by Terry Crump

Have you ever been astonished when an individual responds to inquiries about how s/he is doing with, “I am well,” despite significant pain or serious disease? In these types of situations, we might think, “Oh she’s trying to keep a positive outlook; he’s hoping for the best. “ If we are honest with ourselves, more often we tend to be critical, privately thinking that this person should just acknowledge that s/he is struggling, deal with reality, “Stop frontin’!”  It’s easy to embrace the popular cultural viewpoint focusing primarily on one aspect of the self—the physical self, that which can be seen. It’s the same perspective that may overvalue aesthetics and physical appeal while minimizing internal characteristics and traits. But what about the Spirit and/or Soul of a person? Is it possible for one’s Spirit and Soul to be well even in dire circumstances and challenging life experiences? Are some people electing to attend to that which cannot be seen, to those things that may actually be more salient to them and to their survival? Can you feed the Spirit, nurture the Soul, and celebrate life even in the face of the most adverse situations? 

Undoubtedly, yes!  However, first we must adopt a more whole and less reductionist view of ourselves. We are more than just our bodies, with or without its frailties, or appearance, or skin.  These are aspects of our being that don’t necessarily define us. They don’t represent the essence of who we are. Parts of the self may be encountering very challenging circumstances and yet one’s Spirit and Soul can thrive.  It’s the duality of wellness.  If we recognize that a person may present as physically healthy and strong, and yet be suffering emotionally, conversely, one may actually be well and have Lupus or Parkinson’s (pick any feared condition). This is the paradox of being well with illness. 

The challenge for us is to embrace more consistently a wider perspective on wellness, one that is multilayered or multidimensional. Are you emotionally well? Spiritually well? Financially well? Imagine how rich our conversations could be, how connected to each other we would feel if we truly expressed interest in all aspects of the self when we dialogue with each other.  I am not suggesting that we have to examine these intricacies each time we meet, or share all of this with everyone.  But wouldn’t it be nice to expand our thinking about wellness, be less superficial with each other, and be more health-promoting in our exchanges? One of the more apparent benefits would be to reduce isolation and increase connection.

Today, I encourage you to be well in more than just one area. Are you well? Is your soul well? Indeed, I am well.

Terry Crump, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist, board certified clinical hypnotherapist, and owner of Crump Wellness Services, is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. - Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of the book, click here.

January followed the path of New Beginnings. February expanded your awareness of self-love. March helped you cut the strings of old habits and limiting beliefs and let go. What will April bring?

One of the crucial elements on the path of self-discovery is your purpose. Who are you? What are your dreams? How do you make a difference? Those are important questions to ask as you seek your purpose.

Some of us know when we’re children. Some of us take a lifetime to discover the truth. It’s taken me over thirty years to find the answers to those questions. My purpose is to nurture people’s creativity through community. By helping women express themselves in writing, I nurture their creative spark which ignites their passion. And when I do this in community, that nurturing and creativity lights the way for many people to use their gifts and make a profound difference in the world. The F.A.I.T.H. collaborative books, workshops, and my writing group continually help me realize my purpose, and for that I am truly grateful.

What is your purpose? What were you born to do? This month, Barbara Hopkinson, Corinna Murray, Rebecca Kirson, and Linda Goodman will inspire you with their articles on Finding Your Purpose. Get ready to find yourself. 

Nanette Littlestone, CEO of Words of Passion, is an author, editor, writing coach, and publisher of F.A.I.T.H. - Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To pre-order your copy of this inspirational book, click here.

By Corinna Murray

“If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will hold on to.” – Lao Tzu

What I wish I believed when I was young, innocent, and naïve, was that there are no mistakes, only opportunities to discover new experiences and to learn from them. As a curious baby, I came into this world knowing this truth, that there are no mistakes, exploring the world through sensation and the eyes of wonder. We all did, but most of us grew up forgetting this truth, taking on the beliefs of the world and the people we lived with. We took on their definitions and their labels of good and bad, right and wrong, worthy and unworthy, and processed these through our emotions at first, identifying with the labels by how they made us feel. How we felt about ourselves and the world we lived in then became defined by our thoughts that were shaped by this outer world. We in turn tried to control this unpredictable world around us in order to “feel good” or “better.” We often succeeded in controlling things but more often than not, we didn’t. How could we? It is simply not possible to do so consistently but we labeled it anyway, as a mistake, or even worse, failure.

For many of us it takes a lifetime of examination, or for some, a crisis, to relearn this simple truth, that there are no mistakes. Everything in nature is nature and of natural consequence. Once we let go of needing things to be different in order to feel good, we can enter the present moment, experiencing it once again through sensation and the eyes of wonder. We can take on the freshness of the experience and script a new story, open to the possibilities and with a sense of adventure. When we let go and surrender to the wisdom in uncertainty, we find freedom from our past limitations and beliefs.

