Inspiring Success Blog

"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."
—Audre Lorde

Greetings everyone-

My coach and mentor recently posed a challenge to his clients and program alumni. I knew this challenge was going to be in the form of a contest asking us to submit a testimonial in video format. I was ready to say how my business model dramatically changed, how I created a more effortless sales process, how much my business had actually increased by using his methodology, etc. But I was stopped in my tracks when I received the rules for the contest. He did not want testimonials that were about how much money you made from working with him or even how successful you were. He wanted a testimonial that showed how much more FUN you were having in your business and your life.

Fun? How was I going to show how much fun I was having? I could talk about fun. I could put some story together showing me having fun. But how compelling would that be? Somehow all the scenarios that were going through in my mind in creating this video didn't inspire me.

For a time, I was stumped and discouraged and felt like I had hit a wall. Although I wanted to participate in the contest and win, I also wanted to create something authentic that expressed my appreciation. What to do? I could not think of anything inspiring or creative.

During my morning meditation for the next few days, inspired actions started to come to me about the video. But those actions scared me and took me way out of my comfort zone. The first message I received was, 'this video has to be about your embodying fun". OK, got it, but how was I going to do that? The subsequent message was that "you are going to be singing the testimonial". What????? Are you crazy? I am not a singer!

The song, "Your Love is Lifting Me Higher" as sung by Rita Coolidge kept coming into my head. (I know, as a meditator I am supposed to bring my attention back to my breath and not engage in what my mind is manufacturing, but my creativity was having a field day and I was loving it).

OK, now I was inspired and happy that my creativity was in full force, abundant form, and a vision was forming. But I was now dealing with my mind. Who did I think I was singing publicly? And "what are people going to think of me?" I would be putting myself out to be judged by the world. (On YouTube, as part of the contest format.)

But taking "imperfect action" and "being who you are" is one of the tenets of my life and certainly in my work. The vision was now clear. Next was the courage to act on it. I decided to go for it. It didn't matter anymore what people thought or even if I was going to win. I was doing this now for me and my breaking through. I also got support from friends and colleagues who helped me put the pieces together and encouraged me to keep going.

The making of the video catapulted me to a new sense of self confidence and appreciation for who I am. What I learned is to trust the vision that is revealed to you and have the courage to act on it. The vision supports you in being MORE of who you are!

Below is the link to my short 3 minute video – the finished product of my Vision, and taking action. You are welcome to post your authentic and
heartfelt response.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZlb0TwLC5I

My hope is that this brief story inspires YOU to connect with your vision and take inspired action today!

"Love, as a word, is memorialized in countless books, movies, poems, and musical compositions. While there are many definitions of love, its essence, when used as a verb, can be captured in a few phrases: to care for, to cherish, to respect, to honor, to show an interest in, to value, or to treat with kindness." ~ Francine Ward

"My heart is open to all the winds… Wherever God's caravans turn,
The religion of LOVE shall be my religion and my faith."

Aribi, 13th Century Sufi traveler & mystic

Throughout this week I will be sending you some my favorite
quotes, messages and poems on LOVE. This is the second message.
I invite you to take a couple of minutes to ponder today's message. My intention is that it bring you more mindfulness regarding the subject of LOVE throughout your day.

Enjoy!

Warmest regards, Rita

"For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of our tasks; the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation". ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

"Our barriers to love are rarely consciously chosen. They are our efforts to
protect the places where the heart is bruised. Somewhere, sometime, we felt
as though an open heart caused us pain or humiliation. We loved with the
openness of a child, and someone didn't care, or laughed, or even punished
us for the effort. In a quick moment, perhaps a fraction of a second, we
made a decision to protect ourselves from ever feeling that pain again. We
would never again allow ourselves to be so vulnerable. We built emotional
defenses. We tried to build a fortress across our heart, to protect us from
any cold assault. The only problem is, according to the Course in Miracles,
that we create what we defend against." from a Return to Love

Throughout this week I will be sending you some my favorite
quotes, messages and poems on LOVE. I invite you to take
1 minute to ponder them. My intention is that they bring you delight and an open heartedness throughout day.

Enjoy! 

Warmest regards, Rita

Everyone~

Thank you for your positive response to the Perception message I sent out a couple of days ago. My colleague and friend, Karen Rauch Carter sent the original message to me, and my colleague and friend Elisa Maselli from the Generative Leadership Group did further research and discovered that the Washington Post actually won a Pulitzer for its story on the experiment.

Here's the Washington Post article as well as some video of Bell playing embedded in the article.

Nurture yourself by relaxing and enjoying the beauty of music and life!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

Warmest regards,

Rita
 

PERCEPTION
… Something To Think About…

This is a true story and I verified it on snopes.com!

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes later:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes later:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes later:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour later:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

The questions raised:

• In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
• Do we stop to appreciate it?
• Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…….

How many other things are we missing?

Warmest regards,

Rita

"Where there is no vision, the people perish." 

"Love all God's creation, both the whole and every grain of sand. Love every leaf, every ray of light. Love the animals, love the plants, love each separate thing. If you love each thing, you will perceive the mystery of God in all; and when once you perceive this, you will from that time on grow every day to a fuller understanding of it until you come at last to love the whole world with a love that will then be all-embracing and universal." 

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?"

                             ~ Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel)

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of  love!