I’ve been working really hard lately to change my negative thoughts into positive ones in a variety of areas in my life. I’m a firm believer in the creative nature of our thoughts and words.

Sometimes, however, I need inspiration as well–I need to be reminded that I need to keep persevering even when something feels difficult, when I’m experiencing rejected, when I feel alone, or when I perceive obstacles getting in my way. So, I thought I’d look for a video to inspire me that I could also post here to inspire others who might feel some area of their life was getting them down.

If you feel like something has happened in your life that has caused you to fall and it’s become difficult to get up and, therefore, to achieve your goal, watch this video.

Then get up. You can do it. And try again. You can do that to. You can achieve any goal if you set your mind to it. If this guy can do the things he does, you can, too.

This morning I happened to take the time to click on Jeff Herring’s SUNDAY MORNING INSPIRATION: It’s the journey, not the destination. I was so pleased to watch this great clip from the movie “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior,” which is also one of my favorite books by Dan Millman.

I found this a great reminder not only that life–and all we do–is about the journey, not about the destination, but also that when we are trying to get somewhere…trying and trying…things are happening along the way that are worthwhile–worth noticing and enjoying.

It’s not just the goal, or the place we are striving to arrive at, that is the only thing that matters or that is worth enjoying. We tend to forget that in the course of our striving. We tend to forget to be happy and grateful along the path to where we are going–to enjoy the scenery and experiences along the way.

Sometimes we forget to enjoy arriving as well. Once we arrive at our destination–we achieve our goal, there’s always another destination, a new journey to begin. We tend to focus on that and simply start a new journey.

Life is a never ending journey with one destination after another. So we better start enjoying the trip.

I know I forget this daily. I am so focused on what I must do to get where I’m going that I don’t enjoy the tasks at hand nor their results. I also don’t “stop to smell the roses,” to do what I enjoy, to spend enough time with the people I love, to…well…live fully or enjoy life. I don’t enjoy the journey.

I noticed this yesterday while outside pulling weeds on my very large hillside. I could have sat down for a few minutes and enjoyed the beauty of the day–the sun on my face, the bees buzzing, the flowers blooming, the birds flying by, my cat hunting on the hillside. I didn’t. I just pulled with blinders on until I was about to stop. Then I got mired down pulling a huge patch of thistle that I didn’t want to go to seed before I could get back out onto the hill again. And in the midst of pulling I discovered wild iris blooming in the shadow of thistle and grass and blackberry plants. I was happy to discover them there, but I didn’t take the time to really admire the plants, rather I was frustrated by the fact that they were buried in such a huge amount of unwanted plants and couldn’t go in until I’d pulled the weeds. And I didn’t stop to admire what I’d created after I cleared away all the tall grass, wild blackberry and thistle. I could have taken a moment to simply enjoy the splendor of what nature had planted there on my hillside–beautiful blooming iris. Instead I just went inside, tired and somewhat dissatisfied that I had finished a good deal of weeding for one day but not the whole job.

That’s not the way to go through life. It’s not a way to approach work, relationships, parenting, or any aspect of what we do day to day. Instead, let’s remember that life is, indeed, a journey and not a destination. Let’s not stop being happy when we arrive or when we discover that what we find when we arrive isn’t exactly what we expected.

My husband and I moved to California with a great deal of excitement. We found a high cost of living that caused us to go into debt, created strain on our marriage, made our children feel they were “poor” in comparison to their friends, and generally made us feel unhappy with our decision. Plus, my husband’s job did not work out. We didn’t find what we expected, and we’ve let this whole experience become a negative one. We’ve let it “make” us unhappy. Getting to California and beginning our life here was fun and exciting–like hiking up the path in the video clip above–but arriving hasn’t been. We could change that with the change of a thought or an attitude adjustment.

How do you know that the new job you desire, the book contract you want, the relationship you crave will give you the happiness you seek? How do you know you won’t arrive at your destination only to find it isn’t what you expected and you aren’t happy?

So, you better be happy while you work towards these goals. I better learn to feel happy on my journey as well.

Remember, all aspects of life are about the journey, not the destination. Enjoy the journey. Enjoy arriving at the destination, too, but, by all means, enjoy the journey.

By the way, don’t forget Socrates’ the three rules of life:

Paradox: “Life is a mystery. Don’t waste time trying to figure it out.”

Humor: “Keep a sense of humor, especially about yourself. It is a strength beyond all measure.”

Change: “Know that nothing stays the same.”

And Number four:

The Journey: “The journey is what brings us happiness, not the destination.”

