It’s not what you DO that matters - it’s who you ARE that matters by MASTIN KIPP

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Let’s be SUPER clear about something: it’s not what you DO that matters - it’s who you ARE that matters!

In today’s world, we can get SO caught up in DOING! And we focus on the outward, the job, the career, the money, being important, etc., etc.

And then we come to a time, a breaking point, where all that stuff doesn’t seem to matter so much and we just want to be happy. We could find this breaking point at a young age or at an old age. But at SOME POINT, achievement isn’t enough; we want to be happy dammit!

And this is where the “spiritual” path begins. I say “spiritual” because it’s not really something to take so seriously. If we meditate perfectly, wear all the garb perfectly, chant perfectly, eat vegan, gluten-free and have our green juice, but we don’t have LOVE in our hearts, then we’ve missed the whole damn point.

I’d rather hang out with a Love-centered meat eating “not so spiritual person” than a passive aggressive righteous vegan who has the perfect yoga practice and a perfectly fitting lululemon outfit on.

Don’t get it twisted - the ego finds its sly way into the path. And all the rites and rituals don’t mean a DARN THING if we don’t have Love in our hearts. And if we have Love in our hearts and are being Love, then we don’t need the rites and rituals unless we want to do them because they help to remind us to BE LOVE.

It is in our BEING that we find ourselves and our purpose, not in our DOING. You can have all the material possessions in the world and still be lonely as hell, and you can be broke as a mofo and have Love and be the richest person in the world.

Me, I want both! I want to have amazingly abundant material possessions, but first and foremost, I want to keep Love and connection in my heart and remain humble within physical abundance.

But the stuff, the form doesn’t freakin matter! What matters is who we are. What matters is how we show up. What matters is the place that we come from in our thoughts, ideas and communications. What matters is if we are serving or not.

What matters is crucifying our egos day in and day out (not because it’s the enemy), but so our hearts can shine through.

Living from the heart space is the goal. And when we get there, nothing else is needed because we realize on an experiential level that we are guided and cared for by The Uni-verse. That all our needs are met and that even though life doesn’t turn out how we want it to, that life turns out how we need it to and that is SO FREAKIN RAD!

The ego’s desires PALE in comparison to what The Uni-verse has in store for you.

Your ego can’t dream that big, or Love that big or imagine itself being used for THAT much service.

It’s not what you’re doing - it’s who you’re being that counts.

Who are you being today?

As always, the action happens over on the BLOG; head on over there and leave a comment on my blog "It's not what you're seeing, it's who you're BEING that counts!!" The TDL Community thrives in the comments and it's a GREAT place to get support!

Love, 
Mastin 

If things aren't happening how and when you want them to – CELEBRATE by Mastin Kipp

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The theme in a lot of my mentoring calls and incoming emails this week has been about frustration coming from things not happening as quickly as folks want them to or the way folks want them to.

Here's the thing: we are on a spiritual path, connecting with the SOURCE OF ALL LIFE, and we think we should be telling IT how and when to make things happen in our lives.

In this age of tweeting, texting, instagramming, facebooking, googling, pinning, pining, longing and emailing, we've gotten lost in the outer technology. We've forgotten our inner technology. We've somehow begun to think that The Uni-verse should be working on OUR SCHEDULE, instead of taking the humble Path and allowing the Wisdom of the Ages that fuels the Sun, beats your heart and breathes life into you in every moment, the chance to chime in.

Spiritual growth doesn't happen on your schedule. That's WHY it's spiritual growth. It's not about The Uni-verse giving you what you want; it's about The Uni-verse training you to be who you really are, tapped into Source, being a vessel of Grace and knowing the only thing you really need is the connection to your Source, and all physical manifestations that are in your best interest will follow.

Sometimes, all the things you have put your faith in will be taken away, not as punishment, but as a way of teaching you that trusting The Uni-verse is all you really need to do. And then you think you have many problems, but the only real problem you have is that you are disconnected from your Source.

It's like the drop of water that wants to surf a huge wave - it has to connect back with the ocean in order to do big things. It can try and try on its own, and it won't be able to move a damn thing. But when it's connected to its Source, it can be a TIDAL WAVE and it's PUSHED, instead of needing to PUSH.

