Archive for November, 2009.
Do you have a list of things you want to do before you leave this lifetime? The 2007 movie called “The Bucket List” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman made this concept a bit more popular with many people.
Well, I just took one thing off my Bucket List this past weekend. Many of you know I enjoy hiking and that I’m a great fan of the Grand 
Canyon. I put them together last Saturday, hiking down the South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge to enjoy the splendor of being in the Grand Canyon, lower down and further in than I’d ever been before.
It was a very windy morning, making it feel chillier than the actual 40 degrees Fahrenheit / 5 degrees Celsius. I knew that when we went over the Rim and started down the trail that it would lessen the wind and warm up as we went down. However, at several points over on the trail, the wind was so strong it nearly blew us over. When you are on the edge of this great chasm, you don’t want to lose your footing!
I shared the trip with two close friends, which made the experience richer and more vibrant. It was as if I had two more sets of eyes to see the magnificence before us. With so much to take in, being with others helped point out things I missed or what they saw differently than me.
Overall, it was a test of my body. Many highly sensitive individuals realize that their physical strength and endurance are not equal to others who are not highly sensitive. Yet, that’s not a reason to give in. I’ve learned that I can do what I want if I only do it my way and at my own pace. Slow and steady is my pattern in whatever I do.
And the more I take on, the more my body conditions itself to what I ask of it. Other less strenuous hikes I’ve taken have left me with sore muscles and feeling very worn down. I came back from this one feeling the strain of my backpack loaded with water but not much else. No sore feet or aching muscles this time. Instead, I feel on overall tiredness, but I find something satisfying in that! 
Want to create your own Bucket List? Simply start a list of everything you want to do, have, be or experience before you leave this life. Add things each day. Build it up to be as long as you can get it. 100 items? 250 items? More? It’s possible. All the while, you are exercising your desire, allowing your heart and spirit to tell you what they want. That connection is precious and one that leads you to all that is good for you.
Actually, I don’t really think I took something off my Bucket List, because quickly after checking this one off, I added another item: Going further down the South Kaibab Trail. Ah, are we ever done feeling all of our desires? I doubt it.
Life has its tough trails. Stay your course, do it your way, and you will make it.
Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to all US readers!
To work with Sarah in a one-to-one confidential relationship that brings you confidence, self-esteem and inner peace, contact her to explore your promising future
For more of what Sarah has to offer about living an inner-inspired life, visit InnerVantage
The spirit of the Inner Adventurer can easily become crushed and lifeless. Then, it’s all too easy to give up.
Can you think of a time in your life when your vision or dream was shattered? Perhaps it came from a major external event. Possibly someone with whom you shared your dream diminished it with their opinion or told you it was not likely to happen, maybe that it was downright impossible.
What was your reaction? Tarnished and stepped on, it might have been very difficult to see the glimmer and sparkle of your dream again. Still, if it is truly a dream or vision, you held it tightly, dusted off the dirt or stains and polished it up again to its gleaming best.
I remember when I first announced to my family that I was shutting down my consulting business to train to be a coach and start an internet-related business that went with it. I dreamed of contacts from around the world, e-products that helped people and knew deep down inside that this was the ideal step for me.
Talk about lead balloons! My enthusiasm was dashed with the disappointment of my family. My mother hung her head and pooh-poohed my ideas. My dad sat speechless. My brother was neither encouraging nor discouraging as he shrugged his shoulders and counted all the internet infrastructure I would need to master. My dad later that day shared that they wanted me to go back and get my Master’s degree and this was not what they wanted for me.
I brushed their reaction off on the outside, but was crushed on the inside. I was also a bit angry at myself for sharing it, because they have never supported anything I wanted. “Just do it,” my heart reflected while my mind was re-evaluating my choices based on what I’d heard.
You know what I chose. Here it is nearly a decade later and I have no regrets. Guess what? I have the contacts from around the world and the e-products, as well as wonderful clients who lift me up each day. It hasn’t been easy all the time, but it’s my dream. I picked it up and started on my way. And still today, I polish up that dream as the world evolves, delivering new lessons and opportunities.
Our Inner Adventurer dreams are tender and fragile. When they engage our hearts, our dreams can be all too easily broken or our spirit deterred. The key is to hold on tight, listening to the world, valuing its feedback, adjusting where needed, but never…never, I say…leaving your dream behind. After all, it is your dream and nothing can take it away from you.
Which dream can you engage today?
To work with Sarah in a one-to-one confidential relationship that brings you confidence, self-esteem and inner peace, contact her to explore your promising future
For more of what Sarah has to offer about living an inner-inspired life, visit InnerVantage
Many people talk about being in the flow and how wonderful it can be. They speak of synchronicities and seeing opportunities. It is a time of feeling connected to each moment with delight and ease.
What if the flow isn’t so gentle, but instead more like raging rapids? What happens to the opportunities and to the delight in the face of chaos, increasing demands and sudden shifts?
That’s what life has felt like for me recently. I can remember looking at my November schedule back in October. I saw lots of unprogrammed time where I could create and write. It looked delightful and felt that way, too.
