Inspiraelevation

The Other Voice

February 5th, 2022

Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

Can you hear it?

A voice; a still quiet voice. Can you hear it? Or does the voice rage? Are you listening?

The voice may come on the wind. Perhaps it moves through others. No matter what, listen.

All our plans come to naught when we do not listen. Although we may plan, our steps are ordered. Failing to listen can send you wandering for years aimlessly, or it can obliterate everything.

Personal Anecdote: Denying The Voice.

I had to undergo major dental work last year. I will admit the work was extensive. The procedures only scratched the surface. I had an issue that needed attention after all the work. However, I placed the thought on the back burner.

The small voice told me not to put things off.

Through my pain it nudged. Then the voice spoke through my husband. Although I heard, I pushed the thought aside.

“Later,” I would say.

“When I was ready,” I would tell myself.

Time is duplicitous.

Photo by Camila Quintero Franco on Unsplash

Time not only heals wounds but can deepen them if not addressed.

A few days ago, the voice raged through an unbearably searing pain. Rivulets of salt-stained my face. Then and there I realized putting things off any longer would be foolish.

Importance of Acting on the Voice

Unbelievably, I was still hesitant. Can you believe that?

I was unwise enough to believe I could ward off the pain with various remedies until I was ready.

Stubbornness does not pay.!

Despite my misgivings, my fear, my hesitant spirit, I acted.

And action is the difference between me sitting here typing this story now versus sitting in a hospital bed, possibly fighting for my life.

Photo by Zachary Kadolph on Unsplash

Word of Encouragement (The Importance of Heeding the Voice).

Time for a checkup I said all that to say. Listen to the voice. It’s there. The echo, whisper, roar, the tap will never lead you wrong.

“When we quiet ourselves, You whisper “This is the way.”-Nicole Williams (Rise Up)

It is your saving grace and will lead you to fulfillment in life.

Final Words

As you can see, every day, I’m learning. I have learned a lot from the past.

“Not putting into action what you know is worse than not knowing.”

This is why my challenge is to continue to transform my mind and act on the knowledge I’m gaining.

In the words of Andrew Y oung,

“My hope for my children must be that they respond to the still, small voice of God in their own hearts.”

This is too my hope for you!

Will you join me in making better decisions?

You will not be disappointed. We can do this! Together, we are mighty. Let’s take this thing higher.
Mirror Mirror on the Wall: It Was You After All!

February 2nd, 2022

Image by creatifrankenstein from Pixabay

Dream Blocker: You

I have given a few of the more significant roadblocks that serve as dream blockers. But, whether or not you have considered it, there are many more things that can block one from living their best life or achieving their dreams

All funnel from one source. Self!

The biggest dream blocker one will ever encounter is themselves!

You Draw: From an Intrinsic Well.

Mindset, distraction, relationships — they all source from you.

You are the common denominator. And, nothing can block progress unless given allowance.

Stick with me…

I am the mother of a lovely little guy who is persistent. That is to be celebrated because persistence begets acquiescence.

When he wants something, he makes sure I know.

He will do whatever is necessary to convince me. If I’m not attentive, he will look, ask, plead, cry, even work for it.

Whatever it takes, he commits.

My Tiny Counter.

My little one loves counting. That little fellow rattles off numbers and equations regularly and incessantly. This is expected because counting is his passion.

Day in and day out, he calculates. He does computations in his head. His affinity gets bigger and bigger daily.

An Account of a Miniature Mathematician

Photo by Keira Burton from Pexels

Yesterday it was particularly annoying. After 15 minutes of listening to my little boy count upwards into the 100,000s, I lovingly suggested a pause. I told him to give his mind time to relax. I gave him options.

He wished to count. I hurt his feelings when I told him to give it a minute. He was almost in tears. Right then I realized he didn’t just like counting, he loved to calculate. Why? because the idea of restriction from his heart’s yearning felt painful. He thought I was taking something from him.

However, he did what mommy said. He took a break.

However, he knew what he wanted to do. After five minutes passed, he returned, saying, “Mommy, I took a break!”

“I’m finished,” he replied!

“Can I count now!”

I answered “okay!”

The Lesson !

I mentioned all that to say; he understood his desire. He let nothing stand in his way from doing what he wanted. Why? Because the desire was heart led.

Back to The Real Deal.

Nothing can be a distraction if your sights are set.

Honestly, if your belief is, achievement is possible, half of the work to establish the right mindset has already been done.

If it is your desire, you will get around people who push and encourage.

If you understand how important your dream is, your aim will always be to form the right relationships with money, food, and yourself.

Remaining where you are will never be satisfying.

Fundamentally, the very foundation of succeeding is examining if you wish to succeed.

Time for Self-Examination.

The fruits speak for themselves.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Action Expresses Priorities.”

So, if it is difficult to pinpoint why you can’t obtain what you’ve planned to accomplish, keep reading?

If you don’t understand why finishing what you start is hard, don’t stop reading?

Finally, if you can’t figure out why you are stationary, (not the envelope)read further.

