What you want

I know there is that old saying be careful of what you wish for....you just might get it.

It makes one think about what we really want in life...and how do we get it. The Universe will tell you Thoughts become things...choose the good ones...but how do you make your heart and soul connect with your mind and have good thoughts. It's a daily challenge to figure out what it is we really want.

If time has taught us anything, it's that everything we need is already there, within us. It's there for the taking, all we have to do is reach deep inside and find where it’s hidden and pull it out. As my friend Heidi said "no one else can make you happy, or complete you, it's already there INSIDE you and you just have to meet the right people who help you remember that and bring that out in you. It's all already inside of us." I may not have her quote exact, but it's the general idea of we are all we ever need and it's up to us to bring it or not.

The challenge then becomes, letting go of all our own stuff that gets in the way. Whether it is the perfect relationship, adorable family, successful career, financial stability, glowing health, or something entirely different, getting what we want drives a lot of us. Even if we're not quite sure what it is that we actually want, or think we want, we still spend our time doing all sorts of things that we think might get us there. How exhausting!

All that wanting and doing can take us far away from ourselves and takes us out of the present moment where everything happens. The end result is often discontent no matter how much of the achieved "stuff" surrounds us. Clearing out the clutter that we've built up in our lives is a good place to start. Or so I've been told.

One of the biggest complaints people have is that they just don't have time. How many times have you caught yourself saying that…is it true or is it more habit? For me personally, I tend to fill my days with events and things to do so I don’t have that elusive quiet time. When we say we just don’t have the time, what we usually mean is that we don't have quiet time. It’s time to find some quiet time to defrag your brain. One easy way to do that is to turn the radio or CD off when you are driving and notice how you feel at the end of the day. Quiet time can be found in lots of places if we look for it.

“Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, and then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart.” Unknown

When we make space, good things can happen. We've all experienced it. A simple task like cleaning the house can leave us feeling calm, relaxed, and inspired. There is literally more room to think in a clean house. Whether it is through cleaning, practice, meditation, or thoughtful planning, when we make space, the good stuff has room to come our way.

There are several easy steps you can take today to get what it is you want:

1. Be YOU. There is only one YOU on this planet. Take advantage of that. You are inspiring, creative, intelligent and capable. Spending energy trying to be like anyone else is foolish and not who you are, you are amazing just as you are.

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” Judy Garland

2. Do what you love. When doing something you love, no matter what you'd be getting paid, or think the outcome might be, not only will you enjoy yourself more, but you have a better chance of actually creating a sustainable life. Happiness is contagious.

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." Milton Berle

3. Trust your instincts.

"I feel there are two people inside of me, me and my intuition. If I go against her, she'll screw me every time, and if I follow her, we get along quite nicely." Kim Basinger

4. Work hard. No one is going to do the work for you. You have to show up every time.

"Hard work has made it easy. That is my secret. That is why I win. If it were easy everyone would be a champion." Nadia Comaneci

5. Be nice to people.

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world” Anne Frank

6. Don't listen to your critics.

"If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business." Abraham Lincoln

7. Be patient. Things might not happen in the time frame you want. Patience can be your biggest asset. Cultivate it.

“One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life” Chinese Proverb

8. Take care of yourself. Your health is a responsibility that is completely in your control.

"Every human being is the author of his own health or disease." Buddha

9. Stop complaining. If you don't like how something is, change it. We can't change everything, but we can do quite a bit about our circumstances when we drop the complaints.

"Instead of complaining that the rosebush is full of thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses." Proverb

10. Have fun. Life is too short to not enjoy the ride. If you're not having fun then what's the point?

"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun." Katharine Hepburn