Be Inspired by Others

I'm back.  A little note before I dive into today's blog post. 

I decided to return to this blog... or rather, continue it here, as opposed to on my professional website, where I moved it briefly. 

The reason being... I feel like I'm finally "coming into my own" in regards to my business, and narrowing my website to reflect that. 

As much as I love this blog (it truly holds a special place in my heart), it doesn't really fit my business or fit into my website. 

So here I am.  Again.  It's good to be back! 

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Do you ever get inspired watching someone do what they love?  What they're good at?  Great at even?

I was watching The Voice this morning and many of the contestants just shine when they're singing on that stage.  It's clearly what they're meant to do.  And they're doing it. 

That's the key.  Doing what you're meant to do. 

Not many people actually take action, pursue their passion, or live their dream.

It's scary.  It's uncertain.  Will you make it?  Who knows. 

But I can say this:  I often feel inspired and motivated after watching someone else pursuing their passion and doing what they're meant to do.... for themselves, not for others.

If they can do it, I can too.  And so can you. 

I just got back from the AWAI Copywriters Boot Camp.  An intense 3 1/2 days full of inspiring stories, informative presentations, and networking that you wouldn't believe.

It was incredible. 

Not only because I learned so much.  But even more because of everyone I met. 

Just "rubbing elbows" with the best of the best in the industry... and even talking to them... as well as the 300 or so other copywriters.  People who "get it."  People who have the same values, goals, and beliefs as I do.  I was no longer the "weird one" that no one really gets.  All these people were like me! 

I was moved on many an occasion.  Everyone (well nearly everyone) starts at the same place.  Ground zero.  Square one.  Not having a clue.  Just a dream, a desire. 

Passionate people do what they do well.  They put in the time and effort.  And when they know they're good, they exude confidence. 

Now, sometimes before you know you're good, you have to believe you're good. 

That's where I'm at now. 

I have the vision.  The goal.  And I believe I can achieve it.

"I am a wildly successful copywriter, specializing in the IndyCar industry, with big clients all over the world." 

What is your vision for your life?  What would you like to accomplish?  Where would you like to be a year from now, or five years from now? 

Whatever it is, Go for it!        

The theme of the Boot Camp was "My Life is Now!" 

We all got little stretchy bracelets with that on it, which I still wear every day. 

This is your life.  Right now.  What steps can you take today to inch just a little closer to that dream you have for your life?     
                          
                     

I've Moved... Come on Over!

This is a short post to let you all know that I've OFFICIALLY moved!  My new website is set up (though always a work in progress), and I finally have the blog portion of it up and running.  I was debating on if and how to coordinate a blog WITH the business I want to start up.  But I finally decided to JUST DO IT, and I have. 

I'm super excited and hope you all will continue enjoying my blog posts at the new location. 

Just FYI: I intend to keep the general content the same... it's still titled, "Live Your Dream!"  But it will probably have less personal stuff, and more general life lessons.  Reason being, I'm trying to build up my professional business as well... the copywriting gig.  :) 

So, come on over.  I have 2 posts up at the new location already.  I plan to post at least couple times a week, if not more.  And if you do check it out, please leave a comment!  I'd love to keep in touch and hear from you!

Thanks... and see you soon! 

Sarah
The link to the blog page of my website is this:
http://sarahdizney.com/live-your-dream-blog/

Pick up your Feet!

Wow, I just noticed that it so happens my last post was on July 31st and this post is on September 1st.  I didn't plan for it to work out so smoothly... the entire month of August to be blog-free. 

Anyway, since I know some people do subscribe to my blog, I wanted to offer up why I haven't been blogging for the past month.  (And let you know I'm still here and still writing.)   

I've been launching a new business.  Still writing, but more of a "business" than simply blogging every day.  It's a copywriting business, with the intention of writing e-newsletters, web pages, and any other written materials needed by professional service businesses... to help them build relationships with their clients and customers (past, present, and future), and to boost their business. 

You can check out my website here:  www.SarahDizney.com/.  I'm still working on it... adding things, improving things.  But I've decided to streamline stuff.  Instead of having this blog totally separate and out on its own, I think it's best to focus my efforts and energy.  My plan (as of now) is to pick this blog back up, but in a new format.  It'll be linked to my business website, as a separate tab.  That way potential clients can get a feel for my writing style and voice, even if their business is entirely different. 

Writing is writing.  And I believe in the power of focus and intention.  So that's why I've decided to make this "move." 

