Clear and Connect, Ask and Allow

I would like to take a step back and describe some fundamental assumptions that I use in my work. I like to keep things simple, and I have developed four words that I use to describe the process that I am using. Those four words are Clear and Connect, Ask and Allow.

Clear - Earlier I have talked about four levels of energy: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. We are born into this world in a pure state, and as we learn and grow, we experience life and record those experiences in our memories and our bodies.

In many of these experiences, we make decisions - often labeled as "limiting beliefs" - of how the world operates. Many of these decisions are made when we are experiencing intense emotions. How many times have you declared "I'll never do that again!"? It is likely that something happened and you experienced an intense emotional reaction. To avoid that reaction in the future, you made a decision and created a new belief about how the world operates. We also carry the emotional memory in our body.

Often we can easily shift once we become aware of our belief, and in the present moment we proactively make a different choice. Sometimes, we seem to respond to similar situations in the same pattern and can't break out of it. "Because of the human tendency to perpetuate old emotion, almost everyone carries in his or her energy field an accumulation of old emotional pain, which I call 'the pain body'." (Eckert Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's PurposeChap 5, pg 135).

Eliminating the pattern may require going to the root of the memory and releasing the emotion that is locked there. Feel the emotion 100%, allow yourself to be fully present to it and reduce it "...not through fighting it but through bringing the light of consciousness to it." (E. Tolle, pg 157). This is what I did with the visualization I described earlier. I moved through the emotion to the other side. I let go of the behavior pattern and am now able to make new choices.

Introspection is an important tool to unlock these beliefs. I highly recommend that you engage the services of a professional who can guide you through these processes. I learned how to do this by attending Global Relationship Center workshops and by working with a coach who taught me these tools.

Connect - This simply means connecting to three things: yourself, others, and your greater purpose (which may include connecting to God), and is described as a "heart connection". The more that we are connected to our purpose, our real identity without the constraints of societal and cultural expectations, and connected on a heart level with others, the happier we are. The clearer our mental, emotional and physical bodies are, the easier it is to have access to these experiences. Not impossible, just easier. It means staying present in every moment.

Ask - If we truly know our purpose for being here on earth, we can tap into many wonderful, creative forces in our own life. I personally believe that there are many forces and resources that are available to us beyond what we can see, touch and feel. The more that we clear and connect, the more we can ask and allow.

At this level, we can tap into vast energy sources that are within us and all around us. How many times have you walked into a room and the "room was alive" or "it felt heavy"? You are likely feeling the energy of the people in the room. Other unseen, external sources are also available to us. We call them God, spirit guides, guardian angels, loved ones who have passed away, "Source", Mother Earth - the list is endless. These are all ways that we represent what we feel but cannot know directly.

Presence, meditation and visualization are powerful ways to tap into these sources. Others describe "synchronicity" and "flow". This is known as the Law of Attraction and manifesting. I highly recommend a book called "The Power of Flow: Practical Ways to Transform Your Life with Meaningful Coincidence" by Charlene Belitz and Meg Lundstrom. It describes in depth many of the principles on how to access these resources.

Allow - This step requires faith. We must be 100% responsible for what we ask for. Ideally it is in alignment with our purpose, and keeps us connected to ourselves and others (in other words, does not bring harm). However, we must be ready to accept the answers, and not be attached to the outcome. There is a requirement of faith that what you have received in response to your request is in your highest good.

I have lived in synchronicity and with this assumption of faith all of my life. In truth, I don't know how else to be. Throughout my life, things have not worked out the way that I wanted, and in hindsight I could always see how it worked out for the better. In fact, there were times that I was thankful I didn't get what I wanted! You could say that I color my perception in this, and you could be correct. And, my life is far happier because of this belief. Do I have moments of doubt? Yes.

This is a big, deep conversation that has many roots, branches and leaves. Heck, it is an entire forest, really. Some of what I have been describing in my blog to date is the "clearing" process, and I want to describe the other three steps in a more transparent way. Stay tuned, and I would love to hear your thoughts on what I have written here.

With much love and gratitude, Mj

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Closing a Chapter

I wanted to post an entry that closes a chapter on some work that I have been doing over the last few weeks. In "The Actor and the Observer Part II" I talked about dealing with my anger. I am happy to report that I have made significant progress!

