by Belinda Lams

I was recently asked to describe what I "do." 
What is my particular brand of coaching?  I said to this gentleman, "Well, at the core, I help pull out the essence of a person, which tends to get buried under there somewhere," pointing to the heart.

"Then I help the person align to that truest, highest part of who they are and learn how to live from that authentic center in everyday life."

He said, "So...you're a chiropractor for the soul." 

Hmmm.

Think about it. What is it like to be out of alignment in your body?  It's uncomfortable. It starts to wreak havoc on your nerves, muscles, and movement. Now apply that to your life in general. When you are out of alignment with your true self, life isn't working very well. You have inner conflict. You have a sense of dis-ease...disease.

On the flip side, what is is like to be in alignment?  Things seem right. Congruent. Life is working, flowing, healthy. You have a sense of well-being. (If you didn't notice already, this one is better. Being in alignment with your truest self is definitely the one to pick here.)

Funny thing is, most of us walk around out of alignment a lot of the time. Why? Because it requires effort to access the deep, inner self and it's not the default position of the human being. We tend to default into our ego self (as Rabbi Finley calls it).  We walk through life solving, managing, operating in what seems to be all of who we are. But at some point, we find ourselves in some kind of turmoil, or making poor decisions, or having relationship struggles, or addiction problems. We find ourselves way, way out of alignment, chafing against the part of us that wants something better.

When we live according to our default position, though it seems pretty good (and it can be), it isn't enough. We must find that wiser, truer, still, small voice of our soul which helps us become aware of a better way to operate. In this center place, we can find love, we can find compassion, we can find forgiveness...the qualities that bring the rest of our being (including our bodies) into better form. We become aligned. At ease.

So, how do you get there?  Well, this is the first step. You need to know that it's possible. Then you need to access that higher self. On a very practical level, here is something you can try right now.

Take deep breaths and think about certain words as you slowly breathe in and out. Imagine each word filling your whole being. Words like:
 
Love...freedom...kindness...beauty...forgiveness...acceptance...hope...radiance...healing...

You can see right away that these words are from the higher self. Right?  For instance, if you say words like compete...strive...worry...manipulate...demand...blame...you will have a very different experience. (Don't use these.)

Now,  practice filling your mind and body with soulful words over and over. Drink them in. Let them wash in and through you until you feel a softening, maybe even a blissful sensation. Practice them every day, every time you think of this. Make it your prayer. You will slowly begin to shift yourself into alignment. You may notice yourself a little lighter. A little kinder. A little closer to true you.

How do you get in alignment? I would love to hear. You can email me or leave comments here.

by Belinda Lams

For those days when life seems unbearable, I want to offer a little remedy to help you find some relief. It won't cure you of your ails, but it will certainly lighten your load for the time being. It goes like this...

Ready?

•Grab a jar or container of some sort.

•Get a stack of post-its and a marker. 
(don't laugh...for I am the post-it queen)

•Sit quietly with yourself and listen to all your rambling negative thoughts. Feel all your negative feelings. Just allow all of everything to be present. Don't shove anything away.

•When you're ready, write each negative thought, feeling, emotion down on the post-its.
Write until you've exhausted yourself and there is not one ounce of bad air left inside your heart. 

•Fold, squash, make origami, or whatever you want to do with your post-its. Then put them into the jar. 

•Look at the jar. 
Notice that all the false thinking, disappointment, hurt, grief, fear, shame, guilt, worry, contempt, judgment, jealousy, envy, anger...it all resides in that jar. 

•Now tune into your body. 
Become aware of what it feels like to NOT house all that darkness. 

Ah oh...is there another negative thought? Did you just judge yourself? If so, you're not done. Write it down. Put it in the jar. 

•OK. Check yourself again. Are you clear? 
If so, take a moment to experience yourself unburdened. You may feel very light. You may feel neutral. You may feel tired. You may feel like laughing. Whatever is there, allow yourself to experience it. Get to know yourself without all the crap that clogs your pipes.

One more step...

•Make a commitment to hold this space just for today. 
You can go back to your negativity and pain tomorrow, but not today. Every time you think about picking up the post-its and placing them back in your body, just remember that you're not allowed to today. Those are the rules. 

