Lamisha Serf-Walls

Line Up And Watch It Unfold

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I have reached an epiphany of sorts.  Actually I have reached this epiphany several times in my life about various things and yet each time it seems new.  It doesn’t mean that I am a slow learner necessarily, but it does mean that I am always learning new things.  Lucky for me I am an avid student in the classroom of life looking to absorb whatever enlightening information I can.  I also love sharing that knowledge with others, hence me taking on a coaching/writer/teacher role in many areas of my life.

The grand epiphany is this…

Set the intention, line up with it, and watch it unfold.

Before you actually do anything you have a thought.  You think about what you want to do or many times you have an emotional reaction that causes the thought to take form.  For instance, you may realize you really don’t like the job you are in.  You have an emotional response to the job which leads to thoughts of what you can do about it, which later leads to action.

Thought is also used to set an intention.  In the above example the intention would be to leave the unhappy job to find one that is better.  Easy enough right?

But then what???

You have to line yourself up with your intention and this doesn’t necessarily mean line up with it through action.  I have found inspired action is the best way to move forward toward our goals and dreams.  It seems to be the path of least resistance in some ways and feels better overall.  However, if you are like me (a bit of a controller), you may find yourself losing patience with the next inspired step as you try to force it to happen.  I have found that generally doesn’t work and if it does work, it makes it seem very difficult.

Lining up with your intention means to put yourself in a space that allows you to be inspired both physically and energetically.  It may involve you meditation, doing yoga, or writing.  It might also involve you making a conscious choice about who you spend your time with.  You may decide a certain person or group of people bring you out of your positive alignment and can become the voice of your Dream Crusher.  If this is the case, find others that will uplift and inspire you.  If you don’t know anyone, spending time alone can also create the space you need for Divine Inspiration to move you.  Some other ideas may include visualizing your intention, practicing positive affirmations, reading inspiring books, listening to inspirational music, or getting creative.  The key is to keep your focus positive and to protect your intention as much as you can.

As you begin to line up with your intentions in a positive way, you will likely experience some amazing synchronicity and your intention will begin to take shape almost effortlessly as you follow your inspired thoughts.  For instance, in the job scenario I described above, you might get a call from a friend seemingly out of the blue telling you about a new job that you are the perfect fit for.  You may find yourself “stumbling” across articles, people, and other resources that lead you to the very next step in your journey and you weren’t actively looking for it.  I like to call these inspirational nuggets.  They are the little crumbs that effortlessly lead you along your path and when you continually line up with your intentions, you begin to realize your dreams can and will unfold perfectly.

This grand idea of letting go and lining up with your intentions is not new news.  It should be common knowledge, however I often find myself wanting to move things along much faster and in doing so, I create more frustration than I need.  When I consistently get out of my own way by lining up with what I want, things unfold almost magically.  And while I have seen evidence of this time and time again, I am almost certain there will be other situations where I find myself re-learning this lesson.

I would love to hear how you allow yourself to line up with your intentions.  What do you do to allow things to unfold naturally?  Please share in the comments below.

Dreamer Highlight: Eyoälha of Jump For Joy! Photo Project

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This week I wanted to take the time to highlight one very unique blog I follow.  I first found the Jump For Joy! Photo Project through one of Lilou Mace’s interviews and I was struck by the simple joy the founder Eyoälha is able to capture.  I chose her for this week’s Dreamer Highlight because she has taken something that brings her so much joy and turned it into an incredibly creative project that makes her happy.  She proves that following your dream can be as simple as just doing what you love.

What she is doing:  Eyoälha is “Showcasing the beauty of the human spirit – in mid-air – around the world!”  She has taken something she loves (photography) and turned in into a project that follows other creative, soulful, inspirational people doing great things in the world and capturing their joy on film to be used later in a book.  I love the fact that her photography not captures the joy of others, but also invokes joy in those that follow her work.  She brings joy with her in every photo she shares as she inspires others to find their own joy in life.

How she did it:  She simply took her vision, her camera, and her passion on the road.  She created a blog to share her journey as she travels all over the world to take pictures of inspirational people who are full of joy.  Some of you may be asking how she can support her vision and where she gets her resources.  Well, she has set up a page where people can donate air miles or money to her project.  (Where there is a vision and purpose, there is a way to make it happen…always).

Another thing I love about this project is that with each photo, newsletter, and jumper highlight she does, she is reminding us all to play a little more and to do what makes us happy.  She reminds us to bring back more of our playful nature we had as children and to enjoy this beautiful life we have been given.  And if you need a bit of inspiration to do so, check out her pictures and try your own jump session.  I have said it before and I will say it again…life is meant to be enjoyed and if you aren’t enjoying yourself, there are some changes to be made.

Check out her wonderfully playful project and ask yourself what you jump for.  Is it writing, dancing, singing, or something less creative?  Whatever it is, do more of it and follow your bliss.  And remember, if Eyoälha can live the life of her dreams with a camera and her vision, you can too.  Nothing is impossible!

 

Gratitude: Small Successes, Family, and Living In the Now

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I missed my gratitude post last week, but I didn’t want to miss it again this week because there is so much to be grateful for.

When I first started my blog, I had put some time in effort in deciding on a name, but I hadn’t gone much further than that regarding readership etc.  Well I am so excited to share that this week I hit 100 followers on my blog.  To some it may be a teeny-tiny success, but it is one worth mentioning.  I had no idea if anyone would read my words of advice let alone follow my blog, but I am so grateful for all of you who read my posts (followers or not).  I hope my blog following continues to grow through the rest of the year as I have some exciting things planned as my business takes shape.  Thank you for reading, liking, and commenting on my posts.  It truly means the world to me.