My goal was to let go of holding on to my anger. Anger is neither good nor bad, it is an emotion that we all experience that provides us information and insight. Holding onto anger or being angry at someone are not healthy ways to experience anger. Using anger to fight injustice or protect our own healthy boundaries are ways that we experience anger to enhance our lives.

A few days after that last blog entry, I was writing my morning pages and started to journal on my angry emotions (again). I actually said "when do I finally let go of this???" (said angrily, of course :-). Fear was keeping me from letting go. I fully went into the experience of my anger with the same visualization as before, and stayed with it. I could feel a burning sensation in my abdomen. I laid down on the bed and it felt like a black, tarry mass oozed out (yup - bizarre, but true. I've had stranger things happen, really). Afterwards, I have to say - I felt clear inside, like water.

It was as if my anger was not only the key, but the fuel and the vehicle that were carrying me around in my life. I was tapping into that anger to get my motivation going. Feedback was received as criticism ("Ego takes everything personally" Eckert Tolle, A New Earth). That day, I left the key on the seat and got out of the car. I am walking around and exploring a whole new terrain! It is different and unfamiliar, and full of beauty. Since that experience two weeks ago, I have felt lighter. It opened up my ability to feel deep gratitude and to truly be in service to others.

In the previous blog entry, I mentioned that a person was "holding the energy" for me regarding my inability to express my anger. Freud called this "transference", and here is a Wikipedia entry that explains in more detail what this is. It is natural and we all do this.

Here is my explanation: Think of a time that you met a person and they seem to annoy you and you don't know why. It is likely that person reminds you of someone else, and it triggers certain emotions for you. That is transference. You are living out the other relationship with this person in this moment. I spent the weekend with the person who I was creating transference with, and it is gone. She did not need to change, I did.

Since I have started this sabbatical, I have owned up to the things that I was doing in several relationships that were not loving and supportive. I was feeling shame while doing it. Since then, my relationships with my sister, my mother and my friend from the weekend have improved. My brother called me this weekend to share the news that he got a new job, which was unusual and it made my day! My marriage is blossoming. I feel deeper connections with the many friends who bless my life in so many ways. It started with me getting real about what I was doing and taking responsibility to create what I really wanted.

So, I am now officially closing the chapter on this unhealthy way of holding on to anger. I will still get angry but I will be aware of how and when, and what will serve me and the other person. It's just good information, like any other emotion...

With much love and gratitude, Mj

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Craving the Silence

This week has been a wonderful week for me. Once again, I feel like I am turning a corner and I don't really know where this journey is taking me. I trust this process and am delighted to let it unfold naturally.

Monday I had a great time with my friend Allison at lunch. We used to work together many years ago and were able to reconnect on a heart level again. I was very present to being with her and enjoying every moment. I look forward to getting together again! Later that day, I went to Kathy and Anthony's house to help them set up their network. Once again, I was totally present and loved being in service.

Yesterday morning, I was drinking a cup of tea and the gratitude I felt for the day before really started to sink in. I started to look at my Starbuck's cup, which is cobalt blue and thinking how much I love this color blue. I was grateful for the plants that supplies the tea leaves for my enjoyment, for the tea companies who brought it to market. I was in gratitude to the companies that made the stove range and the teapot, and to the gas and water company. It went on for about an hour. It felt peaceful and expansive. I stopped to watch the inauguration, and was feeling the power of those historical moments like the rest of the country.

Every morning I dutifully write my morning pages and at the end of the writing I ask for my to do list for the day. Yesterday, I had only one item - finish reading "Messages from the Masters: Tapping Into the Power of Love" by Brian Weiss, MD. My friend Gail bought this book for me over the summer. I wanted to read it but I kept holding myself back. I didn't feel that I "deserved" to read this because I was not in alignment with the message. I did not feel that I was living the words that I was reading. It was probably my ego playing "keep away". :-)

Yesterday, I was in alignment. I finished reading the book and was so inspired by his words. He is a psychiatrist that has been doing past life regressions with people for 20 years. In the midst of these hypnosis sessions and in his own meditations, other "messages" would come through to him. These messages are consistent with the core message of every spiritual tradition: love is an energy that lives forever and is all that matters.

