I live in California and we banished plastic bags in grocery stores. You can still buy a thicker reusable version if you forget your cute ones in the car but essentially the flimsy bags that fly away and end up in the ocean and landfill are a thing of the past.

Sounds like a great initiative right? Help the environment by eliminating something so clearly harmful.

Meanwhile the homeless camps in Orange County are having outbreaks of disease because of an increase in feces near where they live and sleep. Why the increase? Because they used to use disposable plastic bags to do their business in which were easy to dispose of. No plastic bags means no easy disposal.

Gross way to start a conversation isn't it?
Here's the point... banning plastic bags treated a SYMPTOM of a SYSTEM that needs changing, meaning plastic waste and environmental litter. And it exposed another SYMPTOM of a SYSTEM that also needs changing, the homeless camps that run up and down the riverbed.

As we seek out our purpose and and the things we want to advocate in the world however, we rarely go deep enough to figure out anything past the symptom, because the symptoms are obvious, because they feel smaller for us to impact, because we think it IS the thing that we're meant to change.

Perhaps that's all true.
But to create true impact, we have to be willing to dive in deeper and figure out what the core of the issue is.

It's good to fix the symptom if we can. But imagine what happens when you change the system instead?
As you set up your Mission for 2018 and you dream about the imprint you want to leave this year, what if you took a little extra time to think past the generalizations like "I want to end hunger on the planet" and go beyond the "I will volunteer at a food bank" (which you can still totally do as well...) and consider something along the lines of "What creates famine and what can I specifically do to end it at it's root" and then get even more specific and say "What creates hunger in my town (or in Africa or in District 8 or wherever) and what can I do to permanently change that?".

It's should feel like a stretch, like something just out of your reach, but you're going to feel the difference. Get to the CORE and find your own personal leverage point to forever alter the SYSTEM and get rid of the SYMPTOMS that way.

We went to a live rugby match while in Dublin...Leinster vs. Glasgow. The crowd beforehand was so much fun and at one point while waiting on some food there was a group of men, arms slung over each others' shoulders singing.

I couldn't get a direct view (I'm not terribly tall) so I held my phone up high and hoped to capture what was happening.
Next to me was an older Irish man and when I brought my phone back down to see what I'd recorded he looked at me and said... "A bit vain are ye?"
Hoping I just didn't understand him and confused because I was filming a bunch of drunk men sing, I said, super intelligently, 'what?'

He said "Well it's a bit vain that, taking photos of yerself all the time."

And I realized that he thought I was taking a selfie, which to him was a terribly vain thing to do...I mean why would I want a photo of myself?

I laughed and showed him what I was actually taking a photo of, and he shrugged his shoulders and unapologetically turned back to his beer.

His bluntness did make me pause however, because in that moment, I felt embarrassed for every selfie I'd ever taken.

Until I realized - that his opinion, so bluntly spoken - was wrong.
For me.
We took selfies all trip long because sometimes we were up on the top of a castle wall and wanted a photo. Sometimes because we didn't want to hand my phone over to a stranger and ask them to take a picture of us. Plain and simple. We took them to chronicle our journeys.
That's not vain.
I realized however that I don't take many selfies not because I'm modest but BECAUSE I'm vain, because I never quite get my chin or lighting quite right or my hair or smile is off.

That's not to say that's the truth for everyone who takes or doesn't take selfies.
This isn't really about selfies.

IT'S ABOUT THE BLUNT BLACK AND WHITENESS OF OUR OPINIONS AND WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE TRUE.
I have my own blunt moments where I clearly see the straight honest truth. But those are all MY black and whites. That blunt voice is judgement in it's purest form. Sometimes I disguise it as being "helpful", but really it's nothing more than my voice expressing my right and wrong of the world.

And yeah, it's simply my opinion or the opinion of some random man at a rugby match...and I don't mean to say 'stop being blunt' but it is a curious reaction right? The strait honest truth isn't always so truthful.
Can we be curious about that blunt voice inside of us, watching as it so clearly defines our day.

How are you filling your cup today?

I returned to my home from Austin at 1:49am Sunday fully expecting waking up early to take my son to rugby tryouts.
Hurry up and sleep.

We leave Wednesday am (shit... tomorrow) for a 10-day trip to the U.K.
Hurry up and get all the work done.
Hurry up and buy the last minute supplies.
Hurry up and clean and do laundry and unpack and then repack.

Cup looking a bit dry...
I cannot create a magical trip from empty.
Pause.
Accept hubby's offer to take the boy and stay home to nap and slowly clean and unpack and feel spaciousness. ReEntry.
Pause.
Everything that must get done will get done. Go meditate first.
Pause.
The extras on the list can float away. Play with the pups.
Pause.
If I forget to pack it, it can be purchased. Reframe to release the pressure.
Fill the cup.
Over and over.

Let me ask you something... how are your beliefs and your "need" to help getting in the way of REALLY supporting others?
 
What would happen if other people's dreams had nothing, zip, zero, nada to do with YOU & your opinion or experience?
 
How would you respond if you entered into the conversation without any preconceived ideas of how that person should live their life or create their business?
 
Sometimes people are excited. They want to share. They are vulnerably letting you see their desire...
 
They aren't asking for your opinion, your beliefs, or your 7-step-system. They aren't broken because they want something that didn't work for you, or that you've heard isn't a good way to go. Even if you know them so well and have their best interest in mind...

...don't give it to them.

Give them real true support by saying 'way to go, I believe in you, let me know if I can support you in any way.'

That's true best interest.
 
Real support looks a lot like being really present with the other person and trusting that they know what's best for their path.
 
And if there's something that you really, really want to add, for goodness sake, ask their permission first. "Hey, I noticed something here - are you open to feedback at the moment?" Don't assume they want to hear or are ready to hear your brilliance...

