Have courage & advocate for yourself.

Honor the light within yourself.  Sometimes that means standing up for yourself against other people, sometimes that means saying “no” to some invitations so you are free to say “yes” to the things that make your heart sing, and sometimes (often!) that means standing up for yourself WITHIN yourself!

Quick little post today.  I felt pretty tired and could have napped far longer than I did.  But I also know I’ve been itching to hit the beach more often and just be outside more frequently.  I had to be my own advocate and pursue the things I know I truly wanted.  Our family, friends, significant others, coworkers, and acquaintances can love us and care for us, but at the end of the day, YOU are the only person in your body living your life.   You are fully responsible for doing and BEING what you want in this lifetime.

(I’m so glad I honored my light.  The sunset was GORGEOUS, even though it was surprisingly at 4:53pm today!  The sun’s playful rays on the clouds and water were so beautiful and dynamic.  I couldn’t choose just one picture, so here are my favorites!)

This is one of my favorite TED Talks:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp7E973zozc.  I love her energy and her message.  The concept of “emergency braking” is one that felt so familiar after I heard her articulate it.  The animal side of our mind will always try to protect us and keep us alive; sometimes that animal side interprets change, risk, and fear as things to be avoided in order to increase our chances of survival.  However, the amazing things in life, like growth, expression, freedom, and love, are all often are on the other side of fear.  There are things just beyond our comfort zone that we don’t even know yet, things that can bring great joy, experience, and presence.

So how do we stretch outside of that comfort zone perimeter?  How do we honor the light within ourselves when it can be so scary and daunting?  It takes some real activation energy to mount up the gusto to pursue what you KNOW you want.  One thing that works for me and that I’m going to practice more mindfully:  have courage for just 5 seconds.  That’s it.  This echos my first blog post, but JUST START.  When your alarm clock goes off, have courage for just 5 seconds and get out of bed.  When you’re dreading going to the gym, have courage for just 5 seconds and walk out of your home to start heading to your training.  When you’re afraid to speak up, have courage for just 5 seconds and say “hello” to someone new.  Your action has to start somewhere.  So just start, wherever you are in this moment!  Don’t worry about the entire task at hand.  Don’t give your mind enough time to create stories that will stop you from doing what you want.  Play a jedi mind trick on yourself and disengage that “emergency brake” before you have time to yank it up.  Five seconds is all it takes to start changing your life.  Have courage for 5 seconds, and the rest will start to expand upon itself.  Just get the snowball rolling, and let your momentum carry you forward.

When I think of all the hurdles I may face or the things that may challenge my current worldview, it can be so easy to cave in, to not activate my energy, to yank up on my “emergency brake.”  But I know I want more out of life.  I also know through experience that inspiration and will power only go so far.  How can I make it easier on myself to reach my full potential?  How can I keep stretching my comfort zone to honor my light and let it shine its brightest?  Have courage for just 5 seconds.  Just DO the scary thing, just BE the brave person you already are inside.  Let’s see what magic can come of 5 seconds of courage in our lives!