This meant that I was probably going to go along crying through my day, feeling miserable and not at all in the mood to smile and be cheerful. I resented that this had to happen right now, when I had a full schedule. I wasn’t really feeling like this was an appropriate time for a meltdown!

Spend Time With Your Tears

But because I fully trust my practice, I know that the best thing for me is not to suppress or conceal whatever needs to be dealt with, but to go ahead and work through it and get things taken care of. I have to deal with whatever I have at the moment and allow myself to feel and heal as necessary. In this case it meant I cried all through my visit to the salon, before my radio show, after my radio show, during my acupuncture appointment, in my car . . . pretty much through the whole day.

Coming Out The Other Side

And at the end of it all, I knew the message of the dreams. It was simple: I needed to have a cry. Nothing more sinister than that. I had some stuff simmering below the surface, some grief and sadness I hadn’t dealt with. Eventually, it boiled up to the surface and demanded my full attention. The difference between the me of now and the me of a decade ago is that these days I know that loving myself means allowing myself to feel okay about crying, okay about expressing any feeling that I need to express. The people who witnessed my crying responded in kind with Kleenex and hugs. Amazing how that happens!

When I checked my e-mail later in the day, I noticed that a friend had sent me this Hopi prayer. Even as soon as I had unburdened myself of my emotional baggage, gifts were already starting to come back to me in an expression of the Divine. I was so moved, I thought I’d share the prayer with you, just in case you have some things in your own heart that you need to deal with and could use a little encouragement. Enjoy!

Hopi Message

“You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour. Now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered: Where are you living? What are you doing? What are your relationships? Are you in right relationship? Where is your water? Know your garden.

It is a time to speak your Truth. Create your community. Be good to each other. And do not look outside yourself for the leader. This could be a good time!

There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.

Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river. See who is in there with you, and celebrate.

At this time in history we are to take nothing personally. Least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word “struggle” from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

Sadly, we forget about the most important person in the world. We forget about ouselves. We forget about Me. Before we know it, we have run out of steam. Life becomes a habit and a chore and not the joy it was meant to be.

“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.  You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”  - Lucille Ball

Click here to view the embedded video.

Me Time

“Me Time” is the time you take to take care of yourself. It is the time you take to escape from the pressures of everyday life, to enjoy yourself, to make yourself whole. Ideally, Me Time is something you do everyday, maybe even several times a day. Me Time is anything that helps you relax and feel good about yourself. Me Time enables you to Love Yourself First.

Make Yourself Happy First

We all want our loved ones to be happy and to please our boss. But no one can give 100% if they are tired, worn out and overwhelmed. Me Time is so important because we cannot make others happy unless we are happy, first. Me Time recharges our battery and allows us to quietly focus our attention on what is really important. We become calm and centered and better able to deal with the everyday bumps along the road of life. As a result, we are able to give more of ourselves to others. Me Time is an investment in yourself, for yourself. And the dividends pay off big! The beneficiaries include our family, friends, co-workers and community at large. Have you ever noticed how when you smile at a stranger, their face lights up in a smile as well? People just seem to respond better to someone who is genuinely happy.

How To Take Care Of You

There are so many things you can do for yourself everyday to  make yourself happy. Enjoy a quiet cup of coffee in the morning before everyone else wakes up. Do some yoga stretches to improve your strength, flexibility and mental focus. Take a walk outside during lunch or go to the gym. Download music or audiobooks to enjoy during your commute. Meditate while gardening.  Play fetch with your favorite pooch. Once a month, you can splurge and treat yourself to something really special. Visit your local spa for a massage or a pedicure. If you enjoy the arts, purchase a season ticket for the symphony or a membership at the arts museum. Sports fans can do the same to cheer on their favorite team. If you’re saying to yourself right now “No, I really don’t have the time or the money to do something like that!,” remember that this as an investment in yourself. You are worth it!

What Me Time activity do you do to make yourself happy? Let us know!

You don’t need to look any further than the almost universal desire that people have for more money in order to see this concept in action. People jump through all manner of hoops in order to gain financial freedom, but even if they had a mountain of money in front of them, if they didn’t do anything with it, then it would just be a useless pile of paper.

It is not what we GET in life that matters, because life is handing us new opportunities every single day. Rather, it is what we DO with those opportunities that will ensure not only our long-term success, but our day-to-day happiness as well.

