Life does not always have to be scary while trying new things, consider it an adventure. Do you remember when you were a kid & all you wanted to do was go off & go on an adventure. Well, you’re an adult now, go…….
Why Not Enjoy The Process

Not too long ago, I was sitting on a beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and noticed a couple holding hands, walking along the shoreline. They looked so peaceful, like an advertisement for an island getaway. And then it happened: his cell phone went off. She gave him a look as if to say, “I dare you!” I couldn’t believe it. The idiot took the dare. Not only did he answer the phone, but he let go of her hand, walked away and talked for about ten minutes. She shook her head, walked over to their beach set-up, which was about twenty feet from mine, and sat down under their umbrella. By now the couple that looked like an advertisement for an island getaway were about to become prime candidates for the Dr. Phil Show.

He walked over to her and tried to explain. I grimaced. In my head I heard the booming catchphrase popularized by announcer Michael Buffer that boxing fans know so well:

“Let’s get ready to ruuuumble!”
Ding, ding! She came out swinging.
“How could you?” she asked. “I can’t even believe you brought your cell phone with you, but you had the nerve to answer it!”

Now what he should have done was listened to what she had to say. Of course, he didn’t.
“Hey!” he jabbed at her in his defense. “If it wasn’t for my business, we wouldn’t even be on this vacation!”

She rebounded with a combination of blows that seemed to shake the champ. “Vacation?” she said, incredulous. “Vacation? You call this a vacation!? This is our anniversary! We’ve been here for three days so far and you can’t stay away from your cell phone and stupid computer! You brought your job with you! You just can’t stop yourself! It’s like you’re addicted!”

She picked up her belongings and took a few steps towards the hotel. Then she stopped, turned, and delivered the haymaker:
“You know, you used to be married to me. Now you’re married to your job!” The champ just stood there, looking like a real chump. I thought the wife made an interesting choice of words.

Does this story come as a surprise? Let’s face it. We are living in a world that is moving at an amazing pace. It is easy to get lost and misplace our feelings and values. Most of us are conditioned to devote most of our waking hours on our jobs and professional goals leaving little, if any, time for other important aspects of our lives. Who can deny that we live in a highly competitive society that stresses the importance of being the very best, rather than simply to do the best we can? Many have bought into the grand deception of always wanting more, regardless of what they already have.

We have adopted the illusion that money, power, and fame can fill that self-created emptiness and make us feel complete. I am not suggesting that there is anything wrong with these things. It is the obsession with them that make them dangerous.

What am I getting at? I’ll tell you. Maybe it would be wise for us to come to the realization that what we think we want in life may not necessarily be what we need in order to lead a truly successful and happy life. Maybe, just maybe, we are leaving out important factors from the equation of what truly completes us as individuals. Maybe it’s just a matter of making a slight shift, finding your balance and choosing a better way. Maybe there are too many “maybes” in this paragraph.

Yes indeed, our lives depend on the choices we make, but I believe that we can at least minimize our regrets just by being more consciously aware of our choices. This is what the habit of shifting your focus in order to be happy moment-to-moment does for you. Before you know it, you’re actually happy. Then it becomes clear what you should focus on in the big picture.

In my last Blog I stated that when I shift my focus and allow my Higher Self to take over, I know that there is that in me that can meet any challenge head-on and be blessed by it. It is this rock solid attitude that opens my spiritual reservoir and fosters my soul to grow.

What is soul? “Soul” has different meanings to different people. (Especially to the “Godfather of Soul,”) James Brown, “We got to have it, soul power!”) Author and spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson says, “Our Soul is our life, everything else is fiction-a mind game, in authenticity.”

I believe our soul is the very essence of who we really are. It is always present and it cannot be destroyed—only covered up. We cover up the soul when we neglect to nourish it. Below are some examples of how we nourish our soul.

• When you learn the lessons that life is trying to teach you, you nourish your soul.
• When you respond to challenges from a higher place, you nourish your soul.
• When you are compassionate, loving, and giving, you nourish your soul.
• When you are able to forgive yourself and others, you nourish your soul.
• When you engage in activities at work or at home that give your life depth, meaning and joy, you nourish your soul.
• When you pray, meditate or commune with your Higher self in any way, you nourish your soul.
• When you laugh, you nourish your soul. (If you haven’t noticed yet, this one is very important, so for your sake, YUK IT UP!)

