Friday’s Purposeful Question: LISTEN

When we feel overly attached to an outcome, it’s simply an indication that we need to reconnect with our Wise Self.

“Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it, you will live along some distant day into your answers.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

“Are you listening to your Wise Self today?”

~ From Cheryl Richardson’s Grace Cards.

Visit Cheryl’s site and click on A Touch of Grace to pick a Grace Card.

Growth

Accept the lesson. When things don’t go our way, something more important to the growth of our soul is in the works.

This is one of my favorites! Everything is a lesson for our growth. Everything! The good, the bad and the ugly!

You have two choices: to see everything as happening to you; OR to see everything as happening for you.

You get to choose!

~ From Cheryl Richardson’s Grace Cards.

Visit Cheryl’s site and click on A Touch of Grace to pick a Grace Card.

Peace

When we balance silence with activity, we discover true peace of mind – the source of all joy and happiness.

Having true peace means we are not controlled by our circumstances; but we can remain peaceful even in the chaotic moments. Trappist Monk and author Thomas Merton once said if you are peaceful then there is at least some peace.

During the storms of life, try not to get caught up in all the noise. Practice silence for that moment in time. Soon your practice will be your way of life and you will have true peace of mind, joy and happiness.

~ From Cheryl Richardson’s Grace Cards.

Visit Cheryl’s site and click on A Touch of Grace to pick a Grace Card.

Faith

Have faith. Every event we experience and every person we meet has been put in our path for a reason.

Most people tend to live in fear and anxiety because of uncertainty about the future. The present is the only moment you have; so think about the people and experiences in your immediate present. They have been put in your path for a reason.

Stop focusing all of your attention and energy on a future you do not know or on a past you cannot change. Plan your present moments and have faith!

~ From Cheryl Richardson’s Grace Cards. 

Visit Cheryl and click on A Touch of Grace to pick a Grace Card.

Mindfulness

Manage your mind. When we direct our thoughts and words toward the outcome we most desire, we ignite grace.

Everything is created twice – first in your mind, then in your reality. Think about what you think about most. What are you creating? What are you manifesting in your reality? Is it negativity? Is it doubt and worry?

Manage your mind. You may not be able to control every thought that lands in your mind; but you certainly have control over which ones you choose to entertain.

~ From Cheryl Richardson’s Grace Cards. 

Visit Cheryl’s site and click on A Touch of Grace to pick a Grace Card.

Purposeful Weekend Reflection…

The final Grace Card for the week is DEVOTION: Stay connected to the Divine. Pray, express your gratitude, or ask for help out loud. Make the practice of devotion a daily habit.

I am eternally grateful for Cheryl Richardson for creating these Grace Cards. In all my gatherings including my women’s circles and my BWP Meetups, I open with the Grace Cards. They are so beautifully illustrated and everyone gets the card that call to their hearts; not their heads but their hearts. I always tell the women to let the card pick them instead of them picking the card. And it works!

At the Elizabeth Seton Women’s Center here in NYC where we hold our gatherings, the cards are generously displayed in a glass bowl for our use. The directors, Arlie and Karen, even gave me my own deck for a birthday gift!

So, for this weekend, begin making the practice of devotion a daily habit. Express gratitude. Pray. Ask for help – out loud! And stay connected to the Divine.

In loving devotion,
Coach Carolyn

Take A Chance… Do It Afraid

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." ~ Alan Cohen

One of the things that fear does is it causes the “fight or flight” reaction. I call it a reaction and not a response because there is no time to really discern which you are going to do – you just react! You quickly assess whether you are strong enough to fight, or not strong enough so you run away.

Now this is a brilliant reaction to have when you are facing physical or emotional danger. But if it is a perceived fear or a false fear, then you must assess differently. And sometimes it is best to just take a chance, do the thing you are afraid of and transcend the fear. Unless you conquer the fear, it will continue to conquer you.

When facing a fear, STOP, TAKE A BREATH, and ASK:

“What’s the worse thing that could happen in this situation?”

Usually the worse thing never happens. Like author and humorist Mark Twain once quipped, “I have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened!”

So just for today, take a chance and do it afraid.

Grace Card:
Chance: Take the leap. Divine protection is always by our side.

Coach Carolyn

Trust in Divine Timing

“If a book told you something when you were fifteen, it will tell you it again when you're fifty, though you may understand it so differently that it seems you're reading a whole new book.” ~ Ursula K. Le Guin

One of the Universal Laws is the Law of Gender. This Law speaks of timing. When you plant a seed, you must give that seed the proper gestation time; otherwise, nothing will grow. And so it is with you. Personal growth and development works the same way. It takes time. But not just time where you wait and do nothing. It is during this gestation period that you are to water and nurture the seed. It is about taking the inspired action necessary to have healthy growth.

You must realize that it is just not your time. You may read a book, attend a seminar, listen to a teleclass and get nothing from it except a lot of theories and facts. Two years later, you hear the same material, now you are ready to not only hear the message, but implement it into your life.

So if you are drawn to some information but have no idea what to do with it in the moment – simply wait for divine timing. It will definitely lead you in the right direction.

Grace Card:
Patience: Trust in Divine timing. Your future holds something far greater than your past.

Coach Carolyn

Grace Cards

For those women who have attended any of my groups, know that I begin every session with Cheryl Richardson's Grace Cards. Grace cards are a deck of 50 beautifully illustrated cards with a simple self-care message on each. I use the cards at the start of all of my group sessions as a centering, a prayer, and an ice-breaker. It gets everyone to share and tell a little bit about themselves so that everyone in the room knows them too.

I have shared here and in my groups, that I am going through a transitional period right now. I am facing some definite unknowns and there is a level of fear. I will choose to do the next right thing, and do it afraid. I love the saying, "And this too shall pass." I know that intellectually, but it's still right now, and hasn't passed yet!

Every morning as part of my morning ritual, I pull 3 Grace Cards to see what the Divine has to say to me. Sometimes they are just reminders to stop and take a breath. I can forget this, especially in the throws of transition. The Grace Cards have a way of bringing me back to what is authentic. So, what cards "found" me this morning?

Silence: Be still.
Awaken: Keep your eyes open.
Peace: When we balance silence and activity, we discover true peace of mind -- the source of all joy and happiness.

Of course, I began to cry. So, what's the message?

And this too shall pass -- if you would just be still, staying aware and alert, true peace will come.

And so it is.

Coach Carolyn