More Than One Way to Achieve Dreams...

I have been reading a book called, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. You may have heard about it, as it has received a lot of publicity in recent months. Randy was a Virtual Reality Scientist and professor at Carnegie Mellon University, well known for its accomplishments in this field. As I understand it, it is customary for professors to give what is called a, "Last Lecture" as a way to impart the wisdom they have learned. What is unusual, is that it is not usually done at the end of their life. What makes this book unusual is that he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only months to live, and this was indeed his last lecture.

I was awed by his attitude to keep on living and creating in the midst of his illness. He had a wife and very young children he knew he would not see grow up. Randy could have decided to stop living but he did not, instead he decided he could leave a legacy not only for his family, but for anyone who wanted to listen.

There is much to be inspired about in the book, but what caught my attention was how he achieved his own dreams and used that as a model to help others. He believed there was more than one way, or line of thinking that would move someone closer to their dreams. As a child he had a dream to float in the air. Not knowing how that would ever happen he just kept the idea in his mind. One day, more than 20 years later, an invitation came that would allow his students to participate in a virtual reality experience at NASA that included being in the simulator that allowed an experience of floating in space. However, soon he found out that an instructor was not allowed to accompany the students...he was devastated! He decided to resign his position as a professor and apply to go along as a journalist. He was accepted and his dream was realized.

Well, I'm not suggesting that this is a solution for all of us, but it does point us in the direction of re-evaluating how we think about things and the way we have come to believe they need to be done. We all sometimes operate under a set thoughts that have us believe there is one prescribed path, one way to get from A to B and deviating from it does not make sense. When I hold this idea I have to turn my attention inward and ask, Could there be another way? Or how about when another way becomes clear and you reject it because it is not what you thought? My guess is that Randy could have easily dismissed this solution as illogical or impossible, instead of opening to the idea.

When I get to that place, I know I have been holding on too tightly and it is time to let go. I believe that you can never really have something unless you are willing to let it go. It is in the letting go that opens us to spirit, and that opening brings us the place of holiness where the possibilities are more than we can ever imagine. It is as though we have literally stepped into another world, and in reality we have...we have stepped into the fullness of God within us. The place that guides, fulfills and nurtures our souls.

As you think about your dreams pay attention to the places that keep you stuck and separate from yourself and God. I found this wonderful quote today as I looked for something else. It is "The boundary to what we can accept is the boundary to our freedom." The time is now to let nothing stand between you and your dreams!

Blessings,

Sandy

Sandy is a life coach at Burnsville Counseling and Healing Center and author of Selma's Spirit, A Story of Love and Forgiveness. She will be speaking about her healing journey on Friday, Sept. 26 at 6:30. For more information go to www.counselingandhealing.com/sandy_thibault.aspx

Following Your Heart...

The idea and the inspiration for this entry actually came yesterday during my mediation. I however did not write it yesterday because I knew there was more to come before it was to be committed to paper, or in this case the blog. I love the picture I found, our path laid out in front of us and the picture of our heart on that path.

Our head represents our deepest longings and our greatest dreams, but to bring them into being it is imperative that we follow where our heart is leading us. As much as I love this picture, it gives the impression that this road is smooth, and sometimes it is. But what do we do when it is not?

That is the question I have had on my mind this week. I think more often than not, when we consciously choose to be true to who we are, we are asked to prove it. Sometimes I feel that obstacles are put in front of us to help us commit to our dream. If we have so much conviction in what we are trying to pursue, whether it is a personal or professional endeavor, life itself asks to commit to it again and again. I have come to the conclusion that this gives energy and momentum to the dream. I would also be lying if I did not tell you that sometimes it is just nice to have smooth sailing.

Many times following my heart meant smooth sailing, but I noticed when the dream was really big, boulders seem to block the path. In my life I had many reasons to "throw in the towel" as they say it. but I always choose not too. Looking back through my life, I had to make life and death decisions with only my heart as a guide. All of us have situations in our life where we have to weigh what our head is saying against what our hearts know to be true. I have found that my head will give me the easy answer, trying to protect me from more conflict or hurt. But when I check in with my heart, I tap into the spirit of God that surrounds and guides my every step. It is that spirit that I have come to rely on as I move forward in this journey. A bit ago I said I have never been a quitter and often I wondered why; often it was the easy way out. So as I write this I know that my path is to follow my heart, even in the middle of obstacles.

