Imagine this, over a 6 year period, I lost my 21 year old son, my unborn baby girl in my 8th month of pregnancy, 2 brothers to AIDS, and my father. I could have given up, felt sorry for myself, made it about me, instead I asked myself what each one of them would have wanted for me, and that was to live a life of courage, to encourage others, to have a wonderful life. Today I live in Laguna Beach, California with Cody, my awesome husband of 22 years, who walked this journey with me, lending me strength and courage every step of the way. Cody and I live such a blessed and incredible life together. I know that I have come through all of this more courageous, stronger, able to cope with life in a much more powerful way because of the lessons learned along the way.
Since the beginning of time, there have been stories of courage. We have all read many books, seen movies that inspire or encourage us to the depths of our soul, been around people who we look at with wonder because of the courageous things they have done. Sometimes it is something very simple, yet so profound that changes our day, sometimes it is more than we can wrap our minds around. Whatever it is that shakes us up and out of old negative patterns we wish to break, should be welcomed with open arms.
Hello, my name is Debra Oakland. I am all about Living in Courage. This subject fascinates me because of all the possibilities it presents. Courage means different things to different people all over the world. To navigate through this world we live in requires a certain amount of courage from each of us. I hope you will join me in this exploration by sharing your stories and experiences that have required courage in your life. Many people are looking for answers to some of life's biggest questions. Your stories can make a big difference in another persons life. I hope to see you here often.
The words Encourage, In Courage and Living In Courage have come up every morning for month’s now. These words come up in my dreams, my thoughts and follow me around like a small child tugging on my pant leg wanting immediate attention. I am intrigued, interested, and very eager to explore this subject, not knowing where it will lead, but knowing in my heart it will be an incredible journey down a path of love and light.
Are you ready to be motivated in 2012? I know I am, and I hope you join me Jan 14th – 22nd along with 45 other inspiring speakers from all walks of life. 2012 is an exciting year and it’s up to each of us to make it the best year of our life! Are you with me? High five!!
I will be speaking with the lovely hosts Deb Scott and Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino on Sunday January 22nd at 9:00 am PST, so please join the conversation about Living in Courage and show up with your questions. I look forward to speaking with you!
This is a FREE event, so how can you say no to registering? Say YES to Life and join us. You also get a free E-Book to seal the deal! Over a 9 day period you will hear 46 speaker who are experts in their field. Join the fun and your life will say YES to you!
“The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage.” -Thucydides
I wanted to share a bit of my year in 2011 with you, and to tell you that I am very excited to walk into 2012 with the gifts and lessons of 2011 under my belt. Here goes!
Wonderful lessons occurred in many areas of my life, and truth be told, some frustration and challenges. These are things that are important for personal growth and change, so I remind myself that living from the inside out, as well as living in courage is my best way forward. I am learning to be more patient and embrace stillness, to commune with nature daily, to embrace my writing heart to pen, and to always enjoy the chapters of my life. I have an amazing husband, family and friends that I am ever grateful for. Better said, I am grateful for all that is here and all that is yet to come. My personal freedom is of utmost importance to me, and that freedom means living my best life from a place of love, wisdom and joy. I am grateful for you and your support of Living in Courage. I wish you a very Happy New Year in 2012!
Wouldn’t it be great to see everyone living the dream of freedom? Free will gives us the power of choice, and I like to think that true freedom lives within, as do all the great qualities of love. When we make the choice to live from the inside out versus the outside in, our lives can transform. We each have to find our own place in a complex world, but what a wonderful world we have to play and create in! Freedom from the ties that bind, whether physically, mentally or spiritually is a task worth pursuing with gusto. The importance of your personal freedom will determine your course of action. I can’t tell you what that course is, only you know what is right for you. I feel freedom is our birthright, and one that goes beyond our limited thinking feeling reality. We can feel limited when we think our freedom is in jeopardy. There are many forms of freedom. What does freedom mean to you? We can bring a sharper focus and more clarity to our sense of freedom when we understand that we are solely responsible for our life by the choices we make and the actions we take.
The voice of freedom is knocking. We can all make a difference in 2012 by making choices that reflect love, wisdom and joy. We have a collective choice to change or not to change, to grow and expand, or to contact, which restricts life, and who wants that? Freedom of choice is a gift to be treasured, so in conclusion, be a good person, be harmless to yourself and others. Respect the freedom of everyone, no matter the cultural differences. We are more alike than different. After all, if we expect to engage and enjoy our freedom by living from the inside out, that takes responsibility. In that way we can each be responsible for our own inner freedom. The one that really matters!
Let Freedom Ring in 2012 and Beyond!
