I’m on a flight home from San Francisco right now…When I planned this trip to California about 9 months ago I didn’t know HOW I was going to make it happen. Only that it HAD to happen. I felt it with all of my being and I decided that nothing would stop me. We were going to California to visit my family SOMEHOW. I just didn’t know how at the time.
Many times, in the past I also had the thought that this was the year we were going to make it out west for vacation. And then I would begin to think about HOW. It definitely wasn’t in the budget and after the financial crash of 2008 we did not have any credit, nor did we want to use credit. After a short time trying to figure it out, I would give up on the idea altogether. But this year when the thought entered my mind, I decided that there must have been a missing ingredient in the past. And that it wasn’t about the money. It was about my beliefs and trust. I quickly realized that I never truly believed that it was possible. I didn’t have faith. That was kind of a gut punch for me, but once I discovered that it was my lack of faith that was holding me back I was able to shift my thinking. Instead of letting doubt take over, I decided to be ALL IN. From that moment forward I KNEW we were going.
As the months passed I went about life and worked, went to my kid’s activities and took care of the household. But during that time, I started to become very intentional about saving and planning for the trip. And a magical thing happened. As I took steps in planning our trip my faith grew and a path started to clear. Brene Brown’s definition of faith sums it up well- “Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.”
So, how do we exercise our faith? By putting our own health and well-being above everything and anyone else. When we make our self-care practice a priority, we strengthen our innate abilities to accomplish personal goals, foster more meaningful relationships and connect with our community. Practicing The Four Seeds of Self-Care supports us from the inside out. Each time we say yes to ourselves it’s like putting on a suit and cape and becoming our own superhero. We are fortified in our mental, physical and emotional health. Our kryptonite is our own self-doubt and lack of self-love. But the moment we DECIDE to trust and believe the Universe jumps in to support us.
What have you been dreaming of for months, years, even decades? What goals have you not yet achieved because you have doubted your potential to make it happen? And how can you get from here to there?
Here’s are some ideas that have helped me in building my FAITH:
F- Fear- You’ve got to get rid of your fear! Whatever it is you are trying to achieve will never come to pass if you are letting your fear control you! Fear will shut down your dreams every time! Practice being courageous to weaken the stranglehold that fear has on you. Do something a little bit scary and each time you do your fear monster shrinks smaller and smaller.
A- Awareness- Get clear on your goals and dreams. In order to do this, you are going to have to get quiet. This is where The Four Seeds of Self-Care are crucial. Meditation/Prayer/Taking a Few Minutes to be still will give you clarity and a vision for bringing your goal to fruition.
I- Intuition- Your intuition is always there to guide you if you LISTEN! As mentioned above, you’ve got to get quiet. Even if only for a few minutes a couple of times a day. In order to get centered, you’ve got to get still and take some deep breaths. This can be uncomfortable at first, but stick with it! Start where you are. If you’ve only got 5-10 minutes, take it! You will soon get used to it and crave more! When I first started meditating it was like torture! Am I doing this right? I can’t stop thinking! Should I sit up, lie down? All these questions flooded my mind!
T- Trust- We’ve all heard sayings like “let go and the net will appear”, or “take a leap of faith.” We all LOVE certainty. Taking risks can be very uncomfortable. But you can’t get to faith without some uncertainty. Like practicing being courageous, I’m finding that faith is a muscle we can exercise and make stronger over time.
H- Happy!- Cultivate the positive thoughts, affirm and celebrate every little victory!! Don’t underestimate the small steps. Take the time to do the things that make you happy! Practice affirming the good and notice the momentum that propels you forward! Catch yourself if you notice old habits of negative thinking. Don’t let your “stinkin thinkin” hold you back any longer!!
Taking the time to be self-centered not only leads to better health and well-being, but it also helps us to grow and reach our goals. This life is a precious one, why not really go for it?!
With Love & Gratitude,
Kinda and Rachel
