Navigating Transition

What If We Could Actually Create a New Reality?

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A Course of Love tells us that we’ve been creating in response to “reality.” It goes on to tell us that we are now called to create reality – a new reality.

As we here in the United States are about to swear in a new president, it can easily look like we must create something in response to this “reality.” As I look down that road, that looks like fighting, division and righteousness – at best.

What If We Could Actually Create a New Reality?

The road that got us here probably isn’t going to take us where we’d like to go . . .

Which makes me super curious what it means to create a new reality. What if I could create a new reality, not in response to what seems to be “reality?” What if you could? What if we could? What could we do together?!?

I don’t know the answers yet. And, instinctively, it does feel like the right question.

What’s your sense? What’s on your heart and in your mind? I’d love your comments and insights below.

How Do We Stop Election Fear from Within?

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One of my mentors, Dicken Bettinger, posted thoughts on Facebook worth repeating here today.

“The real question is not what will happen as a result of this election.

Politicians do not determine the overall level of well-being of those who live in their country.

To me, the real questions are:

  • Can we look within and set aside our judgmental thoughts of others?
  • Can we find love and understanding in our hearts?
  • Can we bring these feelings to each other, especially those who disagree with us?
  • Can we find tolerance deep in our souls, especially for those who see life differently than we do?
  • Can we find within us the spirit of cooperation that is based on tolerance and respect so that we can truly work together to create a society that is looking out for what is best for the whole rather than just our own self-interests?

How Do We Stop Election Fear from Within?

The problems of the world ultimately will not be resolved on a political level. The problems of the world will ultimately be resolved only by each of us bringing more love and understanding into the world.

May we all get better at listening for, and to, the inner wisdom that continues to guide us toward a more peaceful and loving world community.”

– Dicken Bettinger, originally published on Facebook

As always, I’d love your thoughts and comments below.

What Are the Many Triggers of Grief?

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Grief arises from any event or new condition that shatters
the foundation you previously knew as your reality.
– goldenwillowretreat.com

Very few of us embrace grief as part of living. We tend to reserve the idea of grieving for something we do after someone has died. And we don’t want to do that for very long or talk about it much at all.

We do ourselves a huge disservice by keeping grief in the shadows.

When we recognize the loss in the death of a loved one, a diminished savings account, grown children moving to another state or a health diagnosis, we give ourselves the opportunity to feel what we’re feeling and allow a new identity to emerge.

What losses have you experienced that demanded a new you?

What Are the Many Triggers of Grief?

Most of us tend to not want a new identity. Yet our former identity is no longer available.

If we don’t take the conscious journey of grieving, we tend to numb ourselves, sometimes to the point of barely living.

If we do take the conscious journey of grieving, we give ourselves the opportunity to embrace more of who we truly are and perhaps even serve others in a whole new way.

Ironically, consciously grieving gifts us with more authentic, joyful living.

If you’ve read this far, I would love you to share something in the comments. Let’s move grief out of the shadows . . .

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for transforming stress and overwhelm into clarity and purpose”)

Into the Blue Beyond

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It looked like
the end of the road.

The sign read:
Road ends in water.

Ann Strong Into the Blue Beyond

I sat by that sign.
For quite a while.

Waiting.
Lamenting.
Wishing.
Hoping.
Waiting.

Oh, the waiting.

Until I realized,
if I believe
this is
the end of the road,
then it is so.

I am still here,
waiting by this sign.

At first,
the view was terrifying.

I was sure
the road would take me
to my death.

As I’ve been sitting here
by this sign,
my perception has shifted.

What if
this road isn’t death?

What if
traveling this road
is rebirth?

What if
traveling by land
is no longer the way?

What if
the water transforms me?

What if
the sky expands me?

Having sat here
for quite awhile,
it no longer seems
so ominous.

The blue
of the water,
the blue
of the sky,
they call me.

I take a deep breath
and answer the call,
moving into
the blue beyond.

Moving into
the blue beyond.

