Imagine Living Your Dream

This week I'd like to share some inspirational quotes with you.

Live your dreams. Les Brown

Follow your dreams. Origin Unknown

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. Henry David Thoreau

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sale away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Mark Twain

If you can dream it, you can do it. Walt Disney

What about you? What are your dreams? Are you living them? Are you at least moving in the direction of your dreams?

Your 'dream'. Your 'purpose'. Your 'passion'. To me, they are one and the same. You might also add your 'gift' to that list.

At a recent seminar I attended in Chicago, The Millionaire Mind Intensive, they told us that we all have a gift. And that there are people waiting for us to share our gift. If we don't share our gift, those people will continue to suffer or struggle.

I recently conducted a small workshop on 'Discover Your Purpose and Passion'. We went through lots of various questions and exercises to help the participants uncover what that was for them.

One of the questions was, “What do you daydream about doing?”

For at least one of the participants it brought to light something she had not written down in all the other exercises and questions we had gone through. One of the things she daydreams about is rescuing pit bulls and using them to help returning soldiers.

Then one of the other things we discussed in that workshop was, once you know your gift/purpose/passion/dream, start deciding in favor of it. When you have decisions to make, if at all possible, decide in favor of your dream.

Remember -
If you can dream it, you can do it . Walt Disney

Just something for you to think about.

Until next time, have an amazing week!

Jane

www.TakeHoldOfTheReins.com

Free 30 minute Strategy Session - Click Here

Wrestling a Pig in the Mud

This past week I read a statement that has made me really stop and think. Actually I've been thinking about it off and on since then. I'd like to share it with you and give you something to think about for the coming week.

"Some people like to be negative. Arguing with them is like wrestling a pig in the mud. You both get dirty, but only the pig enjoys it."

I was reading an article about Joel Osteen and his church in Houston, TX, but that particular statement towards the end of the article just really jumped out at me. (http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/galleries/Joel-Osteen-and-the-Littlest-Big-Church-in-the-World.aspx?p=1)

Among other things, it made me do some thinking about why we argue.

One of the reasons I believe we argue is 'to be right'.

I was reminded of a statement I heard several times at the recent Millionaire Mind Intensive seminar I attended in Chicago in February. "You can be right, or you can be rich".

I'd like to add to that, 'you can be right, or you can have peace'.

Not that there are not certain things we truly need to stand up for and defend, but how much more peace would we have if we gave up our need to be right, and just let it go, instead of arguing?

And that includes arguing with someone in our own head.

It can be a real waste of energy and it can sure be a loss of peace, at least for us. So one thing to ask yourself is, "How much is it worth to 'be right'?" Sometimes it may be worth it. But I'm guessing most of the time it's not.

Just something to think about.

Until next time, have an amazing week!

Jane

www.TakeHoldOfTheReins.com

Free 30 minute Strategy Session - Click Here

What Was Holding Me Back?

Do you ever feel like something is holding you back? Do you ever feel like you could be more, or do more, or have more, but you feel like there is a glass wall or a glass ceiling in your way, and you can't figure out why, or what it is?

I know I have. I got a good look at some of this recently and I'd like to share it with you.

When I first started writing this newsletter, it was to people I didn't really know. I started with people who had purchased products from me and were my customers, but we didn't know each other on a personal level. After several months of doing that I made the decision that it was time to share it with my friends and those people I did know.

That is when I discovered at least part of the answer to what can hold us back.

When I made the decision that I was going to share this with people who knew me - The fear started. It was definitely putting me out of my comfort zone. My limiting and negative beliefs and programming, that I didn't even realize I had up to now, started rearing their ugly head.

It was at that point I had a choice to make. I could either back off and not pursue my dream. Or I could keep on going no matter what I was feeling and no matter what my inner critic was telling me.

For a few days it was bad. I would wake up at 3:00 in the morning in a cold sweat and with my heart pounding and my inner critic was going, "what are people going to think?", "people are going to think you are in idiot", "who do you think you are?"

Up to that point I had never realized it mattered to me what other people would think.

One thing I do when confronted with things I'm not sure how I should handle it is (besides praying) I write. I sit down and ask, "what is the truth?", and I write.

I wrote things like, there is no logic in caring about what people think. So where did this belief or programming come from?

I couldn't think of any incident in my past that would lead me to be feeling this strongly. I kept writing, whatever came to mind. And then there it was. A memory from 6th grade came to mind, when something I said 'haunted' me for the rest of my school years.