I am very proud to announce that I have finally updated my short book, Navigating the Narrow Bridge: 7 Steps for Moving Forward Courageously Even When the Life Seems Most Precarious, and released it as an e-book available in most e-b0ok formats. (It will be available at Amazon hopefully by the end of the week.) You can purchase it in all formats, including Kindle format, for the low cost of $2.99 from Smashwords by clicking here. You can sample some pages as well.

The printed booklet (old version) is still available from my website, as is the pdf version.

Here’s some information on Navigating the Narrow Bridge:

6.3 million American have some specific fear. If you feel imprisoned by fear, this book offers tools for breaking out of jail and moving freely, confidently and joyously through life and towards your goals. Discover 7 steps drawn from metaphysical and spiritual principles and the teachings of Rebbe Nachman to help you move from where you are to where you want to be despite your fear. Learn to live with faith, courage and the joy that comes from see the miracle of life itself.

No matter how much or how little fear you feel – or for what reason, that fear stops you from living your life fully and creating the life you desire. Fear prevents you from achieving your highest potential and immobilizes you on the path to your dreams.

Do you want to learn to move through your fear so you can achieve your highest potential and achieve your dreams? To find out how, click here.

According to Rebbe Nachman, who lived from 1772-1840, we need to know one thing: “A person walks in life on a narrow bridge. The most important thing is not to make ourselves afraid.”

The goal of this short book is to help you move freely, confidently and joyously through life and towards your fullest potential. To accomplish this, you’ll learn how to:
• live in the moment
• turn fear of death into awe for life
• find and communicate with God
• use thoughts creatively
• cultivate an attitude of gratitude
• use meditation and visualization to feel safe
• and make affirmations of action

To help you navigate across the narrow bridges in your life, you’ll learn how to take 7 steps to a fear-free life:
Step #1: Traversing the Spectrum of Emotion
Step #2: Utilizing the Power of Thought
Step #3: Reaching Out for God’s Hand
Step #4: Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude
Step #5: Using Meditation as a Link to Life
Step #6: Connecting with Commandments
Step #7: Making Affirmations of Action

Navigating the Narrow Bridge draws on Jewish wisdom—in particular the teachings of Rebbe Nachman, metaphysical and quantum physics principles, spiritual wisdom, and human potential techniques. Thus, it is pertinent to anyone from any religious or spiritual background or tradition. Indeed, it’s appropriate for anyone who simply wants to walk courageously through life.

It’s possible to feel safe in this moment, balanced and poised for your next step, and to move forward courageously with a lust for life and an unstoppable desire to fulfill your potential no matter what you find along your path.

To find out how, click here.

I write this post today as much for myself as for you–although, I suppose, that’s the truth on most days. As the the wisdom of the sages goes, we teach what me most need to learn.

The lesson today: Don’t let money stand in the way of living fully. I say that humbly and with trepidation. What I want to do requires money. And my funds are low. And I am not wanting to tell anyone–not even myself–to spend money lightly or to get into debt (or deeper into debt).

However, two things I know. If I died tomorrow, I could not take my money with me and I would regret not having spent it on something meaningful to me.

I’ve been working on a manuscript based upon a course I offer, called The Living Fully Challenge. This year-long course is being made into a book. One of the first chapters is on finance. My editor, a friend of mine, and I thought of moving this farther back in the book, figuring that money issues are hard for people to deal with–especially right off the bat. In the end, we decided to leave that chapter first. Why? Most people use money as an excuse not to do the things they want to do.

Last night I was at a meeting of sacred activists. I was asked to answer the question, “What would you most regret not doing if you died tomorrow?” Not writing and publishing my many book ideas, I thought. And what is stopping me right now (and has stopped me before)? Money.

On my way home from the meeting I decided: I will write and publish the books. One way or another. I will. I will not let money stand in the way of me reaching my fullest potential and living my life fully.

There are so many ways to live our lives fully–even without spending a lot of money. Without going into great debt, which I don’t recommend, find a way to do what you want or were meant to do despite the thought that you can’t because you can’t afford to. Find a way to earn, borrow or raise the money. Scale down your budget. Get creative and think outside the box.

If your dream is to go to Hawaii for a week and you can’t afford to do so, get some travel brochures, create a treasure map or vision board, start planning and saving, and, in the meantime, go to the nearest beach for two days instead and visualize and pretend you are in Hawaii. (You can even make some drinks and place little umbrellas in them.) In my case, while I still need money for an editor (although the Living Fully Challenge is being edited by my friend in trade for me editing her book), I can, if need be, publish it as an e-book instead of a printed book, which saves on design and printing costs. If you’ve dreamed of climbing Mt. Everest, but you can’t afford the time or money for the trip, join a hiking or rock climbing club instead–and, again, start planning and saving. Or go hike some other mountain; there are plenty of worthy peaks. You get the idea.

