“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

How much television do you watch in a day? If you’re anything like the average North American, you probably sit in front of the boob tube for over 4 hours in a 24-hour period, or approximately 30 hours a week. When you’re not watching TV, you might be reading the latest magazine or newspaper, or surfing the internet.

While there’s nothing wrong with any of these things in moderation, the amount of mass media you ingest every day can have more of a negative impact on your life than you realize. Listening to your intuition becomes impossible; like trying to hold a conversation at a deafening rock concert. In the midst of your distraction you may forget that you even have inner guidance. And worst of all, when the external world becomes more influential than your inner world, you succumb to the influence of cultural spells.

A “cultural spell” is a thought or belief held in the collective mind of our culture that isn’t true. Cultural spells have a negative impact on our lives because they cause us to “chase our tails” and prevent us from attaining the very rewards they promise (feelings of happiness, contentment, love, acceptance, and success).

You can only break a cultural spell’s influence upon you by becoming aware of it. Once you are aware of its’ influence, you can decide whether you want to continue feeding your power into it or not.

The most common cultural spells associate a feeling of contentment with an achievement in the external world. Here are three of our most common cultural spells:

1. Material Wealth brings Happiness

Most people believe that an increase in their income would make them happy, but even Princeton scientists have stated that the link between money and happiness is “greatly exaggerated and mostly an illusion.”

Material wealth does NOT lead to happiness; happiness leads to happiness. If you are not able to generate a sense of joy from within in the present moment, a lamborghini is not going to help. Happiness is a natural state of being that stems from aligning your thoughts with who you really are.

There is nothing wrong with material wealth (bring it on!), but it isn’t the answer to your problems. The answer to your problems is found in transcending all the limiting thoughts and beliefs that prevent you from expressing your true Self.

2. A Perfect Appearance brings Love & Acceptance

One of the most common cultural spells tells us we all need to fit in and look a certain way in order to be more loved and accepted by the outside world. We all want to look good, because we all want to feel good. Who doesn’t want to be loved and accepted?

The problem is that the industry feeding us this nonsense is on crack (literally). The average female fashion model is 5’11 tall and weighs 117 pounds. The average North American woman is 5’4 and weighs 140 pounds. I think it’s safe to say that the media’s idea of how we should look does not reflect the norm.

The bottom line is that if advertisers can convince us we’re not ok as we are, we’re more likely to spend our money on the clothes, diets, makeup, or handbags that strive to attain that perfect image.

Ladies and gentlemen, a perfect appearance will not bring you love and acceptance. You’ll experience love and acceptance from others only when you have mastered the art of loving and accepting yourself. People will be drawn to you because of how they feel when they are around you, not because of the size of your jeans. If you’re hanging out with people who DO only care about the size of your jeans, it’s time to make some new friends.

3. Hard Work is Necessary for Success

The myth of hard work is so deeply engrained in the mind of humanity that I can virtually hear you arguing with me before I’ve even stated my case.

Many people have been trained to think that success only comes to those who work hard. Success DOES come to those who work hard, but it also comes to those who work “easy”.

The most successful people I know are not the hardest workers. Yes, there is action involved, but it’s never “hard”. The most successful people line up with their success on a vibrational level first and allow their action to be inspired from within. Inspired action feels joyful, not difficult. Yes, successful people may pour many hours into their passion but most proclaim that the time flies by. The most genuine success does not come from “hard” work; it comes from INSPIRED work.

If you’re more comfortable perpetuating the thought that success comes from hard work, please continue. But realize that from this point forward you’ve been exposed to a different way of thinking, which states “success is easy”. Your reaction to that last sentence is an indication of how deeply affected you’ve been by the cultural spell that states otherwise.

~

The only reason anyone ever strives to achieve or attain something in the external world is because they think they will feel better when they reach it. But what if this formula is backwards? We are only beginning to understand that the path to genuine happiness and success is found by learning how to generate happy vibes first and then allowing our outer environment to follow.

