Flow

"Energy flows where attention goes." We've all heard that by now, right? Yes, but are we actually applying the principle? It doesn't matter what we're thinking about, health, career, relationships - we get exactly what we think about. Don't worry, I'm not about to blog about the Law of Attraction, as the film, The Secret, has clearly been a grand enough platform for that. No, I'm more interested in contemplating what it actually means and to consider the possibility that it's true.

Recently, I was on a blind date. A rather good blind date I might add. He was smart, handsome, funny and totally "got" it. Things were going quite well until I mentioned how sad I felt that I'd lost touch with a close friend because she recently fell in love. That's when he said, "Don't worry, she'll be back. Give her six months and she'll be miserable." Wow. I was blown away. Now, I know he meant well but I can't help remembering what the poet Maya Angelou said, "People always tell you who they are, if you just pay attention." My question isn't whether or not my blind date was right or wrong to say that. My question is that I'm wondering if this is what it's come down to for so many?

Are we so deeply cynical that we actually think it's normal? Not me. I am the antithesis of cynical. I'm highly optimistic and, as it turns out, incredibly romantic. I believe anything is possible when intentions are straight. I believe in love. In fact, I believe in the soul mate kind of love. And I believe we can, be, do and have anything we dare to imagine. My life is proof, as miracles are happening everywhere. Simply because I am in the flow. I'm "allowing" and getting out of the way. The Universe is a servant to our thoughts and will deliver exactly as we say. Life is hard. Universe says, "Yes!" Life is easy. Universe says, "Yes!" It's our choice, no, our DUTY to be conscious of our thoughts, beliefs and attention. Our life depends on it.

Dark Knight

Last night was The Apprentice finale. The show was filmed at The Hollywood Bowl, which is an outside venue. A few minutes before Trump fired James and hired Stefani, it rained on all our friends and family. How fitting.

By now, anyone who watched the show knows that I quit in the boardroom. From the moment I entered the "bubble," I knew I shouldn't have been there. What most people don't know though, is that I asked, in fact, begged one of the producers to let me go home long before. After the second task, I pleaded for a meeting with Trump so I could resign. The producer told me to get some sleep and promised it would be better in the morning. He meant well but he was wrong. I did go to bed (albeit, on a cot in a tent in a freezing backyard), but I never slept. I got into my sleeping bag, covered my head and cried.

There's a phrase called, "The dark night of the soul." It's a time of radical transformation and sometimes it hurts so badly, you want to die. But, it can also be a time of amazing insight and revelation. For months following The Apprentice, I was in a "dark night of the soul." During that time, I gave up on ever having a fulfilling life. I was depressed.

Being on The Apprentice was the worst experience of my life, and the best thing I could've ever done. See, once I made it through my dark night, I found the courage to change. I took inventory of my life and decided to quit anything that no longer served me. I quit a big career, unhealthy friendships and bad habits. I was terrified. But continuing on as before was no longer an option, thereby making The Apprentice a "Dark Knight," which became the catalyst for change. Thank you.

On my desk there's a picture of a gorgeous rose with a poem by Anais Nin that says, "And then the day came, when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to bloom."

Take out the trash

I just came out of a silent meditation retreat in Palos Verdes and my mind is renewed. I'm empty, and for me, that's freedom. See, the last time I tried this retreat (a few years ago), I found it to be a stressful experience. I couldn't get present the entire three days and by the end, I actually thought I failed. Seriously! Meditating didn't always come easy for me. In fact, I remember having thoughts that something must've been wrong with me because I couldn't seem to let go. Worse than that, was I actually believed what I thought.

Thankfully, things have changed. As of January 1st of this year, I committed to a new and deliberate way of being. My intention was to live a lifestyle of peace while achieving my dreams. I decided to quit anything and everything that no longer served my best and highest good (many details in upcoming posts as well as some exciting results due to my commitment to this intention). But looking back, the change didn’t start there. Before we can take on even the noblest intention, we have to begin in another place. We must first take inventory of our thoughts.

If you haven't seen, "Peaceful Warrior," please see pronto. The film is based on the best selling book, "Way of the Peaceful Warrior," which I've always LOVED. In fact, over the years, I have given many copies to friends. Needless to say, I was nervous to see the film because I worried the story wouldn't translate. But it did! They delivered a magical inspiring movie almost better than the book. Nick Nolte plays the role of Socrates who trains Dan Millman, a college student dreaming of being an Olympian gymnast, how to be present. This is one of life's most challenging tasks because we are either in the past or projecting the future based on our thoughts. In the film, Socrates teaches Dan many lessons but there was one thing he said that was unforgettable. He said, "Take out the trash."

The trash is our mental garbage. You know, those thoughts of fear, doubt, worry, lack and limitation. These thoughts hold us back and keep us small, and are usually not true. Emerson said, "Don't always believe what you think." When we take the time to go within (meditate) and learn to become mindful of our garbage (observe the rampage), we can then begin the process of letting it go. In order to Quit to Win, the first thing we must learn to do is, take out the trash.

Decisions

I was talking with my dear friend Jacqui about a blog I sent out a couple months ago called, Quit to Win. I wrote about how I quit my big time real estate career to follow my dreams (which somehow managed to inspire hundreds of people and the reason I know this for sure is because they wrote back to me and told me so), and she insisted I write a book. "But, on what?" I asked. "How you quit to win" she replied, and went on to say, "It'll be great, just write out seven or eight steps on 'how' you did what you did and people will be inspired by your story!" Easy enough, I decided I would.

Have you ever written a book? Wait, let me back up. Have you ever thought about a writing a book but that's about as far as you got? Yeah, not so easy. Especially if you claim yourself as the "expert" in an area you feel quite confident you could use a lot of help. And, steps? Yikes. But, I tried, I did. I thought and thought about what those "steps" were (or could be) and even though it had only been a few short days, I knew I was in big trouble because I was absolutely clueless.

Bless you sweet Jacqui, but who am I to tell people what to do, step by step, and voila! - promise they'll have a better life? If only. Each person is so unique and so different, how could one way (my way) work for everyone? Sooo, long blog longer, I decided not to write the steps but that I would indeed, write the book. Quit to Win will be a book of my own personal insight and revelation that make up who I am, what I'm doing and where I'm going. I figure the "how" will work itself out.