Time for You to Take Massive Action.

Sit down with yourself? By yourself? Be honest ?

Answer this question, What do I want?

Don’t kid yourself.

To thy own self be true… because the key to achieving the unimaginable begins with what’s inside of you.
Find a Power Player

January 31st, 2022

Photo by Brandon Mowinkel on Unsplash

John Donne once composed a beautiful poem entitled “No man is an island.“

This poem speaks of the significance of community.

No truer words have been said,

“No man is an island. Entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent. A part of the main.”

Photo by Benjamin Behre on Unsplash

A Word on Community.

I have written on the power of relationships, strengthening your circle, and discovering your tribe. Unquestionably, these are essential.

Teams offer the support necessary to help you build the bridge to your desired destiny. Your team members cheer you on because your victory is their victory.

However, one must remember they have their own things. Therefore, they will only push you so far.

You are stuck with yourself after the cheering ends. And, you definitely will not have consistent access to your team.

A Power Player.

You also need a power player.

What is a power player?

A power player is the one who will come to the plate and hit the home run, which pushes you over the home plate.

Not a pinch hitter, but a heavy hitter.

In motivation/self-improvement circles, the power play is an accountability partner. How the individual is defined doesn’t matter. What matters is what the power player can accomplish for you.

The heavy hitter is the one person who will speak the truth plainly. However, those words are never to persuade you to stop. They will never stand in your path. Instead, he or she drives you along the path you set.

Be wary.

You must be selective about who you select to fill the role of the power player. Why?

You can’t entrust everything to everybody. But you always need that somebody to help you take the endeavor all the way home.

Experience Talks (Power Player Chronicle)!

Photo by Mathias P.R. Reding on Unsplash

I count myself blessed? Why?

I never had much of a team. And unfortunately, I’ve always considered myself the black sheep. I could never locate my “Tribe.” I would search and take action. Some places I would go, I would discover everyone else was a square, and I was a circle. Sometimes I would find myself among pigeons doing pigeon things, but I was an eagle. At times, I all but gave up.

“I’ll do this on my own,” I said.

But, that doesn’t work. You can’t make it on your own.

After wanting to drop kick my compass, I picked the compass back up.

There is a lesson in picking up your compass.

After picking up my compass, I found it finally pointing toward my true north.

Slowly I’ve begun seen seedlings of progress, and I am excited

A discovery: My Power Player!

Last night, after a disheartening moment, I discovered my heavy hitter.

When the possibility of failure consumed me, my power player stepped in.

I wanted to sit down on first base and contemplated walking off the field. Instead, my heavy hitter came up to bat. He spoke to me, admonished me to stand up, brush off my knees, and gaze toward home plate. He pushed me to change my focus and to look at the possibilities.

Even if I didn’t make it around those bases, I got on base.

It didn’t matter if I was tagged out.

I’ll never be a failure!

He led me to see I still had a team, a power player, and another opportunity to bat.

You see, I needed to view my position from a different angle. It was important that I acknowledged the opportunity, and power forward. But, I was blind to what was beyond me.
That is what a power player will do for you, help you retrain your focus.

A Message For You.

While on your journey, keep looking and searching for your power player, the individual who will give you the push you need. I know you can find them. Your power player is out there.

P.S. You may not immediately recognize who your heavy hitter is. I didn’t.

*I want to thank my husband because the support he gave me in that hour was invaluable and everything I needed.
Binding Ties of Relationship

January 29th, 2022

Dream Blockers: Relationships

When one raises the topic of relationships, the first thing that comes to mind is typically a connection with friends, family, or romantic partners.

However, there’s Always More Beneath the Surface
Despite what this topic may inspire you to presume, I challenge you to think broader.

As individuals, we form a multitudinous number of relationships in our lives. We build connections to everything. From our first breath, we interact with the world. Those interactions affect how we see the things or people who cross our paths. Yet, we aren’t always aware.

The Binding Ties (Our Relationship)

Relationships are essential factors of success. We need people. So, it does us well to establish good relationships with others. However, interpersonal relationships are not the only critical factors.

Three other highly critical relational factors heavily affect our success: our relationship to food, money, and ourselves.

Yes, you heard right.

Whether we recognize it, our relationships with these three factors determine how successful we shall be.

Improper and poor relationships equal stagnation, regression, and ultimately failure.

A healthy relationship sets you on a path to success. But, in the words of Michael Todd, “You won’t experience mansion-sized miracles with porta-potty principles.”

What do I mean?

Our connections with food, money, and ourselves are reflected in our habits and approaches to achievement.

A change in relationship= change in habit= shift in life.

Your Relationship with Food.

Our body derives energy from our food sources. Food is the fuel that powers our activities. However, not everyone’s relationship with food is healthy. Some have little fuel, while others keep junk in their fuselage. This points to poor operation. A minimal supply of fuel or corrupted fuel will not get you far. To upgrade your life, upgrade your relationship with food.

