It's All About Joy!

Must Reads: Bloggers I Love

(Part I in what will likely be a long series!)

The best parts of my mornings are sending and receiving email and reading my favorite blogs. The list keeps growing since there is so much good content out there. Every so often I am compelled to just shout from the rooftops how wonderful I think all these people are who write about joy, love, and spirituality.

So consider this post a rooftop, and here’s me shouting some of my favorites:

Peggy at Serendipity Smiles wrote about overcoming her perfectionist tendencies and had this little gem of encouragement in there: “I don’t have to strive for  perfection today, tomorrow or next week. I’m perfect just as I am…I can be a four today, a five tomorrow, a two on Friday.  It’s all good.”
Click to read Dreaming Perfection

Jodi at Joy Discovered wrote about truth – what it is and what it isn’t (and how we frequently mistake non-truths for truth). If you want an eye-opening read, you absolutely have to check out this post. Here’s a great snippet from it, “…how many times have you recounted an incident, and as much as you try to tell only the truth you realize it is quite impossible; you realize that without the other person about whom you are reporting sitting there with you, recounting her side exactly as she experienced it, you don’t actually know the truth. In those situations you realize there is a difference between facts and perceptions.”
Click to read The Truth Will Set You Free

Positively Present always has a fresh energy in what she writes, and this post, in particular, took me all the way back to childhood. See for yourself how growing up is optional.
Click to read Growing Up Is Optional

Nadia at Happy Lotus writes so compellingly and with such peace and love... From day 1, I've been a fan. She wrote a post about the myth of perfectionism, which I loved since I’m a recovering perfectionist. If you find yourself falling into this category, her post is a must-read.
Click to read My Perfection Myth
 
Liara at Dream Builders Australia had the most fantastic post about dis-ease in our bodies, and how to not only view it differently, but in some cases, undo it. If you’ve suffered anything from a cold to emergency surgery, this post has something in it for you.
Click to read 7 Ways to Re-frame Apparent Dis-ease

Mark at The Naked Soul (love that title, by the way!) dissected the topic of self-worth in this post called “What Is Our Value?” Do we use money, love, or other external circumstances to determine how valuable we are? Or can we go inside and recognize that simply by being alive, we’re more worthwhile than we ever dreamed?
Click to read What Is Our Value?

Tess at The Bold Life had a guest blogger (Jan Lundy) who wrote a fabulous post describing how the first 30 minutes of our day sets the tone for how the rest will go. Did you know that? It made me grateful for my morning routine, which is infused with peacefulness and love. Read this to learn how to make more of your days enjoyable, right from the start. (And PS - Tess is also a brilliant writer... so I'll include one of the posts she wrote on Jan's blog here, as well!)
Click to read Mind Fitness: How About a Workout For a Healthy Mind
Click to read 75 Ways to Make The World a Better Place to Be

Oh my God, I laughed so hard when I first read about Millie on Suzen’s blog Erasing the Bored that I nearly fell off my chair. Millie is old, tells it like it is, and isn’t afraid to fart (that’s right… fart!). Please, please, please read this if you want some amazing “living right” advice and also want to laugh.
Click to read Millie Wisdom: Lessons in Living

Lance at The Jungle of Life writes inspiringly and gently, and quite often so succinctly that I’m awed. I absolutely loved this quote he shared from Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, and was greatly encouraged by it. If you’re looking to do what you love or find more meaning in life, read this!
Click to read Sunday Thought for the Day, June 21

Katie at You Can’t Say That on the Internet! is constantly writing from such a space of love – for both her life and her incredible partner, Patty – that I’m moved to tears. The love Katie and Patty share, and how they keep their love growing, is inspirational. The post Joyful Creators is a great testament to how they live their spirituality and love for one another right out loud, and in doing so, positively affect all of us who share this planet with them. Take a look.
Click to read Joyful Creators

And if you like food – to make or to eat – I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Patty’s site, affectionately called The Joyful Chef. I frequently read her step-by-step posts that are full of the most delicious pictures and think, “now I’m hungry.” Best of all, I’ve met Katie and Patty, who live on the opposite coast as me, and they’re even better and more delicious in-person than they are on their blogs! See what Patty’s been up to by reading her latest.
Click to read The Joyful Chef

There are more – my gosh there are more. So please know that this is just a start. I’ll be doing another “Man I love these bloggers” entry in the future and including even more of the fabulous writers who fuel my days and weeks with their brilliance, insights, and love.

