Cruise Control

Your Soul-full Journey

There's a desire bubbling within you - a potential accomplishment, an acquisition, a creation, a condition of health, wealth and happiness...  It's big and it's juicy, and the idea of 'getting there' makes you lick your lips in anticipation!

But how do you know if this desitnation is on your True Path?  How do you know if it's really for you and not just a distraction, a shiny bauble dangled by a world that tries to tell you what to want?  

Here are a few simple but powerful questions to help you find out:

• Can you 'get there' by being authentically you?
• Will it call even more of the Real You through you? 
• Will accomplishing the goal require that you 'ditch some baggage' - old habits, outdated ideas - and leave who you are not behind?
• As you imagine the person you will become, do you like what you see? 
• Will what you create and experience along the way bless others, even as it blesses you?
• Is it worth the attempt even if you never get there?

Your Dream Destination not only calls you forward, it calls forward the very best in you.  It requires that you connect more fully and more consistently with the deepest broadest truth of who you are, and allow yourself to be guided by the loving impulses that arise from that place.  Every move you make, big or small, carries with it the deep satisfaction of knowing you're doing what you came here to do.  And it energises you with the Thrill Power needed to experience an effortless, Soul-full journey.  

So take another look, and ask yourself honestly...  Does your goal have Soul?

 

 

You're Not Where You've Been

Sometimes it's easy to forget that where you've been is not where you are.  When painful memories crowd in, when critical voices from the past have their say in your head, when your gremlins take a look at your Dreams and cry, "Who do you think you are?!", it's easy to feel overwhelmed.  It's easy to see your past as baggage, weighing you down and holding you back.  It's easy to define what's possible in the future only by your experiences of the past, and trade your Adventure of a Lifetime in for the drag of a daily commute...

But what if every moment of your Journey so far has unfolded exactly as it was meant to be?  What if you were able to see clearly the incredible skills, strengths and personal qualities you've developed along the way?  What if where you were, and where you are, have been the perfect preparation for where you want to be?  

You are where you are not in spite of your past, but because of it.  You are who you are because of everything you've experienced and everything you desire.  You are poised for success and happiness, because of everything you've lived so far and everything you allow yourself to dream for your future.  

You're ready. Now, where do you want to go from here?

"You are not defined by your past.
You are prepared by your past."
Joel Osteen 

 

The Hero's Journey

I'm not a fan of 'reality TV'.  It often has very little to do with reality, and everything to do with clashing egos, playing for the cameras and people being set up for public humiliation.  Definitely not my scene...  

But every now and again, magic happens. And I am grateful to the clever algorithms on YouTube for suggesting (based on past viewing) that I might enjoy the clip that follows.

When young Musharaf Asghar (Mushy to his friends) was faced with the challenge of reading out a poem as for his English GCSE oral assessment, it seemed there was little hope of success.  The pressure of knowing that 20% of his final grade depended upon his performance exacerbated his severe stammer and in practice sessions he could not speak even the first word.  But then his teacher took inspired action...

 

 Can't view the clip? Click here.

As this video beautifully demonstrates, in every Hero's Journey a seemingly insurmountable obstacle must be overcome. These external Roadblocks point every time to internal barriers, the fears we must face with courage and compassion, and the power of curiosity and a willingness to experiment.

What's more, when we are bold - when we are committed to living the vision of our most significant life - unseen forces conspire with us to help us along the way.  Is it a coincidence that just a short time before this, Mr Burton was inspired to watch "The King's Speech", an Oscar-winning film released over three years earlier?  Not a coincidence, but a synchronicity, and yet another reminder that we are conscious energetic beings in a conscious energetic universe.

What Roadblocks appear to stand between you and your Dream Destination?  What adventure is calling you forward?  What inner barriers are demanding your attention?  Are you ready and willing to experiment, and to allow your most significant life to unfold?   If you are, your own Hero's Journey has begun...

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” Patanjali

365 Days of Adventure...?!

Meet Jane Talbot, or Intrepid Jane as she's known to her friends and blog readers!  Type her name into Google and you'll soon discover how she earned that monicker, raising funds for Help for Heroes through a string of adventures culminating in running 203 across the Scottish Isles of Islay and Jura in just 9 days! This girl's got mettle...

This year, she's embarked upon an adventure of a different kind, an exploration of the adventure available to each of us in our every day lives. I'll let Jane introduce the idea in her own words in under 60 seconds...

(If the embedded video does not appear below, please click here).

 

Already Jane's adventures have led her to learn braile and sign language, to discover survival skills, and even to investigate the truth of the declaration "Shopping trolleys will not operate beyond this point"!  And her love of life and connection to the present moment shines through in every one...

