How The Wizard of Oz Changed My Life

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Julie Bennett

With the Oscars upon us, I am looking forward to watching the 75th anniversary tribute to The Wizard of Oz. You see, for me, The Wizard of Oz isn’t just a film. It’s a constant, personal reminder of our immense power and ability to create our own reality.

Thoughts of Dorothy, her ruby red slippers and colorful collection of friends bring back vivid memories of when I was 12 years old. My family was building a new house and as my parents worked busily away with hammers and nails, my sister and I would stay quietly out of their way, perched in front of the TV with a ham sandwich, watching The Wizard of Oz – over and over again.

Each and every time, I became deeply immersed in the story, exotic lands and adventures. I loved the characters, shared their experiences, their emotions, their triumphs and their tribulations – all the way along that yellow brick road.

There really is something profoundly powerful about that time when we’re kids, with that wide-open mind, innocent trust and belief in magic and possibilities.

And, if movie characters can have magical powers and believe anything is possible,
why then, oh why can’t I?  [ Tweet this ]

More than twenty years later, I would realize how watching The Wizard of Oz over and over again as a kid would profoundly change my life. You see, I believe the more deeply connected we become to a thought or idea, the more we watch, read or listen to something, the more deeply those key messages are embedded in our minds and belief systems.

Inevitably our house was finished, I grew up, finished school, got a job and began my adult life. So, like Dorothy, I followed the Yellow Brick Road we call life on my journey toward the Emerald City – aka my own dream and personal nirvana, creating my own business. Did I mention my love of red shoes?

Fast forward to 2005. I launched my company Nibbana (meaning “heaven on earth”) in Australia – an event company and spiritual brand that promoted personal development and spirituality. I had no industry connections when I began, I just “knew” deep inside that I needed to follow this path. With no idea where the road would lead, I just kept trusting, putting one foot in front of the other to see where it would eventually take me.

Six weeks later I attended a movie premiere for the independent docu-drama What the Bleep Do We Know!?, a hit film about the spiritual connection between quantum physics and consciousness. It weaves interviews with various scientists and experts in with the story of a photographer whose entire concept of reality is challenged, before coming to discover how individual and group consciousness can influence the material world.

As the movie credits rolled among cheers and a standing ovation, I declared out loud to my friend Nicole: “I’m going to bring those guys out to Australia for an event with Nibbana!” – ‘those guys’ being a couple of the scientists from the film I’d enjoyed the most.

It’s funny what can happen when you follow your heart and that yellow brick road.

The next day, I clicked my little red heels three times and put that thought, desire and determination into action. After much online research, many emails and phone calls, infinite persistence, endless patience and a few inevitable bumps on the road, my thoughts became my reality, and led to a starring role in my own personal Wizard of Oz movie.

Fred Alan WolfMeet The Wizard.

Remember that crazy, white haired guy behind the curtain creating a show for Dorothy and her friends?

Enter Dr Fred Alan Wolf, an author and lecturer on the relationship between quantum physics and consciousness – and scientist featured What the Bleep Do We Know!? Fred was the first speaker to be hosted by Nibbana where he headlined a two week, 4 city seminar tour of Australia with 1,700 guests. A little known fact about Fred is that he is also an expert in close-up Magic, which he learned at the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood. Fred’s quite the showman who loves to perform. He even looks like a Wizard!

The real trick to life is not to be in the know, but to be in the mystery. – Fred Alan Wolf.
[ Tweet this ]

Neale Donald WalschMeet the Tinman.

Who could forget the lovable tinman in search of a heart?

Fred’s tour led to a new opportunity in 2006 for me to promote and tour with Neale Donald Walsch, author of the international bestselling book Conversations with God. The book became a movie by the same name and I had the honor of traveling with Neale during the 3 city tour, hosting movie screenings and a Q&A session with Neale with a combined audience of 2,500.

Neale communicated his powerful messages, direct from his heart to ours.

Go into the heart of love and come from that place in all your choices and decisions… and you will find peace. – Neale Donald Walsch  [ Tweet this ]

Dr Joe DispenzaMeet the Scarecrow.

