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.

Many things have happened in the past twelve hours that have stirred my emotions. I got my message from the universe (hopefully some will know what I'm talking about) and it said: "What if the word victim could be redefined into something closer to hero, Heather, recognizing that the paths some have tread will spare others from the same? Save the day again Heather!". I've never really thought of myself as a victim. I guess that's never been something I've really used to describe myself and the trials in my life. It got me thinking.

We are all, at times, classified as victims. Victims of our circumstances, but it's what we choose to do with those circumstances that is key. Will I choose to make myself into a hero? Will I see it as an opportunity to make a difference in my life and then the lives of others? Most of you from personal experience know that one small action has a way of rippling out and touching the lives of people you don't even mean to, some you'll never even come in contact with. Some things that you've set into motion, you'll never know the true effect. Just imagine the possibilities!

Its hard sometimes, not to let myself fall 'victim' to my circumstances, to my past, to my present. It's hard to keep reminding myself that the past and the future are just an illusion (thanks Megan for the reminder, been on my mind since our chat) and all I have is right now, this moment and I should appreciate it and live in it. It becomes difficult at times not to let my circumstances envelope me and take me to the depth that only evil can, but I feel that sometimes we have to reach those depths, the ones where we don't think we are going to survive, because when we do, our outlook is so much different. Almost like a light turning on, or at least that's what happened with me, once I saw it, I knew I could never un-see it. Its stuck forever in my mind....

And then the changing begins, it always starts with us, our actions, our thoughts. Which for me, was, and at times still is the hardest thing to realize, that I had and have to continually change, break those old habits, that I need to make my mind over. It's almost like somethings taken over, changed me piece by piece. I know I still have a long journey ahead of me, to be ultimately proud of all my actions. I still have moments where I cants stand what I think, how I feel, how I react or what I say. When I let my pain, fear, and frustration well up and spill out onto the things and people in my life that aren't connected to that damaged part in me. To those moments that made me who I am, and are a part of who I will end up being. I've realized that having those broken parts won't forever make me broken...sometimes I don't recognize who I use to be, and I like that, I like knowing that with choices I made, I was able to make my life move in a better direction.

So for now I press on, continue trying, no matter how many times I stumble, I know who and what I want to be, which is a gentle, loving person, who can change peoples lives in a positive way, how I get there exactly....well I'm not sure, but I'm excited to find out. So until I can get all the evil parts out of me. All those moments that somehow seem to take over my being, I'm going to choose differently. I'm going to choose to focus on the glorious moments, those moments like getting my hair done with Stevi, getting Shanika's hair done :), meeting someone of like spirit, hanging out with my girlfriends, reading encouraging words that touch my spirit and impact my life, finally going to school, flowers from someone special! All those little moments that make life fantabulous! Because if you think about it, that's all we have.... moments....and I want to make the most of mine. We all know how that butterfly effect goes, something small turns into a mountain moved. Set your intention today, what are you going to do to make a difference in the moments you have left?

And finally, I'd like to leave you with two of my favorite quotes from Mahatma Gandi.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes."

So what are you thinking about?

<3 wink! Meow!

Heather~Lucky