Some people are chronic abusers of food, while others don’t think about what they eat. Both are detrimental.

“Both the food you ingest and the way you feel about it can impact you and your life. ”

Lisa Roukin

What is a Relationship with Food?

Remember, your relationship with food determines the level of your health and wellness.

“Porta-potty principles equals porta-potty outcomes.”- Michael Todd (Author of Crazy Faith).

Weak mind, weak body, unchecked emotions are death knells. A weak mind, body, and uncontrolled emotions make success unreachable.

Personal Anecdote Break

My father once said, “I eat to live; I don’t live to eat.” I didn’t understand at the moment, but I understood it more clearly as time passed. Food is a tool. It’s a means by which we sustain a healthy state to operate at peak efficiency, nothing else and nothing more. Living to eat implies one’s relationship shifts from a mutually beneficial one-to-one of indulgence. The body doesn’t respond well to excessive consumption.

A healthy relationship with food permits an individual to move in balance. So improving one’s relationship with food is one of the primary steps toward achievement.

Your relationship with money.

A song goes, “Money, Money, Money, I got to have it!” They knew what they were talking about. That song would become an anthem for how many people live their lives.

However, like food, is an instrument. Money is also a tool. Money itself has no power. How we relate to and use money determines our base of power.

Money can drive, empower, or enslave. If money drives you, it will eventually chauffeur you off a cliff. If money is your sole motivator, your life will always be out of balance. Your life will be one of lack. Money can’t buy love, happiness, or a life.

A slave to money. If one finds themselves a slave to money, they will discover money as a hard taskmaster. As a result, an individual who wants to move to the next level won’t be free to do so.

Used correctly, money can be used as a leverage tool or as an investment vehicle.

How one relates to food and money is essential. However, how one relates to oneself is the primary force behind the success or falling short.

One’s Relationship to Self.

Those with a healthy relationship are positive and engage in activity that nourishes, nurtures, and improves factors necessary for growth and development.

People engage in activities in sync with their self-perception.

Those who maintain a negative relationship with themselves will find many difficulties in life. How? This mindset will struggle with low self-esteem, negative perceptions, negative identity, or no identity. What you perceive of yourself will determine what you perceive you can do and whether you will act.

The most important relationship you will build in life is the one with yourself. And then after that, I’d say once you have that, it may be hard work, but you can design your life. – Diane von Furstenberg

“So eat as you love yourself. Move as you love yourself. Speak as you love yourself, and act as you love yourself.”

Things will fall in line.

Upgrade your relationship, upgrade your life.
” Not in Kansas Any More?” A Change of Enviroment is a Good Thing!

January 24th, 2022

Photo by julio andres rosario ortiz on Unsplash

Dream Blocker 4: Environment

The road to success has to be paved with more than good intentions. Reaching the goals we set forth requires targeted action.

Therefore, we must put into action what we know to be true!

Endless Blockades

Distractions, a desire to be liked by others, and mindset are all factors that block progress. However, one must contend with more than these few factors to build a solid foundation for making the impossible possible.

So let’s take a closer look, if you will!

Location Location Location: Change Your Environment Change Your Life!

Putting yourself in a capacity to grow is the seed to extraordinary achievement. This often means transplantation.

In other words, change your environment change your life!!!

Environment is everything

Who we are and become results from two factors nature and nurture. That means everything that composes our character and mindset has a lot to do with our DNA. However our success has even more to do with the forces that influence us.

Nature vs. Nurture

Remember, genetic predisposition is not a limiting factor. You can choose to rise above those factors with nurture. And one’s environment is essential to making the long-lasting changes.

What is the Environment?

The environment does not only refer to a physical location. Environment is much more complex. Your environment fundamentally refers to your surroundings; who or what you surround yourself with.

This is important because our environment, will always be a determinant of the level of our reach.

“Your Body adapts to the environment you put it in” – Peter Sage

Put your body in unhealthy situations eventually you will become unhealthy!

Vultures sit with vultures, and Eagles fly with eagles. So be selective about what group you choose as your flock.

Photo by Casey Allen on Unsplash

“Proximity is power” -Tony Robbins

Foundation of this Principle: A Journey Taken

I recently sat down to listen to a session delivered by Peter Sage on building your roster of superheroes. In the session, he taught principles that were significant in creating success. As you guessed, one of those principles he emphasized was on selecting the right crowd to run with.

Why? Running with the right crowd accelerates your progression.

According to Peter Sage, this principle is founded on two primary laws; “The Law Conformity,” and “The Law of Resonance.”

What does it Mean?

Essentially, to boost your success potential, surround yourself with higher quality people so that you begin to echo the same vibration and operate at the same level.

GO where people are doing something amazing and catch the energy wave and ride it all the way to the top.

Aim to excel by choosing to be in the room with excellence.

Photo by Fredrick john on Unsplash

Upgrade your circle based on your path.

So if you find that you’re not in Kansas anymore, Well that’s a good thing, because,

“Nothing changes if nothing changes!”- Mel Robbins