The Path of Least Resistance . . .

. . . is not the path of most avoidance.

It may seem like a small difference, a splitting of hairs, but it is the difference that we are looking for.

LOP is moving towards what I do want.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Honoring Our Priorities

I recently received an invitation to do something I have happily done in the past.  This time, however, I felt resistance, concern, obligation, and pressure, regarding saying yes, versus the excitement and enthusiasm I have usually felt.

As I considered saying yes I heard myself making excuses, becoming defensive, feeling irritable and finally becoming quite upset.  As I witnessed my intense reaction I realized I was feeling all of those things because my priorities had changed.  I knew this time it was not a priority for me, but I felt if I agreed to do it I would have to make it a priority (like I had happily done in the past).

Once I recognized I was trying to force myself to make something a priority that was truly not one, and I allowed myself to honor what my true priorities are, I was filled with an immense feeling of peace.  I then realized I could easily say yes or no to the request because no matter what, I was going to honor the order of my priorities.  So, I said "yes".

I have since come to the conclusion that the only time we have regrets in our lives is when we have not honored our true priorities.  We can sometimes try and make other people's desires, earning a living doing a certain thing, or being a certain way to fit in, a priority, but forcing these priorities leads us to making decisions that are not in alignment with who we really are -- and that's how we end up on the downward spiral of regret.

LOP is taking the time to clarify and be honest with myself about what my true priorities are, and then be willing to honor them.

Are You Ready?

Trooper strikes again!  Here are the lyrics to their song 'Ready' from the 1979 'Hot Shots' album.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI8b0uScUnk

"I was down so long
Everything was goin' wrong
And the people all around me
Got the news

Lord and everything I tried
Fell to pieces and slowly died
My soul was going broke
From paying dues

I was very nearly beat
When I crawled back to my feet
Believing that a change
Was overdue

Now I'm pickin' up the pieces
And takin' out new leases
Gettin' ready for the things
I wanna do

And you know I'm ready
How tough is it gonna be
Are you ready
Don't keep asking me
If I'm ready, yea, yea
Leave it up to me
I'm ready as I'm gonna be
I'm ready finally

Lord I'm ready to make my way
Take it slowly from day to day
Take it easy on myself
As I roll along

Lord knows it's down to me
To write the melody
To sing my own words
To the song"

LOP is being ready.

Complaining and Confidence

Complaining and anger are the 'poor' man's power. 
Confidence in who we honestly are is the power of the 'rich'.

Miracles Not Mediocrity

Happy New Year Everyone!

For all my life I have felt mediocrity is normal (hence the title to my 1998 book "Living On Purpose:  Life Beyond Mediocrity), but not natural (who we are meant to be).

On the other hand, miracles, the experiences of:

• being in the flow of life;
• the unfolding of real success;
• expressing our genius self;
• following "the rhythm of our internal inspirations" (Abraham-Hicks);
• "the peace that passes understanding" (Philippians 4:7);
• having "peak experiences" (Maslow);

have felt natural, but not normal -- not what we see and hear others doing.  We end up calling them miracles because they often feel rare, but I believe they are not meant to be.

Living On Purpose (LOP) is listening to, and trusting, the 'miracles' of life so that what is natural becomes more normal.  (And I guess then we will no longer call them miracles : )

Trust the Spirit

I've had a 'visitor' the last few weeks that I have not had for a few years -- the Spirit of Christmas.  This is not a post about if it is better to feel the Christmas Spirit or not, or why now at this time I am experiencing it when I hadn't for the last few years, or even what the Spirit of Christmas means. This is a post about trusting the Spirit that we have.

The last few years I have been in the spirit of simplicity and calm and quiet.  I have done my best to allow myself to follow the ebb and flow of the different spirits coming and going whether they were in tune with what others were doing, or what society was doing, or not.  That is not to say there were not moments when I felt it would have been nice to feel a bit of Christmas Spirit, but the truth was I just didn't.   