Surely there are many examples I can give, but I think you get the point. Nourishing you soul replenishes hope, faith and gives you a boost of optimism. I believe our inability to recognize opportunities to nourish our souls is the main reason why we aren’t often completely at peace with ourselves, at work and in life.

Your soul is your lifetime partner on this journey we call life. All it requires is your attention along the way. When bad habits and toxic beliefs lead you to dead ends or a hostile reality, or when misfortune and heartache paralyze you, preventing you from moving on with your life, your partner (your soul) does not abandon you or judge you. It patiently waits for the day when you choose to wake up and become aware of what you are doing to yourself and to realize who you really are and what you are truly capable of achieving.

You honor your soul when you give it the attention it needs. That’s when the magic begins and the rewards you get in return are immeasurable. What rewards? How about unshakeable peace of mind, inner joy, bliss and confidence, to name a few? In other words, your soul can only do for you, what you choose to do for it. To parody a famous phrase from John Kennedy, “Ask not what your soul can do for you. Ask what you can do for your soul.”

That’s how this unique partnership works. You nourish your soul and your soul will feed you and help you grow in return. If you ignore soul, it can’t help you. Got it? Good!

Your ability to make a shift to view a stressful or painful situation from a healthier perspective is the ultimate empowerment. And whether you know it or not, the reason you gain this empowerment is because you have made a connection, either consciously or unconsciously, to a higher part of yourself.

Yes, there is more to our existence than our human and physical selves. There is a higher force involved in our lives and if we adhere to this then life becomes easier, both at home and at work.

My intention here is not to shove my own spiritual beliefs down your throat, but to make you aware that I know without a doubt that there is a higher force involved in my life. When I’m connected to this force my life works. When I’m not my life doesn’t. It’s as simple as that.

It really doesn’t matter what you call this higher part of yourself. You can call it your Higher Self, God, the Light, Buddhahood, the Force (especially if you’re a Jedi), Love, the Power, the Almighty One, or “Bob.” The name you give it does not diminish its power in your life. I know that my responsibility to myself is to stay connected to my Higher Self and to keep myself calm on the inside regardless of the chaos that may be raging all around me. I know how crucial it is to keep my thoughts positive when my life seems to be falling apart. Yes, this is a large order to fill. Then again, we’re talking about a large principal here: the divinity within. It’s within all of us. It is the spiritual aspect of who we are.

When I get caught up in life, so busy paying bills, catching planes, making decisions, writing books about being busy, achieving goals, and trying to balance my life that I don’t live in compliance with my spiritual responsibilities there is usually hell to pay. We create our own hell when, for whatever reason, we don’t make the shift to view our challenges from a higher part of ourselves. Every time we think, feel or choose to act in a negative way, we run the risk of separating ourselves from our natural state of joy and inner peace. The price we pay for this is the burning inner conflict that leads to physical duress and a host of mental and emotional disorders.

Did you know that every destructive thought you have kills a part of you in some way. When you allow yourself to go on emotional binges of anger, guilt, hatred, jealousy, and fear, you are punishing yourself by inducing pain, sickness and failure in your life. Yes you might feel you have every right to complain and to rant and rave about how unfair your life is. It may seem justified not to forgive someone who deliberately put you in harms way. Just remember that you also have a right to the headaches, stomachs disorders, high blood pressure and miserable existence that inevitably follows.

Throughout all of my experiences and all that I have learned (most of which I learned the hard way), I can say when I am in touch with this higher force within me, my life flows. I am more at peace with myself regardless of what is occurring around me. I am filled with joy and laughter because I fully appreciate who I am. And no matter where I am, I know that is where I am supposed to be. When I shift my focus and allow my Higher Self to take over, I know that there is that in me that can meet any challenge head-on and be blessed by it. It is this rock-solid attitude that opens up my spiritual reservoir and fosters my soul to grow.