Today, I’m want to help you shift perceptions to step into a new reality, a reality of your choosing. Funny enough my career for more than two decades was focused on changing perceptions. Until it wasn’t. A few years ago, I stepped back from my career for a lot of reasons, some I had control over, others I had no control. I landed on the path of unknowingness, a place where perceptions become unrecognizable. It was scary as hell. My “perceived life” of travel, luxury, and a robust client roster came to a screeching halt. And yet, coincidentally, it was mirroring my personal life. I now don’t believe in coincidences. I think all things, good and bad, arrive at the perfect time, in perfect harmony for soul growth.
Below are a few lessons I learned in the unknowingness. I thought it was a timely topic considering our pandemic world, where the “unknown” seems to be ruling our days.
Just Stop
I had to just stop. I’ve always been a “busy” person. Hell, I grew up with a mother who said, lazy people, are synonymous with failure. Geez, you hear that enough times as a small child, and your ass is in gear 24/7. This “perception” had become me until I stopped. If I hadn’t, I don’t know where I would be now. I was trying to be something I wasn’t. Trying to keep up with it all; being a perfect Mom. No such thing. Working to meet ridiculous deadlines, and when the deadlines were meet, a new question was asked, ‘what’s next?” Really. That’s it? On top of it, I was attempting to live a fairy-tale Cinderella-inspired marriage. Tip: Leave the fairy tales to Disney. What happened; my ego-conditioned self ran headfirst into my higher self. It was the crash and burn moment that literally made me stop.
If you live in a constant state of hustle, the pandemic is forcing a hard stop. During this time, ask yourself, what have you been stopping yourself from doing? If your routine has been drastically altered, what is that showing you? Does all of your busyness help you forget if so, forget what? I counted on the busyness of the situation to blind me from what I knew deep down inside I had to change. The hustle worked for a long time. Until it didn’t. I will tell you this, if you stop long enough, the answers will come. Stopping and stillness is the place to start. Also know, once you ask the question, you’ve opened the door to an awakened life. So buckle up and enjoy the journey.
Out of Control
Having to stop helped me realize how out of control my spending habits had become. OK, I’m thrifty, to begin with. Growing up, we didn’t have much, but we managed to scrape by. So I’m not the person who’s in the salon, getting blowouts, mani, pedis, it’s just not my nature. Note to self, why don’t you like being pampered; time for introspection.
Anyway, what I would do is go shopping buying hundreds of dollars of clothes that I didn’t need. UGH. Or I’d buy and return stuff online. It became an unhealthy addiction, one you don’t realize until you stop. Addictions as I’ve come to understand them, soothe unbearable life circumstances to protect our emotional selves from turning within to look at our greatest fears. What’s ironic was my deepest fears weren’t really mine. They were perpetrated by childhood beliefs and cultural conditioning. Somebody else’s ideas of what I should be and do.
I feel for it all, hook-line, and sinker because that’s what I learned. Until I un-learned it. To strive for what? Unhappiness. Ego-driven, livin’. Money in the bank that buys what? I found the whole ordeal to be a game of distorted consumerism. This lifestyle, and what I know now to be true is very different. No judging here, but those values didn’t align with my soul self. I wanted more out of life than chasing some far-off dream about a “perceived” life of happiness. I needed to stop and gain control over my life situation.
Back In Control
I want to be clear about the control thing, I now don’t believe we’re really ever in control. It’s a long-held idea cast upon us by my country’s cultures. In the US, the culture of consumerism leads us to believe if you get the car, the house, the partner, the kid, the job you’ll be happy. And today it’s even more out of control. Now it’s I need a million-dollar home, the $100,000 vehicle, a career that brings in millions, a few kids, and the lastest “it dog”. Yet today survery after survey says we are more dissatisfied than ever. If you stop to think about life, you’d recognize that we live in the unknowingness of the everyday. It’s arrogant for us to assume we’re in total control. Today’s pandemic paints the real picture. Do we know how our day will unfold? Nope, we don’t
What I now now, is what makes me happy is the little things. I know it’s so cliche, but it’s true. I’m writing this post sitting on my front porch watching the Cardinals play. Watching them fascinates me, as does most things in Mother Nature. I’ve always appreciated Mother Nature thanks to my Dad, but today it’s not merely a cursory thing. It’s the majesty of it all. It’s the realization of how our lives are intrinsically linked with Mother Nature, the dualistic nature of it all.
Mother Nature
Look at how resilient Mother Nature is; it’s mind-boggling. I know I wouldn’t be as gracious. Even as the fires swept through Australia and the millions of animals where lost, Mother Nature kept on. She didn’t claim to be a victim; she could of. And she didn’t get angry or frustrated. Mother Nature took each day as it came and dealt with what was before her. No complaints. No judging. Only witnessing. One of my spiritual practices is to look to Mother Nature to help change my life’s perceptions. FYI, Mother Nature never disappoints.
Speaking of Mother Nature
As the pandemic broke, which now seems like a century ago, I was on my LinkedIn page, and my gut spoke to me. So I posted what I was feeling. I wrote, “I see the pandemic as a reprieve for Mother Nature. She’ll be able to breathe and start healing. She’ll get a stay from being trampled upon unconsciously, disrespectfully, and with no regard to her natural resources.” I said this because of my career in the travel industry. For more than two decades, I’ve seen first hand how nature is destroyed under the guise of distorted capital consumerism. It’s horrific. It’s heartbreaking. It still is.
The pandemic is prompting Mother Nature to tell us ever so gently, “I can’t give anymore.” “I must rest.” “You must stop and appreciate what’s in your own backyard.”
