by Nanette Littlestone

Welcome to summer! July has always been one of my favorite months because of summer, the 4th of July festivities, and my birthday. I love celebrating with family and friends, eating outside, enjoying the warm nights. A wonderful scene made only more perfect if I lived by the ocean.

This month F.A.I.T.H. explores self-expression. Who are you being? Not “who are you” but “who do you say you are?” There’s a difference. 

When I was a kid I was very shy. Extremely shy. I didn’t know how to start a conversation or keep a conversation going. If you spoke to me I would answer but I didn’t know how to question or show interest in someone. And my third grade teacher told my mother to tell me that something I said hurt another kid’s feelings. So I clammed up even more.

That was the outside me. The inside me was an explorer and round-the-world traveler who yearned for adventure in distant lands. I was confident and bold, spoke numerous languages, and could hold my own with anyone. Needless to say, no one saw the inside me. 

Life is full of challenges and obstacles. All of us have faced rejection in jobs, relationships, sports, and other areas. Those rejections can depress you or make you stronger. You choose how you react. I could have stayed small and withdrawn, but my soul cried out for the real me to stand up. And after more than 50 years of hiding my opinion, I began to claim my power and my ability to speak out.

So who are you expressing? The limited you or the powerful you? Corinna Murray starts our exploration next week.

Nanette Littlestone, author, editor, writing coach, and publisher, is a frequent blogger and visionary leader behind F.A.I.T.H. - Finding Answers in the Heart, Volumes I and II. To find out more about these books, click here.

by Nanette Littlestone

Following your dreams seems like an easy pursuit at first. Your imagination creates a wonderful scene, say owning a house at the beach. You feel the sand between your toes, you smell the salt air, you walk along the shore with the sun on your back. And there in the distance is the house of your dreams, open and inviting and so very perfect. Of course you can have this. You deserve it.

But just imagining what you want doesn’t mean that you get it. Creating your desires takes perseverance and determination. You don’t get time off. All those moments when life gets in the way deter you from your purpose. And if you’re off course, how will you follow your dreams?

One of my biggest challenges is being willing to trust and surrender. I grew up learning to be independent and in control. Sometimes independence and control come in handy, but many times they’re a hindrance. If the Universe is aligning people and events for your greater good and you’re trying to do things “your” way, the greater power that is can’t do its job. 

Last month divine guidance whispered another acronym to me—B.E.S.T.—and the question “Are you doing your B.E.S.T. today?” The first thing that popped into my head was a flash from the Army advertisement “Be all that you can be in the Army.” But this wasn’t about being the strongest or toughest or most willing to fight. The acronym stands for Believe, Envision, Surrender, Take action. 

Doing your B.E.S.T. is about shifting your perspective. It’s about playing all out. It’s about shining your light. 

1. Believe – believe in who you are. Right now. You’re constantly growing and changing. Support yourself in that growth and change with good friends, spiritual companions, teachers, coaches, workshops. Engage in those activities that will nurture you and empower you. The more you believe in you, the more other people will too.

2. Envision – imagine what you want. Only you know what you desire. Only you have the blueprint inside your heart and brain. Draw it, color it, write it down. See it in living Technicolor and feel it in your body. This is how you bring it to life.

3. Surrender – once you’ve brought your vision to life, it’s time to turn it over to your higher power. We humans can only go so far with our connections and skills and abilities. But the universe has unlimited resources. When you turn over your idea to your higher power, miracles happen. So surrender and know that your highest good is taking place.

4. Take action – there are so many ways people and things can come to you. Email, telephone, a chance meeting at the grocery store, an ad on TV, a jingle on the radio, a conversation with a friend. When you’ve surrendered, you’re open to receive. Now is the time to act. Follow up on the email or phone call. Contact the person you just thought of. Take the next step.

When you imagine your dreams, remember the question “Are you doing your B.E.S.T. today?” Every time you Believe, Envision, Surrender, and Take action, you’re taking one more step on the path to fulfilling your dreams.

Nanette Littlestone, author, editor, writing coach, and publisher, is a frequent blogger and visionary leader behind F.A.I.T.H. - Finding Answers in the Heart, Volumes I and II. To find out more about these books, click here.

by Linda Goodman

Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you. ~William James

Our dreams are as unique as our fingerprints. The size of the dream doesn’t matter and it can be about family, relationships, a creative endeavor, service to others, a career with financial security, or pure joy and feeling fulfilled.  If our brains fire differently, why wouldn’t our dreams be as varied?

I view goals as the ACTION component to manifesting a dream, and (as Maslow illustrated) until we have our basic needs met, “self actualization” or finding purpose can’t be reached. Each adult chooses how to grow forward in their own way and their own time. Becoming self-aware allows one to do the difficult work within to mature one’s self for more meaning and inner potential. 

Remember your childhood dreams . . . can you dream that, again? Dreams don’t manifest in a vacuum. Once they are planted, action is required to nourish them. Even with the road zigzagging, we develop tools along the way and set our own manageable goals. Perhaps all roads are leading to fulfilling your desires. You have your own system of values that will be one of the foundations upon which you build your dream, and for a greater motivation, goals are developed out of Need rather than Curiosity. 

To help you on your path:
• Get rid of the fear, guilt, feelings of insecurity and worry that might surround your dream.  

• Find like-minded friends who will be your support group to cheer you onward.  

• Make business contacts and find mentors who can help you take the next step.  

• Network, read, explore options, continue learning.