So if things aren't happening how and when you want them to – CELEBRATE. The Master's Hand is at work trying to show you a better way. Even if your mind doesn't think so right away, there is a better way coming towards you. Stay open, stay available, stay in humble patience that the answer will be revealed and most likely in a way that you haven't yet considered.

Live the mystery of life with gratitude instead of an entitled attitude. This is the Path of Grace. The Uni-verse will bring us to our knees, not as punishment, but to show us a better way.

A delay is not a denial - remember that and live the mystery!

As always, the action happens over on the BLOG; head on over there and leave a comment on my blog "If things aren't going the way you want them to - CELEBRATE!" The TDL Community thrives in the comments and it's a GREAT place to get support!

Love, 
Mastin

My 7 Step Success Formula By Craig Ballantyne

My 7 Step Success Formula 

By Craig Ballantyne

I just finished my morning meditation session. This marks the 87th day in a row that I've meditated for at least 10 minutes. 

I started meditating to bring more calm, focus and patience into my life.

It wasn't easy. I almost quit - several times - during the first few days in developing this new habit. And this wasn't the first time I tried to take up meditation. But each time in the past I had failed miserably.

There was the time in 2006 when I tried to use meditation to help deal with my anxiety attacks. I only lasted a week. 

Then in 2009 I worked up to 15 sessions in a row before shamefully giving up.

But this time I knew it would be different.

This time I had my 7 step success formula in place.

Before, I went about it in a haphazard, non-serious way.

Each morning, after I've written Turbulence Training workout programs or ETR essays for two hours, walked the dog, and finished my Daily Document review (but before I go to the gym), I sit down on my meditation pillow, close my eyes, sit upright with legs crossed, and focus on my breathing.

At first the habit was excruciatingly painful - both mentally and physically. It was almost impossible to turn off my "monkey mind." My brain would shift from thought to thought to thought, reviewing my to-do list or coming up with other ideas to implement or people to contact.

And frankly, my mind still wanders during each session, even though I've made significant breakthroughs in my ability breathe deeply and focus on practically nothing.

I'm getting better every session. I'm not giving up on this habit.

It's made me more calm during the remainder of the day. I no longer feel a tiny bit of tightness and anxiety in my chest when my schedule becomes overwhelming. I breathe better (sounds silly, I know, but most of us don't know how to breathe properly). I relax easier. I have more patience - and this was sorely needed.

This simple meditation habit, now almost 90 days strong, has made a big difference in my life. It's become a success habit. (And I'm going to show you my 7 Step Success System for any area of your life.)

This time I was able to stick to my meditation habit because this time I also listened to my own advice.

Over the past 16 Turbulence Training Transformation Contests, I had been telling you and 90,000 other TT readers that:

"Success is simple once you accept how hard it is."

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that success is easy. I'm staying that it is simple. Big difference.

That means, if you understand and accept that success - in any area of life - requires sacrifice, only then you will be psychologically prepared to make those sacrifices. Then, and only then, with the right mindset in place, success simply becomes a matter of following proven blueprints, and never, ever giving up on what is important to you.

Once you accept this fact, you'll be ready to successfully apply this formula to transform your life.  

After reviewing my own success habits, and those of the dozens of winners of my 16 Turbulence Training Transformation Contests, I've identified the following 7 Step Success Formula:

SUCCESS = Outcome Goals + Process Goals + Action + Accountability + Support + Incentives + The Deadline

Let's walk you through those 7 Steps.

1) Outcome Goals - This is simple. If you want to lose 15 pounds in 6 weeks, that's your Outcome Goal. It's your Vision. It's the Destination you want to arrive it in a given time frame. That's Goal Setting 101.

2) Process Goals - These are a little different, and yet an often forgotten part of a Goal Setting program. Process goals refer to what you are going to do in order to succeed. For me, I had to make time each day to practice meditation. For someone that wants to lose belly fat, your process goals will include 3 Turbulence Training workouts per week plus 90% compliance to your nutrition program. By hitting your process goals, you'll ultimately achieve your outcome goals.

3) Action - All the optimism and goal-setting in the world does you no good without Action. You must plan and prepare to take action. And then you must force yourself - even on those tough days, for example, when you want to skip your meditation session or workout because you are tired or too busy - to take action. Action takers rule the world.

 
This formula is powerful.  Brita used it to lose 17 pounds and take 4 inches off her waist.  

However, there's one Politically Incorrect truth that I must share with you. You need to know this, because if you don't, you might give up. Worse, you could be giving up just when success was around the corner.

