Happy Seedshttp://happy-seeds.orgQuick BlogInner Beauty is in the Soulhttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/04/26/inner-beauty-is-in-the-soul.aspxMay 3 - This Week's Quote:

“Human beauty can be seen by the light of the soul, not the light of the sun. Even in darkness, someone who is filled with that light is instantly recognizable.” – Edna Tilghman Larson, healer & herbalist, mid-20th Century




This quote is from a book that Amanda Larson wrote about her grandmother, Healing From a Grandmother’s Heart. And a subscriber and friend of mine, Elaine Graves, sent it to me. Elaine is a massage therapist here in the Huntsville AL area, and she says this quote really resonated with her because when she begins her sessions and first puts her hands on the person, she can feel their essence, their soul. “Everyone has true beauty,” she says, “you just have to get beyond the exterior.”

This idea of acknowledging the inner beauty, inner essence, or soul of another person is expressed in the Sanskrit term, “namaste,” which literally means, “I bow to you.” The basis of this greeting recognizes a common divinity within the other person. In some Eastern traditions “namaste” is said aloud or silently with the physical gesture of placing your hands in front of your chest and bowing slightly when greeting another person.

Back in the mid-90’s I was living in Atlanta, Georgia, and working on my Masters degree at Georgia State which was in downtown Atlanta. Each day, riding the marta train into town, gave me a wonderful opportunity to practice this concept of seeing the inner beauty in people.

During each trip downtown and back, I would look at the people sitting around me and one by one I would say to them silently, “The Christ in me blesses the Christ in you.” It was my way of practicing and “exercising” my inner vision muscles – looking beyond the outward appearance and connecting with their essence.

Because, I believe inside, at the core of us, we are all the same. We all got here the same way – a sperm and egg getting together, developing inside a uterus; we’re all made from the same common elements – hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon; and we all have a story. We all have hopes and dreams and frustrations and challenges. We are all searching for that deep inner peace and yearn to live lives full of meaning and fulfillment.

So, in essence, we are all filled with that “light” Edna talks about – that “light of the soul.”

I challenge you this week to look for this light in the people you come in contact with. See if you can get past the appearance, or the irritating behavior, or whatever it is that may annoy you about another person – look beyond that and try to connect with their inner essence – their inner beauty. Use the greeting, “namaste” or “the Christ in me blesses the Christ in you” or some other version. Whatever feels right for you.

Try it for a day, or two, or for a week and see what happens. How do you feel at the end of the day? Does it make any difference in how your life flows? I’d be curious to know. Leave a comment on the Happy Seeds blog and let me know.

We all have an inner magnificence, an inner divinity… an inner beauty that can be seen when we look into the soul essence of our fellow human beings. The question is can you go deep enough to see it?

Blessings!

Becky

]]>inner beautyNamasteappreciationPerspectivebecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-04-26T07:46:03ZMaking Mistakeshttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/04/26/making-mistakes.aspxApril 26 - This Week's Quote:

“Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts.” – Yolanda Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni, American poet (b.1943)




This is a great quote submitted by my sister, Pam Boushell. Actually it’s my sister who inspired me to begin asking my subscribers to submit their favorite quotes. I use them in this Podcast as well as in my monthly ezine, “Create a Happy ‘Tude.” And I’d love to hear from you. Just send an email your favorite quote to me at becky@spiritualcoachingcenter.com.

Now, back to Nikki Giovanni’s wisdom “Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts.”

I’ve heard the same concept stated different ways from many sources, saying basically, it’s not so much what happens to us in life, and it’s how we react to what happens that makes all the difference.

Simply put, “life” happens. Mistakes happen – or at least, things that may seem like a “mistake” at the time.

But what is a mistake anyway? The definition from Answers.com that I like the best is this: a mistake is “a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention.”

How many of us have NOT done something that, had we known better, we would not have done it. Or maybe we DID know better, but we did it anyway? I know I have!

And how many times have we made errors just because we were not paying attention?

In my years teaching piano, working with beginner students, I call mistakes “oop’s.” If they’re playing along and miss a note or a rhythm, I just say, “oops” and we go back and re-look at that spot. Now if they’re playing through the piece and keep making “oop’s” then we stop and regroup and try a different approach.