A couple of times during the last few Christmas Seasons I had wondered if maybe I had just out grown having the Spirit of Christmas and that it would probably never return to what I had felt before, and that was O.K. too.  Then, low and behold, to my surprise, this year I started to notice a whiff of Christmas Spirit here, and a whisper of it there, until it became constant enough that I actually felt like following it with some action.  But, my point being, I didn't go looking for it.  I didn't force myself to be in the Christmas Spirit, or avoid it.  It is just what naturally occurred, like an unexpected but welcome visitor.

So whatever the season or occasion or activity or celebration you are in throughout the year, trust the Spirit that is really You.

LOP is knowing it is 'alright' to trust the Spirits within because they are 'all right.'

Feel the Fear, LOP, and Do it Anyway . . . or Don't!

I have recently been reading the book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (also the author of Eat, Pray, Love).  It's an easy read where she gives us an inside look at her creative process.  One aspect of Elizabeth's book reiterates a concept brought to our attention in 1987 by Susan Jeffers, in her book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, and that is don't let our fears get in the way of our creative expression.  Overall, I agree with the concepts presented by Susan and Elizabeth and understand what they are encouraging us to do.  However, as my clarity has increased, I think I would add to this catchy title to improve the accuracy of the concept.

When one initially says the phrase 'feel the fear and do it anyway' it would be easy to interpret it as meaning that we are just needing to go through our lives pushing through our fears.  But, I have found that hanging out on the brink of fear all the time, or even occasionally, is not a joyful place to be, it is certainly not us presenting ourselves at our best, and it is not Living On Purpose (LOP).

I think a more complete phrase might be:  feel the fear, LOP, and then do it, or don't do it (not as catchy, I know).  So what's the difference?

Well, step one, feel the fear, means don't avoid, ignore, deny, or protect myself from this thing I am perceiving as fearful.  I don't need to make laws about it, try and convince others of the wrongness of it, or invent contraptions to beat it down.  I want to hear it, listen to it, catch it and recognize it as what it is -- guidance that is helping me understand that the way I am perceiving this fearful thing right now is not how Who I Really AM (WIRA) perceives it.

Step two, LOP, means take a moment to remember WIRA.  Meditate, talk to someone who knows me, go for a jog, journal, watch an uplifting movie, affirm the beliefs I already know are WIRA.  Do whatever it is I do that helps me remember ME.  Once I have reconnected with WIRA I will be able to see the fearful belief in a new light and be better equipped to make a decision that is truly in alignment with what I want to experience. 

Step three, do it anyway, or don't do it, means chances are once I have taken the time to LOP I will be able to 'do it anyway' with grace and ease and success, or it will become obvious that there is a better option on the table.

So here's an example.  Let's say I am wanting to have a conversation with someone, however, I am really nervous about it.
Step one:  O.K. I could just sweep this under the carpet and continue to ignore it, but I know this is bothering me because I keep thinking about it and I have been uncomfortable when I am around this person.
Step two:  I sit down with my journal and ask myself honestly, "What are the fearful perceptions I am having about this?
'I am worried this person will be upset.'  
'I often feel the need to defend myself around this person.'  
'I hate having conflict, I would rather avoid it.'  
Then I ask myself, "What are the perceptions that the confident part of me knows and believes about this situation?
'This is a conversation that can have value for both of us.'  
'I am not needing to be right or defend myself, I am simply sharing what I am experiencing.' 
'In all likelihood this person is also wanting to have this conversation.'
'I really do want us to find a mutually beneficial solution to this situation.'  
I believe that by having this conversation we will both stand in a new, better place in regards to a number of things.'  
Now here's the important part -- I know I am complete with step two when I mentally, emotionally, and physically EXPERIENCE A SHIFT around the situation.  I am not ready for step three until I do.
Step three:  Depending on the new perceptions that I now have, I may end up 'Doing it Anyway' by contacting the person and letting them know I would like to have a chat and find out when would be a good time for them.  Or, I may end up realizing that this doesn't really have anything to do with that person and I 'Don't Do It.'  The choice of action matters less.  Seeing this from the perspective of WIRA matters most.

