 A picture of me after I completed the Wildflower Olympic Distance Triathlon. I want to share with you a funny story. A few years ago, I decided to do an olympic distance triathlon. This was part of a program to support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation where I committed to raise $4,000 and participants would get rigorous triathlon training. I thought I could handle a triathlon pretty easily. I had already run 5 marathons (26.2 miles each). Now I just had to add some bicycling and swimming to the mix.
For our first swimming practice, about 40 of us met at the swimming pool at City College in San Francisco. The coach told us to swim a few laps. Based on what he saw, he would divide us up into three groups - A, B and C. A's were beginners, B's were intermediate, and C's were advanced. After swimming, the coach called out the names of everyone and put them into one of these three groups...everyone, that is, except for me and one other person. The coach called us aside and said, "You two get to be in your own special group. I'm going to call you the A-plus group! You two need a little bit more training than everyone else." I'll tell you...I was a bit embarrassed, insulted and shocked. I thought, I'm not even a beginner! I'm a pre-beginner. After running five marathons, I already considered myself part of an elite group of athletes. Now, here I was, having to start again. I share this story with you because it's not uncommon to think that you're the cat's meow. You've proven yourself in some aspect of your life. You've said certain spiritual affirmations over and over, like you are prosperous, you are abundant, or you are perfectly healthy. So what do you do when reality is telling you otherwise? The simplest answer is: On the road to change, you start where you're at. One of the first conversations I have with potential clients is to ask them to be honest and real about what is happening in their lives. Eventually, we talk about where they want to go and how they want to get there. But your first steps start with where you are. I'm not saying that your present circumstances define your truth. Your circumstances do not define you. But they do provide you with the landscape. If you're not happy with where you are on the map, you look at where you are and you determine where you want to go. And then you move from there. For example: If you're not happy with your money situation, you look at where you want to go, but your first steps are determined by what's currently happening. How much are you bringing in? How much are you spending? Are you saving or investing? When you look at your money numbers, what areas do you want to grow or cut back? What habits and practices do you want to keep, and what do you want to change? What money stories are operating in your life? Be honest with where you're at, and then be intentional and deliberate in taking the steps to be that which you are called to be. Do you want to know what I did after I joined the A-plus swimming group? I decided to sign up for a beginner's swimming class at City College. I said to myself, "Let me get the basics down. I choose to be a better swimmer." On top of the training I did with the triathlon group where we swam in the cold and dirty San Francisco Bay, I learned basic swimming techniques at City College, which greatly helped to improve my swimming. On the day of the triathlon, I swam almost a mile in open waters. I may not have been the fastest, but I finished nonetheless. (The picture shows me with my triathlon medal after the race.) So here are your coaching questions for the week:
Another way of looking at this is that you're building your muscles...your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual muscles. One step at a time, one swimming stroke done correctly, maybe one choice not to have $6 mocha frappuccinos every day. Habits are built in the small steps. Your choices matter. I'd love to hear if this post resonates with you in any way. Feel free to share by commenting below. As always, my intention is to support you in living a life and creating a world you love. p.s. If this topic brings up any issues for you where you'd benefit from support, contact me directly. I offer a 45-minute Free Clarity Session with Prayer, no charge to you. Click here for more info and to schedule.  For the next 40 days, I'm saying goodbye to sweets. Goodbye, chocolate bar with almonds....Goodbye, pistachio gelato....
Why would I give up sweets? Because today is Ash Wednesday. For those of you who may not know, today marks the beginning of the season of Lent, which lasts through Holy Saturday right before Easter. Having grown up Catholic, Lent was a pretty big deal. I remember not eating meat on Fridays (which, by the way, is where Fish Fridays came from). I heard the story of Jesus spending 40 days in the desert, where he fasted, prayed and was tempted by the Devil. But the one thing that stood out most for my child-like mind was the practice of "giving up" something for Lent. Giving up something is a form of fasting, which is one of the main pillars of Lent. Usually, people think of fasting as staying away from any food or drink for a certain period of time. However, fasting doesn't have to be all or nothing. You can give up certain kinds of food or drink, like cupcakes or sodas. But fasting can include other kinds of things. For Lent, some people give up activities like Facebook, watching the news, gossiping, or negative thinking. Fasting is a powerful spiritual practice because you become conscious and deliberate with your own choices. You take a stand by saying this is what you want in your life, and this is what you don't want.
Fasting is a powerful way of saying "no" to something so that you open up the energetic in your being to say "yes" to something greater. (This is another way of activating the vacuum law of prosperity that I wrote about in my last blog post.) The power of fasting, though, is in the intention behind it. In the context of Lent, fasting provides a pathway where you can invite a deeper awareness of the presence of Spirit in your life. For example, if you decide to give up sugary sodas for Lent, your intention could be that you can find sweetness in Life itself. You don't have to belong to any particular faith tradition to join in this spiritual practice during Lent. I believe it's a wonderful act of community when everyone can consciously join together in a spiritual practice. So here's your coaching assignment for this week:
As I mentioned, I'm giving up sweets for this season of Lent. For those in the know, I absolutely love sweets, especially chocolate and ice cream. But for the next 40 days, I'm taking a stand to reclaim my health and my own power to choose, rather than having past habits control my behaviors. I'd love to hear if you're choosing to fast during Lent. Feel free to share by commenting below. Energize your intention by making a public commitment, and let's support each other for taking a stand. p.s. When you let go of behaviors or ideas that don't serve you, you create a space of possibility that might not have existed before. If you'd like some help to get clear on the vision that is seeking to reveal as your life, I offer a 45-minute Free Clarity Session with Prayer. Click here for more info and to schedule.  Yesterday, I was working on my computer and saved three new documents on my desktop. When I searched for them later on my screen, I couldn't find them. My desktop was filled with documents and files that I had been saving over the last few weeks.
