I’ve spent the last few years cleaning out stuff. It’s amazing how much we accumulate over the years. Not just the stuff in our homes, although that can be overwhelming when we really start to look around. There’s also the stuff in our heads. All the useless information and beliefs that we’ve developed throughout our lives. We seem to pick up ideas and beliefs without even realizing that so many of them aren’t ours to begin with. It’s interesting when you sit down and really look at what you believe and why you believe it. Some of it resonates deep within us and we know it to be part of our truth. Some of is is quite surprising and we look around and say where did that come from and why do I accept such a truth? I don’t think many of us take time to complete an inventory of our thoughts and clear out the old antiquated ideas that we’re hardly conscience of. But if we don’t continously look for them and clean them out they become so ingrained in our thinking that we hardly recognize ourselves anymore. How can we expect to improve ourselves and move forward when we have so much junk in the way? How can we be inspired by new and wonderous realizations, when all that old stuff is there blocking our view? So lets get rid of all that dusty old stuff in our heads and make room for our core beliefs to shine through to the world. And let’s make room for the new beliefs that inspire us to walk in balance and beauty and show our true selves to the world.

I was thinking today about how life evolves. In remembering some of the places I’ve lived and people I’ve known I realize that each and every one has added to the fabric of my life. Places and people have come and gone, each one contributing their own uniqueness and memories. Some of these transitions have not been easy, while others were barely given a thought. But each one built somehow on the other, propeling me forward to greater places and things. Old friends dropped away and new friends entered. Jobs came and went. Homes were enjoyed, then left for someone else to make a life in. And for each place, each person, there are memories of times both grand and terrible. But in truth, letting go of these things when they no longer served or were outgrown was beauty in and of itself. There is something about letting go that allows us to breath in the freshness of the unknown and continue to move onward toward newer and better things. Nothing remains static and to hold onto these things serves no useful purpose. Fond memories and gratitude for the road traveled are enough. So treasure each and every memory, good or bad. Realize that you are who you are today because of them. Bless them and let go. Focus on the miracles in your life today and on the memories you’re making right now. Tomorrow, look back, smile, let go and keep moving forward.

All my life I’ve been in love with horses. I begged and begged as a child, but to no avail. I was actually in my 50’s before I got my first horse. A series of synchronistic events as well as a dear friend got me to volunteer as a side walker for a therapeutic horseback riding center. I was in heaven. I couldn’t imagine anything better than being at the barn. Because I’ve worked for the last 25 years with people with disabilities it was a perfect match for me. I didn’t want to be anywhere else, but sadly, bills have to be paid so I continued to work at my “real” job. A few years later my friend and I started our own center and we’ve been so blessed to be successful. However, it’s a not for profit center and nobody gets paid right now, so I continue to work for somebody else and spend my weekends at the barn. When I got my coaching certification I had the brilliant idea to incorporate the horses into my coaching practice. I had no idea how to do this, but diligently researched and studied. I found a couple of well respected teachers who offered programs, then the gremlin reared it’s ugly head. “You’re too old” it said. “You can’t afford it, how stupid to even consider such a thing.” Hummm. “ You’re not good enough” he told me. “You’ll never make it work. You’ll look like a fool. No one will be interested in your brilliant idea.” After a short struggle I finally managed to shut him up and enrolled in one of the courses. It starts this week and I’m so thrilled and excited. I know that I will have all the support I need to be successful and finally realize one of my biggest dreams. I mention this because I want you to understand that you’re never too old to do what you want to do. That gremlin in your head is a trickster who definitely doesn’t have your best interest at heart. It’s OK to be afraid. The point is to push through the fear and do it anyway. It’s OK to be old. Old is just a number and nothing more. It’s OK to ask for help when you can’t figure it out for yourself. People love to help. Gets the serotonin flowing. So what is it you’ve always wanted to do and what’s your excuse for not doing it? Are you doing to make that dream come true or spend whatever time you have left full of regrets? Take it from me….it’s so much more fun to just go for it. Besides, life’s about the adventure of the journey, not your destination.

