“Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of the pieces.” ~Judith Viorst

I travel quite a bit.  Most of my travels have to do with someplace I am going to speak but occasionally I get to do a trip here and there that is just for me.  Many of my friends watch my postings on Facebook gallivanting around the world and I always hear the same comment, “Where are you now?”  Or if I am at home when they call I hear, “Are you in the country?”  I will be the first to admit (and am extremely grateful for) that I have a very blessed life.  I am healthy, have a wonderful relationship with both of my girls, I own my own business which allows me flexibility in my schedule, I travel all over the world and every day I feel like I am blessed with yet another gift from God in whatever form it may show up; an unexpected check, a new hiking trail, a new friend, etc.

My life was not always this way though.  I used to suffer from chronic ulcerative colitis, have daily migraine headaches, was overweight and felt overall as if I was trapped in my life and had no choices.  I had “responsibility” you know.  Bills to pay, kids to raise, a job to go to (which I hated)…all things I HAD to do.  I am not sure exactly what happened…it may have been the severe colitis that finally got to me and being sick of feeling sick or just being plain tired of being tired.  One thing I do know that happened is the pain of staying where I was became greater than the fear of what was ahead; the unknown.  When we hit that point, we always do something differently.

I had to “unplug from the Matrix.”  Neo never showed up to tell me I was living in “the Matrix,” an illusion world, but I somehow felt in the pit of my stomach there was more to life than what I was seeing.  I unplugged by taking some time off; not only from work but from my life.  I stopped doing everything for everyone else and took some time for me.  I entered the equation of my life again.  All of my decisions up to that point in my life were based on what I thought other people thought I should do (that even sounds silly when I type it) instead of what I thought I should do.  I was not in the equation whatsoever when I made any decision in my life.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, had to do with me.

In short, here is what I realized; I came to find the power of the mind.  We all heard the word “discipline” growing up and most cringe when they hear it.  But controlling your mind…taking charge of your life…takes self-discipline.  I now have a “daily discipline” I follow and it is what starts my day every day.  It is what keeps me centered and what allows me to stay in a space of graciously receiving anything that life offers to me; love, pain and anything in between.  If your life is running you instead of you running your life, sit down, take a breath and listen to this next part.  Here is the formula:

• Get to know yourself again by taking time everyday to do something that makes you feel good.  (Reading a book, going for a walk, having a cup of tea, petting your cat, etc.).

• Let your feelings guide you.  Our feelings are the physical manifestation of God talking to us (your guidance).  If a situation or a person is making you feel bad, listen and then act.

• Make a list of everything you want in your life; your bucket list.  No blinders allowed!  Don’t worry about if what comes up is realistic, write it down anyway.  Don’t worry if you don’t know how to do it, write it down anyway.  Shorten your list to things you feel you can accomplish in the next 6 months and read that list every morning.  Your subconscious mind will get it and start working on it.  The “how” is not up to us anyway; the Universe handles that one.

• Start your mornings slowly.  Get up earlier.  Find a routine that works for you.  Just like you need to feed your body every day, you need to also feed your mind.  Start the day by feeding it good affirmations such as, “I am blessed by perfect health, unlimited wealth, all encompassing love and achieved successes!”

• Do something for yourself every day physically (exercise), mentally (positive reading and affirmations), emotionally (allowing your feelings to come up and be released) and spiritually (decrees, prayers, meditation).

• Let the day and your feelings guide you.  Your best is different every day.  Be easy on yourself.  If you’re tired, go slower or rest.  If you feel sick, give yourself permission to take care of yourself.  Don’t worry about what others think and what they might say.  Who are “they” anyway?

And last but not least, try this small mantra everyday and believe it;

Be still, know all is good
Be still, know all is
Be still, know all
Be still, know
Be still
Be

Living in the my own (and uniquely created) real world and loving it,
Chris

Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.“  ~Seth Godin   (Thank you Chris Whitcoe of Pure Joy Academy!)

I just recently got back from hiking the Inca Trail in Peru…as many of you know.  The Inca Trail is a 4 day hike up and down the Andes Mountains with the culmination and reward being the miraculous Machu Picchu.  The trail is very similar to life.  It has twists, turns, climbs, downward spirals, jungle terrain, pesky bugs buzzing around your energy field you cannot seem to get rid of (like some people in our lives!) and frustrating moments when you feel as if you can’t go on.  As you encounter these moments on the trail, you slowly begin to realize that it is not your body that is leading you through the rough times; it is your mind and spirit.  In other words, your BELIEFS!

Everyone in our group was asked to come up with a mantra that they would recite to themselves or out loud when it seemed as if they could not go on.  Their mantra could be as simple as, “I can do it!” to “My mind is strong and my body is too!”  This mantra was not meant to distract them from their task…well, sort of…it was meant to reframe their thinking so their beliefs changed from, “I cannot go on,” to “I’ve got this!”  It worked EVERY time!  

What you think about you bring about.  It is truly that simple.  I challenge you today to pay attention to your thoughts and then watch the behaviors that follow.  It will fascinate you that whatever it is you believe is your truth…good or bad…you will for sure experience!  It is your choice.

I know what many of you are thinking…I thought it once myself.  “It’s not that easy Chris!”  Well, that is your belief as well.  When you can fall into trusting yourself and listen to that inner knowing you have (we ALL have it) and have faith that even if things do not work out as YOU want them to but know that they always will work out for the best, your world miraculously changes in front of your eyes.  We do not always know what is best for us…but the Divine does…EVERY time!  Trust in your higher power…God, Buddha, Krishna, whatever it is you call him or her.  They have better seats to the concert of our life then we do!!

“Moment to moment, miracles are my Divine birthright experienced!” ~Doreen Virtue

Now make THAT your new mantra and then you are on to something!  😉

Experiencing the bliss,
Chris