The Universe Knows You Deserve Love

At a seminar about positivity, the Universe, and Love, the seminar leader said this:

"If you don't believe you deserve Love, at least believe that the Universe believes you deserve Love."

Or something to that effect.

Many of us, at times, don't believe we're worthy of love, success, happiness... fill in the blank.  I certainly fall into that group.

I've noticed something interesting lately.  I am getting married in one week.  I'm very excited about it and looking forward not just to the wedding, but being married.  I have no doubts about that.  What I do doubt is whether I'm worthy of that kind of love.

It's tough to admit and I feel a certain sense of shame even in admitting I feel that way.  My hope is that this post will touch someone else, and others can relate.

When we feel unworthy of something, I think it's a natural inclination to hide.  To not tell others we feel unworthy.  There can be shame in admitting you feel unworthy, when logically, you know better.
But these feelings of unworthiness aren't born out of logic.

For years I've struggled with feelings of worthiness, in different areas of life.  I see now, looking back, that it was quite possibly those feelings that stifled my success, but at the time I didn't realize that.

Interestingly to me, these feelings seem to be coming to the surface a lot more now, the closer I get to my wedding day.

You see, in order to receive from the Universe what we desire, we have to believe we will get it.  And if we ultimately don't believe we deserve something, it can be hard to believe we'll get it anyway.

I think this holds a lot of people back -- in relationships, with money, in any aspect of life.  In order to get what you desire, start with changing your belief about deserving it.

Back to the opening quote.  It really hit home with me.  It's easy for me to look at other people, my pets, all living things really, and know they deserve to be loved and deserve all that is good in life.  They deserve it just because they're here.  But what about me?

Why am I different?  Why do I have such a hard time believing I deserve great love, great wealth, and an abundance of all that is good in life?  I could come up with lots of theories to answer that question, but really it doesn't matter why.

Instead of belaboring the point of, "Do I deserve Love, wealth, etc.," point out to myself that the Universe knows I deserve Love, wealth, etc.

For some reason, putting it outside of myself makes it easier to accept.  While it can be hard to believe something about myself, it's easier to believe in something that someone else (especially the Universe) knows/thinks/believes.

I encourage you to look at your own life.  What areas of your life do you feel unworthy?  If that's not clear, what areas of your life do you not have what you want?  That is likely an area where you feel unworthy, but may not identify it as feelings of unworthiness.

In Peace and Love,

Sarah

Visualization in Action

I was looking through my journal entries from 4-5 months ago recently.  I had forgotten about this, but it was a powerful reminder of the power of visualization.

Four months ago I was unemployed and applying for jobs.  My savings was nearly gone and the only way I knew to get an income was to get a job.  So I applied for many.

While looking and applying, and perhaps even slightly before that, I was at an event in a building, and from where we were seated at the tables on the main floor, you could see the offices on the second floor - their windows overlooked where we were.  I distinctly remember looking at one office, a rather large one.  I could see the desk and chair.  I could see a large poster or picture hung on the wall.

I don't know why, but that appealed to me.  I wanted an office like that.  I wrote about it in my journal.  I wrote that for some reason, I felt that I wanted to work in an office.  I wanted my own desk and window.  I wanted to hang my posters and pictures on the walls.  I could see myself in an office like that.

Yet, I had never worked in an office before.  I've worked in schools, and a variety of retail shops, but never an office.  And never a multi-floor office.

In my journal I also wrote that I felt like I was too late.  I wanted this experience of working in an office, with my own desk, window, etc, but I felt like I was too old to get in that game.  I felt like the people who had those cool offices had started out in an entry level position, and worked their way up to that office.

But wouldn't you figure... the job I got (I got hired at the end of February and started March 3rd)... I got my own office, with a desk and a window!

I got what I had visualized and desired.  I got it.  That is the power of visualization and of setting your intentions and desires.

I remembered that this has occurred for me throughout my life.  I usually didn't know how it would happen, and often I didn't really expect it to happen, but many things that I desired did come to pass for me.

From wanting a little, fluffy dog, but already having two big dogs and not really looking to adopt... I found my little Betty at the humane society and adopted her!  To various relationships I've called into my life.

In college, I wanted a fairly casual, yet deep relationship.  I remember writing in my journal that I knew I wasn't ready for anything too serious, but I wanted a relationship.  That's exactly what I got.  Four years ago I felt ready for that marriage-bound relationship finally, and a few months after I started saying affirmations for that, I met the man I will be marrying in just over a month.

