Monday Message

I saw a cartoon with 3 card players around a table. One is smoking , wearing a dingy t-shirt and a five o’clock shadow. Another is middle-aged and balding and has more empty beer cans than poker chips in his spot.

Both players are eyeing the third. We can see he is holding 4 aces in his hand. No beer or cigars but instead…a water dish. He is a dog. He is sitting upright in this chair, holding his cards tightly between his front paws. His floppy ears are flat to his head and his eyes are level. He does not smile or frown. Then we notice his tail. It is a blur of motion, wagging furiously, thumping against his chair.

The cartoon caption reads: “Despite his skillful playing, Benny would never truly master the game until he could perfect the art of the poker tail.”

This cartoon makes us laugh because it is a twist on the legendary “poker face” that prevents players from displaying their feelings on their faces and giving away clues about the cards they hold.

The poker face…or poker tail…is a valuable skill in poker games. But in the rest of life it is more or less useless because you can’t outperform your mindset. That’s where your work is. Thoughts held in mind create after rheir kind...or...what you think about you bring about.

Focus on creating a success mindset. Monitor your beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, & inner dialogue. Replace any negativity with gratitude and positive beliefs.

Oh, and check your tail in the rear-view mirrow.

Holding the High Watch...Rev Donna

Let's get the subject out in the open and talk about it...RESISTANCE! It can pose as a strong case of logic or even pretend to be a bad case of flu but the TRUTH is...when we have an idea we love, or a desire that thrills our heart, or a vision of our future that moves us, ANYTHING that keeps us from acting on it is our very own fear-based resistance.

Fear of success is in all of us. I believe it is stronger than fear of failure. Books are written about how we create success and how we also sabotage it. Psychologists and coaches make a living helping us see and conquer our self-sabotaging resistance. One coach claims we do a Resistance Dance! She says it goes like this...three steps forward, two steps back. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. And then when you get really close to success, you trip over your own feet and crash to the floor!

How do we combat resistance? Here are some tips to help you recognize the symptoms of resistance: feeling you need to collect more data, getting angry, excited about something new, attending to someone else's crisis, not enough time or money, or getting sick.

When we experience the symptoms, let's agree to stare down resistance in the mirror. Let's agree to be magnificent. Let's shine!

Shining,

Rev. Donna

Genetics follows strict rules; like that a species only reproduces within its own kind. Dogs don’t give birth to zebras and zebras aren’t parents to geese. If you plant peas in your garden, you can’t change your mind later and turn them into petunias.  You can’t say to your peas, “Oops, I just realized I didn’t really want peas. I want you to all turn into petunias.”   No, no, you reap what you sow. 

Our lives have a similar rule: You always create precisely what’s in your MINDSET.

Your mindset makes a blueprint and your subconscious mind creates an experience from that blueprint. No exceptions. Look at your life and you see an exact reflection of your beliefs, attitudes, thoughts and emotions. 

Some people have believed that success comes only with enough struggling and suffering, so they create only painful success because that is their mindset.  I once believed I needed to to work for a large, international corporation in order to have a good life, so I stayed stuck in a job that gave me great pay & benefits but was wounding my soul. I know a man who believes if it’s winter, he gets the flu. Sure enough, his mindset makes that true.
 
We aren't powerless over our mindset...but you can’t change what your mindset has already created. You create anew by changing what you plant. Sooo, you must get to work digging up and pulling out old beliefs, attitudes and emotions and planting new beliefs, attitudes, and emotions so the NEXT experience you create lines up better with what you want. That’s where your power is.

Wake up! Remember what excites you. Focus. Fantasize. Imagine. Speak as if you're ready. Paste new pictures on your vision board or around your home and office.

Physically prepare for the changes you wish to experience in your life.

It's time to amaze. That's why you're here.

Happy Monday!
Rev. Donna

Have Fun!

Remember the old proverb "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"? Not only do we become boring (and bored) when we don't take a break from work, we also become unhappy. A common belief is that the only way to be successful or to "get ahead" is to push ourselves to the breaking point, neglecting other facets of our lives in favor of our careers. While working hard is admirable, few people at the end of their lives wish that they'd put in longer hours at the office. Instead, they wish that they spent more time with their friends and family, engaging in activities that made them happy. Even the most rewarding job can cause burnout, so making time for fun is essential to happiness. Time away can even give you a fresh perspective at work.

Making time for fun might mean refusing to take on something new or asking for help with an overwhelming project. If you're still having trouble fitting in your fun time, schedule it -- if it's on your calendar, you're more likely to treat it with just as much importance as you do meetings and appointments. A 10-minute walk, a comedy special on TV or a few minutes at a funny Web site all count, not to mention devoting time to a favorite sport, hobby or interest. Of course, we're also talking about taking personal days (and actually relaxing instead of using them to run errands) and planning vacations.

Think about what you wanted to do more than anything else when you were a child: play. Children throw themselves into their play without thinking much about whether they're doing it "right" or what others may think, because it makes them feel happy. It doesn't matter if you feel silly doing activities like Hula-hooping, jumping on a trampoline or coloring with crayons. The important thing is that it's fun and it relieves stress. It's hard to be anything but happy when you're having fun.

Want more happiness? 

~Create splatter art. Buy water guns and fill them with paint. Splatter away and create a masterpiece.

~Have a conversation with anyone. Be outgoing with creative conversation starters. 

~Go to an animated movie with a group of adults. Have coffee and dessert afterward and discuss the movie.

~Go to a Mexican restaurant with a group and order a new spicy dish for everyone to share. Bring a camera or your camera phone. Great pictures of the first bites!

Keep planning to have fun. The serious stuff will always find its way into your world. Plan the fun intentionally!

I'm holding the High Watch! 

Rev. Donna