I have always been someone who chooses to look at opportunity in life. I believe we are meant to be all that we desire and I have chosen to create my work aligned with that belief.

People often think that because I am often joyful, I have no challenges in my life or somehow I ignore 'bad' things. Completely untrue.  In fact, I believe I am more joyful BECAUSE I've had obstacles to endure.  These obstacles have offered me the gratitude to appreciate even more of my life.  

Being joyful is not about avoidance or ignorance, it is about acceptance, choice and resiliency through a flexibility that allows you to shift when the road takes an unexpected detour. You can't usually avoid those darn detours as it's challenging to off-road it for long and at some point, you need to come back to the road.   Also, every single detour in my life - each challenge along the way - taught me something and helped me grow. In the moment, at times it was hard to see that but looking back, the path makes more sense. If I had tried to avoid the challenges, I would have stayed stuck.

Life is meant to be lived, not contrived, and to be happy, you must make the choice to be happy and then choose the thinking and behaviors that best align with that choice. If you find obstacles in your path, choose to use your energy to learn from them and clear them, moving forward instead of avoiding them hoping for an easier way. 

This is also in regard to emotions. 

So often, people try to pretend they aren't afraid or aren't affected by a trauma that has occurred but that only builds tension in the body-mind and soul.  We are human beings, not robots and when something occurs that pushes our boundaries too far, or even breaks them as occurs with trauma/PSTD, we need to give ourselves the gift of getting the help we need to mend the boundaries and rebuild our inner strength.  If we don't do it now, we will need to do it later and/or another form of a boundary will be created in relationships (ie.  distrust of self or others; jealousy; anger; etc.), our bodies (physical ailments) or our world will become clouded by the memory of it.  You CAN heal from the past, in fact, you can even come out stronger.

Just like when you do something that is so outside of your realm of reality that it changes you.

That is how resiliency is built, through practicing pushing ourselves past where we've been and showing our inner self we can. When was the last time you did something truly difficult? When was the last time you surprised yourself with your skill and/or inner strength? Think of how good those times felt, why wouldn't you want to practice resiliency in your life?

Safety and security are important in anyone's life, but when the attachment to them keeps you stuck without moving forward, it's time to push that comfort zone and blaze a new path.

I wish you increased resiliency and as a result, increased confidence and joy in 2009!

I know you can do it!  (and yes, I am saying 'woohoo'!)

Push those comfort zones!