“As one thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
— Dr. David Schwartz, Magic of Thinking Big

Live big in your heart and you will live big in life. This could mean big in happiness, big in accomplishment, big in income, big in relationships, big in respect. You name it. When you dream a life to the point that you feel it is true in your heart, these thoughts will create real action in your life.

Take a few steps forward in your dreams and aspirations by allowing moments of opportunity and experience to come your way. Practice being the kind of person people like. Take initiative and introduce yourself to others with a smile at every opportunity.

Encourage others to talk to you about their views, opinions, and accomplishments. It also helps to practice courtesy. This makes others feel better and you will feel better about yourself, too. Accept responsibility when a setback occurs for it is a gift to be able to learn from your actions. Act like a successful person and you are a successful person!

“The greatest revolution in our generation is that of human beings, who by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”
— Marilyn Ferguson

What do you do to get your spring inspiration in gear? How about an in-house pick-me up to keep things fresh and moving? Between my daughter’s closet purging to rearranging our living room furniture, a little change in routine was just the trick to get our heads on track for new, fresh ideas.

If you find you are lagging in motivation or energy these days, it doesn’t have to mean big change to get your spirits in gear once again. I find that it’s even easier to make the necessary attitude shifts when I begin with little changes in my surroundings. Reorganize the layout of your bedroom. De-clutter your workspace. Bring in some fresh cut flowers.

These minor changes sometimes can have enormous effects on the flow of energy in your house and in your life. And it may be all you need to kick-start the change of attitude needed to make the bigger changes in your life unfold.

“You lose your balance when you say, ‘I will not accept what is happening to me.’”
— Marilyn Eileen Charlton, Life on the Causal Plain, A Glimpse of Heven

You lose your own intuitive guidance when you don’t accept what is happening to you in your life. The main goal for change is to become balanced again. In the simplest terms we are all striving for balance in our lives. However, this balance actually comes by going with the flow of life and accepting even the times that are not as easy to understand or to accept.

Life is not simply a predetermined destination. It is the journey that we are on every day. There may be unexpected curves and turns in the road we are on. We may encounter low valleys and high mountains. However, with each step we take on this journey, we are shaping who we are and who we will become. And with this adventurous path, every day, we will discover the best in ourselves — if we accept what happens to us along the way.

“You’re not obligated to win. You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.”
— Marian Wright Edelman

When I attended a seminar a couple of years ago (Millionaire Mind Intensive), I learned a very valuable lesson that I didn’t even realize I needed to learn. It was about staying in the game. Not taking myself out before I even gave something a go (thanks to that little voice in my head coming up with all the reasons I shouldn’t do something). Before that moment, I didn’t know that I did this. I had to admit though, once the concept was presented to me, that I did indeed, at times, take myself out of the game before I even started playing.

For example, have you ever really wanted to do something you had never tried before, but chickened out even before giving it a real effort? Perhaps a dream job that you don’t apply for because “they wouldn’t hire you anyway” (your ego calling out to keep you safe). Or that solo in the church choir they are auditioning for — “they always use the same person for the solos so why bother”. Perhaps they always use the same person because no one else bothers to even show up to audition?!

Stay in the game. Maybe you won’t win all the time. But that’s OK. Just don’t take yourself out before “the tribe has spoken” (for all you Survivor fans). As the cliché goes, “You can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket.”

“Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends.”
— Czech Proverb

I know some people who have been hurt, emotionally, by people they thought loved them. And understandably they are now cautious of trusting again, loving again. So they put up their protection shields to keep people out. That way they won’t get hurt again, right?

But what are they keeping out? Perhaps they won’t get hurt by others, but the life they are now creating seems to be hurting their chances for joy, their chances for feeling love again. As much as we all would prefer to live without hurt, keeping everyone out for fear of them hurting us again will also keep out all who would love us again.

Instead of surrounding yourself with a fence of mistrust and fear, surround yourself with a circle of supportive and loving friends. Allow yourself to attract those that would love you by loving others first.

