimes we'd rather eat fat juicy spiders than face our fears. Why? Because we "fear" our fears.

Fear is nothing to be afraid of. In fact, our fears are merely information - signals to pay attention. It's how we respond to that information which makes the biggest difference and the largest impact on our well-being.

So let's apply the topic of fear to the Balance Factor awareness of mind, body and spirit. When we stay only in our minds, we have the potential to take our fears and create all sorts of “thoughts” about them. When we try and think ourselves through our fears we often create more fears in the process. What happens when you are afraid of talking to someone about a sensitive matter? You may create all sorts of their responses based on what you "think" they might say (which may help you prepare to speak to them), but after some good brainstorming we may be more nervous than before. Our minds start going in a hundred different directions based on the "what if..." question. Suddenly our concerns have turned to panic.

What about taking our fear a step deeper? Whereas our minds bring us thoughts, our hearts bring us the feelings surrounding our fears. When we bring our fears into our hearts and examine our feelings, we have the opportunity to see how many of our fears are, in fact, unfounded or silly. Perhaps just paranoia or misunderstanding. Many of our fears are based in the future or the past (I can’t believe I did that… what was I thinking? Or the "woulda should coulda" path). Sometimes we can use our feelings to help direct our responses to fear, but many times our emotions get the best of us and suddenly we're not able to think reasonably. And, once again, our fears take control.

There is an additional level of awareness that brings the most, and deepest, meaning to our fears and that is our spirit - our intuition. Spirit can bring our fears out of the darkness of doubt and into the light of truth. What do you really "know" about the fear are you feeling? How do your thoughts and feelings line-up with your intuition? What really feels true about the situation? Bringing our fears down into our center - becoming aware of our inner knowingness and trusting that gut feeling in our intuition, we now have the ability to tap a deeper level of understanding - our core beliefs - our inner truth.

When we are aware of our thoughts, feelings, and intuition, we have access to the most information from which to create our responses, which in turn create our reality. When we are in alignment with our body, mind, and spirit we can take each into consideration and activate our response based on a new pool of information. That, indeed, will help us to take our fears and deal with them logically, emotionally, and intuitively.

And all without having to eat bugs. Well, not unless you're into that :o)

Namaste,

The Ambassador

What It Is

Visiting Hawaii again last week helped me put a lot of things back into alignment in my life. I find that each time I am in a place of quiet and beauty with less distractions I turn down the volume on the outside of my life and turn the volume up on the inside. Helpful, indeed!

As I pondered on many aspects of my life I did a lot of writing. One of the main reasons which I love to observe, study and write about balance is because there are so many times in my life where the concept of balance is so discoverable - it shows itself to me in my daily attitudes, actions and words. So one day I decided to write more about what it means to truly be in balance (or in "alignment") with the energy or rhythm of life. Indulge me for a moment as I share with you my perspective about this particular topic from my journaling:

Everything is and always is exactly as it should be. There are no wrong moments. All that exists “behind the scenes” of our every day dramas is well and balanced at all times. What is perceived as being “out of balance” is only when you are out of alignment with the flow (of all that is). There is a constant stream of energy always flowing, you are just not always tapped into it; thus, when you experience this disconnect you’ll find it difficult to maintain balance. The discrepancy between being in the flow and being out of it creates conflict. Fear pushes us out of the stream whereas love can pull us back in.

Relationships also push you out or pull you back into the stream. You will truly be amazed when you finally understand the influence that others have on your sense of balance. Choose wisely where you direct your energies for wherever you choose to pay attention (people, places, and events), your energy goes. Those sources which can give back to you or reflect your own positive energy will serve you whereas those which drain you will not. Believing you can alter or manipulate this process is futile for it is already the course of nature; it is already in motion. Therefore, relationships in which you believe you can truly alter events by your own actions will most likely fail. If you believe you can change somebody else’s behavior, you will learn that it is not possible. You can influence others, but you cannot change them—they, like you, choose to change themselves. You can choose to be a positive influence by acting in kind, but you cannot influence anyone positively if you are not acting in the same energy. Giving is also receiving and vice-versa; we are all connected.

The gift of patience is allowance. If you are truly connected to the flow of all that is, you will allow everything and everyone to be as it is or who they are without resistance. True allowance does not have judgment—either you are in a spirit of acceptance or you are not. Choosing to accept what “is” keeps you in alignment whereas judgment pushes you out, for judgment stems from fear. Love, the opposite of fear, joins; fear divides. This doesn’t mean that you cannot help to influence people and events to bring about a more favorable outcome, but in the end you still need to learn how to accept everything as it is and everyone as they are—this is the key to maintaining internal balance. If you can maintain even keel on the inside it will be reflected on the outside of your life as well.

Happy Holidays!

The Ambassador