The point is not to let money stand in the way of living our lives to the fullest extent. I realize that there are many things we can’t do that we want to do because they require money. But a change in mindset and some determination added to our passionate desire can go along way towards making our dreams come true and creating a fully lived life.

If you are interested in The Living Fully Challenge, the course is available here. The book will be out in one form or another later this year and will give the course a bit different form. Plus, it will include additional information, stories, etc.

I was a drum circle last night with a variety of women. As we sat around the “mother drum,” a huge drum big enough for eight of us to use together, we chanted together. Our leader was Jewish and she chose a Jewish chant consisting of one Hebrew word: hineni, “here I am.”

Adam used this word as a response when God called him in the Garden of Eden. Abraham and Moses use it when God calls them as well.

The response seems to imply something more than the typical one given when someone takes attendance, “I am here.”  This means simply, I’m present and accounted for.

When we say Hineni,” we mean, “I am here, and I am ready, willing and able to as God asks.” Basically, I’m ready to do God’s will–or to fulfill my Divine purpose.

Beyond that, there’s a sense of showing up in the world when we say hineni. When we are called by God, we must show up, not like Jonah, the biblical character who runs and hides and ultimately ends up in the belly of a whale, but instead we must come forward and stand tall and proud.

The fact is that those of us who believe in God feel a sense of being called every day–not from without but from within. Thus, we must stand tall and proud and be present at all times. We must show up every day.

Those of us that don’t believe in God may feel called anyway—by our sense of justice or righteousness or simply by what we call our Higher Self or some Higher Power. Maybe we get a sense of intuition, or we believe in our soul in general and the messages we get from our soul.

As I chanted hineni last night I realized I have not being showing up–not really, not totally. I haven’t been fulfilling my purpose. I haven’t been doing what God or my Higher Self has called me to do on the Earth in this lifetime.

What about you? When you say, “Hineni,” how does it make you feel? What does it bring up for you? Are you simply present and accounted for or are you making a difference, living up to your full potential, fulfilling your purpose, and hearing and doing God’s will or the will of your Higher Self, your soul or the best you that you know you can be?

“If I am not for myself, then who will be for me?
And if I am only for myself, then what am I?
And if not now, when?”
~Rabbi Hillel

I went to sleep last night thinking about a friend, not much older than myself, who is facing the last days of his life. I woke today to my 51st birthday. I have possibly half my life still ahead of me.

For quite some time I’ve complained about not achieving the things I want to achieve, not doing the things I want to do, not having the things I want to have in my life. I still have a chance to create them. Others do not.

This reminded me of the three lessons Rabbi Hillel offered on how to live life: be there for yourself, be there for others, and do it now.

Rabbi Hillel said, “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me?” It is up to us to take up our own causes, to believe in ourselves, to make sure we achieve our full human potential and live our lives fully. When we die, we want to be able to say we regret little or nothing and we were our best selves…every day.  Despite friends, family and coworkers, we are our best advocates and supporters. When we decide to make a change or achieve a goal, we do it. We do it for ourselves.We must be there for ourselves.

I look back over the last year. I felt so pushed to accomplish something when I hit the BIG 50. And here I am at 51 with little to show for the last year. I’ve been waiting…for others to be for me. It’s time for me to be for me.

Rabbi Hillel said, “And if I am only for myself, then what am I?” In our attempt to achieve something in this lifetime, we must focus on something other than ourselves. The greatest gift we can give is to give to others, to find our purpose and to fulfill it in the service of others. That doesn’t mean not earning money in return for giving. It doesn’t mean giving until you are empty. It simply means being willing to give. God created us as receivers of all the goodness He/She had to give. However, we eliminate the separation between Giver and receiver by becoming like God and giving as well. When we do this, we tap into the flow of abundance in the universe–which allows us to continue giving.

I know I have a purpose. I know there is more to my life–in the past and in the future–than being only for myself. I can be more than that. I am more than that. I will become more than that. I will be there for others in my actions, through my work, in my thoughts and prayers.

“If not now, when?” asks Hillel. Ah, the important question. Apply it to anything. When will I do what I said I would do? When will I finish reading the books I’ve started? When will I change my habits? When will I improve my relationships? When will I earn more money? When will I take time for me? When will I spend more time with my kids? When will I relax? When will I find joy? When will I create a friend? When will I pursue my dreams?