Once I had that realization it was better. I was still uncomfortable, but at least I quit waking up in a cold sweat with my heart pounding.

I made the choice that I wanted to follow my dream whether I was uncomfortable or not. And I was still somewhat uncomfortable up until the point I got everything in place and finally did share it with all those people who knew me. As soon as I completed that project the uncomfortable left.

If you are concerned deep down what other people think, it will hold you back. Your subconscious' job is to protect you. It won't let you do something, if you are concerned about what other people will think about it. At least not without sending off all the warnings, like it did for me.

(Another thing to keep in mind though is, if you never try stepping out of your comfort zone, you are not going to be getting these 'warnings'.)

This is just one of many beliefs and past programming that can hold you back. The point is to start paying attention. When the doubts and fears make themselves known . . .

Choose in favor of your goal, your dream, your purpose and/or your passion. And keep on moving forward.

At least if you want to keep growing anyway.

Until next time, have an amazing week!

Jane

www.TakeHoldOfTheReins.com

Free 30 minute Strategy Session - Click Here

What Procrastinating Cost Me

Last week I talked about learning to listen to your inner guidance system and not editing it out when it gives you guidance and direction.

This week I'd like to take it one step further and add, don't procrastinate when your inner knowing gives you an idea or direction. Joe Vitale has a saying, "The universe likes speed". In other words (at least what it means to me) when you are given an idea, or some kind of direction or wisdom from your inner knowing, you need to act on it. As soon as possible. It is there to guide you.

Earlier this year I procrastinated on an 'idea' I was given. Because I did, I missed out on what could possibly have been a wonderful opportunity.

As some of you know, I am a certified Centered Riding instructor (level 1). I was checking out the Centered Riding website looking for upcoming clinics that might be close to me that I might be able to assist at. I saw that Sue Harris and Peggy Brown were going to be holding a Centered Riding Clinic at Biltmore Estates. (Peggy was my instructor for my instructor training) My immediate thought was 'I need to get a hold of Peggy and see if I could assist at this clinic. That would be 2 highly qualified people I would love to assist. Plus getting to check out Biltmore Estates would be incredibly awesome as well"

Instead of acting and contacting Peggy, I procrastinated. I played around with the idea for awhile. Then I mentioned it to my friend who now lives in N.C., and is also a Centered Riding Instructor, that I was thinking about it, and was she going to attend that clinic, and maybe we could both assist or something.

I still was in procrastination mode and didn't contact Peggy right away, but my friend did. I waited another couple of weeks, and then finally emailed Peggy.

As it turns out, they really only need 1 assistant and my friend asked first.

I have no one to blame but myself. But I did learn yet another lesson about listening to my inner guidance system, my inner knowing.

There is no guarantee that if I would have contacted Peggy right away, that it would have worked out. By procrastinating though, I lost my opportunity.

What about you? Can you think of a time, or times, that you may have been given an idea and you procrastinated on it?

Don't beat yourself up about it. Recognize it is a lesson to learn from. Realize that you can learn to listen to your inner guidance, your inner knowing. And you can learn to act, when you are given those gifts of wisdom, guidance and direction.

I'm working on it. Will you?

Until next time, have an amazing week!

Jane

www.TakeHoldOfTheReins.com

Free 30 minute Strategy Session - Click Here

Your Own GPS System

Do you listen to your inner guidance system? Everyone has one. Some might call it your higher self, your spirit, or your super-conscious. It is your inner voice, or that still small voice.
 
It is that inner knowing. Sadly it is often buried under so much programming and beliefs that often it is neglected and unheard. Often it is immediately edited out with all of the programming, beliefs and habits you have accumulated over the years.

The best way I know to describe it is, it is that 'knowing' you get when you open the refrigerator door and you 'know' you don't need anything to eat. But then immediately your other programming, beliefs and habits kick in and you edit out what you really 'know' and rationalize it with things like, 'but it's been a bad day', 'but I have the munchies'.

You 'know' a lot of things. The answers are inside you. It is learning to recognize it when it is speaking to you and 'catch' it before you immediately edited it out.

It can actually save you from some not so pleasant results.

One such incident for me was, a couple of year ago, I pulled up to a stop sign behind another car at the intersection of a busy highway. We both sat there for a bit waiting for an opening in traffic. The car ahead of me went. I 'heard' my inner knowing say 'Stop', immediately followed by a dialogue of 'if I stop I'll have to wait for another opening in traffic, and besides I was at a complete stop behind that first car'.