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for transforming crisis into clarity and purpose”)

Two Ways to Brilliantly and Divinely Transcend Ourselves

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“As human beings we are made to surpass ourselves and are truly ourselves only when transcending ourselves.”
  ~ Huston Smith

Two ways to transcend ourselves: Brilliance and Divinity.

Brilliance
The human and personally unique: consistently growing, quantum leaping and expanding the boundaries of our service and contribution. The practice of our craft. Living and working beyond our own innocently self-imposed self-consciousness.

Ah, to transcend myself and experience Oneness with all of this . . .

Ah, to transcend myself and experience Oneness with all of this . . .

 
Divinity
The Divine and Universal: going beyond our human limitations, accessing our innate Divinity and Oneness, where all things are possible.

                             To living our Brilliance and our Divinity . . .

And Then There Were Eight

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Thank you so much to all of you who wrote to me after I sent out the piece, “One.” I felt far less alone after hearing from you! If you missed that piece, you can read it here . . .


And Then There Were Eight

Last Saturday I went to my first meeting of the Women Entrepreneurs Santa Fe Network. And now I know 7 more women in Santa Fe!!! And, we have so much in common. Of course there is the obvious – we all have our own businesses. All very cool businesses, I might add. And, several of the women are new to Santa Fe in the last few months.

I am far less alone today than I was one week ago. This morning I had coffee with Cinny, an artisan dressmaker. She introduced me to a wonderful new bakery and coffee shop, Dulce. And now I know who will begin my custom wardrobe in the near future!

Ah . . . the process of bringing new dreams into reality . . . Sometimes I’m very impatient. I think I’m not interested in the process of making new friends. I just want the result of having new friends.

Yet somehow sharing a bit about the process with you has reflected back to me the sweetness in the process – the baby steps, the daily victories, the subtle shaping of a new life, a new me . . .

So, what about you? In what areas of your life or work would you like to bring more of what you were born for into reality? How can I inspire you to savor the journey?

Post your comments, insights and progress below.

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I’m so excited – the new website is live!!!
Win a solo retreat in Santa Fe (A $1900 value)!!!!!

We have been hard at work for months and are so happy to share the new beautiful, spacious website!

We were sad because we were not able to bring the comments on the blog to the new site when we made the move. I have figured out a way to remedy that!

Between now and Jan 1, 2015, if you will take the time to look at the blog and make a comment on 10 or more of the blog posts, I will enter you into a drawing for a facilitated solo retreat with me in New Mexico.
Read all about the retreats at: http://annstrong.com/retreats/

We will announce the winner of the retreat in the Jan 7th newsletter . . .

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My book, “Thriving Work” is now available
on Kindle at Amazon for just $3.99:
Click here to order

Navigating Change Successfully: The Certainty of God in Uncertain Situations

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In the past six months, I have experienced more change in my life, both personally and professionally, than in the past six years.  Honestly, it has rocked me to my core. 

Two of my clients and one of my friends have each experienced three or four unrelated deaths of people under 50, several of them suicides.  An acquaintance is recovering from a head-on collision.  She was riding a motorcycle.  Another took her own life. 

I have told my coach several times over the past few months, “I don’t know who I am.“ Other times, I told her, “I don’t know where I am.”  Twice she asked me if I wanted to read the prayers in my book, the book that I wrote.  Both times, I told her I did want to read them.  And, I did read them.

Yet, they didn’t soak in very deeply.  Until recently.

We are both Divine and human.

The human part of me HAS been a bit lost, sometimes hard to find during this time.  The Divine part is ever-present, ever-radiant, unwavering.

woman with flowers

Experiencing the Grace of God within and all around . . .

I do know who I am.

“I am love, power, beauty and mystery.
I am love, joy, peace and hope.
I am love, brilliance, health and wealth.
I am love and abundance.
I am God expressed.”

-From “Radiant Wave of Oneness”
In the book, Thriving Work
By Ann Strong

I am the Grace of God.  So are you. As are my clients, friends and acquaintances.  When I live as though I know that, I am unwavering in the face of change.  I want that for you, too.

Feel free to post your comments, insights and experiences below.