All About Women | Women

Novelist and poet Christopher Morley once said, "When you give someone a book, you don't give them just paper, ink, and glue. You give them the possibility of a whole new life."

One of the possibilities is the possibility of inner peace. Not only can a book transport a person to a far off land, to another time, a different space, but it can also give the gift of inner peace – a respite from the harried and hurried life they are all too familiar with.

When you need to give a gift and have no idea what to give – give the gift of inner peace. Give a gift certificate to a favorite bookstore or to Amazon.com. It’s the kind of gift that will forever be appreciated and cherished.

Give the gift of peace,
Coach Carolyn

"The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us." ~ Black Elk

When you can be peace, then there is some peace in the world. More importantly, there is some peace within your immediate world. This is good news. You have within you the power to manifest peace. I hear so much about trying to find peace, seeking peace, looking outside of ourselves for the peace that is closer than our breath.

I am often reminded of the words of the Psalmist that says, “Be still and know that I am God.” This is the peace that has been born within you, the peace that lights your world when it is so dark all around you.

Just for today, don’t look for peace outside of yourself. Simply STOP, TAKE A BREATH, and be peace. And then you will be.

I choose peace instead of this.

Coach Carolyn

"When you question your stressful thoughts, the freedom that comes out of that graces the world for all of us." ~ Byron Katie

When you are not experiencing inner peace, one thing to do is STOP, TAKE A BREATH, and ASK:

“What am I thinking about at this moment?”

Chances are you are thinking something stressful or rehashing and regurgitating thoughts from of old. Take the time to check in with yourself; especially when you are not feeling at peace.

When you are not feeling that peace or serenity, you are not in the present moment. Stress, fear, anxiety are not present moment feelings. You are either in the past or in the future. And why? You cannot change anything that has happened in the past and you cannot control the future. Yes, you can plan, and you need to do that; but plan, visualize and work in this moment to do what you need to do to make those plans a reality.

Stay in the present moment to maintain your inner peace.
Coach Carolyn

"We can never obtain peace in the world if we neglect the inner world and don't make peace with ourselves. World peace must develop out of inner peace." ~ The Dalai Lama

Are you at peace with yourself? If you are not, then you are at war with yourself – and this is not a healthy place to be. Perhaps it is time for you to STOP, TAKE A BREATH, and ASK:

"Am I feeling peace right now? If not, why not?"

Then just sit with the questions. Just notice what you are feeling. Whenever any unsettling feelings creep up, they creep up to deliver a message. Yet, we are not conditioned to properly handle unsettling feelings, so we ignore or deny them, hoping they would just go away. Well, they might go away for now, but as the Terminator said, “I’ll be back!” And, yes they will.

Coach Carolyn

If one of your unsettling feelings that you are trying to hide is fear, then this is your time to begin dealing with your fear. Get some mentoring in the Transcending Fear Mentoring Program. It’s fast and easy and you can participate from the comfort of your home or office.

“If you don't meet resistance with resistance, it dissipates dramatically. It just softens. Try it! Next time somebody says to you, "I'm right, and you're wrong," say, "Pfftt, you're right. You are right. You're right." And mean it. In other words, don't mock them. Don't be sarcastic. "You're right." And then watch how, all of a sudden, their legs almost go right out from under them. They don't have the energy to blast you, because you just took the fuel away from the fire.” ~ Abraham

Sometimes you have to just STOP, TAKE A BREATH, and ASK:

“Would I rather be right or be at peace right now?”

Choosing peace not only creates an environment of calm and serenity, but it sets you up as someone who is not ego-driven. When you are looking to be right all the time, it is simply your ego screaming for attention. And quite frankly, is that the type of attention you are really wanting? I would hope not.

So, just for today, choose peace rather than choosing to be right and perpetuating the conflict. You’ll be so happy you did!

Coach Carolyn

Sometimes we want to be right all the time out of a sense of fear and doubt. If this is your story, then it is time for you to join the Transcending Fear Mentoring Program, and start living in peace.