Believing he had no brain, the scarecrow joined Dorothy on a valiant search to find one.

After two years patiently trying to track down another What the Bleep!? scientist, I finally connected with Dr Joe Dispenza – a neuroscientist and author who lectures on how we can literally rewire our brain to create a new reality for ourselves. In September 2007, Nibbana hosted Dr Joe on a 4 city tour presenting “Evolve Your Brain” seminars and workshops to 1,600 people.

I remember standing on stage as I introduced Dr Joe and shared my personal story of how that experience had come about in my life – it was a powerful, humbling and grateful moment.

 We’re in completely new territory…rewiring the brain, reconnecting to a new concept
and ultimately it changes us from the inside out. – Dr Joe Dispenza

Dan MillmanMeet the Lion.

Don’t you just want to give that lovable, cowardly lion in search of courage a great big hug?

In 2008, Dan Millman, world champion athlete, lecturer and author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior (the 2006 Peaceful Warrior film starred Nick Nolte) showed up. The next two weeks saw me traveling with Dan on a 4 city tour around Australia and New Zealand, as he shared his wisdom and messages on courage and love with over 1,500 people. I knew by now that the people I had attracted to work with me was no coincidence!

Do you have the courage for it? Do you have the love? If you have enough of one, you will develop the other. – Dan Millman  [ Tweet this ]

As I stood on the stage in April 2008 wrapping up that final event of the tour with Dan, I had the realization that, for the past 4 years, I had been living out my powerful and unconscious lifelong connection with the movie, The Wizard of Oz!

I’d met, traveled and shared amazing experiences with these great teachers – each representing the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Lion and the Wizard. I’d had ups and downs, made new friends and I’d grown immeasurably along the way.

Incredibly, the seeds of these adventures had been firmly planted in my pre-teen subconscious mind. Each time I watched The Wizard of Oz over and over again, I remained blissfully unaware of how that movie would inevitably have an impact on my life, my future and who I would become.

If the incredible power of such child-like innocence can open our minds, allow us to dream and manifest magical experiences like these, just imagine the kind of life can we create when we consciously put our thoughts, desires and plans into action!

What if the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true?  [ Tweet this ]

In that moment, as I realized I’d come full circle, I heard my inner voice whisper:

“It’s time for a new movie.”

Seven months later, I closed my business Nibbana and moved from Sydney, Australia to Boulder, Colorado. It’s right next to Kansas. And, I truly feel like I’ve come “home”.

I’m excited to watch the Oscars on Sunday, and especially the Wizard of Oz 75th anniversary tribute – aren’t you?

I’d love to hear about which movies have impacted your life and how. Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments below!

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Having the Courage to Love: 6 Relationship Tips

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Julie Bennett

Valentine’s Day can be a lovely, romantic and fun day. Or, it can be a bitch. I guess it all depends on your situation at the time and your attitude to love and V-Day in general.

Until my marriage in 2011, I had spent most of my adult life in a decidedly single state. Sure, I had a few serious relationships over the years, and am fairly certain I received a V-Day card from partners from time to time. But I was not one of those girls showered with gifts, flowers, cards, chocolates or other such romantic gestures. I was mostly single during my 20s and 30s and hardly beating prospective suitors off with a stick. So, why did I stay single through this time? Quite simply, I couldn’t see the point of having a relationship with or getting married to someone that I didn’t want to be with for a really long time. And, I hadn’t met anyone I could honestly say I wanted to go down that path with. While I chose not to accept a couple of marriage proposals that came my way, being single long term wasn’t always easy.

So, when reflecting on the message I wanted to share in this Valentine’s Day blog post, the word that came to me was ‘courage’.

What I’ve learned throughout my own journey is this. Whether you want to create, build, nurture, save or maintain a loving relationship, it seems to me that courage is a required ingredient throughout every stage. In fact, even the conscious choice to stay single, especially when everyone around you is partnering up, requires an immense amount of courage.

it takes courage to stay true to yourself and live your life fully, whether ‘the right one’ comes along, or not. [ Tweet this ]

But I digress…

Like you, I’ve been hurt in relationships. I’ve been betrayed. I’ve had my heart broken and broken others. I’ve had more than my share of forgettable dates in the 16+ years of my adult, single life.