Consider taking time today to explore the thoughts, feelings, and sensations connected to your experience of letting go. As you go through the day, practice the fine art of detachment and let life flow. Allow yourself to shift your approach, to perhaps take a different route on your walk or drive, or perhaps simply make the choice to be calm when you might not otherwise. Notice what it feels like when you let go.

by Azizi Blissett

Fear. It grips us in ways unimaginable. Recently, my position as a Marketing Manager at an IT marketing company was eliminated. The company’s revenue decreased by over $1M in 2014 which forced the owners to cut expenses to sustain the business. I had a fleeting moment of fear that seeped in, then my mind began to imagine the possibilities of the future. 

In 2007, I started two businesses, a for-profit LLC and a non-profit entity for which I eventually secured 501©3 federal tax-exempt status. I managed to operate both businesses with a relative level of success for a few years. However, the financial and emotional setbacks I had experienced after a challenging divorce, coupled with a record-breaking Great Recession, forced me to make some tough choices. As a result, I decided to seek full-time employment with a company that could use my skills and business acumen. When I accepted the position at the IT marketing company, I remember making a promise to myself that I would not abandon my dreams of entrepreneurship. I committed in my heart that a dream deferred would not be a dream denied. In almost 4 years, I was able to reposition not only my financial well-being but also my overall value and self-worth.

I grew accustomed to shifting my energy from full-time work during the day to coaching clients in the evening, participating in teleseminars toward my coaching certification, directing and producing a TV docu-series, to writing an inspirational chapter about my life story in a collaborative book due out April 23rd. There were also times where I would facilitate workshops through my nonprofit then shift my attention to work with web designers to rebrand both my LLC and nonprofit websites. Whew! It’s unbelievable how much I was managing.

I felt a sense of relief on my last day of work. At the start of the new week, I began to move on. Then suddenly things felt different and the fear came back, but on a deeper level. Somehow I allowed my mind to believe that I couldn’t succeed and that I would end up homeless–which I am far from. On a whim, a recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn to interview for the exact same position I’d held at my last company, but with a new company and with more pay. I accepted the interview and both sides agreed it was a good fit. I was told that I would hear something within the next couple of days. After a few days, I reached back out to the recruiter and learned that even though the company thought I was a good fit, they decided to pass on bringing me onboard. 

I had a much-needed emotional meltdown. I decided to allow myself to feel the fear and whatever other emotions that surfaced. I realized that I truly didn’t want the position. I only wanted the security of not being homeless. I saw it for what it was. Fear. Nothing more. Nothing less. Then I gave myself permission to release the fear and resistance and move on.

Now I am living in a space of allowing and trusting in the possibilities of all that is to come. I am very clear about the future I want to create for myself. And I am fully capable of doing so. I learned that what we focus on expands, as the Law of Attraction reminds us. I decided to shift my perspective from what I didn’t want to what I did want to create for my life. Now I am choosing to focus on all that I have accomplished along the way and where it might lead me.

I share my experience as an inspiration to you. Remember, you get to choose the life you want to create each moment along your journey. Will you live in fear? Or will you live in the possibilities? Your freedom is in the possibilities as you find the courage to embrace the unknown and create your future.

by Judy Keating

I came home with a bad virus from out of the country and the phrase LET IT GO took on a whole new level of make it stop.

Between groans and wishes for a tranquilizer gun, it got me to pondering about letting go. Our incredible human bodies know how to let go. We shed skin, lose hair, our weight fluctuates, we lose consciousness in slumber on a routine basis, if we are blessed. All without us having to “get a grip,” “make a plan,”  or “worry” if the next breath will hit our lungs before we pass out. We don’t have to think about our body letting go of what needs to go. Our being unaware of the entire process is part of what makes it brilliant.

Allegedly, spring is coming. Yes, on March 20, 2015, spring is officially the season. With  snowmaggeden, freezing temperatures, and black ice, it is hard to imagine anything will be warm again. So how do I know this? Because nature is another miracle that, despite man’s interference, runs on a very predictable time table. Her own. I do not believe that the bulbs in the ground are complaining about the weather. We are not so lucky. We are aware of the weather, traffic, rude customer service people, and a myriad of things that bother us. IF WE LET THEM.

There is a vast difference between recognizing that something is occurring and editorializing about it in our heads where our negative emotions get nice and stirred and we do not want to let go. I was complaining loudly to anyone who would listen that I did not feel well. I was chastising my body loudly and clearly for all the pain and suffering, when more than anything it needed kindness, compassion, and time to right itself. 

So in the spirit of spring and the ritual cleaning that most people feel the urge to do, let’s open the windows of our inner sanctum and notice the things we repeat to ourselves: “I hate_____.” “So and so ALWAYS ______.” “They NEVER______.”  These declarative statements that run on autopilot direct our emotional traffic without us driving. Being certain is a dicey proposition, because what if our holding on to the way we KNOW things to be blocks us from a new perspective that would improve our lives beyond measure?

Notice what you say to yourself. REALLY listen to what you say all the time. Does your inner dialogue create possibility, loving relationships, and growth?  If not, know that your being aware, just noticing what was previously uncensored, will make a profound shift in your perspective. If you are observing what you think, you can decide to change your mind. The ultimate in letting go.