This week’s call has been ruminating with me, and funny synchronicities are showing up–guiding me to not move on from this topic too quickly.

flickr @ion-bogdan dumitrescu

When I hung up, after talking about noticing obligation showing up in words like “should” or “have to”, I discovered this sweet Note From The Universe in my inbox:

No more “supposed tos,” OK, Breana?

You’re not supposed to work harder, look better, sleep less, sell more, run faster, talk slower, be happier, stay longer, leave earlier, cook, clean, negotiate, settle, start, stop, move, try, win, shake, rattle or roll.

Other people made all that up.

I love you the way you are,
The Universe

Oh, you can do any or all of the above, Breana, you so can, but you’re not “supposed to.”

flickr @david ascher

And then this article from Tiny Buddah caught my eye. In it Jordan Sibila describes the experience of striving to be more than you are, and the sense of dissatisfaction that so often plagues us–especially as American women. She says it so beautifully:

We are all engaged in this battle of the heart (truth) versus the mind (illusion).

As we discussed on the call this week: this is where the stress shows up! It is this conflict between the truth that our hearts are so naturally in touch with, and the illusion by which our mind is so easily swayed that creates the perfect incubator for rapid-growing anxiety, fear, and frustration.

She goes on to so honestly and accurately describe her path to the solution that so many of us are seeking:

After five years of living in the dungeon of desolation and desperation, I realized that the only thing keeping me shackled to sorrow and sickness was my own mind.

I realized that if I was going to insist on restricting, I needed to restrict the amount of negative self-talk I had allowed to infiltrate my mind instead of restricting the amount of food I allowed to enter my mouth.

If I was going to binge, I needed to binge on opportunities to make meaningful memories with friends and family instead of binging on anything and everything I could find in the kitchen.

If I was going to insist on purging, I needed to purge through tears, laughter, and signs of affection instead of purging up the remains of my last meal.

If I was going to be free, I needed to be authentically me.

flickr @anton burmistrov

Uncovering the layers of belief that cause stress has been for me the greatest way to move toward more authenticity. The more I can see a thought for what it is, without getting sucked into the emotions that accompany believing it, the more free I am.

I wanted to add a resource to our notes in addition to Byron Katie, whom I adore. Grace Bell is a facilitator of The Work who lives in Seattle, Washington. She hosts groups with really interesting and rich discussion topics, and sends out a wonderful daily email applying inquiry to a specific example each time. Her writing is so transparent and honest, and I learn so much from reading the universal thoughts. Check out her website and sign up for her notes to see for yourself.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me or book an exploration session if there is a way I can help you move toward your dreams today. It is my honor to help create a nation of people doing their heart’s work and serving others in bliss.

With love and bright focus,

Breana