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These united states of CONFUSION – PART 2

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If you missed last week’s Unites States of Confusion, here it is… 

Let’s take it from there, shall we?

The only way to get someplace other than where you are… Is first to KNOW that you want to make the journey. I want to journey from this confusion… It is suffocating here. I can barely breathe. My throat dries up when I try to speak my truth. My legs feel too heavy to move and I feel stuck. So clearly this is NO place to be…Even though these feelings are familiar, it is still not a safe place.

But what is the first step?

The first step is to be gentle with myself… Not beat myself up for landing here yet again… Shit happens…Quite frequently… So what?

No beat-up-of-self allowed!

The next step is to know which areas of my life need some care and to use the road map (the 8 principles) to map my way into a different space. These are in my book available at http://indranislight.org/products-page/

Let’s focus of my physical body. I have become quite lazy with my exercise and training. I have used all kinds of lame excuses and have allowed myself to gain weight and had to buy bigger clothing.

No beat-up-of-self allowed!

So I must start on a program of physical health.

How do I feel about getting so off course? Kinda crummy…But my INTUITION has been whispering in my ear to pay attention and to FOCUS more on self-care.

I hear my intuition by making time for silence, prayer, meditation. I also hear it by noticing how my body feels. INTUITION speaks with energy in our physical bodies and instead of labeling the feelings with words like Anxiety, Panic attacks, etc… Try just describing the physical sensations as if you did not know how to label them. That takes you out of the trance of the labels.

The intuitions lead me to register for another marathon… Now the event will determine what my PLAN looks like.

I must run/ walk 26.2 miles next March. My training program when worked backwards will have me starting at 2 or 3 miles a few times per week and gently increasing each week. My PLAN will also include yoga, strength training and weekly massage to help me recover from my workouts.

I started on the plan already and surprised myself by walking faster than I have in a few years and not being winded. I cannot change the plan because my body still has to be reintroduced to the regimen of training.

So what is your plan? How can you work it backwards so that you can begin to take baby steps? Why baby steps? If my marathon were in 2 months, I would be going crazy and I would already have failed. I know that I cannot get ready to 26.2 miles in 60 days. 6 months is my absolute limit. Your end goal and where you are now will determine the time you need to be successful.

Here’s another hint… State the goal and halve it. Now create a timeline and place the end goal at the end, then the half goal at the…you got it…the halfway mark. Half that again and place that at the quarter mark and half again at the eight mark. Now look at how much time you have from the start to the eighth mark and begin to create the small steps to get there. You may decide to shorten the overall time or to lengthen it, your steps will be your guide.

My marathon steps would look like this:

26.2 miles March 2012

13.1 miles December 2011

6.5 miles October 2011

3.2 miles September

2 miles now until September

Now I would work the daily schedule that has me running each of those long distances only once a week, the rest of the week is for endurance, speed work and other disciplines like yoga and Pilates.

Then you have to kick your FOCUS into action. Everything, and I do mean everything you do has to have your goal be the guide post. If, for instance, I need to swim every day and I choose hotels without pools when I travel, then I have lost my focus. Or if I have room for 3 pairs of shoes but no room for my running shoes, then I have lost focus. So my GOAL is my GUIDE.

This whole process is painted with the INTENTION and the PLANNING brush. The whole event, from beginning to end has to be in clear FOCUS and your Intention, your daily Planning principle all over it and is guided by your Intuition and your Intention. Every step you take solidifies your Intention to make your goal your reality.

This could mean that your ENVIRONMENT has to be tweaked, so you can accomplish this goal. If I have to do long runs on Sundays, I cannot go bar hoping on Saturday nights because I have to rest, hydrate with water not booze and eat right the night before. So I may have to give up some of my drinking buddies until my race is over.

The CREATION Principle, begs deeper question…WHY do you care? In other words, why do you want to see this thru? What will you gain? Who will lose if you lose focus?

For me the answers are quite clear. I will lose ME. I will LOSE ME! There is nothing more precious than ME and I will lose that.

So what am I creating?A more powerful and positive me!

Why? Because half of who I am or can become is not acceptable.  I will not settle for less than ALL that I am!

I was not born to live just half of my potential… I was created to live full out. I was created to live completely and to use all of my gifts. All day, every day.

The other Principles are the Ultimate and the You Principles and I will tell you more about those next week.