Since I'm still working on my website, I don't have the blog feature set up there just yet.  I just wrote the first blog post that will be on that site today (see it below).  And I plan to write a few more, then make them visible on my website.  Also, I'm sure there's a way to subscribe to the blog through the website, so I'll get that figured out too. 

For now... here's my latest blog post.  It's a direct copy of what will be posted on my website once that's ready.  But I wanted to share it here... since you guys were my REAL first subscribers.  :)

*And yes, there are still quotes from "The Untethered Soul."  ;)

Thanks for reading!  :)  I really do appreciate it! 

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When we drag our feet, we make life harder than it needs to be.  Harder than it's supposed to be.  Life isn't supposed to be hard, to be difficult, to be a struggle.  Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed!

I don't know about you, but I catch myself making life harder than it needs to be from time to time.  Just simply resisting what is, or wishing things were different.  That resistance creates an internal struggle.  Stop resisting!

I'm not saying to be a doormat, or to lay down and let awful stuff happen.  But most of what happens in our lives, and most of what other people do "to" and around us, isn't that awful.  We may not like it, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not that bad.  This is where we need to stop resisting.  Just relax and open our hearts.  It's alright.

"For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them," Thich Naht Hahn.

Our resistance comes from fear.  We resist what we don't like, don't understand, or think we don't want.  But it's all in our heads.  That is, it's all thought-based.  We're resisting something based on what we think about it.  This is where the struggle is created.  This is where our problems reside.

Just let go.

Pick up your feet.

Relax and stop resisting.

Life is good, it turns out.  True, bad stuff happens, but on the whole, life is beautiful and full of love.
Our judgments cloud that love.  Our thoughts muddy the waters of the love that surrounds us at all times.

As Michael Singer tells us in The Untethered Soul on p. 95,

"When your mind starts telling you what you have to do to make everything inside okay, don't buy into what it's telling you.  The truth is, everything will be okay as soon as you are okay with everything.  And that's the only time everything will be okay."

He goes on to explain, on p. 120,

"You label everything that doesn't fit [your model of how the world should be] as wrong, bad, or unfair.  If anything happens that challenges how you view things, you fight.  You defend.  You rationalize.  You get frustrated and angry over simple little things."

Have you lived like that?  Can you think of times in your life when you judged things as wrong, bad, or unfair, when really, they were just not how you wanted them to be?  Can you recall moments when you felt frustrated or even angry simply because things weren't going the way you thought they should or people weren't doing the things you thought they should?

I know I can.  I'm sure we all can.  That's how we humans tend to be.  We want things to go "our way."  We want people to do what we think they should do... for our benefit, of course.

All we need to do is relax.  Stop dragging our feet through life.  Pick them up and the ride will be so much smoother!

 

When you Limit Your Life, you Limit Your Happiness

I don't know that I've been happier in my life than I've been in the past few days.  Genuinely, deeply happy.

Why?  I've stopped setting limits.  On life, on myself, on others.  At least, I'm working on that.  And making good progress.  Like anything else in life, it's a continual practice. 

As Michael Singer tells us, "You want to say that as long as this doesn't happen, or as long as that does happen, then you're willing to be happy.  That's why it seems like it is out of your control.  Any condition you create will limit your happiness," (p. 142, "The Untethered Soul"). 

                                                   

I know it's scary.  It's scary to "give up control."  Or at least, your perception of control.  It's scary to let go and accept whatever shows up in your life.  But let me assure you, coming from experience, it gets easier the more you do it. 

The get-together with my boyfriend and his ex-wife last Friday night was great!  Seriously, honestly, great!  I was a tad nervous just prior to her arrival at the bar we were meeting at.  And I had to repeatedly remind myself to "Stay Open" all day leading up to it.  But I knew it was a good thing, and I was excited for it.  And I was not disappointed. 

                                                          

We ended up hanging out and chatting -- her, me, and my boyfriend -- for about two and a half hours!  I did not expect to spend that much time with her, but the time flew.  We talked, and it felt normal.  It felt like hanging out with a friend.  But the most important thing was, it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable at all.  And I fully believe my being open was largely to thank for that.  That, and both she and my boyfriend were willing to give me another chance, which really shouldn't be minimalized, seeing how uncomfortable I made things before. 

And here's the best part:  I still feel great!  I still feel open.  I still feel the love pouring into my heart, and pouring out. 

I had been working on "being ok" with her for some time now... as many of my blog posts have chronicled.  And I knew I needed some face-to-face time to solidify (and test) my growth.  And I passed the test! 

