:: Aham Prema ::

Licorice Grandpa

2013-02-21T10:26:00.001-08:00

In high school I wrote this story about my beloved Grandpa Chuck. I just read it again yesterday for the first time in 15 years to my son. I am very thankful to remember these details I had forgotten and to share the essence of such a wonderful man with my boy. I also realized how much of an impact he has made on me that still holds in my character today. In memory of grandpa, here is the story. Slightly edited. :)

Licorice Grandpa

My grandpa was simply the best. There is no way I can describe what an incredible person he was. He seemed to be the only grandpa alive who was still "a kid" inside. It is because of these reasons that my grandpa Chuck has made an impact on how I live my life today.

One of the best memories I have of my grandpa is going to his house every holiday. My family would enter my grandparent's huge immaculate house and be overtaken with the strong thick smell of my grandpa's pipe. As soon as we entered, my little sister and I would run directly to my grandpa and fight for his attention. He was always sitting on the couch reading his newspaper. He would smile as soon as he saw us running towards him. It would be at that moment that our attention would be diverted over to the huge licorice jar that laid just in front of my grandpa on the coffee table.

Immediately we'd beg for licorice in whiny voices, hoping to have been felt sorry for. My grandma would intervene and respond, "Wait until after dinner." A few moments later my grandpa would reach in and grab some licorice and then lie back and continue reading the paper.

We would stare in jealousy and wish we were older so that we could eat licorice before dinner too. Just as we had lost hope, my grandpa would sneak a few pieces to us behind the paper while no one was watching and smile at us.

We couldn't believe there was a grown-up on Earth that was so cool! We were almost too astonished to eat the licorice. He made a child feel as if they were understood and not so meaningless. He made us feel recognized and important. Most adults made us feel so young as if it was a bad thing. I still hold this event close to my heart today and I feel that I am nicer to children because of it. He helped me to realize that the slightest positive action can really change a child's life for the better.

Another memory I have of my grandpa is waking up early one morning to voices in my living room. I thought I must have been dreaming because no one in their right minds would be up this early on a weekend. I must have been 6am. I ripped myself out of my warm, cozy bed and crawled into the freezing cold living room. After struggling to open my eyes, I could finally see my grandparents there with my mom. All of the sudden, it was bright and warm. I ran to my grandparents and hugged them. I couldn't believe they were at my house. We would usually go to their house. My mom said they were going to garage sales and wouldn't be back for a few hours. "Promise to get me something?" I begged. After agreeing, they left. My grandpa arranged the newspapers on our coffee table, said goodbye, and tickled my toes. Then they walked out the front door.

A few hours later my grandpa had a stroke. He was at a garage sale when it happened. He was taken to the hospital and he died soon thereafter. He was just fifty-nine years young.

My entire family was devastated. No one could believe that a person so young with such a big heart was gone. Although I mourned his death so much, I am so thankful I was given one last chance to see my grandpa.

I was the last of five grandchildren to see him. Now he has over 15 more grandchildren that he never got to know, and they never can have the chance to know what a legendary grandfather they had. Had I not woken up that morning, I would have no final memory of my grandpa, the world's greatest man in my eyes. He was the person that taught me how much a relationship can mean to someone and how much it can make someone happy if you just acknowledge them. There are so many things he taught me; I just wish he knew how much.

by Danielle Crume © 2013

A Fresh Start: Organize Your Work Space

2013-02-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

Having your work space set up optimally is foundational to being productive on greater levels. When certain conditions are present, you become more attracted to the space and drawn there naturally. It also allows greater accomplishment as you are able to focus on your magic with all your tools at hand.

Here are some step-by-step tips I've found that help me be my best:

Step 1. Totally Reorganize/Pre-Organize.
Clear out your old stuff to create space. To get started, freshen up your area. Schedule an evening or weekend to box old files or shred them. Simplify and let go of what you don’t need and haven’t looked at for years. Only keep current files in one central box or cabinet that is easily accessible and near your workspace. Think bigger than you ever have before. Create a tornado effect followed by the world’s best clean up/restructuring crew.

“Next to the dog, the wastebasket is your best friend.” ~B.C. Forbes Step 2. Set up your master work space.

Put everything that you need to use daily within arms reach. Make it so that you don’t need to get up too often or interrupt your work flow. Things that you use weekly or less often can be a little farther out. Leave them out of eye range to create a feeling of spaciousness and reduce eye clutter.

Organize your work flow system. Move in to an organized system that allows you to be fully productive and aware of where everything is. Ditch the system that only you can figure out.

Step 3. Have these four boxes or slots be on your desk or within reach:

Go out and buy these if you don't already have them. You can keep them hidden in a fancy cabinet if you don't want to look at them all day long:

Top: Inbox. Everything that comes in goes directly in here. Empty it out at least once a day. From your inbox, things can transfer to one of the other files. Do not leave anything in your inbox. (It can be done!) Once you’ve touched it, don’t put it back. At least move it to one of the boxes mentioned below. The same should be done for all types of messages that come in including voice mails.

Second: Processing. This is just like what you are using your inbox for right now. Have one processing file on your desk for things you will work on this week. Anything that isn't on the schedule for this week should be moved down to one of the other boxes.

Only things you need today should be on your desk. Keep your desk free from clutter and excess. A clear mind allows more focus. Review your processing file and reschedule associated activities during your Organization Session at the end of each week.

Third: Org Sesh. Put items in here that you do not need to look at during this week. Sit down once a week during your Organization Session and go through this box to keep in touch with all that's going on. Take time out once a week to schedule these activities – rather than taking time out each day to reorganize. It is much more efficient and frees you up to trust things will be handled and will all fit in.

Bottom: Follow Up. These are items that are not urgent but that should be followed up on next month. On the first Organization Session of each month, go through this box.

Additional Spaces to Set Up to Facilitate Your Flow:
Reading Nooks. Keep a SMALL collection of things you want to read in areas around your living spaces that prompt you to pause and read. Create reading nooks that are physical reminders each day to sit and read. Make each a fun place to visit. Areas to place selected reading material include: the a corner desk in your office, the bathroom, your kitchen table, by the couch, near your bed, etc. If the reading material keeps growing and you never read them, move some to a library or forward to friends (circulate). If you have too many, you will never start reading. Prioritize!

A "To Be Filed" File. In your file cabinet, create a first file that is “To File”. Once a quarter or so file its contents and empty it out. Don’t let things gather here too long. An organized file cabinet is most beneficial. This will strengthen the core of your foundation. Sorting your physical work helps clear these things from your subconscious also, clearing your mind. This can provide incredible amounts of healing and closure. Get blank folders, make new files, organize them by groups and colors, and get very involved. This is very representative of where you are at with your work. A dependable and creative system will support the success of your work.

Cornerstone. In your home, create a place to retreat to that is nourishing. Ideally you should have a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing center in your home. These should be spaces that are inviting to visit and prompt your attention to yourself, solace, nourishment, and connection.

For more wonderful inspiration on design, I recommend any of the books on Vastu Living written by Kathleen Cox. Her talent is to create interior environments that appeal to us visually and viscerally—they appeal to the mind, body, and soul through applying ancient wisdom.

by Danielle Crume © 2013

Originally posted 5/11/09. Refreshed 2/13.

A Great Set of Tools

2013-02-20T10:30:00.000-08:00

To be serious about anything, you’ve got to get the best set of tools you can get your hands on.

Tools are not just for handymen. Superheroes are even more super because they have a perfect gadget for the job.

Superman had an indestructible cape that offered him use of a pocket, carried a disguise, and always wore his mighty S shield.

Wonder woman had special bracelets, a belt that contained a miracle metal which enabled her to deflect bullets with her wrists, and a golden lasso that wrangled her opposition.

Now, you may or not may be a superhero. Either way, tools empower everyone. What’s important is that you have the tools that are right for you. It can be very reenergizing to set your self up nicely for your next work session. Taking care of all the details, refilling your supplies, and improving your tools can help you dramatically increase your efficiency and creativity.

Take some time to check in on the tools you use. Do you need to refill some things? Are you ready to graduate to a higher level?

Here are some creative ideas to prompt your review:

Specialty Supplies. Have all the utensils that will help you while you are doing your work ready and at hand. Everyone can use basics such as a phone with an updated contact list, a full tank of gas, and a healthy body. Be creative in getting the things ready that help you do your work specifically. For example, a painter should have a range of paint colors, brushes, water cups, canvases, rags, etc. If you’re a writer, having a great set of journals, plenty of paper, and a great collection of pens all help to facilitate the creativity and it shows in the final copy.

Other specialty supplies to think about are things that keep you whistling while you work. It may be tea, coffee with all the special add-ons, a fun candy dish, your favorite music playlist, or a warm pair of slippers. Treat yourself to little things that make a big impact on how you feel while “doing your do”!

Craft/Work Space. Setup your creation and/or work space like a cockpit in which all of your tools are centered and ready for you to grab within reach. Have an area for everything you need while in your process. For example, an ideal desk for an office worker should allow plenty of counter space to spread out work on, be stocked with a full set of pens, pencils, rulers, scissors, tape, notebooks, a planner, paper, etc. You shouldn't have to get up at all just to get something that you use every day. Move things that you don't reach for daily a little farther out of reach. Optimize your space based on use. Then look back and make sure it looks nice as well. :)

While in this space, take a moment to be aware of all of your senses and how you can better their experience. Have the sound at the right levels to facilitate your concentration. Create a Vision Board to keep near your work area that is aesthetically pleasing to see to give it a personal feel. Make it fun to be in your space. It should draw you in and you should want to be there.

Inspiration and Daily Motivation. Just like we need to take a bath or shower every day, a daily dose of inspiration can help us get moving and feeling great about it. Whether it be a quote in your email, messages through Twitter (see my Daily Inspiration List), a special ritual and/or prayer that helps you to feel connected, a CD, book, music, or class – find some way that works for you to easily enjoy receiving a daily splash of inspiration at the time that works best for you.

