First30Days

The Spirituality and Change Connection

We can all benefit from integrating more spirituality into our lives. After interviewing thousands of people for my new book: The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Any Change, I found that doing so can help you get through any transition (whether it's a change you are facing or one you hope to make).

What do I mean when I say spirituality? I mean reconnecting with that part of ourselves that doesn't change, that is calm, centered, grounded, when everything around us seems to be changing. I mean going inside, listening to our intuition, turning our inner microphone on, finding our own inner wisdom. Remember who you are. You are much stronger, more powerful, more intuitive and more resilient that you have ever been told. You are better at change than you think. There is a part of inside of you that will always help you get through any change, even the most difficult change you can imagine.

You may already practice yoga and meditate. Or the language of spirituality may scare you off—either way, creating a stronger, deeper relationship with the real you—the calm, centered secure part of you—while letting your tired and scared mind take a rest, is essential in helping you move through change with hope and optimism. When you tap into this side of yourself you connect with an army of invisible forces that are just waiting to help you. You can tune into this resource every day— without changing any of your personal beliefs around faith, religion, or traditions—simply by focusing inward and noticing how things feel.

You can access your spiritual side by taking some time to be silent, to be alone, to pray, to take a quiet walk, write a journal, and not be afraid of what your inner guide might reveal. Ask your body what the fear is really about, the doubt, the feeling- what is it there to teach you? Your spiritual side is always present. Once you become attuned to it, you can feel its stability, guidance, and gentle suggestions.

From: The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Any Change (and Loving Your Life More)

Every great leader, athlete, and hero has believed in something greater than himself or herself. Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and JFK are among the many who referred to a connection with something greater: their soul, their source, or their relationship to God or the Divine. They acknowledged the presence of the Divine in every difficult situation and they allowed it to be a helping presence in their lives. During the first 30 days of moving through a change and throughout your whole life it's important to ask yourself what you are willing to trust. Really, ask yourself. Where is my trust these days?

Some of us believe that there is something bigger going on. We look at nature, at the miracle of birth, a sunrise, the stars above, and contemplate a bigger sense of power, a feeling that we are not alone, that something—or someone—is present. This something is the sanctuary that can help us get centered in times of crisis and change. We may not know this for sure, but maybe there is some sort of energy, a power we can tap into, an army of invisible forces just waiting to help us. Perhaps they exist solely to assist us, to prepare the way, and to be on our side. I call them my friends upstairs.

We all have things we turn to. Perhaps it's meditation, prayer, a belief in the law of attraction, or visualization. Or maybe it's a connection to nature, a certain type of calming music or a creative outlet like writing or painting. Whatever it is, it will help you during times of change by helping you connect to who you really are.

Even during the most dramatic change, there is always a place within us that is calm, collected, and comfortable, that knows how to cope with change. This part of ourselves doesn't fluctuate when outside circumstances are changing all around us. For most of us, it's something we call our Higher self, our soul, or our connection to the Divine or God.

Learn more about making change easier in The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Change (and Loving Your Life More) available from Amazon.com.

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My New Book is Available Today!

My new book, The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Change  (And Loving Your Life More)—is available today in bookstores nationwide and online—it offers nine simple principles to help make any change easier.

Maybe you've been through a difficult breakup, received a troubling health diagnosis or lost your job. Perhaps you're a new parent, received a promotion or started your own business. Positive changes can also be made—have you quit smoking, lost some weight or become more green?

Whatever change has come into your life (or that you're hoping to make) this will help you through the transition.

In researching the book, I interviewed hundreds of people and recognized a pattern in what makes someone get through change with less stress and anxiety. I found that the things you do, say, and feel directly affect your reaction to change. I've seen that it's possible to become good at change, to embrace and even welcome the transitions that will inevitably arise. The First 30 Days includes real life stories of people who have lived through many types of change and clear action points that will help you move through the changes in your own life.

The First 30 Days is for anyone who has always wanted to make a change, but doesn't know how to start; it's for those who have tried over and over to initiate a change with little or no success and it's for people who are overwhelmed by the changes that have come into their lives. Its also for anyone who is helping a friend or loved on through a change. The book will not only kick start your life of change, but it will also help you reach your goals by keeping you focused and directed.

Get a copy for yourself and for a friend. And let me know what you think!

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The Mystery of It All

Amy Tan (the famous author, yes) speaks of what she calls, 'the cosmological constant”—that something we call luck, coincidence, the mystery of chance, serendipity, etc.

We have all felt it and wondered where it comes from. It could be the friend that calls when you think of her, the highway billboard that speaks directly to you, the perfect timing of an event in your life, the gut feeling that turns out to be spot on, meeting someone in a random airport or place you never visit, and so on.

I love this stuff. I see it in my life everyday and I actually expect it to show up. When moments like this happen, it’s a sign that I am going in the right direction with life and not fighting against it. I call it the language of life—it’s the language that many of us haven’t yet learned, not one of words, but of things happening on an invisible plane.

Even if you think this is all ridiculous and for spiritual freaks, I encourage you to be open, to tune your antenna for a few days, be like a detective looking for these signs and coincidences. They’re there to serve you.

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QTIP

QTIP= Quit Taking It Personally

Christine Comaford-Lynch uses this acronym in her book, Rules for Renegades and I find it to be incredibly appropriate for everyday life.

We often take the the things that are said and done to us on a deeply personal level. This has a big influence on the way we interact with others and on our own sense of self. The next time something upsets you, ask yourself: "Am I taking this too personally?" You'll find that this one simple question can put you on the path to living a happier life.

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