Take it from me... someone who's coming from a place of attempted control and placing limits... once you let go of your imposed limitations, your happiness and love will skyrocket! 

                                                    

Previously, I had placed tons of limits.  I "couldn't" be happy at a social event if "she" was there.  I based my attendance to things on her attendance.  I put friends in awkward positions.  I forced my limits onto my boyfriend. 

All of these limits and "qualifications" did not make me happier, make me feel more at ease, or add to my enjoyment of life.  That's what I thought they would do, but it was the opposite.  I was more stressed and more unhappy, the more limits I placed on myself.

"When your mind starts telling you what you have to do to make everything inside okay, don't buy into what it's telling you.  The truth is, everything will be okay as soon as you are okay with everything," (Singer p. 95). 

Everything in life is a gift.  If we don't see it that way, it's because we're choosing not to.  We're the ones making things difficult.  We're the ones having "issues" with other people, situations, or life in general.  All we need to do is Let Go and Love. 

                                                     

In another area of life, I'm also working on letting go of my self-imposed limits in regard to income and my professional life.  I've been working on building my own website for my new copywriting business the past few days.  And more importantly, I've been working on opening myself up to receiving abundance and great wealth.  No more "just getting by." 

I just donated $250 to a fundraising campaign at the humane society I volunteer at.  I fully believe that through giving, we open ourselves up to greater receiving.  Abundance is all around us.  By sharing our own abundance, we draw more of it to us. 

May all of us tap into the Abundance of Life and Love! 
Abundance in love, Abundance in income, Abundance in happiness. 
It's all here, right now. 
We just need to release our limitations and open our hearts to receiving it. 

Peace, Love, and Amazing Abundance to you all! 

Sarah 

                                             

When Stuff is Ready to Come out... Let it Out!

A lot of stuff came up and out for me last night.  A.  Lot. 

I watched as deeply held false beliefs came to the surface and floated away.  What made all the difference was my new knowledge from "The Untethered Soul."  As I was in the throes of anxiety and fear, I recalled Michael Singer's words and teachings.

"You'll never be free from problems until you are free from the part within that has so many problems.  When a problem is disturbing, don't ask, 'What should I do about this?'  Ask, 'What part of me is being disturbed by this?'"  (Singer p. 15).   

I did just that.  The fear came up because my boyfriend told me he was going to maybe meet his ex-wife (and maybe others) for a drink after work tomorrow (today).  I was more than welcome to go, if I wanted to. 

After he left, I, of course, was thinking about it.  I couldn't deny the feelings I felt, and didn't want to.  I reminded myself to "Stay Open" and just let the emotions and feelings pass through me. 

But I couldn't seem to shake the fear.  What was I so afraid of???  I had no idea.  That's when I asked myself Singer's question:  "What part of me is feeling this way?"  I wanted to figure it out! 

At first no answer came.  I was just encompassed in the fear.  So I asked a second time.  And then the answer rose to the surface.... from deep, deep within. 

"I felt unloved when my father left me and my mom when I was just a young child."  (He left when I was just a year or two old, so I don't remember him actually leaving, but that doesn't mean I didn't experience it.) 

That was it.  I don't know how I didn't make the connection before, but I didn't.  I thought I had worked through all the "stuff" in regards to my biological father not being around.  But this belief was so deep, I didn't see it.  I mistook it for other issues.  But this is the core.  I felt it. 

My boyfriend wanting to spend time with his ex triggered the false belief of feeling unloved. 

It's funny, because I knew I felt unloved by his talking to her, though I didn't know why.  His communicating with her in any way doesn't change his feelings for me.  She is no threat to me, my relationship, or what he and I have.  I know that.  Yet, I felt immense fear surrounding her. 

Now I see, clearly, that my fear has/had nothing to do with her.  Or my boyfriend.  It goes all the way back to my early, early years and feeling afraid I wasn't loved, I wasn't lovable.  My father left me, after all, what else was I supposed to believe? 

A cool part of my breakthrough experience last night was I noticed the distinct separation between my Spirit Self and my human self who was feeling the feelings. 

My Spirit Self was perfectly calm and at peace.  The voice I heard from that place was gentle, loving, and calm.  When my human self sobbed and said I didn't feel loved, my Spirit Self reminded myself that I am loved, and I am Love.     

I cried a lot.  Then the tears just stopped.  Just like that.  It was like all that ickiness had to be released, and once it was, it was gone.