Ready Packs. Keep a small bag of your essential tools in the spaces that you frequent such as your car, your friend's house, etc. Have a mini-version of your most needed tools on hand for spontaneous creativity. Add some basic things such as a $20 bill, a snack bar, and a bottle of water. With these, nothing shall get in your way!

And most importantly.. You. Make sure you are up to par first. That means take care of yourself. Nurture yourself so that you are ready to be your best. Do what it takes to get off to a great start!

Have fun playing with your tools! =P

by Danielle Crume © 2013

Originally posted 11/2009. Refreshed 2/2013.

How to Best Organize Your Inbox

2013-02-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

Most of us get hundreds of emails per day. It is very easy for messages to get lost in the shuffle. How can you stay on top of so much information without being overwhelmed, missing important deadlines, or losing key details? It is actually very simple. It just requires a technique to organize the information so that what you need is where you can easily find it when you need it.

Clean Your Inbox

First of all, you must commit to only keep items that require action in your inbox. For those of you that have 15,000 old emails in your inbox, this can sound like the last thing on Earth you want to do. Hear me out.

Start with taking all of those old emails and putting them into a folder called “Pre-2013” for example. Move EVERYTHING into that folder. There you go. You’ve got a clean inbox.

Sort Incoming Emails for Efficiency

Now, for all future incoming emails, read through them quickly and determine what action you need to take. Take the action immediately to reduce the amount of time you spend on each email:

1. If no action is needed, read through it and then move it to an appropriate folder. Make your folders applicable to categories of work you often perform so that you can easily find any information when you need it, such as: Best Practices, Clients, Financial, Insurance, Meetings and Scheduling, Projects, etc. By using appropriate folders you will be able to find a message if you ever need it without it clogging up your inbox and diluting your attention.

2. If action is needed, keep it in your inbox. You will now be staring at it until it drives you crazy and you take action.

3. If follow up is needed, put it in a “_Tickler” folder and flag it with an appropriate follow up date (right click, follow up, add reminder).

Pending Folders vs. Archive Folders:

By using an underscore (_) at the beginning of a folder name, you indicate that the folder is pending and requires further action. This allows it to show up higher on the list of folders so that you actually see it and don’t forget about it. Folders without the underscore are regular archive folders that only need to be looked at if you are searching for something to reference it.

Set a recurring appointment on your Outlook calendar once per month to go through this follow up folder for a half hour or so and make sure you haven’t let anything slip too long. During that appointment also file away any emails that are completed and no longer need to remain as pending.

*Tip: It is a great tactic to move your own sent items that you want to follow up on and make sure they don’t get lost in the shuffle into this tickler folder as well. Simply drag them from your sent folder to the tickler folder.

4. Projects: If you get a lot of emails per day for a certain project, create a folder for pending items for that specific project. That way those emails aren’t bogging down your inbox and are ready for your review when you are focused to work on it. For example, I get hundreds of resumes in my inbox per week. Upon receipt, or first thing in the morning, I move them all to “_Recruiting to do” – a pending folder I keep in my inbox. I also move all correspondence from managers or coordinators in there so that the hour or two I spend on that project per day, I can focus on all the new activity at once with full concentration. When I am done with something from that folder, I move it to a regular archive folder “Resumes and Recruiting”. You can also set up recurring appointments, as needed, to remind yourself to catch up on those folders, if needed.

Keep It In Control

Learn your comfortable limit of action items in your inbox. Mine is 30 on a good day, 60 on a busy day. I’ve been to 100 and that was the most I could handle before I pulled a Saturday to catch up on the backlog.

It is ideal to touch things only once if possible. If you can process something in a minute or two, do it quickly and be free from that task in your life. If not, put it in the appropriate place and deal with it when it is best for you.

With this system, I am almost always aware of things that need action and I can usually find things that have been archived. I also have an impeccable follow up system so I don’t lose track of things nearly as much.

Other Helpful Tricks

1. Templates. Do you send some emails repeatedly now and again? I do. I have a “_Templates” folder that includes things such as directions how to get to my office or responses I have for candidates so that I can go and just forward the template rather than searching and/or recreating it. Every moment saved adds up!

2. Employees. If you have employees you manage, you can create a folder for their assignments that you don’t want to forget to follow up on. For example, “_Sarah to do” reminds me of all the things I have asked Sarah to do that I don’t want to forget about. I drag the sent item into that pending folder. Prior to our weekly meetings, I go in and see if there is anything in there I want to follow up on.

3. Reference. For those great emails you compose that you will want to refer to someday, or for those amazing emails you get from me that you may want to refer to someday, keep them in a “Reference” folder. These should typically be informational emails that you will want to find again at some point.

4. Posts. Try using posts to leave yourself quick little notes where you will see them. Use the same type of organizing rules for them as you do with regular emails. They are a great way of taking quick notes that won’t get lost.

Posts look like a little yellow sticky note with a pin in them.

They act like a regular email message but can be edited.

5. Too Much Space. Do you get the warnings each week that your inbox is too full? I do. I have developed a work around with the wonderful guidance of Sandor. All of the folders I create, except for the “_Tickler” folder are created in the Archive area of my inbox folders. That way they do not require space from my inbox and are stored directly on my computer. One bummer of this method is that whatever folders are stored directly as an archive are not viewable on the online access of Outlook. I do not use the “_Tickler” folder in the archive section because that would disable the follow up flags from working, so I keep that one up in the true inbox folder.

The Big Picture

The whole concept is that your inbox should be a tool that empowers you to be unstoppable. It should not be a huge maintenance project that requires extra time for you. Of course this system works best with a great calendaring system… perhaps I will share insights on that soon as well. J Enjoy!

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me at Danielle.crume@vmbc.com.

by Danielle Crume © 2012

5 Quick Time Saving Tips

2013-01-04T23:24:00.000-08:00

Never enough time? Too much to do? Take a quick look at these tips.

Problem #1: No Structure. Solution: Organize!
Taking a few moments at the beginning of your day to put together a basic structure is the #1 way to save time. This doesn’t mean you need your life scheduled to the minute. Just a short “Organization Session” can work wonders. It will save you TONS of wasted time most spend in urgent mode. And will also save you from the suddenly recalled tasks to do at 4:59pm.

Problem #2: I Can’t Just Move Forward. Solution: Create Space.
Make your priority a true priority. Don’t put it off. A few tricks can help it finish up in no time. Check your email and voicemail only a few times a day. Two would be ideal. Divide large tasks up into smaller ones. Concentrate on a few projects and finish them up. Going back and forth diverts attention and wastes several minutes each time trying to get your focus back. Let others know this is your policy and have them text you if it’s urgent. Don’t be afraid to say no to other’s demands on your energy and time. And make sure to reward yourself throughout the process – it helps with motivation to finish it all.

Problem #3: Overflow and Overwhelm. Solution: Let Go.
Do you get 100 emails every day? Have piles of magazines to read that you never get to? When you see these “stacks” of things and feel them weighing you down, immediately reach for them and toss them in a recycle bin. Stop stressing about getting them done. Look openly and ask yourself, “do I have to do these? Do I really need these? When will I really get to these things?” Let go of the maintenance of things that you simply don’t have time for. This will free up a lot of your energy from carrying around such a heavy burden. Delegate things that you can. Often times others would love to help out and it may even allow them to grow. Consider hiring a helper for a few hours a week. Even if they free you up just a few hours, it is often well worth it.

Problem #4: Burn Out. Solution: Take Short Breaks.
Rotating working periods with short rest or recharge periods will keep your energy flowing. An optimal energy flow ensures the greatest quality and quantity of work possible. Every few hours get up and stretch or take a quick walk around the parking lot.

Problem #5: It’s a Mess Here. Solution: Clean and File.
It seems like a waste of time, I know. It’s not that you have to do it. But someone needs to. Set your desk up as a cockpit. A great setup can speed up efficiency miraculously. Keep your areas neat and clean. File your work so that you can quickly find it when needed. So, go ahead. Hire that helper if you haven’t already. Start somewhere. Or, if not, pick up that stack and begin today.

Implement a system that creates a perfect harmony between findable and low maintenance. I’ve found one. It IS possible!

by Danielle Crume © 2013

Being Happy - From the Inside Out

2012-10-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've always been a people watcher. As a young girl, I openly looked at everyone I came in contact with, wondering who was the happiest? It was a little disheartening during my exploration to uncover that it seemed that almost everyone had a significant amount of unhappiness and troubles in life. I guess I wanted to live a fairy tale. Some people, however, had a great time with life, even through its challenges.

I noticed that those who were overall most happiest usually had a sense of humor about their experience. They weren't richer, more beautiful, or better off. They were just happy with what was and were strong in rolling with it. Everyone goes through hard times.

Being truly happy is not by getting somewhere or accomplishing something. It is a part of who you are. It is your character, your essential being, the fabric of you. Children are often born with a knowing of it, but many of us lose touch with this understanding along the way.

"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be"

Happiness is a personal thing. And we're all different. It is the unhappiness that we are faced with that allows us to truly enjoy the happiness. That being said, these are recurring characteristics of those who are most consistently happy:

Have Preferences Instead of Needs. Ask for what you want, but don't be unhappy if you don't get it. Go with the flow and make the best with what is.

"Do not spoil that which you have by desiring what you have not;

but remember that what you now have was once

among the things you only hoped for." ~Epicurus

Enjoy the Whole Journey. Keep going for what you want, but don't require a certain outcome to be attained before you allow yourself to feel happy. Enjoy the whole time through. Continuously strive for goals and growth - and treasure each step as part of a beautiful experience. When you enjoy each step, you are excited to move forward and thus grow exponentially faster than the average.

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.

If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." ~A. Schweitzer

Be Fulfilled with Faith. Whatever form it may be that fills your soul, know what it is for you. If you have found and connected with your faith, treasure the blessing. If you have followed a crowd into a practice - but don't find it fulfilling or haven't found what feels right for you - take the time to figure out what moves you. Explore all kinds of faiths, beliefs, etc. Those who have connected with their spirituality have a deep sense of purpose that fills their cup regularly and are not in need of anything outside to complete them. So if this isn't your case, enjoy the journey of uncovering that and moving into living it. Just keep following your curiosity and allow your heart to guide you. Often times all you have to do is stop being in your own way. It's always been there. Just open up and be ready for it. Nearly all forms of organized faith believe some form of "Ask and you shall receive." You've always been invited.