So read this once. Let it sink in. Read it again. And then print it out. Post it on your computer or your fridge.

It's that important. Here are some of the most important words of wisdom I could ever share with you...

Success comes in spurts.

There will be times when you'll work and work and work, and you'll feel like you're getting nowhere. You might be experiencing this right now. So stay strong and keep on pushing.

Believe me, I know how you feel. Back in 2006 I struggled with an anxiety attack that lasted more than six weeks straight, but I never gave up on looking for solutions.

And what I discovered was that success only happens by taking action every day, strong and steady, by overcoming obstacles and powering through the dips, by trudging onward through tough days and getting energized by great days.

The backbone for your success and persistence will always be a clear vision of what you want to achieve. Make sure that your Outcome and Process Goals are clear. Realize that each action you take is a small victory for you, and each accomplishment is another step closer to your big breakthrough.

Everyone goes through those struggles where it feels like nothing is working, those dips, those stretches where you are seemingly making no progress, and then suddenly...

WHOOOOOSH. Success.

The scale will change by 2-3 pounds seemingly overnight. The person of your dreams will walk into your life. A big break will happen at work. Whatever it is, it WILL happen if you keep taking action.

It happened to me and it will happen to you too. I dealt with the anxiety every single waking moment for six weeks, and then I finally found the answer to my problem. And poof, I was cured almost instantly. Success. It comes in spurts. 

Trust me on that.

So never, ever, EVER give up on what is important to you.

But how can you help yourself to stick with your action plan and process goals through these tough times?

The answer is in the Four Pillars of Success, which are also the final four steps of our formula. Once you've nailed down the first three steps - you're ready to use the final four steps to make your transformation stick.  These four steps are Accountability, Social Support, Incentives, and The Deadline.

4) Accountability - Research shows that being accountable to an authority figure increases your chances of success. This might be me, in the TT contests, or your doctor, or your pastor or your supervisor at work. But you need accountability. It can also come from your friends and family too, as we'll see in the 5th Step.

For my meditation success, I held myself accountable to Matt Smith, my business partner, and my chiropractor, Dr. Michael Sommers. Both of these men have been long-time practitioners of meditation and gave me expert advise on making my sessions better.
Without them, I might have given up. 

5) Social Support - Lean on positive people in your life to support you when things are going well, and yes, to give you a kick-in-the-butt to get back on track when you are slipping.

I used the support of other members in the Turbulence Training forums to stay on track with meditation (as I do everyday to stick to my nutrition, as well). And almost every single winner of the TT Transformation Contests has done the same. The more active they are in the forums, the better results they are getting.

You can't go it alone and expect to succeed. You must find positive people - and research shows that online support groups work as well as 'real life in-person' support - to be there when you need a shoulder to lean on.

6) Incentives - There are two ways to implement Incentives into your Success Formula. You can use the "carrot" or the "stick". The "carrot" approach is based on a reward you'll give yourself for taking action and hitting your process and outcome goals.

For TT Contest winners, it's the big cash prizes that motivate them to action every day.

On the other hand, you can motivate yourself with negative consequences. That's the "stick" method. For example, you can punish yourself for not taking action or for not hitting your outcome goals.
When I quit swearing late last year, I created a virtual swear jar. Each curse word cost me $10 that had to go to a charity I did not want to support. (You can also choose to donate to the political party you don't support.) I quickly cleaned up my swearing habits in just six days with this approach.

Incentives work!

7) The Deadline - This might be the 2nd most important component after Action. Without The Deadline, we will procrastinate. Our outcome goal of losing 10 pounds of belly fat drags on and on and on without success, unless we say, "I'm going to lose 10 pounds of belly fat by Memorial Day (May 27th, 2013)" and then make this public to our Accountability partners and Social Support while attaching an Incentive to it.

If you do all of those things, I guarantee you'll have dropped those 10 pounds by the big day.

That's the power of the Four Pillars of Success. They make you take action, stick to your process goals, and achieve EXACTLY what you want in life.

Put it all together and you have a formula for SUCCESS.

It doesn't matter if it's losing belly fat, learning how to meditate, finding the life partner of your dreams, re-establishing your relationship with God, getting a raise, or starting your own business, those 7 Success Steps are a proven blueprint to helping you achieve EXACTLY what you want in life.