After all that, I wrote about the experience in my journal, then just sat on my couch, feeling open and free.  It was the coolest, and strangest, feeling.  I thought about the possibility of seeing my boyfriend's ex tomorrow (today) and wasn't bothered one bit.  No amount of anxiety or fear whatsoever.  Now, that's not to say more fear won't come up in the future (even as early as tonight when/if we're face-to-face), but I know for sure that a TON of stuff was brought up and let go last night.  A MAJOR blockage was released! 

"If you truly want to grow spiritually, you'll realize that keeping your stuff is keeping you trapped....[R]ealize that life is actually trying to help you.  Life is surrounding you with people and situations that stimulate growth," (Singer p. 74). 

I always knew my boyfriend, and him having an ex-wife, was for my own good.  I still resisted it though, and couldn't figure out how to "get past it."  I was stuck in the fear trap.  I avoided instead of accepted.  I closed instead of opened.  Now I know better.  And this feels so much better! 

"If you don't solve the root cause of the problem, but instead, attempt to protect yourself from the problem, it ends up running your life," (Singer p. 83). 

I truly feel that until now, I didn't get to the root cause of the problem.  I didn't trace it all the way back to my first couple of years of life.  I knew I felt insecure, but left it at that.  I thought that was it.  It wasn't.  That's why I kept circling around the issue.  Why Life kept presenting me with opportunities to see it, and let it go. 

Another "trick" I used last night when I was in the midst of the pain and fear, was to remind myself that I am Spirit.  That's the "real me."  This helped me "separate myself" from the fear and pain I was feeling, and helped me see what I needed to see. 

"How do you free yourself?  In the deepest sense, you free yourself by finding yourself.  You are not the pain you feel, nor are you the part that periodically stresses out.  None of these disturbances have anything to do with you.  You are the one who notices these things," (Singer p. 85). 
 
I had felt free, or freer, when I read "The Untethered Soul" the first time.  And I felt another level of that freedom last night.  It's exciting! 

"Once you learn that it's okay to feel inner disturbances, and they can no longer disturb your seat of consciousness, you will be free....[Y]ou can walk in this world and the world will never touch you.  That's how you become a free being -- you transcend," (Singer p. 87). 

"You can wake up in the morning, look forward to the day, and not worry about what will happen....[Y]ou can just enjoy all of it....You just live your life without getting uptight and worrying about it.  You actually live life instead of fearing or fighting it," (Singer p. 94). 

"Over time you will form an intensely personal relationship with this beautiful inner force.  It will replace the relationship you have with your inner pain and disturbance. Now peace and love will run your life," (Singer p. 107). 

Now, doesn't that sound amazing?! 

May we all continue learning, growing, letting go, and transcending! 

Your partner in transcension...

Sarah

                                    

    

None of Us are Ego-Free

I received an email a few days ago that caused my ego to stir.  It was from someone I hardly know.  She claimed she was worried and concerned about me.  While that may sound all well and good... someone being concerned about you isn't necessarily a bad thing... the underlying tone of her email was one of criticism and judgment.  She said she was writing out of love, but that is not the feeling I got. 

This made me wonder two things.  Was my ego just flaring up and causing me not to see something within myself that was sincerely worrisome and concerning?  Also, have I said things to people, given advice, offered suggestions, that I thought were coming from love within me, but were really more of a judgment on them?

                                

I honestly feel that the answer to both questions is 'no.'  Then again, I'd have to ask all the people I've given advice to, how my words rang within them.  So I can't be sure on that one, but I do know I'll be more mindful when offering comments and suggestions to others. 

In response to the first question I posed to myself... I sat with this person's email, and my feelings, for quite some time.  I felt self-righteous and offended by her words.  That's how I know it was my ego rising up.  But I reminded myself to relax, and try to look objectively at the situation that seemingly caused her concern. 

Here's what I came up with:

She doesn't know the whole story.  Far from it.  She knows a tiny tidbit, a slice out of my life, and from there, extrapolated all these judgments.  Yes, they were judgments... really, any time any of us assesses someone else, we are judging them.  We are reading their situation and applying our own thoughts and feelings to it.  Our thoughts and feelings come from our own experiences, so therefore, we are seeing everyone else's life through a lens colored by our own. 

Another thing is this:  We all have "off" days and moments where we are less than our best selves.  We all slip into self-judgment from time to time, and have moments of doubting ourselves.  As long as we learn from our slips, and pick ourselves back up... that's all any of us can do. 