And it’s the same with life. If we treat our mistakes as little life “oop’s” it helps lighten up a bit and not judge ourselves too harshly. It helps us step back, acknowledge what happened, make any amends that might be needed, and then try a different method of doing whatever you were trying to do.

I’ve known people who were so afraid of making a mistake that they were frozen and could not do anything, or they just simply refused to even try. I’ve had students who, if they didn’t get it right the first time, they’d pout or cry or give up – or all 3!

To me, a mistake means you’re one step closer to getting it right. And as soon as you get through all the ways that don’t work, you’ll find the one that does! Albert Einstein knew this too. He is quoted to have said something like, “I try and try 99 times, the 100th time, I am right.” And I’m sure all the successful inventors, artists, writers, business entrepreneurs, anyone who has achieved anything at all, have thought or felt that same way too.

So, in essence, the only real mistake is giving up too soon, which gets us to the second part of the quote, “it’s the response to error that counts.”

What’s your response when you make a mistake?

Do you judge yourself and tell yourself how stupid or foolish you were? Do you pile on the guilt and punish yourself with “should,” “shouldn’t haves,” or “if onlys?”

Or do you examine the situation to understand what went wrong and learn from it?

And here’s the kicker…..what if it’s someone else who makes the mistake? Do you treat them the same way you treat yourself?

Notice this week, how do you respond to the mistakes you make. How do you respond to the mistakes that other people make? Or that your children make? How are you teaching your children to handle their mistakes?

Mistakes happen. We’re human! It’s inevitable. It’s how we learn. It’s called life. What makes the difference is how we respond to our mistakes and the mistakes of others. How will you respond this week?

Blessings!

Becky
]]>ExperienceMistakeslifebecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-04-27T16:38:12ZWhat Is Your Life Purpose?http://happy-seeds.org/2008/04/19/what-is-your-life-purpose.aspxApril 19 - This Week's Quote:

“The purpose of your life is to be you.” – Kathy Atkinson



This is a great quote from my friend and colleague, Kathy Atkinson at www.8keystosuccess.com. It’s simple, yet it really says it all.

She says that so many people are struggling to discover their life purpose and are waiting for some light bulb to go off. But all they really need to do is just be who they are and do the things that make them happy.

I can’t agree more. However, I do understand the struggle and the “mystique” that can surround this subject – “life purpose.”

Many years ago I struggled with how to figure out the answer to what seemed to be an impossibly illusive question: What is my purpose in life?

It had that feeling of being stuck in an unending circle – like when I was in 9th grade, getting ready for my first “date” – my 9th grade social studies class was going to see the movie “Dr Zhivago” – and my boyfriend was in the class. This “date” stuff was all new territory to me and I was really nervous! What do I do? How do I act? And mom said, “Just be yourself,” to which I immediately thought, “Which self?”

Over the years, though, I’ve realized that understanding our purpose, our reason for being here, is much like trying to catch a butterfly. If you run after it, it will evade you. But if you sit still and quiet, it will come and land on your shoulder.

Basically, as Kathy says, your purpose is to be you – to be who you are. Your purpose is to use your gifts and talents and strengths. Your purpose is to do the things you’re good at, the things you love doing, the things that you are passionate about.

There is no one else like you, with your combination of skills, experience, talents, and strengths. If you don’t stand up to the plate and be you, then who will?

If you’re unclear what your purpose is or you’d like to ponder the question a little deeper, here are some things to think about this week. I encourage you to write down your answers when you get some quiet time alone. Writing your answers will help give you more clarity.

1. List your gifts, talents, strengths, and all the things you are good at that you enjoy doing.

2. What really ignites your passion? What do you do that makes you loose track of time?

3. Look back at any struggles that you have overcome in your life that you are really proud of, or that give you a sense of inner strength.

4. What do you want to be remembered for? What do you want people to say about you when you are gone?

5. Look back at your answers to these questions and circle or highlight any reoccurring words. Are there any themes that seem to emerge? Or that naturally sort into categories?