What cultural spells are you under?

~

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“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again… Then quit.
There’s no point in being a damn fool about it.”
~ WC Fields

Someone once said that “winners never quit, and quitters never win”. I prefer Seth Godin’s philosophy; “winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt”.

The truth is that sometimes, it’s a good idea to quit.

I came to this conclusion last week during yoga class. My teacher Mindy is adamant that her students only hold a pose for as long as they can maintain “integrity” in it. In other words, when you fall out of alignment, you release the pose. There’s no point in doing a half-assed “bakasana”, because it does your body more harm than good.

Similarly in life, we tend to hang on to “poses” long after we have fallen out of alignment with them. They’re the jobs we don’t give a crap about, or the relationships that fizzled long ago. But what if we gave ourselves permission to release and let go of these “poses” which no longer express our full integrity?

If you’re unable to give your best to something, your heart is not in it. If your heart’s not in it, do yourself a favor and quit. “There’s no point in being a damned fool about it!”

You may worry that if you become a “quitter”, you’ll never get anywhere, which could not be further from the truth. When you leave behind the things that aren’t working for you, you increase the energy, drive, and focus being channeled into the things that ARE working for you. In this state of mind, quitters always win.

Quitting doesn’t mean you abandon the POSE for good; you keep practicing. But by following the path with heart you set the conditions that will eventually create the highest expression of yourself in your career, health, relationships, and everyday life. This perfect state of alignment allows your TRUE self to shine through in all you do.

~

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“Before you come to any conclusions, try walking in my shoes.”
~ Depeche Mode

It’s easy to point the finger, become offended, or fly off the handle when you feel hurt by another person… especially when everyone around you says you’re justified in doing so. But next time steam begins to build behind your ears, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and just for a moment… try “walking in their shoes.”

Momentarily placing your feet in the “shoes” of another person will generate compassion for their point of view. You don’t have to agree with their opinion or actions, but it will give you a new level of understanding as to why it is they think, do, or say whatever it is they do.

A good example of this is the classic, “bad childhood”. If your parents gave you a rough ride, join the club. But before you sink any deeper into victimization, take a moment to think about YOUR parents’ childhood. Is there any relevance between how they were raised and how they treated you?

When you can generate understanding and compassion for those who have mistreated you, you’ll see every relationship in a new light. The only reason anyone ever inflicts hurt or judgment upon another person is because they feel hurt and judged themselves. Again, this doesn’t justify their actions, but it might prevent you from perpetuating the never-ending cycle of victimization. A more conscious approach would be to ask yourself, “What is this situation here to teach me?” or “what qualities are seeking to emerge in me as a result of this experience?”

Courage, compassion, wisdom and patience are just a few of the qualities that arise out of difficulty; in fact, these qualities can’t be cultivated any other way. But they will only arrive when you decide to learn and grow from your relationships instead of victimizing yourself or blaming the other person.

Yes, there are times when we all wish for an easier ride. But the reality is that an easy, breezy life is not how we grow. Challenges always provide a door that when entered into consciously, will lead us onto the fast track of our own evolution.

If you find yourself in a difficult relationship this week, set an intention to mentally walk in the other person’s shoes. As my good friend Martin Gore once said, there’s a good chance you’ll stumble in their footsteps.

~

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“Don’t die without embracing the daring adventure your life is meant to be.”
~ Steve Pavlina

If you are planning on attending Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop, I hope the following tips from my own experience help make yours a great one!

Flight:

I booked my flight and hotel through Expedia about a month before the conference. I’ve always had wonderful experiences booking trips through Expedia and I highly recommend them. My direct flight from Toronto to Las Vegas on Westjet was only $300 including all taxes and fees.

For this trip I decided to fly at night for a change, which was a stellar decision. The airports were less busy and the flights seemed shorter because I slept most of the way. If you fly at night, don’t forget to pack an inflatable neck cushion, earplugs, and an eye mask. ☺

Accommodations:

The Conscious Growth Workshop is the third conference I’ve attended in Las Vegas, so I know how overwhelming it can be to choose a hotel from the hundreds of options.