For Love Or Money

I had a funny realization about money while running yesterday. It came up because in my life right now, I’m straddling a canyon, of sorts, and every so often I question which side I should be standing on. The two sides are thinking about joy, and the much more reliable feeling joy.

I’m quite a thinker, so you had better believe I intellectualize joy with the best of them. My mind will sometimes even try to convince me that doing certain things are more likely to bring joy than if I don’t do them.

Take going back to work, for example. In January I left a high-paying corporate job because I stopped enjoying it and it didn’t resonate with my authentic self. I didn’t have another job lined up, but I did have something much better: a dream. My dream, you see, is to make a living as a paid writer, spreading joy throughout the world by sharing what I’ve learned via my experiences. Six months ago, I would have even said “well paid writer,” but more and more these days I’d settle for comfortably paid if it means I could keep enjoying life as much as I have been lately.

Lately, my days are filled with only those people and things I love the most, and when I stay in that space of honoring my authentic self – the self that flipped the proverbial bird to Corporate America in favor of a dream – I feel incredible! I feel so good, as a matter of fact, that what used to be chronic migraines have disappeared completely. I laugh more than I ever used to and it bursts out spontaneously (not unlike another person I know and love a great deal). I wake up each morning excited to greet the new day – sometimes as early as 4:30 a.m. And I’ve never felt more grateful than I do now. Every moment feels like a miracle. I’m obligated to no one and nothing except living a life that is rooted in love.

Being the thinker I am, though, and having some very old programs that like to kick in every once in awhile, from time to time I feel guilty about my life. The familiar recording that says, “You should get a job” comes on, reminding me that I was raised to work hard and keep socking money away into a savings account. (I was definitely not raised to quit a good job and live off that savings account ‘just cuz’.)

And yes, sometimes my stinkin’ thinkin’ gets the best of me, hence straddling the canyon and a nasty inner thigh strain I developed as a result (no kidding!). But while on the treadmill yesterday, a thought flashed through my head that I can’t hug money, and lately I’m so in-love with life that I just want to hug everyone and everything! Love bubbles out of me and it’s the best feeling I’ve ever known.

So once I realized that I can’t hug money (or if I did, it wouldn’t hug back), I sort of let go of that guilt once and for all.

Besides, living joyfully is the best salary I’ve ever been paid and I know for certain no dollar amount can be put on feeling good.

** ** **  ** ** **  ** ** **

Soul Meets World had a fabulous post earlier this week that lends credence to what I wrote and felt above. Take a look and be entertained here: http://soulmeetsworld.com/2009/07/fishermans-tale.html

What “Lies” Beneath

So many of us are walking around attracting situations that don’t feel good to us – that cause us to stop and say, “Hey, wait a minute? Why do all these sucky moments keep showing up?”

I know in my own life, I’ve certainly experienced that. Being on a spiritual path you’d think I could sidestep some of that garbage, but no... Fortunately or unfortunately, I’m still human, so spirituality means less of an “up and over” and more of a “oh, so that’s why it’s happening to me…” It’s like having a brighter flashlight is all. 

That flashlight is helpful, though, because it lets me shine a spotlight on whatever mistruths I’ve been holding onto that continue to attract whatever I don’t want to my life.

One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to come to grips with in this life deals with romantic relationships. For a long time I couldn’t understand why they kept failing. What was I doing wrong? I had a knack for inviting only those people into my life who were most certain to be crapweasels. Why? I even had to ask a spiritually enlightened friend once what the heck was going on. You know what he said to me (as I sat there at the ripe old age of 30)? “I think it goes back to your dad.”

My response, “My dad? Come on. I’m 30! I’ve been actively studying spirituality for five years and have let all of that stuff go.”

Apparently not. Letting go from our conscious mind is one part of the equation. Letting go from our deep-seated unconscious mind is quite another. And believe me, if there are things showing up on the outside of your life that you don’t like but can’t consciously understand why they’re there, it’s time to turn to your subconscious. That’s where we store all that “lies” beneath.

The subconscious mind is like a machine. It doesn’t reason or filter – it accepts everything it’s told. True? False? It doesn’t care. It takes all of it. It’s also the part of us that controls our involuntary body functions (heart rate, metabolism, nerve response). So it’s a very necessary – if not indiscriminate – part of our minds.