Put those 7 Steps for Success into place today, and never, ever, EVER give up on what is important to you.

The ONLY fruit that increases fat-loss when you eat it (article)‏ by Shaun Hadsall

• The ONLY fruit that increases fat-loss when you eat it (article)‏

A fairly recent study done in La Jolla, CA showed that consumption
of this particular fruit was found to be associated with a significant
reduction in weight.

In fact, this particular study showed that two-hours AFTER ingesting
this fruit, post-glucose insulin levels were significantly reduced 
among subjects compared to a placebo group.

So this research indicates that this may be the ONLY fruit that actually
increases fat-burning after ingestion.

What is it?

Grapefruit.
 
The study concluded that, "Half of a fresh grapefruit eaten before 
meals was associated with significant weight loss. Insulin resistance 
was improved with fresh grapefruit."

This is despite the carbs and sugars found inside this fruit.
VERY interesting stuff.

Another great benefit to consuming Grapefruit is that it’s loaded
with naringin. Naringin has been documented to inhibit certain
enzyme activity in human liver.

So what does this scientific jargon mean for you?

It means that naringin (found inside grapefruit) may increase 
the half life (extending the activity) of various alkaloids, especially 
caffeine.

Even certain fat burners utilize naringin for enhanced alkaloid effect.

In other words, the natural ingredients found in grapefruit could help you 
metabolize fat more efficiently.

A couple VERY important notes about "how" to eat grapefruit for
more efficient fat-loss.

1. Do NOT use traditional grapefruit juice from concentrate.

The pasteurization process DESTROYS the natural citrus qualities found inside
fresh grapefruits. You must either use the whole fruit (preferably organic) or
flash pasteurized juices, which are typically very hard to find.
 
2. Do NOT eat grapefruit every day of the week.

Just like any great nutrition strategy, more is NOT better. I recommend using a
1/2 grapefruit before two of your daily meals about 4 or 5 days of the week.

This will ensure awesome results without adapting to the fat-burning properties
found inside this fruit.

By the way, this is a GREAT tactic to break a plateau.

Not only will it increase insulin sensitivity, it will flood your body
with natural enzymes that will potentially help get the fat burning
again.

Of course, it’s only going to work if you’re exercising and eating
healthy.

This trick used all by itself probably won’t make that big of a
difference. But if you’re consistent with your eating and workout
habits, give this puppy a try!

And if you haven’t heard about the latest “health” food conspiracy
going on with processed grains, wheat, and other so-called fat-
burning foods, I highly recommend you check out this brand new
controversial approach below from one of my newest buddies, Sean
Croxton.

I met Sean in Orlando last month and we immediately hit it off
because of our shared values and beliefs.

Have you ever wondered why 95% of dieters re-gain their weight
and end up heavier than BEFORE they started??...

....Or what the 5% who DO lose the weight and KEEP it off do
differently?

Here’s what they know that others don’t:

==> The Dark Side of Fat-Loss 

Keep going strong,

Shaun

This ONE thing will make or break your fat loss‏ by Sue Heintze

There is a disturbing trend in the fitness and fat loss industry and
I know many of you have experienced it already. Or perhaps you
are even going through it RIGHT NOW - without even realizing.  

Let's see if you can relate...

You start a new shape-up program in a blaze of weight loss
glory. The initial drop that registers on the scale in the first
week is super motivating. Your excitement about what is
going to happen next week (and the weeks after) is totally
off the charts.

Weigh-in day arrives and you literally jump out of bed and onto
the scale, eager to be rewarded for your hard work.

But...hang ON? What’s this?

The scale hasn’t moved! In fact, it’s actually gone up!

All of a sudden you’re not so motivated anymore. After this epic
fail the novelty of the new program is wearing off. Things start to
feel difficult and in fact, all this eating clean and working out all kind
of sucks if you are really honest.

The inner voice is already saying 'it's not working'. You react by feeling
frustrated and down. You think 'it's just not worth the time and effort'.

Does this sound familiar?

Through clients I am confronted with this same issue time and again
and I thought as my valued subscriber, you may benefit from this snippet
of wisdom taken from my coaching forum.

Yes, make no mistake, week 3 and 4 of your program are the weeks that
will make or break you. I cannot re-iterate this enough.

Before you throw in the towel out of frustration you need
to understand the following...