Despite all of this, I somehow managed to end up in a deliciously happy marriage (since 2011) with a wonderful, loving man – my husband Marc, whom I lovingly refer to as “Champion” (the story behind that will be told in a future post).

Marc & Julie at Jo's pool partyI remember the first time I introduced Champion to some friends in Boulder. It was our fourth date and we’d been invited to an Aussie-style pool party at the home of Jo White (@mediamum). Admittedly I’m biased, but Champion is a very likable and charming man who relates easily to other people, and he must have made a very good impression. After a fun afternoon in the sun, as we said goodbye, Jo looked at me in the eye and said: “You know, you are really lucky.”  To which I replied:

“Yes, I am. And I worked really hard to be this lucky.”

It was true. Perhaps for some, finding love wasn’t hard work. Some people are lucky enough to meet their soulmate at high school, at a party, or on a Contiki tour around Europe, then go on to spend a lifetime in wedded bliss.

Others, like me, spend a lot of time single or conversely, become disillusioned by a series of failed relationships, that makes one wonder:

“Am I ever going to find that one, amazing person that I truly want to spend the rest of my life with?”

Equally, for those who are already married or in a committed partnership who discover the road of love is not always smooth, it can be easy to experience times of doubts, disappointment or apathy.

It is all too easy for disillusion or disappointment to give way to cynicism. A loss of hope. A lack of trust. The loss of our childhood innocence that truly believed we would find love and be happy after all.

It takes courage for us not to fall into that trap, into that deep, dark spiral that can take us down into that despondent, desolate place where we simply give up – on ourselves, on our relationships, on our hopes, our dreams, on humanity, and on love itself.

That’s why it takes a great deal of courage to love. Sure, we’ve all been hurt, we’ve all been disappointed by love and by lovers. But we can’t let those past experiences define us, and we can’t let it define our future. We are not victims of life, we are the creators of our life. And the sooner we own that, the better.

I remember in 2006 I attended a weekend workshop in Australia called “Set Yourself Free in Relationships” with Dr Shirley Smith. At that time, I’d been single for two years and was recovering from the spectacular debacle that was my last live-in relationship. Successfully, I thought, as I’d thrown myself headfirst into launching a new business that took up most of my time, energy and attention.

I remember thinking:

“OK, so I’ll knock these relationship issues on the head this weekend, and then I’ll be in a really positive and healthy place to meet someone new.”

Oh, how wrong I was.

Little did I know that weekend was the beginning of two extremely intense, yet ultimately life-changing years of deep inner emotional work, therapy and healing that would forever transform me and every area of my life – especially my relationships.

Within the first few hours, as Shirley shared her therapist wisdom about how we are each 50% responsible for what happens in our relationships – the good and the bad – I was jolted with a sudden awareness. I could no longer blame my ex for being the bad guy, for being insecure, for cheating on me, for causing me emotional distress, for being wrong.

I had a choice. I could remain a victim and continue to blame him for my pain, anger and mistrust in men and stay busy in an unconscious effort to avoid intimacy, or I could take a long, hard and honest look at my part in the relationship – including my choice to stay in a situation that had red flags all over it from the start.

Perhaps I was either too naïve or too blinded by what I thought was ‘love’ to recognize and heed the warning signs. Yet, ultimately I ended up in a co-dependent relationship in which I enabled behaviors that were addictive, unhealthy and unloving to both of us.

When I recognized my part in the failed relationship, my part in ALL of my failed relationships, I recognized I also had the power to change myself, who I loved, the way I loved, and in doing so, re-write the script for my life. I had a huge realization as I hear a little voice inside me say:

Your relationship past does not have to determine your relationship future. [ Tweet this ]

By working on healing myself, and developing a new, positive and healthy understanding and relationship with myself and others, I could create the kind of loving partnership I had always wanted, but never had the awareness or tools to create.