Trust. We are given all we need. We may always think we won't make it through, but we have, haven't we? Everything is fine in this moment. You've made it here. There are those who are suffering greatly - and the more we can grow our collective consciousness, the more we can improve conditions and resolve root issues so that the world is a safe and abundant place for everyone. If each of us worked on ourself, it would make a huge impact. As we grow, we can easily help many others who aren't getting enough. Begin with practicing to trust in your daily life. Trust that everything that comes to you is for a reason and that all you "need" is within reach. This goes hand-in-hand with heartfelt faith, so begin cultivating your faith if this seems unfathomable. If you are already in connection with your spirituality, step up to living it - with true trust. This doesn't mean to act ignorantly at all. It means to get up and dance with life. Stop fearing it. It really is all happening perfectly. Not always wonderfully, but always perfectly for where we are at.

"Each problem has in it an opportunity so powerful

that it literally dwarfs the problem." ~J. Sugarman

Give Thanks. Receive everything with gratitude - even challenges. Start each day with giving thanks and your entire experience will significantly shift for the better. It's not only proven scientifically, but supported by many of the most successful people in the world in every sort of realm. Feel GREAT by being grateful.

"The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today

is to start being grateful for what you have right now." ~Oprah Winfrey

Select Your Experience. You are not a victim to anything. You experience whatever it is you focus your attention on and invest your energy into. Instead of fear, choose to focus on loving outcomes and that which you prefer rather than fear. Don't give into dramas. Release them and LET GO! It's amazingly freeing!!! Don't worry about others and stop judging them. Look at the things you see everyday that are vibrantly displaying something that is not your preference, give thanks that you've seen it to know more about what you do not want, and then reflect on what it is you do want instead. Focus on CREATING that what you prefer rather than REACTING to that which you are not interested in or refuse. These irritators and attractors are divine breadcrumbs. Notice them, take note, and adjust your experience accordingly. As you make these adjustments, you feel happier - and attract less from your fears. A basic part of life is facing our fears and growing beyond them. When those times come, welcome them, stand up, and be your best. You'll get through them fine. We are only faced with what we are prepared to work on. If we aren't ready to grow beyond them yet, we keep facing them until we learn to grow beyond them. These are the basic patterns of life - the divine dance. As you notice the challenges become easier, select your next level of growth - and keep going!

"All seasons are beautiful for the person who carries happiness within." ~H. Friess

Know Your Story - and Then Move On. We all have a past that was not what we'd define as ideal at the time. So own up to it, be aware of it, and take new steps in light of it. When you do that - when you give life your all - you consciously create one that is in alignment with who you are now. Fully participate by checking in with yourself and adjusting your conditions as necessary.

"What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret

than our willingness to choose life."~Leo Buscaglia

Have Compassion for Yourself - and Others. I'd really like to list this first as this was one of my biggest lessons, but I think it makes more sense to be here, logically... so here it is. Be your best - and lighten up on yourself knowing that you are giving it your all. So many of us are so damn hard on ourselves that we are stuck in think layers of guilt - paralyzed in life. Many of us have an inner voice (yes, we talk to ourselves in our heads - know it!) that is extremely critical and downright abusive. This happens. Its not your fault. Its part of our collective consciousness. So choose to rise above it. Change it to a supportive voice. Make a commitment today to love yourself and be your best friend. Your entire life will change significantly and it will be much more enjoyable. Many of us, women especially, seek a fulfilling relationship from others. If we can give it to ourselves, we can truly be a delight to others - adding to their experience, rather than trying to pull them into ours. Be love. The more you love yourself, the more you can really love others. You can love them with Pure Love rather than one fueled with selfish motivations. The more you love others, the more you will love yourself. Get in the love cycle guys. It's much more fun than the one you've probably been stuck in... Be at peace with trying your best, honoring your needs and feelings, and being love.

"Every object, every being, is a jar full of delight." ~Rumi

Honor Your Feelings. When things feel bad, when you are sad, or feeling down, don't shy away from the truth. Take off the rosy colored lenses and be openly honest about what's going on. Tune into you. These feelings are divine sign posts. Honor them by looking at them and see what needs adjusting. This is a great way to truly being happy. We have our own guidance system built in. Make sure to check on it often. Emotions rise. Stop and tend to your feelings as soon as you can. Give yourself the conditions to compassionately deal with them. We all are faced with sadness. Life is constantly changing and its hard to let go of things that we treasure. However, we can still be sad without being unhappy. As we grow in awareness of the beautiful cycles of life, we can grieve with gratitude for what leaves us or the challenges we go through. Its a way of blessing it with love and letting go. With a solid foundation, these things don't take away our happiness. We can be happy with the process and what is to come from the changes. We can even be happy when we are sad - happy because we are feeling our emotions rather than thinking our way out of them. It says a lot about how much we've grown!

"There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course.

Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness,

the world 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." ~C. Jung

Speak Your Truth. Be who you are. Be totally you. You are a gift from God, as we all are. So please, be you. As they say, "everyone else is already taken". But seriously, there is magnificent beauty in who you are. Allow it to unfold and share your authentic being with the world and with your loved ones. We need you. When faced with challenges, stand up as who you are and share your feelings and perspective with others. Live your truth. It's much more enjoyable, very freeing, and lots of fun. We are all different pieces of the puzzle - each one essential and equally a part.

Have Fun. We all have our own funny characteristics and likes. I love to play games. I consider it a very serious part of my day to retreat into something fun. It's healing and reenergizing. Be goofy if you like to be goofy. Be dorky if you are really a secret dork inside - or possibly even a very obvious one :). Enjoy your life. Spend time with those who make you laugh. Sing out loud, even if you sound terrible. Watch your favorite comedian at least once a week for a few moments. Live your life as art - and share that pleasure with others. Squeeze smiles, laughs, and fun into every moment you can. Lighten up and don't take it too seriously.

"Happiness is not in the mere possession of money;

it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."~ Franklin Roosevelt

Nurture Your Relationship with God. Develop it, treasure it, make it a part of your daily being, and relax into it. Remember you are a soul having a human experience, not the other way around. Think of life as a Harvard of experience and growth - and every day give thanks that there is so much beyond here and that you are so much more beyond your body. Have fun while you've got it and make the most of this experience as well. Indulge in your personal relationship with your Creator and the life you have been given today. Savor the gifts of the Divine.

Be in Service. A secret of the "manifestation masters" - the creme of the crop lesson in these teachings - is that you can reap rewards exponentially faster by giving others what it is that you seek. By focusing on another, you can much more easily find the way to what it is you are seeking. Now, hopefully your motivation is simply to give back... but whatever it may be to get you started, leave a legacy, and participate in the world. Give back and make life a little better each day. One very simple way is to smile at a stranger. Such a simple act, yet greatly changeable. Be in the habit of smiling. A huge way to assist the growth of the collective is to dedicate service to those you can help. If your skill is cooking, cook for an elderly family member and share a few hours with them. If your skill is financial calculations, help your mom get ready for her taxes. If we'd all just give back at home that would make a huge change. If you can reach farther and give back where others aren't reaching enough yet, that helps greatly too. If you can do both, great!

"Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within.

It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy;

it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves."

~Helen Keller

As I continue to grow, I often become the subject of my own studies. In the last ten years I've made significant changes in my life to go for everything that I've dreamed of. Not everything is always "going great," but I am greatly happy - from the inside. It was tough and took strength to be brave enough to expand beyond my limits and do some of the hardest things for me, however, a much better self relationship has ensued. I am grateful and enjoying the blessings of this foundation in my life.

I've also had my share of hardships and adversity. My life hasn't been a cake walk. However, I don't let my challenges keep me down; rather, each one builds on and adds to my character. Through the experiences, I grow. Although some were extremely painful, through them I chose to transform. I stood up, faced them, and dealt with my feelings. I went for love and growth beyond the pain. Not right away. I allowed the healing process to flow naturally, but I did make sure I got back up - each and every time. Mistakes we make and challenges we face can often spark amazing changes that will last us a lifetime.

Please share your experience or favorite quote. What makes you happy?

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Originally Posted 1/5/10. Refreshed 10/11/12.

How to Fuel Great Performance

2012-09-14T10:32:00.001-07:00

Today I listened to a webinar called “How to Fuel Great Performance”. I really enjoyed the information and needed these reminders right now. J Here are some summary notes from the call.

"It is not the hours you work that determine the value you create, it’s the energy you invest."

Sleep at least 8 hours per night. Anything less requires that you burn more energy to stay awake. So you not only have less energy, you are less efficient with the energy you do have. You also are sub-optimal in your creativity, concentration, and quality of work. Therefore your quantity is lower as well. When you are tired, you tend to eat more as your body produces less of the chemical that tells your body it’s full.

Do the most important stuff first. Rather than checking your email and becoming reactive, dig into a task that requires concentration. Be proactive on your top projects and goals. Resist exposing yourself to temptation for distractions. Turn off your technology and set aside time to do the most important thing. Get your most challenging work accomplished at your highest level of efficiency.

Take a renewal break every 90 minutes. We are rhythmic beings. The ultradian rhythm that our energy follows is a 90 minute wave. At the end of 90 minutes of high energy, your body needs a rest. We often override it with caffeine, stress hormones, and other emergency sources of energy. This energy is only meant to be used for a very short period of time and allowing it to run for a longer period of time allows it to become toxic. Intentionally renew and refuel at regular intervals. Even one minute can clear your cortisol. A twenty minute nap can be exceptionally powerful. These breaks will refuel your capacity.

Schedule times for reflection, strategy, and big-picture thinking. This improves your renewal and retention. Our working memories are very small. If you don’t give yourself time to let experiences move into the long-term memory and to make sense of all that you take in, your capacity overflows. This requires time and space. You get your best ideas when we are out of task mode, thinking more expansively or not “thinking” at all. They usually arise in the shower, when working out, or walking, etc. Rather than leaving it to chance when this will occur, build it into your life. Get out of the urgent demands that keep you locked in your left-brain.

