Adopting an Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude is all about appreciating the things we have in our lives. The fact that you’re breathing and reading these printed words is a marvel in itself. Are you aware of all the goodness around you? Is your attitude primarily one of gratitude or do you whinge about everything? (The word “whinge” is British and means: To complain or protest, especially in an annoying or persistent manner. Being an ex-patriot from England I love to throw in the odd Anglicism.)

Gratitude is a wonderful way to return to our natural state of happiness. By noticing what’s right instead of what’s “wrong”, and we can see every “problem” as an opportunity for growth and development. Adopting an attitude of gratitude neutralizes negative feelings. If we feel scared, gratitude returns us to trust. If we’re engaging in a full-blown pity-party, gratitude reminds us of our true fortune and blessings. If we feel off-center, gratitude grounds us in what’s important. If we’re feeling wonderful about everything, gratitude enhances those feelings.

Have you considered adopting an attitude of gratitude as a way of life? Perhaps this is a challenge for you right now because of difficulties you’re currently experiencing. The fact is, each of us has the choice to focus either on what’s not working in our lives or to focus on all we’re grateful for. The beauty of adopting an attitude of gratitude, even when our lives are not exactly where we want them to be, is that our improved attitude supports us in making changes to create more happiness in our lives. As you practice adopting your new attitude, feel grateful for the changes you want to make. Give thanks in advance. Demonstrate faith that you know better things are coming your way.

Here are some tips to help you get started as you adopt an attitude of gratitude:

1. Start or restart an attitude journal, listing all the things in your life to be grateful for and which you take for granted. Add all the things that you could not survive without, such as sunlight, air, water and food. Refer to this list whenever you’re upset.

2. Pick up the phone, or send a card to tell someone just how much you appreciate them being in your life.

3. Take time to experience the wonder and beauty of the world around you. Stop and smell the roses.

4. Focus on what’s right in your life rather than what’s wrong. Count your blessings and be thankful.

5. Smile and say “thank you” as often as possible. People love to feel appreciated.

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. --William Arthur Ward

If you haven't been to the revised dare2create site I invite you to check it out.

Are you Happy, Joyous and Free?

Is life showing up for you the way you want it to? Are you happy, joyous and free or merely scraping by? If life is not showing up for you the way you want, there’s something you can do about it! You may not be able to change your actual circumstances, however you can change your thinking about the circumstances. After all, it’s not the actual circumstances that cause us to be happy, joyous and free--it’s our thinking. And the exciting part is that we always have control over our reactions. Think about this for a moment--really think about it.

If you’re not master of your thoughts, who is?

The miracle of this is that when we become aware that we’re always at choice about how we respond to any situation, we can begin to choose thoughts that support us, rather than those which keep us locked in a state of unhappiness.

Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science, had a saying: “Change your thinking, change your life.” This simple statement holds the key to manifesting a happy, joyous and free life, regardless of our circumstances. All happiness, all joy and all freedom begins within each of us. It begins as thought.

Such a simple statement, and yet our minds like to get in the way and tell us surely it must be more complicated—surely there is more to it. In our technological, scientific age we trick ourselves into believing something must be really difficult if it is to bring rewards. Often it’s the simplest things that take the most discipline and practice. When we let go of negativity, by changing our thinking, miracles abound. When we surrender to the good that God has for us, miracles abound. And it all begins with our thinking—choosing to see the good, choosing to embrace the good and choosing to let this be our guiding light in all our actions and reactions.

The really exciting thing about this is that PEACE, what so many of us long for, not only in ourselves, but also in the world, begins as thought. As we choose to change our thinking about any situation from negativity toward neutrality we contribute to peace. Where does peace begin? It begins as thought. It begins within each of us. It begins with us aligning ourselves to be happy, joyous and free, it begins with us actively choosing to release thoughts that do not serve us to be in alignment with peace. It begins with us choosing to consciously know that we have a choice over every single reaction we have. It begins with us when we take the focus off of what others are doing or not doing and turn the focus to ourselves to ask what thoughts am I holding on to, what thoughts am I choosing to believe that do no longer serve me? What thoughts am I aligning with which limit my peace?

We can’t change what other people are focusing on, but we can certainly choose where we put our attention.

There is a power for good in the universe and you can learn to use it!

By the way if you have not been to dare2create for a while I invite you to visit. The site has been redesigned in the format of an internet TV show to assist and showcase those who dare2create a life they love and a world they desire to live in! Your comments and feedback as well as sharing the dare2create site with others is most graciously appreciated.