The Dream Job

Every person has their own rendition of what their “dream job” is, so what would you do if you actually attained it?

• Would you just show up for work every day, but not do any actual work?
• Would you stop working towards future success and advancements?
• Would you ignore opportunities to demonstrate the skills or experience that you used to get the job to begin with?

A “dream job” without a corresponding effort on your part to show that you are worthy of that job is nothing more than an opportunity for you to end up standing in the soup line.

The Dream Body

Yep, we’ve all pictured it in our heads at one time or another, right? Those firm muscles, tight curves, and sculpted features are things that most people give thought to, and for some people, it is an on-going quest that lasts for decades. What would you do if you got your “dream body,” though?

• Would you start eating junk food like it was going out of style?
• Would you stop exercising effectively and on a very consistent basis?
• Would you pick up every unhealthy habit that you could get your hands on?

A “dream body” is made up of both the mental and the physical work that it takes to get that body to begin with. If you stop doing that work, then your “dream body” will once again become nothing but a far off goal that you can’t quite get your hands on.

The Dream Relationship

Who hasn’t dreamed of their “soul mate” at one time or another, or at least dreamed of the guy or girl that would keep them satisfied on an emotional or physical level? That “dream relationship,” however, is not something that can be won, but then just ignored.

• If you are a certain person in the beginning of a happy relationship, do you honestly think that relationship will stay happy if you start acting like a different person?
• If you have certain goals or dreams that are shared by your significant other, but your goals or dreams change, is it your significant other’s fault when the relationship starts to crumble?
• If you are a family man or woman, but suddenly you decide to recapture your college glory days of keg parties and panty raids, do you honestly think that is going to fly?

A relationship – by definition – is made up of 2 people harmoniously sharing their life experiences. If one person changes drastically from how they were in the beginning of the relationship, the possibility that the other person will change enough to balance things out is minimal at best.

The moral of the story here is that the attainment of success – no matter how thrilling – is simply a moment in time when you realize that you have won. After that moment has passed, it is time for you to step up to the plate and consistently prove that you are worthy of that success.

Before you seriously consider these concepts, however, put your Excuse Hat in the closet and lock the door, because your excuses are what have powered your ability to get to where you presently are in life. If you want things to change, then your excuses need to go away!

All of us living the 3-dimensional existence here on planet Earth have dreams, aspirations, goals, etc., and sometimes we even make a consistent effort to see them realized. However, more often than not, people refuse to consistently do what it takes to effect long-term, positive changes in their lives. As a result, they mindlessly stay on a road that leads nowhere, in a car they don’t even want to be in, surrounded by people they would just as soon leave at the next rest stop.

What EXACTLY are you getting out of that type of situation??

Sure, it’s easy to just sit back and know that you want to lose weight, make more money, or be in better relationships, but why not take a more active role in your own happiness by simply asking yourself: “What am I getting out of the fact that this area of my life isn’t what I want it to be?”

If you’re Fat

If you are, and you’re offended right now, then that should be a huge red flag that you aren’t getting what you want out of your level of health and fitness.

Do you like how it feels to hide your body behind clothes that disguise your curves? Do you like the fact that you see people every single day who have the type of body that you want to have? Do you like the fact that your self esteem and your self confidence take a hit every time you look in the mirror? Do you like the fact that other people have something that you want, but have been unable to attain?

Unless you can answer yes to those types of questions, then what exactly is it that is stopping you from taking the consistent, long-term steps necessary to lose weight? Don’t forget – the excuses are locked in a closet right now.

For most people, that will leave them with nothing to say in their defense, because excuses are all that they have been putting their back against for all of these years.

If you’re Broke

Money might not buy happiness, but it sure does buy plenty of opportunities and freedoms that allow us to do the things that cause happiness in our lives. If you’ve been struggling with finances, what exactly is it that you are enjoying so much about that struggle that causes you to keep doing it?

Do you like never having the money to do the things you want to do? Do you like worrying about whether or not you are going to have enough money to pay your bills? Do you like creditors and bill collectors calling you? Do you like seeing other people with the material goods or experiences that you want to have, yet you can’t have because you’re broke?

Unless you can answer yes to those types of questions, then what is stopping you from cleaning up your finances, and finding abundance in your life? With your excuses firmly locked away in the closet, the only thing you should be thinking right now is: “You’re right! It’s time to finally make changes after all these years!”

