Watch The Gap

Watch The GapThe signs are everywhere…even underneath your feet on train platforms.  Keep in mind that the Universe is very playful and has quite a persistent nature.  You can choose to have fun with it, or to simply walk on by…however, do note that She will not be ignored.  And if you choose the latter, be prepared to trip.Where is the gap in your life?  Where do you separate the aspects of YOU – are the work-you and the at-home-playful- you, two separate entities?  This particular message keeps popping up for me of late (note to self - received).  So, I figured that I would not only pay it heed, but I’d share it here as well.  I took this picture leaving the city the other night.  Glancing down upon those words as I awaited my train, I laughed to myself…ok, ok…I get it.  My “gap” is well-depicted by that dark NYC train track - grimy, littered with debris and has an occasional rat running along its corridor (you get the picture).  It is the place where I hide things, allow parts of me to go unnoticed, where I make myself smaller than I am.  This is the gap I need to bridge, to fill or better yet, do away with all together.The goal is to design a complete life, one that is seamless and unites all aspects of ourselves.  The Universe is sending us messages all the time, just look around.  It’s probably no surprise that the night I took this picture, I had just left an “I Can Do It!” Hay House mind-body-soul conference, a day filled with lectures by leading self-empowerment heavy hitters.  My mind was swirling with inspiration, ideas and flying on warm breezes of infinite possibility.Attending was simply a reminder that I need to get out of my house (and my own way) more often!  Even if we can’t attend a conference, we can take a spiritual time-out to do something that taps into our passion, something that ignites our dream flow…something that bridges the gap between who you allow the world to define you as and who your soul screams to be.  If you can’t attend a workshop – watch a DVD, listen to a podcast, read a book, walk barefoot in the grass – just connect to it.In this newsletter I decided to do something different.  In an effort to share the love, I have pulled out some of my favorite inspirations from each of the keynote speakers I had the privilege to experience.  Here are my favorite takeaways, like taking home a savory tidbit after a great meal out that you get to indulge in, yet again.  This is my small effort to pay it forward.While the themes expressed throughout the day were universal, the experiences were unique, thus showcasing the myriad voices.  Inspiration comes in many flavors.DR. WAYNE DYER:  OK, I’ll preface this by saying…I’m a little biased.  I seriously credit Wayne Dyer with playing a HUGE role in my own spiritual awakening (so he gets a little more real estate here).  Speaking to the theme of this newsletter, he dove right into the gap by provoking us to consider the terror of a half-lived life.  He recounts Tolstoy’s passage from The Death of Ivan Ilyich, “What if my whole life has been wrong?”   That’s enough to stop you in your tracks.But then he reminded us that we have a choice – Fear or Love.  If we remove fear from the equation, all that remains is love.   Self-love empowers us to follow our inner calling and to break free from the “shoulds” imposed by our society, family and peers.“Do you want to be a host to God or a hostage to your ego?” – Wayne DyerKRIS CARR:  She is re-dunculously (I know it’s not a word) adorable and irresistible. A C-word survivor, she now refers to herself as a “Cancer Thriver,” and strives to impart upon us how we can become the CEO’s of our own “Save My Ass Wellness Companies.”  What does it all boil down to?...Listening to what we really want. What’s our medicine?…LOVE (and a green juice)!CONGRESSMAN TIM RYAN:  WHAT?  Government and spiritual practice…yes, there is hope!  Tim Ryan shared his awakening to the practice of mindfulness.  Understanding the power of being in the moment and of quieting the mind, he gets the effectiveness of threading this through Washington and beyond.  He has made it a life mission to bring mindfulness and social consciousness to public service.  Rock On!“The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” – Mark TwainNANCY LEVIN:  I could gush about Nancy all day.  Having spent 12 years as the Event Director at Hay House, she has stepped out from behind the scenes to take her place in the spotlight.  She bears witness to painfully raw experiences of her life as testament to what is possible on the other side of that ark.  Jump…And Your Life Will Appear.  Enough said.ANITA MOORJANI:  Regarded as clinically dead, Anita Moorjani made a choice to come back…to come back and live life fearlessly AND to live life for herself.  She reconnects to self-love and implores us to do the same.“Love yourself like your life depends upon it, because it does!” – Anita MoorjaniALEX WOODARD:  I did not expect the need for tissues, but the soulful songs of Alex, derived from letters sent from complete strangers, wrapped a web around us, connecting us all.  Alex believes that the letter is like a prayer  - more for the sender - and that on some level, we are all a part of the same story.  The tears stood as testament.TARA STILES:  The yoga guru, spoke of creating space within our bodies – literally, physically and spiritually.  And through this energetic opening, we can release ourselves from whatever troubles, discomfort or frustration, we are experiencing.   In doing so, we create a door through which we can move forward.DR. CHRISTIANE NORTHRUP:  She’s not going to sugarcoat it for you, people…“How you move through time is up to you – you have a choice.” – Dr. Christiane NorthrupSo back to the gap…where is it in your life?  How can you connect the dots between your self-care, your passion, your life’s mission and thrive?  Who are you afraid of disappointing?  It is YOUR life, right?!Step confidently ahead.  Walk in stardust.  Let the gap-filling magic unfold!