6. Using what you have revealed through your answers here, complete this sentence: The purpose of my life is to…

What is your life purpose? Your purpose here is to be you – to be the real you doing the things that fill your heart with passion. It’s really that simple. The harder question is, do you have the courage to be the real you?

Blessings!

Becky

]]>ActionsGoalsbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-04-19T19:59:34ZThe most valuable education of allhttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/04/10/the-most-valuable-education-of-all.aspxApril - This Week's Quote:




“The most valuable of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it has to be done, whether you like it or not.” -Aldous Huxley


How many times have you heard some one say, “Yeah, I really need to do that,” referring to a task they either needed to finish or to begin, or some change in habit or behavior they need to make. Then, in the next breath, they list all the reasons why they can’t do it – not enough time, they need this certain bit of information first, or someone else has to do something before they can do this, or you name it.

Or how many times have you had something on your to-do list that was really important – a project you really needed to start, or to get finished – but you kept putting other things first, or you kept doing lesser important things until there was no more time left to get the biggest important thing done?

I know I’ve done this many times, and so have my clients!

If you’ve ever had kids or been around preschoolers, you’re familiar with the defiant 3 year old who says “No” to everything.

Or maybe in grade school, your parents said, “Do your homework first, and then you can play,” like mine did. Remember the frustration? You just needed to do this one thing first – watch a tv show, play a video game, call a friend, whatever it was, then you’d to the homework. But no – they wouldn’t listen would they!?

Now, fast forward back to the present – where you are today. When you can’t seem to make yourself do the things you know you need to do, have you perhaps slipped into the role of the defiant 3 year old, or the rebellious youth? It’s an easy habit to get into, and a habit you may not consciously realize you have until you do some exploring.

Notice next time you start to say or think, “Yeah, I really need to do that, but…” Stop and tune in to your heart. Do you sense a defiance or rebellion somewhere inside? If so, acknowledge that inner child. What would the loving parent say to them? Have some inner conversations using these questions:

*What are the choices involved here?

*What are the consequences of each choice?

*What is the desired outcome?

*Which choice would bring you this outcome more quickly?

You see, we’re all more willing to do things when we feel like we have a choice in the matter. Taking a moment to evaluate choices, consequences, and the preferred outcomes puts us more in a place of personal power and sidesteps the habitual default mode of reacting.

How much more productive and efficient would you be if, indeed, you could make yourself do the things you had to do, when they had to be done, whether you like it or not? How much happier would your home life be if you could teach your children this quality? You know, you can teach them. And the best way to do this is through your example.


Blessings!

Becky

]]>to-do listEducationActionsbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-04-10T06:35:51ZGoing beyond your limitationshttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/04/04/autosaved-21146-pm.aspxApril 5 - This Week's Quote:

"You are not limited to the life you now live. It has been accepted by you as the best you can do at this moment. Any time you're ready to go beyond the limitations currently in your life, you're capable of doing that by choosing different thoughts."
- James Allen, As A Man Thinketh

If you keep thinking the same thoughts, you’ll get the same results. As Einstein once said, “You can’t solve a problem at the level on which it was created.”

If you want to change your life – or something about your life, you first need to change your thinking about it. You can do this in many ways depending on what it is you’re wanting to be different. But here are a few basic suggestions:

  1. Change your perception of the problem or issue. Look at it from the other person’s perspective. Or, look at it from a higher, more inclusive, big picture perspective. For instance, if you were a writer, including this scenario in your story, what would be the benefit to all the characters involved – including yourself? What might be the lesson or the “gift”? You’ve heard the old adage: “every cloud has a silver lining.” What’s the silver lining in this problem/issue?
  2. Change your self-talk. Stop saying I can’t. Say instead, I CAN. Like Henry Ford said, If you believe you can, you’re right, if you believe you can’t, you’re right.
  3. Decide to be proactive and stop seeing yourself as the victim. Take back you’re your power and do something. Do whatever you can to correct the problem. If there’s nothing physically you can do, then let the “doing” be in your mind. Let go of the worrying or obsessing about it. Turn it over to God, the Universe, or a Higher Power to handle. And know that things will turn out right for you.
  4. Put your focus else where. Decide that you will feel good about yourself and where you are in life regardless. And then begin to focus on what you do want, and how you do want your life situation to be. You see, when you are focused on what you don’t want and all the things you don’t like, you attract more of that into your life. When you stop and begin to focus on what you do want instead, you’ll start seeing more things that you do want appearing in your life.

