When Life Takes An Unexpected Turn

There are times in this life when you are tested for strength and not the physical kind, but the mental.  A dear friend of mine three years ago was standing against those tests in time and chose to take his own life.  Felt too much pressure from family, career, and the community that he belonged to, from a life he created.  I witnessed the pain that he left behind, it was cowardly and selfish.  That type of pressure can only be described when going through some major life changes, when life takes that unexpected turn.

It is not the direction of the turn that shocks our system or world, but the turn itself.  It is important to look beyond the turn and look at the new direction ahead, picture it as a new journey.  As a direction that will lead you to your goals in life, to accomplishing those intentions that you may have set in the past.

Let's use golf or car racing as an example.  A golfer is looking at the ball at all times, even when they are swinging the club to drive the ball down the green, but what if they didn't calculate the wind speed, if they hit the ball with too much power, or if they were just having a bad day, they still focus their gaze on where they want and hope the ball should land.  They constantly rebuild strength knowing that there are more holes or tournaments ahead.  As for car racers, they are looking beyond the turn to rev it up on the next straight away to chose which of the many gears they need to use in order to make the turn and power through it.

As humans, when life takes a turn, we too must look at the path beyond the turn, so that we are not consumed with the turn itself.  Allowing ourselves to build the strength we need to power through it and continue on this journey called life.  Reminding ourselves that the turns in life are all teachable moments, and you never know when a sharp turn can lead you back to your goals and to a journey of self discovery.

Trust yourself and the course you are taking in this life, and know that there are always turns.  How will you handle the next turn in this life? Are we grateful to those that cheer us on during the turn that may jolt us back into reality?

Namaste.

The Meaning of Self Worth

As I was meditating and focusing on the light in my heart center in a yoga and meditation class I attended today, my mind was focusing on the word self worth.  A very special person in my life and one of my greatest teachers used to always ask me “what is your self worth?”

Those two words bore into my psyche and I can honestly say that it took me a while to define the meaning of self worth.  According to Collins English Dictionary, self worth is “respect for or a favorable opinion of one self.”  It is a mix of self esteem and self respect.

To me, self worth, is the ability to balance acts of service (service defined as work, family, career, or community).  It is a balance of knowing when to give in kind and when to add a value to what you are providing.  It takes both self esteem and self respect to identify the appropriate times to add value.  As people, we run on energy, whether it is the energy from within or the energy that we share with others.  That energy is what drives us to give, to work, to achieve our goals.  Our energy provides the fuel to develop a strong self esteem and self respect, which essentially gives us the ability to define our self worth.

For example, I know from experience that people will continue to take as long as you continue to offer, whether it is the great energy you exute, your expertise, your ability to love, or your resources (time and money).  Eventually that energy may subside or you may forget who you were as a person when you started this trend of giving.  At which point you realize that you have lost strength in believing in yourself and as a result you lost opportunities to define your self worth.  Life is a balance of give and take, whether in love, at work, at home, or in any interpersonal communication interaction.  So, let’s remember that our self worth is our ability to balance our acts of service and know our value to the world, while maintaining the strength of our self esteem and self confidence.

By no means am I saying in this blog to stop giving or to hinder your beautiful ability of influencing those around you with your great energy.  I am merely asking, “what is your self worth?” and how will you develop your ability to balance your acts of service in this lifetime?

Let's meet on the mat at your next meeting or event. Check out www.themeetingyogi.com for more information or email bana@themeetingyogi.com.

Namaste.

Winds of Change

When the winds of change in life blow some are strong enough to break our spirits or test our strength, while others remind us that we must simply go with the flow and dance with the wind. Advice that I must live by the next couple of months as I ride the rainbow following the storm to my own pot of gold.

There are times in the last month where I felt suffocated by the experiences and the breaks that have happened in my life.  And though it is not easy, I remind myself that once the mind goes into the negative thinking mode, it takes twice as long and twice as hard to think positive and simply regain the personal strength that I need to achieve my goals. I remind myself that happiness comes from within and that no thing or person can make me happy unless I was satisfied and happy with myself and my life. I remind myself that I was always one to love life and people and the dust of this storm will eventually settle.

I have had a life list for a very long time. It is handwritten in my journal and saved on my phone, so that I am constantly reminded of what I want and what I am working towards.  I have viewed every experience, good or bad, as a learning experience and those that were involved as my teachers.

The winds of change have blown my way at great strength and have somewhat knocked me down.  I feel and believe in my heart, that once the storm settles I will be in my own heaven, a place in life that I had envisioned for years now. I use meditation and creative visualization to go to the place where I want to be, so that I can really feel it, touch it, believe in it. A step closer to accomplishing my goals and taking action.

I have given myself permission to feel sad, mad, and happy and let the emotions that I was going through in the present moment take their course.  I knew and believed that my strength, perseverance and ability to love my life will return and be stronger. I am grateful to everyone (friends and family) that weathered the storm with me.

Now I am ready to refocus and conquer my dreams and have grown a foundation that will give me the ability to dance with the winds of change and overcome any other storm.

Namaste!

Check out www.themeetingyogi.com for more information or email bana@themeetingyogi.com.

Overcoming Fear and Reaching a New Peak

I apologize to my readers and followers for not providing you with a blog in quite sometime. I have had an adventurous summer with many life trials, good and bad, happy and sad, etc.  In fact, I sat at my computer several times with the intention to write something, but the drafts were always driven by my emotions that day. My goal for this blog is to share with you my inspirations, and my drive and energy for living a holistic life.

I have had many great things happen in my life recently, I am very much in love with a wonderful man, I have fallen in love with a puggle with a great personality, I am comfortable in my own skin, and I am grateful everyday for another day, another adventure, and the people that support me.