Then somehow, all that time evaporated. My days have been chock full of things to do and places to be. It feel hectic and out of control. I am getting more tired and worn down.
And it doesn’t seem to be ending either. Take last week, for example. I tried to get on to a special guided day trip to the three Hopi (Native American) Mesas in northeast Arizona. My reservation was late, so I was put on the waiting list. I’d made my peace with not going and was looking forward to a day to complete things I’d started.
The day before the trip, early in the morning, I got a call that someone had cancelled and I could go on the trip. I checked in with my inner guidance and it signaled that I should take this opportunity. I had less than 24 hours to prepare – think it through and pack what I’d need for a 12-hour bus trip in the rain – as well as get my responsibilities done for that day, too.
One thing is for certain: life will take its twists and turns. The flow shifts, just as it will shift back again at some point. I’ve come to understand that it is not about whether the shifts happen. It matters more what you do when they happen. So here are a few tips to help you navigate the shifts of flow (these also work as great tips to manage holiday stress):
Say “Yes” to yourself first: Self-care matters more when things get busy. And it’s all too easy to set it aside in favor of other things. These are not times for shortcuts, so I encourage you to stay the course with your self-care routine, or even bolster it a bit more than usual to accommodate increasing demands.
Practice saying “No” to more things: I find that when life gets into those hyper-busy modes it is partially because I’ve relaxed my ability to say “No” to things. Be vigilant about saying “Yes” to all your Essentials (those things that make you whole and feel wonderful from the inside out, like your self-care) and saying “No” more often to all those “Nice to Have or Do” things.
Finish what is incomplete: Life can simply feel overly full when your To-Do List is too long and still growing. Look for things you’ve left incomplete and find ways to bring them to completion. With fewer things to manage, life always feels better.
Learn to live in the present moment. You can create your own turbulence when you try to live in the past or in the future. Guilt, blame and resentment can signal you are in the past, while worry or anxiety tells you that you are living in the future. Only happiness, satisfaction and contentment can be felt in the present moment. So be present…NOW! 
For Inner Adventurers, the most important connection is with their inner flow, especially in times of outer chaos. Inner peace is always available. It is reassuring and it can shift how you handle what is creating your turbulent times. So when you are riding the raging rapids of life, connect to yourself and see that all is well. Delight and opportunity return.
How do you engage in the flow?
To work with Sarah in a one-to-one confidential relationship that brings you confidence, self-esteem and inner peace, contact her to explore your promising future
For more of what Sarah has to offer about living an inner-inspired life, visit InnerVantage
I believe we are each complete within ourselves when we enter this life. It’s the journey through all our experiences that causes us to come to understand that as being true.
Each challenge asks for something from us. Often times, we don’t know what it is or how to respond. So we commonly find pain or suffering as we go through the experience of understanding how to respond. When we do act, we get to discover and test all that we are and all that we can become.
No matter how much something hurts or how uncomfortable it is in the moment, we are all fully capable of a masterful response. Getting to that point can take time, though.
And that’s where I am right now. I sense a stirring within me. Something is calling and I’m not quite sure what it is. It feels like a tension asking to be resolved and I trust it will be revealed to me. Still, I know it’s not ready…yet.
So not knowing what it is leaves a big question about what to do. My only answer so far is to hold the intention of loving myself in whatever I experience these days. I want to honor where I am and coax out what wants to be seen. Love is the only answer.
I’ve been accepting the tension and acknowledging it, allowing it to be just as it is. Therefore, I’m being kind and gentle with myself, knowing that I need extra rest now because my waking hours are devoted to feeling the tension.
I’m also being curious about it and aware of anything new that comes to me. I question it and await answers. Quiet hours alone help me much now, too. I’m easing up on my schedule as much as possible and looking at other tensions more quickly, like tolerating anything out of whack. Instead of letting it slip under the radar, they get resolved quickly.
I’m also grounding myself. I’ve taken to walking around the house barefoot when I can. I’m also getting out into nature with the warm fall weather that is present. I’m cooking and working with my hands. And I’ve renewed my great love of music. Each of these things helps my move the energy and notice something new.
Inner Adventurers don’t back away from tension or inner turmoil. So many others would try to dull the ache or distress. Instead, we let it incubate and grow to find out what it really is. We are more interested in the long-term meaning than in the short-term discomfort. Any other way wouldn’t stimulate our interest.
What do you let incubate?
Open Forum Q&A Call with Sarah on Tuesday, November 17. Ask questions about your sensitivity or introversion Register here
To work with Sarah in a one-to-one confidential relationship that brings you confidence, self-esteem and inner peace, contact her to explore your promising future
For more of what Sarah has to offer about living an inner-inspired life, visit InnerVantage
None of us are immune from overwhelm. It’s everywhere and it affects nearly everyone in some way. However, hold onto your hat if you are a highly sensitive person (HSP). It can be a totally gripping experience.
