Fear Not
“Feel the fear and do it anyway” – Susan Jeffers
Happy Monday,
And a Happy Halloween to you! In the dark hours of this Halloween morning I am writing to you from the Central Coast of California. Seems best to start writing about fear on this morning of Hallows Eve. Yes fear, that single emotion that can either shut us down completely or inspire greatness within us.
Orange glow of Sunset at Pismo
As you move through your day today – whether you are taking on a costumed persona or not, it’s always fun to think back to not only the fun times of Halloween past – the costumes, the candy, the tricks, the treats – but also the times along your way that you have left the fear behind to capture more and be more in your life.
I don’t know about you but sometimes if I encounter a scary ride or a scary movie I simply close my eyes – tight! Doing so seems to keep out whatever it is that I don’t want to see before me. Truth told, we simply cannot do that with other scary aspects in life that have us moving forward or we will undoubtedly trip and fall. The pain of that fall usually is much worse than whatever it is that got us fearful to begin with.
One thing I know for sure at this point in my life is that there is no preprinted story of exactly where I am headed. Yes, I can and do plan things in my life – however, I think that it is how we mix the known with the unknown that knocks the fear out of the way and takes us happily down our trail. Last week I watched several good examples of this – one fairly minor, one pretty major.
Tuesday I worked diligently to get my garden finally “to bed” as I like to call it for the winter. What motivated more than anything was in knowing that there was a big snowstorm headed our way. It’s interesting motivation when you can see something like that coming at you. From our vantage point here on the Front Range of those big old Rocky Mountains we can many times see storms coming towards us – and we knew this one was going to be a dozy.
Beauty of the Storm
So I planned what I could and clipped back most all of the plants, laid down the winter compost, unplugged the fountains and put away much of the garden art, cushions, etc.
By the time the rain started coming down I was as prepared as I could be – yet the storm that fully hit after nightfall turned the rain into heavy, heavy snow that snapped many trees in our yard.
I woke up Wednesday morning to a winter wonderland that sadly included seeing many major branches broken off our trees and many more snapping and cracking as the morning progressed. Cleanup began as I actually enjoyed the beauty of the event the best that I could (see pics).
Thursday I traveled to California to watch the launch of several years of hard work that my husband and his company have put into a satellite that they built for NASA. Talk about some fear…image billions of dollars spent to make something that will actually change the way we track weather…and it’s your responsibility to make sure it gets up into space and works once it gets there!
There we stood in the wee hours of Friday morning under an amazing clear star filled night just off of Vandenberg Air Force Base here about an hour north of Santa Barbara.
With the countdown we held our breath and watched as the Delta Rocket magnificently lit up the sky as it headed towards the stars! Everything went perfectly including the satellite deploying into space and the solar panels that will fuel its work in space fully engaging once it was on course.
Rocket just hours before launch
With everyone seeing past their fears a new age in weather predictions is before us. Careful and extreme planning that included a boatload of people seeing past their fears, made way for a new way of seeing the earth from the sky. It was so appropriate as we continued to stare up at that early morning sky that Rocket Man was being played over a stereo system supplied by the military personnel who were taking care of logistics where we watched. It was very, very cool.
See the launch here.
So let’s turn the tables to you. What is the greatest fear that stands before you? Perhaps it is a fear you have been avoiding for a very long time. How has avoiding that fear been working for you? It could be something small and annoying or something quite large and ominous in your life.
This fear could be everything from dealing with a technology challenge, to dealing with a relationship in your life that needs you to stand up for what you believe in. It could be making that change in your career that is going to make all the difference to who and what you really want to be.
In this upcoming month of 11/11, I encourage you to find the strength (as I will be doing as well) of stepping past your fears and doing it anyways! In the Victory Circles we will be addressing the Master Mind Principle of Profiting from Failures. Join us over the course of the month as we look at what it takes to fully bounce back from that which scares the holy kajebas out of you!
I will be launching my new radio show (talk about fear!) and will be sharing more with you about that next week! It starts Wednesday 11/9.
I will leave you this morning with one of my favorite quotes from Marianne Williamson who said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.”
Happy Adventures in the week ahead and wishing you the power to rise up and seize the days of your life!
To Your Successes and Victories,
Cheri
Humble Pie
“Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, be it ever so humble there is no place like home.” – John Howard Payne
CU Game
Happy Monday!
Good morning and welcome to a new week. This thought has been swelling up inside of me regarding how important it is that you love where you live. I strongly and firmly believe that you have to love where you live – and not just the four walls of your home – but your surroundings in where you go and in what you see each day. I feel this is true in order to feel at complete peace with your own self.
This past Saturday I celebrated my 29th year as Colorado “native”. Yes on October 22, 1982 with $200 in my wallet, a friend’s house to stay at until I got a job (and got my act together), I made Boulder, Colorado my home. I had packed most of my immediate needed belongings in my little pickup truck and headed east. It all stemmed from a long weekend visit just a few months prior during 4th of July weekend festivities.