The following is a quote on this same subject, from a Source to which I owe much.
"There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of that. We are encouragers of coming into alignment, and then taking the action. We are encouragers always of getting rid of the fear; we would never want you to keep doing things that you feel fearful about. And maybe the path of least resistance is just not get on the horse. Maybe the path of least resistance is to get on a different horse—but we would never move forward in fear."
--- Abraham Workshop Billings, MT Saturday, June 21st, 2003 

LOP is feeling the fear, embracing it for the fantastic guidance that it is, and becoming an even clearer expression of my genius self.

The Traps of Safety Nets

Safety nets.  We love them.  They feel safe, and we believe they will catch us when we fall.  A safety net could be a person -- a spouse, a parent, or a friend.  It could be a job, or a boss, or the company we work for.  We are advised to create safety nets that equate to piles of cash like bank accounts, RRSPs and insurance.  We ask our governments to make and take care of our safety nets so that we don't have to.  Safety nets can even be the belongings (house, vehicle, wardrobe) that we have worked hard to accumulate because they make the image, that we are trying to present to others, seem real.  And, safety nets can be our routines that suffocate verses nurture, the beliefs that are not in alignment with our desires, or the habits that have outgrown their usefulness.  I guess really, anything we are not comfortable letting go of when we know it is not working for us, could be a part of our safety nets.

We love safety nets because they help us feel secure.  We have become comfortable with them exactly as they are, and they help us relax and have faith in life.  We have built our future around them and we are relying on them being there so life can play out as we picture it.  They give us a sense of having a buffer if things go wrong.  We believe our mediocre okayness is propped up by their existence.

Now, I am not saying that LOP means you must eliminate all people and worldly goods, as some spiritual practices recommend (although, if that is what you are inspired to do, then that is LOP).  What I am saying is LOP is being aware of what our safety nets are, and understanding how we may be making them into more of a trap than a net.

One trap is that if our safety net should disappear we can lose our balance, fall down, or become confused about which direction to go.  A death, the loss of a job, a dip in the economy can understandably create immense changes in our lives, however, if we have the majority of our weight leaning on anything that disappears, we fall flat on our faces.

Another trap is that safety nets can become huge energy suckers.  Logically, if my okayness rests in the existence of this thing, I had better take care of it.  The energy we sometimes put into controlling and micro-managing something that we perceive as our safety net can end up being more life draining than if the net actually disappeared.

So, if not having safety nets means not putting our trust and faith, or all our eggs in the basket of something else, what does it mean?  Well, figuring that out is what LOP is about.  For me it is about remembering, trusting in, and expressing who I really am, but the answer for each of us will be tailor made for us.  All I know is finding that answer is where the freedom, unconditional love, and the innate success resides for us all. 

"General Hand Grenade" -- By Trooper

The following lyrics are from the chorus of Trooper's song "General Hand Grenade".  It's on my workout playlist and besides the snappy tune, the words remind me of why Living On Purpose (LOP) is important to me.

People gettin' high

People gettin' low

People gettin' nowhere

'cause they don't know where to go.

LOP is the peace, fun, foot-tapping enthusiasm of clarifying and knowing where I am going.
Hope you enjoy!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwtKTpfNevU

The Love's Prayer

A LOP version of "The Lord's Prayer":

Oh Unconditional Love,
may I remember the importance of You in my life.

I am willing to believe in You,
I am willing to trust in You,
here and now,
each moment of my day.

I know that as I follow Your guidance
I am given exactly what I require,
now and al-ways.

Therefore, I make the choice to let go of the conditional love
with which I perceive myself and others.

And when I forget You,
I know Your call will be there
to remind me of Who I Really Am.

For nothing is more powerful,
nothing is more constant,
nothing is more Me,
than You expressed through me.

For ever and ever.
Amen.