Debra Oakland
Happy New Year everyone, I hope that this brand new blank page of your lives is filled with everything that you long for and brings you the freedom of peace of mind, body and soul that we all seek. Nothing could be better than making that your goal for 2012 – Freedom!
In the coming year we will find ourselves in precisely the same position in life, unless we give ourselves the freedom to choose to live our lives in the way we truly desire. What do you want to achieve for yourself and your loved one’s? I don’t mean that you have to radically change the way you live right now in this very moment because that simply wouldn’t work. What I do mean is that you must allow yourself the freedom to make small but powerful changes; let me explain ..
2011 was a truly ground breaking year for me in many ways as I decided not to chase after my dreams anymore, and to be honest with you I already have much of what I desire in my life; but for several reasons I wasn’t fully content. What I did was to allow myself the freedom we all have to concentrate on the things I didn’t want in the future but were in my life at the time. I realized that by making this choice I could use the power of freedom to rid myself of the unwanted, leaving only the things I wanted. I spent a lot of time in nature both here in the UK and in sunny California with Debra and her husband Cody (and many good friends, too many to mention here). Mother Nature showed me in varying ways how she allows herself the freedom to be and do whatever she needs to be, ridding herself of all that she no longer needs to grow and expand. Freeing herself of old constraints allows nature to recreate new life and although some of these periods of cleansing can often appear cruel and painful they are a necessary action, and that is exactly what it can feel like when we use the freedom we have to make the changes we too need to make in our lives.
Freedom is a difficult thing to achieve but if you really desire to have it in whichever area of your life you choose, the pain barrier has to be endured until you adjust. It’s often harder to change what we don’t want in our lives than to obtain what we do, but believe me when I say that releasing yourself from the constraints of unwanted aspects of your life is real freedom and the feeling of wellbeing it brings can be as good as, if not better than reaching a desire. Achieving a desire you want whilst still holding on to those things that you don’t desire is not true freedom and you will never be able to enjoy your desires until you have found that sensation of peace of mind, body and soul that genuine freedom brings. So if you only write one thing on this blank page that is 2012, write ‘I Desire True Freedom’, and read it out aloud to yourself first thing every morning, and remind yourself of that simple but powerful statement the moment you see something in your life that you no longer desire; and make the choice, take road to Freedom Take good care of your freedom, don’t hide it away, be brave and use it wisely and you will have a very happy New Year.
It seems appropriate to end the year of 2011 with Gratitude. Of all the 144 Qualities of Love, gratitude is one of my personal favorites. There have been endless words written about this quality, personal moments of sacred silence in gratitude, outward expressions of thankfulness in every imaginable way. No matter what your belief system may be, there is one thing we all share, express and experience in our own way, and that is grate-fullness. It is hard to ignore one of life’s greatest qualities!
Reflecting back on 2011, it is important to remind ourselves to be grateful for all that is here and all that is yet to come. We are now closing 2011 and moving into 2012. The coming year has been written about, predicted, discussed and dissected more than any year I can ever remember. All forms of media have jumped on the bandwagon, and we have the film industry for even more exposure, though usually fear based. People in every walk of life have formed their own opinions about what the outcome could be. Yes, we are in the midst of great change. The world as we can see is changing daily. In my humble opinion, this is a truly amazing time to be alive, to witness such individual and collective transformation calls for Gratitude with a capital “G.”
The very foundation of our inner truths are being tested. Subtle and not so subtle shifts are occurring for each of us, and we can trust that the process is in perfect order. We also have a choice to lovingly embrace the momentum of change, or we can resist it out of fear. It is our responsibility to direct our power for good, not only for ourselves, but for the collective aspects of all life. What difference did you and I make in 2011? What difference will we make in 2012 and beyond? How grateful are we for all that is here now, and for all that is yet to come into our lives? What appears in our life now and in the future is a direct result of the choices we have made and continue to make. What we do matters because there is a ripple effect that goes out into the world. We forget how powerful we are. As each of us aligns to the unity of love and peace in all the varied aspects of ourselves and our world, we connect to our source of infinite power. In this alignment we become open to unlimited possibilities. That is the approach I will take as I walk into 2012, and I trust you will as well. It’s the only way to expand and who wants to contract? That’s just a waste of our precious time and energy!
Our experiences can define us, for good or not so good. Yes, there are challenges in life, but what do we take away from them and carry with us? By living in courage we move forward growing ever strengthened. This life is our dance. and gratitude makes an excellent companion. By being grateful we feel richer in the appreciation for the small things, that way when the big things show up, life is that much better. Find all that you are grateful for and hold that feeling of thank-fullness in your heart. I am grateful for you, and I send you blessings for the beautiful flow of 2011 into the grand expansiveness of 2012.