Now it's clear what Jane's "word of the year' is!  But what's yours?  What is the essence of the experience you'd like to have as your year unfolds?  What 'higher quality' of your True Self are you ready to align with more fully?  Last year I chose the word 'courage', and invoked this essense as best I could in every decision I made.  The effect was profound.  This year, I've chosen the word 'creativity', as I align with translating more of my ideas into tangible outputs - from experimental new dishes for dinner to finally writing my long-incubated book!

So, who are you becoming?  And what 'word of the year' would best guide you along your way?  I'd love to hear from you...

"The quality of life is more important than life itself." Alexis Carrel

Stay in the Driving Seat

My wonderful friend Kathy Stewart sent me the following quote, from Deepak Chopra's book "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success". She knew I'd love it, as it conveys so well an insight we've discussed many times, and which has been life-changing for us both:

"When you feel frustrated or upset by a person or situation, remember that you are not reacting to the person or situation, but to your feelings about the person or situation. They are your feelings, and your feelings are not someone else's fault. When you recognise and understand this completely, you are ready to take responsibility for how you feel and to change it." Deepak Chopra

This is a challenging idea at first.  It flies in the face of what many of us were trained to believe since birth, and to make use of it in a constructive way, you have to make a crucial distinction between taking responsibility and taking the blame.

Blame is debilitating.  At first, it feels like relief, but when you make someone else responsible for how you feel, you give away all of your power.  You are no longer in the driving seat of your own life.  And very soon you feel like the victim you just perceived yourself to be.  Worse still, when blame is directed towards yourself it turns into shame.  Even more debilitating.  Toxic.  Paralysing.  After all, when you mistakenly believe you are 'not good enough', you are no longer resourceful enough to believe you can do any better. 

When you take responsibility for how you feel, recognising your emotions are your body's reaction to your thoughts and not the people and events in your life, you connect with the Truth.  You understand that you have been doing the best you could, given whatever stressful thoughts you were believing in the moment. You also have all your personal power available, free to change how you feel, and free to make new choices from now on.  With that awareness comes profound peace.

So if you are angry or upset with someone right now, put yourself back in the driving seat.  Choose the best-feeling, most empowering perspective you can find, and come back home to your beautiful,  heart-centred, powerful Self.

Your SatNav for Life

Don't you just wish you had a SatNav (GPS) for Life?  Not just any old SatNav, but a state-of-the-art system that would remember where you're headed even when you've forgotten, and guide you through every twist and turn that came your way? 

Well, I have exciting news!  You DO indeed have such a system.  You came here factory-fitted with the most sophisticated guidance system you could ever need.  There's just one small problem: Most of us were never issued with the User Manual.

Here's how it works...

Your emotions are your SatNav for Life. 

Every emotion you ever feel is telling you where you are in relation to where you want to be, and exactly what you need to do next to live your best possible life.  Your best life is the natural by-product of allowing your True Self to sit in the driving seat.  

Your Soul - who knows you intimately, and is the keeper of every desire you've ever felt, every Dream you've ever dreamt - is present in every moment, seeing what you see, hearing what you hear, experiencing every experience, and forming an opinion from the broadest, most expanded perspective possible.  Your Soul is your inner guru, the only guide you'll ever need.

In every experience, you (or the personality you think of as you) are also seeing, hearing, formulating opinions.  And your emotions let you know in every moment the gap between your perspective and perspective of your Soul on the same issue. 

The better you feel, the more aligned you are with your deepest wisdom, and the life you want to create for yourself.  The worse you feel, the wider the gap.  And if you are nose down in a ditch of despair, the thoughts you are thinking are a million miles from the perspective of your Soul.  

When you think you're not good enough, it feels awful because your Soul knows you are magnificence in human form, and never for a moment loses sight of that fact.  When you worry about your future, it feels awful because your Soul knows that everything is unfolding perfectly for your highest good.  You imagine yourself to be powerless, and nothing could be further from the truth.  When you hate someone, it feels awful because your deeply loving Soul adores them without condition - you are love at your core - and when you don't it tears you apart. 

You are guided 24/7 towards your most magnificent life, if only you will pay attention to how you feel.  The better you feel, the more fully you are allowing your Soul to be present in your life - and with it your deepest wisdom, greatest courage, endless compassion and every other higher quality you could ever wish for yourself.  You are present in the world as your True Self...

I am deeply grateful to Esther Hicks and the Teachings of Abraham for helping me to understand this profound gift, and to interpret it and apply it for myself.  This learning has been truly life-changing, and is now the basis of every choice I now make.  Over the past 5 years, not once has my SatNav steered me wrong.  I've made mistakes, of course - many of them!  But only when I was not paying attention to how I felt...

So tune to your SatNav. Notice how you feel.  Follow your deepest joy and excitement.  Trust yourself, even when those around you see things differently.   When you put your True Self in the driving seat, and let your Soul guide the way, you're unstoppable.

