THE LIFE-CHALLENGE SERIES: SHOW NOW, RECEIVE LATER

An acquaintance of mine just informed me that she's preparing for a trip to Italy, a place she's always wanted to visit. She's a poet, like me, and she's planning to take her brand and work and infect Italy with as much of her positivity as she can. I'm so happy for her! I love when people win in their lives, especially where their dreams are concerned.

What was most important about her announcement was that she said she began learning Italian in January of this year, with the knowledge that if she began the process, "the universe would rise up to meet me." I loved that part, because it's so true! When you're really serious about accomplishing a goal or dream, the best way to move into the space you want is to show just how serious you are about being there.

You know the saying: "Stay ready so you don't have to get ready"? Well, that is so on point. Many times, we say we want this or that, or to go here or there, but then we don't do a single thing to prepare for it. We just wait around for opportunities to fall into our laps, not realizing that there's more to do besides twiddle our thumbs and hope for the best. There are actions to be taken, plans to be made; there is info to be gathered; it's beneficial to think about what we want our desired end result to look like. Many times, sacrifices need to be made, to better position ourselves for [a quicker] victory.

I remember when I decided I was ready for my first apartment. I had no idea when or where I would move, but something told me to start getting ready then, instead of waiting until I found a place. I went out and bought basic items like plates, cups, and silverware; I think there were a few pots and pans; and I bought a matching coffee table and end-table set from a friend. There were some other things in the pile that I thought were important, too. I stored everything in my bedroom closet, and I remember feeling like I was that much closer to my own apartment, even though at the time I wasn't quite in a position to start looking for one. I felt like if I could be as ready as possible then, that somehow things would move a little faster, and I would also be ahead of the game by having less shopping to do when it was time to move. Incidentally, it wasn't too long before I found my place; it was less than a year, I believe; and when it was time, everything fell into place almost instantaneously. I found and claimed my apartment on a Tuesday night, got the keys on Thursday, and moved in on Saturday. I remember on moving day, I was so glad I had those items because they made moving in and getting started so much easier.  

While you can't control how long it will take for your dreams to manifest, what's definite is that if you don't show the universe that you mean business, that your goal isn't some fleeting idea, then no matter how badly you say you want "it," you'll surely be waiting indefinitely for a door to open that you haven't even bothered to knock on.

Are you in prep mode for your goals and dreams? If not, then now's the perfect time to get started! For a deeper look into what it takes to accomplish goals and dreams, check out this epic post. You'll really be ready to get things going!

Always remember to Honor the Spirit!

HOW UNCOMFORTABLE IS YOUR DISCOMFORT?

Sometimes, you can be more comfortable in your discomfort than uncomfortable. Marinate on that for a few seconds. You can know that you're not where you wanna be, doing what you wanna do, feeling how you wanna feel, living how you wanna live, but the thought of making the needed changes to come from that place may feel overwhelming. You may even think there's nothing you CAN do to be in a better place, physically or emotionally. So even though you know you "need more," it seems easier to just stay where you are.

Part of this is because you're not surrounding yourself with people and situations that support your ability to advance. If you're in an environment that doesn't welcome healthy change, then it can be challenging to muster up the determination within yourself to pursue it. I do Life Challenge and Life Mission consultations, and I'm really good at my work. Really.

Recently, one of my besties came to me with a life-challenge issue having to do with her job. We did two very intense consults about the subject, in late April and then again in June. I didn't coddle or go easy on her just because she's my friend. I gave her the real. I advised her on the ways in which she wasn't honoring her spirit, and let her know exactly what actions would allow her to move forward. The rest was on her. I couldn't make her push past her comfort zone. A couple of weeks ago, she told me that she had completely transformed the situation, to the point where she had not only moved into a new position with the title she had been after for YEARS, but she also increased her income by more than $20,000 a year, something else she had been trying to do for a long time. Here is her testimonial.

I'm just saying. I can help you if you're willing to help yourself. For more info on how we can get you into a healthier zone, visit www.honorthespirit.com.

IT'S ALL PART OF THE PLAN

These are three of the books that my Honor the Spirit venture is built on. Some people only know me as a poet, novelist, or copy editor; and I'm most definitely those things, always and forever. But over the years, my writing and personal experiences have launched one of the most important parts of my career, as a Self-Mastery Catalyst. Through my poetry and these three books, two of which are the companions to my consulting services, I've turned my passion and advocacy for strong self-esteem into a more expansive way for me to touch people's lives and help them advance.

For some people, it's strange seeing me constantly posting and talking about building great self-esteem, finding your life's mission, and knocking out life challenges, when they met and experienced me as a novelist, editor, and/or spoken-word artist first. But the beauty in doing those things is that they were all part of this bigger picture, which I was totally unaware of until I noticed a clear theme in all of the writing I was doing, and even in my work as an editor: living in a way that brings the most peace of mind and greatest feelings about self. I figured out through tons of trial and error, tears and frustration, rude awakenings and hurt feelings, that the ONLY way to live a life of peace is to honor my spirit by being as true to myself as possible, no matter who it offends. By doing this, I noticed that my self-esteem skyrocketed, which transformed my whole demeanor. I slept better, was happier, smiled more, was nicer, more tolerant and patient, and developed more compassion for others.

A slew of my personal stories are in my books, and many are in my blog posts. I also tell various [extended version] published and unpublished stories to my clients, as I help them get clear on THEIR lives. I'm very confident in my teaching, because I've lived, paid close attention to, and learned really well from the "before," and can speak in detail about it, and I know how peaceful the "after" is.

Social media isn't where people will get the deep, detailed stuff from my life. It's not the place where people can learn the most about who I am, what I've done, and been through. That's for the books and that good ole one-on-one connection.

My journey is, of course, never ending. I'm never gonna be perfect. I don't feel awesome about myself or my life 24 hours a day. That's not realistic. Challenges creep in, sometimes burst in with vigor, and try to take me down. But what I know how to do really well is get back to my center quickly, because I know how to not let them control me. That's self-mastery. It's all day, every day, but totally worth it.