Empowerment is food for the thirsty soul. The essence of power flowing through our cells, nourishing body, mind and spirit. Don’t you feel unstoppable when you think, feel and act empowered? I know I do. It feels good and you want to stay in that high vibration of energy. Imagine living in a world where we are empowered 24/7 with all life as our cheerleader. Wow, who would not want to live in this In-Power-Momentum that propels us forward? Well, we don’t live in that world, YET! But while we are here, the more inner strength and courage we can use to propel us forward into our expanded self, the more Joy-full and creative we will be. Momentum builds a platform for you to share your message on.
Unshakable resolve comes to mind, which ties into courage. Sometimes we just need to dive into the deep end of the pool holding tight to our dreams. Sure, you may get bounced around by challenges. I am going through a few myself right now. But if I cling to the shallow steps of the pool afraid to go farther, that is exactly where I will stay, at the shallow end of the pool. I want to play with the big kids who aren’t afraid of the deep end. One thing I have learned from experience is that challenges make you stronger, more empowered.
In January, I got to play with some of the big kids at Motivation Marathon. Now, these kids have been having fun in the deep end longer that I have, and a couple of times I felt like running back to the shallow end! It can seem daunting to follow them, but I must! This event and all the speakers encouraged me to take the steps to propel myself forward into my dreams. My challenge is thinking it has to be done tomorrow. I have so much to learn, and I trust in myself to know that I will be courageously successful in my own authentic way. We all can, so jump into the pool wherever you like and when you are too comfortable, go farther until eventually you find yourself having fun and enjoying life in the deep end of the pool.
I feel very honored and grateful to have been one of the 47 speakers for Motivation Marathon. For those of you who missed this event visit www.motivationmarathon.com and register for your Free E-Book and while you are there listen to Gary Kobat’s one hour presentation along with the video of Dr. Michael Beckwith & Gary Kobat. Click on Listen to Free Highlights of the speakers with more speakers to come…all FREE! I promise, you will want to dive into the deep end of the pool when you hear these speakers!
How do you define the word empowerment? I thought I knew what it meant until I came to write about it for this months newsletter. That was when I realized that it can mean different things to different people in differing life situations. So, after ‘Googling’ it and not coming up with any clear cut definition here is my own interpretation:
“Empowerment is a multi-dimensional process of gaining positive control of the power we all have within us, enabling us to lead better lives to the benefit of ourselves, others and society as a whole whilst being in harmony with Universal Law.”
We all know the types of lives we want to lead; we all know the kind of environment we want to live in and we all want to live in harmony with our physical, mental and spiritual selves. But unless we empower ourselves and allow our thoughts and actions to work at every level of our desires then they will never wholly come to fruition. Self-Empowerment is a gift not to be wasted or abused, without it we can only live falsely as we would not be being truthful to ourselves. Our ego’s and the physical outer world would be in total control.
Mother Nature is the embodiment of empowerment. She plays by her own rules, the Universal Laws, yet embraces change to survive, develop and expand. You only have to look around you to see empowerment at work, the forces of nature are continuously in motion with no days off, no procrastination, just pure energy in perpetual motion. Day and night, the tides, the winds and the seasons are forever with us, if they weren’t, we and the world as we know it would perish.
It’s important that we empower ourselves by giving ourselves permission to be who we truly want to be, act and do as we truly desire and to learn how to work in harmony with not only our physical, mental and spiritual selves but with those around us and our environment if we want to gain the full benefits that empowerment can and will reward us with. As with working towards enlightenment this is not an overnight process, it is a life times work and may not happen for us in this lifetime but in a future life in whatever multi-dimensional place that may be. Accept and use the gift of empowerment, feel the vibrations of Universal Law working with and for you, the feeling of harmony coming into your life.
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
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.”
“Life is Delicious. Devour it with joy in every cell of your body, mind and spirit. You will see it’s perfect qualities reflected back to you in many ways, seen and unseen.” -Debra Oakland
I like to remind myself that my life is the sum of my choices, and the more I enjoy life, the happier I am. It’s simple, yet can take a lifetime of self awareness to embrace life with open arms. Quite a journey we all share!