Refuel your reservoir of positive emotions. How we feel profoundly influences how we perform. Your best work gets done when you have high levels of positive energy. When we are not in this performance zone, we are sub-optimal performers. This is a deeply personal thing so it depends on the individual on how to refill your reservoir of positive emotions. It could be listening to music, hanging out with friends, etc. Appreciation is one way that works for everyone to emotionally renew. Take 10 minutes a day to express appreciation with authenticity to someone. This will boost your energy and change your attitude. Build more of that in your life.

Take all of your vacation days. The more intense the performance demand, the greater the need to intermittently renew ourselves. One of the most important ways to do this is to take your vacation days. Most Americans take 7 days or less per year, with half of those being no vacation days per year. This can significantly increase your health risks and also reduce your effectiveness at work. You will ultimately get more work done at a higher level of quality if you do take your vacation days. Every three months you should take a day or two off. At least once per year take a week or two if you can.

We’re all running in a marathon. It’s a long race with no clear finish in sight. We are constantly burning down our energy reservoir. To stay in the marathon, we must find ways to not constantly engage so that we don’t burn out. If we instead act as a sprinter and see the end point after a finite period of time (building in stopping points), we perform better. We have to find ways to find our finish lines so that we can align with our own natural rhythms.

I was going to link the audio but haven’t gotten it yet... Will post if it becomes available. =)

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Stop and Smell the Flowers

2012-09-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Flowers are a wonderful reminder of the power of beauty. Notice the symbolism they reflect for the individual, love, friendship, and much more.

Take some time out and open to what is triggered within you as you read this...

A ripe bud is ready to pop open. It takes its own sweet time.

Pedals spread wide in full bloom, displaying an amazing sight. A glimpse brightens the day. The flower emits a luring essence. A simple sniff awakens joy. Senses are teased and satisfied by their encounter with this beautiful flower.

Before long, the flower dries out and then falls. It's over. The flower returns to the dirt.

Soon after another bud sprouts.

The cycle continues....

Flowers are reflections of us. They grow best when well nurtured and each with its own needs with different levels of these requirements - such as water, sunshine, air, and nutrient-rich soil.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud

was more painful than the risk it took to blossom” ~Anaïs Nin

What type of flower represents you? [I am a Stargazer Lily =D (pictured)]

*Keep fresh flowers on your table to serve as a reminder of these things. Notice how they change the whole room.

Each time they catch your eye, stop and smell the flowers. :)

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Originally posted 6/15/10. Refreshed 9/13/12.

Organization Session: A Weekly Check In Practice for Optimal Development

2012-09-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

“The secret of success is found in your daily routine.”

~John Maxwell

Many of us have explored our daily routines to some extent. We have tried all kinds of ways of approaching our days and have found what works for us and what we are comfortable with.

However, not many live beyond day-to-day planning. By additionally reviewing our lives from a weekly perspective, we can enjoy a greater level of experience and thrive in the ways most meaningful to us.

Opening up to this weekly review of allows greater levels of flow.

Creating a space to prioritize your actions in alignment with your goals helps you to continuously develop yourself more quickly. Having a structure you can trust to process all of the details allows a natural ease and therefore more presence in your daily being. Taking this time out allows you to see opportunities that you may have otherwise not been aware of. It also makes sure taking care of yourself doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

Creating a weekly session gives yourself space to reconnect, review, and readjust, where necessary.

It is a big picture look in which you set up the blueprint for your week. This frees you up so that you can relax into it and trust that you have already incorporated everything that you need to get done plus what you want to get done. Everything works more beautifully as you are more aware of what you want while setting up your time.

Pick one day per week and set up a recurring appointment with yourself in your electronic calendar (with a reminder) for your Weekly Organization Session. Carve out this hour to connect, sync, refresh, and renew. I recommend doing this on Friday for the following week beginning Monday. That way on Monday morning, you can dig right in.

At times I have entered this organization session feeling like things were out of control. By the time I am finished, I always feel like everything is moving along beautifully. Afterwards I am grounded, clear, and ready for my week.

Key things to remember during your Organization Session:

1. Implement life into your schedule. Schedule everything in pencil to leave opportunity to move things around as you get closer to each day. First start with scheduling the things that are already scheduled or hard to move, such as work, appointments, practices, studying, etc. Next add things that you most want to accomplish and move you toward your goals. Be open to the optimal place for each thing. When you consciously choose where to put things, you can align several things together by location, type, or preference. Continue with adding time for your most important and treasured relationships, development activities, and time for you to do what you want.

2. Go through your inboxes. Connect with everything that is going on. Make sure things are moving forward. Is there anything that you can simply let go of? Spend some time checking in on different areas and see which rise as needing attention this week. Implement their associated tasks into your schedule to keep them moving forward.

3. Be open. Not everything goes as planned. However, having a template allows the smaller things to flow around the more important items while creating a consistent movement forward. Go with the flow and do what feels most right to you, don’t be too stuck on your schedule. Stay aware of what works and what doesn’t. Find pockets of time in which you can use in different ways. Learn your preference on the load of things you allow in your life.

4. Integrate change. Apply change where you see opportunities. Refine your development as you learn more about what works best for you. Keeping this weekly appointment facilitates awareness and the space to continually develop on what you learn.

5. Have fun. Enjoy the journey of it all. We all have a lot going on. Be selective about what makes it into your life. Ensure your fun, growth, and clarity are at the levels that are ideal for you. Make the things that matter most to you a top priority.

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Originally posted 4/1/09. Refreshed 9/12/12.

An Ode to the Overwhelmed

2012-02-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

Forwarded in an email by a friend. Loved this! :)

And as you stand there
Late again
Because you forgot to allow time to park
And the elevator was slow
And you left 10 minutes late to begin with

With your shoes that pinch
And your pants that are a little too small
Since you started eating white bread again

And as you paw through your bag
Looking for the suite number
That you're not sure you wrote down to begin with

Let us now praise you.

You, the untidy.
You, the careless.
You, the easily distracted by sparkly things.

The money you spend on late fees alone
Could feed a family in Africa - Which reminds you that you meant to send in the kids' Unicef money and
Forgot.

And that despite your best efforts,
You rarely eat a square meal,
You almost never get enough sleep
And exercise seems like a word that magazines have developed
Just to make you feel bad about yourself.

But you are good and brave.
You, flying by the seat of your pants
Making it work
Putting out fires
Saying your prayers
And dancing your dance of now and later and maybe and
I'll-have-to-call-you-back-on-that-could-you-send-me-an-email-to-remind-me-to-call-you-back-on-that?

As innocent as each morning's sunrise,
You are a fount of good intentions.
Your good humor is as graceful as a baby giraffe,
Even if that joke you were trying to make to the hotel clerk fell flat
And your toast at the wedding came out sounding a little...funny.

But you have gifts that no one knows about.
You have the strength to bend in the wind
You have the joyful spirit that loves a good belly laugh,
You have the wisdom to understand that everything will all come out all right in the end and
You have the faith to light a candle rather than curse the darkness.

That is, if you could find the book of matches from that romantic restaurant that you went to for your anniversary but since you didn't have a reservation they made you wait at the bar for half an hour during which you had two appletinis and the rest of the night is a bit of a blur.
So much for the overpriced lingerie.
You are beautiful.
You are beautiful.

Frazzled and overworked and underpaid
You are the one who forgot your wallet
And forgot your receipt for the dry cleaners
And forgot your keys which you just set down five seconds ago, so where could they possibly have gone?
But you never forget to say, "I love you"
And you never forget to give a big smile to that nice parking guy
And you never fail to show endless patience when the
Too-tightly wrapped and overly-conscientious start to offer their
Oh-so-helpful suggestions about how you might feel better if you would just learn to alphabetize your spice rack.

You are beautiful.
So, wear the lingerie on Monday for no reason.
And why not just refuse to participate in the bake sale this year?
And give yourself a compliment for something you did well today.
Because you are the most beautiful person I've ever known.

© 2009 Samantha Bennett

Simple Keys to Living Your Life As Art

2012-01-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

Uncover your natural artist within with these simple shifts.

The most incredible artists have a passion for making their art.

They enjoy the process and simply allow something to emerge from their inner creative nature.

We all have passion available to us, but many aren’t connected to it at all. By simply making our inner life a priority and allowing enough attention to discover and develop it, we can connect with our creative energy more deeply than ever before.

Be aware. Everything you do is already creating. Even when you drive along the freeway. Start with realizing you already are an artist and allow everything you do to be a part of your art form. Create your life in your ideal ways. Keep your eyes open and pay attention to the mysteries and miracles before you every day. It is a great opportunity that you have to be aware of this and consciously create each action as a deliberate work of art.

Enjoy the dance of it all. When you drink water, why not drink it happily and give thanks for the replenishment to your body rather than dreading the plain taste. It creates a much more fun experience to have this type of open-minded attitude and appreciation for the events you experience in life.

Develop your inner artist. Begin by uncovering the innate talents you have. Have an open mind and be gentle with yourself. Explore what you are attracted to and continuously nurture yourself in these areas. Take your creative projects to new levels. Educate yourself, look for new opportunities, and connect with others who have the same interests.

Stay on top of it. Make it a priority to check in with yourself each week. Give yourself this space to integrate everything going on in your life. Follow up on goals, sync with current things going on, look at present opportunities, and allow time to refresh again. Connect with various parts of yourself, what you want to do, and connect them. Consciously create your ultimate dance with time. Make sure those you are dancing with are enhancing to your experience, rather than draining it. Keep mentors close and be a mentor to those you can.

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Originally Posted 2/4/09. Refreshed 2012.

How to Process Emotions and Find Their Value

2012-01-03T20:25:00.000-08:00

Step-by-step instructions on what to do with feelings. Key information that has to be easily referenced!

By honoring your inner feelings and emotions, you quench your deepest thirst. These arise as golden breadcrumbs indicating an opportunity for alignment with your greater self. However, they are not always the easiest to deal with.

Here are simple steps to processing your emotions – to get through them rather than “stuffing them”. Reap the rewards of these divine hints.