In the past I’ve stayed off-site and walked or commuted to the conference location, but this time I stayed at on-site at the Flamingo. You may not save money by staying on-site, but you will save time and energy, which for me was more important. If you stay within the hotel, you can use the excess energy you conserve on your personal growth. ☺

If you stay at an off-site hotel, be prepared to do A LOT of walking. The hotels in Vegas are massive; just the commute from my room to the conference room alone took 10 -15 minutes.

My room was not as fancy as some of the other places I’ve stayed in Vegas, but it was extremely quiet and very clean. If you stay at the Flamingo, ask for a room that faces the courtyard instead of the strip. They have a beautiful little wildlife habitat in the back with huge koi, flamingos, and other animals. If your room faces the courtyard, you’ll wake up to the sound of exotic birds instead of exotic dancers. ☺

Getting Around:

From the airport there are plenty of different ways to get to your hotel. Cabs and limos are the most obvious option but I took the Bell Trans shuttle, which you’ll find outside door #9 of the baggage claim. The price was $6.50 one-way or $12 round trip. If you buy a roundtrip ticket, call Bell Trans the day before your outgoing flight to schedule your pick up.

Taxicabs are abundant in Vegas and the fares are reasonable. A couple of taxi tips: it’s illegal to hail cabs off the street; they must pick you up at a hotel or at a cabstand. Also, the drivers don’t accept credit cards, so bring cash.

During this trip I spent most of my time in and around the hotel but in the past I’ve found that the easiest way to get up and down the strip is by jumping on the Las Vegas Monorail. A single ride ticket is $5, a one day pass is $14, and a three day pass is $30.

Food:

I was inspired and delighted to find myself surrounded by a crowd of like-minded vegetarians, vegans, and raw vegans at CGW. The hot spot for lunch was Whole Foods Market, a 10 minute / $14 cab ride south of the Flamingo. It was a convenient place not only to eat lunch but also to stock up on snacks and food for later in the day.

Raw vegan restaurant, the Go Raw Café was another highly recommended hot spot. Visit Go Raw for dinner instead of lunch because most people who ate there at noon were late getting back due to slow service (which I understand because preparing raw food can be very time consuming!).

You might also want to also check out Happy Cow for a great list of vegetarian, vegan, and health food stores in Las Vegas.

During my walk each morning I made a point to stop at the Walgreens under the Venetian to pick up fresh fruit and a gallon of water for the day. For non-raw diets, they also have a variety of snacks, drinks, coffee and food, and the prices very reasonable.

For coffee lovers, the closest Starbucks is about two blocks north of the Flamingo just off the strip in a courtyard under Harrah’s. They don’t accept Starbucks cards so bring cash. There are two more Starbucks located inside Harrah’s.

Attractions:

There is something adventurous to do in Las Vegas at all hours of the night and day. There are amazing musicals and shows to see, like the Cirque de Soliel LOVE show at the Mirage (breathtaking!!). I’ve heard you can get deals on show tickets by visiting the booth just outside the Fashion Show Mall on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd & Spring Mountain Rd.

Another popular outing for CGW participants is taking a hike at Red Rock Canyon. I didn’t have a chance to hike this trip but I hope to next time.

~

It is my genuine hope that your experience in Las Vegas will be as fantastically awesome as mine was. Hopefully I’ll see you at the next CGW… but if not… please send me a postcard!! ~ xo

Related Posts:

Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop Part 1.
Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop Part 2
Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop Part 3

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This post is a continuation from:
Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop Part 1.
Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop Part 2

“If you don’t consciously feed your desire, you will feed your fear.”
~ Steve Pavlina

On day three of Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop I awoke in terror. I knew that one of the topics we would be discussing was our social life, and after chatting with Steve the night before, I had a sinking feeling that he was going to call me up on stage to sit in the “hot seat” and be coached in front of the group.

