Have you ever stopped to pay attention to how much space thinking about "what's next" takes up in your mind? Do you ever feel like you are there in body, but not in spirit? It's that feeling of being there with the people in your life, but knowing your head is elsewhere.

I've started an experiment...it's called "No Agenda Moments".

"No Agenda Moments" involve me and you just showing up to the moment "empty minded" - leaving behind the need to get somewhere and the concern for what's next. I'm doing it in micro-movements to build my "having no agenda" muscle.

It might involve just plopping down next to my boys for no reason other than to get into their world, sitting and watching a tv show (something I don’t normally do) for the sake of a shared experience, or gazing (yes, I said gazing) into my husbands eyes for no reason other than to connect with him in a brand new way (sounds crazy, maybe nauseating to some, but has been quite interesting, amazing and fantabulous ;-) - you should try it ;-) These are the moments I crave. Moments of nothing and everything. Moments of surprise and encounters with the unknown.

Don't get me wrong, my to-do list and plans have their place, but I don't want them seeping into every nook and cranny of my life. "Busy"...isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's gotten my to-do list made and checked off, it's made me feel important, and it's filled up many of my moments and days. But, I'm finding I make bigger impacts after filling my soul with moments of touching life in spots that truly matter.

When do you have "No Agenda Moments"? Where would it delight you to create more of them?  Share your thoughts and ideas here!
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"Abundance is not something to achieve...it's something to tune into." - unknown

This quote came my way several weeks ago.  Every day I have a conscious intention to let go and let God.  The really cool thing is in letting go of "trying" to achieve - opportunities and gifts are showing up all over the place in ways I could have never imagined!  Here's a few...

Magic Beanies...
Joettta comes in the post office of our store on Mondays and we became fast friends.  She is always sending off homemade treats to her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She oozes with goodness.  She makes beanies for the young kids at her church and last week she came in with a special delivery - beanies for me and my boys!
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Intimacy...
For some time I have been saying to myself I want to experience greater levels of intimacy with my husband.  I thought about intimacy as if it was for certain times and places and was to be scheduled in and planned. Now, I am finding intimacy can't be confined to my structured thinking...and when I "allow" and let go of how it looks, it just is...it's like finding little surprises all over the place!
Moments of grace...
They seem to appear just when I need them, but the need isn't recognized until they are there.  When I let go there is no place to be except right where I am.  So, naturally, all the goodness that exists right here and now is in vivid color.  And..instead of thinking about what's next, I'm thinking about how I can squeeze the most of right now.
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Delicious photo of our yard by Jennifer @ www.anymomentphotography.com
What does abundance mean to you?  How's it showing up in your life?  I'm all ears!
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I was having coffee with a very good friend and sharing my pictures from Christmas, I came to this picture and she immediately stopped me...and zoomed in.  She was wowed.  She challenged me to look closer at what this picture was saying."  Because of her request to pause I will never look at this picture the same.  This is what I saw...

I am open and ready to step into all that life is offering me.  My heart and mind are wide open, willing and ready to express myself in a brand new way!  I am grounded, connected and inspired.  For 2011 I am letting go...surrendering...believing in myself and open to the magic of change and all that is transpiring around me! 
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Thank you AriZona for sharing life and for seeing the magic in the everyday!
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Do the words "I don't know" ever paralyze you...keep you from doing the things you truly want to do...leave you stuck and afraid to move forward?   These words I tell myself have kept me from doing so many things in my life.  When I relate to these thoughts in my head as the truth...I stay stuck.  Lately, I've taken on the practice of "knowing" - trusting that I do know and taking action even if it turns out to be something other than I expected.  I've discovered that RISK and FORWARD STEPS feel FAR better than wondering and staying stuck where I am.

I get to see the "I don't know" thought show up in my head now and recognize it as a symptom of fear.  I've taken it's power away because I can see through it's disguise.  It doesn't paralyze me anymore.  I've learned I can step through it even when it feels scary.  When I go one step beyond "I don't know" I'm finding all sorts of hidden treasures!

What if for today you DO KNOW?  When you feel stuck, say to yourself - If I did know, what would the answer be?  And...go with that!  (might be a good prompt to take to The Journaling Lounge ;-))

How does "I don't know" show up in your life and how do you get past it? 

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Things to get done…..busyness…..material things….greed…..wanting…..desire……giving from the heart…..pull to buy gifts….desire to give meaning…the long to do lists…..the anticipation of family gatherings….money worries….tugged and pulled and pulled and tugged in many directions….with little time left to feel centered, peaceful and grateful for the amazing time of year that is upon us.  

Could you stop the whirlwind of thoughts in your head for just 15 minutes today?  What if pausing for just a moment could take you 10 steps back and reveal a vivid picture of what's happening and what you truly desire this season?  Christmas lives inside of you.  What if you could give your heart this season without any obligation to give anything else?  What if you could let go of the “have to give" and find the “want to give"?  What if despite everything you have going on in your life you could choose happy right now for no other reason but to choose happy?  What if this year you could look back and know in your heart that you celebrated Christmas in full expression of who you are?  

 These are the thoughts that have been going through my head this Christmas.    I feel the pull of having to buy gifts and the urge to buy stuff for the sake of buying stuff.  And then...something stops me.  I actually can’t just buy to buy this year - it goes against every grain of my being.  So I am rethinking and creating something new by combining simplicity with giving something that feels good.  I like this….it feels better and when I remove the pressure of "having to give" I discover just what it is I want to give. 

