Inspired Living

 

A week ago my husband asked me what I wanted to do for the weekend. I didn’t skip a beat when I eagerly exclaimed, “Get out of the house and have an adventure!” Both of our businesses have been incredibly busy lately (both of us are self-employed). And trust me, I’m not complaining, but it does come with its own inherent challenges. I’m sure many of you can relate to this.

I knew if we stayed home that we’d probably get distracted and end up working on our businesses. So I suggested that we escape to a primitive hot spring out in the mountains. Here in Montana we have an abundance of these hot springs, where hot water (that has been heated naturally below the earth’s surface) seeps into nearby rivers – creating a natural hot tub/Jacuzzi effect.

Some hot springs have been developed into swimming pools and rustic resorts, others are primitive and are completely undeveloped. It’s just you, the mountains and the river!

We discovered one that we had never been to before. It was exciting to go some place entirely new and to escape from work and the mental activity of our busy brains.

It was absolutely incredible. We watched an amazing sunset and listened to the river sounds. The hot water had an instant calming effect and brought us back to a place of presence and gratitude.

This special experience caused both of us to remember that it really is the simple things in life that matter most. Being out in nature and spending quality time with the people you love.

 

Make A Living and Make A Life

 

There’s nothing quite like the pursuit of making more money, or the stress of not having enough of it coming in, to pull us off center and away from balance and joy. We become consumed with pushing ourselves harder and working longer hours just to maintain the current status quo or to get ahead.

Slowly our life begins to morph into an endless to-do list. We feel like we’re barely treading water as we struggle to keep up with our daily demands. Many of us lose touch with what it feels like to breathe and simply be. We resign ourselves to believing that it’s not possible to live our ideal lifestyle. We tell ourselves that we’ll set aside precious personal time when we have more money, when the kids are older, when we’ve finished our current projects, or when we get to the end of the month.

Ironically, the projects get completed, the kids get older (as kids have a tendency to do!) and our income slowly grows. But somehow time still eludes us. So, we simply push our benchmarks out a little further into the future, believing that by giving ourselves another week, month or even another season things will be different. And yet seasons come and go and we’re still left with that nagging, gnawing sense that there isn’t enough time in our busy lives.

 

Our biggest challenge is putting first things first

In his book First Things First, Steven Covey reveals that out of the 7 Habits of highly effective people, the most challenging habit for individuals to integrate is the habit of putting first things first – making time for the important things that matter deeply to our creative souls. For some people this may mean having more time to relax, being able to connect with family and friends, giving time and energy to causes and contributions that they believe in, having more time for creative pursuits or taking better care of their health.

We feel challenged on a daily basis by the pressures and urgent issues that confront us and demand our constant attention. Not surprisingly, money is one of those things. After all, we have to give all our attention to our income and careers if we want to get ahead and succeed, right?

Yes and no. Often we’re called to let go of our analytical, thinking mind to tap creative and ease-filled solutions that support both our livelihood and our lifestyle. And yes, it’s possible to do this in a way that is both income producing and life enriching. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? But, it isn’t.

 

Instant information at our fingertips

Many of us fail to realize that we have access to one of the most under-utilized, age-old technologies available on this planet-Our intuition, our internal guidance system. I’m not talking about intuition in terms of being psychic. I’m speaking of intuition in terms of having a deep understanding of what feels truly right for us in any given situation.

However, we’ve gotten used to overriding and completely ignoring the messages that our guidance system is constantly sending us. While we may think we’re not getting any information, in truth, we are constantly bombarded with information, but are simply unaware or unwilling to receive it.

We receive information in the form of thoughts, flashes of insight and physically through our bodies (when we feel tense or relaxed). We often ignore our inner wisdom, because, quite honestly, we believe that it will get in the way of our to-do list and jam-packed schedules. We don’t schedule time for ourselves so that we can slow down and listen. We continue to operate on autopilot.

Meanwhile, we can’t help but notice that we don’t feel quite right inside. We wonder why we don’t feel happy or fulfilled. We’re quick to grab onto quick fixes instead of taking the hero’s journey, which involves a path of deep exploration and self-reflection.

 

Here’s what you can do to slow down and create ease-filled solutions that support your livelihood and lifestyle:

1. See opportunity. Be willing to switch your mindset from one of frustration and overwhelm to one of opportunity and possibility. Remember, you are being given an opportunity to get to know yourself better and step into your greatness. Keep in mind that whenever you are feeling tense or frustrated you are being asked to step up to a bigger game.

2. Get personal. Don’t stifle your feelings. Many times we ignore our feelings because we’re afraid of what we’ll discover. We’re afraid that we might be called to step out on a limb, move beyond our comfort zone and take action. Fearful thoughts like “What if I fail, what if I look stupid?” often fill our mind. 

I encourage you to be honest with yourself. At this point, don’t worry about making the right or wrong decision. Just be willing to get a deeper sense of how you truly feel about a particular issue or situation.

3. Baby-step your way home. Often we refuse to take action unless we clearly know the end result. This causes our minds to freeze up. What we fail to realize is that we have an internal guidance system that will help us every step of the way. All we have to do is get clear about the next best baby step for us, and be willing to take action, regardless of our fear. 

Consider the various actions you could take. Which possible action steps cause you to feel excited and expansive? Which cause you to feel restricted and rigid? Notice how you feel. I encourage you to choose actions that cause you to feel expansive – even if it pushes you beyond your comfort zone a little.

Be willing to see opportunity, acknowledge your feelings and take small action steps. This is the secret to getting back on track and experiencing ease-filled solutions that are income producing and life enriching.

 

About the Author

Leslie Cunningham, CTACC, “The Financial Dating ® Expert,” has over 17 years experience as a service professional, leading groups, presenting, and helping individuals and couples achieve success.  She is dedicated to helping couples build wealthy relationships and turn their money & lifestyle stress into inspired action. 

If you liked today’s issue check out Leslie’s free articles, teleseminars, and workshops, which offer step-by-step guidance on creating wealth & closeness for couples. Learn more now at http://springwindcoaching.com

© 2006-2007 Leslie D. Cunningham

Spring Wind Coaching  |  7781 Nez Perce Dr.  |  Bozeman, MT 59715  |  Phone 406-586-5561

www.springwindcoaching.com 

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