Today, I am feeling very open and expansive. It occurred to me that I have been craving silence for the past two days. It is as if the deep stillness is needed to hold the immense expansiveness that I feel. Sometimes sound can be noisy and intrusive. Right now, I am in complete silence. The sounds that I do hear - my fingers tapping on the keyboard, the faint scratching of the fountain pen on the paper, the tea kettle softly whistling - they hold a beauty all it's own. Slowing my life down has helped me pause to soak in the beauty that is all around me.

And for that, I am deeply grateful. Have a beautiful day today.

With much love and gratitude, Mj

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Today Is A Day of Dreams

So many will say things to mark this important and historic days. My friend Gayle sums it up for me so poetically:

http://biglifedance.blogspot.com/2009/01/dreams.html

Thank you Gayle! Love, Mj

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Managing Our Transitions

William Bridges has a best selling book called "Managing Transitions". He talks about three phases of transition - ending, neutral zone and beginning. They are not distinct, but rather, they are overlapping phases. The work that we do in each phase is markedly different.

Ending - we deal with the termination of something significant in our lives. This is often marked by an event, such as marriage, divorce, change in jobs, etc. Sometimes we initiate the change event, sometimes it happens around us. The mental, emotional and physical work in this phase involves letting go of objects, people and ways of being.

Neutral Zone - we make the most progress on our transition here. I elegantly call it "that in-between time" that may feel uncomfortable because we aren't used to being there. Wayne Dyer talks about "getting in the gap" and Buddhists talk about the "fertile void". We often leap to thinking this means "empty" and "meaningless". Instead, think endless opportunities, openness, transparency, oneness, shifting, creation.

Beginning - we start moving into action when we have developed a new direction and commitment. It is our nature to be in motion, and we return to this state when we are ready.

Right now, I am primarily in the "Neutral Zone" in this sabbatical, by design. Today it feels, well, fidgety. It has been my nature to have a long to do list and attack it every morning, set goals and over achieve them. Full ego onslaught. Front of the room and top of the class. Things that would mark my identity in this world. That was my life for over three decades and I pursued it with wild abandon!

What prompted this for me today? Some of my fidgitiness is due to my "Ending" stage. I participate in several yahoo groups that are business related. I read the group postings and I have moments where they could as well be written in Portuguese. I remember the days when I knew the words that they use and spoke that language fluently with grace and ease. It was my life and I wonder if I will ever walk that way again. My fear is in the assumption that I will need to earn a living, and by golly, I will have to stop messing around, suck it up and do "that stuff" again. It is not exactly building commitment for me.

This is very typical for the "Pluralist" stage of Adult Development. Pluralists often want to run and get as far away from everything that defined us in the Achiever stage. Every time I think about going to work every cell in my body screams "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!! I can't hump that hill right now." I told my friend Cameron this week that I am crazy. She said "We are all crazy, you are just willing to talk about it."

I do want to point out that many Pluralists make the transition without quitting their jobs or making other big changes in their lives. I just know for me there is a reason and a discipline for me staying put in my foxhole. It is my Ego that is trying to kick me out and get me into action, not my commitment. I recognize the voice when it urges me to "do something, anything". There are moments when I am intensely jealous of others who are in action. I stop and I look within. I know that "something" and "anything" are simply not what I need right now. I have moments of stillness. I want to become still and be. That is the fertile void that I desire.

All the best! Love, Mj

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I Love My Sisters

Earlier, in my post "If I Get Squeezed, What Comes Out?" I talked about a relationship with a friend. Actually, it is my sister. I talked to her today and asked permission to identify her and updated the post.

We have had several conversations over the last few weeks, and today we had a wonderful conversation. We shared a lot about what is going on in our lives, and we were definitely "heart connected". We talked for almost 2 hours and it was 2 hours that I enjoyed every minute.

So you might ask, how did we turn this around? Several things contributed to this:

• I changed. It was not for her to change.
• We love each other, and had to rediscover that for our selves.
• We were both listening.
• We both stayed centered in our hearts in each moment.
• I was seeing her in the present moment, not based upon our past together.

We like to think that relationships are built over time, and we need a history to fall back on to sustain it. Well, yes and no. We have a long relationship. What we both learned in this conversation is that relationships are about staying present in each moment.

Did I alone create this change? No. We both did, and I don't want to give the impression that it was "all me". First, I had to own up to my shady behavior. The rest unfolded naturally, and I want it to continue. I love being connnected to her, and very glad that she is in my life again. I appreciate the second chance, and won't take it for granted again.