Come back won’t you?

What will you start today?

 

Love and light

Being yoga vs. doing yoga

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People generally “do” yoga. They go to classes, take their place on their mats, and do the poses…they are dealing with the body. Which is one limb of yoga. It may be easy to do a back bend, balance in a tree pose or strike a warrior pose.

Being yoga is harder. It takes a strong and willing spirit to be patient, compassionate & understanding to yourself & others. It does not require a mat, or being at a class at a specific time.

It requires an open heart, a quiet mind and awareness.
There…is the work.

Do you pledge allegiance… to YOU?

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We are about to celebrate another Independence Day in these United States. I am not a born American but I became a citizen of this, my adopted country, as soon as I could. For myself, I found MY personal independence here in the Unites States of America.

Why does America inspire so many to LIVE a full and complete life?

Maybe it is because the earliest Americans had to really scrap with the Almighty King George III to have the freedom that I enjoy today.

For a glimpse of a possible answer we must go back to the 1700s and what propelled the then British citizens, the Colonists to rise up and say to King George III, “Hey Dude… Enough is enough!”

Did the colonists unanimously decide to be independent in one fell swoop?

No, they did not…

Here is an amazing fact about the unanimous signing of The Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin tried to establish The Albany Plan in 1754 and it was soundly defeated, so that The Declaration of Independence was unanimously signed was nothing short of a miracle. We are told that “this coming together happened very gradually”. It seems that the colonies had a series of meetings each priming them for compromise. It was this feeling of oneness that made them a solid block.

Ben Franklin had tried back in 1754 to get the Albany Plan of Union passed and it was NOT supported.

According to the website I used, http://www.ushistory.org/us/9.asp, “This plan, under the slogan ‘Join or Die’, would have brought the colonial rivals together to meet the common threat of the French and the Indians. Much to Franklin’s chagrin, this plan was soundly defeated”.

The colonists thought themselves very much “British Subjects” yet they came together to DECLARE themselves free and independent of The Man just a few years after they rejected Franklin’s Albany Plan.

So what led up to Britain losing to a “rag tag group of freedom fighters”?

Can you imagine the surprise on ole King George’s face when the ship bearing the news that the colonists were winning arrived?

I imagined that he must have declared, in the vernacular of the times, “are you guys sh**ing me?”

From my research, I understand that the push for independence came about from a string of steps that the British made. Some of these are called the Intolerable Acts:

1 Boston Port Act

2 Massachusetts Government Act

3 Administration of Justice Act

4 Quebec Act

The Colonists were further pushed over the proverbial edge with the Stamp Act. This said that all official documents had to bear certain stamps and the costs were extremely probative. People could not even issue birth certificates without these added expenses.

The masses were getting restless. Hey King…you’re in for a bit of a fight, buddy!

Further Independence was not won in ONE epic battle. Rather it was a series of smaller battles, each one giving the colonists more confidence.  “How could the Americans ever hope to defeat the mighty British Empire in a military conflict? Americans faced seemingly impossible obstacles. When the guns fired at Lexington and Concord in 1775 there was not yet even a Continental Army.”

Some of the major battles of the American Revolution are:

April 1775 Lexington-Concord

June 1775 Bunker Hill

December 1775 Quebec

Oct 1776 White Plains

Sept 1777 Saratoga

Sept 1779 Siege of Savannah

Sept 1781 Siege of Yorktown

There are many more…

Why list any of the above?

This is, by way of telling you that Independence is a fight, that is worth it. Your personal independence is worth it. Your personal battles are worth fighting and you will gain confidence with each battle fought.

List your intolerable acts.

List your battles.

Begin to make your case.

Thomas Jefferson was a major writer of the Declaration of Independence, and he had assistance from John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R Livingston and Roger Sherman.

This amazing document has 4 parts

1. Preamble… Tells why the document is written, gives all the reasons why the people must support this.

2. Rights of all the people…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

3. List of Grievances…unfair actions of the King and Parliament and lists steps the colonists tried to take to settle these differences. This part ends with saying the King of England is “unfit to be the ruler of a free people”.

4. States that all the colonies are free and independent states.

So as I wish you a MOST HAPPY FOURTH… I invite you to declare your own Independence over your fears and the rules that are holding you back from living in true Freedom.

Here is a little formula to follow:

Write down some of the battles you have fought, give them some juicy names.

