My Pink Roadmap

1. Ask yourself this question. “If you knew you were going to die in a year, would you still be living the life you’re living?” If the answer is no, you might want to rethink things.
2. Identify your desire. If you don’t know which risk you’re dying to take, it’s hard to pleap. Be very specific about what you desire. If you can’t figure out what you do want, get clear on what you DON’T want. That will guide you.
3. Don’t obsess about the Hows. Figure out the Whats and leave the rest to the Universe.
4. Recognize and honor what’s holding you back. Assess your fears to determine whether they’re genuine fears meant to protect you (if I jump off this cliff, I might hit the rocks and die) or irrational fears that are merely holding you back (I might lose everything and people will think I’m crazy).  It’s okay to feel the fear. Just don’t let it rule your decision-making.
5. Think things through to their worst possible outcome. What’s the absolute worst thing that would happen if you took this Pleap? Follow it through in your mind. Most of the time, the nameless, nonspecific fear is greater than the actual worst case scenario. While it sounds pessimistic, doing this can set you free when you realize that the worst possible outcome- while icky- isn’t bad enough to keep you paralyzed.
6. Ignore what everyone else thinks. This is about you and YOUR dreams. If you poll your family, friends, colleagues, and partner, you’re likely to get talked out of your dream.
7. Pray for guidance, then watch for Signs from the Universe. You don’t have to do this alone. Surrender.
8. If you’re not sure whether it’s time to Pleap, wait. When the time is right, it will be evident. You will feel it in your gut.  You will no longer be satisfied with standing on the ledge. If someone pushes you over the edge against your will, spread your wings. FLY.
9. Practice radical self-care while you’re considering Pleaping. Nurture your body, rest your mind, feed your spirit. Pleaping is hard work.
10. Believe in YOU. You can create whatever you desire.  You are powerful beyond measure. If you live in love and act from your heart with pure intention, you will never fall flat on the rocks.

Following the Signs of The Universe
It is no coincidence that things appear in our lives in multiples. Whether it is that book that keeps showing up again and
again, insisting you read it. Or that persons name who keeps coming up around you, or that particular word that relates
to the idea you pushed aside to pursue later; the suggestions of our intuition and gifts from The Universe are all around.

It is in your hands to take charge of these signs or suggestions and run with them. How long will you continue to dismiss these suggestions before you realize the endless opportunities in front of you? When you do decide to act on these suggestions, will the opportunities still be there?

It is easy to think that we know the way we will be most happy. But when we give up control and surrender to The Universe, we open our lives to all that is truly possible. things we never dreamed of.  (Mind you I am mostly talking to myself as well here.)

What You Resists, Persists
One of my most favorite quotes that more than often deems true is "what you resists, persists." This is not necessarily implying that what you resist is actually the way your heart should follow (although in some cases this is true.) It is
merely stating that the longer you choose to work against the flow of life, the longer you will struggle. Somethings are simply out of your power. Things will not always go your way and you cannot control many of the aspects of your life,
except how you react. This is in your power.

My Invitation to You
So Pinkies, what suggestions from The Universe have you been ignoring? How can you choose to learn from your situations at hand versus complaining and resisting them? How can you take on a "go with the flow" attitude?

Nearly five years ago, about the time I began really believing in the power of my thoughts and divine ”coincidences”, I was led to a book called “When God Winks” – How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life. The author writes to the reader, saying “This book will validate your feelings that there’s more to coincidence than meets the eye. It also fosters hope for the dreams of your future by unveiling the wondrous map that has quietly guided you along the paths of your past. God has been winking at you.” –SQuire Rushnell (yes, the Q is supposed to be capitalized). This book was only the beginning of learning to accept the unfolding pages of my life and becoming acutely aware that there are no coincidences.

I am a realtor and have been so for a decade. That’s 10 years of my life people. It is not my dream job….and yet I can tell you with absolute conviction that this is where I am supposed to be for now. The people I have met, ”experts” I have followed (or read their book), the experiences I have had, the tears I have shed, the  difficult choices I’ve had to make, the families I have helped, even the ones who disliked me in the end, have all been part of a journey. Who I am today is barely recognizable to even myself from the person I was 10 years ago. The real issue I have is that I don’t understand my destination. And truly, I’m okay with that most of the time. They says it’s all in the journey anyway.

