How many times have you faced an obstacle in your life that seemed insurmountable? Everyone has had challenges in their lives that, while in the moment, seem to be impossible to face and definitely unlikely to ever overcome. These moments are chances for us to discover the best part of ourselves, our true strength and power as a human being. I have often told my children "Life is not about what you have been dealt, it is about the grace with which you deal with it".
For me, there have been many moments in time when I honestly did not know how I would deal with certain obstacles in my life. When my daughter was five years old she was diagnosed with cancer. It seemed impossible that this was happening to my precious baby, and yet it was. I remember the day she was diagnosed like it was yesterday, it was the first time in my life I dropped to my knees and prayed and began to "bargain" with the Universe, if only it could all be a terrible mistake. It was not a mistake, this was happening and there were months of multiple surgeries and many months of intensive chemotherapy for my sweet girl. I did not know how I could possibly summon the strength to deal with the devastation for my daughter, myself and my family. However, as the months passed I realized that each day I got up and played with my daughter, supported her during those terrible months of treatment and took care of my son as well, I was finding the strength to do all of it. It is really this simple. We ALL have the strength, by continuing on in our daily lives in the midst of terrible turmoil around us, we are all overcoming obstacles each and every day. When my daughter was finished with her treatment, she received a wish from the Make A Wish Foundation. At the time, it did not seem like a blessing, in my mind Wish Children were people you see on TV and on billboards, not my little girl. We went ahead with her wish and I realized how wrong I was in my own perception. Her wish was a defining moment both in her life and mine. She saw herself as "lucky" instead of sickly, and was so full of joy and life that it filled my heart with true joy for the first time in so many months. I began speaking for the Foundation to raise awareness for the incredible Power of a Wish and have continued to speak on their behalf for the past 16 years. Sharing my daughter's story, while helping the Foundation and other children to understand the importance of bringing hope to children and families during the darkest time in their lives, has been some of the most important and gratifying work of my life. I have received back from this experience ten fold what I have given as it has helped me to see what happened to my daughter as a hidden blessing. It has made her a strong, compassionate and infinitely extraordinary young woman, and it has showed me that perhaps my mission in life is to share my life's experiences with others in order to attempt to enrich the lives of those I come in contact with. The type of shift I describe in my own experience is one that is within the power of all of us. In so many ways, life is a matter of perspective. Whether it is something as drastic as a serious health issue, a relationship issue, a battle with weight, unfulfilled expectations or any other obstacle that may present itself in your life, it is within all of us to dig deep into the powerful reserves within us and summon the strength to make one small step in a positive direction. Even if that step is setting a positive intention and just letting that intention "marinate" in us for a while, that is overcoming the obstacle in the present moment. Taking it a step further, making a positive plan for an action that propels you forward is another opportunity to stand in your own beautiful power. Simply learning to embrace and love yourself and acknowledging your sadness or fear in whatever you are trying to overcome, is another opportunity to tap into your own strength. This is the key to Fearless Living. It does not mean you are never afraid, it means that you can acknowledge your own fear and make the conscious decision to take some sort of action to rise above it. That can mean anything to you, it is your Fearless Life to live!! There will always be obstacles to overcome in all areas of our lives. Taking the time to find the hidden blessings in these obstacles and recognizing your own infinite inner strength and power is a gift we can all give ourselves and it will help to make us all more graceful in our own lives. Wishing you a Fearless day, Lauren http.//www.FearlesslivingwithLauren.com
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![]() Many years ago I realized I was simply existing within my own life. Instead of driving the course of my own destiny, I was a passenger along for the ride. This is when I adopted the idea of Fearless Living. This was a time of great change in my life and I felt I needed courage to make difficult decisions within my own life. I was not sure that I could summon the courage within myself and decided to begin challenging myself by doing things that were totally outside of my normal comfort zone. I felt that conquering challenges would help to awaken the true, strong spirit that had been hiding inside me for too long. My first journey into Fearless Living was to go skydiving!! It may sound crazy, but this was something I had always dreamed of doing, but was too afraid to just go for it! I will never forget the feeling of being on that plane, rising to 13,000 feet, scooting over to the wide open door, looking down and jumping out.....It was the most terrifying yet empowering experience I had ever had in my life. The rush of wind on my face, coupled with the speed of the descent was exhilarating! When the chute opened and the world slowed down around me, I looked at the beautiful landscape below me and knew I would never be the same. I had done something that I had always dreamed of doing, but had always been too afraid to actually attempt. This was day one of my Fearless Living. Not everyone will have the same concept of what Fearless Living means to them. It definitely does not have to involve jumping out of a plane! Fearless Living means living life on your own terms and not allowing yourself to be limited by your own perceived lack of courage. This could include anything from pursuing a hobby you have always been interested in, presenting an idea at work in a proud and confident manner, or walking away from a situation that you know is not healthy for you. Fearless Living can be as simple as deciding to go to the gym today and DOING it, because you know it will make you feel good and is a healthy choice. Think of all the tiny changes we can all make in our daily lives while adopting the concept of Fearless Living. One by one, all of these choices can add up to a major life shift. If we focus our intent on what our own Fearless Life could look like, our potential is truly limitless!! Wishing you a Fearless day! Lauren www.fearlesslivingwithlauren.com |
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September 2016
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