Shifting to jobs, when I was teaching, I knew I didn't want to be a teacher, but I didn't know what else I would want to do.  By chance, I saw a sign language interpreter at my sister's basketball game.  That experience stuck with me, and I never forgot it.  After I decided to quit my teaching job, I found a very good ASL program just a few miles from my house!  I enrolled, making it in just a couple weeks before the deadline for that semester.  The timing was perfect.

Then, when I finished that program, I desired a job as an interpreter.  Though I wasn't sure my skills were good enough, and I didn't know how to go about getting a job in that field.  In a chance encounter, I ran into a woman I knew from one of my sign language classes (we just had 1 class together and were not more than acquaintances).  She was working as an interpreter for a school district and knew they were hiring.  She told me she would put in a good word for me.  I applied for the job, and got it.

See, the Universe takes care of us.  If we are clear about our intentions and desires, the Universe has the power to conspire and bring together events and people to help us.

What's Your Target?

I read an article by Dr. Phil in O magazine a couple days ago.  It's actually from the May 2014 magazine, so if you subscribe, you can find it there.

Dr. Phil says we "have to name it to claim it."  He discusses how so many people just want to "be happy," yet they haven't defined what that means to them.  What will MAKE them happy?

To quote Dr. Phil: "You've got to have a goal in mind, or you will never have the opportunity to claim it.  Once you have an idea of your true priorities, you can catch yourself before you do anything that doesn't move you toward that target. And that's a key word here -- target.  If you don't have one, then you're like an unguided missile, and who knows where you're going to land."

Have you ever felt like that?  Asked yourself the question, "How'd I end up here?"  Well, it's because you weren't focused on your target, or likely didn't have a target at all.

First step: Define WHAT you want for yourself in your life.  What is important to YOU?  What lights you up, drives you, or makes you want to get out of bed in the morning?

I firmly believe that we're all here for a reason; a purpose.  Each of us has a message to share.  And until we figure out what that is, and find a way to share it that is in line with our true selves, we'll go on feeling unfulfilled.

I believe that is why I have bounced from one job to the next... I've been continuously searching for how to fulfill my purpose in life.  I've been trying to figure out my unique message, and how to share it.  So I followed interests, which led me into a variety of jobs and industries, only to feel that familiar feeling of unfulfillment once I'm there a few weeks or months.

But I beleive that's part of the process.  Sure, some people "get lucky" and tune into their personal message at a young age and hop right on that train.  But others (like me), bounce around a while until they find it.

I think the key is, if you're feeling unfulfilled or unhappy with some aspect of your life, then there is more for you.  Keep looking.  Stay open.  Be willing to make changes.

As Dr. Phil encourages too: "The most you will ever get is what you ask for - so be bold enough to reach for what's truly important to you.  You deserve more, and you can have more, but first you have to name it to claim it."

"The most you'll ever get is what you ask for." 

I think that's a very important concept to understand.  If you're content with less, with "settling," then by all means, stay where you're at.  But if you're feeling that urge deep inside... that urge to do more, be more, that something isn't quite right... listen to that and respect it.  That's your Spirit guiding you.

And remember, you don't have to make major changes right away.  Take little steps if that's more comfortable for you.  And honestly, that may be the wiser course of action too.  But take steps.  Don't give up on yourself.  You have passions and dreams inside of you for a reason!

Take some time to narrow down what's really important to you... focus your target... and let that be your yardstick to help you make choices moving forward.  If something is a step towards your target (dream), take it!  If it's not, let it go and move on.  

I'd love to hear what your target(s) is/are!  Listening to other people's dreams and life paths is so interesting to me, as is helping in any way I can. Feel free to leave a comment below, or find me on Facebook (Sarah Noel), or Twitter (SarahNoelAuthor).  I'm working on creating a Facebook page dedicated solely to "Be You. Live Your Dream!"  I'll let you know when that's up.

In peace and love,

Sarah

Melt-Downs are Big Indicators

I had my first melt-down at my new job today.  I still say "new" even though I've been there over 3 months at this point.

Fortunately I was alone in my office, with the door closed, and no one knew about it.  But I knew.

This isn't unusual for me.  The longer I continue down a path that it's my spiritual path, a melt-down is eminent.  It's only a matter of time.  I'm just a little surprised, still, at how short of a time I needed this time for the melt-down to occur.

When we're doing things that are 100% aligned with our true Self, our Spirit, our destiny...whatever you want to call it... life is great.  We feel happy and at peace.

And when we do things that are out of line with our purpose or our mission in this life, we feel that too.