Kevin Eikenberry asks this question in his recent blog post.

We can wait. But it’s a risk. Like my friend, we could discover we have only six weeks or six months left to live. Then we might die realizing we lived only for ourselves. In the process, maybe no one will be for us…and we will be alone. There may be no “when” to consider. Now may be a short-term endeavor.

Now becomes the answer…the only answer. Everything goes on the to-do list not to be forgotten. Well, maybe everything can’t be done now, but we can each take out our calendar and place the important things on it–even free time for ourselves. We should. We must.

Will you do it…whatever it is…now? I’m starting today. I’ll stop complaining. (That doesn’t help, but rather hinder, anyway.) I’ll start doing. I’ll start living fully in whatever way I can.

I ‘ll be for me. I’ll be for others. I’ll do it now.

Rabbi Hillel may have lived a long time ago, but his lessons are still applicable today–and to anyone from any religion. We see his words quoted by many. Put them to use in your life today, as will in mine.

In a recent blog post, best-selling author and marketing expert made this statement:”No one is going to pick you. Pick yourself.”

He was talking about the fact that authors and musicians are making millions without so-called “gatekeepers.”  They aren’t waiting any longer for publishers and record companies–the “pickers”– to offer contracts. They are picking themselves and producing books and CDs on their own.

Godin stressed that most of us want to get picked; it’s inherent to our human nature. He added that once you reject the impulse to be picked “and realize that no one is going to select you–that Prince Charming has chosen another house–then you can actually get to work.”

He goes on to say, “Once you understand there are problems just waiting to be solved, once you realize that you have all the tools and all the permission you need, then opportunities to contribute abound.”

I don’t know about you, but for me these word really hit home. I can see how I’ve been waiting around for someone to give me permission to move forward, in particular with my books.

I’ve self-published short books and kept them on my website only. Yet, these are short versions of what were to be full-length books. I wrote them instead of the full-length versions while I was waiting to be picked so I could sell them at the back of the room when I went to speak and build platform–to help me get picked. I was waiting for permission from the pickers to write the full-length versions.

I approach my blogs differently, though, writing about my topics with passion and total self-permission. And there, I’ve already been picked. I have readers–you. Hopefully, you would read my books, too, if only I’d give myself permission to write them and self-publish them. If only I’d stop waiting for permission from a picker.

With my blogs, daily and weekly I solve problems, I use the tools I have, I don’t ask or wait for permission, and I contribute.

Are you ready to get to work? What problems would you like to solve? What tools do you have to offer? Are you waiting for permission to move forward, to take action, to do what you want to do or to fulfill your purpose, achieve your dreams, create change, or contribute in some way?

Just a few days prior to reading Godin’s blog post I came across some notes I’d jotted down during a session with a coach about a year and a half ago. She’d told me  I needed to work with the affirmation ” I am in charge of the delivery of my life.”  Between Godin’s message and this affirmation I could see the need to take control of my own destiny.

What about you? Are you ready to be in charge of the delivery of your life, of how your life unfolds day by day, or are you going to wait for others to give you permission to do what you want to do, to create what you want to create?

Are you going to wait for someone to pick you–a boss, an agent, a man, a woman, a friend, a publisher–or are you going to do the picking? Do you believe in yourself enough to do so?

Don’t wait to be picked. Pick yourself.

Do you feel like you have lost your mojo? Do you no longer have that special something that makes you glow, feel electric, energized, happy, turned on, and in the flow? Is your magic gone?

I’ve been feeling like that for a while now.

As I spoke to a friend she mentioned that she thought some things in her life had gone awry because she had become unhappy. She had stopped doing the things that made her happy and that turned her on–that gave her her mojo. She had changed because of the person with whom she lived and because of her situation. The something bad happened. That event was forcing her to change, to become her best self again. It was helping her assess how to regain her mojo.

I realized I needed to do the same. I have stopped doing much of the things I love and focusing my time and energy on the things that energize me and make me happy. I have moved away from the me that is my best self, the true me…the magic me, the me with the mojo.

I can get my mojo back. I can focus on those things that I feel are my purpose here in this lifetime. I can put energy into the things about which I feel passionate. I can take time to do the things I love. Little by little, my mojo will return.

Sometimes I think about the people in the Old Testament, or Torah, who had a lot of mojo. Moses had mojo. Miriam had mojo. Joseph had mojo. Who do you know today who has mojo?