I knew that no one could force me to share my challenges with the audience, but there was a part of me that WANTED to share. I felt a lot of anxiety within me surrounding this topic and I didn’t want to let it get the best of me. I had another big “a-ha” moment when I noticed that my fear of being on stage was NOT a fear of being in front of a crowd; it was a fear of allowing people to witness my vulnerability and imperfection; and the possible rejection as a result. This is an issue even in my closest relationships.

By the time Steve asked for a volunteer to come up and discuss their social situation with the group I was in a cold sweat. My heart was beating fast and I felt nauseous. I put my hand up anyway.

And then the most amazing thing happened… I didn’t get picked! I breathed a sigh of relief and the blood returned to my head. I was overjoyed… not only because I hadn’t been chosen but also because of all I had learned about myself in the fear of being chosen! I had learned what I needed to work on: allowing others to see my genuine, imperfect self, and releasing my fear of rejection.

We continued on in our personal development with an in-depth examination of our emotional well-being and spiritual development. Once again I learned more in observing the participants on stage than I did doing the written exercises.

One of the realizations I had on day three that made me feel really great was the awareness that everybody is working on “something”; even Steve Pavlina himself. I also noticed that some of the challenges other people face are a breeze for me and vice versa. It was a relief to know that nobody has it all figured out; if they did, they wouldn’t be on the planet.

It’s important to embody the fact that there will ALWAYS be a “Planet “B” – an unfulfilled desire you wish to bring in to your experience. Once you achieve any goal you’ll immediately be given something new to work towards. Since you never “get it done”, it’s crucial to appreciate where you are at this present moment in time.

This ongoing path of achieving goals and fulfilling desire gives us direction and pulls us forward, and the obstacles that stand in our way help us to grow. FEAR is the only thing that ever blocks us, but facing fear is the secret to exponential growth. One of the things I love about Steve Pavlina is how clearly he demonstrates this in his own life.

Day three of the Conscious Growth Workshop was definitely more emotive as we completed in-depth exercises such as gazing into a partner’s eyes while thinking, “you are loved” and participating in a calming meditation led by Erin Pavlina. There was also an all around sense of greater love and support by day three as so many of us had bonded over the weekend. Day three was by far my favorite day of workshop.

As the sun began to set on Sunday I felt very sad. It was hard for me to bear the thought of leaving this wonderful new family of supportive people that I had grown so close to in only three days time.

I spent two more days in Las Vegas, decompressing and absorbing all the new insights I had acquired. As I traveled back to Toronto on Tuesday night I knew that my experience at the Conscious Growth Workshop had caused a shift within me. I felt like a new and different person.

To be continued with an update in March.

~

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This post is a continuation from Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop Part 1.

“Don’t take advice from someone unless they’re getting the results you want.”
~ Steve Pavlina

Day two of Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop began like every other day in Vegas: with a pre-dawn power walk along the Las Vegas strip. Dodging drunken gamblers early in the morning makes for a great workout. ☺

After a brisk walk and a bowl of fruit, I was eager to get back to work. During the second day we took a more in-depth look at our careers, finances, health, skill set, and daily habits. One by one we applied the principles of truth, love, and power to each element in order to improve our alignment with each quality.

By day two I had already come to the conclusion that my weakest link was my social life, and although we wouldn’t closely examine our relationships until day three, it became clear to me how holographic each element of our lives truly are. The improvements I wanted to make in my career, finances, and health for example could easily be achieved by surrounding myself with a group of like-minded people. It felt like the answer to all my challenges could be solved with a complete overhaul of my social network.

The most powerful learning experience I had on day two of the Conscious Growth Workshop was not found in the written exercises however, it was found in observing the attitudes and energy of others in the group. For each subject we discussed, a participant was invited to come on-stage, share a challenge and receive live coaching from Steve and from the audience.