That weekend workshop changed my life and was the beginning of a deeply courageous journey.

With it came a newfound sense of inner freedom, where I started to look at every area of my life and my past that needed healing and gave myself the time and space to do that. I chose to stop being a victim and start taking a more empowered approach to my life and to love.

I learned how to forgive myself for my past mistakes and bad decisions.

I learned how to stop being so hard on myself and start being more gentle and compassionate with myself and others.

I learned how to appreciate all of my relationships as valuable experiences that allowed me to learn and grow.

I learned how to be vulnerable, share my feelings authentically and take care of my own emotional needs.

And I kept drawing on my inner courage, to keep on showing up and keep my heart wide open – with discernment of course – while trusting and believing that there was a great love out there for me, all the while not allowing myself to fall (for too long) into impatience or frustration in the meantime.

My point is simply this.

Whatever your relationship status, you need to keep showing up with courage. [ Tweet this ]

Here are some suggestions for how you might show up with courage in your present situation whatever that might be.

How to Show up with Courage in your Relationships and Life

1. If you are currently single and want to be in a loving relationship…

Have the courage to look deep inside yourself, to heal the parts that need healing, to do your inner work, to keep your heart open (despite disappointments), to have patience, to keep trusting and believing that you can have the kind of loving relationship you deeply desire. Have the courage to see other loving healthy relationships around you as evidence of what you wish to create, appreciate them and allow yourself to feel inspired by them, knowing beyond all doubt that great love IS possible and out there, for you are already witnessing it.

 2. If you are currently single and don’t want to be in a loving relationship…

Have the courage to be deeply honest with yourself about your reasons. Are you taking time out while you heal from a past relationship or other traumatic life event? If so, give yourself the time and space to heal and when you are ready, follow the suggestions above in point 1. If you are consciously choosing to stay single for other, healthy reasons, have the courage to keep an open mind and heart about new possibilities, whatever they may be. If you know you are avoiding a relationship to avoid pain, have the courage to read the suggestions in point 3 below and consider whether any of these apply to you, and if so, take appropriate action.

3. Whether you are single or in a relationship, if you are staying busy and distracted…

Have the courage to be deeply honest with yourself and ask yourself: Are you staying busy and distracted with work, kids, pets, technology, alcohol or other substances, sleeping around etc, so you can shy away from committed partnership, prevent the chance of being hurt, rejected or disappointed, or avoid intimacy? If so, have the courage to admit this to yourself, and take the steps necessary to heal yourself from that pattern and be open to creating space in your heart and your life for love. Have the courage to consider that it is virtually impossible to experience true intimacy in the presence of addiction, and seek help from a therapist or 12 Step program.

4. If you’re in a relationship and things are going great…

Have the courage to avoid complacency and make things even better, by taking your relationship to yet another level. Explore new ways to connect and build intimacy by having regular, romantic date nights, trying new thing togethers, reading a book or doing a workshop together on deepening intimacy.

5. If you’re in a relationship and having a tough time, but want to make it work…

Have the courage to sit down and share how you are feeling, in a loving, open and vulnerable way. Share what you love about your partner, what you appreciate about them, share your ideas on how you would like to enhance communication and connection between you, and create new ways to help you navigate the difficult times. Have the courage to get help from a relationship counselor or therapist if you need professional support.

6. If you are in a relationship that has broken down…

Have the courage to honestly address your relationship situation. If the relationship is unhealthy, or no longer working and you have tried to resolve your issues without success, have the courage to sit down and have an honest conversation with your partner about ending the relationship, in a healthy, loving and conscious way. Instead of projecting your hurt or anger onto the other, have the courage to look at yourself, reflect on what you can learn from your experience and consider how you can take responsibility for your part so you can consciously address that and do things differently next time.

It takes courage to love and to be loved. It takes courage to be deeply truthful with yourself about what you truly want in your life. And it takes courage to make the changes necessary to heal and create a real and welcoming space in your life to allow love to enter.

