Curious Power

In his senior year of high school, my son Barnaby told me he planned to go to Madrid for his first year of college. I forgot that I spent almost a year in Spain in my 20’s. Why?!? I gasped in motherly horror thinking only of the distance.

I decided to take your advice, he replied. I think this was a first. What did I say? I asked in pretty much the same voice.

He answered. You told me that any time I didn’t know what to do I should follow my intense curiosity and I would always be alright. I want to learn Spanish, Mom. I can almost taste fluency.

Well the kid is truly fluent and I’m still thinking about that advice. Curiosity is my favorite form of desire. It may be the most powerful form of all. Unconscious curiosity works just as well as conscious curiosity though.

Last Sunday, I packed up to head down the mountain to the desert after a lovely weekend at my wee cabin on a creek. My exasperated neighbor came over to chat about his woes. He ended a good long list with the news that both of his computers were down and it would take a week to get them fixed. We laughed about how dependent we had become. Wow, I thought with a strong blast of curiosity, I wonder what it would be like to go a whole week without my computer. I got in the car and drove away.

All the way down the twists and turns I had the feeling I had forgotten something besides the vegetables in the fridge, something important.

Day three without my computer is going well. I assume it’s still sitting on the desk. I’m writing this on a borrowed laptop feeling very free. It’s like a vacation from my stuff.

All sorts of wonderful experiences I want to taste, feel, explore, enjoy flood my awareness. Paying a bit more attention this time! Devoting some conscious thought to my intense curiosity.

Without my notes, the old fliers and formats, in the final planning stages of the next BREAKOUT to Miracles Weekend, I notice and nurture my intense curiosity. A new sponsor will produce the course. A new location, a new country. I wonder who will come. What miracles and adventures will we share? How will we touch each other’s lives? With a tingle of excitement I dare to wonder, what if it fills up immediately, is a huge success for everyone involved, benefits all of the participants for the rest of their lives in miraculous ways? What if there is a big old waiting list?

Any time you don’t know what to do, follow your intense curiosity! It’s a wonderful, powerful form of desire. Pay attention to your curiosity. Nurture it. Please let us know where it leads you by posting a comment.

PS. I hope I've piqued your curiosity about the next Breakout to Miracles Weekend. Announcement coming soon.

Photos of Emery

Sheri when Emery was just over an hour old.

Oh no, I sent everyone off to Facebook where they had to sign up to see pics. Sorry! Here they are.

Here's to life, love and happiness.

Mandy

A New Life

I am in Seattle, Washington thinking of you and the miracles we share. My son Barnaby and his partner, Sheri have a new baby girl, Emery.

Sheri was scheduled for a C-section delivery on Monday. Thanks to a couple of divorces and new marriages Emery has 7 grandparents! We all gathered at the Waterfront restaurant for dinner Sunday. As we stood on the deck waiting for drinks Emery began her entrance. The parents sped off to the hospital. The 7 of us had dinner and arrived to greet The new baby after wandering around a maze of underground parking lots like a group of geriatric explorers.

You should have heard us explaining to the waiter, who by now was very curious, who was related to whom and how. He was amazed that, “Wow, and you all get along!”

Life takes so may unexpected turns. I’m pretty sure we are all doing the best we can with what we know and what we believe as we go along. I am certain it’s better to bless than condemn and more fun to celebrate new life than regret the past.

If you would like to see some photos of us they are here http://facebook.com/mandyspage. I’d love to be facebook friends with you too.

To life, happiness, and miracles.
Mandy

Your thoughts and comments are so welcome!

Declare Your Independence

No one can authorize you to be free. If you want freedom, sometimes you have to take it.

It's easy to get stuck in prisons of our own limiting and self-defeating beliefs. Often we do not know how to break out. We forget that boundless possibilities for happiness, love and abundance surround all of us. They are always there, whether we know how to access them or not.

As we celebrate our Independence Day this weekend in the US I invite you to declare your own independence. At the top of a piece of paper write your title to freedom, "My Personal Declaration of Independence." Begin with "I declare my independence from... " and write away!

Warning! This powerful exercise works in mysterious ways. Read about what happened to me one dark July night in the mountains with an angel – a real one http://tinyurl.com/personaldeclaration

Got something to say about it? Yeah, comments! Share your declaration and make it real.

Break Out from this Oversold Myth

Contrary to the advice of many personal and spiritual
development gurus, it is not always a good idea to get
a fixed idea of what you want, post a picture on the
fridge and visualize it every day until you get it or die
trying.

Why? Because your fixed focus may exclude miracles.
Say you set off on a hike, for example. You goal is to
reach the top of a mountain with a wonderful view at
the end of your trail.

You come across a small pool of water, surrounded by
moss covered rocks. It's early spring. Magenta trillium
and other woodsy wildflowers peak out from decaying
leaves.

Will you stop in awe or forge blindly ahead to your view
from the top?