Earlier on Steve had mentioned, “When you have doubts about what you want, everyone will pick it up around you” and I certainly found that to be the case in observing the live coaching sessions. I noticed that the people who could make things happen in their experience had the ability to focus their energy like a laser; creating an aura of power that was easily perceived just by being around them.

On the other hand, the “foggy” people fed their power to excuses or weren’t sure what they really wanted in life. They allowed their doubts to overshadow their talents and weren’t ready to face the fears that come along with following a path with heart.

Power arose within me when I realized where I was “foggy”. Sometimes I have so many ideas in my head that my energy shoots out in all directions when I would rather focus it all in one place instead. Energy flows where attention goes, so if your attention is all over the place, your power is dispersed and diminished. Day two was a great reminder that true power lies in your ability to focus.

After the workshop I enjoyed a fantastic raw vegan dinner with two of my new friends, and went back to the hotel to review my day. As I fell asleep, I made a resolution to “get clear” about what I wanted so I could emanate the same focus and clarity I admired in Steve and in my fellow CGW’ers.

This post is continued in:
Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop Part 3

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“One of the secrets of getting more done is to make a to-do list every day,
keep it visible, and use it as a guide as you go through the day.”
~ Jean de La Fontaine

Are you a list lover? Does organizing your time into perfectly prioritized flow charts of errands and activities really turn you on? Well today is your lucky day, because there is a new list in town. It’s called the NOT-to-do list.

A not-to-do list is a list of activities, attitudes, and actions that are not serving your highest good. It’s a list of habits you recognize as unhealthy and therefore intend NOT to do. It’s a great exercise for when you are feeling frustrated, because in a frustrated state of mind, knowing what you DON’T want is the only way to clarify what you DO want.

If you don’t know what you want to do with your time, what is it that you DON’T want to do?? What habits hold you back? What attitudes swallow you into stagnation? Jot them down. This is your not-to-do list.

Your not-to-do list may look something like this:

I intend not to:

• Work at an unfulfilling job
• Hang out with energy-sucking “friends”
• Suppress my emotions
• Overload my body with low vibratory food
• Blame, judge, or criticize others
• Victimize myself
• Criticize myself
• Attempt to prove myself
• Maintain shallow friendships and relationships
• Abuse alcohol
• Absorb fear-based media
• Gossip
• Ignore my intuition
• Follow the crowd

You’ll notice that some of your negative habits are intertwined. For example, suppressing your emotions goes hand in hand with eating junk or abusing alcohol. Following the crowd is tied in with gossiping or hanging out with energy-draining people. The good news is that crossing off just one of the tasks on your not-to-do list can have a viral effect and will instantly annihilate some of your other negative habits.

You don’t have to refer to your not-to-do list everyday; it’s simply a tool to help you become more honest about what’s working in your life and what isn’t. Once you write the truth out on paper, it’ll be difficult for you to remain in denial about how healthy some of your actions really are. It may even lead you to some new conclusions about why it is you do what you choose to do.

Once you feel open and honest about the items on your not-to-do list, you can use it to create a new list of affirmative intentions for your life – a master TO-DO list. This is easy, because all you have to do is write down the opposite of some of the habits you noted on your not-to-do list.

Your new master to-do list might look something like this:

I intend to:

• Create / find a fulfilling job that utilizes my talents
• Hang out with uplifting & inspiring friends
• Be open with my emotions
• Nourish my body with the most radiant food available
• Support, love, and inspire those around me
• Take responsibility for myself
• Love & honor myself
• Create deep and meaningful friendships and relationships
• Look for good news in the world
• Follow my intuition
• Boldly do my own “thing”

Your master to-do list IS something you can read and refer to everyday. Use it as a guide to help you make decisions and prioritize your activities. Consciously make choices that are in alignment with the vibe of your master to-do list.