Usually that presents itself in the form of anger or sadness.  Sometimes it's a complete melt-down/tantrum.  Other times it's a slow-building sadness, depression, or general malaise or apathy for life.

Think about yourself.  How do you feel after you've been doing something for some period of time that isn't what you want to be doing?  Do you find that your fuse is shorter?  That you're more easily prone to angry outbursts?  Or do you, like me, feel like you could burst into tears at any given moment, with the slightest trigger (or sometimes no trigger at all)?

That's how I've always known, for sure, that I'm off track.  The tears are my guide.  My tell-tale sign.

There are things that come up in the course of life that aren't ideal.  That's to be expected.  There are aspects of life that you'll have to deal with that are unpleasant, unwanted, and a huge pain.  And sure, sometimes those things can cause temporary sadness or anger as well.  But that's not what I'm talking about.

The key word there is temporary.

Say you get in a car accident - a minor fender bender.  It's the last thing you want to happen.  It's a huge pain.  It likely disrupts not only your day, but your week, or even longer, depending on how long it takes to get the repairs done, and deal with insurance.  But then it's over.

Compare that to a relationship or a job.  Those are day in-day out parts of our lives. When we're not in the right relationship or the right line of work, it will eat away at us over time.  It won't go away.  The feelings aren't temporary.

That's how you know.  That's how I've always known, without a doubt, that a change needed to be made.  When the sadness doesn't go away (at least surrounding the aspect of my life that's out of line... in other parts of my life I will likely be very happy).

I hit that point today in my job.  I know.  No doubt left.  I am not built to work a traditional job.  I'm a writer.  That's when I've been truly happy and at peace with what I'm doing for a living -- when I was writing.

I had this same revelation when I realized teaching wasn't for me.  I had finally found the most ideal possible teaching situation (for me anyway).  And yet, the feeling that there was something else I was meant to do just wouldn't leave me.  I was not happy and there was no getting around it.

I'm at that place with my current job.  It's the most ideal possible job (again, for me).  Yet, I can't shake that feeling that I'm meant for something more.  That this just isn't it.  

Have you felt that way in your life?  What did you do about it?  What did it take for you to realize you needed to make a change?  Have you made that change yet?

I am grateful for my melt-down today because it left no doubt.  When I finally do leave my job I'll be able to do it knowing it's the right decision.  That I gave it a shot, and it's just not for me.

When I leave my job is still to be determined.  The fact is, I still need the paycheck.  And I am grateful for the steady paycheck my job provides.  My intention is to remain at this job until I have secured another source of income to replace it.

When that will happen, I have no idea.  I'm hoping sooner rather than later, but I am practicing faith in the Universe.  Remember, everything that occurs in our lives is for us.

I have learned a great deal at my job already, in just 3 short months.  And apparently I still have more to learn.  I believe when we've learned the lesson, life graduates us to the next lesson.

Before I conclude this post, I want to make another point.  Even when we find ourselves in situations we'd rather not be in, remember we got into them in the first place, for a reason.  We had something to learn.  The Universe had something to show us or teach us.

I believe I needed to learn, once and for all, that working a traditional job isn't for me.  I had thought that before, but then I had my doubts.  And I found myself wanting a traditional job again.

So I got one.  How's that for the Universe providing for us?  If I could have hand picked all the aspects of a job that I consider ideal, put them together, and come up with a single job that contained them all, I would have ended up with the job I have now.  The Universe gave me exactly what I wanted.

And I learned the lesson.

That's what life's all about.  Taking things one step at a time.  Learning the lessons as they come up.  And continuing to learn and grow into the person we're ultimately here to be.

As long as we remain open.  As long as we continue to learn.  As long as we return to love, and focus on all that is Love in our lives... We will be just fine.

Let the melt-downs be the indicators in your life that they're intended to be.  Don't beat yourself up for them. Accept them.  Allow them.  Use them.

Melt-downs are just a sign pointing us where we need to go.

Stay Open and Live in Love.

In Peace and Love,
Sarah  

Follow the Energy, One Step at a Time

I read a short article/story today on Henri Juntilla's blog that fits nicely with what I've been thinking and feeling lately.  I'm not sure if the story was true or not, but the message is still the same, regardless.

A man in his early 30s was unhappy in his corporate job. Despite never feeling like he fit into the traditional working world, there he found himself.  He made good money and had a secure position. But he wasn't happy. He felt like his soul was dying.

One night, unable to sleep, he decided to organize his closet (an activity he found soothing). He came across an old notebook that he had written thoughts and dreams in many years ago. He began writing in that notebook again.