In this article, I am exploring the partnership of Inspiration and Motivation at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, CA where I live. I sat happily with my Kean coffee looking at the artists booths all around me that are filled with diverse art by very talented people. Festival of Arts has been home to the Pageant of the Masters since 1932 and attracts more than 250,000 people annually. The festival has a reputation for fine art, and is recognized worldwide. These 140 juried artists have to be very inspired and motivated to get into the festival, and to stay in the show from year to year. Each year approximately 25 new artists are added to the art show.
The first delightful artist I spoke with was Betty Haight of Cunningham/Haight. I asked Betty what motivated/inspired her and she told me, “Other people loving our art is what motivates me. Another factor is selling art. Our motto is “Art without commerce is a hobby.” There is a story tag on the back of each painting, and the wood frames are from scrap wood from old cottages. Betty is passionate and enthusiastic about her work, and it was a pleasure to visit her booth…I hope you will too!
I fell in love with Karin Worden’s beautiful jewelry. There is a gorgeous necklace in Karin’s booth that keeps pulling me back and enticing me! Her work is exquisite. It is obvious that Karin puts her heart and soul into her work, so I asked her what inspires/motivates her in regard to her craft. “I’m inspired by the life I see in natural forms. The gestures and textures speak to me. I also love my craft of goldsmithing. So I get inspired by something in nature, or even sometimes a picture of nature, and then I mix that in my studio with the fun and adventure of what the materials can do. I choose gemstones for their colors and then play with textures and techniques in silver and gold. I love the process of bringing an idea to life. A fleeting picture in my mind evolves into something tangible that can last just about forever. I’m also inspired and moved by the responses my pieces get from others. When someone falls in love with a piece and buys it, it begins a new life with them. Often, I’ll see a piece on someone two years later and it will look different – it has become part of the wearer and transformed in ways I could not have effected.”
Wandering around the festival grounds I met Bill Agee who was a commercial photographer for 30 years, and now teaches photography at Saddleback College. Bill’s art is abstract/expressionism in acrylic on canvas. As far as motivation, Bill said “Art makes me happy, I enjoy it. I work independently and have made my hobby my profession.” I viewed Bill’s photography from around the world on his website and it is stunning.
Next I spoke to Anne England who is a longtime Laguna resident and artist. Anne is a print-maker, who says “Art motivates art, and art motivates me. Art comes from my heart and soul, it speaks to me.” Anne spends part of the year teaching and creating new works on paper in Italy. I met Anne after one of her return trips from Italy and found her a joy to interact with.
While talking to Anne, I met Geraldine who directed me to her husband Gar Cropser, a gifted and passionate landscape photographer. Gar’s answer to being inspired and motivated was, “The love of the outdoors gives me a feeling of peace, awe and wonder that I want to share with others. My goal is to be able to capture, experience and share my work with the world.” Gar’s photography of Zion and Yosemite (two of my favorite places) were very moving because he captures light beautifully.
I thank each artist for taking the time to speak with me, and may you each be blessed with a prosperous festival season.
Use Courage to expand each and every day. Smile more often, be kind and loving to others, gossip less, let criticism of yourself and others go, be the joy you want to experience. Life WILL respond back to you. – Debra Oakland
What motivates us as humans? I was pondering this subject thinking about various things that motivate, such as courage, inspiration, encouragement, and all the great qualities of life. There are many forms of motivation, for example fear is one. It does not take much to scare people into action. When fear is the motivating factor, the results will be different than those motivated by love, yet it may be an important stepping stone to acting from a place of love.
I have been motivated by many things in my life, but it always comes back to the basics. Living an authentic life doing what my heart leads me to do. By trusting that motivation comes from life all around me and from inside my soul, I am able to determine my best path. Like everyone I have made decisions out of fear. Many of those decisions were not the best, but they taught me what I do want. That is the power of contrast, which is essential for growth and expansion.
What and who motivates you? Does it last, or are you motivated in the moment and quickly lose momentum? Think about what fires up your soul. Inspired passion for excellence is a key factor in motivation. Passion, creativity, inspiration and productivity keep us alive and vital. This video on the life of bamboo motivated me to remember to plant the seeds, water them, encourage them and be patient for the growth that can explode from being nurtured.
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