Above all, be compassionate with yourself when you create your lists. It’s not an excuse to beat yourself up for imperfection. It’s just an introspective exercise designed to lead you into the blissful, fulfilling, healthy life you are meant to live.

In the end, the only thing that matters is that “joyful living” is number one on your to-do list.

~

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“Security is an illusion.”
~ Steve Pavlina

Last week I spent three intensive days with 99 other personal development aficionados at a Las Vegas workshop facilitated by writer and motivational speaker, Steve Pavlina. You may be familiar with Steve from his tremendously successful blog and book, “Personal Development for Smart People”. Steve’s latest project, the “Conscious Growth Workshop”, is an intensive learning environment that inspires individuals to take action in creating the most fulfilling experiences for their lives.

Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop is divided into three days of self-reflection, creating a space for participants to evaluate the current status of eight different aspects of life: career, money, physical health, relationships, education, daily habits, emotional life, and spiritual life. Steve guides the workshop participants in applying his principles of “Truth, Love, and Power” to each element in order to determine where they currently stand (what Steve calls “Planet A”) and where they wish to be (“Planet B”). Closing the gap between “A” and “B” almost always includes revealing hidden fears that keep us stuck on “Planet A”, and summoning the courage to overcome them.

To say that my experience at Steve’s workshop was a triumphant success would be an understatement. By lunchtime on day one I had my first epiphany, which surfaced from surge of emotion I had while evaluating my current state of affairs. All of a sudden I realized that one of the main reasons I’m attracted to personal development is a subconscious fear of not being “good enough” just as I am. As I observed Steve, I noticed the difference in energy between a person who is “on the path” because it’s fun and a person who is “on the path” because s/he feels intrinsically flawed.

Before going any further, I decided to process the emotion attached to this “not good enough” feeling or I knew I wouldn’t last the rest of the weekend. I’ve heard that other people have walked out in the middle of Steve’s previous talks and I wouldn’t be surprised if a feeling of “unworthiness” was the cause. In any case, I used the entire lunch break of day one to journal and release some emotion using EFT. Two hours later, I felt a new sense of calm and clarity. I was eager for more conscious growth!

Although day one was more of an opportunity for us to take a personal inventory of our lives, we were also given some fear-busting exercises to carry out over the course of the weekend. The exercise I found most difficult was the “power” exercise in which we had to approach strangers in the hotel with random (and sometimes wacky) questions or comments. This was a challenge for me as I’ve always been somewhat shy and afraid of people. I’m happy to announce that another fragment of that fear dissolved when I approached a hotel worker in the lobby and told her that she was loved. Her eyes immediately softened and filled with gratitude. “Thank you, thank you, thank you” she said, as I realized I had just told her exactly what she needed to hear.

Another powerful exercise on day one was the transdimensional meditation in which we connected to our higher selves for guidance. When I asked my higher self what I should be doing for a living, I was surprised to “see” myself singing again, as I have not seriously considered taking on any new music projects for the last few months.

As day one of the workshop drew to a close, my new friends scurried to make plans for the evening. I was ecstatic to be asked to go see “LOVE” at the Mirage, a Cirque de Soliel show featuring all Beatles music.

My heart filled with joy as I watched “LOVE” and appreciated all the joy, laughter, and innocence expressed by the dancers. I thought about my emotional experience earlier in the day and had my second epiphany; I decided that from this point forward, I would transfer the light-hearted, playful feeling of Cirque de Soliel unto my path of personal development.

To be continued in:
Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop Part 2
Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Workshop Part 3
~

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“The heart knows reasons that reason cannot know.”
~ Blaise Pascal

When it comes to making decisions in Life, there are really only two choices at stake: adhering to the logic in your head, or following the wisdom of your heart.

People who make decisions using logic weigh their options carefully and act out all possible future scenarios in their heads. Massive amounts of time and energy are consumed as they try their best to arrive at an answer that makes the most “sense”. They succumb to external input from family, friends, the media and their culture rather than tuning into their own inner guidance system. In the end, they are “satisfied” with their decision, but they never fully rid themselves of the nagging feeling that somehow things could have been better or different.

