Insightful Inspirations

BALBOA PRESS

Contents

How to use this book.....................xiiiUnderstanding............................1Perspective..............................3Choices..................................5Support..................................7Influences...............................9Effort...................................11Power....................................13Allow....................................15Feel.....................................17Pause....................................19Reveal...................................21Boundaries...............................23Break Through............................25Fun......................................27Self-Care................................29Validation...............................31Duplicity................................33Do Nothing...............................35No Expectations..........................37Communicate..............................39Pretend..................................41Mindful..................................43Patterns.................................45Self-Talk................................47Weight...................................49Organic..................................51Activate.................................53Ground...................................55Flawless.................................57Isolation................................59Heal the Past............................61Attitude Check...........................63Craving..................................65Answers..................................67Know.....................................69Listen to your Body......................71Reflexes.................................73Packages.................................75Shake it off.............................77Illusions................................79Strength.................................81Intention................................83Needs....................................85Spontaneity..............................87Ego......................................89Creation.................................91Competition..............................93Savor....................................95Endure...................................97Completion...............................99

Chapter One

Release the need to know

Are you driving yourself nuts inhaling information in the effort to "know" something? Are you trying to dissect information and understand it better? Do you think you will find "the answer" and be done seeking? You might be trying too hard.

Think of it this way—you wouldn't try to get to know your new pet by dissecting it. You would embrace it as a whole being. Snuggle with it, communicate with it, and experience it. That is what the world is asking you to do. Snuggle it, embrace it, and experience it as a whole. Drill down if you must, but know there is always another layer to uncover that is part of the whole.

Insightful Inspiration: Release yourself from the need to understand. Balance out your need to know with the acceptance of what you already do know.

Questions to Consider:

• What are you trying to "understand" better?

• Is it creating ease and fun in your life or chaos and struggle? If it is creating chaos and struggle, can you let go of it a little bit?

• If you can't let it go, explore why. What is it that you are telling yourself will happen if you don't "know" this?

• What are you telling yourself will happen when you do "know it"?

Perspective

Everyone sees things differently

We spend a lot of time in relationships trying to see each other's points of view. We spend time convincing others to see our side of things. We try to understand where someone else is coming from. But no matter how hard you try and see another person's point of view, you are still seeing their point of view from your point of view. It is impossible for you to truly see their point of view.

Maybe your significant other wants to spend money going on vacation and you want to invest it in your house. What are your different points of view bringing to light for both of you?

Insightful Inspiration: Stop trying to convince everyone else to see things your way. Realize your perspective is different from those around you and that it is okay to be different. Embrace who you are and how you think. This is your gift to the world. Share it with an open mind and open heart and encourage others to do the same.

Questions to Consider:

• Are you spending energy and time trying to understand someone's point of view or have them understand yours?

• Can you see the wisdom in the search for a compromise?

• Why is the universe presenting you with this difference of opinion?

• What is it trying to get you to see differently?

Choices

Choose freely

We want freedom to choose and options available, but sometimes all of those options cause stress. The question becomes: is it more stressful to have options or NOT to have options? We wish we knew the BEST choice at all times. But the best choice is whatever we choose because it leads us to lessons that help us grow and learn.

Insightful Inspiration: Embrace the fact that you have a choice, but go easy. You're on the right path no matter what. Sometimes not making a choice is a choice!

Questions to Consider:

• Do you feel that you don't have enough choices or you have too many?

• How can you give yourself more choices? Get creative.

• If you have too many, are there choices that are there because you want to weigh all of the options? Do you really need them all on your list?

• Do you have to decide right now? Can you wait until things get a little clearer?

Support

Release the worry

When you worry about someone or something, you are energetically saying "I don't trust you to be okay." You are sending them concerns about who, what, where, and how they are. Worry supports the person or situation in a way that causes it to be more out of balance.

Rather than sending worrisome energy, try sending more supportive energy to the situation. Send the energy of support in getting what is needed out of the situation. Send "you are perfect and powerful the way you are and I trust you to be okay" thoughts. Energetically it is the difference between telling someone "you can do it" and "I HOPE you can do it." Which one is more supportive? Imagine how that would feel if someone did that for you—stopped worrying and started to cheer you on.

Insightful Inspiration: Face your fears head on and see if they are serving your highest good and the situation you are worrying about. Notice how things shift when you bring awareness to this energy and support it rather than worry about it.

Questions to Consider:

• Who are you worrying about?

• How can you shift that worry to support and trust?

• What are the fears that reside under that worry?

• Will you release the worst case scenarios in honor of trusting things will be okay? If not, why?

Influences

Surround yourself with support

There are many influences in your life. It could be something obvious, like what your friend said to you yesterday or a blog you read. But...