What’s also interesting is the pandemic is giving us the same reprieve. Time to step away from the hustle, breathe, and take stock of your life. Are your shelves full up or empty? Aka are you happy with your life or are you sitting across from someone who makes you very unhappy?
Appreciation for What Is
As the hustle, spending, and excessive drinking – the numbing of the mind, came to a halt, I started to appreciate the “what is.” I found a wonderful group of women who supported me. The funny thing is they were in my own backyard. Neighbors who came to my rescue, supporting me, and helping me care for my son. These women came into my life because I changed my perception about each of them. Yes, they didn’t have the life I had, but neither did I, anymore. It was time for me to see who I really was, and to see them for the wonderful beings they truly are.
I started to walk with a soulful woman, who lived down the street, a person I’d never spoken to before. I thought she’s so quiet. What I’ve come to love about her is she’s beautifully different. She listens. Doesn’t judge. She’s a sage. And honestly, she and I have much in common. To meet her, you would disagree. To know her, you’d agree.
Today, I’ve connected with many women. Another woman comes to mind. She is powerful and oh-so insightful. I hadn’t seen her in six years, and yet somehow, we’ve reconnected. It’s like no time has passed, a connection that somehow never got disconnected. Don’t you love having people like this in your life? I believe when we change our perceptions about self while shedding disingenuous beliefs that don’t support how we want to show up in the world, it prompts life to flow, effortlessly.
How to Shift Perceptions to Step Into a New Reality
I’ve stepped away from a world I perceived was idyllic, always spouting the mantra, “perception is a reality.” What I didn’t realize in all those years, was the phrase was missing a transformative element; who’s perception of reality are you living?”
As the pandemic settles in, and the unknowingness continues, what we all have is our personal reality. In my new knowingness, I believe perceptions can have a transformative impact on how we look at our personal reality. So I ask the question, “Will you see the pandemic as the end of times, full of death, sickness, and the destruction of society? Or will you see this time as a rebirth, a planet reset? Or maybe you see it as a new alignment with self coming away with what’s essential, kindness, caring, and appreciation of family and community.
Perhaps you can even shift the perception of death as a spiritual ascension to a new life—my belief. And believe me, death is never easy. I lost both of my parents within five years of one another. I realize people are losing loved ones, and all the positive outcomes that will surface doesn’t negate the loss and suffering many are going through. We live in a dualistic world, so pain and suffering coalesce with joy and positivity.
Out of the Ashes a Book Emerges
With the encouragement of family and friends, I realize that I need to share what I’ve experienced during my ten-year time out. One of my biggest lessons was learning that if you don’t understand yourself, life becomes a tortuous journey. What I’ve come to realize is your personality; your distinct way of being in the world was given to you at birth. By the time you reach adulthood, it’s been hijacked by parents, peers, life’s tsunamis, and your country’s culture. It’s become unrecognizable.
I’m not sure how, because I live in the unknowingness of it all. The book Unpack Your Personality™️ is based on the foundational wisdom of personality typing. I’ve taken personality typing beyond the workplace and given it a lifestyle appeal with supportive spiritual building blocks that I know to be critical to relearning you. If I can reach one person, my tsunami years will not have been in vain for me, and you.
One who is connected to the Energy Stream is more powerful than a million who are not. And two who are harmoniously focused and connected to the Energy Stream brings about a co-creative endeavor that cannot be matched by anything else in all of the Universe.
Abraham-Hicks Excerpted from Los Angeles, CA on 7/26/97
Today, I’m working on a free quiz and developing 16 tiny books written with each personality in mind. These guidebooks will take a deep dive into your exclusive inner guide. It’s only natural that I’ve set up these books in the travel space. I feel we, as human beings, are more open-minded when we travel. Why not carve out space to go within and reconnect. I’ll give you the framework, all you need to do is find a quiet beach, mountain top or out of the way cafe, to tune in and listen to what your inner guide is telling you. Stay tuned because these 16 guidebooks are coming in 2020. Have you signed up to be the first one on the list to take the quiz? If you have an interest go ahead and connect.
It’s Always My Intention
It’s always my intention to help you realize different aspects of yourself. To inspire you to show up in the world better than you were the day before. Every day is a gift. You’re a gift, a gift with great potential. That’s why the Universe assigned you a distinct personality type and embellished your soul with your own brilliant DNA blueprint. You’re here to remember and share your beautiful self with the world. We are all different. After a ten-year tsunami, and years of reflection and learning, I now know on a soul level, that spirituality doesn’t come in a pre-labeled box. It comes from your higher self. What many don’t realize is that your personality dictates your spiritual approach to life, just like it dictates your travel style, lifestyle, and career.
Does any of this interest you? If you said yes join the revolution.
JOIN THE REVOLUTION
I’d love to see you on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, but the best way to feel a part of this community is by subscribing to my newsletter. I want to start a revolution with like-minded women who are committed to a life defined by a DIVINELY fabulous personality with a healthy heaping of spiritual undertones. The world needs YOU!
Tune In
My radio interview aired on Speaking of Travel part of the iHeart radio network with host, Marilyn Ball. Give it a listen here. I’m also working on 16 guidebooks on the subject matter of Unpacking Your Personality.™️ It’s a modern-day approach to personality typing supported by spirituality. I’m working on finishing up the books, and will then need to get a printer, develop a Podcast, and so much more. All new things for me, but I’m excited, exhausted and a bit overwhelmed. 😇 I look forward to building a community of seekers—individuals who want to know their truth and shine brighter in the world. We will become a positive force in the world. And I’m up for whatever it takes to make this happen.
Image by Anke Sundermeier from Pixabay