What will make you successful is incremental steps over a consistent
period of time. Two steps forward, one step back STILL MEANS
ONE STEP FORWARD. And all that will add up to cumulative results.

You are probably aware by now, our bodies can be very stubborn.

The biggest lesson I learnt when preparing for competition (or
leaning down to very low body fat), is that you WILL succeed
if you just keep going!

You WILL feel and get frustrated because you think nothing is
changing. This is NORMAL. You need to accept it!

In every single ‘comp preparation’ I’ve reached the final
few weeks and felt I wasn’t where I wanted to be. But, simply by
trusting in the process and continuing on, I've always been successful.

Of course you must be following a suitably appropriate program
for it to work but my point is, don’t say ‘nothing’s working’ after just
3 weeks. 

What usually happens with me is that I drop a little weight, then go
back up, drop a little, go back up but generally stay around the
same until finally my body finally gives in and I drop significantly and
stay there. Then the process starts again. As long as the overall
trend is down, then it’s all good.

If you're feeling disheartened, perk up because what you're going
through is normal.

The ones who survive will not be the ones who react to the scales
by eating off plan. What good is that going to do? The ones who
survive and will be successful will be the ones who accept this,
knuckle down and continue on.

I can tell you now, it won't matter what program you do, if you cannot
get through these tough periods where your mind is playing games, you
will never lose the weight you want to. Do you really want to keep
battling for the rest of your life? Or simply knuckle down in this
tough time and GET THROUGH IT.

You CAN. You NEED to. You WILL.

Via our Body Makeover Programs and the X-Treme Results Challenge we
teach you how to navigate and get through the tough times with confidence.
Mastering that is the REAL secret to permanent fat loss and making peace
with your body.

I hope this little lesson in staying strong will help you get
through the other side next time you consider throwing in the towel.

Dream, Believe, Achieve!

The Truth About Luck and Success By Craig Ballantyne

The Truth About Luck and Success

By Craig Ballantyne

Luck has been in my corner since day one back in 1975.

I was extraordinarily lucky to be born in Canada into a lower-middle class family. Lucky enough to have been educated in the years of the first home computer, to have come of age as the first Internet generation, and to have stumbled across the convergence of direct marketing and online e-commerce before everyone and their uncle knew about it.

When I was a child I was lucky enough to have an alcoholic, underachieving, embarrassing father who gave me the first chip on my shoulder, one that compelled me to work harder, achieve more, and go further so that I could escape his shadow.

I was also lucky that my mother had dropped out of high school and spent the rest of her life working for barely more than the minimum wage, never earning more than $28,000 in a year (an amount that I’ve made in a single day in my business on several occasions). I was lucky, because of her mistakes, that she would never let me make the same ones.

And boy was I lucky to have went to grade school with patches on my knees, for this caused me great embarrassment and instilled in me the drive to do better, to excel in school, to get into the best program in college, to make the Dean’s Honour List three
years in a row, to get accepted into a Master’s program, to study until 10pm on weekends so I could earn a scholarship to help me pay for 6 years of post-secondary education- and so that I’d never feel embarrassed like that again.

It’s as though I’ve had a horseshoe made out of rabbit’s feet around my neck for these past thirty years.

I’ve also been lucky to make friends with entrepreneurs like Bedros Keuilian, a real-life American Dream. Bedros was lucky to have been born in Armenia (then part of the Soviet Union) and to have a father that gambled his family’s safety by bribing their way out of the USSR so they could arrive virtually penniless in America (legally).

Bedros was also lucky enough to arrive in America in 1980 without being able to speak a lick of English. He was fortunate that his family was so poor that he had to dumpster-dive behind grocery stores for food. Without this luck, Bedros wouldn’t have the burning desire that has allowed him to succeed and create a better life, so that as he often tells me, “My kids will never have to spend an hour of their lives in daycare.”

And I’m lucky enough to be friends with Matt Smith, another lucky young man from my generation who, like me, grew up with little more than an embarrassment of a father and a mother that spent the little money she had to take care of her children.

Among Matt’s lucky childhood experiences was the night when his mother scraped together a few dollars for a special Friday dinner of take-out pizza. That night, the Smiths were lucky to have mistakenly left the pizza on top of the car as they drove away). Eventually, the pizza fell off the car’s roof into the middle of a busy intersection – where car after car drove over it – and this was a lucky break for Matt.

Why?

