Life is a Test

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.
Only through experience of trial and suffering
can the soul be strengthened, ambitions inspired,
and success achieved".
                                           Helen Keller


Are you being tested right now?

Is the economy taking it's toll on you and the way you live your life?

Maybe it's not the money that is your cross to bear.

Maybe it's your relationships, your career or your health.

Whatever it is that is providing your biggest challenge right now is also providing your
greatest opportunity for growth.

The saying, "If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger", although annoying when you're
in the mire of it, has a ring of truth to it.

When I was going through my divorce, if I heard that saying once, I heard it a thousand times!

At the time I could not see the value in the experience I was having, there didn't seem to be anything positive about it in the slightest. But upon reflection, as I look back at every supposed setback in my life, something great has always come out of a bad experience.

Indeed everything I went through has made me the woman I am today, strong, independent, resilient, thankful and compassionate. And for that, I am truly grateful.

So, if you are going through a tough time today, just remember, this too shall pass and one day you
will be able to look back and give thanks for the experience and know that it happened for a reason.

There are no accidents.

Be strong, be happy and stay grateful - for everything.

Overcoming Adversity

"All misfortune is but a stepping stone to fortune"
                                                                    Henry David Thoreau


As human beings we will all face adversity at one time or another in our lives. It is not what happens to us but how we handle these situations that will determine our fate.

If you are one of those people who get bent out of shape at the slightest of grievances, how are you going to handle life when something tragic strikes? It is not a case of ""if but "when". We will all lose someone we love at some time or another.

The way you handle any adversity is to have faith. Have faith that you will be strong enough to handle whatever happens to you or those you love.

When my Dad passed away suddenly last year my life changed in an instant. Immediately the day to day struggles of life melted away and all I could think of was how to get back home to England as fast as possible to be there with my family. I didn't think of anything else.

Two hours later I was booked on a flight leaving the next morning and my case was packed.

I didn't think of the expense or the ramifications of being gone for weeks. I thought of all the opportunities I had missed to tell my Dad how much I loved, admired and respected him for the great man he was.

That opportunity had now gone forever and I was left with nothing but memories.

My faith carried me through the tough times. As awful as it was losing him so suddenly I was grateful that he didn't suffer. That I could not bear.

Instead I was grateful I had Barry Gray as my father. He could never leave me as long as he remained in my heart and I would never miss another opportunity to tell those I love what they meant to me.

What are you holding onto today? Who do you need to forgive? Who do you need to say thank you to? What do you need to let go of?

If you are facing adversity today, use it as a tool to make you stronger and know that whatever happens to you, it is all about your soul growth.

After all, if we don't learn anything from our journey, why are we here?

Have faith, stay strong and anything is possible.

Living Your Life Purpose

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
 Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
 It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us"
                                                              Marianne Williamson



Are you living your life purpose?

Do you wake up in the morning full of joy or full of dread?
Are you enjoying your life? Thriving or surviving?

If not, what are you doing about it?

Sometimes it's easier to ignore that voice that keeps telling you to quit your job and all the stability that it provides, to strike out into the unknown and live your dream.

For most people, the hardest part is actually defining the dream.

What do you really want to do with your life? What fulfills you?

When are you so "in joy" that you lose track of time?

What do you want to contribute to this world?


In order to manifest what you want, you have to be really clear.

Take the time to sit down and write a list of everything that is not working in your life.

From that list, you can then create what you do want as it will be the complete opposite.

Once you have defined your dream, you can set the steps in motion to focus your energy on attracting what you do want into your life.


Cast aside the fears and doubts that it's not possible. Everything is possible if you just try.

Even if you try and fail, you won't have lived your life wondering, "What if...?"

Stop making excuses and start living the life that you want today. Time waits for no man.

Perseverance

"Press on! A better fate awaits thee"
                                                      Victor Hugo


Have you ever wondered what the outcome would have been for many experiences in your life had you just persevered?

You might be fluent in Spanish by now had you not given up after a few years of high school lessons.

You could have that ideal body you desire had you stayed on your fitness plan and kept going to the gym.

You might have finished that book you always planned on writing, if you hadn't given up after the first few chapters.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Anything worth having is worth working for or waiting for; sometimes both. So why do we give up when success could be just around the corner?

Is it a lack of motivation? Lack of desire? Maybe it just wasn't right for you?

Whatever the reason might be, you just need to make sure it isn't for lack of faith.

If you think you can, you can!

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING TODAY?

What do you need to persevere with? A relationship? A job?

Only you know the answer. Just make sure you don't give up for any other reason than you simply changed your mind and that you changed your mind for the right reasons.