If you’ve been primarily focusing on how bad things are or all the things you don’t want for awhile, it may take some time to break the “negative thinking” habit. And that’s okay. When you notice yourself thinking about what you don’t want – and especially if you are feeling negative emotion about it – just stop and say, “cancel” and immediately think of what you do want.

However, be careful that as you’re thinking of what you do want that you’re not focusing on the lack of it. This is very important and can sometimes be a very subtle difference. The key is to check in with your emotions. If you are feeling good, more positive, or even excited as you think of something you want, you’re on the right track. If you are feeling heavy, or not good in any way, then you’re focusing on the lack of what you want. You’re focused on not having it, which is bringing evidences of not having it into your life.

You are not limited to where you are now. This is simply where you’re choices and decisions up to this point have brought you. At any time, you can decide to make different choices. You can choose to think or act differently. And in doing this, you begin to create a new future for yourself. You begin to step beyond where you are today, paving the way for a different tomorrow.

Blessings!

Becky

]]>ChangeSelf-helpThoughtsbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-04-06T13:02:40ZRampage of Appreciationhttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/03/28/rampage-of-appreciation.aspxMarch 29 - This Week's Quote:


“There is nothing more important than you feel good.” – Abraham-Hicks

When I first heard of this idea – there’s nothing more important than feeling good – I thought it was quite “Pollyanna;” happy, happy, joy, joy; a naïve way of looking at things.

But the more I’ve studied the Law of Attraction and quantum physics, the more I’m realizing that, yes, this is true.

Quantum physics reminds us that everything is made up of energy – tiny little particles moving around rapidly with a lot of space between them, and that even our words and our thoughts are part of the energetic vibrational world we live in.

The Law of Attraction is basically what Jesus was teaching when he said, “as ye sow, so shall ye reap.” Which in essence is like things attracts like things, or as we’ve all heard the saying, “birds of a feather flock together.”

In other words, what you focus on grows. Think about it, if you’re feeling bad emotionally or physically, does it make you feel better to keep continually thinking about how bad you feel? Not in my experience! Usually the more I give my attention to how bad I feel, the worse I feel because I keep finding more things to feel bad about!

But when I finally “hit bottom” so to speak, and start looking for ways to get out of the negative slump. That’s when I start to feel better.

I remember, many years ago, my first conscious experience of this. I was sick in bed with some kind of stomach ailment and the pills the doctor had given me were not helping.  They were actually making me feel worse. I remember thinking, after several days of this, "Okay,enough. I’m done with this. I want to feel better."  And the next day, I was up, out of bed, and well on the road to recovery.

The bottom line is, we either feel good, or we feel bad. Sure, there are many shades of feeling bad and feeling good, but if you had to choose sides, you’d either put the feeling more on the good side or the bad side.

So, the question is which would you rather feel - good or bad?

This past week, I’ve been practicing this “feeling good” idea, taking to heart “There is nothing more important than I feel good,” and I’ve been playing the Rampage of Appreciation game found in the book “Ask and It Is Given” by Jerry and Esther Hicks.  And it sure makes the day more fun AND it makes it go a whole lot smoother!

Here’s how the game works:

Where ever you are, at home getting ready for the day, sending your kids off to school, driving to work,  or sitting at your desk.  Where ever you are, just look around and notice something that pleases you. Hold your attention on it and just think about how beautiful or wonderful or useful it is. The longer you focus on it, the more your positive feelings about it will increase.

Notice how your feelings have improved and appreciate that. Then look around for something else to appreciate and give your positive attention to that.