This reminds me...My friend Elizabeth Hartigan, Gratitude Girls and I know the power of journaling and gratitude and are creating something yummy to be revealed in the New Year.  It’s not “stuff”…it won’t clutter your home or your life….it WILL fill you up inside with the good stuff you desire! 

More details coming soon!
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Pieces of Me... 11/19/2010
 
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She hangs in my sisters yard…isn’t she amazing!  She was brought from Haiti by my niece, Becca.  The locals craft these out of recycled oil drums and Becca brings them home to sell and raise money for her non-profit work in Haiti. (Destined for Grace) http://www.destinedforgrace.org

She looks to be an angel mermaid to me.  She is free, carries her purpose and  passion, and dances forward with life and all it brings.  She holds tight to her faith wherever she goes and is surrounded by friends flying side by side helping to lift her wings and soar.  I imagine we are all surrounded in this beauty and we lose sight in the face of life challenge.  I am reminded today to open my eyes to the angels that surround us in every moment in the shape of sisters, friends, children, spouses, strangers, moments of grace, love and so much more.
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My sister is an avid joural junkie herself.  We find it sort of crazy that we both ended up journalers.  It's not something we ever talked about or were exposed to growing up yet became a huge part of each of our lives. These are pics of my sis’s journals.  I love to see and hold her journals.  Her writing is symmetrical and beautiful on the page.  She always uses pencil and fills notebook after notebook.  They stack on her table by the fireplace.  She writes beautiful prayers and is always willing to share her journals when I ask.  I cozy up next to her on the coach and she reads them aloud to me.
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These are two of the loves of my life.  They teach me everyday to let go, not take life so seriously, to stand up when it matters, to laugh a lot, to live according to my word, to model what I believe so they can see it, to slow down, to listen closely, to live for right now, to eat with my hands, get messy, play a lot, eat snow cones with 3 seemingly odd flavors, and to be happy, just because. 

Sending you moments of bliss, grace and may gratitude fill your heart to overflowing this week.  Delight in family and friends.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! 

Stand tall, shine bright, keep believing - Carla
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Life is simple...our thoughts make it complicated.  I remember the time in my life when I lived in auto-pilot - completely exposed to the mercy of external events.  I was like a twig blowing in the wind easily toppled over by the words and actions of others and in chronic worry of what people thought, if they liked me, and if I measured up.  The impact was exhausting.  I spent way more time in my head than in my life.  I created enormous amounts of suffering all in my head and internalized it as though it was the truth.  I worried incessantly about things I had no control over.  On the surface everything looked great, but inside I didn't know who I really was, I lived to please others and I craved and eagerly lived my life for everyone's approval.

Sadly, it wasn't until after I went through a divorce and fell flat on my face that the journey began.   I woke up to life.  I remember the day walking on the green belt when I knew in my heart life was going to be different forever.  I could actually SEE everything around me.  The sky was brighter, the plants greener, and I could hear wonderful noises and sense everything within and around me as if for the first time.

I realized that I had say in how I felt at every given moment.  I made friends with CHOICE.  I began choosing my experience of what was happening.  Things happen, people say things and for the first time I realized that my power lies in how I choose to experience what is happening.  

So, as the holidays approach be mindful of what you are creating.  How could CHOICE give you freedom?  Our holiday experience doesn’t have to be stressful or exhausting, depend on who's coming, what we are going to do, whether we have money for gifts...none of it.  Your holiday experience exists within you.  You bring your "holiday" wherever you go.   A magical friend of mine, Megan Monique and I are super excited to bring to you a Virtual Retreat next week that will set the pace for our holidays.  Gift yourself one hour to reflect, create your experience and cultivate the wise, quiet place within where you will hold your peace all season long.  Will you be there?  I hope so!  Save your seat!

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Join myself and Megan Monique tonight at 9:30 Eastern Time for a journaling experience. Find out more about the Journaling Lounge, learn how to journal on purpose, with purpose & get answers to the questions you want to know about what journaling can do for you. For more information or to sign up click here. I'll see you there!

A Note About Megan and I:
Megan is here visiting and I am so excited to have her on this call tonight!  Megan and I met on Twitter.  Never did I think or imagine that I would meet someone on Twitter, have them come stay in my home and discover we are kindred souls.  Megan just brings out the little
girl in me.  When she is here I just want to play.  Thank you for coming to visit Megan!  My creativity is alive and my heart is smiling. 

Come out and play with us tonight!  Sign up here!
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Get out of your head and into your life?  This has been a great mantra for me.  When I make a choice to be in the present moment magic and miracles happen.  The times that I intentionally bring all of myself to my husband, to my boys, or to a friend...are moments when things happen that WOW me!. 

With 60,000+ thoughts swirling a day it's imperative to have some sort of ritual for clearing and processing.  That's where journaling comes in for me.  It's my chance to grab and dump the thoughts that leave me feeling bad and deflated and capture the thoughts I want to grow upon, expand and make bigger in my life.

Without a ritual to sort through it's easy to get lost upstairs either thinking of the things that happened yesterday, worrying about what might happen tomorrow or smothered in a list of to-do's.  Imagine we go through life with a pair of glasses on.  They give us our view and experience of life.  The everyday garbage (incomplete conversations, frustrations, upsets) build up overtime making smudges and clutter distorting our view.

As you begin to clear away the clutter your view shifts.  Nothing changes and yet everything looks different.  That's the magic!

So for October....this is the theme!  Get out of your head and into your life!  Begin today by heading to The Journaling Lounge!  "Dump, dump and then dump the dump" as my friend Kim Ades, founder of Frame of Mind Coaching says!  After you clear the dump...you just don't know what gem might surface!
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