What about you? Will you take the steps necessary to return to your true self? If you do, your mojo will return as well.

Over the last two weeks I’ve spent a lot of time with my daughter preparing her for college  and helping her deal with leaving behind a boyfriend she cares about deeply. These two teens maturely choose to end the relationship to allow each other freedom while they live on opposite coasts and experience life in college. I’ve also been helping my son figure out where he will continue his dance training this year, and I’ve been listening to his pain over a summer relationship that ended in much the same way as my daughter’s only his girlfriend has very quickly moved on to a new boyfriend.

In the midst of this, I’m struggling to acclimate myself into my own life and marriage after almost two months way with my son. I’m also attempting to find meaning and purpose in all that I do as I find that I have lost myself and much of what has made me feel passionate and happy over the years.

Midlife crisis? Maybe. Possibly just a reality check.

The emptiness I have been feeling was driven home as I watched my children so filled with emotion–sadness, fear, excitement, sorrow. They are leaving things behind and staring anew. They have their lives stretched ahead of them. They are growing and changing. So much awaits them.

As I cried with them, felt their pain and sorrow, trembled at their fear, I realized their emotions resonated so much with me because I wanted to feel as passionately…about anything….about something…about someone.

I haven’t read or seen Eat, Love, Pray, but I recently saw the movie trailer. I cried my way through that, too. I realized I must go at least see the movie. (I won’t give myself the task of buying another book I have no time to read…) I am that woman…well, maybe not in all ways, but in many. No wonder the book was such a big hit; how many women related to the story?

This week I got out my Tony Robbins 30-day tape series once again. I’ve never once finished it. I only completed one tape this week, but I’ll plug away at it and allow him to try and motivate me to change. On that first day, I swore I’d exercise more; I only managed one day. I will do two next week at least, and even one day is better than none. I promised myself I’d write more often (on my books), and I didn’t manage to do so even once…but I will! I will.I started reading Byron Katie’s Loving What Is, which has been on my shelf for years. Maybe her questions will help me stop struggling. I also put one of the spiritual books I started a while ago on my nightstand…

The Jewish High Holy Days are fast approaching. This is a good time for introspection and considering how to improve oneself and one’s life as well. The energy of change is in the air in the autumn. It’s time to turn over a new life and to turn back–to return–to your true self, your best self. That’s what I need. I’ve almost forgotten who she is.

I may not follow through with all of these new “programs”; of course, I have too many and not enough time for them all. Maybe one of them will inspire me…or even two. Maybe something will stick and help me create some change or spark a bit of passion within.

Change comes little by little. It’s a process. But when we realize it’s time to make a change, we must follow the call. We must DO something to help it along, to fan the fire so it doesn’t smolder and go out.

I see the changes in my children’s lives–even the painful ones. I’m willing to even feel pain, but change must come. And change always begins within. The time has come.

Has it come for you?

I once participated in a ropes course where I was asked to climb tall poles, walk across a wire strung between two tall trees (another narrow bridge…), and repel down a cliff.  I had always thought myself afraid of heights, so performing these feats seemed unimaginable to me.  However, I did almost all of them.

Slowly, slowly I made my way to the top of the pole, the first exercise, and then navigated my way onto a little metal platform where I then stood like the ornament on a totem pole.  I remember the fear I felt as I climbed and the terror I felt when trying to get my feet onto that platform and then raise my body to a standing position.  Once I was standing there so high above the ground, however, I discovered that I really was not that afraid of heights.  In fact, being up there was an exhilarating experience.  Not only had I overcome my fear of heights, I felt great that I had accomplished the climb – which is not to say that it wasn’t still scary standing there atop that pole but the fear felt less like fear and more like awe.  I was in awe of myself and in awe of the experience itself.

I could have given in to my fear and never even tried to climb the pole.  I could have stood there and trembled.  I could have been too scared to come down. Instead I choose to climb despite my fear and to look upon the experience with awe and a sense of tremendous accomplishment.

Ropes courses are all about learning how you react to life on a daily basis.  While we don’t usually have to climb a tall pole in our normal life, we are often faced with obstacles or situations that bring up our feelings of fear.  In these situations, we have the same choices – climb or don’t climb, feel fear or feel awe, feel defeated or feel determined to accomplish the goal.

Life is all about choices. Every time we face a situation, any situation, we have a choice of how to respond.  That response can be a negative feeling one or a positive feeling one, and we have the ability to choose which one we want.

What choices are you making each day and in each situation?

For more information on how to move through fear, click here.