In this vibrational world we live in positive feelings are in the higher vibrational realm. Negative feelings are in a lower vibration. So the object of this game – finding things to appreciate – is a way to practice keeping our vibrational frequencies high, or if we’re not feeling so great, it’s a great way to “raise” our vibration or come into a better feeling place. This is not about finding something that is troubling and fixing it.

The more you find something to appreciate, the better it feels. And as Jerry and Esther Hicks say, “the better it feels, the better it feels!”

I invite you to go on a Rampage of Appreciation this week and see what happens. As you are driving to work you might think, for example: "I love my car. Even though it’s raining, I’m dry and safe and having a good time. I’m grateful for my job. I appreciate the steady income."

Or, as you tuck your children in at night, you might think: "I love my children. They really are a blessing. I’m so happy they are here."

Or as you’re waiting in line at the grocery story, you might think: "I appreciate how friendly that cashier is. Even though this line seems to be slow, it gives me a chance to catch my breath and practice appreciating things. I really like the blouse that lady is wearing," and so on.

Once you get in the habit of looking for things to appreciate, you’ll begin to see more and more things to appreciate. And in those times when you slide back into a bad feeling place or you notice something you do not want, you’ll find that it gets much easier to refocus your awareness on the things you do want and it’s much easier to move into a good feeling place.  There is nothing more important than you feel good.

Blessings!

-Becky

]]>appreciationLAW OF ATTRACTIONFeelingsbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-03-28T15:31:14ZYou Can Do Whatever You Put Your Mind Tohttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/03/22/you-can-do-whatever-you-put-your-mind-to.aspxMarch 22 - This Week's Quote:


“The truth of the matter is that there’s nothing you can’t accomplish if: 1. You clearly decide what it is that you’re absolutely committed to achieving, 2. You’re willing to take massive action, 3. You notice what’s working or not, and 4. You continue to change your approach until you achieve what you want, using whatever life gives you along the way.” – Anthony Robbins

My dad used to always tell me, “You can do whatever you put your mind to.” And it’s true, once I finally “put my mind to it”.

The key though, is “putting your mind to it” or as Anthony Robbins says, “clearly deciding what IT is that you want” AND deciding that you’re absolutely committed to achieving it – no matter what.

There are two issues involved here.

First, do you know what it is you want? No, really. Have you taken the time to filter out all the “don’t wants” and all the things you think you “should” want, or that other people think you should want? Have you looked deep down inside? What is it that YOU want more than anything else?

Once you’ve honed in on that thing that makes you go “YES! THIS is what I really want, can you describe it in detail? Take some time to write it out. What are you doing? What does your typical day look like? How does it feel being or doing this? Take time everyday to visualize your self doing or being it.

The subconscious mind does not know the difference between an imagined event or an actual event. Whatever you think about – and most importantly, whatever you FEEL along with it – the subconscious mind goes out looking for ways to bring it to you.

Once you know what you want, can clearly see it in your mind and feel it in your heart, then there’s the question: are you absolutely committed to achieving this and to making it happen?

I’ve found that this is where most people fall short. I’ve seen it over and over with my clients and in my own life, you finally decide on a direction or something that you really, really want, then suddenly all these doubts, fears, and deserve-ability issues begin to surface. And they can sabotage your success even before you get started good.

So, it’s critically important to work through these issues as they arise. To me, part of Mr. Robbins 2nd step: “being willing to take massive action” includes being willing to do the work required to move through and release all the doubts and fears that come up – to let go of the limiting beliefs you’re carrying around – maybe you knew about them already and were trying to pretend they weren’t there, or maybe you’re just now discovering them. Either way, they can become stumbling blocks on your road to success if you don’t deal with them head on.

There are many techniques available to help you do this. One of my favorites is EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique. If you would like to know more about this simple, yet powerful technique, I invite you to send me an email (becky@spiritualcoachingcenter.com) and we’ll set up a complimentary 20-30 minute session and I’ll teach you the technique as we work through one of your issues.

Truth is, you CAN have anything you want – if you have a clear picture of what that is and you’re fully committed to making it happen, AND you’re willing to do the work necessary to achieve it.

Blessings!