Grab a pen and paper and get to a quiet space. Go to the bathroom if need be. Center yourself and create a compassionate space for your healing.

Write down what made you feel blue. Who or what upset you? Outline notes about what triggered the emotions.

Vent/express the emotions. In a healthy, safe way, let the feelings out! Get to those feelings that the innermost part of you felt in the situation. You can cuss if it helps you to uplift them from your inner being (this actually pumps out your lower chakra). Act as if you are talking to that person and say the harshest things you want to say – on paper. Let it all out - anger, frustration, and sadness. You can punch a pillow, exercise, cry, talk it out, create art - whatever works best for you, as long as you have the intention of letting these emotions out of your body and physically release them.

See the reflection. What opportunity has been given to you today? Why did God bring this into your life? What did you want to learn here? Usually if you go back and look at the things that you said in #2 and #3, you’ll find that you’ve been doing these exact same things on some level to someone as well, possibly yourself. When we aren’t seeing what we are doing, the world acts as a mirror to reflect to us what we are doing - to help us see. If you are open, you will find it.

Own the mirror. Accept what you have done and determine how you will be better next time. If necessary, make agreements with yourself or others about how to handle these situations or feelings in the future. True compassion is beyond forgiving - its actually giving thanks to the people who have helped you to learn about yourself.

Clear it out. Apologize to the person who has reflected this to you. Sometimes, it may be yourself or your inner child. A true apology has nothing to do with rationalization. Simply speak to the pain that you have caused, acknowledge it, and if possible make amends. Take action to better yourself.

As you continue to work through emotions, you may find that many of them clear out and you are not triggered as easily any more. After repeated use, people often heal miraculously from their dis-eases, look years younger, and you may see a sparkle return to their eyes.

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Originally Posted 10/29/09. Refreshed 2012.

Feel Great Being Grateful

2012-01-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

Gratitude is the easiest way to really be happy. We’ve been taught this so much that we don’t value it anymore. However, giving thanks not only improves your living, it heals feelings, and allows joy to be a regular force in your life.

Sure it sounds easy. But so many of us are numb to the feeling of being thankful. We take for granted the soft pillow that comforts our head and the clean water we have for a bath. Small things - sure, yet huge conveniences and benefits. We’d definitely notice if they were gone!

Not until my own personal experience with this lesson, did I know it so well myself. About a year ago my mom’s house was in one of the California wildfire areas. She got her favorite items and animals and evacuated her home. The firemen decided it was too dangerous to protect the canyon where her home is. They let the fire go free in the whole canyon. My mom was devastated. I was stuck at work and longed to be there to support her. I felt sick to my stomach and overwhelmed with despair.

Although I knew I should be thankful that she was alive - and I definitely was - it was very difficult to actually feel that way given the circumstances. I had a deep gratefulness in my heart, but was more overwhelmed with feeling hopeless about her challenge. My mom had no insurance and would have to rebuild from nothing. I was so sad to see her go through the stress of this situation and wanted to care-take her and protect her from the pain.

A coworker gently nudged me enough to look at the situation again, with an attitude of gratitude. And although I had already told myself this and wasn’t able to really feel that way, somehow she triggered me to reach that point of really opening to feeling very thankful. Pausing in that feeling allowed a shift which released the yucky heavy stomach I had. My heart began to glow with joy. I felt it sing; “My mom is alive! Thank God she is alive!”

The best thing I could offer to my mom in that moment was a reminder to be thankful for what she does have.

Her house did not catch on fire. It came up to the edge of her barn and caused severe damage in her canyon, but her home and her things were untouched.

I will never forget this lesson - as simple as it many seem. It was one of those that actually shifted my awareness and freed me up. I know the true power of being thankful first hand and live differently because of it. Every day I live in gratitude for much of it, which I find is a very enjoyable way of living. I see benefits and opportunities and feel more joyous. When I don’t feel grateful or I feel down, I tune into myself to look at why and process the emotions.

Studies have proven that gratitude increases the experience of feelings of happiness and positive emotions. They’ve also proven that being thankful increases your physical and mental health - and leads to increased energy throughout the day.

You Know The Secret

Just as “The Secret” made famous, there is a universal law that happens – whether we pay attention to it or not – that says “whatever you invest your energy into, manifests”. Whether you worry or work hard, both are creating your reality. If you worry about your greatest fears, they can come true. If you instead channel your energy into vision, love, and growth - that is what you experience.

Knowing this to be true, why not channel your energy into focusing on the things that you are grateful for?

The Lost Mode of Prayer

Giving thanks is actually a form of prayer to many of the ancient cultures. This is the method used in the shamanic rain dances. As they dance, they call the rain through feeling thankful for already receiving it. They envision tall cornstalks that have grown from the plentiful rain and express the gratitude they have for the harvest. This is how many have traditionally called the rain to water their crops.

The state of thankfulness is a powerful method of attraction - much more so than being in a state of needing or wanting. When you say “I want peace”, you confirm that you are in need of peace, rather than already having peace. When you say, “I am peace” or “I have peace”, you are actually creating the peace itself by being it. Affirmations are used by millions of people around the world. These statements and ways of thinking open you up to truly creating that which you seek.

Affirmations can be hard for the critical mind as saying them can feel elementary or too basic while repeating wishful thoughts. If such is the case for you, a better form of this awareness is available through songs with affirming lyrics. By singing or following along, you affirm the powerful words. As such, be selective of what you allow to be running in the back of your mind. It makes a big difference on the feelings you have.

The original intention of Thanksgiving by the natives was to be in the state of thankfulness for all of the food they were blessed with and were able to harvest. By emanating this thankful essence and attitude, they attracted more blessings into their lives.

Isn’t that who you like to help? Those that are truly grateful?

The Power to Transcend

Being thankful is great way to lift your fear into love. Give thanks for the opportunity to learn. See it with true compassion.

Bring Gratitude Into Your Daily Life

As you give thanks, open your heart and allow it to pour out gratitude.
As you open your eyes each morning, give thanks for a new day.
As you take a take a bath or shower, reflect on the past day and give thanks for the opportunities and blessings.
Every morning note five things you are thankful for. They can be anything from “a home” to “a nourishing place to center myself and love my family”. Whatever your style. Just note the things that you are genuinely feeling grateful for at that moment.
Give thanks for each meal before eating it.

www.gratitudelog.com is an online community in which people share their five thankful things for the day. If interested, you can connect with others there who are in the healthy habit of giving thanks.

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Originally Posted 12/16/09. Refreshed 2012.

Giving Thanks in the Morning

2012-01-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

One of the most powerful exercises I do in my day is to give thanks in the morning.

At times giving thanks naturally arises for me. At others it doesn’t. It’s been those times that I’ve been far from feeling thankful that I’ve really come to understand its significant importance on another level.

Now it’s a key part of my “daily do”. I have a regular morning routine that I play with to help me get off to a great start. Giving thanks has the greatest consistent effect over any other part of my morning “get ready” rituals.

It’s simple. I just take a few moments out and check in to what I’m naturally feeling thankful about – and then magnify it. Sometimes I have to search deeply and may come up with things like “I am thankful for being in this nourishing space with my loving family." At others simple things will pop up quickly, like “I am thankful for having the space to take a bath this morning."

I’ll tune into the first five things to arise and feel my heart expand with thankfulness for each one. I usually do this in a quiet space such as driving in the car or in my home before leaving for the day. The bath is the best. Sometimes I like to write them down on a list in my daily planner.

It greatly impacts my attitude for the whole day. On the days I’ve forgotten to take time out and feel thankfulness, I often notice at the end of the day that I’ve felt distant or disconnected. My day can feel more like a struggle I have to push through than a delightful experience that unfolds. When I take time out for giving thanks, I take a more artful approach naturally.

By exuding gratitude, my whole being is naturally shifted into a different state. I feel more grateful and am more aware and present. My perspective is much more open and receptive. My attitude becomes more playful and fun.

So just a little reminder for us all to give thanks! …Even our logic can justify it. =)

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Originally Posted 10/14/09. Refreshed 2012.

The Essence of Autumn

2011-09-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Goodbye summer. Thanks for the wonderful times!

Friday, September 23rd marks the beginning of the fall season, with the autumnal equinox. The equinox has been celebrated since ancient times as having great significance. On this day, the length of day and night are exactly equal. Nights will become longer as autumn passes.

The essence of each season is a reflection of what is going on with us. Read these keywords and see if you can see similarities to the cycles you are personally going through.

As summer transitions into fall, plants are supple with life. The fruits of our labor are now ripe for the picking.

Family gathers, giving thanks for the season's harvest. Refreshing cool breezes return. Leaves fall as mother nature clears off her branches.

This season involves a lot of activity and visible transitions.

Autumn is the season of culmination, celebration, and space.

If you've been diligently working, you've brought forth a bountiful crop. If you've been focused on growth and your ideal creation, you'll have your most rewarding harvest yet. You can see much growth has taken place since originally setting your goals in spring.

It's a perfect time to celebrate and feast. Give thanks for the gifts you've been given! There is always so much to be thankful for. Start with the little things and then connect with how awesome the big things are as well. Feel the joy of thankfulness emanate from your heart. Pause and congratulate yourself on all the work you've done, this cycle and throughout life.

If things are not going as planned, it's a natural time to become aware of what new opportunities are arising for you and what changes you would like to make. What can you improve? Stuck in the same-old, same-old? Are your relationships, job, or creative projects in a rut? Release things that are not up to par so that you leave room for new opportunities to come in. Letting go of the excess can create space for the things you want more of. It's an ideal time to release things that we are not fully appreciating.

The last nights of autumn are the most mystical of the year. They are ideal for meditation and depth of connection. During these times it is much easier to pierce the veil and feel a deep connection.

As the leaves fall, it is a perfect time to review the fruit you've grown in the past six months (since last spring). Can you see anything that needs to be weeded out? Clarify what you're creating and adjust what you can to make it your ultimate experience.

Bask in the time of your harvest. Soon the reflective months of winter roll in and complete the cycle.