If you still want "it", whatever that it might be, then go after it with all your heart, 100%, mind, body and soul.

It's everything or nothing, nothing in between will do. Make this one change in your life and see the difference it makes.

You'll have faster results and be more driven than if you just sit on the sidelines waiting for things to happen. At this point you have nothing to lose.

You, and only you, know exactly what you have to persevere with today.

All good things come to those that expect them!

Believe

"They can because they think they can"
                                                              Virgil

When you aren't seeing the results you want in your life, embrace it as an opportunity to change and transform yourself and your behaviors.

Einstein's definition of madness is

"Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result"

Are you doing that?

Have you tried numerous diets only to regain all the weight back, and often times, even more?

Are you tired of being so disillusioned that you'll ever be thin or a healthy weight?

Well then the time has come to make a change, once and for all, and finally put this demon to rest.
It has robbed you of your life so far, really living, instead of simply existing and going through the motions.

What am I talking about? Your mindset. That horrible inner critic that says you are ugly and will never be the size you want, for whatever reason.

I am here to tell you that you can have everything you want and more, if you will only change your mind.

If you believe you can. you can. If you believe you can't, you can't. It's as simple as that.

The good news is that it's all up to you!

You can decide to change your life RIGHT NOW and your very thoughts will create actions that will create consequences and change the course of your life.

How good it turns out all depends on how good those thoughts are. Choose wisely.


                                                                                          

It's as simple as that

Are you a Creator or a Reactor?

"There are two kinds of people in the world:
those who make excuses and those who get results.

An excuse person will find any excuse for why a job was not done,
and a results person will find any reason why it can be done.

Be a creator not a reactor".           
                                                     Alan Cohen


Have you been complaining about your life lately? Is there anything you can do about your particular circumstances right now to improve your situation? There probably is, but are you willing to take that next step? Instead of reacting to your life, start creating it as you want to see it, not as it is right now.

Let's be honest sometimes it's just easier to sit back and complain, but that will only produce more of what you don't want.
So why are we so resistant to change, even if it means the possibility of something better than we already have? Because we are fearful that we could end up getting something even worse!

Only when we are so uncomfortable where we are, or in too much pain, will we risk stepping out of our comfort zone. You might think about doing something, but a thought without emotion or action lacks the direction and focus to achieve the desired goal. You need energy and passion to see it through to fruition.

If you can believe it, you can create it. So, when you have a thought and there is an emotion attached, i.e. something you feel passionate about, the odds are you will take action.

Complaining about a situation or a person simply affirms it into being. You are stating to the Universe that you want more of the same. If all you do this month is refrain from complaining about anyone or anything, you will see a difference in energy and the reality that you create for yourself.

Creating our reality is in effect creating the conditions ripe for our dreams to manifest.

Only when your emotion, thought and vibration are in harmony,
will you see the results you desire.

What can you do today to get yourself in alignment with your dreams?

First, be clear on what those dreams are.

Secondly, what do you need to do to create those conditions for your dreams to become your reality?

State it and claim it. TAKE ACTION.

Your dreams are waiting on you. What are you waiting for?

                                                        

Habits

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit"
                                                           Aristotle


Have you ever thought about how you spend the majority of your time? If you do, chances are you will see a pattern, a habit if you will, that you have followed for some time.

If you spend every night in front of the television you may become a couch potato and soon your body will most likely start to resemble one too from lack of activity.

If you spend every weekend at the mall shopping, chances are you will soon have credit card debt or a closet full of "bargains" that you never wear, or someday hope to fit into (haven't we all done that?).

This begs the question,

What are your habits costing you?

Not just in time or money, but what emotions are you trying to avoid by placating yourself with TV or shopping?

Whatever your habit may be, the price is too high if you are not living the life you want.

The time to change is NOW. Not on January 1st when you make your New Years Resolutions (that you break by February), but at this very moment.

What have you wanted to change for the past few years when you made your Resolutions?

If it's the same thing year after year and you still haven't seen success, then a change is needed, and fast!

Start today by making a list of your habits and seeing how much time you waste every week.

If you say you are too busy to workout and get in shape, like you've been promising yourself every month, yet you find the time to watch 3 hours of TV every night, you know you need to make a change. 

We cannot eliminate bad habits we simply replace them with better ones.
What habit are you going to start today? What would serve you better than watching TV?

Maybe 10 minutes of meditation to get clear on what you do want your life to look like?
Maybe a 15 minute walk after dinner instead of collapsing on the couch? You'll feel better and it helps your digestion too.

Email me the habits you have changed at Helen@masteryofmanifesting.com.
I would love to hear how it has affected your life for the better.

Start a new habit today and make it a GOOD one!