Though grateful for everything in my life, I do have my challenges and currently that is with my career. I have reached a new peak where I find myself working harder at letting go of negative thoughts and maintaining a positive attitude. The toxicity in the environment is not only affecting me mentally, but also physically. I find myself wondering when I will overcome my crippling fear of climbing again even if it meant trying a different mountain, a new challenge.  I have prided myself over the years for working towards a cause and not just the pay. My leadership philosophy stems from the experiences that I have had in my career and to that I am grateful.

I am fortunate to have hobbies that provide me with the opportunity of a challenge, the ability to expand my leadership and management skills, and that foster my creativity.  I have set my goals and intentions and will have to make choices that will help drive me to the goals I once set.  Affirming my actions every step of the way.

I encourage you to read The Secret, focusing solely on the law of attaction.  I read it five years ago and it has truly changed my life.  I set intentions and goals, affirm my actions and choices to reach those goals, and give back to a universe that has rewarded me.

Let's meet on the mat at your next meeting or event. Check out www.themeetingyogi.com for more information or email bana@themeetingyogi.com.

Namaste!

When it rains it pours or does it?

We've all heard the saying "when it rains it pours," but does it really? I have lived with that very phrase for the last week, only to realize that my life is full of surprises and events that I may or may not like, and are typically a result of the choices I make. I could live my life believing the cliche, or I can turn every new challenge into an opportunity.

In the last week...
I lost a friendship that meant a lot to me;
I came to the realization that I do need to respect my years of service and experience on the job and acknowledge my self worth in terms of my career in order to advance and reach my goals;
Finally, that my lease was up and I have 5 weeks to find a place I can call home.

My initial reactions to my recent speed bumps were expected, due to a lifetime of affirming the phrase "when it rains it pours." instead of focusing on the positive, I found myself challenging the universe by thinking negative thoughts and affirming another cliche, "what else can go wrong." However, by using it as an affirmation, I blocked my ability to think positive, to actually seek the opportunities that the new changes bring. For example, instead of focusing on the pain of moving again, I made the decision to purchase my next space, and find a place I call home. My mood instantly changed from whining and worry to excitement and nervousness. I knew moving into my current apartment that it was a temporary living situation, I set the intention from day one, therefore, I was able to easily shift my mindset.

The one thing that I constantly remind myself of, is that I am grateful for the present moment, for the people in my life, and for the freedom to live and make choices. Thank you for reading this personal post.

Let's meet on the mat at your next meeting or event. Check out www.themeetingyogi.com for more information or email bana@themeetingyogi.com.

Namaste!

Where does the time go?

There are days when I feel that the clock has stopped; however in the blink of an eye I am starting a new day. Where does the time go?  Our energies are typically focused on what will happen in the future, that we miss is what is happening in our lives right now.  This past year has been filled with new beginnings and great adventures.  I started a new chapter, overcame some fears, realized my strength, and fell in love.  Lots of emotions, long nights, and support from family and friends.  A year has gone by in the blink of an eye, and the only memories I recall are the happy ones and I look at the challenges as stepping stones and enriching experiences.  However, I have determined that I thrive on challenging my time on this earth to accomplish tasks and goals and take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to me,  whether they are related to my work, business or loved ones.  I create to do lists to complete existing to do lists, who does that?  I also add items that I accomplish that were not on the original list and check them off for satisfaction.  As I remind myself of my life goal list everyday, I am also thankful for my life.

Triangle Pose at the Great Pyramids, Egypt

We are living in a society that has taken information access to a new level.  Addicted to having anything we want at the stroke of our fingers and the size of our bandwidth or network.  Call me traditional but I do believe that takes away from our time to reflect on our day, to do something for ourselves, or to enjoy our loved ones.  I have been caught doing emails while jogging on a treadmill, well if you know anything about exercise, your mind has to be clear of all thoughts and focused on isolating the muscles that are giving your body energy to run. We must remind ourselves that once that time has passed it is in the past.  After all, there are no guarantees in life, but the one thing that is guaranteed is the present moment and the choices we are making in this very moment.  So, stop reading and go do something for yourself, your loved ones or your community.

Let's meet on the mat at your next meeting or event. Check out www.themeetingyogi.com for more information or email bana@themeetingyogi.com.

Namaste!

What's Your Definition of Conscious Service?

What’s your personal definition of conscious service?  How do you like to give back to society, this earth, or your community?

I believe in giving back as a method of showing gratitude for many things in life to which I am grateful for.  My personal definition of conscious service stems from my beliefs that life is a gift and the fortunes and misfortunes that happen during my lifetime are reminders that there is much to be grateful for and it is important to show that gratitude by being kind, respectful, generous, and honest with oneself and others. I believe that the internal satisfaction that is produced after a day or a minute of service is priceless. 

Keller Williams Red Day - May 2011

There are many types of conscious service?  My inability to travel within the United States or to a foreign country to volunteer weeks or months at a time in a disaster struck area doesn’t stop me from giving back. Service could be flashing a smile at someone that is having a miserable day, volunteering at the local food bank, picking up a piece of trash from the street, assisting a person in a time of need, or offering monetary support.  Donating is a form of service, however, I find that the satisfaction of “doing” is more rewarding.

What do you love to do, gives you the most pleasure?  Connect the things that you enjoy doing in this lifetime to volunteer and service opportunities in your community.  Find an organization in your community that you would like to support or volunteer your time with, be consciously aware of your surroundings because often times there are opportunities for giving back when we are getting a cup of coffee or waiting for a flight at the airport.

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people that have come alive."

–Howard Thurman


Let's meet on the mat at your next meeting or event. Check out www.themeetingyogi.com for more information or email bana@themeetingyogi.com.

Namaste!