Happy Holidays from Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online
Well, we’re almost at the end of another year; they seem to fly by these days or is that just me! I always like to use this season to reflect on the year and to send blessings of gratitude to everyone and everything that I shared it with, both the good and the bad, for there are lessons to be learned from each and we should be grateful for them.
Most of you will know by now that I love spending time in nature and I always include Mother Nature in my thoughts of gratitude as well as all of my family and friends, we are all children of nature after all. Giving thanks for the beauty, peace of heart and mind, the abundance of food and creatures she blesses my life with is an important part of my seasonal rituals, especially whilst gazing at the night sky, which at this time of year seems so clear and close that I could almost reach out and touch the stars.
Gratitude is no about just saying thanks for turning up, it’s much more than that; sending positive vibrations out into the universe with as much power and gusto as you can manage, doing it from your heart and soul. Hugging someone dear to you and telling them that you love them and are blessed to have them in your life and asking those you may have hurt for forgiveness, that’s gratitude. There is no half measures with Mother Nature and there is no half measures when it comes to gratitude, you have to give it your all to be heard and understood.
Meister Eckhart said, “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice,” but think how much more sincere that prayer would be if you shouted it out to Mother Nature herself!
So it only remains for me to send out a loud shout of gratitude to You, the readers of my little life muses; to Debra for putting up with me for three wonderful months in her home earlier this year and for allowing me to share my thoughts in her newsletter. I could go on and on but here is not the place to do so, but if you stand outside one clear moonlit night you may not only see Father Christmas on his sleigh, you might hear my shouts of gratitude echoing around the universe.
Have a very Merry Christmas everyone and I’ll see you in the New Year – Thank YOU!
How receptive are you? How receptive am I? A tricky question we don’t ask ourselves often enough. The quality of taking in and receiving is being receptive to all life has to offer us. We often say no to life without even realizing it. Mother Nature never says no to life, she is life. We are the energetic force of life, living breathing receptors that have the ability to receive great abundance. When I speak of abundance, I am speaking of the flow of good into all areas of our lives. By remaining in harmony we become receptive, allowing our greater good to come to us.
I don’t know about you, but I have found that by my own efforts alone, I dilute my power to fully live the life I desire and dream of. When I make powerful conscious choices to set up my future, I am then able to hand the details over to my perfected self, my higher self who knows exactly how to bring to me what I want and at exactly the right time. My job is to stay out of the way by remaining harmonious and receptive to my good. There are seen and unseen forces in the Universe that can go to work for us in ways we can’t imagine. I can tell you that when I use these Universal Laws and Principles, they work. Test it out for yourself, take a little test drive. If we want change, we have to be open and receptive!
We need to become receptive listeners who are open and responsive to what comes our way. That is part of harmony. When we are stressed, in a hurry or shut down to listening, it is hard to feel and hear the messages the heart is sending us in its infinite love, wisdom and power. We have been trained to behave in a certain way since birth to survive in the world as we know it. It’s not easy to re-train yourself to remain harmonious in a world full of chaos, but there is another world out there waiting for those who do.
Be receptive to the beauty of life. There has always been human suffering simply because of the choices people make. When we are unreceptive to love and its family, only sadness, regret and fear can occupy that space. By making the choice to live in and from the heart, you remain open and receptive to your highest and greatest good. We must take a stand if we want change, because we are the change-makers and each decision we make matters. Receptivity is a superpower, and so are you!
“Not only do your thoughts and words and actions affect others in an obvious way, but they also have an impact far beyond any that you might have intended. And, to complete the concept of the Golden Rule, what you send out will come back to you, so the actions you take or the words you speak or the thoughts you conceive should be ones that you feel comfortable returning to you, for they inevitably will.” ~Lessons from the Source by Jack Armstrong
Vision, creativity and passion carry us to places we did not know we could go. Believing in oneself and evolving into a state of knowing is a long path to travel, with many bridges to cross. Knowingness is an ever evolving process within ourselves. How do we learn to believe in ourselves so much, that we dispel fear and doubt? This is a question I ask myself often. Intellectually, I know it is found through opening many doors. Spiritually, I know it is from connecting to the heart. I want to believe I am capable of excelling at my passion, but a lifetime of voices, lessons, schooling and all manner of dictates have told me otherwise, at least for the most part. It is up to me to have a vision, to know that I am capable of achieving my desired outcome. The most important part is knowing that I am the only one that stands in my way.
Neale Donald Walsch said “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” I like my comfort zone, thank you very much, but as the years roll by I know that what creates growth is change, and that means leaving your comfort zone from time to time. Often we are like children, holding on to our ‘blankey” with a thumb in our mouth, trailing our blanket of comfort behind. Part of growing into an adult means leaving the blanket behind, if we want to evolve. To grow into spiritual adulthood, it is wise to leave fear and doubt behind, which can allow us the clarity to see our vision for the future we wish to create.