Yesterday I woke up feeling completely insignificant to humanity. Once again I found myself crying to my husband about life now, and in the future. In these times, my real estate career has suffered a bit and my commitment and enthusiasm have been tested. When I’m not making money, I begin to question my value. I’ve been a working girl since I was 12 years old, and independence may as well be my middle name. And yet, over the last year or so I’ve become somewhat Dependent and have also began to have an interest in other things – acknowledgement, gratitude, joy, inspiration, hope…love. Expressing it, experiencing it and passing it along to whoever will listen and play along. It’s simply amazing to me how people, women in particular, are hurting, feeling under-valued, questioning their validity and purpose and so much more. Speaking of which – I’d like to interject a little comment about “purpose”. I’m not entirely convinced that we have a single purpose in our life. My experience and attention to life is demonstrating to me that our purpose changes with the seasons of our life. So don’t get too hung up if you haven’t yet found your purpose. Just ask yourself what your purpose is in the moment and act on that. Otherwise I promise you a mental breakdown is forthcoming. Annnnywaaaay…..

Yesterday I sat in our monthly PTA meeting for the high school. We are preparing for Red Ribbon Week – a week-long event which promotes kids staying away from drugs. Many high schoolers are planning a pledge activity to avoid drugs and in return being given a raffle ticket to win a red Ipod, for which the PTA will pay for. I decided to reach out to the world of Facebook and Twitter to see if I could find a donor to pay for the Ipod for the cause. Within an hour of my post, I was asked by a friend of mine where to mail the check. I was astounded and grateful and actually questioned whether or not she was sure about that. Her comment to me was”You do good work, and anything I can do to support.”  This morning, completely unrelated, a friend of mine called and said she needed a pep talk and told me she knew I was the one who could help. And yet another person wrote to me today thanking me for my positivity and inspiration. And to think yesterday morning I was feeling unnecessary and worthless.

God winked at me in the last 24 hours, letting me know I am on the right path. And this path I’m on includes my desire to serve, inspire, get involved, encourage, cheer from the sidelines, motivate, and love….. and the reason I know this is because it literally lights me up! Which finally brings me to my point. My message to you is not to preach about how great I am. That is never my intention AT ALL. My intention is to serve as an example, and to remind you (and myself) to follow that inner voice, the one that keeps encouraging you to do the things you love, even though you have no idea how it will pay the bills or serve anyone. Sometimes the breakdowns we experience and the resulting questions that arise are the catalyst to where we should be headed. Appreciate your past, embrace the now, and try your best not to worry too much about the future (note to self). Hold on tightly to the belief and knowing that God is winking at us and there are no coincidences. And sometimes, often, the winks come to us not a single minute before they’re supposed to….and those fleeting moments of certainty help keep us going.

*Wink*

 

I came across this while I was looking for a new Mantra to take one from my Twitter friend, @SplitRockRanch on the website for The Secret. I loved it too much not to share with you Pinkies here.

I Promise Myself:

 To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.

To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet.

To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

Remember the story of King Midas? Everything he touched turned to gold. As great as that may sound, when he touched his son and his son turned to gold he wept.

What does this have to do with Today's Thought and choosing our thoughts wisely? Just as everything King Midas touched turned to gold, everything we think becomes reality. Whether you choose to believe it or not it is a law of the Universe...just as surely as the law of gravity.

We create things and circumstances with our thoughts. While that can be a bit unsettling the first time you actually get it, it is really good news because it means that if you so choose you can change your entire life by simply changing your thoughts.

This phenomenon is called the law of attraction. What you focus on is attracted to you; sounds great, doesn't it? There's just one catch. Because the law of attraction really works, if you focus on something you don't want you will attract it. Because our minds don't recognize the negatives, "I don't want to be late" is translated by your mind as "be late"...and you are likely to be late.

Understanding how your mind works is a real advantage in that, that knowledge can be instrumental in helping you realize your goals, improve your health, and even get that raise that you've been thinking you're not going to get.

Expect the extra income and visualize yourself investing it or spending it on something you really want and the raise is much more likely to be yours.

Nothing comes from nothing so be prepared to combine your thoughts with action and you'll be surprised by the results.

Today's Think Pink Post was brought to you by 'Thought for the Day'

A lot of changes are taking place in my life at the moment. Given, they are gradual and I tend to embrace change, I can’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed. The thought of not knowing what’s going to happen next is exciting, at the same time, a bit stressful. This is me being tested. 

I found it a bit ironic that in the midst of my turmoil yesterday evening (before I decided to take my stress out on the elliptical at the gym) I decided to use the “stumbleupon” feature on my Firefox window and the very first page it took me to was a poem by Robert Frost, “Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Wood.” I remembered this poem from my Sophomore English class in High School and decided to look over it again: 

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
 To where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
 Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.  
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I found inspiration in Robert Frost’s words, a light at the end of the tunnel if you will. The poem was a reminder that life is Journey and can only be as amazing as you decide to make/let it be.

These are the moments when we need to let go, keep focused on what it is that we truly desire in life and let The Universe figure out the how’s and what-not’s. When it boils down to the nitty-gritty all we want is happiness and I already have that. This is the point in the story where I fasten my seat belt, throw my hands in the air, let my hair down and scream with excitement, for the ride of my life is just beginning and I am going to love Every Single Minute of it.