Enjoy the harvest of your efforts! Celebrate and give thanks! Let go of what is not your ideal.

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Originally Posted: 11/18/2009
Last Edited: 9/20/11

Love Is

2011-09-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

“…And the greatest of all these is love.” ~Corinthians

You could explore and study love for your whole lifetime and still never fully understand it. You may only catch a glimpse of its fascinating possibilities. Love is one of those expansive eternal forces - far beyond our senses’ ordinary perception. It is something many dream of, imagine about, and wait for.

Some say love is the essence of all there is and that love is the answer. Some say love hurts or it doesn’t even exist.

Some prophets say that there is only love or fear at the root of everything - and that love is the only truth.

We all have different versions and understandings of love - which evolve throughout our lifetime. They may range from a feeling for a soul mate to one about a favorite shirt. Love can be a sweet nickname or a feared word. Some express it with tenderness, others with strength.

Some say I love you to everyone. Some reserve it only for “the one”. Others never say it at all.

It can be as simple as kindness and enjoying life together. It can be overwhelmingly complex.

Love can feel like a glass of cold water in the middle of the desert or a warm blanket and hot chocolate on a stormy evening. It can feel like an endorphin rush or a gentle knowing in the heart.

Throughout history our ideas and expressions of love have shifted, transitioned, and changed.

Ancient Greece, for example, established 3 forms:

Agape: a sacred love such as that for the divine or of a mother for her child. Love of the soul.
Eros: a passionate love, admiration of beauty, and sensual desire. Love of the body.
Philia: a virtuous love or loyalty to family and community. Love of the mind.

What is most interesting to me, however, is how we hold it today.

As young children, we buy into the fairy tale. We’re told that there’s a prince and a princess and all they want is to be together. Then they live happily ever after. However, if you look around now-a-days, you most likely see relationships that are far from that fairy tale we once believed in so deeply. You may find one here and there, but its more rare than finding $100 on the floor.

Throughout time pain often buries in the hearts of lovers and they slowly build up walls of defense. Games that were once playful and flirtatious may change into real stabs at the heart. Pairs that were deeply connected may become numb to each other and distant, at times even enemies.

These dramas of relationships are often rooted in an opportunity to develop communication and compassion. Before the opportunity is realized, it can be a struggle and feel very tough! A wedge of separation is almost inevitable. Many couples never get back to the original pure, gentle love they bonded with. Some stay together for the sake of something or another and live well enough to the end. Others may stand up and say “enough is enough” or simply give up from the overwhelm of pain. The cycles often continue again with a new partner, however the pain has temporarily reset it’s accumulated balance. The patterns continue to collect more pain until they are resolved at the root. How can we expand beyond these roles of our modern day relationships?

When we clear out the emotional baggage of our past, the wounds from growing and life, we expand our capacity and quality of life greatly. As we love, life expands into dynamic layers that add flavor and color our experience.

What is love to you? How do you hold it in your life right now?

Is it something that is purely based in feeling that shifts with your emotions? Is it something you only give to those who have earned it, some kind of reward? Is it a person you hold on to out of fear to comfort you from being alone in the world?

What is your ideal partner composed of? Are these chosen qualities simply for your benefit? Or do you truly care as much to love them for being them?

At it’s greatest, love is nourishing, completing, and the ultimate in life. But why do we seek this feeling of completion in the first place? Are we missing something to begin with? Can we get this missing piece from inside of us? Can we fund this debt of love that we feel through internal sources? Or do we need to get it from something or someone outside?

These questions became alarmingly necessary for me during one of those times I hit the limit on my love “loans”. I awoke one day to realize I had overwithdrawn my available love balance from everyone else. I saw a new angle and understood how much I sought love from my partner and outsourced that as “his department” on some subconscious level. I thought, “I’ll just love him and he’ll love me and it’ all good and fun”. In shifts of our relationship, I saw that there were big pieces missing out of this equation: a deep loving relationship with my self and also with God and spirit. Without these wells of nourishment, my partnership had become a push-and-pull type of relationship, seeking of neediness and comfort. The accumulation of pain became unbearable, we lost sight of who we were, and we gave up.

When my capacity for love felt it’s lowest and had become buried under fear and hate, I didn’t feel like loving ever again. I almost decided to live a numb life at that point - love felt way too tough. I had no desire to deal with the inevitable pain it brought as I learned to grow into it. I suddenly realized how selfish my love was and had always been. I couldn’t love others as much as I wanted to because I needed to increase my entire capacity to love.

During this time, I found the phrase “Aham Prema” in a friend’s book. It was a beautiful book about mantras. Mantras are sacred Sanskrit formulas specifically tuned to activate chakras with great effect. They are mystical ancient resonances that invoke an increase of spiritual energy and abilities. Sanskrit is an energy-based language with great meaning. One of man's most ancient languages known, there are fifty letters in it’s alphabet, each corresponding with a petal of a chakra. Chakras are spinning wheels of energy in the body that look like flowers with petals. When you are healthy, they are vibrant and spin in balance. When you are not well, they become dull and spin at a slower rate.

I didn’t know much about mantras, Sanskrit, or chakras. I had just a faint understanding of what they are. As I visited my friend that day, I felt attracted to her new book and read it a bit. There were several mini-chapters on various topics of truth. Love was deeply on my mind with the pain in my heart, so I was drawn to the mantra about love. Aham Prema is the mantra that means “I AM Divine Love”. I read about it and opened up to it.

After reading the beautiful story and the mantra, I felt my strength re-emerge. I knew I wanted to dig deeper to find the love that was still inside there somewhere. It was an internal shift of nothing more than intention, but at that moment of awareness, it was remarkably powerful. I stood up and made a deeply heart-felt commitment to expand into understanding what love really is. It couldn’t possibly be this selfish form that I saw - everywhere.

In divine timing, it sparked something huge for me. I decided to grow beyond what I could conceive. I wanted to love more then I really knew how. This mantra triggered me to open to the highest form of love I could imagine – and beyond. I began to sing it and focus on it during my toughest times.

I actually became the source of what I had previously always unconsciously sought in others. I didn’t see any live examples or templates of what I wanted to be, so I envisioned and defined what I wanted and opened up to how I could expand into all of that. I created my ideal love, beginning with me. I learned to be the love I longed to feel.

I found that I first had to develop my understanding of love with myself and with God so that I knew how to share it with others I cared for so deeply. I developed my personal relationship with God to be one of my best and it was an amazing development. These tools carried me through beautifully and transformed my life. With the intention and my constant attention (which was naturally available through the pain I was in), I leaped.

It was a tough expedition. There are definite reasons that I was the way I was, and I was very accustomed to those ways. Breaking habits can be very tough.

I continuously expand my love as best I can while enjoying the journey of it and being patient during the stumbles. I am continuously growing and as I do, the more I see I can grow.

"Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love." ~Rumi

The ultimate form of love. Throughout my exploration of love, I uncovered and defined my ultimate idea of love. Here is the compilation so far:

Love is an essence you feel and connect to, a gift from God. It’s one of the greatest gifts of life, yet it can be one of the most challenging to open up to as well.

It is not a feeling or a thought, but a state of being from which feelings and thoughts arise from. It is the very nature of our soul and who we are. It is far beyond ideas, reactions, and opinions. When tuned into it, love radiates and emanates from you unto all you come in contact with. This flow of energy provides an internal state of bliss which is one of the greatest tools of developing a great attitude and fresh approach. It helps to dissolve the painful obstructions we often feel block our paths. It sparks breakthroughs and draws in more than you ever need. It enhances, cherishes, and heals. When we are vibrating with love, we are open to see and experience more fullness of life. We enjoy the infiniteness of our experience.

Love is compassion in action. It is a sincere caring and accepting presence with those you come in contact with. It begins with a love for yourself in which you practice expanding your love. As you master it, your well of love begins to fill with enough to share with others, at no detriment or cost to you. When you reach the times where you need attention, tune in and love yourself – tend to and fill your well.

In loving friendships, we share our experiences and essence. We assist each other in discovering truth, growing, dealing with our feelings and healing them, and developing our specialties. A passion is shared in nurturing those actions that are felt strongest in each friend’s heart. A warmth and service binds these friends in dynamic compassion, exuding sympathy, empathy, wisdom, and gratitude. We care for each other in times of need, in forms as simple as listening. We are unconditionally there when our friends need us most.

I find that when you really come from love, there is no such thing as selfishness. True love is a real caring for another person that has nothing to do with what is better for you or jealousy. It is totally about what is truly best for them. We often can’t reach that place until we’ve given this love to ourselves.

Once we are full of love, then we can really give without any expectation or need at all.

“Only from the heart can you touch the sky.” ~ Rumi

Above All, Love. How can you open more to it in your daily life? It’s a fascinating exploration. We don’t all have to be Mother Mary or Mother Teresa, but we can all love more.

Be aware for the day, all day today about what love is to you.

How much do you love?

How much to you express it to the world?

When you say “I love you” do you long to hear it said back? Is it a genuine expression or a trigger for attention?

Who is the most loving individual in your life? Spend more time with them as a way to remind and refresh yourself on how to embody more love and have fun!

Enjoy Love!

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Originally Posted 07/2009. Refreshed 09/2011.

How to Embrace It All...

2011-08-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

No Matter What Form Life Takes

- Found this in a newsletter by Denise Linn. Love it. Enjoy. :) -

1. Ask yourself: "If there was value in this experience what would it be?" This simple question can help you turn around even the most difficult situations. Research has shown that people who have undergone horrific events in their lives are more likely to survive and even thrive in the ensuing years if they have found some value in their experience.

2. Choose It: Okay I know this sounds crazy! Why would you ever choose to be out of a job, break an arm, or have an accident? However, if you can't change it, then choose to accept it and find value in it. When you act as if you have chosen the events in your life, it moves you out of victim energy and allows you to feel more in control of your life.

3. Laugh: Look for what is amusing or humorous in every situation. It might not be easy at first, but there is always something, if you look hard enough. For example, if someone thinks you and your dog are homeless, laugh about it and be grateful that you are not. Laughing eases the tension and helps you to embrace what is.

by Danielle Crume © 2011

My Love Wish List

2011-07-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

There are very few couples I look up to today. It seems more and more are unhappy, unfaithful, and/or non-existent.

