Never a dull moment

If you decide, in your mind, that your life will never be dull, you may be surprised at the kinds of risks you will be willing to take.  Would you like to evolve so that you no longer feel hindered by self-doubt? Wonder how to muster the courage to do something you've never done before? Stop the waiting game.

A fantastic place to start is to ask yourself who told you something was wrong with you? Who persuaded you that you couldn't do things? Who told you your hopes aren't possible? Even if people exert effort to dissuade you, ultimately, you choose to believe you can do things or not. Yes, that's right! Its you. Learn to jump mental hurdles. You can do what you set your mind to do. The potential is always inside you.

One example in my life was an impulsive move to join a former boyfriend on a trip with his parents. At the time, I was studying in the south of France and had little money. Let’s say, I learned to do more with less. Low and behold, my attention was drawn to a ‘last minute flight deal.’ A close friend thought I was nuts! So much for my hard-earned pennies. I bought a non-refundable ticket and set out for a memorable adventure. I flew to north to Paris (France)-over to London (UK), across the Atlantic to Miami (USA) and caught a connector to the Caribbean.

As it happened, I missed a flight and was re-routed. Little did I know the computer system assumed that since I didn't board one of my scheduled planes, it automatically cancelled my whole return itinerary. Imagine my dismay when I was supposed to be on the same plane as my 'then boyfriend' and his parents back to Florida. Yet, I was told I couldn’t board. We didn’t have the chance to say good bye. My reaction? I got creative. Although all the other flights out that day from the island to Miami were supposedly over-sold, I talked my way onto the next connection. I sat with a stewardess in the rear. Did I relay a story of anticipation! She urged me on.

Once in Miami, I disembarked and ran between terminals. I passed a security check not meant for me in light of my tickets, and scurried past 5 gates to arrive at the gate of interest. This memory reminds me of a frantic scene in the film Broadcast News. I didn't slide under tables or filing cabinets, but I knew haste. You may too?

Much to my chagrin, my boyfriend's plane had already boarded and was preparing to depart. In sheer desperation, I calmly shared my story to the two attendants at the gate. Luckily, the guy and girl were 'sentimental types.' They opted to make an on-board PA announcement for my boyfriend to come off the plane. I have no clue what he or his parents thought when they heard it, except perhaps, “what the???” I sensed their conservative bewilderment grew into pure curiosity and then, absolute awe.

One of those sentimental attendants accompanied me down the tunnel to the plane door. When my boyfriend appeared and saw me, he looked at me in disbelief then, smiled. I hunched my shoulders and said, “I simply wanted to give you a proper goodbye.” What a memorable kiss and embrace! I had imagined the end of a romantic film script. I just decided to make it real.

As the attendant escorted me out of the tunnel, I was grateful for the emotional roller coaster. I think he felt he had done a good deed. It was before 9/11 when security measures were different. The plane shut its door and headed for the runway. I headed for the terminal I was supposed to be in and had a great chat with a former hockey-player turned airline employee. He kindly reworked my flight itineray so that I could get back to school.

After four flights, a long stopover and late connection, I ended up missing my train. Funny, I met up with a friendly foreign student in the same predicament. I intuited it would be safe to hitchhike with him, albeit after midnight. That memorable experience and ride lasted a few hours, but I'll have to leave that for another entry.

Admittedly, it takes courage to live life to the fullest. Adrenalin helps. I sense that certain kinds of risks will be worth it. I believe and then, they are. Young love may compel wild decision-making, even if a relationship isn't meant to last. No matter what the outcome, we can always choose to learn from risk-taking, Is yours worth it?

The biggest risk ever follow-up

How you perceive risk changes.  After you take a risk and like a result, you become increasingly fearless.  You may take new risks that surpass previous limits. Your thoughts create a new frequency. Since increasing confidence enables you to feel good, as you choose to celebrate good feelings, you create conditions that keep you on track with your deepest desires.  Everything you think brings you your future.  

As it is, each decision I make about risk-taking in romance reinforces the law of attraction. The law doesn't care if you think certain conditions would be good for you or not, what you think about happens. This is a law of nature that brings you whatever you've been thinking about, in my case, that has been adventure, travel and love.  What other people would or wouldn't do in your shoes is irrelevant.

In the posting, "The biggest risk ever," I explained how the Universe brought me an opportunity for a special romance. The Universe likes speed, and I respond to instinct.  I realized my life was in my hands.  I visualized feelings I desired. I knew what was happening to me wasn't wishful thinking.  My mind was shaping my relationship at exactly the right time. I loved myself and was attracting love my way.

After my impulsive train trip through France, Switzerland and Italy, a memorable third date, anticipation continued to build. I returned to Canada and felt my thoughts were very powerful. People remarked I was different, that I seemed to glow. Inside, I wished to do what it took to sustain my incredible feelings. This invited a chain reaction that focused on a result and devalued the influence of risk.

I realized I could have fun with this. To become aware truly made me the master of my thoughts. The power of love enabled me to reframe taking risks as necessary to prove I could overcome fears.  My mind voluntarily focused on high frequencies.  By listening to what others told me was possible, I hadn't found what I sought before.   

While attending the wedding of a family friend with 200 guests, why was it in the crowd that I was drawn to a conversation involving 2 people discussing Australian hospitality? Why was it that for the pre-arranged dinner, I was seated between a couple who married in Melbourne and had their son in Melbourne? A few days later, why did I turn on the radio and hear about Australian spider collecting? Why did I watch a tv program with 3 references to 'Down Under,' including a message written on a truck: "come to Australia?" Each day, what I chose to see reinforced my belief.  I asked the Universe what I wanted and it offered me its answer.  I simply listened. 

