All About Women | Women

“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

“Everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room, every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.” - Indian Proverb

When we consistently visit each of our rooms on a daily basis, then we can truly access our passion. Whatever we are passionate about, must affect each of the four rooms. Passion touches each of these four rooms: it touches the physical by keep our breathing and our heart rates at a steady pace, keeping us from stepping into di-stress territory. It touches the mental by stimulating our minds, creating new ideas and adventures. It touches the emotional, especially when we share a special memory. And it touches the spiritual because we feel so connected with the Divine.

When you are truly passionate about something, time stands still. Passion isn’t just about being momentarily excited about a person or thing. Passion is still going on even when the event or person is long gone. The memories create passion, which stimulates new ideas. You cannot turn passion on and off life a faucet. Passion is like love. It continues long after the music has stopped playing because you can keep the music playing for yourself.

I am passionate about creating empowerment tools to equip women. These tools come in the form of lectures, workshops, coaching practices, and writings, just to name a few. But once my brain gets turned on, it is very difficult to go on automatic shut down. Passion has a great ripple effect. One thing reminds me of another thing, which reminds me of yet another. Soon, I have more programs and projects that one person could ever tackle. But this comes out of a space of pure passion.

We each must have a passion to create something great for the whole. We were not placed on this planet to live in a vacuum, or to live solely for self. We were placed here for a Divine assignment. That assignment definitely entails another human being. Perhaps we don’t know who that person or persons are, but when our paths cross, the magic happens. In order to make magic, we need to stop dismissing and doubting the ordinariness of each moment. Each moment is a gift, and wonderful things can come inside small packages. The key is to open your package when it is handed to you because a miracle may be waiting inside.

Fully living the ordinary moments makes them extraordinary,
Coach Carolyn

In August at the Becoming a Woman of Purpose Meetup, I will be facilitating a 3-part discussion series called Blocks to Living with Passion. They will take place on three consecutive Saturday afternoons and we will discuss three things that hinder living a life of passion and purpose.

This month's Becoming a Woman of Purpose Meetup gathering focused on discovering our passions. The women were amazing, as usual. In addition to passion and purpose, we talked about negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, and staying focused on our goals. Nothing discourages passion faster than negativity and fears. As women, we have the tendency to beat ourselves up because we feel we are not doing or being something we think we should do and be. But I tell all women that when you beat yourself up, please use a feather.

One of the women, Sherri, shared a wonderful tip that I just had to pass on to all the Purposeful Divas. She said to create a "Self Care Menu." Like a regular menu in a restaurant, put items on that are about caring and pampering oneself. Because, as Nina shared, when we are in that yucky space, we cannot think clearly, so having this is on hand is a great way to take care of oneself. And Sherri says make it pretty, so be creative.

So what kind of items can go on your menu?

• A day at a spa
• A walk on the beach
• Reading a chapter of a favorite novel
• Taking a bubble bath
• Listening to favorite music
• A manicure/pedicure
• Seeing a movie -- alone or with a friend

The list is endless. And the list is yours. Place items in your menu that you are passionate about. When you create those passion moments, more moments will gravitate towards you. Like begets like. Passion begets more passion.

Also, one of my all time favorite things is a gratitude journal. Every evening, I write down three to five things that I am grateful for that day. I end my day on a positive note and I keep the negativity away. We tend to beat ourselves up at the end of the day about the things we should have done or should have said. Stop shoulding all over yourself!

Learn to practice random acts of self care. Create that menu and start that gratitude journal. Learn to take the time to listen to your inner child. What is she telling you? What is she asking you for? Would you deny her?

Taking time out to discover your passion creates a life of purpose and peace. And if you have lots of things that you are passionate about, do a little sifting. The wheat will separate from the chaff. Your true passion will remain when all others have faded away.

So I am off to create my menu. I am so excited about that! Thank you, Sherri for a fabulous creative tip. And thanks to all the women who shared their hearts, passions and light today.

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.