-Becky

]]>Self-helpSuccessEFTbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-03-22T12:20:22ZTo Forgive is to Let Gohttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/03/14/to-forgive-is-to-let-go.aspxMarch 15 - This Week's Quote:


“My idea of forgiveness is letting go of resentment that does not serve your better interest, ridding yourself of negative thoughts. All they do is make you miserable. Believe me, you can fret and fume all you want, but whoever it was that wronged you is not suffering from your anguish whatsoever.” – Della Reese



That’s so true, isn’t it? We can fuss and fume, be mad or in outrage about something that somebody did or said.  We can let it ruin our day, or even years of our life, but who is the person being hurt by all this angst?

It’s US--not the other person. They're off dealing with their own stuff.

It’s US--you, me.  We are causing our own anguish.

You see, forgiveness is really not about the other person. Forgiveness is something you do for yourself.

It’s letting go of the judgment that something bad or wrong happened, and then looking at the situation from a higher, bigger picture perspective. From a spiritual reality, World of Divine Truth, as opposed to an objective reality, the world of humanity where we see only with our 5 senses.

The human experience itself is about learning and growing and letting go of all our “stuff” so that we can reach our highest potential.

The people who are most troublesome to us are our greatest teachers because they offer us the opportunity to heal by mirroring what we have rejected about ourselves, or forcing us to look at something about ourselves that we have repressed, and by keeping us on track with our mission--our purpose in life.

Think about the characters in your favorite movie or story. Things happen to them in the course of the story, typically there are three incidences, with each one getting more and more intense. And as the characters go work through these situations, by the end of the story, the characters have evolved and changed in some way.

So, imagine that you’re writing a story or a movie, and have included this incident or situation that you’re holding resentment or ill feelings about as one of the scenes. You, as author, have decided to use this particular scene to help you grow and evolve and perhaps to heal a wound from your past.

What might be the reason for this situation happening to you? Is it forcing you to look at something you’re keeping bottled up inside? Is it making you look at something about yourself that you don’t want to look at?

From this higher perspective, what would be the reason for including this incident into your life story? There’s a saying, behind every cloud there’s a silver lining. What is the silver lining--the gift--to you in this situation.

Once you look at it this way, from this World of Divine Truth, you realize that there was no mistake, there was no wrong doing.  So, in essence, there is nothing to forgive!

Life is not a random set of events without purpose or intelligence. Everything happens for a reason--we may not know or understand the reason because of our human limitations--but in the big picture scheme of things, in the World of Divine Truth, there is a purpose and a reason.

So knowing this, we can approach each moment without blame and without judgment.

The human experience is about growing and evolving, about healing our wounds and letting go of our “stuff” so that we can reach our highest potential.

So, forgiveness is really just a change in perception, stepping out of our world of humanity, stepping out of our victimhood, and letting go of our need to condemn.

Stepping back to look at things from a higher perspective, from the world of Divine Truth, where there is only love.


Blessings!

-Becky

]]>ForgivenessPerspectivebecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-03-22T12:22:20ZIs Fear Your Counselor or Jailer?http://happy-seeds.org/2008/03/08/is-fear-your-counselor-or-jailer.aspxMarch 8 - This Week's Quote:

“Let fear be a counselor and not a jailer.” – Anthony Robbins


I’ve never really been a “fearful” type person. And things that felt “scary” I usually took on as a direct challenge.

However, when I first learned to ride a motorcycle, I got a BIG lesson in fear. And discovered what it was like to be – basically, paralyzed by fear.

My husband has been riding since he was 14 and for the past year I’d been riding with him as passenger. So, when we brought home my new Honda Rebel 250 motorcycle, I thought we’d just spend a few hours riding around the yard of our 3 acre property, then I’d be off riding on the street and going places.

Well...... THAT was not the case.

I got all geared up, sat on the seat, he explained how all the gismos worked and then said, “okay, now slowly let out the clutch and turn the throttle and take off.”

Well, first of all, I’d been driving gear-shift cars nearly all my life. I knew the concept, but translating those movements from my feet to my hands….. well my brain got it, but my hands were a bit clueless!