The blessing and the curse of the subconscious mind is that, indeed, it takes in everything. If someone does something mean to us as a kid, and we never intercept and rewire our thinking to say “That was wrong; we deserve better,” then the subconscious mind will act on the belief that “mean” is okay and start to attract more stuff like it to us in the future. Likewise, if we’re only treated regally in our life, the subconscious stores that away and continues to attract similar treatment to us. (NOTE: There will also be the occasional outlying moments that don’t follow whatever pattern we’ve set up in our lives, and those serve either to steer us onto a better course, or to test our resolve. I like to call those Divinely Intended Moments.)

The good news is that the subconscious, being the machine that it is, can be reconditioned through things like affirmations, hypnosis, or new and repetitive experiences.

An example: When I was growing up I was a cute kid. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I clung tightly to the idea of “cute.” My brothers, when asked, would say, “Yeah, you’re cute. I wouldn’t say that you’re classically beautiful, but you’re very cute.” So in my mind, I just came to accept that I wasn’t beautiful, but I was cute. OK good. Well, in high school I really didn’t date much, and most of the people I attracted to me were not people I was ga-ga over. On top of that, I was never told in high school that I was beautiful – by anyone other than my mother (thank you, mom). Now cut to college. Someone was thrown onto my path (Divinely Intended Moment) who said, “You’re beautiful,” and I trusted him. In that moment, I began the subconscious rewiring process. Every time he said those words to me, I tucked them away and added them to my newfound belief and since then, have only attracted people to me who have used the “b” word. 

So how does your life look to you? What’s in your life that you like, and what’s there that you don’t? What “lies” could be operating beneath the surface that need you to shine a brighter light on? If you can’t understand why the things you dislike keep showing up, it might be time to investigate how your subconscious mind is wired. Think back to your childhood. That’s when most of our minds were initially programmed. Good, bad, right or wrong – kids are at the mercy of their parents, teachers, relatives and friends. We carry the imprint of what we learned, both directly and indirectly, with us throughout life.

If you can debunk some of what your subconscious has held onto and reprogram it (through affirmations, hypnosis, or new & repetitive experiences that you purposely seek out), you can begin to recreate the landscape of your life and make it as joyful as you ultimately want it to be.

Flowers Fade, But Seeds Remain

Job Loss, Love Loss, Other Loss? You Can Grow Another Flower

In Buddhism, they talk about four sets of vicissitudes we can expect to experience consistently in our lives:

• Pleasure and pain
• Gain and loss
• Praise and blame
• Fame and disrepute

All of us will move between them, swinging from one to the other almost as easily as the wind blows. Sometimes we’ll have pleasure, but that will undoubtedly be followed by pain. We may be up one moment (gain), and down the next (loss). Sometimes we’ll be highly praised, but we can also expect times when we’re severely blamed. The same goes for fame and disrepute.

It simply isn’t possible to hold on to any one thing in life and expect it not to change. Unless the thing you’re holding onto is the idea that the only constant in life is change.

In my own life, I’ve seen this endlessly. The most recent example that comes to mind is the beautiful relationship I entered into last summer that has since ended. I was in such a state of bliss when it began and felt as though I’d been given the world (pleasure & gain). A month ago, though, things changed and I found myself without that same relationship (pain & loss).

Amidst the consistency of change, and in real life applications, how do we cope? Most of us prefer to be experiencing only things that feel good (praise, gain, fame, pleasure).

Although the flower may fade, the seed remains.

From a law of attraction standpoint (manifestation, co-creation, etc.), each of us has within us a seed that “grows” whatever flowers are showing up on the outside in our lives. If it’s job-related, then whatever job we now have (or used to have) is something we grew for ourselves. It wasn’t by accident that it showed up. The same goes for relationships. If we find ourselves without a relationship but wanting a new one, rest assured that the seed within you can and will grow another.

When we find ourselves in a state of having “lost” something or someone, that loss isn’t permanent. We may not be able to bring the same thing or person back to us, but be assured that we can and will attract their equivalent or better because the power is always within us to “grow another flower.”

So wherever you are in life and whatever it is you may be wanting, understand that you have within you a seed that will produce another beautiful and perfect-for-you flower. Just give it time.