Yesterday for me was just one of those days that wouldn’t quit. I did my usual Thursday hike with friends, went to lunch with them, came home to work for just an hour or so and then got ready to share dinner with East Coast friends who were in town. When I got back from dinner, I had to tidy up, shut down the computer and do a few other things before bedtime. Needless to say, I missed my usual routine before bed of restful relaxing and letting go of all that happened during the day.
So I finally got to bed, yet not to sleep for about 2 more hours. As I felt my weary body, my heart was pounding. I could feel my whole circulatory system throbbing with heartbeat. Boom. Boom. Boom. My frazzled nervous system was showing me it had taken enough.
Now, some of you may think that what I did wasn’t much at all. Everything is relative, though. For the highly sensitive person, even a little can upset their nervous system. It all depends on how much we are used to doing and how we take it all in.
No whining or complaining about it from me. I know my sensitivity brings me much pleasure and so many gifts. It’s all worth these more difficult moments that are inevitable. I just like to make them as far apart as possible.
Knowing how to cope with their body’s reactions is essential for any HSP to thrive. So I started into some of my techniques to release what my body was holding onto so I could slip off into sleep. What I’ve discovered is to use the present moment to get to sleep. The process I’ve been using has three parts:
First, I contract my energy field. Perhaps you haven’t noticed this for yourself, but most of us tend to focus our attention outside of our bodies. We are most sensitive to that “personal space” within 4 feet of our skin. [One of my energetically connected friends even has an exercise to expand your energy as big as the entire cosmos. Now that’s BIG!]
So, to get to sleep, I pull in my energy to limits of my body. I feel cozy and comfortable between the sheets with my energy focus only going as far as my skin. There is no world beyond that.
Next, I tune into my senses. I feel my face on the pillowcase. I take in the smell of my hand cream or the scent of the fabric softener in the sheets. I listen to the crickets chirping in constant rhythm. My eyes sense on the inside of my eyelids and that helps center me within my contracted energy field.
Finally, I repeat a phrase to settle my active mind. Sometimes, I’ll concentrate on my breathing and repeat “Sleep” with each exhale. Other times, I say Louise Hay’s affirmation for insomnia from her famous book, You Can Heal Your Life, which goes “I lovingly release the day and slip into peaceful sleep, knowing tomorrow will take care of itself.” How beautiful and accepting!
Notice how this statement puts you in the present moment. You release whatever has happened and let the future be unto itself. What will be, will be. It puts you in the here and now, ready to get to sleep.
Slowly, I drifted off to sleep and woke up early, feeling refreshed and nearly normal. I wouldn’t trade my sensitivity for the world!
Inner Adventurers are often highly sensitive, too. Learning to make peace with your body is essential to enjoying life. Soothing and calming practices, like what I’ve described here, certainly help to ease your body’s burden when you can’t stop the onslaught of life.
What practices have you discovered to help you cope?
Open Forum Q&A Call with Sarah on Tuesday, November 17. Ask questions about your sensitivity or introversion Register here
To work with Sarah in a one-to-one confidential relationship that brings you confidence, self-esteem and inner peace, contact her to explore your promising future
For more of what Sarah has to offer about living an inner-inspired life, visit InnerVantage
The calendar is slowly slipping into the holiday time of the year. That’s a particularly tricky time for Inner Adventurers.
Why? Because the demands placed on us – and those willingly or unknowingly accepted – tax our energies. Preparations, social gatherings and less sunlight can tend to drag us down.
So what’s an Inner Adventurer to do? I encourage you to become more sensitive to your own personal needs. With your needs as your compass, you hardly ever go awry.
Here’s my own example: I’ve had a particularly demanding October. I lead a new tele-series on behavior styles and it has gone amazingly well. I kept up with all other business responsibilities, too. And I had an unusually active personal schedule on top of all of it. I missed my rest for several weekends in a row and I felt it. It really did feel like the holidays for me, even though they are a few months away.
As last Friday came, I had little interest in more work. My heart wanted to play and enjoy life. I’ve tried to perform work when I’ve felt like this is the past. It turns out to be low quality and I become full of resentment for what I love to do. Not worth it at all!
So on Friday, I surrendered to my desire to play, even though there were several pressing responsibilities for work because of the change of months. And play I did for three days. I danced to music, nurtured my garden and plants, enjoyed the warmth of the sun, got plenty of rest, made some plans for the new year, sent an overdue letter with pictures to family and relished in the change of seasons. Today, I feel renewed and eager to reduce my To-Do List and everything is flowing nicely.
Inner Adventurers have keen awareness. Yet, they can still fall prey to helping others or being too involved in the outside world at the sacrifice of their inner happiness or well-being. Yet, when you engage with a light heart, accepting your own needs as part of life, it flows. Your energy springs up to meet the moment and you shine.
Filling your needs doesn’t have to be messy or demanding when you keep a wary eye on them and listen to their call for attention. Catching them early is part of the key to keeping them in check.
How well are you listening for your needs?
Open Forum Q&A Call with Sarah on Tuesday, November 17 Register here
To work with Sarah in a one-to-one confidential relationship that brings you confidence, self-esteem and inner peace, contact her to explore your promising future
For more of what Sarah has to offer about living an inner-inspired life, visit InnerVantage