It was while taking a hike that weekend, on one of the mountains overlooking Boulder that my heart and head filled with the knowing that this was the place that was destined to be my home. Were there scary moments? Yes, many! Fighting through each and every one of them has given me one of the greatest gifts of my life.
I used to have actual nightmare’s during the first couple of years that I would have move back to Southern California – which while a beautiful place and had people there that I deeply loved – in my heart of hearts, deep in my soul I knew this place, at the base of the Rocky Mountains, was where I was supposed to spend (most likely) the rest of my days. Continue reading
Up and Out
“That which is holding you down can become a powerful force that raises you up. You just have to be willing to take the ascent.”
- Michael A. Singer
With an “enlightening” weekend to my back – Monday morning once again arrives. As the words make their way to the computer screen this morning I feel the same – yet somehow changed. Perhaps that’s how we should begin each day – exploring what is before us while rising up from what is behind us.Friday morning Izzy and I headed out for a little adventure to visit a friend and coaching colleague, Cindy, who lives in a beautiful part of Colorado that I had never been to before. Our destination was the little town of Crestone located about four hours (by car) south of Boulder. The drive there and back was absolutely gorgeous. Not only from the amazing change of color in the trees but the mountain vistas were breath taking all along the way.
Crestone is located just north of the Great Sand Dunes National Park – a phenomenon in itself. These amazing – almost mystical sand dunes are nestled into the base of the amazing Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I was fortunate to be staying with my friend Cindy whose home gave me beautiful views of not only the San Luis valley below but also the beautiful peaks of the mountains to the immediate west. It felt like we could reach out and touch these spectacular 14,000-foot peaks. Izzy found a new fast friend and playmate in Cindy’s dog, Luke.
Saturday with the dogs in tow (or were they towing us?) we enjoyed a beautiful 70 degree fall day with the trees all around us an amazing gold. We hiked up to the one of several interesting Buddhist prayer stupas (see pics) located in the area. During the course of the day I felt like I had been transplanted into Tibet and it was an awakening for sure for me to see a part of this culture that, as I have learned, is looked at more as a way of living. Continue reading
To Infinity and Beyond
“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
- Steve Jobs
Since the early predawn hours today I have written and then rewritten the words for today’s Victory Letter. All the while, through various cups of coffee, a shower and nibbling on some sort of semblance of breakfast I kept hearing the words to Elton John’s song “Roy Rogers” ringing in my ears and in my heart.
It’s not always easy to put into words issues close to the heart, which it seems that I have had to do way too much of as of late. Last week when the news came of the death of Steve Jobs my heart actually felt like it stopped beating as I stared at the incredulous words on the face of, what else, my iPhone. My sister, Robi, broke the news to me via text saying, “I know you don’t watch the news so in case you did not hear Steve Jobs died today ;( What a visionary.”
Those words are now imprinted into my brain as one of those, “never forget where you were moments” in life. One of those moments that take your breath away – and sadly, not in a good way.
Steve Jobs as I have shared many times over the years in this letter was and will forever more be my entrepreneurial hero. I have not cried when too many public figures have died – but I have shed many a tear over Steve’s passing. He was the heart of Apple and his shoes will be big to fill. He was like a family member whose work has been a part of my world for over 25 years. While I didn’t know him personally it sure felt like I did. Continue reading
Being Nice
"Be Nice or Leave"
- A sign at the Sundance Café
As October arrives, along with it comes the full beauty of the fall season. I had thought of naming this week's Victory Letter "Colorado Gold" but decided "Being Nice" was more fitting as the words this morning begin to unfold.
My husband Ed came home on Thursday night for the first time in five weeks (due to a long term work assignment). Knowing we only had a couple of days before he is gone again, we spent a special day on Saturday enjoying the "gold" in the mountains above the town of Nederland. There is a trail we have gone to for years up near the 4th of July Campground and the fall foliage was absolutely spectacular! I hope you enjoy the pictures I have to share from so many that I took.
This morning as I write these words to you I am so grateful for not only my husband who is a strong pillar in my life but for the strength of trees as well. The fact that we each have them in our world to enjoy – from the flowering buds in the spring, to the shade they give in the summer, to the magnificent display of color that they radiate in the fall when it is time for them to take a rest as we head towards the winter months ahead.
Saturday morning before heading off on our hike we stopped at one of our favorite all time restaurants that we seem to only get to a few times a year, making it even more special to us, the Sundance Café. I have been going there for over 30 years since I first set foot in Colorado.
Located just outside the town of Nederland up on the Peak-to-Peak Highway the views of the Continental Divide from the Sundance are absolutely gorgeous. The food is always great and eating on the outdoor deck on Saturday was a real treat and delight in the 80-degree weather!
A sign they had posted as you walked in gave me today's quote, "Be Nice or Leave!"
As I walked past the sign I thought how great it just really summed up our relationships with each other. As we move into the month of October the Master Mind Principle that we will be focusing on in the Victory Circles is that of Cooperation. In order for us to achieve cooperation – nice is a critical factor.
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