Success As A Process, Not A Destination

“…the truth about success is that it’s really kinda boring. That’s because it’s not about the arrival. Success is about the choices you make each and every moment. Not each and every day.”
Christine Kane

I stumbled onto two new blogs recently:

• Gorgeous for God (http://gorgeousforgod.com)
• Christine Kane (http://christinekane.com/blog/)

Through Gorgeous for God, I found Christine Kane, who wrote about the boringness of success with such clarity and humor that it stayed with me for a few days. She talked about how most people think of success as something they arrive at: an ideal weight, a certain amount of money in the bank, the perfect relationship, etc. For her, though, it’s about the choices she makes in each moment of her life that continue to align her with the path she’s chosen.

She remarked, “When I am succeeding, it is just me and my relationship to the moment. This is not newsworthy. In fact, from the outside it looks downright boring. But on the inside, there’s an all-out ticker-tape parade in the streets of my head. Because I am choosing to do what matters to me. Because I am not listening to the gangs of critical voices that used to run my entire day. Because I am willing to sit there in spite of not knowing the outcome.”

I think about my own success, and how it took arriving at other people’s definition of it (a great job with great pay, for instance) before I realized I wanted to define success differently for myself. One thing I learned is that, as Christine Kane said, there is no “arrival.” Instead success is a process that each of us brings to life.

The process of success, for me, starts with honoring all of who I am (and consequently, none of who I’m not). I do this by pursuing those people, experiences and things that “feel good” on a moment-to-moment basis. As Wayne Dyer said, feeling good is feeling God, because all that God created is good. That’s how I stay aligned, and how I know I’m doing what is truly right for, and meaningful to, me.

When I’m living in accordance with my highest good, that’s success. That’s all I need to know to define it. As a result I feel deeply peaceful, and joy radiates throughout and from me.

What does success look like for you?

Think Success And You’ll Be Success

We become what we think about all day long, whether we realize it or not.

With that in mind, how do you see yourself?

Years ago, I saw myself as a smart, but not necessarily talented girl when it came to business. I always felt I was in the right place at the right time, and that I was “lucky” whenever someone saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. A job was a necessary means to an end. Certainly not anything I thought could inspire me, or that I had any say in.

I worked because I had to, and while I was capable at what I did, I never saw myself as being the successful type. I used to say that my career chose me. I didn’t choose it. As long as I kept that thought floating around in my head, I was most assuredly at the mercy of someone or something else.

Then four or five years ago I met a smart, funny, quick-witted entrepreneur who loved to talk about what he believed in – what he felt was good business. I instantly became his captive audience. I soaked in everything he had to say, not only because I liked him, but because it made good sense to me. Soon I became a mouthpiece for his way of thinking and in my job, I turned his words into my actions. I became a doer instead of a “done to.” I began taking the bull by the horns, and as a result I started to see myself differently. The way I thought about myself in a business setting changed, and therein was born a revolution. I became successful.

Without that pivotal incident a few years ago, I never would have seen myself as capable of success regardless of the career I was in. Better still, I never would have thought I could be successful if I ever worked up the courage to quit that job and pursue something I really wanted to do (writing).

And that’s the key.

I became what I thought about most a few years ago. I changed my thoughts from simply being someone who was lucky to someone who was successful. When I did, everything else changed along with it. I began to receive bigger bonuses, better pay raises, and was relied on more by my coworkers and management. I became what I thought about all day long. I became success.

There’s something about lining our thoughts up in a particular direction – hopefully the direction in which we really want to travel (as opposed to a direction we’ve chosen by default). When we do that, we begin taking steps in said direction. Always, always, always we will act as we think. Our actions then produce results that are aligned with what we’ve thought about most.
When we think success, we become success.

So going back to the beginning of this post – what is it you think about all day long? How do you see yourself?

Start looking at areas of your life where you see room for improvement or where you’re not happy. I’m going to bet good money that in those areas, you have some thinking that could be turned around.

Change how it is you see yourself and the things around you will begin to change.

Be well & joyful!

When Work Stops Working (Choosing to Leave a Job So I Could Feel More Joy)

“You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind.” Dale Carnegie

I quit my job today... my high-paying, glorious, title-toting, go-corporate-or-go-home job.
Why? Because it no longer fed my soul.

“Discontent is the first necessity of progress.” Thomas Edison

The decision has probably been a few months in the making. Like many people, despite my extreme discontent, I kept trying to make it work. Eventually, the way I was feeling on a regular basis (bad, imbalanced, like I wasn’t doing what I’m meant to do) won out. In my gut, I knew it was time to move on.

“Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Martin Luther King Jr.