If you are REALLY compelled to grab the bio-hazard in the jar and gulp it down, go for it...just wait until tomorrow. Give yourself one day to fly free. 

Good luck. Let me know how it goes. 

Love you!!!!

by Belinda Lams

In his book, "The War of Art," Steven Pressfield gives a name to the mysterious force which blocks us from getting to our important life work.  

He calls it Resistance...with a capital R.  Resistance can come from within ourselves or from without.

Internal resistance may manifest as voices in your head with suggestions of fear, doubt, procrastination, guilt, cynicism, worry, dread.  It can also show up in your body with anxiety, paralysis, illness, and the like.  Any of those sound like the kind of resistance you encounter?

External resistance often comes from outside circumstances, much like a boulder blocking your path.  It may also come from other people.  Ever have someone close to you "act out" when you attempt to change something in your life?

Whenever you seek to change, grow, or transform your life, you will be challenged by Resistance along the way. So what can you do about it?

I have a simple 5-step solution to help you become a victor instead of a victim. 

                   Resistance doesn't have to get the last word.  

I'm not saying it's easy—but I am saying it's possible.

Step #1:  Accept it.
Resistance is part of the human experience. It doesn't mean something is wrong with you. On the contrary, it usually means you're on to something.

Step #2: Anticipate it.
Since it is part of life, then it doesn't have to be a big surprise any longer. In fact, you can expect that it will show up as soon as you try to take positive action, especially with your deeper life purpose.

Step #3: Acquaint yourself.
Each of us has a signature blend of Resistance. We have our vulnerabilities where Resistance can operate most effectively. Some of us are more prone to fear, some more to guilt, some to procrastination. The key here is to become acquainted with your particular brand. 

Step #4: Acknowledge it.
Once you become more conscious of your patterns, you can acknowledge when the Resistance shows up. This puts you in the seat of power. You can say, "I've been expecting you. You're not going to take me out. I've got a plan."

Step #5: Redirect it.
And the final step is to redirect the pathway of the Resistance. Instead of allowing it to have it's way with you, send it in a different direction by intercepting it before it takes you out. This requires learning some strategies and practicing them in advance.  (I teach these in my Soul Activator course). 

by Belinda Lams

I love to help people find a compelling vision for their lives. What we can envision is possible to actualize. 

We are all beneficiaries of people who have taken a vision in their heads and created a genius invention, a piece of art, a curriculum, a formula, a cure.

All of the great imagineers hit a wall; that stuck place where they can't find their next step. It may feel like a crisis and the temptation is to give up. However, the wall has a door, but it needs to be found. The problem isn't the lack of a door, but the inability to "see" the door. 

Here are some blocks that prevent "sight" and some simple remedies (And yes, please try these at home):

•It's too dark. Get more light.
•Your vision is blurry. Use magnification.
•You have cataracts. Get surgery to peel them off.
•You're wearing dark glasses. Remove them.
•Your eyes are closed. Open them. 
•Your eyes are diseased. Seek healing. 
•You're looking in the wrong direction. Turn your head.
•You're staring at the door, but your mind is elsewhere. Wake up and be present.
•You're staring at the door and don't recognize it. Get a new perspective.

Where is your door? 
What is blocking your vision? 
What do you need in your life to help you see?

by Belinda Lams (thx for the inspiration P)

I've been furiously writing a course on prioritizing life dreams and how to find that first place to focus (you'll hear about this very soon).

I also run Mastermind Groups and in them I have people find one thing they want to focus on for 12 weeks and see to fruition with the support of the  group. 

As I've gotten further down the road in the process, I am noticing that the one thing people focus on may not always be a dream, but the thing that is keeping them from having their dream.

One of the Group members said that so many aspects of her life opened up once she got her one big obstacle out of the way.

That one thing is like a boulder blocking the flow of water in a stream. Not much is getting around it. Once you remove it....watch out. 

What is that one thing for you? What would make the biggest difference if you were able to eliminate it from your life? What would open up?

(When you ask yourself these questions, I encourage to notice what shows up right away and don't put a judgment on it. Just notice.)