So on this Valentine’s Day, and every day, I wish for you the courage to keep an open heart and an open connection to your dreams and how you want your life and love to be.

Love,

Julie xoxo

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Having the Courage to Love – whether you’re single or attached, here are some insights to help you love more bravely. [ Tweet this ]

ValentineMessage2010

Posted in Love & Relationships | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Something’s Got To Give: 11 Ways to be Gentle with Yourself

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Julie Bennett

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to stop what you were doing and just be gentle with yourself?

Lately, I’ve been feeling extra sensitive to external demands, an increased sense of urgency, and pervasive societal pressures all pushing me to do more, make more, be more – and frankly, it’s exhausting! I feel bombarded by the media, warning of the next economic meltdown, and an email inbox filled with messages enticing me to set bigger goals, grow my business and become a millionaire. If you work for someone else and/or have a family, I’m guessing your list of demands would easily double mine.

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the cycle of trying to do too many things in too short a timeframe, without even realizing it – or stopping to take a breather.

As a recovering busy-ness addict, I’ve made a conscious choice to live a slower, simpler and more serene life. This is easier said than done. At times, I find my curious Aquarian self caught up in an inner struggle, trying to resist the unconscious urge to do more, learn more and keep up with ‘what’s new’ in our aspirational, technology-driven world.

This cycle of constant activity and drive is so rife in our culture that it almost seems normal. It’s not. It’s madness. [ Tweet this ]

I have to keep reminding myself of this basic truth to preserve my sanity and my health.

Last week, I began noticing the impact all of this was having on me – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually – and I realized I needed to stop. And simply be gentle with myself.

As Wednesday was my birthday, I decided to take the day off, get a mani/pedi and enjoy being treated to tea and cake with Louise Ross – my dear friend, blogger and fellow Aussie living in Boulder. A Jungian psychologist with training in myth, dreams and astrology, conversations with Louise are never boring.

It is my belief that many of us are in tune to what’s going on in the world around us, albeit at varying degrees, depending on our level of awareness and acceptance of our intuitive nature. So I raised a question with Louise:

“Is it just me, or does the world feel even more stressful, harsh and intense for many people right now?”

Louise was quick to point out that yes, there is a greater set of energies currently playing out, which is having an impact on people universally.

There are many of us feeling the tensions of global issues without necessarily knowing why – with issues like:

  • The Economy: the markets are off to a shaky start to 2014, with rising fears and concerns that the economy is not as robust as people thought.
  • Extreme Weather: harsh weather conditions are causing arctic-type winters in the US, fires in Australia and flooding in the UK.
  • Astrological Shifts: major planetary cycles are underway and we’re heading toward a ‘Cardinal Grand Cross’ in April 2014, which typically causes tension and conflicts, that require change and resolution. As this date draws closer, it’s creating added stress for many, on an unconscious level.

Living in such tense, uncertain times, is it any wonder we might be feeling on edge and stretched to our limits – especially when these pressures start affecting our lives in other, more personal ways?

And, if we’re all connected – to each other, the planet and the Universe at large – are we reacting to what’s going on in the world around us? Or is the world reflecting our own collective inner turmoil and stress?

Lately, I’ve been speaking with several friends who are dealing with all kinds of concerns – family dramas, serious illnesses, road rage incidents, businesses facing the prospect of bankruptcy and broken-down relationships.

We can’t expect to keep soldiering through all these challenges, in a constant state of anxiety and pressure, without taking time out for us to regenerate. Often, we keep pressing forward, trying to ‘keep it all together’ for everyone and everything else, yet it’s us that can end up falling apart.

Something’s got to give. This is a time to be kind, gentle and compassionate with ourselves. [ Tweet this ]

Even though I’ve worked diligently to create space and balance in my life, I still pick up on the energies of other people and external situations. I discovered this recently, while working on a new project with a highly driven person, trying to meet demands that were challenging my personal boundaries, my values and the balance that I’ve worked hard to create in my life. Within a couple of days, I started being affected in negative ways. I began feeling chest pain, the sting of an annoying cold store flaring up on my lip and, ultimately, I became emotionally upset by the situation.