Experience shows what we think about and focus on most becomes our life.   After the train trip, I devoted part of each day to my relationship.  Dialogue enabled us to sense we were on the same wavelength. For example, I asked him to answer 42 questions (part of a draft manuscript). He agreed.  When I received his email, I emailed my answers. Why was it most of our responses were almost identical? When he wrote a questionnaire to add to my book, we both answered it and discovered similar answers. To feel grateful for each other reduced our sense of risk. 

It came as no surprise to me that Rhonda Byrne is Australian.  The release of her best-selling book The Secret outlined a process I have been living.  We determine whether we'll accept society's view of risk.  If you believe, the greater the love you feel, the greater the power you harness, and the more rewarding the manifestation.

Within 6 months of meeting my soul mate, events unfolded that led me to move over 18,000 km. We've been together two and a half years. Each day gets better. Looking back, we both admit how our choice to believe in what we wanted justified rethinking risk and not permitting fear to control us. We're the result of our dreams.

Time to rethink judgement

I've met people who complain about how fear controls their lives and prevents them from taking risks they assume would lead to greater fulfillment.  Nonetheless, they continue making thought and life choices that reinforce feeling fearful.  They associate fear with their own pain and suffering, yet remain unaware of what they can do.  The time you have can be used to shift your own judgement.

It's ineffective to ask other people to release you from your inner fear.  Only you can release yourself from what you create.  You may simply underestimate the power you have to change. Don't know where to start?  Here are some suggestions;

1) Tell yourself fear doesn't exist.  Write it down.  Say it aloud.  Make decisions that force you to face sources of fear.  Easier said than done, you say? Well, it begins in your mind.  You may not yet understand the power of thoughts and how you can take steps to transform them. Only when you're ready will you decide to think and create a different way of seeing and living your life. When will you begin?

2) Realize the law of cause and effect.  By choosing fear, this state of mind naturally effects the state of your life.  Think of it this way: what if fear causes you to misperceive everyone and everything, to underestimate your abilities and potential, to hold yourself back without good reason? It pays to rethink your freedom to choose.  What would it take to stop believing in the power of something which doesn't exist? After all, you conjured it up.  Ask yourself why.

3) To focus on error is to reinforce error.  As a child, you may have imagined ghosts in your closet that made you afraid at night.  When you called out for your parents, they would tell you that you had no reason to feel afraid because those scary images were only in your mind.   If you had not been given reason to correct your thinking, you may have gone on just as you were.  Yet, you were encouraged to correct yourself and move to a new state of mind.  You can do this, even now.

4) Understand what is worthy.  To imprison your mind is to convince yourself that you will be punished for taking certain courses of action.  In order to discover inner peace, you need to learn not to frighten yourself with projections.  Choose instead to think about what is positive, creative, and good.  If you're tempted to succomb to fear, replace them with warm, lovable feelings.  Don't know the difference? Find out!

The beginning or the end?

How many people do you know who are willing to give up everything they have come to know for a dream? More often than not, people tend to lean toward comfort zones, things they've always done and people they've almost always known.  What would compel you to go further or do things differently than before?  You can't change what you didn't do but the future is up to you.

For some people, life begins when they start something new.  For others, life as they know it seems to end. Taking a risk doesn't have to be scary.  Exhilaration can actually be stimulating.  Your mindset and attitude are the result of choices.  You decide consciously and unconsciously what you want and then proceed to live your life accordingly.

Consider a man who contemplated attending his highschool reunion. It would've been a 50 year event for him, if he had gotten himself together to go.  He was interested to find out what had happened to an old girlfriend.  He decided he could get the information 'through the grapevine.'  Why is it that people allow fear to control their choices? What will you do next time?

Opportunity is knocking

Wherever you are, ask yourself how you could open your senses wider than you already have done.  What experiences do you think about, but hesitate to get involved or follow through? What prevents you from moving forward? Opportunity is always knocking.  All you must do is find a door and decide to open it.

1) What risks are you willing to take?: You may be familiar with desirable experiences that would appeal or possibly stengthen you.  Its easy enough to make a list of things you want or people you wish to meet, but take it a step further.  Ask yourself what are you willing to sacrifice to realize these desirable experiences.  What you're willing to give up and why measures the value you sense in things.  

2) How can you tell?  You may be unconvinced that opportunities exist for you. People may try to tell you about the limits of your abilities, or why experiences you would like to have are supposedly 'out-of- reach.' You are the only person who can determine what opportuntities exist for you.  They begin inside your mind.  How desperately you hope to perceive and experience influences your faith in the future, which events will unfold, and which opportunities you will learn to create. 

3) Where is the courage?  Perceived risk may be seen as a measure of your fear.  As you evolve to sense new, enriching experiences are meant for you, the next step is to find the courage to reach out and seize them.  You have an unlimited amount of courage inside yourself.  This is as accessible as you convince yourself it is. 

4) When will you be true to yourself?  In order to feel comfortable and confident about taking risks, you would really benefit from getting-to-know yourself.  This requires the will to explore your interests and to be honest with yourself.  As you grow to accept your true passions, you will no longer perceive certain choices as being risks at all, but as necessities to stay true to yourself and to feel alive.