Buddhist monk and mystic Thich Nhat Hanh once said, "To be loved means to be recognized as existing."

What a truly profound insight. How many of us are walking around in a daze, in a psychic fog, and not really existing.

When we are not being who we were created to be, we are not existing.

When we are not doing what we were called to do, we are not existing.

When we are not experiencing or expressing joy, we are not existing.

The word “exist” comes from the Latin which means “to stand forth,” to exist means to be.

Who are you being? In order to create the life you were truly meant to live, you must first BE. Without being, what's the point of doing and having? Start existing. Before you can be loved, you must first be.

Create inner peace, just BE!

Coach Carolyn

No one has to tell a butterfly to just be! It just be!

Is fear keeping you from being your authentic self? If so, join my Transcending Fear Mentoring Program and find your true self and start being!

“Sometimes you have to let everything go – purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything – whatever is bringing you down – get rid of it. Because you will find that when you are free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.” ~ Tina Turner

I have definitely found this to be the case for myself. It wasn’t until I had to let go – because by the time I was ready to let go, I had to let go – that something bigger, better and more magnificent came my way. I was no longer bogged down with things that zapped my energy and my creativity. I was truly free; and at peace.

Just for today, examine your life and make the conscious decision to let go of what is draining you of your creative energy and obstructing your flow. You’ll be glad you did.

Here’s to letting go,
Coach Carolyn

Fear-based thoughts can certainly drain you of your energy and stifle not only your creativity, but your entire way of life. If you are ready to deal with those energy drains, join the Transcending Fear Mentoring Program. You’ll be glad you did!

"The simplification of life is one of the steps to inner peace. A persistent simplification will create an inner and outer well-being that places harmony in one's life." ~ Peace Pilgrim

"Within you there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself." ~ Hermann Hesse

"Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions." ~ Gerald Jampolsky

Forgiveness is not an emotion, it is a decision.

Forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself. It is not something you do for someone else.

Forgiveness is an act of the imagination. It dares you to imagine a better future, one that is based on the blessed possibility that your hurt will not be the final word on the matter.

It challenges you to give up your destructive thoughts about the situation and to believe in the possibility of a better future. Forgiveness has little or nothing to do with another person because forgiveness is an inside job.

Forgiveness is not forgetting. It is letting go of the hurt.

True forgiveness is not:
Forgetting. If the hurt wounded you enough to require forgiveness, you may always have a memory of it.
Excusing or condoning. The wrong should not be denied, minimized, or justified.
Reconciling. You can forgive the offender and still choose not to reestablish the relationship.
Weakness. You do not become a doormat or oblivious to cruelty.

“Never forget that to forgive yourself is to release trapped energy that could be doing good work in the world.” ~ D. Patrick Miller

Give yourself the gift of inner peace, forgive someone.

Coach Carolyn

“There is a criterion by which you can judge whether the thoughts you are thinking and the things you are doing are right for you. The criterion is: Have they brought you inner peace? If they have not, there is something wrong with them -- so keep seeking! If what you do has brought you inner peace, stay with what you believe is right." ~ Peace Pilgrim

Your body and your feelings are never wrong. If your results are not what you desire, check your feelings. After checking your feelings, ask yourself what are you thinking? Because it is your thoughts that are driving your feelings. We tend to think it is some outside force that is making us feel the way we do. It is not something outside of you, but something within you that is causing you to feel the way you do.

Peace is an inside job. If you want to manifest peace within, you must not allow what goes on outside of you to infect you. Remember, it is none of your business what other people do to you or say about you. It’s not about you.

“Bless those who remind you of your unfinished business.”

When there is conflict and strife in your life, instead of pointing fingers at others, STOP, TAKE A BREATH, and ASK:

“What is my part in this?”
“Why is this conflict showing up for me at this time?”
“What is my next inspired action in this?”

Answer: Bless and thank those who showed you what you need to work on and go work on it!

Do you want peace or do you want to be right?

Choose peace, it’s simpler!
Coach Carolyn