I’m taking a leap of faith, since I don’t have anything else lined up right now. However, I’ve never felt more at peace with a work-related decision than I do with this one. At the very core of who I am, this feels very right.

What’s more, I believe I can have it all: a job I love that inspires and fulfills me, pays well, has marvelous people, and plays to my greatest strengths. In giving up where I’ve been, I’m ready to embrace a new experience that will hurry me along the path to where I’m headed.

“You are only as strong as your purpose, therefore let us choose reasons to act that are big, bold, righteous and eternal.” Barry Munro

So today I celebrate freedom.
I celebrate newness.
I celebrate my amazing network of friends, colleagues, and family who support me no matter what.
Most of all, I celebrate the joy that comes from living a life that honors WHO I TRULY AM, and not who I think I’m supposed to be.
 
I know that my next perfect job is already on its way. Maybe it will be more closely aligned with writing or maybe it will serve as a segue between what I’ve been doing for the past decade (marketing communications) and what I ultimately want to do (write & speak on the things I’m most passionate about).

Regardless, I have faith.

And in case you were wondering, I’m extremely joyful today because indeed, it’s a very good day!

*** *** ***

As a follow-up to today's inspired events, I'd be remiss if I didn't thank my former boss, Bob, who continues to show me what it means to be a thoughtful and compassionate leader. He's one of the finest individuals I have ever worked for, and I'm honored to have served under his guidance.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't thank the love of my life for his continuous support, encouragement and for his trans-Atlantic call earlier today. My God...hearing his voice does wonderful things to me! (I love you)

Steve, Deb, Donna, Mike (Buddy!), Jodey, Vic, Chris (Bro!), Cathy, mom...(it's like an academy award speech over here) Jamie, Mike (Theory), JEMS, Connie (wonderful Connie!), Paco Pablo, Tara, Sarah, Jeff, Tom, Dawn, Jere, Lou... Your friendships give my life meaning. It's infinitely easier to take leaps of faith with incredible friends like you surrounding me.

Insight to Success: Give Ten Times More

"Successful people provide ten times more to their clients, or to other people with whom they interact, than they ask for in monetary compensation. Who wouldn't want to work with or be around someone like that?" James Arthur Ray, The Science of Success

I recently finished James Ray's The Science of Success and his chapter on giving provided me the inspiration I needed to reignite my dedication to giving and giving BIG. I was reminded of my massage therapist, who I met a year and a half ago. The first massage she ever gave me lasted an hour and a half. However, she only charged me for the hour. Not only was I grateful, but I was enthralled with her service. I immediately booked another appointment. Prior to meeting her, I should mention that I booked one massage, at most, every six weeks. With her, though, I wanted to go back in just three. That next massage she gave me also lasted longer than an hour, but again, she only charged me for the hour. The fact that she didn't question the duration of our session when it came time to pay made an impression on me. Not only was she one of the best therapists I'd ever seen, but she was also incredibly generous! I've booked about twenty-four more appointments with her in the past year and a half, and her warm heart and generous spirit continue to impress me. On top of that, I've watched her business nearly double in size. When I met her she was renting space from another group and doing appointments in the evenings after her day job was done. Today, she has her own (very large) space and is fairly well booked most weeks. I know that I've recommended her to anyone who's ever asked me for a massage referral, and quite simply, in my opinion she's the best at what she does. Again, though, the fact that she gives so much more than she expects to receive speaks to what makes her so successful, I think.

And it's not just time that she gives. She asks me at the start of each appointment how I'm doing on every level: physically, emotionally and mentally. She offers her interest and her sincere concern. Then, if there's a particular sore spot in my body, she devotes herself and everything she knows about how the musculoskeletal system works to releasing the tension. Many times, the place I'm sore is not the place that needs attention, and she knows that. She's proven herself to be infinitely more valuable than any physical therapist or doctor ever has when it comes to muscle, tendon and ligament ailments.

When I think of all the people I know in business, the ones who seem to be truly successful tend to be the ones who give ten times more than anyone else. What's more, they don't seem to expect that anyone should notice. They do it because they want to.

Those are the people I want to work with. Heck, those are the people I admire and want to model myself after. They are the ones I'd trust most with serious business demands and the ones I'd choose to be on my team. They're also the ones I'd give ten times more of myself to without being asked.

