thankful thursday - business lessons from the home front

I have had so many aha moments lately

(where the hell is Oprah when we need her?)

and maybe the biggest aha AHA has been that when we know something we cannot unknow it.

Life just doesn't support our playing dumb.

(when we were kids and we got in trouble, my sister would cover her eyes thinking that if she could not see our parents they could not see her - even then it didn't work - well, it probably did work because she was kinda cute, but it shouldn't have worked, dammit)

When we learn something and we resonate with it and we know that it is true for us and we do not live it, well, things have a way of just not working out and at the very least things have a way of being alot harder.

It's like we get off easy with a little dumb luck early on, but then life says - ok this one knows more and then ... more is expected.

Anyhoo, although I know from my business that it is best to set my intention and work/enjoy the process without trying to control exactly how everything is going to happen, somehow I have not been translating this knowing to life with David.

We set our intention, take action in that direction, then trust that life will take care of the details.

I realized that this was exactly what I was not doing with David.

I was totally focused on the 'hows' - how to get him to agree to see a psychiatrist, get him housing, health insurance, etc, etc - how was I ever going to make these things happen - I was failing.

Then it hit me that maybe the 'hows' are not my job. And it hit me that I already know this, but I just haven't been doing it.

So, I set a clear intention for myself, because I can't control any of this (and I definitely can't control David) and have been doing what I can with what I have from the place I am right now.

I started seeing David visiting a psychiatrist, moving into a wonderful place with other dual diagnosis men, getting to the doctor, having a happy life and I started spending an hour a day (total) doing something in these areas.

Life rewards action after all, but I also have alot of other things to take action on and since the hows are not my job I trust that there are stronger, better hands at work here.

(since changing my thinking or I should say since taking actions that support the truths I already embrace with my thinking - David has agreed to see a psychiatrist, is going to social services tomorrow for the first time with his new intensive case manager - yay, it took 2 months, but we got one - and he got his fishing license)

xo all

* shoe print by cookstah

staying "in tension" until our intentions are clear so our arrow flies straight and doesn't do one of those wobbly, bobbly freefalls

If we were archers -

we would gather our energy.

We would pull back our bow.

We would take aim.

We would hold our bow "in tension".

This holding position is important to landing our arrow where we intend it to go; to hit our mark.

(of course, if we are in some kind of life and death battle with that arrow then I guess we just let it fly and hope for the best, but most situations we makers are facing today are not quite so dire)

The same way an archer's "in tension" allows her arrow to hit her target, our own intentions release our energy where we need it to go.

Intentions are not wishes; they are not hopes - wanting to do something is 180 degrees from intending to do it.

Intention releases the potential that makes things happen.

That's why we need to get crystal with what it is we are intending with our maker businesses. Asking ourself, "what is my intention with this?" helps us get clear.

Sometimes our intention is clear but we are held up for some reason.

It is like we have our bow drawn and we are focused on the target, but suddenly the dog barks, the phone rings, the guy next door starts blasting Adele and you know we have to stop and listen to that.

The archer stays focused and holds herself "in tension" through all the noise.

(and sometimes this noise can last a while and sometimes life sends us noise to test our intentions and see how badly we want something or sometimes the noise could be there to delay us because there is something better for us later)

Of course, we always get to choose because it is our life after all - and there is no one thing we just have to do, in reality life has back up plans for our back up plans lined up for us.

Because once that arrow is released, it is released, there is no grabbing it midair

(unless you have some super power that I would be totally jealous to find out about)

and straightening that baby out.

Better to stay "in tension" and get clear (I know our shoulders hurt, but we are strong, WE CAN DO THIS) than send out a wobbler and stab ourselves in the foot.

* the headhunter tee from blackbirdtees

a sneak peek at my new cork necklace line for spring (aka lessons from the slow lane)

I couldn't resist snapping a few quick shots of my new cuties. I will be offering them to customers in a couple weeks and at the trade shows this summer. They are super cute in person - I have a professional photographer taking pics of these and my new locket line next week, so will post more then!

our bodies; our business - as within, so without

I know that to change our outer world we have to change our inner world first.

Peace within leads to peace without. Abundance within leads to abundance without.

I know this.

(sometimes this knowing is like the knowing about exercise, I know what to do, but I don't always do it)

It is all about our mindset.

It's as simple (and as challenging) as that.

The universe literally rearranges itself to reflect our reality.

The same applies to our bodies. I sometimes have neck, shoulder, arm and hand problems

(and stomach lately - although I looked at a chart of the human body to see what is in the places that hurt and have determined that there is nothing there, well, I'm sure there is blood and veins and miles and miles of rolled up intestines - but the chart just shows empty parts - maybe the empty places hurt - which of course could be a metaphysical truth for me, or maybe I need some dietary adjustments ... or most likely both)

My weekend eating schedule goes kind of like this -

me - what time is it? are you hungry yet?

hubs - it's 3:00 - well .... you just ate a pint of guacamole, 2 york peppermint patties, a package of garlic pita chips and 2 butterscotch krimpets. I got full just watching you.

me - *crickets*

me - what time is it?

hubs- 3:05

me - are you hungry yet?

Our bodies are a mirror of our deep, often unconscious, feelings and beliefs.

I once read that people with a strong need to shoulder responsibility build themselves big shoulders and we have enough sloping shoulder family members with no intention or desire to carry any burdens for me to believe this.

After reading Louise Hay many years ago, I never have a pain in the neck without asking myself "who am I allowing to be a pain in the neck? or how am I being a pain in the neck to myself" and see where I need to re-empower myself.

Indigestion - what can't I assimilate?, pain - what am I aching for?, stiffness - what am I being inflexible about?

I have mostly always been dealing with problems on the right side of my body (men, the future, business), but recently my left side (women, the past, home) has been experiencing strange phenomenon

(not the extra-terrestrial kind, I don't think, although I am obsessed with Ancient Aliens - the tv show, so any phenomenon having alien history does not seem that far fetched to me at the moment)

like rashes

(strangely in the shape of California; some days Idaho)

and of course this makes perfect sense for my life at the moment, but it did get me thinking about the right side of our bodies and our businesses.

So maybe the next time we have a right side problem or injury or ache or pain we can ask ourselves how this might relate to our business and what might have come up to be released?

(after writing this I very quickly stubbed my big toe, hard, my right toe and of course this has me thinking about how I am getting in the way of my business or what I am allowing to get in my way, and of course, this is alot to think about so I will just make myself a small large bowl of guacamole and put on my thinking cap)

* sending blessings print by the amazing lori portka