How You Think About Life Quickly Becomes Your Life

“How you respond to life is your life.”
– Tama Kieves
From her new book, “Thriving Through Uncertainty: Moving Beyond Fear and Making Change Work for You”

Oh my goodness, take that in.

It’s so easy to imagine that if I change my circumstances, I’ll have a better life.

I did the research on this one when I moved from Denver to Lamy, New Mexico three years ago.  I do love living in a magical casita surrounded by open land and open sky.  And, I still have bad moods when things don’t go how I think they “should.”

When I’m able to respond by allowing things to be as they are, then my life feels great regardless of where I’m living or any other circumstances.

When I’m spending time in Denver and sitting in traffic, I can choose to respond by becoming present and Zen and flowing as traffic is or isn’t flowing.  When I rail against “idiot drivers,” I create a not-so-good life for myself.

Same circumstances: sitting in Denver traffic.  Two different lives by my response to life.

Is the answer to never go to Denver again?  Of course not.  Then I would simply have more time to focus on all the “idiot hikers” in the beautiful New Mexico open space who let their dogs run loose and jump on me.

Thriving Through Uncertainty: Moving Beyond Fear and Making Change Work for You by Tama Kieves

Tama has written a brilliant, inspiring, heart-warming book championing our oh-so-human experience and calling us to become more aware of how we can thrive anyway.

Love yourself – read her book.

Join the conversation ~ post your insights, feedback and experiences below.

What If You Are Your Biggest Supporter?

From Dictionary.com –
Advocate: person supporting an idea or cause publically.

What if YOU are the idea and the cause?

Take that in: YOU are worth supporting. Even publically.

This flies in the face of what we’ve been taught about not tooting our own horn. Why aren’t we suppose to toot our own horn? Because we’ll get too big for our britches? None of that even makes sense.

What If You Are Your Biggest Supporter?

Why would we acknowledge our own Beauty less than the Beauty of this glorious flower?

Each of us is an entirely unique emanation of the One. To be celebrated. Honored. Cherished. Supported. Shared with the world. In a positive way.

“Getting too big for our britches” is a human idea. Self-deprecating is a long-celebrated, passed-down-through-the-generations, completely nonsensical idea.

We are here in this lifetime now to fully express ourselves. Our humanity and our Divinity. We are here to support and advocate for that expression.

How much cleaner and more empowering than trying to cleverly manipulate others into advocating for us, give us their stamp of approval?

Self-advocating isn’t ego puffery. It’s seeing yourself and speaking about yourself the same way you would a child or grandchild, a dear friend or a beloved teacher.

The other day, I noticed that one of the participants in my Thriving Work Working Book Club had a new picture on her Facebook page. She looked radiant. When I shared that with her, she simply replied, “I love my smile in that picture.”

Beautiful, innocent, pure self-advocacy.

Join the conversation – post your insights, feedback and experiences below.