Write down some intolerable things that you have endured.

Get your peeps together, the ones who support you and begin the writing of your Freedom Document.

Write your declaration, change it as often as you wish, but keep working on it.

Send me your declarations and I will post some to my blog for the world to see.

Go forth and find your freedom wherever you may live.

Love and light from Indrani

Do you love yourself enough to get healthy?

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Wowzers, half the year is over!

Where did the time go?

I had such great plans for this year.

After my knee surgery in January, I planned to walk about 5 miles per week for three weeks and then get into gear to do some serious mileage.

I have done NOTHING.

Sure from time to time I get out and do a few miles, but that searing drive that I used to have when I was training for my triathlon and my marathons have disappeared.

I feel sad that I have allowed myself to fall off the fitness wagon.

I KNOW how to get back on.

It really is just a decision, a daily decision.

It really is just a promise to myself that my health is more important than anything else.

Just that simple.

So, this past week I again make this promise.

Now I make it in front of you, my dear friend.

I promise to take up my walking again five days of the week and I promise to find a great marathon to train for.

I ask you… What health gifts will you give to you?

I know that it will be difficult, it always is. I also know that it is well worth it.
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I must do this if I truly love myself.

Do you love yourself enough to get healthy? I hope so.

Love and light from Indrani

Belief BUSTERS

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Ok so I really kinda want you to conjure up an image of Ghost Busters here and see them running around The New York Public Library chasing down old ghosts and sucking them into their canister.

Would it not be a hoot if we could find a way to suck out OLD burdensome beliefs that suck the life out of US and either replace it with a great new one or just leave space until we find one we like?

Here’s an example… This past weekend I had the great fortune to be the EMEE at Wealthy Thought Leader in Vancouver. Andrea Lee, took a heck of a chance on me. I was an unknown entity. This event was Andrea’s baby. She has nurtured it over the course of many months and she had a lot to lose if she choose the wrong woman for the job.

When she asked, I immediately said yes and then I allowed it to recede to the back of my mind until the week before. THEN I started to get worried.

All kind of “what ifs” entered my mind…
What if I don’t know what to say?
What if I look like a fool?
What if I look too fat? yep…even that!!!
What if the people don’t like the way I do it?
What if the simulcasters say I am doing a sucky job?
And the list went on and on… And on

On Thursday morning, I began and I KNEW I was holding back and Andrea felt it also. She asked if I was ok and I said yes but I was NOT!
She said that my energy was different and I admitted that I was AFRAID of coming off too bold or brazen and that I was worried that people would think I was trying to eclipse her. She laughed and said… eclipse Away!
So Thursday afternoon I showed up as ME and I never looked back… Except those nibbling “what ifs” were always lurking!
I am so grateful that everyone was supportive and that I did not have to fight negativity.

I was lucky…. What happens if YOU are following your passions… Like Lela Lee and have to fight your whole family system? That is HARD and energy sucking. It is easy to give up. It is easy to just do what you are being told to do. It is easy to turn down the dimmer switch.

Please don’t
Please allow yourself to feel discomfort and fear and insecurity.
Only by feeling all of these will you be able to find the courage to pursue and hone the skill set that will fuel your dreams.

Every hurtful comment you hear or mistake you make will strengthen your resolve to make your LIFE your OWN.

If not NOW… When?
Please give yourself a chance to shine. Only you can take that step and I GIVE YOU the PERMISSION.
Like Jesh De Rox says:
“Do not say something to yourself that you would not say to a new born!”

Love and light from Indrani and her iPad!

You can’t handle the truth…

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Spoken by Colonel Jessop in A Few Good Men

Can YOU handle the TRUTH?

Want to know the truth about your very special gifts?
Head on over to www.indranislight.org and sign up for Chat n Chai and you will get a great coaching tool called 5 minutes to happiness and you will uncover all those character traits you have been hiding under a rock.

This rock is called You Are Not Good Enough!

Can you handle the truth of how very special and wonderful you are?

I believe you can

So click

www.indranislight.org and go chat and chai to get your special coaching tool.

Love & Light

A BILL OF RIGHTS FOR DREAMS…

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Dear (insert your name)

I am every one of your Dreams. I want to tell you about my Bill of Rights, you see, you may have forgotten that I have a Bill of Rights!