People who make decisions from the heart throw logic out the window. They leave behind the pros and cons and stay centered in the present moment to make their decisions instead of engulfing themselves with worry about their future. Their decision might not make 100% sense to them, but they trust it anyway. They don’t care what other people think because they know that their intuition is tapped into the highest good for all.

The difference in results between a head versus heart decision is the difference between a rusty can of sardines and a fresh fillet of salmon. A decision made from the head results in security. But a decision made from the heart results in fulfillment.

A few years ago I faced a major “head versus heart” decision when I kept getting the nagging feeling to quit my job in order to focus on my home based business. At first I ignored my intuition, not wanting to give up the security of a regular paycheck. Using logic, I kept convincing myself that I didn’t really have the skills to make a living as an entrepreneur.

I ignored the voice until it eventually expanded from a whisper to a shout. After 6 months of gagging my gut instinct, I was exhausted, depressed, underweight and confused. My doctor encouraged me to take a temporary leave from work but three months later, I quit my job entirely and followed my instincts.

The day I quit my job felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Of course I was still terrified about the insecurity that came with being your own boss. But deep inside I knew I had made the right decision, and there was a silence in my mind I had never experienced before. What I was feeling was the relief that comes when you make a decision to follow your heart.

The reason we hesitate to follow our hearts is because we know it’s a path that requires that we face our deepest fears. Fear of abandonment, fear of loss, fear of failure, and fear of unworthiness are universal fears that every human experiences. But real joy only comes from living in alignment with the highest possibility for your life, which goes hand in hand with courage. You’ll never receive the rewards that come from following a heart-centered life if you’re stuck making decisions from a place of fear and insecurity.

If you decide to follow the path with heart, it’s essential that you become aware of all the ways your logical mind will try to regain control of your actions. One of the biggest culprits is distraction. Obsessive eating, shopping, working and most of all, compulsive thinking are all examples of addictive behaviors that aim to distract you from the wisdom of your heart. After all, if you’re continually preoccupied with the voice in your head or on a hunt for gratification in the external world, you’ll never have time or energy left over to pay attention to your internal world.

Following your heart requires that you set aside time to listen to it. I find that taking a few minutes in the early morning to “tune in” before my logical mind is awake is of the best ways of tapping into my intuition. I often make notes because when I return to them at a later time, it’s easy to see that the wisdom coming through was much more powerful than anything my head would ever dream up.

It’s been over three years since I quit my job and guess what peeps?? I’m still alive! My business is thriving and in terms of my “career”, I feel joyful, grateful, free, and fulfilled. There have been ups and downs along the way, but I never have regretted my decision for a second.

Following the heart is a practice as well as an ongoing process, but take it from one who knows… it’s an adventure that is well worth it.

~

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“Most people are completely identified with the voice in the head.”
~ Eckhart Tolle
“The greatest con ever pulled was making you believe that he is You.”
~ Revolver

Guy Ritchie’s “Revolver” is one of the most thought provoking films I’ve ever seen. If you watch Revolver and truly “get it”, you’ll be pondering its’ message for days, weeks and months to come. I watched Revolver for the umpteenth time last weekend, and felt inspired to share my thoughts.

“The only way to get smarter, is by playing a smarter opponent.”
~ Revolver

Revolver is a film about a brilliant con man named Jake Green (Jason Statham), who has recently been released from prison. After spending seven years in solitary confinement, Jake is seeking revenge on the man who put him behind bars – casino owner Dorothy Macha (Ray Liotta).

During his time in prison, Jake acquired a specific strategy (the “Formula”) that is thought to assist a player win any game. The film revolves around Jake’s revelatory awakening, as he uses the Formula not only to outsmart Macha, but also to play the “game” of life.