When I finished the chapter on giving, I asked myself, "How can I give more?" It was a great exercise to do. It let me go through all the areas in my life where I could be giving twice as much - let alone ten times as much - as what I've been giving recently. The best part is, based on my belief in the law of attraction and Universal reciprocity, when I'm giving everything I have to give in all areas of my life, the Universe responds in kind. For all the loving, listening, laughing, inspiration, joy, value and insight I share, it comes back to me in countless and creative ways. It doesn't even have to be from the person or thing I'm giving to; many times, I feel most blessed when it's from another source altogether, because it reminds me that the Universe works in mysterious and miraculous ways.

In the Face of Fear

I am scared out of my mind right now. I just finished talking to my friend, who was going to partner with me on an upcoming workshop. I was discerning enough to ask him toward the end of our conversation if he really wanted to do it with me because I sensed some resistance. He was kind enough to say that it had nothing to do with me, but came instead from needing to do what's right for him. The workshop I hoped to co-present may not be what he most needs right now.

As a result, I'm scared sh*tless. More than I ever could have imagined, too, since I've done my own workshops before. They were all fine, and fun. Even though it's new territory for me as of early 2007, I really enjoy speaking in front of groups - especially about spiritual stuff. That's why I'm surprised at how frightened I feel by the prospect of presenting this upcoming workshop by myself.

This fear comes specifically from thinking I won't be good enough on my own. The topic (love and compassion) is so important to me, and so important to everyone in my opinion, that I'm scared I won't do a good enough job. On top of that, so much of what I've learned about the topic in the last six months has come specifically from my friend. I respect the heck out of him, and find that everything he says - even his off-the-wall hilarious stuff - is filled with wisdom. He's lived the lives of about fifteen people, and is one of the most fun, approachable beings I've ever met. He has a way of making even the most complex issues seem crystal clear. He "gets it;" he gets life. I feel like a little kid when I listen to him sometimes: looking up at him with wide eyes, anxiously awaiting the next thing he'll say. It made total sense to me that we should do this workshop together and I was honored when he agreed. Then some time went by. His life presented him with all kinds of new experiences that he's still busy processing.

And when we talked tonight, I threw it out there, "It's ok if you don't want to do this workshop. I know you have a lot going on and I don't want this to not feel right for you." Partly to my surprise, he went along with me. It made my heart sink a little. Not because of him, either. It was because of me, and my own insecurities.

Amidst my panic last night, I kept hearing the prompt: "Keep doing new things. Keep doing new things. Keep doing new things."

I first got that prompt a couple weeks ago, and it's stayed with me. Facing my fear in this regard will be a new thing. Going back and telling my friend now, even if he were to change his mind, that he absolutely can't co-present with me will be an extremely new thing. My old self would have said a prayer like, "Please make him change his mind... Please make him change his mind." I know now, though, that if he were to change his mind, I wouldn't be able to move through this paralyzed space I'm in. I'd be leaning on him for support the whole time, which isn't the best way to move past this. I also know (thank you, Universe) that the things I fear the most are the things that hold the greatest lessons for me. Rather than run and hide, I need to face this head on. I need to remind myself that there is no fear - fear is not real. Only love is real. The workshop I want to do is on love. Therefore, I need to find the love in this situation for myself. I need to express love in the face of fear and forge ahead. I know that all of this, every last detail of it, is for my highest good and greatest joy, and that I brought it on myself...to learn!

I'll move through this space and come out on the other side triumphant. If nothing else, I expect the miracle of perseverance and wherewithal that have served me well in the past.

Keep doing new things. Keep doing new things. Keep doing new things.

***

I browsed around the Internet last night and in searching for tips to overcome fear, I found this quote (which I liked a lot):

"I am not afraid of failure when I start to redefine success." (Karen Lim)

Then I read the blog "Think Simple Now" which featured a post on Monday that had a useful paragraph on fear: "The more we focus on the object of our fear, the more powerful the feeling is. Life rarely turns out as bad as we anticipate. Focusing on the worst possible outcome is extremely stressful. Whether it's asking someone out on a date, or giving a presentation to an audience, it does not help to tell yourself that ‘I'm afraid I'm going to fail' or ‘What if I'll look stupid? I might as well not try.' Instead, focus on what it is that you do want. Focus, by repeating what you want in a present tense statement. Example, ‘I am confident and knowledgeable about this topic and I can give a kick ass presentation. It's a breeze!'"

And so there you have it - or more aptly, there I have it. Kick-ass, indeed.