I was suddenly reminded of the blog post I’d written the previous week, where I shared how launching a blog (or any creative venture) is like having a baby, and how our job is to simply love, nurture and feed it – to allow it to grow and flourish.

How could I properly honor and meet this responsibility, if I continued to push myself and suffer miserably as I ignored my own needs?

I realized I needed to step out of the situation, take some time out to be gentle with myself and create space in my life, psyche and body.

To me, gentleness is compassion. I need to be kind to myself, connect with and nurture my natural, feminine side so that I can also have compassion for others when they are in a vulnerable state.

It was through being gentle with myself that I learned to become more feminine and receptive in order to attract the relationship I have today. [ Tweet this ]

We are all living through stressful times, which is why it’s even more important to take or MAKE the time to counter-balance this stress with some kind of spiritual practice that we turn up to, ideally every day.

When we support ourselves with gentleness, we can deal with life’s challenges in a healthier, more loving and compassionate way.

So, next time you’re having tense or anxious day, please be kind to yourself. Take some time out just for YOU to unplug, be quiet and gentle. You, those you love, and the world need it.

11 Ways To Be Gentle with Yourself

Make it a priority to allocate some uninterrupted “you time”. Plan a whole day or half day if you can. If not, then schedule a minimum of 2 hours doing something that feels deliciously decadent and allows you to check out from the stress. Here are some suggestions:

11WaystobeGentle

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Why Launching a Blog is Like Having a Baby

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Julie Bennett

Launching a blog is like having a baby. At least, it is for someone like me who has never gone through the awe-inspiring process of literally giving birth!

I’ve been ‘pregnant’ with the idea of a blog like this for a long time. Back in 2000, my plan was to travel the world and blog about my adventures to share with family and friends, but life took me on a very different journey. Instead, I found myself immersed in the world of entrepreneurship owning my own businesses, taking a deep dive into the world of personal development; and more recently, I’ve been immersed in that wonderful journey of falling in love, creating a home, and growing through a committed partnership.

Like a baby, any new venture – whether it’s a business, relationship, art project, or a writing project like this blog – is a magical act of creation. It represents giving form to something that wants to emerge from deep within you, is an extension of you, yet has a life of it’s own.

Today, the ventures I’m most inspired to write about are the adventures of everyday life. There might be a travel tale every now and then that I’m moved to share, but what I’ve come to love and appreciate the most are those experiences that help shape us into who we are becoming. Whether an experience is perceived as good or bad, ecstatic or painful, a success or a failure, when we shift our perspective and instead, start to see and appreciate it as part of our journey, we have a wonderful opportunity for growth and awareness, of our own power and our ability to change our lives for the better. That’s the real stuff right there.

So why did it take me so long to begin or birth this baby, oops…I mean blog!? After all, it’s not hard to set up a blog these days, with low start-up costs and a plethora of online tools and support at our googling fingertips. After much procrastination (and perhaps a touch of self-criticism) I finally embraced a few gentle and honest truths.

A baby is born not on our timeline (unless it is delivered by C-section), but when it is ready. This blog (and I) needed time to gestate and develop, knowing and trusting it would happen in it’s own good time.

Despite my extroversion, it’s only those closest to me who know I am actually quite sensitive and shy. As a blogger, I’m aware that I’ll be much more exposed sharing my vulnerable side through stories and experiences, which means I may well attract both comments and criticism. Receiving challenging feedback can be tough, in fact very confronting.

It takes courage and inner strength to share one’s authentic and metaphorically naked self. [Tweet this]

And, last but not least, I really do love my life the way it is these days and I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to change it. I knew that in order to develop quality, meaningful content; build my blog; and engage with my readers, I’d have to trade off time that could be spent on other pursuits.