“In dealing with emotions, the first step is awareness. Identify the emotion, but don’t identify with the emotion.”
— Stephanie Noble, “Emotions as Honored Guests”

How do you deal with your emotions? Do you let them overwhelm you, giving them added energy? Do you try to ignore them, forcing them to get your attention by whatever means possible?

Emotions are a normal, natural part of being human. Each emotion you feel — happiness, joy, love, frustration, anger, sadness — is trying to convey a message to you and has a purpose for your present journey. In order to learn from them, you must honor them enough to acknowledge their presence. However, it is important to realize that you don’t need to become the emotion in order to understand it.

Be the neutral observer to your own emotions and you will neither let it take over your life right then and there nor later when it ends up boiling over from years of neglect. Deal with each individual emotion until you understand why it has come to you at this time. You don’t need to be a victim or hostage to your emotions any longer. And you will probably surprise yourself at the wisdom your emotions hold.

Andrea Hess is an intuitive consultant, coach, and author of the book “Unlock Your Intuition.” She assists her clients in developing their own intuitive abilities and also has a professional-level intuitive development program called Soul Realignment. In her consulting practice, Andrea helps her clients discover who they truly are at Soul-level and how to align fully with their highest path and purpose. Her website and blog is www.EmpoweredSoul.com

Tune in and discover how to tap into your intuition with some Basic Intuition 101 Steps. Yes, we all can do it! We’ll also learn if negative energies can interfere with our intuition and what we can do to clear them.

“It is only by following your deepest instinct that you can lead a rich life, and if you let your fear of consequence prevent you from following your deepest instinct, then your life will be safe, expedient and thin.”
—Katharine Butler Hathaway

There are two different voices that can call out to you from within, so it is easy to be fooled. One is your true inner self giving you the guidance to follow your heart, to follow your intuition, to follow your gut. Its voice is nudging but in a gentle knowing way. It will lead you to what is best for you. It is often described as a calm sense of knowing.

The other voice is usually more intense so it can be heard often louder than the true voice of intuition. But it can also be described as panicky, even abusive and it is closely associated to the ego. Often there are many judgments attached to the reasoning, and the outcome is usually not a happy or satisfying one. The underlying emotion is one based on fear.

If you are in a moment of indecision and you don’t know which voice to listen to, relax, take some deep breaths and ask in a loving, calm voice for the true answer to come to you. You will be surprised at how clearly the answer arrives when you are open to receiving it.

To understand how to tap into (or unlock) your intuition, check out Andrea Hess’ book, Unlock Your Intuition:

“I even moved to a new city, where nobody knew me. [...] Well, I found that moving didn’t help. I had taken myself with me.”
— Neale Donald Walsch

When things are just not going well, it’s such a wonderful thought to change your surroundings. Just move away from all the challenges in your life. New place, new home, new people around you, new distractions. At least at first. Only one small little oversight, you go wherever you move. And if things aren’t right with you where you are right now, chances are it may have little to do with where you live and more to do with the way you are living your life.

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t move. But while you are going, take a look at all the assets you want to bring with you. Don’t immediately toss out the ones you think are “negative” either. Just like certain furniture, you can save your assets by giving them a quick polish.

As Neale Donald Walsch states, “All of your so-called faults, all the things which you don’t like about yourself are your greatest assets. They are simply over-amplified. The volume has been turned up a bit too much, that’s all.”

So take an inventory: stubborn equals strong, flighty equals spontaneous, angry equals passionate, etc. All you have to do is use these behaviors differently, not throw them out. These “negative” ways of being can be turned into gifts when used properly and with the right amount of energy.

I also highly recommend reading The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Debbie Ford. It is a wonderful look at embracing your “dark side” and accepting yourself as a whole person.

Are you ready?

“When the student is ready, the master appears.”
— Buddhist saying

Making changes in your life is something for which you may have to mentally prepare yourself. As I have mentioned before, change begins when you make the decision to do so. It is the catalyst that starts the engine of change going along it’s new tracks.

Certain new goals you decide on could use some outside guidance or instruction or support. Your new decision for change will subconsciously send out the message that you are ready to accept guidance and assistance for this new journey. So be ready for the “master” to appear. And even more so, be ready to accept the guidance or wisdom offered to you at that moment of synchronicity.