While I was still rationalizing to myself why I really didn't need to stop, the red and blue lights came on in my rear view mirror. And I got a lesson in listening to, or should I say ignoring, my inner guidance system, and I 'knew' it as soon as those lights came on.

Luckily for me, the state trooper got an emergency call before he could write me out a ticket. He'd even had his ticket book out and ready. But for me it was lesson learned anyway.

The trick is learn to listen to your 'inner knowing' and catch it before you edit it out and rationalize it.

Hopefully by being aware of it, you will start noticing more of your inner guidance system and 'catching it' before you have unpleasant results.

Even better, is hearing it, listening to it and allowing it to guide your life.  It's never too late to start!

Until next time, have an amazing week!

Jane

www.TakeHoldOfTheReins.com

Free 30 minute Strategy Session - Click Here

Are You Running on Empty?

I’m guessing you do a pretty good job of taking care of those around you and your other responsibilities. You make time for, and take care of, your family, your friends, your home, your work, your animals if have them, and your other commitments. Perhaps you are even ‘burning the candle at both ends’.

This week I’d like to remind you to take care of yourself as well.

You may have been taught to put everyone else first. Or that doing anything for your self was selfish. To give, give, give. Or to just keep on going.

But it’s hard to do that if you are running on empty.

Just like your car or truck needs fuel to keep going, so do you. If the gas tank on your vehicle is empty, it can’t keep running, it has nothing more to give you.

You are really no different. If you don’t somehow ‘refuel’, you really have nothing left to give. At least you aren’t giving your best anyway.

Do you get enough sleep?

I’ve been going through a couple of weeks where I wake up at 4:00 am and I can’t go back to sleep. (This to shall pass.) I can tell a big difference.

I know we are all different, but a few of the things I’ve noticed about not getting enough rest are: I have less patience, it is harder to keep a positive attitude and frame of mind, it is more difficult to stay focused on what I’m doing, plus I’m not enjoying what I’m doing like I would like to. Oh yeah, and when I’m tired I tend to snack more.

What do you notice when you are tired? If you aren’t getting enough rest, perhaps it is something to make a priority, at least for awhile.

Do you take time to ‘re-charge your batteries’? Do you take some time for yourself to do something you enjoy?

Maybe it’s spending time with your horse, or taking your dog for a walk, if you have one. Or maybe for you it is to sit down with a good book. Perhaps it is working on an art project, or doing some scrapbooking. It could be going out for dinner with a good friend.

I’m not talking about being selfish here, but making the time to do some things you enjoy can recharge and refuel you. It can give you an improved outlook.

What kind of ‘fuel’ do you feed yourself? Do you eat healthy? What you eat can make a difference in how you feel and your energy levels.

Just a few things to think about.

Take care of yourself and you will have a better you to give. Plus you might just enjoy it a lot more!

Until next time, have an awesome week!

Jane

www.TakeHoldOfTheReins.com

Free 30 minute Strategy Session - Click Here

By default or by design?

A few weeks ago I attended a BNI (Business Network International) meeting as a guest in Wapakoneta, Ohio. At each meeting a different member is scheduled to give a 10 minute presentation about themselves and their business.

This particular day the young lady ( early 20's) who did the presentation was a beautician. I have to admit my first thoughts were along the lines of 'well this will probably be boring' since being a beautician is one of the last things I'd want to do. Well I was wrong.

This young lady told us how she became to be a beautician. And I could see she loved it.

Then she told us how she picked the salon to work at by how it felt, and she knew it was the right one for her.

She then went on to say how she specializes in hair coloring and gave us some good information about it. I was totally captivated by what she was saying because she was so passionate about it. I mean, this young lady just oozed enthusiasm about hair color.

A few days later I was at a Women In Business luncheon and I happened to be sitting with some ladies who were members of that BNI group and they asked me what I'd thought about the meeting.

I told the lady sitting next to me how impressed I'd been with the young ladies presentation. I said, "She was so passionate about her business. It's too bad everyone can not be that passionate about what they do, and have that much enthusiasm for their work."

The lady sitting next to me replied, "Well nobody has probably ever told them they could."

Wow! What an insight!

It made me wonder how many people live their lives, and make a living, by default, instead of by their choice and their design.

What about you? Is your work, and your life, by your own design?

It's never too late to start!

Until next time, have an awesome week!

Jane

www.TakeHoldOfTheReins.com

Free 30 minute Strategy Session - Click Here