I do not mean to offend you BUT I want you to know that

  1. I deserve to be let out of the darkness of non-fulfillment
  2. I have something wonderful to teach the world
  3. YOUR Joy is my ONLY concern
  4. I Know that you are doing your best, allow me to be my best
  5. My work is VERY important

I know that there are more years than you care to remember when you were too tired to invest thought and energy into making me real. I want to tell you that 2011 is the year of my coming OUT.

I have tried to get your attention by displaying odd behaviors such as

over eating,

chronic fatigue

depression

anxiety

you get the idea.

I really thought that if you felt uncomfortable you would figure it out and take some real action. BUT you think that another diet,more material stuff,affairs, and a better body can fix the sadness. You have learned that this only makes it worse.

PLEASE, please take some time to sit in meditation and listen to me! Please, if you listen to what I have to say I can really help you out of the pickle you are in.

If you choose to NOT listen, I will take more drastic action until I get your attention.

Sincerely

Your Dreams!

Gifts to myself…

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I have to tell you, I do not need another SINGLE material possession!

I have enough STUFF for 10 lifetimes!

This year here is what I intend to wrap up and place under the tree… a deep remembering to

  • Use all the colors in my paint box called life.
  • Do my work without regret
  • Work with abandon
  • Take some risks with my business/life… like crossing the Capilano Suspension Bridge! and creating a non profit foundation.
  • Seek to see something else…
  • Allow my process to unfold
  • Go Big, whatever that means to ME!
  • Live with passion and purpose
  • Be a contributor when I can and a receiver when I need
  • Be unforgettable
  • Be Myself
  • Allow my mistakes to be my teacher
  • See the invisible, the what is not yet here but wants/needs to be created
  • Think out loud
  • Live out loud
  • Laugh out loud!!!!
  • Say NO as often as I need to so I can be HEARD!
  • Say Yes as often as I want to
  • Say THANKS often

Let me then say THANKS to you are for reading this and other musings. I am so very grateful that you share a little of your time with me.

If these gifts work for you… print this and keep it out in the open.

Love and light

Indrani

When PERFECTION bites you on the butt… kick it to the curb!

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Recently I had the great fortune to be a speaker at a woman’s day of wellness. I wanted to say a big Thank you to the women in the audience by giving away a month of coaching. I did not want a big production about the give away so as I was attaching my business cards to my hand outs I decided to place one on upside down and the person who got that handout would be the winner of the coaching sessions.

The woman who won was so happy and she can hardly wait to start… but the story does not end here. As I was chatting and being social another woman approached me and said

” You know, I got that hand out but did not want it because the card was upside down, so I put it back and took one off the bottom of the pile.” She was clearly upset. She continued ” This is going to bother me for a long time.”

Talk about letting the search for perfection bite you on the butt!

You know what, it would bother me too if I allowed an such opportunity to pass me by.

Then I started to wonder, how many of us MISS OUT on life by searching for perfection? What does perfection look like? Would we even recognize it if we came face to face with it?

If I want perfect legs, would I recognize that legs with cellulite that work well and carry me through my day IS as perfect as it gets?

I remember one day in the summer, I was fussing about my fat arms and did not want to wear a sleeve less shirt, so in 100 degree weather I put on long sleeves.. then I saw a woman in shorts and short sleeves who had clearly survived a bad fire and she was so happy to be free to walk and shop and be independent!

If I want perfect children, will I recognize when they are trying their best and being their perfect selves?

If I want a perfect marriage, will I understand that when my spouse comes home every night, hugs and kisses me and watches some mundane TV show with me and listens to my day… that that is indeed perfection?

Will I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that using all my gifts and talents in service and gratitude is as a perfect life as anyone can create?

No, I do not always recognize these perfect moments, but I want to, I really do!

Today, I invite you to recognize all the perfection around you and to accept that you are perfect also.

Today, my wish for you is to KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that life is sweet, perfect and ever changing… tomorrow you will create a new perfect!

Now, go forth and create some glorious imperfect perfection!

What’s Right With Me

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Indrani Goradia meditationWELCOME TO INDRANI’S LIGHT.

At Indrani’s light, we give you the tools and skills to step out of any shadow under which you are living. We empower you to live a brave and courageous life.

Get a head start by signing up for 5 Minutes to Happiness at the right side of this page.
Stay tuned for our Manifesto and Promise to you.

Here’s to shining a light on your dreams

Indrani