All About Women | Women

“Normal fear protects us; abnormal fear paralyzes us. Normal fear motivates us to improve our individual and collective welfare; abnormal fear constantly poisons and distorts our inner lives. Our problem is not to be rid of fear but, rather to harness and master it.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sage advice from a man who must have had an intimate yet healthy relationship with fear. Death threats, house bombings, and beatings would have anyone in a state of normal fear. Yet, fear did not stop or paralyze Dr. King. He did it afraid.

When you live in your purpose, being authentic and doing what you are passionate about, fear can come, but will only motivate you to press forward.

Tiger Woods said that if he does not feel fear when he steps onto the green, he will not play. Healthy fear motivates; creating that sense of excitement that will lead you to live out your authentic self and your purposeful life.

Feel the fear and do it anyway!
Coach Carolyn

"I imagine that the present is as it should be. It is perfectly unfolding even if I don't understand why." ~ Evelyn Rodriguez

I constantly speak about living a life of purpose and passion. We are the authors of our lives and can create what a passionate and purposeful life looks like for us. This includes living in some of the inconveniences that may become quite purposeful. I will share a story.

Last week, I was on the bus and in the seat next to me was a planner that someone obviously left behind. Well, being a person of purpose, I know how extremely important our planners are to us. I took the planner and put it in my backpack. When I arrived at my destination, I checked the planner and found the email of the owner. There was also a phone number; but I thought emailing was less intrusive. The owner emailed me in return and followed up with a phone call. She looked me up! We spoke and arranged a meeting.

I was greeted with one of the loveliest and warmest of women. Elaine and I chatted for about fifteen minutes and we shared some of our mutual interests. Turns out we are both on a spiritual journey.

Now, this could have been a tremendous inconvenience. Yet, I am a lover of anyone who fully utilizes a planner; so I merely saw this as an opportunity. I instinctively knew that the owner of the planner was a woman of purpose and passion. In our conversation, this was verified. Elaine even rewarded me with chocolates! Now, that’s living with passion!

The next time you find a planner, remember, it could be an opportunity to meet another traveler on the spiritual journey to a life of passion and purpose. Take advantage of the opportunity.

Live in the moment; live passionately!
Coach Carolyn

“Gratitude is indeed like a gearshift that can move our mental mechanism from obsession to peacefulness, from stuckness to creativity, from fear to love. The ability to relax and be mindfully present in the moment comes naturally when we are grateful.” ~ Joan Borysenko

“If you start focusing on what you have and what you're grateful for, you will then begin to see more.” ~ Oprah

One of the things that help me to live a life of purpose and passion is remembering; remembering the people, events, and situations in my life that make me a woman of purpose. The daily grind of life can zap us of our positive energy and make our immediate world look dark and gloomy. These are the times when the memories must kick in and lift us out of the spiritual abyss. When I remember to remember, I am filled with gratitude.

Being grateful keeps me in the present moment. When we get caught up in the muck and mire, we tend to step into a time that is not our own. In the present moment, we know that we can make a choice. Knowing that I still have the ability to make conscious choices gives me abundant hope. In making the choice to focus on what I have right now and not on what I should have, or should be, or should do, is a chance to celebrate my living on purpose. Living on purpose means living fully in the present moment; not staring at a past that we can do nothing about, or worrying about a future that is not promised to us.

Living in gratitude not only makes me smile – which releases happy, love endorphins, but it helps maintain a spirit of positive energy within and around you. Think of a time when you were in a state of absolute delight. What was your immediate world like? Delightful, right? Life can be delightful more than we believe because we do have the power within us to live in a perpetual state of gratitude.

How do you live gratefully?

Remember.

Remember what and who you have in your life and give thanks for them.

Live on purpose with gratitude,
Coach Carolyn

It is not difficult to tell the people who are living a life of passion and purpose. They are the ones with the inner glow -- that aura of positive harmony and balance. When we are living a life of passion, we cannot help but exude that ray of positivity. Yet, the feelings are mutual. When we live in a state of positivity, passion follows.

Okay, I just had to share this. I pulled my three Grace Cards this morning:

Vision: Pay attention.
Perception: See the past as part of our spiritual evolution.

And guess what else?

Peace: When we balance silence and activity, we discover true peace of mind.

You think someone's trying to tell me something?

And believe me, I do shuffle the deck.

In the school of living life on purpose, lessons unlearned will be repeated. You never flunk out. You just get to take the test over again. So don't worry over not getting it absolutely perfect. Just land somewhere in the ballpark and grace will find you.

Live passionately,
Coach Carolyn