Blessings of love and peace always,
Mitzi

Have you been lagging?

I can't believe how much time has gone by since I last did a post. 2007 seemed to just fly by. At one point I was teaching 5 Secrets classes a week. It was amazing and incredible. Then towards the end of 2007 things slowed down somewhat. Right now I don't have any Secrets classes scheduled but I'm sure I'll be doing some more in the Spring. So many people have been asking me about them. If you want to take the class right now check out http://www.dare2create.com/ for the Secrets of The Secret home study course and go at your own pace.

So have you been getting a slow start to the year? If so you're not alone. Last year so many of us were really clear when 2006 ended exactly what we desired to manifest and had very clear goals and intentions as we went into 2007. Not so for many for us as we went into 2008. Many of us have been exploring inner journeys and reconnecting with that deep place of contemplation, wondering why it seems like we are taking a while to get going in this New Year.

If you've been feeling that way, the first thing I can do to reassure you is to tell you that you're not alone. Globally, we're sitting on the precipice of some interesting energy right now. A lot of things have "been up" for people in their lives as they have been releasing what's no longer serving them. We've been called into a new level of awareness and vibration and that which is not in alignment with this newer vibration is being released. Sometimes this process occurs easily and sometimes it is more challenging. This particular "ascension" into the new vibration has been challenging for many people. We've been releasing that which we are consciously aware is not serving us and also doing some really deep work as we've been releasing that which is no longer serving humanity as a whole. Fortunately we're just about through this process for now. At last, over 2 weeks into 2008 we're finally being able to concentrate enough to get down to the business of being in the New Year. For a while it may have seemed like we were lost in a maze of introspection and that the entire year was going to be spent in limbo. Now the veil has lifted, we are recharged and ready to embrace our new awarenesses. Thank you God!

So celebrate and pace yourself. You may have emerged from this last respite with lots of energy, brimming with ideas and creativity. Remember not everything has to be completed in one day. Enjoy your gradual emergence from the cocoon and give thanks for you are indeed undergoing an incredible transformation into a beautiful butterfly and there is much for us to pollinate as we collectively dare2create a 2008 which is truly great.

Is Your Attention on Your Intention?

Greetings Friends,

How do you desire to feel?
What are you desiring to manifest?
Is your attention fully on your intention?
Or does it frequently get diverted, re-routed and side-tracked?

It's not possible to be looking up while looking down.
We're either advancing in the direction of our dreams,
Or we're retreating from them.
Period.
We're never just doing nothing.
Either our thoughts, and energy is in alignment, or it's not.
It's not rocket science.
It's a law.

The law of attraction.

We're either drawing more of what we desire into our life,
Or we're focusing our attention away from what we desire.
We're either focusing our energy on what we want, or
Leaking our energy on what we do not want.

So where might we be leaking energy?
Unforgiveness
Old hurts
Blame
Expectations
Resentment
Anger, anger, anger
Entitlement
Judgment
Gossip
Bad-mouthing others
Victimhood
Jealousy
Envy

And many more...
All synonymous with a thousand names for
FEAR.

It's important to remember we always
Get to choose what our reaction is to any situation.
We can choose reactions that leak our energy and spend
Non-replaceable minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, even years
Focusing, in minute detail, what's wrong with us, our families, friends,
Communities, country and OUR world.

OR

We can choose
To release habits and behaviors
That distract us from what we really desire to
Create on this journey that we're all on together.
This journey of sizzling adventure in which our daily choice
To create a personal heaven or hell has implications beyond
What any of us can ever possibly comprehend.


It's all about choice
About taking a stand
And making a decision
To proactively dare2create
A life we love and a world we
Desire to live in-- Right here, right now
Today.

It's about courage,
Courage to explore
With rigorous honesty
What we're holding onto
that is taking up precious space
For that which we truly desire to manifest.

It's not just about us,
It's about answering a call
To create a world of changing
Consciousness... to create a world
In which we use the resources we each
Have... our minds, our thoughts, to build
And usher in an uncharted, unprecedented
Era of co-operation, love, truth, freedom and peace...

And it begins with the choice to choose
Peace within each of our souls at this very second.

Because if it's possible for one then it's possible for
Us all as we are ONE... one mind, one consciousness
And the time has come, as the Walrus said, to begin with
The end in mind.