A woman that I look up to a lot, not only because of her sweet and loving personality, but also because of her success in love, marriage, children, and her career, recommended I write a love wish list.

She says that this was what she did just before she found her husband. They have been married for about 20 years, have three amazing children, and are a great team together. It's so fun to hang out with them to see the possibilities that are out there. So she told me to make a list and she'll have to interview whomever I date to make sure they are the one.... =P

I've made these before but I thought it would be a good time to make a completely fresh, new list. It's worth a shot. :)

My Love Wish List (Qualities of My Ideal Partner):

Loyal
Loving
Great with AJ
Laughs at life
Affectionate
Intelligent
Funny
Open Minded
Confident
Sexy
Handsome
Attractive to Me :)
Caring
Inventive
Family-Oriented and Focused
Motivated
Dedicated
Handy
Friendly
Provider and Guardian
Sweet
Masculine
Strong
Steady
Spiritual
Honest
Responsible
In Service to Others/Charity Work
Successful
Wants a Kid or 2
Enjoys a Close Partnership with Me
Gets Along Great with My Family
Stays Connected with Me Throughout the Day
Great Communicator
Patient
Happy
Witty
Pampers Me
Romantic
Treats Me Like a Lady
Thoughtful
Ready for Me
Available
Local
Shares Everything with Me (Willingly, No Secrets)
Hard-Worker
Goal-Oriented
Adventurous
Spontaneous
Takes Me Out - Eat, Fun, Trips...
Buys Me Jewelry
Mature
Fun to Be Around
Understanding
Adores me
Silly
Cuddly
Independent
Honors My Boundaries
Makes Things Happen
Eager to Learn
Committed to Our Relationship and Family

A lot to ask for... Just means I have to be ready to give all these things myself :) I'm working on it....

Any suggestions/feedback?

Love!

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Thank You God!

2011-07-16T23:35:00.000-07:00

Dear God,

In the times I feel most alone, I treasure your strong, steady presence.

Thank You!

In the times I feel all is wrong, you remind me that everything is divinely right, I just may not see it clearly.

Thank You!!

In the times I feel lost, you show me the way back to Love.

Thank You!!!

I Love You <3

by Danielle Crume © 2011

What Makes Your Heart Sing?

2011-06-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

Have you found what really makes your heart sing?

Simple things can make you feel joy emanating from your heart. Tune in to what things do this for you - and then make sure you are doing them!

Notice your heart's meanderings and follow them to see where they lead. You may discover treasured joys that you aren't enjoying in your daily life.

Allowing your heart to sing a little bit every day is very healthy and makes life much more enjoyable. I enjoy life so much more when I work hard and play each day.

Here are some examples of things that make my heart sing:

Playing games
Writing
Eating out with my family
Exploring new places
Developing creative projects
Listening to music
Enjoying Coffee and tea :)
Walking

Each day I give myself the reward of enjoying one of these, even if only for 20 minutes. Usually, I sprinkle them throughout my day. For example, I treat myself to a cup of coffee in the morning because I really love it. I spend some time writing before entering the world - before even thinking about my tasks. I work hard then have some tea in the afternoon. After a shift of work, I take a walk with AJ around the block and enjoy him. At the end of the day I may retreat into some games, a creative project, or venture out with my family. On Fridays I take off the day as much as possible to really have fun with these and treat myself to a super chocolately milkshake!

These help me to get in the mode and make it more fun. I find that when I keep these in balance with all the tasks and work that I do, I feel more vibrant and motivated to keep on. They keep life exciting and give me that drive to wake up every day, even if only after a few hours of sleep.

Many of us are so busy with life that we don't ever find out what makes us happiest. Many others know well what brings them joy, but don't get around to it very often for one reason or another.

So, what makes your heart sing? And how much do you really get to it? =)

Enjoy!

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Originally Posted 6/6/09, Refreshed 6/21/11

Summer Summer Summer Time!!!

2011-06-21T23:00:00.002-07:00

Summer: Season for Birthing Ideas & Nurturing Them.

Summer is the season of light. Plants blossom all around. It’s warm, vivid, and bright. The days are long. We feel more alive than ever. Play comes naturally. We find ourselves outside more.

The beauty of the summer season provokes fun, exploration, and vacation. Walks, bike rides, milkshakes, and ice cream come to mind.

What does summer feel like for you?

In the yearly cycle, the potential that we dug up during winter and planted in spring is now coming into fruition and growing. During summer we tend to the nourishment of our projects.

Some of the seeds you planted are already showing in recognizable form while others are just about to sprout through the soil. Nurture and develop them for the harvest in fall when you will see the supple fruits of your labor ripening.

There are several ways to make the most of summer and thrive off the enjoyment of it’s most beautiful characteristics:

Wake up early and go outside to enjoy the sunrise.
Bring some flowers in and keep plants around your living spaces.
Open your windows and allow the fresh air in.
Pause and enjoy the richness of flowers in full bloom.
Enjoy your playfulness and be spontaneous.
Take a trip to the beach... and go in the water.
Listen to the beautiful sounds of summer while letting the sun warm your face.

Each of these serve as a great opportunity to rejuvenate and inspire your self.

Continue to nourish your projects and have fun watching them blossom.

Enjoy your summer!

Love!!! =D

by Danielle Crume © 2011

[Originally Posted 6/22/09, Revised 6/22/10, 6/21/11]

Universal Fears and Mirrors of Relationships

2011-06-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

My notes, adapted from Gregg Braden's book Walking Between the Worlds, one of my most life-altering reads from my all-time favorite author.

The Three Universal Fears

Your charge of universal fears, though often unconscious, is your promise that you will create patterns of relationships showing you these fears.

With few exceptions, our experiences of pain, suffering, illness, disease, and emotional trauma have their roots in these core universal fears.

These are the three basic underlying fears many of us experience:

1. Abandonment and Separation
We feel left or abandoned by our creator without explanation or reason. We feel alone. (Ex: "our father who art in heaven" vs. "our father who is everywhere").

Expressed as: relationships where you are devastated when they fail, always being the one who gets "left" in the relationship, and/or being the first to leave a good relationship so that you are not hurt.

2. Self Worth
We are not "good enough". Not worthy of our greatest dreams, highest aspirations, or deepest desires. There is a doubt from deep within that we will never have these things because we collectively question our deservability.

Expressed as: issues of low self esteem and/or creating relationships of career, friendship, and romance that match your expectations of not being good enough.

3. Surrender and Trust
We believe this world is not safe and we must live in suspicion of the processes of life.

Expressed as: inability to surrender to our experience and/or relationships that mirror our expectations of this world being unsafe and unworthy of our trust.

Our universal fears appear so well disguised and accepted, that it is often easy to overlook them or to rationalize them as something else.

The Seven Essene Mirrors of Relationship

These mirrors will be presented to everyone through the relationships of their lifetime. Relationships are the temples of today. Through these connections we have insights into ourselves and our personal development. They show us where we are at with our Universal Fears. With their insight, we can release our fears and heal ourselves.

Subtle mirrors will be recognized and resolved before the powerful mirrors of even greater subtlety are acknowledged.

Emotions that lead to compassion are mastered, in sequence, through consciously acknowledging and mastering these seven mirrors.

Recognizing what the sequence is saying to you, and why you repeat similar patterns with different people, may be your most powerful steps toward your highest mastery.

Written in order from least to greatest degree of subtlety.

1. Reflections of the Moment
Many mirrors are presented to you through interaction in the moment, not hours or days later, so that the correlation between the pattern and the outcome can be recognized. This is popularly known today as "being in the now". If we are seeing our mirrors, then they are current patterns, happening now. The mirror becomes our moment of opportunity. Through these reflections we can become aware of our charges and remove them.

When you find yourself reacting with a charge to something, there is a good possibility that you are experiencing a powerful opportunity to know yourself on a deep, yet subtle level.

If you find your response is particularly strong, Bless that moment. You may be experiencing the first step in a powerful series of initiations that will lead you to the greatest levels of personal mastery, the mirror of the moment.

2. Reflections of Judgment
Those qualities that you judge will come into your life. Upon recognition and compassionately allowing your relationships to demonstrate their mirror to you (rather than resisting or getting even) the attraction will fade. Once the pattern of judgment is addressed at one place on one level, in one relationship, its echo fades on many other levels and these triggers will cease to exist. The mirrors of judgment are subtle, elusive, and will possibly not make sense to all who become aware of them.

3. Reflections of Loss
As you journey through life, pieces of your life may be lost, innocently given, or taken away by those who have had power over you. These are your compromises, exchanged for surviving your experience. When you desire to love and give of yourself you may find nothing is left. Calling back those pieces of you may be your highest expression of personal mastery.

An expression of this may be felt with people you bump into during regular daily interactions. You may catch the eye of someone and feel a magnetic spark of attraction or feeling of familiarity. This is a charge of our compliment a match to our lost pieces, or voids (what we have given up). If this happens, make contact and during the conversation ask yourself, "what do I see in this person that I have lost, given away, had taken away, or forgotten within myself?"

There's a good possibility you have just found someone who has the potential to show you something of yourself that you have sought for years or possibly lifetimes.

4. Reflections of Your Most Forgotten Love (Greatest Fear) The part of yourself that you have least remembered, the part that you hold most dear, is your forgotten love. Addictions provide you with the opportunity to experience your greatest fears as you drive away the things that you hold most dear.

The gift of addictions is that you can see your greatest fears and identify that which you have a charge on.

5. Reflections of Father/Mother/Creator
If you are to list the positive and negative qualities of your caretakers as you remember them, there is a good chance that the way you perceive them mirrors your belief of how your creator views you. Try writing down a few positive and negative qualities of each of your caretakers now and reflect.

By virtue of healing your illusions and relationships with your earthly mother and father, you heal your perception of your relationship with their heavenly counterparts.

See perfections in the perceived imperfections of life.

