Learning to play the accordion, paint, teach, or split an atom requires practice, Dear One.

So does learning how to be more open, bold, tolerant, loving, trusting, and accepting of yourself and others.

Whenever you are practicing something new, regardless of what it is, we want you to know that it is essential that you also remember to practice patience too if you ever hope to achieve any level of success.

Not because we want you to expect or anticipate that whatever it is you learning is going to take a long time to achieve, because it may not.

We want you to practice patience Dear One, because of your tendency to want to punish, judge harshly, or put yourself down when you encounter something new, when you come across something that you have not yet mastered, when you discover that you do not yet already know it all. (i.e. I can’t believe I missed that, how come this is so hard for me, how stupid of me to have not known that, and so on. You get the idea.)

Why does it matter?

Because you can’t judge yourself, be frustrated with yourself, or put yourself down and grow in any positive way at the same time.

Just like you use your feet to move your physical body in the direction that you want to travel Dear One, we would like to encourage you to use your thoughts to move your emotional and spiritual body in much the same way.

If you wanted to go uptown to see a movie, you would not leave your home and start traveling downtown and assume that if you continued on in this direction you would eventually arrive at your desired destination, would you?

• If you want to be stronger, choose thoughts that make you feel more powerful, not ones that make you doubt yourself and your abilities.
• If you want to be braver, choose thoughts that ground you, not ones that make you feel out of control.
• If you want to be successful, choose thoughts that empower you, not ones that make you feel as if you are incapable.
• If you want to be desired, choose thoughts that make you feel desirable, not ones that make you feel insecure.
• If you want to feel more connected, choose thoughts that bring you closer to your source, not ones that hold you apart from it.

Like your feet, your thoughts are powerful conveyors Dear One.

So remember to choose them wisely and with great intention.

We need you to trust yourself and speak up, Dear One, now.

Please don’t wait for all of them, some of them, or even one of them to agree with you first, before you share your perspective, before you choose to act on it and expose it to the world.

Because that may never happen.

And what a shame it would be, for both you and for them, if your brilliance, your insights, your point of view, your thoughts, ideas, and opinions were never heard because someone else didn’t think of them first.

What are you going to choose to talk about today, Dear One?

• The things that you love or the things that you hate?
• The things that you have or the things that you don’t?
• The things that make you feel strong or the things that make you feel weak?
• The parts of you that are hurting or the parts that are healing?

The story that you tell is the story that you create.

So, what words will you use in the telling?  What are you going to choose to create for yourself today?

The more you allow yourself to trust, Dear One, the more you practice trusting, the better you will become at it, the less you will struggle.

The only thing that makes their path more significant than yours, their contributions more valuable than yours, their successes more important than yours, their accomplishments more meaningful than yours, Dear One, is you deeming it so.

Nothing more.

When your behaviors are no longer serving you Dear One, when they stop yielding the desired results, when your actions are no longer in alignment with your thoughts, feelings,
and desires – don’t start doubting yourself, your choices, your abilities, or your judgment. Don’t get angry, frustrated, or hopeless.  Don’t start looking for something or someone to blame.

Instead, try remembering that life is constantly changing, and so are you.

If the beliefs, routines, rituals, patterns and behaviors that brought you comfort, security, health, relief and joy yesterday, do not do so today – it may simply be time to change them.

If someone that you love Dear One, is not living up to your expectations of them, instead of being disappointed, instead of trying to change them, instead of trying to fix them, instead of trying to force yourself to stop loving them in order to put an end to your unhappiness, why not simply change your expectation of them instead?

You are not doing this alone Dear One.

We are right here with you every step of the way.

Guiding you.  Helping you.  Hearing you.  Loving you. Cheering you on.

Every minute of every day.

Don’t you forget it.

Regardless of what you may think, regardless of what you may feel, you are most definitely not doing this alone.

If you need our help Dear One, all you need to do is ask.

Everyone makes mistakes Dear One.

But not everyone is brave enough to take responsibility for them, learn from them, let them go, and move on.

Are you?