My body drooped and said, "Ugh! What a mess!" I finally found the documents, up in the right hand corner, where they were stacked one right on top of the other. I couldn't see them because there was no more room for them to have their own space. One of the universal laws of prosperity is the vacuum law of prosperity. You know the saying that "the Universe abhors a vacuum"? This is also true with prosperity. In order to create room for the new and wonderful, you have to create space and remove the things in your life that no longer serve you. When you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, it probably means that there's too much to handle. Whether it's your desk, your closets, or your mind, you're probably over-stuffed! Here are two questions that you can ask yourself to activate the vacuum:
So what did I do to make my desktop screen more simple and spacious? I decided to take a few minutes to clean it up. I trashed the files I didn't need. I moved other files into their respective folders. I created new folders to capture new projects. Now, the only file folders on my desktop are current projects that I'm working on. The rest are filed away. Simple and spacious in 10 minutes. And how did I feel after doing this? Great! I breathed a sigh of relief and accomplishment. When I went back to working on a project, my mind felt clear. I had an "oomph" in my step. I didn't realize this, but that tiny bit of overwhelm in looking at this over-filled, messy computer desktop screen had been weighing me down. For your coaching assignment this week, what is one thing you can do to make your life more simple and more spacious? Here's some ideas:
Let me know if any of this resonates with you, and if you have more ideas to add to keeping things more simple and spacious. Leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you. In this month of love, I want to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day. And remember to KISS - Keep It Simple and Spacious. Abundant Blessings and With Love, Joselito p.s. After you create a vacuum, it's important that you have clarity to know what to fill that vacuum with. Otherwise, it's easy for that hole to be filled with the same stuff you didn't want. To help you with that, I offer a 45-minute Free Clarity Session with Prayer. This is my gift to you. Click here to schedule. It's as simple and spacious as that.  Have you ever been in a place in your life where all you wanted wasn't any advice, or suggestions, or direction....but simply to be listened to and understood?
Last night I led the weekly support group at Project: Service Los Angeles. We have a format where each person gets to share for three minutes. You get to decide whether or not you want any words of support or feedback. There's something very powerful about being able to show up, just as you are, and to share what's happening in your life. The good, the bad, the ugly...however you might want to frame your story. How would you feel if you could share without any fear of judgment? Even if you feel a tinge of guilt or shame, how would you feel if you knew that you were supported, no matter what? You are loved. The Beloved loves you. Right where you are. Just as you are. How do you feel when you hear these words? This isn't easy for some people to hear. If it feels strange to hear these words, read them again. Instead of the word "you," let's focus on "me." I am loved. The Beloved loves me. Right where I am. Just as I am. Let that sink in. Say it to yourself. Feel into it. How would you live your life if you truly believed this? Would you allow yourself more self-care? Would you be more daring to explore things you've never done before? Would you be more forgiving? Let's face it. We can all use a little more self-care in our lives. That's why I love chocolate, and in particular, dark chocolate. When I spend some time with dark chocolate, even just a bite, I taste the deliciousness and love of life. Chocolate isn't telling me what's wrong, or what I should do, or shouldn't do. Chocolate is there to simply be with me. To remind me that everything is okay, no matter what life might look like. That's why I love the quote in the picture: "Chocolate doesn't ask silly questions. Chocolate understands." (I don't know who actually said this, so if you happen to know, send me an email and let me know.) If dark chocolate isn't your thing, what is your "chocolate"? It doesn't even have to be food. "Chocolate" is that thing or activity that let's you know that everything will eventually be okay. It could be taking a nice bath. Or planting in the garden. Or watching the waves on the beach. Spending some time last night leading the support group was my "chocolate," and believe me, I left there feeling loved up! For your coaching assignment for this week, I want you to set aside some time to be with your "chocolate," whatever it may be. Simply remember that you are loved. The Beloved loves you. Right where you are. Just as you are. I'd love to hear what your "chocolate" is, and what you'll commit to doing this week. Post your comment below. I'd love to hear it. Here's to the divine knowing that you are always loved. |
About JoselitoJoselito is a spiritual life coach helping people create a purposeful, spiritual path to career and financial freedom. Popular Blog Articles Beware (Be Aware of) these 5 Unhelpful Money Stories How my body told me to quit my job How I was offered an all-expenses paid cruise after making my Vision Board Today I choose to live my GREATNESS You are not your stories. You are the story-teller. Your job is not your Source. Archives
October 2018
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