How often do we long for courage, abundance, and power?  Yet when we see others who have one or all of these are they truly happy or admirable?

The other day I saw a show about the motocross phenomenon Travis Pastrana.  He is truly fearless on the track. The move he is known for is scissor-kicking his legs back during a jump while holding the handle bars with one hand and the rear fender with the other.  Travis is also the first biker to complete a double backflip in competition. He has won every competition imaginable.  He has broken bones I have never heard of and still returns to the track to try even more outrageous and dangerous stunts.  People worship his apparent fearlessness.  But in the evening, he is plagued by night terrors.  He sees visions and screams in his sleep almost every night since he was 11 years old.  Some psychologists say it is due to “repressed fear.”

We all know of people who may have abundance but no moderation.  My husband and I debated over who was a better example of this lesson.  Is Paris Hilton the best example?  She is a woman who has an exorbitant amount of cash at her disposal and buys everything she wants.  She buys friends and buys her way into celebrity.  But can she purchase self-worth and the true respect of others?  Or is the best example Donald Trump? The Don has been able to amass amzing amounts of money over the years, but I do not believe he has ever had true wealth.  His desire and greed overcome any moderation. There is no satisfaction in what he owns for there is always the next conquest.  When is enough enough?  Can there be enjoyment in what he has since it is purchased for show and not to please his essential self?

Unfortunately in the political arena there are a plethora of individuals who rise up but have no humility.  Rod Blagojevich immediately pops into mind for this Illinoisan.  We have all heard about his antics leading up to and during his impeachment.  But did you also know that he actually used to grab stranger’s mobile phones and say, “Hi, this is the govenor”?  Being elected does not make one noble.  Serving others makes one noble.  The position does not bestow power and esteem.  Humility and servitude endear the populous who then allow one to rise.

Are these people truly “doomed” as Lao Tzu says?  The word doomed is very strong and fatalistic, but is it the right word?  Can one truly have joy without love, enjoyment without moderation and prominence without humility?  Are we only living half a life if we focus onthe flashy forceful aspects of abundance, stature, and fearlessness and we do not recognize the quiet power of love, moderation, and humility?  Are we doomed to a life half lived if we are not rooted in these three treasures?

In high school, I remember a time my freshman year when a friend was being bullied.  Without thought, I protected my friend.  It was an act of love.  It was not an act of force or a death wish like Travis or a desire for prominence.  The love for my friend fortified my nerves and removed my fear.

Share with us a time when you felt the power of using one of these simple treasures.  Or tell us about some examples of individuals who are truly living these treasures and therefore experiencing all the beauty and joy of life.

Martha Beck

Recently I attended the first ever Martha Beck Coaches Convention. It was an amazingly powerful experience to be surrounded by over 200 women and men all striving for peace and understanding in our world. There was a joyful calm enveloping the event because there was a lack of competition, jealousy, anxiety, fear, and feelings of inadequacy. I am not saying that we didn’t all have our moments (get thee to the self-coaching corner!), but with that many coaches around any incident was truly only a moment as it dissolved as soon as it appeared. Just attending the event taught me the role we all play in each others lives. Although our job is first and foremost to take care of the needs of our essential self, we can easily and effortlessly make incredible impacts on each others lives by just sharing our experiences and what makes us special. Below are just a few of the gifts I received, along with an ability and driven desire to bend flatware.

The Importance of Breath

We can go weeks without food and days without water but we only live minutes without oxygen. Breathing is more than a bodily function; it is the renewing of our spirit. From Sanskrit to Hebrew to Greek to Latin the word for breath does not translate to oxygen intake and carbon dioxide release. Breath translates to universal life energy, soul, and spirit. Concentrating on being mindful of one’s breath is life affirming and life sustaining. Dana Frost and Jill Tupper taught that, “Breath is spirit moving in body.” Breath can take us out of our fight or flight mode (ala “stress”) and into rest and digest relaxation mode. Practicing slower, deeper, quieter, and consistent breathing can return one to a state of calm and stillness in this stressed out world.

We Are Energy

If breath is our spirit, energy is our power and action. Koelle Simpson is a horse whisperer and an energy expert. Koelle learned about energy from animals. Animals have no words to speak so they relate and receive communication from each other’s energy. As humans we are not that far away. Our words provide 7% of our communication. The rest is communicated through our bodies and energy. Our words can lie but our bodies do not. That is why when you are trying to coax your dog with a treat in order to grab him and splash him into a bath, he backs away because he senses that your true purpose displayed through your energy means bath-time. Koelle showed us how to harness the power of our energy by having a clear intention, holding a feeling of joy and peace, releasing any desire to control the process or outcome, and setting clear boundaries.

Actively Create Your Life

Jeanette Maw built off these lessons about energy to specifically focus on the Law of Attraction. She reiterated the importance of having a clean intention, a sense of peaceful joy, releasing the desire once it has been identified, to state and write what we want, why we want it, and why we believe we can have it. The key here is to experience the feeling of true desire and true joy of receiving the item. The emotional joy of receiving our desire is the force that draws it to us. Examining why we can have it helps us to focus on the positive possibility and diminish the energy we give to our limiting beliefs which will block the Law of Attraction from working.

Share and Care

I have the honor of attending an informative and insightful class led by Judy Klipin and although the content will forever change my coaching abilities, the lesson from this session was the power of sharing and connection. In sharing our personal and clients’ (anonymously, of course) experiences there was an amazing feeling of peace that filled the room. There is a great power in not feeling alone. Once that connection is felt it opens the door to allow us to release the painful past, release those limiting beliefs, and have a new perspective for the future. There is incredible power in a group; a power to be utilized for great healing.

True Peace

After these lessons in breathing, energy, creation, and connection the final lesson was in transcendence. I have had a respect for Byron Katie’s work and use it often in my practice, and I often wondered if Byron lived up to her words in person. She does, and then some. She is a woman of great peace and infinite spiritual depth. Her words are simple yet ripe with meaning and inspiration. She has reached an enlightened state that I assume some would fear to go because she is no longer of this world. Byron has reached a level of enlightenment which I have not experienced with any other person I have ever met. Just hearing her speak has elevated my own awareness and practice to a new level.

Me and Martha

I hope that these lessons have sparked your desire to learn more and deepen your practice, as they have definitely done for me. Share with us the lessons you have learned on your path or areas you would like explore.

Have you tried to bend a spoon today?