So here's to freeing up space!
To the great uncluttering of the mind
Here's to rigorous honesty and courage
To look at what's keeping us from what we truly desire...
To willingness to discard what might have been hanging out for eons.
To living in alignment with what we desire to create in our lives and
In Our World.

Here's to PEACE
And here's to you and me!
It begins now, at this very moment
As we focus our attention fully on our intentions.
And choose to move out of leaking our energy to what we don't want.

And here's to having the passion to follow our convictions. :)

Groundhog Day and Freedom

Greetings Friends,

Remember the movie Groundhog Day, with Bill Murray as a sarcastic television weatherman who, by a twist of fate, is forced to relive one day of his life over and over? It's a feel good movie that many of us enjoy watching again and again, with many wonderful messages.

Now I could go into a huge section here about all the different meanings that can be found in this movie. Or I could go with the simple and the obvious: Change must come from within. Now, I know you've heard this many times before and yet it is one of the most profound and freeing realizations any of us can have and put into practice. Ah there's the rub....putting it into practice...releasing the desire to change others in any way, shape or form and concentrating only on ourselves.

As you are reading this today I invite you to go within and ask: What must change within me so that I am the person I truly desire to be?

Spend a few moments in silent reflection and the answers will be revealed.

Or like Bill Murray in the movie repeat the same thing over and over until, like Bill, you are done with that and look within to find out what needs to change in you. And that is where real freedom lives.

Freedom from having to control anyone or anything else. The Law of Attraction gives that right back. In freeing others we are automatically liberated and given the freedom to just allow ourselves to fully be too! What a gift!

Happy Groundhog Day :)

Reframing Negative Triggers

Greetings Friends,

What's on your Vision Board? What are you desiring to attract into your life this year? Are you focusing on possibility or are you stuck in the "HOW in the world is that going to manifest?"

Do little things trigger you into the "Oh, see someone else is already doing that," syndrome of jealousy and unworthiness?

Or are you staying in the FEELING that you desire to have from what you are wanting to attract?

It's really easy to let our guard down and let our negative thoughts have just an inch. When we do this they often take over and ruin our entire day. When you find this happening STOP and ask yourself what this line of thinking is accomplishing. Then ask yourself what you desire to FEEL right now.

A clue is it's usually the exact opposite of whatever the current negative feeling is.

For example seeing a book similar to one you desire to write on Amazon.com might trigger the immediate response of anger/frustration/jealously. The opposite of these triggered negative responses would be CALM, EASE, and HAPPINESS.

Try saying a reframing statement such as:

Thank you that this book has just appeared. This reassures me with there is a market for what I'm desiring to write about. Thank you for the Ease in which I found this book--others will be directed to find mine with similar Ease and I accept this Ease flows through me as I easily write my book. Thank you for the author who has written this book, for it so beautifully sets the stage for what I am creating and just reaffirms the need for other books on this subject. I now release any anger / frustration/ jealousy that has been triggered and step fully into my desired feelings of CALM, EASE, and HAPPINESS.

Allow yourself to really get into the FEEEELING space of these emotions--it will transform those negative triggers immediately.

Oneness of 100 at the Labyrinth

Greetings Friends,

Yesterday approximately 100 of us gathered for the 6th Annual Celebrate the New Year with New Thoughts Labyrinth Visioning and Walk. What an amazingly powerful experience we shared. We released 2006 and set our intentions for 2007 and walked the labyrinth together. Yes, all of us were in the Labyrinth walking at the same time! What an incredible vortex of peace, harmony, cooperation, love and oneness. Truly, it was like a microcosm of our world working wonderfully. We gathered our energies and the spirit of peace and released these as blessings for not only ourselves and each other but also for our entire planet. Thank you so much to all who participated. If you were there I would love to hear some of your responses. Please feel free to add your comments to this blog. I'd also love to hear from you as the year progress about how your particular word (mine is Serenity) is showing up in your life. When you are wondering how to accomplish the intentions and goals you set remember to go to the feeling place of your word. Release the how and stay in the feeling. If you get disconnected from that feeling go back to the place where we were all in the labyrinth together or when we were all circled around it at the conclusion of the walk. Thank you for the blessing you are. The present of your presence was a very precious gift to me yesterday.


Blessings to everyone for a very happy, healthy, prosperous, successful, peaceful, joy-filled 2007. Let's Dare2create our best year yet!