I have 2 sisters that I love. I always have, but I needed to give up the mischief. Thank you Nancy, for giving me a second chance.

All the best! With much love and gratitude, Mj

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The Actor and the Observer, Part II

I did some work this morning, a lot of processing before 10 am. I am taking the rest of the day off after this blog entry. ;-) And, it is a continuation of last week.

In order to complete a cycle of deep transformative change, we process through several layers - mental, emotional, phsycial and spiritual. I will use this experience to describe how I am working through the layers. This may help you with your new years resolutions.

I mentioned in a previous post that I fear my own anger. Your sticking point might be sadness, fear, disappointment, powerlessness, hurt, depression, grief, insecurity, shame, jealousy, etc. Is there a particular relationship or place where you get "stuck" all the time? Do you follow a predictable pattern?

My typical sequence of change is spiritual, mental, emotional and physical. As you read this, think about your typical sequence. By spiritual, I mean connected to my purpose, not religion or doctrine. Last week, I was able to experience a broader context of my purpose and my life in meditation and contemplation. I opened myself to seeing more possibilities in everything. And, I was able to understand intellectually what it means to experience dichotomies.

Today, I was writing my morning pages and I wandered into the topic of my anger. I had an experience this morning where the feeling of anger "popped up" and I was surprised. I have a firm hold on anger, and from time to time it "leaks" out or bubbles up.

I wanted to pursue this further. There are only two emotions - love and fear. If anger is fear, then what do I fear? Being out of control and hurting another person. The person that I fear hurting is the person that I perceive is trying to control me, which becomes an authority figure for me. My earliest experiences with this was in my childhood. As a child, I couldn't express anger against my parents, my mother in particular.

I also had another experience when I was in my early 20s and I was attending respiratory therapy school. There was a student in my class named Tammy who was also the wife of the director of the department (read this: power and authority). At the time, I was poor and barely able to cover my bills and needs. Tammy would poke at me continuously at the clothes I wore, the food I ate, etc. I did not know how to defend myself and would keep "taking it". One day, I could take it no more, and I went crazy. I almost put her through a wall. She became "dead" to me. And, I saw the fear in her eyes and (this is the important part) I swore that I would never lose control like that again. I forever put my anger away in a vault. I would never do that to anyone ever again.

I have a friend in my life right now who is holding this energy for me. She knows that she is, and in my saner moments I can see how much she loves me. And, this is someone that I love.

In my mind, I cannot express myself because I cannot hurt her. I envisioned going into anger with her as I journaled this morning and I sobbed in this experience. I am feeling it now, I am trembling and crying as I write this. It feels like a gaping tear in my heart. I feel the same way when I fight with my husband.

I don't know how to get angry and still love someone, still stay connected. Connection is what I value above everything else in my life. I don't know how to stand up for myself and keep loving. Of course, I can choose whatever I want and this doesn't have to be true. I can intellectually hold a dichotomy, now it is time to experience it in my emotions. As I work through the emotion I am ready to move into action. I am tired of this being in my life and am ready to move on.

I hope that this can give you some insight on what may be creating mischief in your life and that you have the courage to explore it deeper. I know that on the other side of this I will experience freedom and joy, and that is why I am pursuing this.

Whew. This is a really big day for me, and just part of the "clearing" process that we all go through. Thanks for being with me on this journey.

With much love, Mj

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The Actor and the Observer

In coaching, we teach an important tool called introspection. This tool is critical in helping us develop a deeper understanding of who we are and how we move in the world. With this skill we have the ability to be the actor and observe our own actions in the moment.

It is a learned skill that moves us

• From being reactive to proactive
• From being a victim to being a creator
• From being an impulsive child to being a responsible adult
  
• From re-living old tapes from our past to letting go and fully living in the moment.

The last two days have been an interesting experience in my foxhole, where I have been in the roles of actor and observer. If you were to walk into my office, you would have seen me sitting in my Lazy Boy chair alone, mostly just sitting, sometimes writing, sometimes reading.