So, creating this blog wasn’t a decision I took lightly. I had to think about it, do a ton of soul searching and ask myself some really big questions:

1. Am I ready for this commitment? Am I ready for the responsibility? 

For this blog (or any creative project or venture) to grow, become healthy and be successful, it needs consistent love, care, attention, time and energy. I had to ask myself: Do I have the capacity for this? You see, in the past, as a single and focused entrepreneur, I had considered my business ‘my baby’, pouring much love, care, attention, time, energy and money into it. And, there were many times I felt the burden of responsibility, sleepless nights, feelings of overwhelm and not enough time for me, let alone a relationship! When thinking about this developing blog, I had flashbacks to ‘my old life’, which triggered a host of buried fears: What if I lose myself again? What if I become overwhelmed? What if my marriage suffers? What if my life falls out of balance?

Fortunately, I’ve made some very different choices about how I live my life and prioritize my time and energy these days – choices that do allow me to keep a healthy balance. With that reminder, I was able to re-frame this blog as a new and exciting opportunity to use my creative talents and build something dynamic that I hope will help others, encourage mutual learning and growth, while taking a new and different approach that aligns with my values and supports my ‘ideal lifestyle’.

2. Do I know enough? Am I good enough? 

Like many prospective parents (or bloggers) entering unchartered territory, I spent time researching the subject and getting equipped with the ‘how to’s’ and ‘what-if’s’. I found that some people had strong opinions based on their own experiences and I had some quite alternate views about what felt right for me. Much of what I learned was beneficial, yet I also realized that ultimately, I needed to trust my own instincts and just go for it! I figured what I didn’t know at the start I would learn through my experiences along the way. Certainly, I expect to learn, grow and improve more by blogging and engaging with my audience than I will by researching and planning!

3. What if I don’t get it ‘right’? What if I fail? 

Ah, perfectionism and the debilitating doubts of ‘Am I good enough?’. I suspect I’m not alone in experiencing this feeling from time to time. Fear of failure can be debilitating, but even worse, for me, is the idea of letting a dream die by not trying at all. Whenever I find myself worrying over the potential for failure, I am reminded of this advice from my dear friend Nigel’s mother:

“If you’re going to fail darling, fail spectacularly!” [Tweet this]

Deciding I could no longer stay hostage to my fear of putting my stories out into the public domain, I moved forward with what I have and where I am at right now. I am here to pursue my dreams, not my doubts, and my job is to do the best I can – guiding, nurturing, feeding and supporting my blog, and the people who choose to join me along the way. By letting go of any attachment to the outcome and allowing it to take on a life of it’s own, I am also giving my creative dream permission to change shape or form along the way. Perhaps it will evolve into something even better than I had imagined!

4. And the biggest question of all – WHY do this? What is my reason, my purpose? 

This is the kicker – the big WHY. When we discover our WHY  for undertaking a new project, the what, the how, the where and when just seem to fall into place. Even though I’d long wanted to share content via a blog, I also saw many others out there blogging on similar topics. I found myself asking: Is there really room for my voice and message in this already crowded space?  But I realized that’s like a prospective parent saying: What’s the point of having a baby, when there are already so many out there in the world?  I’m aware of the creative energy, vision and gifts inside me that yearn for free expression, with countless colorful stories begging to be told. So, my WHY is simply this:

I want to share entertaining stories and meaningful content that inspires others to embrace the curveballs, discover what makes them truly happy and find the courage to live authentically, love fully and follow their dreams – whatever they may be.

While we can start at any time, the New Year invokes a magical sense of new possibilities and potentialities for bringing our dreams, ventures and projects to life. Is there one already tugging at your mind, heart or soul? Perhaps you’ve also been procrastinating, with niggling fears or doubts?

Whatever it is you want to birth, you can start by taking small steps in that direction right now, like I’m doing with this blog. Relax into the knowing that there’s no need to rush things. Allow it to unfold naturally and place your attention on enjoying the process as your creation comes to life. Take care of it, nurture it, and give it your love, time, attention and energy – even if it’s only 5 minutes a day. It will feed your soul and allow you to grow along the way, too. And, who knows where it will take you?

I’m excited to hear about what you create, so feel free to share it in the comments section below!

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