Abraham Lincoln said this, "Sooner or later every man of character will have that character questioned. Every man of honor and courage will be faced with unjust criticism, but never forget the unjust criticism has no impact upon the truth." The book that this quote came from is called, A Traveler"s Journey. The main character in the book is faced with what seems like insurmountable challenges and decides to take his own life. In that space between life and death he is granted the privilege of meeting extraordinary people, some famous and some not. In one part of the book he had the opportunity to meet Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln talked about what people thought about him and his decisions, such as putting an end to slavery. In his day and time he was not winning any popularity contest, but he was a man of heart. He knew that slavery was not right and despite harsh criticism, set people free. When asked how he could deal with such harsh criticism he answered this way, "The secret is forgiveness, it is a secret that is hidden in plain sight. It costs nothing and is worth millions. It is available to all but used by few. If you harness the power of forgiveness, you will be revered, sought after, and wealthy. And not so coincidentally, you will be forgiven by others." Lincoln went to say that he can't change people's opinion of him or the anger they held against him, but he can offer the gift of forgiveness. These are profound words said over a hundred years ago and yet they still speak the truth to us today.

I don't have to tell any of you reading this that standing strong in the face of adversity is not any easy task, but I think it is the most important thing we can do to be true to ourselves. Take a deep breath and decide that you will be true to who you are, what you believe and what you were put on this earth to do. And then with all the heart and love that we have inside us offer forgiveness to those who have hurt us. It then becomes our gift to ourselves, offering us unconditional love that nurtures the very spirit that guides us.

Blessings to you this day,

Sandy

To get get more information, visit our web site at: http://www.counselingandhealing.com/upcomingevents.aspx

All IN

This morning I had an opportunity to attend an outdoor community worship service. A friend of mine is part of a singing group called "Sister" and they were leading the service. Just a side note: They are fabulous and right here in our community, so if you ever have the chance to see them perform, please do. The service was simple set in a beautiful park with inspirational music and message. The speaker told his personal story of having it all... money, great career. a wife and family and yet his life was empty and still he was days away from signing the divorce papers that would end his marriage. In desperation he confided in a friend and said he tried it all. His friend replied that he had not tried it all, he did not have a relationship with God. As the story goes, he said his life had always been about him and his ability to make it all happen. He decided then to let it all go and used the metaphor of a poker game. In No Limits Texas Hold'em, when you think you have the best hand you take all your chips and put them in the middle, giving it all up, hoping your hand will take it all. He then suggested you part the chips in the middle and add God to represent that the real power in our lives comes from God.

The speaker was very charismatic and went on for some time as I waded into my own thoughts about what he had said. I very much agree that we have come individually and as a society into a place of making things happen. Most of us believe, at least sometimes, that if we work harder we can make things happen. However, mostly we are left exhausted and still feeling empty just like the speaker said was true in his life.

It is easy to let fear run rampant in our thoughts and wonder how we will meet all the demands placed in front of us. Sometimes it is humanly impossible to see how a solution will ever come. That is it exactly...in our humanness we cannot come to an answer. It is then that we must relay on Spirit to guide and inform us. I believe that our lives our spiritually guided, we were each created with a purpose so unique it is not duplicated anywhere else. If we push all our concerns to the middle of the table and ask that their very essence be blessed and that we give over to spirit our need to make it happen, infinite possibilities will abound.

A few days ago I was working on our web site and could not get a picture on. I had done it so many times before I could have done it in my sleep. The more I tried the more it would not work. I asked all the computer people I knew and no one could help me. In frustration I sat down and tried again but to no avail. It was then that I closed by eyes and sent blessings to the computer. After a few minutes I tried again to still no avail. I took a deep breath in and whispered a prayer that asked for guidance to complete this. The picture got on without any more problems.

This is not a profound story but it is an example of paying attention to the guidance from spirit that is within us and let that inform our lives. Today, as you move through the day, think about if you are trying to control the outcome or if you are working in harmony with spirit.

Blessings to you,
Sandy