• I have an intense need to be alone right now. I closed the door of my office, and it was driving my husband a bit crazy. He is uncomfortable with my periods of detachment.
• I struggled to do even the simplest tasks, which hasn't helped me with my long list of "to do" items and commitments.
• I had moments of intense distraction, where my thoughts were flying all over the place. I was not even completing my thoughts before moving on to the next. It took me a long time to write my morning pages.
• I watched as I cycled through emotions and experiences. I had periods of divine intervention, where I was in ecstasy and wonderfully connected to all things. I quickly cycled through moments of sadness, optimism, contentment, irritation, joy and fear. I experienced time as circular, linear, and all at once, simultaneously.
• I became keenly aware of how I was creating all of this in the moment and could shift the storyline, or let the experience unfold and watch. Reality was like PlayDoh.
• I grew tired of being lonely in this foxhole, and also recognized that I need to hang in here a while longer and complete my work.

Debbie Ford talks about the Ego and the Divine. We often think of the Ego as "bad" and the Divine as "good". She says we can befriend our Ego and have it work on our behalf, especially in moments when the most responsible thing to do is to protect our self. Protection isn't bad, it is part of setting healthy boundaries. Ego is often confused with pride. Pride is an unfettered Ego, the culprit that creates mischief and feelings of false separateness.

We can experience being separate and connected at the same time. The Divine is where we are connected to all things and we experience our unique purpose in this world. The Ego is the expression of our unique contribution and where we experience others and their uniqueness. We are not our Ego.

When we can function as the actor and the observer, it is easier to see the interplay between the Ego and the Divine. Over the last two days, I have let the two "run amok" and watched them. I was able to experience them as Yin/Yang, as two different and interconnected worlds.

• If I am 100% in the Divine, I lose my footing here in this reality and my connection to and experience of others.
• If I am operating 100% in Ego, I forget my purpose in this life and connection to all things.

This is consistent with Jill Bolte Taylor's description of the role of left brain / right brain in her book "My Stroke of Insight". Both are needed in balance in order to live a fulfilling life.

All the best! With much love and gratitude, Mj

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Where in the World is Marijo? Some Useful Context on This Journey

I hired a coach to assist me with my sabbatical, and yesterday was our first session. I engaged with someone who specializes in adult stages of development. I am going to share some context with you that may be helpful to you in reading and using the information in this blog.

I am going through an adult development stage that some call “Individualist” (now called "Pluralist"). Remember when people used to go through their “mid life crisis” and seemingly do crazy things and try to create a new identity? It’s probably apparent to you that I am doing the same. I am right on schedule!

For some people who come across this blog, all of this stuff may make no sense and you don’t continue reading. No problem. Many people live a long and happy life never having gone through this stage. Keep on keeping on!

For some, you may be intrigued by what I am saying. You may feel a deep pang of resonance, but you are not ready to take the leap yet. I may be like the puppy in the pet store window – I am new and interesting, but you are not ready to make the commitment yet. What I write in this blog can help you see what might be coming in the next few years.

For some, you may have already gone through this stage, and you are on to the next thing. Congratulations!

And then there are some for whom these words sound like sweet music. I may be giving voice to things that you cannot. If you are in this stage, it can be a lonely experience. I have chosen to share my experience with you in the hope that it can help alleviate some of that loneliness for you. This blog is like a soldier writing a letter home from his foxhole. I am immersed in and reporting my experience from my own foxhole. You may be in the next foxhole listening. Many have put your hand up and waved to me already. It is for you that I write.

This stage can be lonely because we go within and reexamine everything – our identities, our values and actions, and how we wish to express ourselves in the word. We use a skill called introspection to do this, and it looks like a lot of “pondering our navel” activity. It is my intention for this sabbatical that I treat my life like one big experiment and I push the envelope as much as possible. I am taking “pondering the lint in my navel” to an art form. I am separating the lint fibers, examining and categorizing each and every one. I am making transparent what may not be obvious.

Those of us who go through this stage also spend a lot of time alone and look like we are self absorbed. This can be scary to other people in our lives, because they are used to us the way that we are. They may not understand our need to be alone. Be gentle to yourself and to the loved ones in your life. The intense self examination is a stage to pass through, it is not a new way of living.

What triggered this post today is my session with my coach. During our session yesterday, I started to talk about my fear of stepping into my full identity which I have hidden for many years. The feeling of fear in that moment was very intense and my coach was wonderfully supportive. As I was writing my morning pages today, the poem “Our Greatest Fear” by Marianne Williamson came to mind. I have read this poem many times and always known that it was important information. Today, I finally understood – deeply and fully – the meaning of this poem. This is written for people who are in this stage of development. For me. Now. In this moment. I finally “hear” what Marianne Williams is saying!

