Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Trust the Process

You know that feeling gratitude is good.  You know that you perpetuate that which you are feeling and resonating.  So why can it be so difficult sometimes?!  ;) 

I was lucky enough to speak with author John Assaraf this week regarding this question I had.  I know what it's like to feel pure desire and total excitement for things.  I also know how the discrepancy from where you are at and where you want to be can be so drastic when you dream BIG...  so how do you stay in the mode of passion, excitement and energy during the transition?  John said that this is a common place to be and recognizing this as a transition is huge.  He mentioned taking the baby steps and kept saying this phrase to me:  "Trust the process."   Those words have been ringing through my mind all day long.

I used to believe you needed a crystal clear picture of the desired outcome to get to where you want to be.  If you have that, it can be a wonderful tool!  Without it, I felt a bit lost.  I do not know clearly which way I want to choose in one area of my life and it has made me feel that I am running in circles!  I am, however, taking steps to get to a better place each day...  so there is progression that is measurable and positive.  Rather than worry about the 5 year plan that is not totally clear yet, how about trusting the process?  Hmmm.  Great advice for me at this time and place where I am at!


Another idea that removes pressure from me and may help others is along the same lines as trusting the process:  you may not be able to figure out all the details of where you want to be, what you want to do, where you want to work, etc...  so instead, focus on the feelings you want to have.  The details will all fall into place once you do that.  So if you are not sure how much money you want to make specifically this year, how about focus on the feelings you want to have as a result of money.  If it's a feeling of success you want, then find out what will make you feel successful (or more successful?)  Success is never about the dollar amount anyhow.  What is success to you?  Define it alone because it is a very personalize idea and no one can tell you what it means to you.  So define it in a way where you *feel* success.

Another example of this is in envisioning a new home.  I have a dream of owning a custom log home.  I kept focusing on the home itself and took a step back to see why I wanted it.  What will that "give" me?  The answer was:  a feeling of safety, stability and the feeling of a welcoming and comfy place!  Log homes, to me, have that warm glow about them inside and are natural and "down to Earth" so to speak.  I never really had sat down to figure out why that was important to me.  Safety.  Stability.  Welcoming.  Comfortable.  Real.  Livable.  Breathable.  Everyone is welcome there and likes the feeling of it.  I associate them with a happy home full of laughing and support.  None of this has to do with an actual log home though, really.  So if I focus on those feelings instead of the "end result" of the home, I do believe the log home comes faster.  No resistance.  No dwelling on "lack" of log home!  Just perpetuating that which I want more of.  Then more of it comes in.  

Lastly on goals:  Clearly defined goals are energizing and can be a very fast way to get what you want!  Sometimes, however, they are not established or revealed yet.  I'm learning that this is ok.  In fact, in learning to trust the process and dig down beneath the specific goals you can discover what you really are after and WHY.   Once you tap into the "why..."  you can sit back and watch it all unfold.

Thank you to John for your time today  It was an honor to speak with you again!  **major gratitude**

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Her Healing Powers Scare Me

It's nearly time to have Britty's braces removed!!!!  Not only will she love her teeth, but I'll be loving one less monthly payment!  WOO!   The braces experience was not as painful as we've heard, according to Britty.  With the brackets she had, we had no breakages, no major pain and everything went according to schedule.  (She also did not eat popcorn, gum, or gummy candies, so that has lots to do with it!)  So one last big procedure before the braces are removed...  wisdom teeth extraction.  Uh-oh.

I love how you can see the brackets on each tooth in the X-ray:


Preparing for surgery and watching the heart monitor.  Why did they have me stay in the room for the first part?  I was more nervous than she was.  Drugging up your baby is such a horrible thing to witness.  I had to pace around the waiting room.  We do not like taking any medication, so this seemed severe to us!! 

My baby is done and just beginning to come around after being brought into the recovery room.  This was how I first saw her.  :(  With an insane amount of cotton wads in her mouth, she had no idea where she was and how she got there.  :(  She was shaking and out of it, and I felt so bad for her and began to feel very sorry for people who are addicted to drugs or take them to "feel better."  :(  It's incredibly scary and I am so glad that Britty is healthy to begin with.  Still...

Back at home after a wheel chair ride.  (Hey...  Britty was in a wheelchair before I was!)  Ice packs to reduce swelling.  Towel wrapped pillow for blood catching:

This photo was taken the SAME NIGHT as the surgery.  ???  How does she heal so fast??  This was without the pain killers too.  HARD CORE, Britty! 

Here are some tips for faster healing as I've seen with Britty: 

*  DO use the ice packs.  I know it feels horrible.  This will reduce the swelling though and will be so worth it.  20 minutes on/20 minutes off.  I know it's easy to skip, but do your best.

*  If you cannot drink, try filling a little squirt bottle with water or juice.  Britty had a tiny one near her so she could squirt it in her mouth without it pouring all out!  (numbness makes for lots of drooling!)  Plus, with wisdom teeth removal, they say not to use straws so a squirt bottle was a great help to us!

*  Before surgery, don't listen to other people's horror stories.  ;)  Not everyone has the same pain and recovery. 

*  Prepare beforehand:  Stock up on the foods your doctors says are ok.  Make some pudding or tapioca!  Get juices, waters, ginger ale, or have a variety ready.  We had a ton of water here, but Britty could not drink it because she said it tasted like blood!  eeew.  So we went for the juice and a ginger ale and watered that down.  Having a variety with help!

Good luck to you if you are having your wisdoms removed!  Neither of us had trouble with ours.  Just stay healthy going into any surgery and your body will do its best to kick into gear to heal quickly for you!