The man continued to work his corporate job, but also continued to write in his notebook, as well as on a blog he started. In little ways he did things that brought him joy and peace (his writing).  Henri called it "following the bread crumbs."

Henri also reminded us that we don't have to know our passion right this minute. We don't have to figure out our life's dream before we take a single step.

If you're unhappy with an area of your life right now, just do something.  That's it.  Something.  One little thing that is in the direction of where you might want to go.  You don't have to have it ALL figured out.  Just take a step.

As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "You don't have to see the whole staircase; just take the first step."  

After I wrote the post from yesterday, I still felt in a funk.  I had orignally sat down to work on my latest fiction novel, but decided to check out that writer's forum first.  After reading the negativity I found there, my desire to write my novel was gone.

I sat, somewhat stunned, unsure of what to do.  Then I suddenly felt the urge to work on a non-fiction book I started several months ago, but haven't touched since.  So I pulled up the file and started working on it again.  My excitement was back!  Just like that.

That's often how it is.  Excitement that we felt just moments before can suddenly vanish.  But many people stay in that place of disappointment and not knowing what to do, instead of taking another step, perhaps in a different direction.

Wayne Dyer says it too: "Follow the energy."  

Our energy is our Spirit guiding us.  Our passion.  We're all made up of energy... of Love.  Pay attention to when you feel, and don't feel, energy (aka Love) in your life.  Where you do feel the energy and interest... follow it!  Do whatever it is you feel energized to do.  And where you feel no energy, look at how you can make a change in that area.

In peace and love,
Sarah

How to Get Past the Envy

Let me start off by admitting that I do not have the answer to the question that is the title of this blog: "How to get past the envy?"  It's an on-going question in my own mind, so I figured I would blog about it, as that has always helped to provide clarity and guidance.

It's ironic because I just wrote a week or so ago about being genuinely happy for others' success.  That by being happy for them, and sending out happiness, you are guaranteeing that you will receive happiness and success in return.

That's a fantastic concept, idea, and theory.  And I do believe in the merit of it.  But that doesn't make it easy.

Just now I was perusing a writer's forum, looking for marketing advice for novelists.  While I did not find any great marketing gems, I did find a good dose of negativity, mixed in with others proclaiming the success of their novels (aka: selling thousands of copies each month!).

I have to admit, after the short few minutes I spent in that forum, I was feeling down.  I probably will not return to that forum for a very long time, if ever again because of that.

When I read the posts from authors sharing their own successes, I would love to say that I felt nothing but heartfelt happiness for each one of them.  However, that's not the case.  I felt happy for them after I reminded myself that that was what I was supposed to feel, but my first feeling was envy.

Thoughts such as, "Why aren't my books selling like theirs?" "What am I doing wrong?" "Maybe I'm not cut out to be a novelist after all." "What if I never make it?" ran amok through my head.

The truth is, I want sales like they claim to have (thousands each and every month).  That is my goal.  That would enable me to live off my writing.  So to read of others achieving that goal, made me more envious of them, than happy for their success.

I am happy for other writers' success though.  I am.  (Do you believe it yet, because I'm not sure I do.)

For me, this is one of the hardest parts of life.  Dealing with not getting what you want, while others get what you want, and maintaining the good spirits and positivity to keep pushing onward anyway.

I know I'm not alone here.  I have a teacher friend who is looking for a new position in a new school district.  She's very qualified and a great teacher.  Yet, she continues to get turned down for positions that she applies for, and other (seemingly not as qualified) applicants get hired.

I have no doubt no matter what your profession or what it is you're going for, disappointment isn't a foreign concept.  Watching others succeed while you continue to flounder, struggle, and "find your way" is a common facet of life.

One of my favorite types of stories are stories of how now-successful people made it - especially when the story includes the early times of struggle and rejection.  I identify with those stories.  I'm still in the early times of struggle, so reading how they "made it out" and achieved the success they were aiming for, is very inspiring for me.

If you want something bad enough, you're not going to give up on it.  And if you don't give up, chances are, it'll happen for you eventually.

A couple tidbits of stories I read recently:  Morgan Freeman didn't achieve success as an actor until he was in his 50s!  Scottie Pippen only made his college basketball team as an equipment manager!  Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.  Sidney Poitier was told at one of his first auditions that he should stick with washing dishes.  Wayne Dyer was told that he didn't have potential as a speaker or author.
There are so many stories like that.  The reason is, it's such a common human experience.