                               

None of us are perfectly "spiritual" all the time.  None of us are ego-free.  None of us are free from fears 100% of the time.

So let's do our best to have patience and kindness towards each other.  And when we see a tiny slice out of someone's life, let's try to refrain from passing judgments and making assumptions.  Let's support one another more, and give each other the benefit of the doubt more.  I know this is something I can work on within myself as well, and I plan to.   

Another reminder I was given from this experience is to trust your own feelings. 

Someone else may try to convince you to do such-and-such.  If you have a bad, or even slightly off feelings about it... trust yourself. 
If someone approaches you, and no matter what they "put out there" on the exterior, if you have a gut feeling that is contradictory to what they're trying to show you... trust yourself. 

I think we (and I know this is true about myself) tend to trust others sometimes above ourselves.  If someone else says something to us or about us... it must be true.  This is why others' words can send our own self-confidence spiraling down.  This is why so many of us struggle with self-worth issues... because we have believed others' assessments, words, and behaviors towards us or even around us, more than we have tuned in to and believed our own Divine Worth, Value, and Importance. 

This is what happened with me and this other person who emailed me.  I took her words as truth, and doubted myself.  I looked at my actions, and my life, and wondered if something was, in fact, "wrong" with me.

I was surprised, in fact, at how much I took the words of a practical stranger to heart.  This was a great lesson for me.  Drop my ego and Open my Spirit.  Follow that.  Trust that.   

I reminded myself to "Stay Open" and let the feelings pass through me.  I re-centered myself.  And I am ok.  I am better than ok.  I am pretty darn amazing most of the time!  Sure, I may stumble from time to time.  Yeah, I may have self-doubt and self-consciousness creep back in occasionally.  Who doesn't?  But I work it out. 

It's all for our learning.  It's all for our growth.  As long as we stay open, and keep learning and growing... that's what we're here to do. 

In Peace and Love to you all... 

                                           
      

   
       

Our Entitled, Controlling Egos

Tonight I'm going out to dinner with my boyfriend to celebrate his getting a new job.  He starts on Monday and today is his last day at his current (and very yucky) job.  He's been unhappy with his current (soon to be old) job ever since I've known him (two and a half years).  He's even told me that he disliked this job nearly the entire time he's had it (about seven years).  Personally, I have a hard time even imagining myself in an unhappy situation that long, let alone actually doing it.  But, that's how he is, that's his choice, and I'm beyond happy for him to be soon starting a new position with a seemingly much better company. 

Anyway... When I asked him where he wanted to go out to eat tonight, he brought up two possible choices.  Both of which he has gift cards to (he's usually quite economical and thrifty).  One is a middle to low-priced restaurant.  The other is more high-end.  I suggested the high end place because this is a special occasion, and after all, he does have a $50 gift card.  Ironically enough, he "won" the gift card through his current place of employment as a prize of some sort.  So, it seemed fitting. 

Ok, here's where my ego decided to make an appearance.  We had decided on this restaurant and were looking at the menu online.  As I mentioned, it is pricey.  As in, just shy of $50 for a single steak, alone.  No sides, no salad.  Just the steak.  I don't eat steak, so I was looking at the other menu options and saw some enticing seafood entrees, a soup, and a couple appetizers that I would be interested in.  The other menu items (non-steaks) were less expensive. 

Now, I knew (and he confirmed) that my boyfriend would order a steak.  He likes them on occasion, as a celebratory meal, which this certainly was.  Not to mention, this restaurant is "known" for their steaks above anything else, so I figured that's what he would get.  That's fine.  But here's where my ego embarrassingly chimed in. 

It looked through the menu, mostly at the prices, and considered the fact that "we" have a $50 gift card.  "We" could eat for close to $50, both of us, if we ordered cheaper things.  But my boyfriend over here is planning to spend pretty much the entire $50 on a single steak for himself.  What about me?

Yes, it's embarrassing because it is, after all, his celebratory dinner.  And it is his gift card that he won at his job.  I'm there to support him.  I'm happy for him.  I'm not trying to take advantage of him in any way.  My ego was having a very hard time with making this all fit in its plan however. 

As I mentally chose what I'd like to eat, it's not that expensive (compared to the $50 steaks anyway).  Ten bucks for some soup.  Five bucks or so for an appetizer.  Alright. 

Let me break in here and tell you all that my boyfriend and I usually pay for ourselves when we go out together.  Neither of us has tons of superfluous money (yet).  So it would be a stretch to have expenses beyond what we, as individuals, accrue.  So from just a few dates into our relationship (he did pay for everything for those first several dates), we've been getting separate checks.  And I'm ok with this.  It actually seems most fair and reasonable to me.  So why is my ego having such a hissy fit with this fancy dinner? 