The other thing I am grateful for this week is family.  My partner, my son, and I all live fairly far from our immediate families so when we get to see them it is truly a treat.  This weekend is one of those rare treats and we will be enjoying some fun (albeit short) time together.  In addition to family coming into town, my partner and I are taking our son fishing for the first time which should be very exciting.  As we spend precious time with one another, I am reminded to enjoy each and every moment for what it is.

Too often, I allow myself to get hung up on what is coming, what I am planning, what I am creating, and my list of items to complete, that I overlook what is right in front of me.  So, as we move into the weekend, I hope you too embrace each precious moment for what it is and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.  I know I will.

As always have a lovely weekend and thank you for reading!image

When Dream Crushers Attack

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As you begin to realize your passions and you create a vision of what you want to accomplish, you may begin to notice a little voice in your head that will list many reasons why you can’t or shouldn’t do it.  Sometimes those “reasons” come with a laundry list of things you don’t know, things you haven’t done, resources you don’t have etc., yet not one of them should be the reason you give up on our dreams.  I like to call that voice the Dream Crusher.

My Dream Crusher appears as I am realizing my passion, when I am creating the life I want to live, and even when I am being successful.  It also appears when things aren’t going so well to tell me “I told you so”.  I have also found that my Dream Crusher doesn’t only come in the form of my voice.  Sometimes it comes through other people as they ask questions about “how”, “when”, or “why” I am doing something in particular.  Depending on who it is and how I am feeling at the time, it can sound very much like a Dream Crusher Attack.

I am sure you have heard your own version of the Dream Crusher once or twice before.  The little (or sometimes big) voice that tells you why you can’t do something or it causes you to have doubts about your talents, skills, and ability to live the life of your dreams.  Maybe it causes you to pause and wonder if you are good enough, smart enough, or simply skilled enough to move forward on your dream or it causes you to stop moving forward all together.

Doubt is normal.

Doubt is a part of the dream process.  It can appear at any time, but generally makes its first appearance at the start of something new.  The key is not to allow the Dream Crusher to take your excitement and inspiration for too long.  Sure, it may make you question what you are doing, but it also provides an opportunity to remind yourself why you want to achieve a particular goal and it provides a platform for growth.

The reality is that no one begins something new without having a little doubt creep in, but the most successful dreamers don’t allow those doubts to stop them from moving forward.  They simply soothe the doubt as much as they can while still making progress.

You can soothe your doubt by realizing that you don’t have to know everything right this moment.  You can allow the thoughts, inspiration, and other information you need to come to you in due time.  The more you doubt yourself, the more resistance you create, and the longer it will take to manifest your desires.  So, instead of allowing the Dream Crusher to take over your thoughts, take a moment to re-frame.

Also, it is good to remember everyone is on their own dream journey and each journey is unique.  So as you move forward and doubt creeps in, realize that everyone feels doubt from time to time and that you can move through it.  The more you do, the easier it becomes.

I am interested to know what you do when your Dream Crusher attacks.  Do you allow it to be there and move forward anyway?  Do you have specific practices?

Dreamer Highlight: Leo Babauta of Zenhabits and Jenny Lawson of The Bloggess

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Many years ago I was on a search to find what I thought was the secret to life.  I wanted to know how to live with passion and to enjoy most of my days.  I wanted the key to peace and happiness.  That was also about the same time I started getting interested into personal development and meditation.  It was then that I stumbled upon an incredibly inspiring, uplifting, and very insightful blog, Zenhabits.

Leo Babauta is a man of intentional transformation and the creator of Zenhabits.  He is a writer, father, husband, and peaceful life hacker who shares his knowledge with his readers as a way to pass along his wisdom, experience, and general knowledge to help others.  He isn’t perfect and doesn’t claim to be, yet he is honest and his writing portrays the image of a seemingly simple, yet wonderfully happy life.  What works for him may not work for you, but he has some really great information and advice for his readers and until recently I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed his site.

What he did:  You can read his whole story here, but to put it simply Leo made changes in his life intentionally so he could live the zen life that includes a healthy body and mind, a more simplified life, and overall enjoying the journey.  What I love about Leo is that while he has a ton of information to share with others (which he includes in his blog and novels), he doesn’t claim to know everything.  He is just a guy living an intentional life that works for him and he is happy doing it.  Sharing it with others is an added bonus.  And while he hasn’t always taken the most common path, he took the path that was right for him.  Something we could all stand to do a little more of, because after all our dreams are individual.

How he did it:  Tiny intentional steps, one after the other.  Simple, yet profound.

The other dreamer highlight is also equally inspiring and unique, but for very different reasons.  Jenny Lawson is the beloved Bloggess who’s sometimes vulgar humor she has shared with the world via her blog and most recently her book Let’s Pretend This Never Happened.  She is a hilariously funny writer and mother who often struggles with depression, anxiety, and a variety of other ailments that she shares openly on her blog.  While her life may not always seem to be the typical ultimate dream, Jenny recognizes it is her dream life.  What I find so inspiring about Jenny is that no matter what her reality shows her, she believes in something greater.  The power of community (which she has a great deal of on her blog), inspiration, and the power to keep moving forward no matter what.  Jenny Lawson is living her dream as a writer, a mother, and a wife in spite of her fear that often tells her she isn’t good enough to do any of them.  A voice we all hear within ourselves from time to time.

What she does:  She shares, writes, lives, and laughs.  Loves her daughter, husband, and her pets.  Lives apologetically and embraces her quirks, ticks, and wonderfully unique qualities because they make her just who she is, and incredibly brave woman and ingenious writer.

How she does it: She just keeps going, no matter what.

The moral of these two dreamer highlights is to take intentional steps toward your dreams and keep moving forward, no matter what your doubts tell you.  The life of your dreams is closer than you think.