Because the Smiths’ had no money to go and buy a replacement pizza. And so Matt will forever remember that night – and that feeling – as something he will never want to experience again. It’s just another lucky motivator in his drive to do better and succeed so that his children won’t have to experience that great fortune.

That kind of luck leaves a burning desire that NOTHING – not even a life of iPhones, TV’s in every room of the house, unending after-school activities, or 24/7 Internet and cable TV access – could ever top.

My luck continues. I’m fortunate to know Isabel De Los Rios, one of the world’s most successful nutrition experts, who herself was lucky enough to spend almost a decade as a sick, unhealthy, overweight, and unhappy young woman, so that she could truly understand the troubles that her hundreds of thousands of female clients go through.

Isabel was also lucky enough to be downright broke when she applied to my Mastermind Group in 2008, having to borrow the money from her fiancé. It was due to her great fortune to be in these situations that she committed to working harder than almost any other person I’ve ever coached. This has allowed her to pull herself up from financial stress and into a business where today she has over 200,000 customers that have been lucky enough to get Isabel’s help as they change their lives.

Finally, we’ve all been lucky enough to learn from Michael Masterson, our mentor that was lucky enough to grow up in a poor household of ten children. He was lucky enough to have so little that it drove him to become the entrepreneur and mentor that we all came to know through Early to Rise.

This is the luckiest group of individuals you might ever meet. We were lucky to have had the experiences we did because they taught us so much and drove us to great action. Without our setbacks, what would we have achieved? We have been part of the luckiest generations to have ever lived.

What about your luck? Have you lucked out and been fortunate to have gone through similar struggles? Have you been given the inspiration to work harder than ever, to explore new opportunities to take control of your future, and that drive you towards financial independence? Are you one of the fortunate ones that were not born with a silver spoon so that you could learn the importance of adding value to the world in exchange for a fair return? Have you been lucky enough to fail again and again?

Never forget that failure isn’t bad. Failure isn’t final. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from achieving the success you deserve. If you’re struggling, keep hustling. Keep taking at least one big action step each day.

Failure is good luck. Just listen to these experts.

“Problems are in your life so that you can discover potentials that you didn’t even know you had.”  - Barry Michels

“Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.” - Zig Ziglar

”Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit.” - Napolean Hill

”Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill

“Everybody in your situation has the same choice: you can rue your situation or you can dedicate yourself to changing it. Accept responsibility for your future. Refuse to complain, criticize, or condemn. If you want us to help you achieve your goals, then trust in and follow our advice. Stop doubting it. Stop denying it. Have faith.” -  Mark Ford

I can only hope you’ve been as lucky as I have over the years. And the old saying is true, you know, “The harder I work, the luckier I get”. So take that luck that you get and press it. Keep on pushing. It only gets easier from here.

[Ed. Note. Craig Ballantyne is the editor of Early to Rise and author of Financial Independence Monthly and Turbulence Training. He is also the co-creator of the Early to Rise $100,000 Transformation Contest that you are a part of today. Craig’s goal is to help one million people improve their lives by 2020, and he does this through his relevant and easy-to-relate-to content that he provides daily, weekly and monthly on his numerous sites. Subscribe to Early to Rise today so you don’t miss out on Craig’s motivational messages.]

The danger of living in your comfort zone. [lessons from Peru]‏ by Nisha Moodley

• The danger of living in your comfort zone. [lessons from Peru]‏

[pictured above] On the edge of my comfort zone, at the top of Machu Picchu

A few months ago, I decided to travel to Peru. It's been a dream of mine to see Machu Picchu for over a decade, so when I found out my friend Michael Costuros was leading a trip with a small group of entrepreneurs, I signed up.

As I sat on my boyfriend's sun drenched livingroom floor that day, just one click away from purchasing my flight, I paused. "Babe, am I crazy for doing this?", I asked with a nervous laugh. I wasn't actually looking for his answer -- I was really asking myself if I was ready to take this leap into the unknown...

I only knew one of the people taking the trip.
I knew I would be asked to share vulnerably with strangers.
I knew nothing about the safety of Peru.
It was a major investment.

What if I didn't like it and was stuck?

What if my clients needed me and the wifi didn't work?

What if I should be spending the money on something else?

What if I felt lonely?

 

It was a step outside of my comfort zone.

I had to say yes. 