                                                

Egos like to control.  Egos think they know best.  When my ego self considered the fact that my boyfriend has a $50 gift card, it came up with the "best" way to use it.  That "best" way meant making it stretch as far as possible... certainly not blowing it all on one single menu selection. 

But, in trying to be understanding, my ego accepted the fact that my boyfriend would get that expensive steak.  Ok... plan B.  What if we got one check, took the $50 off that one check, and then split the remaining balance?  That way we could both still benefit from the gift card, and I (ego-self) wouldn't "suffer" because he chose to order such an expensive item.  I would still be paying for at least part of my meal, but I would also get to "use" part of the gift card as well.  It seemed like the most fair, rational solution. 

So I proposed this idea to my boyfriend.  He pointed out that we usually pay for ourselves, why would this be different?  And that I didn't let him get his frozen yogurt on my gift card when we went to the frozen yogurt shop a few days ago.  "That was like three bucks," I shot back.  "So?" he responded.  Then he finally relented and agreed to my plan of a single check. 

Was it really the principle of all this?  Was my ego just really that bothered by him blowing $50 just like that on a single piece of meat?  After all, it was his gift card to spend.  What was my real problem?  Or should I say, is my real problem?  Tonight is the dinner and I've been going back and forth on this in my head for the past two days. 

I have moments of planning to tell him I'll just pay for mine, he pay for his, like we usually do, and don't worry about how he chooses to spend his gift card. 
Then I have moments of feeling uncared for and like he should want to share his gift card with me, rather than leaving me out in the cold... that's how I was taking it.

Would this be as big of a deal if we went to the cheaper restaurant?  Would my selfish ego throw as big of a fit if we got separate bills there?  I'm pondering this right now and I think no.  I don't think it would be as big of a deal at the less expensive place.  So why is that? 

I think it's because I see $50 as a lot of money.  I don't know about you, but most gift cards I get, or give, are closer to the $25 range.  So $50 is huge.  I feel like that amount of money should go further.  Certainly, in most places, the two of us could easily eat for $50.  And my ego sees putting all of that money on a single steak (a steak of all things), as a waste.  Like, we could get five menu items for the same amount of money as one steak.  Which makes more sense? 

But, again, it's not my call.  This is where our egos cause so much trouble.  They like to stick their nose in where it doesn't belong and try and run the show.  And when its way isn't agreed upon by everyone else to be the best way, it gets self-righteous, indignant, and hurt.  That's exactly what I was feeling when my boyfriend and I were talking about this restaurant and this dinner.

"Love doesn't control." 

My ego was trying to control.  My ego wanted a piece of the "pie," i.e. the gift card.  But all I needed to do was relax and love.  Stop demanding.  Stop expecting.  Stop controlling.  Just love. 

This also brings to mind a webinar I listened to a couple days ago with John Gray.  You know, the author of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus," among other great books.  In this particular webinar interview, John talks about how women are natural givers.  When we want someone to like us, our innate instinct is to give to them, and then they will like us.  And when we love someone, and really do like a person, we tend to give more.  This is where the conflict between men and women often arises.  Women give more and more and more, and this often leads to expecting more in return.  We think, I love you, I want to give you whatever I can.  You should feel the same way.  But men don't think like women do.   

I see now that this was another layer of what was going on within my ego self.  I was thinking of all the times I did give to my boyfriend, or did share gift cards, or what-have-you.  And I thought how if I had the $50 card, I would share it (because for one, I wouldn't be getting the $50 steak).  So, I assumed he should want to give and share with me as well. 

That's where the hurt feelings came from. 

So.  What to do with these ego flare-ups?  What to do when we know how we'd act in a given situation, and find that other people don't necessarily think like we do?  What to do when you're feeling entitled, and even deserving?  What to do when we feel hurt, in any way? 

Open to Love.  Remind yourself of what you're really all about, and that is Love. 

It's not always easy.  Even the most mundane, simple situations can cause the biggest ego flare-ups.  I mean, come on...  I'm having such a "moment" over a gift card?  

There are greater things in life.  More important things.  Let's focus on those and not let the trivial stuff get to us.  (Ok, ok, I'm finally starting to hear my own message.)   

Focus on the Love.  BE the Love.  Money is just money.  It comes and goes.  Open and Love.