As I’ve gone through my spiritual journey (and still on it!) I’ve learned so much.  Early on, though, there’s one thing I learned from a book by Don Miguel Ruiz called The Four Agreements that really changed my life.  Actually, his entire book changed my life, but one the the agreements, in particular, made my life easier!

DON’T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY

“Nothing others do is because of you.  What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream.  When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.”

This is a HUGE statement!

Have you ever tried to do something only to have someone tell you what a terrible idea it is?  Have you ever been cussed at and wondered what the *%$? you did?  When you begin to understand that it’s not personal, you begin to have less stress in your life, and like the book says, you begin to suffer less.

I remember when my husband and I were just dating and he told me he “needed some space”.  What?  Really?  That freaked me out.  I took it so personally.  I would sit and stress about what I did wrong, and I truly suffered over it.  I felt awful.  Now, looking back on it, it had absolutely nothing to do with me.  He was going through whatever he was going through and it wasn’t about me at all.

It’s so refreshing to know that whatever someone says or does is not about you.  That person may be having a bad day and take it out on you, but if you know that it’s not you, it’s them, then it makes your life so much easier.  What that person most likely needs is compassion, rather than you yelling back, getting defensive, or copping an attitude.

I know this is easier said than done, so here’s a few tips to help you let it go and show compassion.

1.  You are inherently a good person, so have confidence.  What others say to you or about you does NOT define who you are!

2.  Take a few deep breaths before responding or reacting.  This will give you a few moments to relax and get grounded.  And, in that time the other person may cool down a bit too.

3.  Ignore the situation.  If you stay positive and don’t give attention to what the other person is saying or doing, this may actually help that person, and it’ll no doubt help you.

4.  Realize that the person may be exhausted, pressured, or just immature so what they really need is your help, advice, or a shoulder.

So the next time you’re feeling sensivite, just remember what Eleanor Roosevelt said “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.” When you take things personally, you’re allowing someone else’s opinion of you be more important than the opinion of yourself.  What you think and believe about yourself is so important.  You are worthy.  You are love.  You deserve the best.  So don’t take anything personally!!

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If you were to walk into my bathroom right now and look at yourself in the mirror, not only would you see your beautiful self but you’d also see this:

Gratitude

$$$

What is your relationship with the present  moment?

Abundance

Ease

All you have to do is feel good now!

Only good things come to me!

What do I want?

I wrote all this on the mirror with red lipstick so that while I’m brushing my teeth, my hair, or washing my face I can be reminded of these things.  I love starting & ending my day with the awareness of the present moment, the awareness of all I have to be grateful for, and the awareness of the things I want to manifest in my life.

It’s so easy to go throughout the day and never once be conscious of your breath.  For that matter, it’s so easy to let weeks, months, and years go by without ever getting out of your head.  We tend to live in our thoughts, and when we do that we’re either thinking about the past (I can’t believe he said that to me!) or worrying about the future (if I don’t get this job, how am I going to pay my bills?).  There’s such a peace when we get past all that head stuff!

Being a yoga teacher and a student to spirituality, I know to pay attention to my breath and get present, to notice how I react to things, and to be aware of how I am thinking and how I feel, but it takes more than just knowing these things.  It takes practice…and lots of it!  I’m not going for perfection, just that place where I’m in touch with my Being.  That place where my Being (true Self, Higher Self, Spirit) is leading me in all I do so that life is easy and I’m just going with the flow.  I want to be in a place where opportunities comes my way and I’m awake enough to see them.  I want my actions to be inspired by my Being, not a reaction out of fear or stress.  I want to always be learning.  And, I want to live in peace!

I say all that to say this:  I have created another way (besides my bathroom mirror) for me to remember to connect to my Being.  I started making charms that I call BE Charmed.  These charms can hang from just about anything.  I have one on my yoga bag, one on my diaper bag, and one on my handbag (they make great keychains too).  The idea is that when you see your charm you connect to your breath and find your stillness.  You’re not thinking, not judging, not doing, you just BE Charmed!

If you’d like to be reminded of the present moment, or even have a personal affirmation you’d like to repeat, then these are for you!  You can either order one, that I’ve already made, from my website or send me an email and I’ll custom one for you.

Until next time, Be well and BE Charmed!

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Today, I sit outside on the patio taking in the slight breeze, sun, and perfect weather.  I love March.  It’s a time to reawaken, and a time for growth.  It’s a time to clear out the cob webs, not only in our closets, but in our minds.  Just like the tulips bloom, so can our minds!

I want to share with you a story I really enjoy and get a lot out of.  I hope you do too~

This story is about a farmer who worked really hard every single day to earn a meager wage for him and his family.  One day he saw a couple of men walk across his land and they stopped when they came to a stream of water.  One man scooped up some of it and drank it, and the other man put some of the water into a canteen.  The farmer was puzzled as to why anyone would be interested in the water .  The cows weren’t even interested because of the scum and filth that was in it.

A few weeks later a man called the farmer and offered him a great price for his farm.  The farmer thought this guy must be crazy.  How could he ever get his investment back by farming the land that the farmer had for years.  The farmer gladly sold the property and moved.

Well, it wasn’t long before word spread that oil had been found on that land, and millions of dollars was made because of it.  The farmer, however, remained poor and worked so hard because that’s all he knew.  He could only see that farm as stones and dirt.  He only knew how to scratch the surface and till the soil.  Nature had given this man an abundance, but he could only realize a small portion.  Man will always remain poor if he only demands a meager living, and sees life as a struggle.

Throughout my life, I’ve ran across many people like this.  They believe that life is hard, and it’s a daily struggle to make ends meet.  They work so hard living check to check.  And…(this is what really gets me), they teach their children this!  That yes, life is hard and you can’t have everything you want.

Since I have an economics degree I have to add a little supply and demand talk in here!  Demand determines supply.  We demand a more fuel efficient “green” car…automakers supply us with those now.  We demand a faster internet connection, we are given that.  We must open our minds and let it expand.  We would never have a “green” car or speedy internet connection if someone hadn’t educated their mind to open and to realize there’s something greater out there.

Supply is not the issue here – demand is!  Whatever it is we demand, it will be supplied.  If you ask any scientist, he will tell you there is plenty of food.  If you ask any farmer, he will tell you there is actually an oversupply of crops.  If you ask any miner, he will tell you there is way more silver, gold, and diamonds than is being demanded.  The supply is here.  Can we just open our minds a little, or a lot, and see that we may actually be sitting on abundance, sitting on all this undiscovered supply?  We just have to get out of our own way.  It’s right there waiting for us.

If the family struggling on a daily basis believes this is just how life is, then they don’t demand much and thus are not given much.  So, just like the farmer, we can choose to just scratch the surface OR we can be willing to break away from what we believe (life is tough), open our mind, and demand a great life, demand abundance.  It’s here waiting for us, we just have to step up to the plate!  Are you ready?

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