Today, sitting on my boyfriend's sun drenched livingroom floor after having just landed back in the US, I couldn't be happier that I did. I made new lifelong friends, I have beautiful memories that will stay with me always, I had an experience of awakening that enlivens and enriches the way I move through life, and I have integrated lessons that will improve the lives of others.

When so much good happens when we take the leap, why do we stay in our comfort zone?

Sure, we won't have to face our fears. But mostly, we won't have to face our greatness.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."  - Marianne Williamson

Instead of taking the leap, we make reasons for staying in our comfort zones.
I've had many:
I wanted to grow my business, but didn't want to invest in a coach.
I wanted to travel, but was waiting until I had the money or time.
I wanted to see my family more often, but was so busy with my business.
I wanted my marriage to improve, but wouldn't spend the money on therapy.

Looking back on each of these, it wasn't the lack of time or money that was in the way, it was my reasons.

I thought I was "going with the flow", waiting for things to happen in a way that felt easy and with minimal effort, but I was actually being passive. Going with the flow is active -- it means following the whispers of our desires with curiosity, honesty and creativity.

The truth was that I was afraid to swim outside of my comfort zone, but everything I wanted was just on the other side of the boundaries I had created for myself.

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'S AT THE EDGE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE? 

1. Travel alone: For years, I envied women who felt confident and secure enough to travel alone. It seemed so scary to me. What if I got lost or hurt? What if I can't manage to learn the language?  Worse, what if I felt the bottomless despair of loneliness? At the same time, there was something that seemed so liberating about a woman taking a trip without the comforts of what's familiar. I longed to be one of these women. A woman who would invest her time and money in herself in this way. A woman who had the courage to step into the world without the comfort of what she knows. I had no idea how profoundly nourishing traveling alone would be. As with this Peru trip, I often plan to meet people in the locations I'm traveling to, but it is a freeing experience to set off by myself. If this is at the edge of your comfort zone, take the leap, and choose a place that exhilarates you.

2. Make eye contact with strangers: My friend, Michael, who organized the Peru trip, shared the story of his friend: she realized that she had been subconsciously avoiding eye contact with strangers for years. In a gentle effort to be more willing to be seen, she committed to making eye contact and saying hello with everyone she passed on the sidewalk for one day. The exercise was so enriching and powerful for her, that she has continued it to this day, years later. Avoiding eye contact is so common, we almost never consider it. There's something simply beautiful about allowing others to see us, and seeing them. We live amongst humans. I invite you to step out of your tiny experience to experience them.

3. Try a forbidden food: My friend and client, Alexandra Jamieson, recently "came out" as no longer being vegan. For someone who co-produced the documentary Super Size Me and wrote 3 books on the virtues of veganism, this was definitely a leap off the edge of her comfort zone. She was afraid of the backlash she would face, but she was more afraid of hiding in the shadows and never expressing her truth, so she had to jump. All of this was precipitated by Alex's willingness to try "forbidden" foods, because her body was asking for them. Most of us have foods we're afraid to try, either because of the taste or our fear of what effect they'll have on us. Are you willing to expand your palette to experience more of life?

4. Share yourself authentically: One of the biggest fears we face is of being seen exactly as we are -- for people to bear witness to our innermost insecurities. We slap on makeup, spray tan and a smile to show the world that we're okay, and unconsciously create stock responses to common questions. "How's married life?"... "Oh, you know. Relationships are hard, but we're working on it every day!" What does that even mean? I invite you to step out of your comfort zone and tell someone what's really going on in your heart. The key here is to watch out for the pitfalls of shaming, complaining and commiserating. Rather than making this about how someone or something else is bad or wrong, share how you feel and what you desire.  To do this authentically, make it about you.
Today, choose one of the above and stretch yourself to do it, even if you have reasons why you can't. You're smart and creative -- you can find a way. Do it in the name of expanding your comfort zone. Even if things don't go how you want them to, see it as a success because you went for it.

When you stay within the cozy confines of your comfort zone, life becomes dull, uninspired, small.  Rather than evolve into possibility, you shrivel into predictability.

 

When you swim out of your comfort zone, you become thecreator of your life in a world of possibility. {tweet it}

"With passion pray.With passion work.With passion make love.With passion eat and drink and dance and play.Why look like a dead fish in this ocean of Love?"- Rumi

Join the discussion in the comments on the blog, and share what you will do today in the name of expanding your comfort zone.

 

Fiercely devoted to your freedom,