6. Reflections of your Quest into Darkness
With few exceptions, nearly everyone will experience a "dark night of the soul" at some point in the course of their lives. This is an experience where you are drawn into a situation or circumstance representing what appears to you to be your worst fear. This awakens a dormant force that may become your most powerful ally, a gift toward highest levels of mastery for you in this lifetime.

You will be asked to draw upon every particle of wisdom available to you, from the depths of your innermost experience, to negate the power that you have given to the fear.

To know ourselves in our greatest darkness is our opportunity to heal that part of ourselves that we least choose to experience. To find our balance, we must know our extremes and embrace both to heal the judgment of our experience and to find the power of our truest nature.

The quest into darkness does not have to hurt. The pain, if any, is our mirror of the degree of charge that we have placed on "not losing" the things we hold most dear in life.

My personal Dark Night led to the single largest jump of growth in my life. I'm now extremely grateful for it as I have formed an incredibly loving relationship with myself from the experience of it. I am now free of the fear that led me and I'm enjoying myself on much greater levels.

7. Your Greatest Act of Compassion
Through the mirror of ourselves, we are asked to compassionately allow perfection in each expression of life, regardless of how the experience is viewed by others. The greatest act of compassion that you may ever be asked to demonstrate may well be compassion for yourself, in your choice of life conduct and expression.

Your view of yourself in anything other than perfection will reveal your greatest doubt (universal fear of least trust) in the perfection of your experience. Your actions to change yourself born of anything other than the love and respect for the gift of life through your body will reveal your greatest question of esteem (universal fear of self worth) in the perfection of who you have become to be.

Each one of the seven mysteries is sequential, building upon the realization of the one previous to it, through each you heal your universal fears.

In doing so, you prepare for yourself the path that allows compassion to be a force in your life.

Love,

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Originally posted: 12/31/07. Refreshed: 3/9/10 and 6/7/11.

The Golden Gift of Suffering

2011-05-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

All that we perceive as suffering is really a gift. When you understand this, you can dance with it. If you don’t know what the struggle is for, it can make it really hard to keep going. Pain truly is a wonderful opportunity to heal imbalances or mistakes, move toward wholeness, and know your divine connection. Not saying it’s easy, but with the right tools and attitude, it can be much more enjoyable.

We are here to learn, grow, and experience. Throughout life, lessons never cease. Sometimes we open to them easily and learn them naturally. They can be fun explorations.

Sometimes we seem to learn the hard way and really struggle with our lessons. In my experience, I find we are continuously given chances to learn our particular lessons. When we seem to be stuck in an area or on a particular level of understanding about a topic, the opportunities seem to get more and more in our face (A.K.A. painful) – until we can’t miss them.

All of our situations are attracted to reflect truth to us to allow growth and experience. Even diseases (actually dis-eases – or lack of ease in the body) have a deep metaphysical cause. “Meta” means “beyond” in Greek. Metaphysical means “beyond physical” or the deeper, transcendent meaning. These diseases are your body’s signal that something needs to change – when you haven’t listened to more subtle clues.

Our destiny is created by us – through our thoughts, words, and actions. We choose to learn or avoid our lessons. Through these actions, we decide our preference of learning – light or dark (easy or hard). Both ultimately serve your soul’s evolution and are brought to you through great love.

Those lessons that we move slowest on often become deeper pains and we build even more resistance toward facing them. To finally open to the lesson, it may take something shocking or ground-breaking to happen. In situations that require the loss of your most treasured things, such as uprooting your family from your home, the depth of the process provides more opportunity to free-up stale energies. A fire may be devastating at the time, however the scorched land has cleared out the ground for new life to grow. The possibilities are expanded with a clear focus. What seems to be the end is a magnificent beginning. This is when we do the things we otherwise wouldn’t do.

As we hit our core lessons, our greater emotions arise. Our most painful time, our rock bottom or dark night of the soul, is often when we grow far greater than ever previously conceived (and possibly desired) before. A lasting change is born from a new, stronger foundation. A whole new level of self is reached.

As we learn our lessons, not only does the pain not hurt as much (because you’ve been broken of the fear of it, gone through it and let go) – it also is no longer attracted to you. The fear is what draws in the lesson. The energy you invest into the fear is what ensures it will come to you. As you release the charge of the fear, you no longer pull it in.

Although it may seem like a pain, lessons are a beautiful thing! We have the ability to learn anything we want! While working on a lesson, set your intention and attention on it. When you are ready, ask God and your guides for help. Be specific as possible and wise about what you ask for. If you’ve asked for help, make sure to be ready to take it in whichever way it comes. And be open to see it – it may not be what you expected at all.

INjoy!

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Originally posted 9/2/09. Revised 5/21/11.

Breaking Limits

2011-05-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

This Easter I reached a whole new realization about what the holiday represents. Christ rose to the occasion, every time. He broke limits - even beyond death! Death was the most unescapable thing in life, yet he did it.

Whatever your beliefs, what this represents is amazing! I love the value of this message. It reminds me of some of my own hard earned lessons.

Have Faith and Trust. Have you figured it out yet that everything works for your greatest good?
Reach for the moon! Even if you miss, you will land amongst the stars. (Love that saying!)
Always keep one foot out of your comfort zone. Those that accomplish great goals consistently expand their mindset. So many of us have stern limits guarded with iron walls that trap us in a comfort zone... because we like to feel safe and comfortable. Comfortable is boring. Stick at least one foot out. :)

Where are you stagnant? Where do you want to be? How can you take a step toward it right now?

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Get Over It

2011-04-29T23:36:00.000-07:00

We all have a past with moments that we treasure and experiences that we wish went completely differently. But that's behind us now and that's where it should stay.

Everyday is a new day. Every decision can change your life. It sounds hokey pokey, I know, and you've heard it before - but it's true! So get a clear perspective. Get over your limited thoughts.

What weighs heavy in your heart today? Think about it. Slow down and do it, now. Or just pay attention and you'll know very soon. I'm sure you know right now.

Why do you let it stay that way? Why do you carry these burdens in your heart for any length of time at all?

God didn't bring you to these challenges for you to keep them inside. You don't have to figure out everything all by yourself. You don't think that, right? You have so many resources available to you. You have got to see the reflection in this situation to soften your heart and find the treasure within this challenge. Do not lock it inside and let it dwell into resentment.

At least take it to God. Make yourself a bath, get in your sacred space, or whatever it is that shuts out every little distractive thought that makes us think we can't talk with God, and connect. Go to that place, sit there all day if you need to, and talk with God. (It actually goes fast once we finally make this the priority).

The worst thing you can do is ignore the challenge all together. Don't do that shit. Go to that place and at least speak to God, if nothing else.

Talk to others as well. Of course there is nothing more wonderful than connecting with God, but speak to the other reflections of God that are in front of your eyes all the time. Those people are there for a reason. Bounce your issues off as many people as you can. Don't feel comfortable talking to others? Step out of your comfort zone and give it a try. Expand it. Guess what? They probably have something to learn from this to and have their own problems too.

If you're brave enough, talk to the people that will tell you what you don't want to hear. You know, those ones that are always telling you to do the opposite of what you want to do. They also have a very valuable side of the truth to show you. So see what it is. Who cares if they judge you or tell you the opposite of what you wish they would have said? It doesn't matter. Let them show you what you can see through them. Be totally open and listen to the messages you can hear come from God through their perspective. Sometimes they say something totally irrelevant but you can get a new idea just by truly focusing and listening to them.

See as many sides of the situation as you can see. Different people give you great pieces to reconcile with your own opinion. Never take anyone's opinion above your own. Hear them out, take it, filter it through your heart, and let it go. See where it can benefit you. Every single person will give you something to think about. Try it with as many people as you can bounce it off of. If you have that intention and you just spend the time, sometimes a five minute conversation can prevent 20 years of suffering over some negative thought or resentful feeling that you would dwell on and let eat you alive. Have a simple chat over lunch or a make a phone call. It can be a random person that opens your eyes to a certain view of compassion that can free you and eliminate that burden that's bothering you so much.

Do you think God wants you to let your heart harden and keep your burdens there forever or do you think God gives you these challenges as opportunities to grow? How do you want to look at your life? Are you a victim who has to endure this vicious life until you get to heaven? Or do you think there's a reason why things happen and a purpose to this life? Do you think we are here to learn and grow? So when are you going to do that?

Do it every day. Be the best you can be. It's a lot more fun at the very least. And remember that you don't have to do everything on your own. Reach out to those around you. Everyone has at least one compassionate ear they can talk to. :)

Have fun!

:: Aham Prema ::

Licorice Grandpa

by Danielle Crume © 2013

A Fresh Start: Organize Your Work Space

by Danielle Crume © 2013

Originally posted 5/11/09. Refreshed 2/13.

A Great Set of Tools

by Danielle Crume © 2013

Originally posted 11/2009. Refreshed 2/2013.

How to Best Organize Your Inbox

by Danielle Crume © 2012

5 Quick Time Saving Tips

by Danielle Crume © 2013

Being Happy - From the *Inside* Out

by Danielle Crume © 2012

How to Fuel Great Performance

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Stop and Smell the Flowers

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud

was more painful than the risk it took to blossom” ~Anaïs Nin

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Originally posted 6/15/10. Refreshed 9/13/12.

Organization Session: A Weekly Check In Practice for Optimal Development

by Danielle Crume © 2012

An Ode to the Overwhelmed

Simple Keys to Living Your Life As Art

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Originally Posted 2/4/09. Refreshed 2012.

How to Process Emotions and Find Their Value

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Feel Great Being Grateful

by Danielle Crume © 2012

Giving Thanks in the Morning

by Danielle Crume © 2012

The Essence of Autumn

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Love Is

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Originally Posted 07/2009. Refreshed 09/2011.

How to Embrace It All...

by Danielle Crume © 2011

My Love Wish List

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Thank You God!

What Makes Your Heart Sing?

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Summer Summer Summer Time!!!

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Universal Fears and Mirrors of Relationships

by Danielle Crume © 2011

The Golden Gift of Suffering

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Breaking Limits

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Get Over It

by Danielle Crume © 2011

Being Happy - From the Inside Out