So I practiced just letting out the clutch a little to let myself start rolling…… with my feet still close to the ground. After I had several successes with that, then the next step was to actually put both feet on the foot pedals and do the gas/clutch thing.

Well THAT brought up a concept that I hadn’t really thought through all the way….. in order to put my feet on the foot pedals of the motorcycle, I was actually going to have to take my feet OFF the ground!

THAT was when the real, paralyzing FEAR came up. It meant I had to let go of the Known/ my security – my feet on the ground and TRUST in the physics of the forward moving motorcycle staying in an upright position.

Again, I understood the concept in theory – in my mind – but my pounding heart was saying, I’m not so sure about this! So, I made my husband ride on the back and be my “training wheels” so that I could get used to the clutch/gear mechanics without having to worry about the balance (and trust) issue!

So, needless to say, after that “practice” session, I spend some time delving into this unexpected Fear that surfaced.

What I discovered in this self-exploration, was that I had a reoccurring pattern of not Trusting the flow – not trusting the flow of life – not wanting to let things take the course they needed to take. The fear came from ego, really, thinking it could do a better job orchestrating my life than God could. But, I knew that if I was going to be able to learn how to ride the motorcycle, I was going to have to face this fear and work through it. The next practice sessions gave me chances to do that and also helped me realize that you can intellectually understand where the fear’s coming from and understand all about it, but the only way to really break through it is to just feel the fear and DO it anyway!

The point of this illustration is that we can learn a great deal from our fears if we allow ourselves to look at them instead of run from them or try to bury them. In essence, fear is the energy to do your best. If you’re giving a presentation at work and you’re feeling nervous or fearful about it, look underneath those feelings to see what’s there. Maybe it’s nudging you to check your facts and make sure you’re fully prepared in some way. Maybe it’s reminding you that you do better when you’ve practiced your presentation several times…… But you won’t know what’s behind it if you don’t look.

And you’ll never grow into the full potential of who you are if you let your fears hold you back.

And even when you’ve looked underneath the fear, behind it, beside it, and every which ways around it, there still comes the point when you just have to FEEL the fear and DO it anyway. Even if you have to break it down in to tiny steps like I did in my motorcycle experience. That’s Okay. Because the more times you feel it and do it anyway, the more evidence you collect on the “yes, I can do this” side. And the more “yes I can’s” that you have under your belt, the more the fear subsides.

Next time you are feeling fearful about something, stop and take a look underneath. What is it saying to you? Can you remember other times you felt this same fear? Is it possible for you to FEEL this fear and just DO it anyway? If not, what small step can you take now to begin to chip away at this fear and collect more evidences that “Yes, you can do this”?

Blessings!

-Becky

]]>ExperienceFearChallengebecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-03-07T19:08:37ZDoes Your Past Control You?http://happy-seeds.org/2008/02/28/does-your-past-control-you.aspxMarch 1 - Today's quote:

"We cannot change our memories, but we can change their meaning and the power they have over us."  - David Seamands, Pastoral Theologian

(Begining in March, the Happy Seeds podcast will go to a weekly format, with each episode published on Saturdays about mid-day. Also, the monthly journal has been canceled. However, in exchange for the journal, I will be posting more of the podcast content here on the blog. Let me know what you think about the new format.)

Listen to the Podcast here:

We all have at least one event from our past that we wish had turned out differently, or that we regret, or that we possibly even feel guilty about.

But, as Dr. Seamands reminds us, we cannot change what has happened to us in the past. But we CAN change how we think about it.

Basically, we decide the meaning that events and situations have in our everyday lives and in our past.

Think back to an upsetting event in your recent past. How do you perceive the event today? Do you still feel the upset, or have you let it go? Do you see it as just something that happened and you learned from it? Or are you harboring regret or guilt in any way?

What about events from your distant past, or from your childhood. Have you let them go as well? Or are you holding on to negative feelings around them?

When we hang on to the upset or feelings of regret or guilt, we give those past events power over us by allowing them to intrude on our NOW – our present life. And we give them permission to hijack our potential for peace and happiness today.