The sound of rushing water captures your attention. Just
around the bend a waterfall, fed my snow melt cascades
into a rushing stream. You hardly notice. On to the top.
A fawn darts across an opening in the trees. Not on your
list of adventures for the day.

Finally as you huff and puff your way up the final incline,
clouds move in obscuring the view. Dang you think, another
wasted day.

You can apply the analogy to any goal - like a promotion
at work, a new car, home or relationship. Like this one.
A vivacious, intelligent young woman in a coaching group
told us how unhappy she was because her boyfriend,
Emmet had ended their relationship.

As we explored her misery, she explained in a tear choked
voice that he was the best boyfriend she ever had. After
some exploration of the limiting beliefs that held her un-
happiness in place her view of possibilities began to
expand. It no longer seemed true that Emmett was her last
chance at a happy relationship. Within minutes she grinned
at us and said, "I should get a tee shirt that says "Emmett
or Better."

My teacher and friend, Bruce Di Marsico who originated the
Option Method, put it well. "It's nice to get what you want,
but it's important to be open to better than you ever thought of."

It's your mind; do you keep it open to the miracles all around
you? Your heart? Is it truly open to an abundance of love?

Cheering you on to better than you ever dreamed of!

Love,
Mandy

PS, Remember "Why You Want Everything?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gewLjrUa0O0 on YouTube.
Now available with Hungarian subtitles - better than
I dreamed possible!

How to Survive a Crisis, Even a Shipwreck

High waves surged at the small fishing boat. The first one swamped it. The next one turned it over and dumped John Nevarez, his brother Elias, and their friend, Rebecca into the Atlantic Ocean.

For three days they clung to the upside down boat and a cooler with some water and Gatorade in it.

What important priorities did they put in place to survive? “Get rid of all fears,” came first. Next order of business? Tell blonde jokes, favorite lines from movies and share happy times with family.

On day three they were rescued, dehydrated, badly stung by jelly fish and in excellent spirits.

With the stock market crashing like a big wave, oil spilling, Koreas threatening – well you’ve got the picture, sometimes it feels as if we are all afloat in heavy seas.

Will the Nevarez’ approach work for you? Get rid of fears. But how?
Here are the questions I ask myself and coaching clients that dredge up the limiting beliefs that hold fear in place:

1. What are you afraid of? Get really specific. When you deal with fear, the devil is in the details.

2. Why are you afraid of that (whatever your fear focuses on)? Of all the feelings your could have, why fear?

3. What are you concerned would happen if you were not afraid? When we are afraid, many times we are reluctant to feel better. Somehow it seems as if fear will help us and keep us safe. It does not. Awareness of danger helps but it does not require fear.

Happiness helps.

When you face a challenge, even a great big one, instead of scrambling about to find a solution attend to your emotional well-being first.

That’s what those capsized guys did. After they calmed down and cheered up, their creativity kicked in. They took turns tying one person to the top of the boat to rest, rationed that Gatorade and figured out how to survive to fish again.

On the third day a boat spotted them and called the Coast Guard.

May you survive every crisis, be happy and flourish!

Love,
Mandy

PS: My YouTube Video, “Why You Want Everything” just showed up with a Hungarian translation. What a kick! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJTZl5CfNeo

The Care and Feeding of Mothers

A report out this week ranks the USA low on its list of the best places to be a mother. It cites a high rate maternal and infant mortality as well as short maternity leaves in its findings.

Since my work is with limiting beliefs that block success and happiness one more cause stands out as well. Human babies do not survive without a great amount of care. If we’re here, we got it, from someone. But in our society we appear to believe that mothers (and caregivers in general) produce endless care, support, nurturing, love, patience, courage and endurance but require nothing to sustain them.

That belief blocks the care and feeding of mothers. Do you know a family where they lavish daily praise and encouragement on the mom? Prepare her favorite foods? Cheer her on when she’s discouraged? Read to her when she’s sick? Imagine what a happy household that would be.

On Sunday, in the US, we celebrate mother’s day, mostly with cards and flowers. A precious gift that is free is acknowledgement, of the gift of life, of caring. Maybe your mom pushed herself beyond her own limits and fears to nurture and provide for you, hoping beyond hope to spare you from every hurt that almost did her in, to give you the best shot to make what you will of the miracle of life. If your mother wasn’t able to do that, maybe someone else did. Or several people.

My mother and I had a rocky time of it but I had time to apologize for the thoughtless things I did and said as a child and teenager -- time to thank her for giving me life. She was surprised and touched. I’m so glad I did.

I wish I had acknowledged my grandmothers for their kindness, love and support. I tell them now, but I’m not so sure they get it.

If you would like to acknowledge your mother and/or those who nurtured you, I would love know your thoughts. You can leave comments here.

Acknowledging the amazing nurturing spirit in each of us! Happy Mother’s Day.

Love,
Mandy