"Being happy is the cornerstone of all that you are! Nothing is more important than that you feel good! And you have absolute and utter control about that because you can choose the thought that makes you worry or the thought that makes you happy; the things that thrill you or the things that worry you. You have the choice in every moment." Abraham-Hicks

 

Who is in the Driving Seat?

Life is a Journey of discovery.  It's an adventure in consciousness; a chance to learn and grow, to explore and expand.  It's an opportunity for your Soul - the energetic essence of who you really are - to reach in to this amazing physical world of ours and enjoy an intoxicating and thoroughly sensual experience.  The riot of colour, the flicker of a smile.  The sounds of nature, the whisper of a sigh. The tastes and textures of delicious fresh food.  The aroma of a rose garden, the welcome wake-up of the smell of fresh coffee.  The deep satisfaction of stretching and running, the bliss of a gentle touch.  Oh the riches of being alive in this moment!  

So why does life not always feel like such a gift?  Why do most of us not drift along on a cloud of bliss every moment of the day?  Why, quite frankly, does life sometimes suck?!

The answer lies in recognising that your Soul is not the only aspect of you that is present to this moment.  Your personailty is in on the act as well, and your personality (some would say ego) has complete free will to focus in the way it sees fit.  It can pull back and take in the broad view or it can zoom in close on a tiny aspect of life.  And it can make anything the object of it's attention.

If you've been hanging around on this planet for a while, most of these shifts are not deliberate.  They are reactions to circumstance, conditioned responses to stimuli that we have met before, patterns of relating to the world and everyone in it.  Like Pavlov's famous dogs, your neurology acts like an Autopilot, faithfully recording your every experience and replaying your responses without inviting (or allowing) your conscious involvement at all.  What we pay attention to, and the quality of attention we bring, is therefore largely a matter of habit.  

I've written previously about how valuable your Autopilot can be when harnessed effectively - automation is, after all, a key ingredient of effortless success!  And I've also shared what you can do when you want something but your Autopilot has other ideas. Your happiness is in your hands, and in both cases it boils down to one simple instruction: Keep your hands on the wheel and steer yourself in the direction you want to go!

However, when your Autopilot's engaged, you may have considerable momentum in a direction you don't want to go.  Let's face it, you're on a roll, and long-term reprogramming just isn't going to cut it!

So here's something new; a little Top Tip to help you stay on track.  Simply stop, and ask yourself;

"Who's in the driving seat right now?" 

Your True Self is the 'you' that you love, you at your best, those aspects of your personality that are authentic and aligned.  Your True Self is the 'sweet spot' in your personality that connects you with your Soul essence and allows your greater wisdom to flow through.  You know your True Self is in the driving seat when you experience a moment of genius, pure inspiration, unbridled joy.  

Everything else is just conditioning.  And in the moment that we recognise that some other aspect of our personality has taken the wheel, we re-introduce choice.  With just a little practice, a deep breath, a moment of self-compassion, and a gentle smile are all that is required to release that runaway part of you and reconnect you to who you really are.  

So the next time you shout at your child, curse the traffic, or reach for an unhealthy food choice (to share just a few recent examples from my own life!), just stop and ask, "Who is in the driving seat right now?"  Put your True Self back in the driving seat, and allow your Soul to shine through.  The gift of your best life is waiting for you.

 

Are You on the Right Track?

Want to know if you're on the right track?

Just stop and ask yourself,

"Does this road have heart?"

Ask yourself from the neck down.  There lies you real answer, your own deep truth.

The Call to Adventure

Do you feel you were born for a reason?  Do you sense the stirring of a purpose greater than you are currently allowing yourself to live?   Do you hear the call to adventure?

Now is the time to tap in to the truth of who you really are.  Now is the time to listen to the whispers of your Soul.  Now is the time to recognise your magnificence, and your potential to learn, to grow, to make your unique contribution to the world.

Don't let the voice of fear talk you out of your birthright - the joyful, satisfying, deeply-meaningful life you came here to live.  Take a deep breath, and respond to the call.

Take just one small step today in the direction of your Dream Destination.  That's all that will ever be asked of you.  Trust that 'still small voice within', and you will be guided forward - one small, joyful step at a time.

"Respond to every call that excites your spirit."
Rumi - 13th Century Persian Poet

You Are here

Yesterday I cuddled a friend's tiny baby girl.  It's been a while since I've held a new arrival, but she soon drew me in to that old familiar place of pure fascination.

How easy it is, as you gaze into the eyes of a newborn, to know in your bones the preciousness of life, to recognise the incredible miracle of our chance to play together on this Journey.

Babies don't really 'do' anything.  They cry, the eat, they poop, they sleep.  Then the cycle begins again.  We have to wait weeks for so much as a smile!  Yet we love them.  We adore them!  We know they are priceless; a miracle in human form.

You were that baby once.  And that means that, no matter what you may or may not have 'done' so far, your 'worthiness' is not in question.  Always remember - you, too, are worthy beyond measure.  

You are worthy simply because you are here.