Authenticity

People treat us the way they see us treat ourselves.

If we respectfully reject disrespectful behavior aimed in our direction, our action conveys a sense of self, maybe even an inward calm.

If we are comfortable asking for what we want and consistent in our refusal to accept less, we will attract more of what we desire.

There is a risk in demanding what you desire, what you deserve. It could mean you loose what you have. But it could also mean you get what you want.

And isn’t it better to be without, than to settle for less than what you really want?

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” ~ Joseph Campbell

Inhale Awareness, Exhale Disregard…
Inhale Authenticity, Exhale Safety…
Inhale Acceptance, Exhale Detachment…
Just Breathe…

#JustBreathe
#Authenticity

Energy

What you take in from the world can influence what you put out into the world. When you take in negativity, you will spew anger, frustration and fear. When you take in positivity, you will send waves of love to everyone you encounter.

Be intentional about what you watch.
Be deliberate in choosing whom you listen to.
Be conscious about what you put in your body.

And even if you accidently encounter negativity energy, YOU get to choose how you respond. Choose positivity.

How you experience everything is up to you. Your reactions need not be automatic or similar to ones you have had before… ~Neale Donald Walsch

Inhale Positivity, Exhale Negativity…
Inhale Intentionality, Exhale Accidentally…
Inhale Deliberate Response, Exhale Unconscious Reaction…
Just Breathe…

#JustBreathe
#Energy

Resistance

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Newton’s Third Law of Motion

There will be resistance. You’ll wake up from a dream that felt real, see the vision clearly, feel the knowing intently and immediately the voice in your head will demand to know “Who. Are. You. … to think you can do this?”

It will be so loud, you’ll think it’s someone else and perhaps it WAS someone else…but you’ve internalized the voice, and now believe the thought and you’re thinking it so loud it sounds like someone is speaking.

The way to quiet the voice is to feel the fear, face the fear and pursue the dream in spite of the fear.

For every dream, there is resistance.” ~ Steven Pressfield

Inhale Action, Exhale Inaction…
Inhale Movement, Exhale Obstacles…
Inhale Assistance, Exhale Resistance…
Just Breathe…

#JustBreathe
#Dreams

Perfection

Sometimes the fear that keeps us from pursuing our purpose is hidden under the guise of a quest for perfection. But God doesn’t require us to be perfect to start our journey to purpose, He only requires us to be committed to His call on our lives.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10, NIV

Inhale Commitment, Exhale Perfection…
Inhale Compliance, Exhale Perfection…
Inhale Creation, Exhale Perfection…
Just Breathe…

#JustBreathe
#Fear

Fear

Our fear keeps us from so much that is promised to us! But if we can believe that God loves us, wants the best for us and is for us 100 percent of the time, what is there to fear?

”For God does not give us a Spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NET

Inhale Love, Exhale Fear…
Inhale Faith, Exhale Fear…
Inhale Belief, Exhale Fear…
Just Breathe

#JustBreathe

Image by Gerd Altmann, Pixabay

Inner Truth

Healthy fear is part of our survival mechanism. Our intricately designed bodies have more than one way to notify us of danger. That gut feeling, the hair prickling on your arm or the back of your neck….it’s your body notifying you of danger that you can’t see or hear. It’s a knowing from the oldest part of our brain, the limbic system, which has no language. It’s why we often can’t articulate that feeling that says STOP.

Yet often when we have the feeling, we don’t acknowledge our own knowing. And we can’t separate the knowledge-based feeling from the fear-based feeling.

So we move forward when our knowing is screaming “You in danger, Gurl” and are paralyzed when it’s just our fear whispering …”WHO are YOU to do THAT?”

Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice.” Will Smith in After Earth

Inhale Truth, Exhale Fear…
Inhale Power, Exhale Paralysis…
Inhale Knowing, Exhale Doubting…
Just Breathe…

#JustBreathe
#Fear

Finally Faith

When I was a teenager, I used to wonder why all the really old people were so…religious. Always praying, always thanking God, always referencing the Bible. Then I got older and I realized they had probably tried going it on their own, doing it their way, relying on their power…only to fall again … to fail again …and again…

Finally, we take that first step in God’s guidance and find our lives flowing in Divine order.
Finally, we stop resisting and rest in God’s purpose
Finally…God.

“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” Jeremiah 29:11 The Message

Inhale Faith, Exhale Insecurity
Inhale Acceptance, Exhale Arrogance…
Inhale Wisdom, Exhale Ego…
Just Breathe…

#JustBreathe
#Faith

Confidence

I’m a part of a mentoring program that did a session on courage. It was a reminder that God commands us to be courageous and gives us the reason why: God! Tweet this now!

So it led me to muse…when we think we are acting courageously, are we really being courageous or obedient? Are we being courageous or faithful? Is courage, obedience and faith all the same reaction based on our confidence in who God is?

“…because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Donʼt be afraid.” Mark 6:50 NIV

Inhale Courage, Exhale Discouragement…
Inhale Obedience, Exhale Disobedience…
Inhale Confidence, Exhale Disbelief…
Just Breathe…

#JustBreathe
#Courage

Do This One Thing to Gain Your Leadership Equilibrium

Equilibrium: a state of intellectual or emotional balance

There are a lot of productivity experts offering systems to help you organize and act on anything that comes into your workspace. The best ones focus first on helping you find your purpose. Author Brian Tracy says “Once you know your purpose you can organize all of your activities around it.” Tweet this now!

Knowing your purpose is an important first step to gaining balance in your life, because if you align yourself with something that’s not what you’re supposed to be doing….

If you continue to say yes to things that are not aligned with your vision or values…

Or if you say no when you should to something that’s not in alignment with your purpose, but believe you probably should have done what you were asked me to do…

Then even if you apply some practical productivity tools, you’re still going to be out of balance and stressed out. Tweet this now!

Everything you do should be an expression of your purpose. If an activity doesn’t fit you shouldn’t be doing it. Knowing your purpose helps you laser focus your effort and energy on the things that matter… and ignoring or deferring the things that don’t.

Renita Alexander, Leadership Unlocked

One Step…

“If I take,
Just one step,
He will do the rest…” Donald Vails

Every version of “The Hero’s Journey” story, features a scene when the hero takes one giant, scary step of faith into the unknown or battles his fear in the face of a tremendous, potentially life-ending threat. In “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, our hero is guided to a deep chasm with no visible way to get to the other side. He calls on his faith, steps out into the abyss… and on to the bridge, which magically appears underneath his foot. crusades1

That’s the kind of courage that can force us forward in the face of fear, the kind of confidence that can compel us to step into what we can’t see… the kind of conviction that we can trust what we know to be true despite evidence to the contrary.

It’s the kind of faith we’re asked to have in order to live the lives we’re called to live.

Inhale Courage, Exhale Hesitation…
Inhale Confidence, Exhale Doubt…
Inhale Conviction, Exhale Fear…
Just Breathe

#JustBreath
#Faith