Sure, there are those people for whom success seems to just fall into their laps.  Who hit a home run their first time up to bat.  But if you have noticed, those types of people don't seem to make it long-term.  They might hit it big right out of the gate, but they tend to self-destruct.  There are plenty of those stories as well.

I think the point to remember is everything happens for a reason.  That is something I have always believed.  We are where we are at this moment because it's where we're supposed to be at this moment.

If you have a dream, a desire, within you, then it is possible for you to achieve.  You wouldn't have the desire if it weren't within the realm of possibilities for your life.

These are the things I also have to remind myself.

So to circle back to the title of this post: How to get past the envy?  Just keep on movin'.  Recognize that envy just came up in you, let it go right on out of you, and return to the state of peace, happiness, and love.  Even if you have to remind yourself to return to that state!

That's how we all learn.  Through making mistakes (such as feeling envious), and continuing to practice whatever it is (thinking happy thoughts and wishing others well, sincerely).

And whatever your dream is.... Keep moving towards it.  Some days huge leaps are made, other days it's all we can muster to take a tiny step.  But keep steppin'!  Each step you take, each action you do, brings you that much closer to your dreams.

So keep an open heart.  Keep an open mind.  Be grateful for where you are right now.  And keep moving in the direction of your dreams.

In peace and love,
Sarah        

Do It YOUR Way

One of the things I'm learning from the book, "The Power," by Rhonda Byrne, is that our lives can go any number of ways.  Things can unfold in countless different scenarios.  How things go are due, in large part, to how we think they'll go, and our belief about life and everything in it.

One take-away from this is to not take someone else's reality as your own...if it's not what you desire or see for yourself.

There are people all over the place telling you what to do and how to do it.  Most of them are doing so with the best of intentions.  They genuinely want to help others by sharing what they've learned along their path.  And that's great.  We certainly can learn a lot from other people.  As they say, You don't need to reinvent the wheel.

But, be careful of assuming how things went for someone else is how they'll go for you.

I'm a writer.  My dream is to make a living through my writing, and even more specifically, through my fiction novels.  That is my dream and my goal.

I enjoy hearing other people's "how I made it" stories.  But how Stephen King "made it," or how Jodi Picoult "made it," or how any other successful novelist "made it" could be (and likely will be) different from how I "make it."

I know part of what launched Nicholas Sparks's career is when a producer bought the rights to make his novel, "The Notebook," into a movie.  Nicholas was also using an agent in that process.  I also read that Hugh Howey launched his series, "Wool," with a few short stories that he priced very cheaply on Amazon, for kindle.  People bought them, loved them, and demanded more.  Sales took off.

Just those two successful writers alone may have different advice to aspiring writers.  One may advocate for finding a good agent, the other may push for self-publishing and pricing low, so more readers can afford to buy your books.

The same can be true for you, in whatever career path you're in, or want to be in.

Each of us has to tune into our own guides.  I believe it was Liz DiAlto who wrote a recent article about spirit guides on TheDailyLove.com.  Every one of us has our own unique guide.  Whether you believe in angels and spirit guides as such doesn't matter.  We all have our inner intuition.  That is, or should be, our ultimate guide.

Other animals follow their intuition every second of their lives.  It leads them to water, shelter, food, and keeps them safe from danger.  But humans have developed a bad habit of ignoring our inner voice, in favor of thoughtful reason and analyzing.

Analyzing and reason have their place, certainly.  But I believe we need to tune more into our intuition, and use that as our guide more often.  Even if our reasoning mind may not understand right away.

I think that's a hang-up for a lot of us.  Intuitively, we can know what to do in an instant.  But once we get our minds involved, it gets muddy.  We become uncertain and unclear.  Then we try to think ourselves out the doubt and into clarity... when we came from a place of clarity to begin with.

This is what I'm trying to do in regards to my career as an author.  I'm still listening to webinars, reading articles, and open to suggestions and input.  But I'm trying to listen to my inner voice above all others.  Do what feels right for me, whether someone else thinks that's the way to go or not.

It's not easy.  But the reason it's not easy is because we are absolutely inundated with input from outside sources.  And everyone claims to have the proven "keys to success."

So my encouragement to you (and myself) is this:  Listen to YOU more.  Tune into YOUR inner voice, inner knowing.  Do what feels right to you.  Find your path.  Do it YOUR way.

You have every bit of likelihood of succeeding doing it your way as following someone else's advice. Believe in yourself.  Trust your inner spirit to guide you towards your own success and happiness.

In peace and love,
Sarah