Has anyone told you today how wonderful and amazing you are? It’s true in spite of what the little gremlin in your head might want you to believe. You are a magnificent manifestation of spirit right here, right now, just the way you are. You are beautiful beyond belief. A star shining brightly. A lantern in the night leading the way home for some weary traveler. A jewel gleeming brilliantly. A flower with it’s face to the sun. Forget the little gremlin, forget the mirror that allows you to see only imperfections (which are beautiful too, by the way), forget the grumpy boss, the dissatisfied co-worker, the guy next door who makes you feel small, less, not good enough. It’s not true. You are better than good enough. You are GREAT! Celebrate your astounding self. There is no one else like you. There is no one else with your thoughts, feelings, ideas. There has never been and never will be anyone just like you. You are one of a kind. A delight. A treasure. Thank you for being you. And in case no one else has told you lately, allow me to say that you are beautiful, wonderful, and amazing just the way you are. You are loved and cherished. I love you just because you’re you.

How often do you express gratitude. I don’t mean just saying a polite thank you, I mean real gratitude, from your heart. Do you ever think about it really, how many things you have to be grateful for? We take so many things for granted. We walk in a room and flip on the light without ever thinking about the miracle of electricity. We run to the store and fill our carts without ever considering what it took to get the food there in the first place. We hop in our cars, on a bus, or on a train and never give it a second thought. And what about flying. Good grief! How crazy is it that we can sit in a chair, two or three miles in the air and go 500 miles an hour? Television is still in it’s infancy compared to transportation, yet we can sit in our living rooms holding a small box in our hands and watch hundreds of channels. Do you ever think about how many people it takes for these things to happen? It’s astounding when you start to break it down and look at the multitudes of people and skills needed for just one of these things. We tend to forget, I think, that all of these miracles don’t just appear. There are lots of people working hard, doing their part every day. There is a lot of new technology available, but somebody had to think of it first. Then it had to be developed and delivered. So next time you flip a switch, hop in your car, channel surf, or buy groceries, say thank you. Thank you for all the wonderous things available to you each and every day and all the people that make it possible for you to live so well. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to say thank you to all the people in your life, your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers for doing their jobs and making your life better.

Are you too busy to take care of yourself? Most of us say we are. We have too many responsibilities, too many things on our to do list, too many people who are counting on us. Hmmm……let’s think about this for a minute It’s like saying you’re too busy to stop and get gas for your car. You know you have to have gas or you can’t go anywhere, right? What happens when your car runs out of fuel? You are forced to stop and make that embarassing call for help or take a hike to the gas station. It probably takes longer to do that than to have stopped to fill up in the first place. Same thing happens in life. When your physical or emotional fuel gage runs low, you have to refuel. If you don’t you are forced to stop and ask for help or wallow miserably in the bed for a few days. Or even end up in the hospital. How does this serve you or anyone else for that matter? If you think you’re too busy to refuel, then you probably really, really need to do just that. Whether you choose to meditate regularly, hit the gym several times a week, walk in the park, read a book, or take a long soak in the tub without distractions, it’s time to take care of yourself and refuel. You don’t have to do it all. You can learn to say no to some of the stuff that’s not that important. You can learn to say yes to you. Because you need it. You deserve it. And keeping your physical and emotional fuel gauge filled allows you to do the things that need doing without risking having to stop just when you’re needed most. So the next time you find yourself saying you’re too busy to take care of you, think about what happens if you don’t. Make some time to honor yourself exquisite and wonderful self and fill up your tank on a regular basis.

What if? How many times do you say this to yourself? If you’re dreaming of possibilities and ready to move forward to a better place then by all means, keep saying it. By that I mean something like what if I could start my own business, go back to school, learn to do something new, be a better person, help more people etc. etc. Now…get up and start doing something about it. But, if like most people you’re spending your time thinking about what if things had been different or what if I had done this or that or said this or that instead, or what if I lose my house, spouse, friends, money, whatever, then it’s time to change your thinking. I saw a quote the other day that said “ you are not your past, but who you choose to be right now.” I love this quote. While it’s true that our past shaped us into who we are today by our experiences, too many of us get stuck in who we were or who we thought we wanted to be. Stuck in the what if things had been different mode. Or afraid to change because what if something bad happens or because we might fail, or because someone else won’t approve. The simple truth is that none of us are who we were yesterday. Each day our experiences shape us into who we are today. And today we as always, we have a choice about who we are and what we do with our lives. We have a choice about how we respond to people and situations. We have a choice to change things that aren’t working. So what if instead of dwelling on something you can’t change or worring about something that may never happen, you start thinking about possibilities? What if you let go of regret, shame, guilt and fear and start chosing who you are right now? What if today you decide to just accept those things you can’t change and enjoy the way things are or change the things you don’t like? What if?