What is your personal vision? What is your vision for the Collective? When following your heart and envisioning the future, is it for the highest and greatest good not only for yourself, but for everyone? A very big responsibility sits on our shoulders if we hold the vision of living from a place of love, wisdom and power. By connecting to the heart in a profound way, the obstacles that clouded our vision begin to clear. Our connection to source grows stronger, we grow stronger, allowing knowing-ness to be an essential guide. There seems to be a sense of dis-rest in so many people, no matter who they are, or their station in life. Until we each learn to hold the vision of love for ourselves and our fellow man, there will be dark clouds in the way. Sri Aurobindo said “ In order to see, you have to stop being in the middle of the picture.” Getting out of our own way is not always easy, but well worth the repeated effort.
Spend as much time as possible in-visioning the life you want to live. Examine what is truly important for that vision to succeed. What is the motivation behind the vision and how do you see it unfolding? Your vision is powerful and when you use it wisely and with love, it will bless you in all areas of your life.
We are energy. Let’s talk about this briefly. Our thought is energetic and holds within it – power. We as creators have the power to direct this energy. Cause and effect would be how things manifest outwardly in our lives, and is a direct result of how we manage that energy. The cause is our focused thought, or the recurring habits of our thinking, feeling and acting, which create effects or outcomes in our lives.
Thought is a by product of thinking. Healthy, happy creative and constructive thoughts impact all areas of our lives in a positive way, whereas worrisome and fearful thoughts impact our lives in a negative way. Simple math really! As we vibrate to this positive or negative energy, it is important to know that our multi-body system is taking orders from headquarters! We birth our thoughts through feelings as they take root and are nurtured into reality.
Energy is alive waiting to be directed in any way you choose. Consciously creating brings much more satisfactory results than unconsciously creating. Again, you do the math!
“You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay? Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.”
By being flexible, expansion and growth become our companions on this journey in an ever changing world. Learning to sway like a branch in the breeze is a skill. We can resist change, but it will occur regardless. Bruce Lee said “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” When times are unfavorable many people break down from fear and non-flexibility. I find when I have challenges in my life, most of the time it is because I am being inflexible. Ahhh, the need to be right. Gets us every time!
There are many changes going on in the world requiring us to be more flexible now than ever. With the internet and all the new technologies, we are able to connect on many different levels. The world stage is changing, challenging many old worn out beliefs and lifestyles. A much needed shift is occurring and flexibility is key to our happiness. People who are able to adapt to change are better equipped mentally and emotionally. Being resilient in times of challenge insures inner and outer flexibility, leading to a more joyful life.
When I talk about flexibility, I am not talking about being weak or passive, just open to adapting in a way that will serve you and your life. Just as keeping our bodies flexible is important to our health and well-being, keeping our minds flexible is essential to our mental health and well-being. By making conscious choices, being clear about our intentions, living our passion and being open to the change needed for a perfect outcome at the right time and place, we are expanding, never contracting. Have the courage to become a living example of flexibility and others will follow. Remember a bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to take the turn.
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“Debra Oakland has clearly written Living in Courage from the heart. This is a book that guides people to summon the courage to face life's biggest challenges. You will find wonderful nuggets that you can apply to your life now.”
~ David Riklan, Founder of SelfGrowth.com,
the #1 Self Improvement Website on the Internet
www.SelfGrowth.com
Hello, my name is Debra Oakland. I am all about Living in Courage. This subject fascinates me because of all the possibilities it presents. Courage means different things to different people all over the world. To navigate through this world we live in requires a certain amount of courage from each of us. I hope you will join me in this exploration by sharing your stories and experiences that have required courage in your life. Many people are looking for answers to some of life's biggest questions. Your stories can make a big difference in another persons life. I hope to see you here often.
The very foundation of our inner truths are being tested. Subtle and not so subtle shifts are occurring for each of us, and we can trust that the process is in perfect order. We also have a choice to lovingly embrace the momentum of change, or we can resist it out of fear. It is our responsibility to direct our power for good, not only for ourselves, but for the collective aspects of all life. What difference did you and I make in 2011? What difference will we make in 2012 and beyond? How grateful are we for all that is here now, and for all that is yet to come into our lives? What appears in our life now and in the future is a direct result of the choices we have made and continue to make. What we do matters because there is a ripple effect that goes out into the world. We forget how powerful we are. As each of us aligns to the unity of love and peace in all the varied aspects of ourselves and our world, we connect to our source of infinite power. In this alignment we become open to unlimited possibilities. That is the approach I will take as I walk into 2012, and I trust you will as well. It’s the only way to expand and who wants to contract? That’s just a waste of our precious time and energy!