• Write a 30-second elevator introduction of yourself and the dream. In the mirror, practice this identity of yourself. Speak it aloud, feel it, hear it, taste it, touch it, see it as a dream already manifested.  Do this more than once/daily, and BELIEVE that whatever is currently happening in your life will be a viable path to achieve your dream. 

Linda Goodman, a Mediator, Reiki Master, and Consultant/Coach, is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here.

by Maureen Roe

If only I could go back and count the times in my life that I touted myself as being logical. For the most part, I am. Logic makes sense to me and I can get behind it and follow it without a problem. So when I reached a certain age, I wondered why I seemed to walk to the beat of a different drum. In most things in life, my thinking patterns are very rational, but in certain arenas I frustrate people or make them uneasy because that logic I am famous for seems to run and hide.

In my late 30's I learned I have a balanced brain. After some testing it was determined that I use both sides of my brain equally, meaning I don't only use logic (right brain) to make a decision; I also use my creative left brain. While the linear logical thinkers saw the steps laid out, I could also see another nonlinear creative way to address the issue. This explained why I would frustrate people with my occasional indecision, especially when it was a big issue.   

Society tends to produce a lot of linear thinkers. When your life is not logical and you don't progress to the next step when expected, you will experience some unpleasantness from those linear thinkers because suddenly they won't understand you.  Ask any single lady who isn't married by the time she's 30, anyone who is married at least a year and hasn't yet produced a grandchild, someone who decides to take off a year before going to college, or someone who just can't seem to decide what they want to be when they grow up and bounce around from one career to another trying this and that.  Believe me, you will get some very interesting tirades.

For those of you out there who follow your heart, your vision, your dream, and meet this pushback from society, I applaud you. Daring to be different and following those dreams, no matter how long it takes, requires guts and lots of faith.  So often you get disheartened because your dream doesn’t come when you expect. Then judgment from family and friends starts the descent into shame, embarrassment, depression, and endless questions, all while you feel your soul urging you to continue to seek and find. Or you simply give up on your dream.

It has taken close to 40 years to see my dream coming to fruition. If you think I haven't felt embarrassed because I couldn't spell out what it was my soul was asking me to do, you'd be mistaken. But that small nonlinear portion of me allowed me to roam and explore numerous ways to accomplish what I wanted. I like to think that Thomas Edison and I have something in common. I'm not a failure. I’ve just found many ways in which to utilize my skills.

If you are struggling with a similar search for your dream, don't give up. Don't let others convince you that it has to be done in logical steps that might not be your way. Be true to your soul's calling and your authentic self. That way you can stay true to your dreams.

Maureen Roe is a Self-Expression Coach, Registered Corporate Coach, Metaphysical Minister, Ageless Grace Educator, speaker, and co-author of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here.

by Suzanne Baker Hogan
 
I am a true believer that going for your dreams is the best thing you can do in your life. I speak from experience. And from that experience, I can say that going for your dreams also requires major change. What kind of change exactly? You will have to leave every comfort zone you have created that hides your fears.  

Following your dreams means leaping into unknown territory, and old methods of safety will have to go. Your human self won’t like this one bit. Most likely, it will fight you, kicking and screaming. But keep going! You are learning to let your soul take control. 

You’ll also have to stop doing things for other people. Or, more specifically, stop doing them based on how you look to other people. It is truly scary how much we put others in charge of our power. And changing this might shock everyone around you. So be it! Eventually, they will applaud your bravery.

When you harness the courage to leap for your dreams, you grow exponentially. And it helps to know that you are already extremely courageous. Consider for a moment the courage it took for you to come here and live a human life! 

There you were in your beautiful heavenly home where you felt so loved and supported. And you said, okay, I want to grow even more. I am ready to go back to that tough, rough earth school again. You knew that it would be heartbreaking. You knew that it would be frustrating beyond measure. But most of all, you knew that it would cut you off from your true, divine nature: LOVE. 

Did this stop you? No. You signed up on the spot. 

When you follow your dreams, you will summon the same deep courage it took to come here. And you will have to let your soul guide you all the way. You must trust this guidance and let it lead you, step by step. This is so much easier than getting overwhelmed by the whole picture. Be warned, things might not look anything like you thought. Not a problem! Just have faith in the process. And know that if you fully believe in yourself and your dreams coming true, the universe always delivers. 

Dream big! Leap courageously! Because you deserve to see the deepest desires of your soul materialize in your human life. You were born to find your way to total freedom and do what you really want while on this earth. So sing the song of your soul out loud! For all to easily hear. You will be amazed at how your dreams take flight. And how much you inspire others to do the same. 

Suzanne Baker Hogan, spiritual writer and author of SharetheSpiritual.com and Twin Flame Help, is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here. 

Are you living the life of your dreams? Are you doing what you were meant to do? What you want to do?

In our society of rush, rush, do this now, bombarding emails, and nonstop marketing, it's easy to get sucked into the daily turmoil. You forget your dreams because your job, your marriage, your kids, your mortgage all take priority. And those things are all important, because they offer you safety and security and the means to reach your goals.

But what about you? What about that dream you had of traveling around the world? Or teaching kids to dance? Or being an author, painter, sculptor, songwriter?

Are those dreams less important because you're grown up and have responsibilities?

The world is changing rapidly. Our awareness is lifting. Our consciousness is elevating. All around us are possibilities for more love and happiness and joy. Don't push your dreams aside because you don't have time. Bring them out of the closet. Dust them off. Do whatever it takes to make them shine. Because now is the time for you.

This month our authors explore how to follow your dreams. So hang on to your stars because we're taking you sailing into the heavens.