If you’re Relationships Stink

You may not feel that it is within your power to magically bring Mr. or Mrs. Right into your life, but you can control whether or not you stay with your present significant other, or whether or not your present relationship includes the experiences that you want to have.

Do you enjoy having someone in your life who doesn’t treat you the way that you want to be treated? Do you enjoy feeling like you are trapped in a relationship that you don’t want to be in? Do you enjoy fantasizing about a person or a relationship that is a far cry from where you are right now? Do you enjoy clocking off the precious, limited amount of hours in your life while having a relationship status that does not bring you joy?

Unless you can answer yes to those types of questions, then why exactly is it that you don’t make the hard decisions or take the appropriate action in order to change your circumstances? With your excuses locked away in the closet, it may very well be time to start taking massive action in order to safeguard your own happiness.

Were the examples that were given blunt, and to the point? You bet they were, because that is exactly what people need to hear! The B.S. politically correct atmosphere that our world is enshrouded in does nothing but help people feel better about the fact that they aren’t willing to do what it takes to improve their lives.

So, what are you going to do now? Will you continue to be fat, broke, or unhappy in your relationships, or will you leave the excuses safely locked away in the closet and start taking control over your life?

This carnival is dedicated to the concept of stepping outside of the box and living our lives in ways beyond the “norm”!

Whether you want to learn unique ways to think or act differently, or if you want to share your own unique ideas, this carnival is for you!

This will be the final edition of the Doing it Differently blog carnival hosted at Today is that Day, so I have made this edition the most information packed edition yet!

Enjoy all of this great content, and if you like this carnival or if you are one of the authors featured in this edition, be sure to add this post to Stumbleupon, Digg, or your favorite social bookmarking site!

Self Improvement/Personal Growth

Stephen Martile – Great Friends

Sabrina Jefferson – Building Confidence By Doing

Personal Development by an INTJ – How To Solve Problems By Changing Your Frame Or Perspective

The Happy and Prosperous Blog – Self-Esteeming – Creating Self-Esteem

Never the Same River Twice – Are You Working With an Old Reality? How to Change Paradigms

Arun’s Daily Remedy – Conflicting Desires

Energies of Creation – Are You Trapped in a Brain Closet?

Relationships

Makeitbetter’s Weblog – I Hate Weddings

The Incurable Romantic – When the Lights Go Out

Conscious Flex – The Purpose of Human Relationships

Systems Thinker – Choosing Intimate Partners: To Repeat or Not to Repeat?

Parenting

David B. Bohl – How to Talk to Children

The Next 45 Years – Confessions from a Recovering Father

Homework. Dinner. Life. – Let Your Kids Stay In the Room While You Do It

Parenting Squad – Why Stay-At-Home-Dads Are Good For Families

Business/Success

Internet Business and Life at ProcessToProfits – How Are You Dividing Your Attention?

Bootstrapper – How to Telecommute Successfully: 50 Tips and Resources

Yes to Me – Are You Afraid To Express Yourself In Business?

Internet Business Coaching by Terry Dean – 7 Make Money Online Myths

Mark Riffey’s Business is Personal – Blocking time improves small business owner productivity

Don D. Morrison – Do You Have True Personal & Financial Freedom?

Get International Clients – How Information Products Sold In Foreign Markets Can Save Your Business When Your Economy Is Slow

Internet Business Guide – How To Save 2 Hours Per Day

Lee McIntyre’s Internet Marketing Blog – Low Cost Way to Get 1,000 Workers Today

Law of Attraction/Conscious Creation

Law of Attraction for Beginners – Cooking with Thought Energy

Good to Feel Good – A Secret Meditation for Law of Attraction Followers

The Environment

Phil for Humanity – Stop Watering Your Lawn

That wraps up the 18th and final edition of the Doing it Differently Blog Carnival! Many thanks to all of the most recent authors, as well as to all of the authors who have contributed in the past! I’m certain that the readers of this carnival have gotten great value from your content, so please accept my sincerest gratitude for all that you have shared!

Now, again with a show of hands, how many people have succeeded in doing so?

Hmmmm…I don’t see a lot of hands going up. Why is that, do you think?

Well, for starters, you can’t use the laws of the universe to work “magic”. Yes, it may seem like magic when the synchronicities and “coincidences” are piling up left and right, but it’s not magic, and you can’t use it to put a spell on anyone.

Sorry.