I was more excited for my client than I was for myself...

So last week while I was celebrating reaching #1 in book sales around the world,  I got a message from my client that literally made me scream and shout and cry in pure joy. It's one of those moments where everything seems worthwhile...

See, she got a book deal.

And not just any book deal. When we started on this journey a year ago she'd submitted her book to several publishers and got nos. In fact, she spent more time writing proposals than working on the actual book. So, when she came to my retreat, it was because she'd finally claimed that the book would be published no matter what.

It wasn't an easy journey, leaning further and further into her discomfort - between myself and her other coach, we didn't accept an ordinary book.

And it became an exceptional book.

So exceptional that last week she got this "Great news! Our editorial board met just now and very heartily endorsed your new book. We will send the Agreement very soon. People really liked the Hero’s Journey model, clear and practical content, stories and your background in this work...We are all eager to work with you on this book and expect great things!"

Her response.. "I am struggling to put into words, the gratitude that I feel in my heart right now."

And her news was SO MUCH BETTER THAN REACHING #1 for myself. Watching this project come full circle...there are no words to express how amazing it feels to witness.

Everything we imagine is possible... even when it feels impossible so you take a different path and wind up exactly where you had most hoped to be.  That's how surrender and manifesting both work in action. It's saying 'this is what I want or something better' and then releasing the expectations and continuing to take steps. 

I love you and I love what you do, and I appreciate that you're in business and promotion is part of the gig. I just hate the way you market it to me. I hate the daily emails that are teasers for some webcast where something will be sold, or some affiliate marketing email promoting someone else's thing where something will be sold. I hate the sales scripts and the fake authenticity you put on. You're pretty cool when you're just you.
 
I love you and I love what you do, and I appreciate that you deserve to make money doing it. I am happy to pay for things that call to me. And I want to feel like more than just a paycheck to you. I want to feel like you're going to serve me and my needs. I don't need it for free, but I DO need to feel loved first. It's a two-way street.
 
I love you and I love what you do, but I'm going to have to unsubscribe to make room for someone else I love and love what they do who makes me feel loved in return.
 
I know you get this, because you've felt this way too.
 
Now pause...Would your people send this message to you?
 
Love and energy first...

Dear Beautiful Energy Workers,
 
Every time you do something that is in IMBALANCE, that is not in alignment, that you didn't do the energy work around FIRST, that feels a little off but you're not sure why so you do it anyhow...
 
It becomes a DAMN PEA UNDER YOUR MATTRESS.
 
And the pea doesn't get more comfortable with time, we just choose to ignore it and keep going.
 
The more you play with energy, the more in tune with your own mastery you become. The more sensitive you become, and as a result, the less and less acceptable the peas become...until one day you find that you can no longer rest if there is even a piece of a pea left there.
 
Be fierce with your energy first and foremost.
Get into alignment and THEN.
 
Yes, get into alignment with paying your bills and doing the things that need to be done. Be a vibrational match for your business and relationships and all of that...Do the freaking energy work for everything you do in the world.
 
Feel everything and notice.
This isn't about being perfect or living in denial of our own uncomfortable-ability in order to be blissed out all of the time.
 
Feel that anger, frustration, fear, doubt, sadness.
Those are really great clues that you just found a pea.
Break out the mint and butter and have a wicked pea feast.
But don't put the pea down and expect it to grow legs and walk away on it's own.
 
Do the work.
Lead with energy.
Eradicate the peas.

YOU ARE ALREADY SUCCEEDING
 
We succeed 100% of the time because we are MADE with infinite abundance in our cells. We vibrate with Source energy all of the time.
 
ALL OF THE TIME
In EVERYTHING we do.
 
We succeed at everything we believe is possible for us. Every story that is rooted in our system becomes true.
 
That's right, we are already successful in whatever we currently believe because success is our natural state of being.
 
We create an abundance of what we currently believe 100% of the time.
 
INSTANTANEOUSLY.
 
We succeed 100% of the time.
There is evidence all around you.
 
READ THAT AGAIN - YOU ARE ALREADY SUCCEEDING AT WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND YOU'RE CREATING THAT IN ABUNDANCE.
 
So the question then becomes, what do you believe?
 
See the tipping point of creating a different kind of success and abundance is understanding that we're already creating it all of the freaking time.
 
It may not look like what you think success and abundance should look like... but it's there. We are walking, talking, breathing self-fulfilling prophesies.
 
Now pause - before you go into analyzing all the bad self-talk and rehashing all the other things that you're obviously doing incorrectly, know this....you've done nothing wrong here. You did not cause unease or sickness or struggle. You are not broken and do not need fixing. The Universe loves you.
 
AND it's time to recognize that you are a mo-fo success RIGHT NOW.
 
Notice the stories.
Notice the beliefs.
Nothing to fix here...neutrally observe them for the next couple of weeks.
 
Let out your light that's peeking out from behind your stories and shadows.
Don't work on them, just BE.
 
What shit can you turn into fertilizer?
How can you get back to your natural state of highest vibration?
What energetic process can you put into place so that you REMEMBER that you are successful at everything you believe, at everything you KNOW to be true?
 
Change the KNOWING - change the kind of success you achieve.
 
I'm not talking pretend belief - no fake positive affirmations or pretending you get this...I mean how can you root it deep in your bones so it's not even a belief but a knowing?
 
When you KNOW it to be so, and you KNOW that you are a Spirit Machine that instantaneously cranks out success and abundance of anything you believe....
 
Every thought, every action, every moment - your thoughts and beliefs create your world. Be a fierce editor of your life and energy.
 
You are already succeeding 100% of the time.