I am a visual thinker, and I have always thought of my own development as a large spiral. It requires that I travel many circles, in my own way and with my own timing. It also means that I will revisit things over and over, and as I journey through each pass of the spiral I understand the same things at a deeper level. My ability to hear this poem is a useful landmark to signal that I have traveled yet another iteration. My fear is natural and a wonderful barometer of my progress. I can embrace the fear, fully experience it and understand the meaning of it rather than avoid it and prolong my development needlessly. I am where I am, and it does not serve me to pretend that I am at a different level of development. Useful landmarks, awareness and acceptance are all critical elements on our developmental journeys.

I send gratitude to my coach who was gracious and supportive yesterday. Thank you all for helping me to fulfill my purpose, and for your encouragement and support!

With much love and gratitude, Mj

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A Pile of Legos and Unlimited Possibilities

Over the weekend, many people in my life were getting ready for today - the return to work. I heard a lot of comments like "back to the same old grind" and "I have a lot of stuff to do". The emotion that I heard was heavy and burdensome. Maybe that was my own filter.

My life is easy and peaceful right now. The gremlin would say "Sure, you don't have to deal with a boss or coworkers or customers, or that hassle of worrying about bills, kids, etc., etc..". True. It is easy to be peaceful - or is it? I am staring into a relative void where I can be 100% creative with my life. Not having a routine can be scary.

Over the weekend, we got together with our friends Anthony and Kathy. Kathy had not heard about my sabbatical, and was curious about what I am up to. She kept asking me what my routine was. I am committed to writing my "morning pages" per the Artist's Way book, to keeping this blog and the discipline of being present and aware. Everything else is open to intuition, creation and interpretation.

It is as if I am sitting in front of a pile of lego blocks, which represent my talents and experiences. I can choose which ones I will use. I have a purpose in my life. My goal is to use my talents, experiences and gifts to create in alignment with my purpose. We all have these choices before us every day. We seduce ourselves into thinking that we don't. We make choices every day, we often choose the same ones and wonder why our life isn't different.

For example, I have an amazing talent for sizing up organizations which is a great skill to have as a change consultant. It does not take me long to map out the politics, the climate, the challenges and the dynamics of the organization. This skill was borne out of my childhood need for protection - I could walk into a room and figure out where I could hide. We all do this. Today, I am making new choices. This blog is both an act of choosing not to hide anymore and tapping into my love for writing.

I have revealed here that I have always listened to my intuition throughout my life. When I was in my early 20s, I heard three things: Work very hard until age 50, save aggressively, and at age 50 I would stop working for the money and live according to my passion. I am 48 and right on schedule! Yes, my life is "easy and peaceful" - because I have created it. I look back on my life and I can see how everything has prepared me for this moment. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

What is your little voice telling you? How would your life be different if you paid more attention?

All the best! With much love and gratitude, Mj

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A Beautiful Start To The New Year

For the last several weeks, I have been feeling like I am turning a corner.  I have been focusing on simply being present.  It's amazing how many times I catch myself wandering away from the present experience, and like a helium balloon, I retether myself and gently bring myself back without guilt or shame.  I notice and simply return.  

A few days ago, like many of us, I started to develop my list of new year resolutions.  I am working in the areas of creativity, connection, physical, intuition, writing, speaking, and coaching. 

A few days later, I was writing my morning pages (per the Artist's Way book I have been working through), and I decided to focus on the implications and benefits of simply being present.  I easily wrote three full pages!  The ink flowed freely from my pen as I was able to list many items in the short span of about 20 minutes.   I wrote things like:

• I experience relationships at a deeper level
• I enjoy my emotions and gain the full benefit of the information that is offered vs. trying to "control" my emotions
• I am creative in the moment, and see more opportunities as well as multiple points of view
• I devote my attention to one thing and am fully present to that experience
• My dedication and commitment increase
• I manage my health more proactively because I will be in tune with my body and more attentive to what I need

By the way, I originally wrote each one as "I will" ("I will be able to be creative...", etc...) and then crossed out to read "I am".   Each moment I can choose to "be" each and every one of those things.  I also looked back at my resolutions and discovered that I could fulfill my resolutions and even more with one simple discipline!

What a way to start the year!   Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

All the best!  Love, Mj

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