I know, letting them go can sometimes be hard. But in order to grow and evolve and become the magnificent human beings we were meant to be, there comes a time when we have to stop wishing things had been different, or we have to quit beating ourselves up about what happened, and realize that whatever happened, happened, it cannot be changed. Then we just need to grieve the loss and move on.

No, we cannot change what happened in the past. But we CAN change how we think about what happened. We can choose to stay in our power and refuse to let the past steal our peace and happiness today and in this moment right now!

Blessings!

-Becky


]]>ChangeMemoriesPastbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-03-01T12:50:53ZDon't change the world, change yourselfhttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/02/29/dont-change-the-world-change-yourself.aspxFebruary 29, 2008 - Today's quote:

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." - Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

Listen to the podcast for commentary and questions to ponder.

Blessings!

-Becky


]]>Changebecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-02-25T20:43:41ZHappiness is an attitudehttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/02/28/happiness-is-an-attitude.aspxFebruary 28, 2008 - Today's quote:

"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same." - Francesca Reigler

Listen to the podcast for commentary and questions to ponder.

Blessings!

-Becky


]]>Happinessbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-02-25T20:33:59ZChanging ourselveshttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/02/27/changing-ourselves.aspxFebruary 27, 2008 - Today's quote:

"When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves." - Viktor Frankl

Listen to the podcast for commentary and questions to ponder.

Blessings!

-Becky


]]>Changebecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-02-25T20:23:22ZAct according to your beliefshttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/02/26/act-according-to-your-beliefs.aspxFebruary 26, 2008 - Today's quote:

"What distinguishes the majority of men from the few is their ability to act according to their beliefs." - Henry Miller

Listen to the podcast for commentary and questions to ponder.

Blessings!

-Becky

]]>BeliefsActionsbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-02-25T20:24:04ZBe happy in the day todayhttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/02/25/be-happy-in-the-day-today.aspxFebruary 25, 2008 - Today's quote:

"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it." - Groucho Marx

Listen to the podcast for commentary and questions to ponder.

Blessings!

-Becky


]]>CHOICEHappinessbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-02-24T22:25:00ZYour happiness lies in common thingshttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/02/24/your-happiness-lies-in-common-things.aspxFebruary 24, 2008 - Today's quote:

"The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things."
- Henry Ward Beecher

Listen to the podcast for commentary and questions to ponder.

Blessings!

-Becky


]]>Happinessbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-02-23T22:03:40ZWhat will you create?http://happy-seeds.org/2008/02/23/what-will-you-create.aspxFebruary 23, 2008 - Today's quote:

"When we create something, we always create it first in a thought form. If we are basically positive in attitude, expecting and envisioning pleasure, satisfaction and happiness, we will attract and create people, situations, and events which conform to our positive expectations." - Shakti Gawain

Listen to the podcast for commentary and questions to ponder.

Blessings!

-Becky


]]>AttitudecreateThoughtsbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-02-22T23:31:17ZTailor-make your attitudeshttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/02/04/tailormake-your-attitudes.aspxFebruary 22, 2008 - Today's quote:

"You cannot tailor-make the situations in life, but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations." - Zig Ziglar

Listen to the podcast for commentary and questions to ponder.

Blessings!

-Becky


]]>Attitudebecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-02-21T21:19:37ZHappiness is inwardhttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/02/21/happiness-is-inward.aspxFebruary 21, 2008 - Today's quote:

"Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are." - Henry Van Dyke

Listen to the podcast for commentary and questions to ponder.

Blessings!

-Becky


]]>Happinessbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-02-13T17:16:46ZTalk positively everydayhttp://happy-seeds.org/2008/02/13/talk-positively-everyday.aspxFebruary 20, 2008 - Today's quote:

"We just have to verbally keep talking about it. You can't have negative thoughts, they take up too much space and energy. Obviously, there is a lot of that going on and now we need the results. You have to stay positive talking with each other on an everyday basis. It will turn around, you have to believe that. We are too good of a team not to do that."
- Darryl Sydor

Listen to the podcast for commentary and questions to ponder.

Blessings!

-Becky

]]>WordsThoughtsbecky@beckwaters.com (Becky Waters)2008-02-13T17:13:37Z