“You will always find a good opponent in the very last place you would ever look.”
~ Revolver

After Macha orders a hit on Jake, he finds himself assisted by two mysterious men – Zach and Avi, who offer to save his life in return for money. Avi inspires Jake to contemplate the nature of the human ego, telling him how “the greatest con [that the ego] ever pulled was making you believe that he is you.” He describes how the “ultimate con” is the reality that few people have the courage to face their egos because of their life-long investment in them.

The more sophisticated the Game, the more sophisticated the Opponent.
~ Revolver

A pivotal epiphany occurs in Revolver when Jake realizes that his true identity lies beyond the voice he hears in his head; beyond his personality or “ego”. When Jake awakens to the fact that the real opponent lies within his own mind, he begins to make a conscious effort to examine and question everything it tells him to do. This is the most genuine application of the “Formula”.

You’ve heard that voice for so long, you believe it to be You.
~ Revolver

Most of us have been listening to the voices in our heads for so many years that we have forgotten who we truly are. One of the intentions of Revolver is to inspire you realize that you are not your thoughts; you are the awareness behind your thoughts. If you fail to recognize this, your life will be limited. You will never fully grasp the power that comes with deliberately choosing how you wish to think and feel. In egoic consciousness, you are continually preoccupied with thoughts of self-preservation and separation rather than deliberate creation. Life “revolves” in circles when you continually offer thoughts as a reaction to external circumstances rather than choose your own thoughts from within.

In order to cultivate awareness within your own mind, begin to examine each thought and ask yourself, “do I want this to be true?” In this process of self-questioning, you’ll recognize you have the power to decide whether you are helping or hindering yourself with every thought that passes through your awareness.

Wherever you don’t want to go, is where you will find him. What is it that you are afraid of?
~ Revolver

One of the most memorable scenes in Revolver is Jake’s deliberate confrontation of his claustrophobia in an elevator. Though his ego reacts with fury, it is Jake’s first glimpse of the power of his higher Self. It’s a brilliant demonstration of one of the most effective ways of rising above the ego – by acknowledging your greatest fears and taking subsequent action to overcome them. When you face fear, the dominance of your ego diminishes.

Facing fear is a powerful practice because confronting the voice in your head will eventually prove it is a transient illusion, and the radiance of who you truly are will step in to replace it. You will realize you have choices and options about how you wish to live your life. The bondage that comes from holding yourself hostage to your own fears will disintegrate.

Challenge the ego by taking some time to make a list of things you’re afraid of… and then hold a brainstorming session to come up with action-oriented steps to overcome them. If you’re afraid of public speaking, join toastmasters. If you’re afraid of heights, go skydiving. Whatever it is you fear, you must eventually face… that’s just part of the Game.

Everybody’s in this Game, and nobody knows it.
~ Revolver

The game that is played between the head and the heart is a game that every human being on the planet is playing. Though most are not aware they are playing such a game, many are beginning to wake up to it. This awakening is a key element in the evolution of human consciousness.

I was reminded of a favorite story in Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth”, when he describes his first glimpse of the insanity of his own mind. Following an encounter with an angry woman on the subway who thinks out loud, Eckhart realizes the similarities within his own consciousness. “Isn’t my mind as incessantly active as hers??” he asks himself.

We all have a slice of that egoic insanity, but few have the courage to face it. It’s no surprise that Revolver wasn’t a hit at the box office, not because it’s not an awesome flick (it is) but because it was released ahead of its’ time. For an audience who is still completely identified with a mind-made sense of self, the movie would appear confusing… and even threatening to an individual’s ego. It’s easy to see the inner chaos in another person or in a movie character; not so easy to admit that same chaos exists within yourself.

Continual courage and intense awareness are what’s required in order to dissolve the ego’s stronghold on your life. You will never be truly free when you’re tick-tocking unconsciously through life, completely enraptured by the disruptive and repetitive thought patterns of your frightened personality.

So in the end, perhaps Jake’s sidekick Avi said it best: “How radical are you prepared to be?”

~

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