Fill in the blanks...

Fill in the blanks with the same word: The more ________ you notice in your life, the more ________ you get. Fill in the blank however you choose, and feel the truth and power in that statement.

Recently I have chosen to fill in the blank with the word "abundance" just to see what happens. I am consciously noticing abundance and how it shows up in my life every day. I started this practice last week while running through the woods (I wasn't being chased, I was just training!) and have been amazed ever since.

Now I am committed to keeping track of my "evidence of abundance" and sharing it with other people. I will do this now through my tweets (so follow along on Twitter: http://twitter.com/adaircates). I will share my longer, more detailed experiences right here.

Look for Positive Aspects

Yesterday I had lunch in the teacher workroom at school and witnessed another horribly negative conversation...pay cuts, unemployment, unruly kids. Many days I choose not to eat with my colleagues because of this. I felt like I did a pretty good job of not fueling the fire and after eating, went on with my day not brought down like I am on some days after experiencing such negativity.

Today while driving to work I listened to one of my favorite spiritual teachers, Abraham, talk about the Law of Attraction and careers. This was the perfect CD for me to listen to as I wind down this school year and ponder my next career steps.

Once again Abraham talked about the importance of looking for positive aspects: the best way to allow in a new and fulfilling job is to find what feels good in the job that you're in now. This attitude will shift your perspective of the negative people and events of your current job and keep you in a vibration of appreciation. In that vibration, you will not only attract a better position, you will also experience your current job and the people in it as more positive.

And it really works! This morning I took time to write the positive aspects of my current job and what do you know? As soon as I walked in the building today one of the teachers who was so super-negative at lunch yesterday apologized to me for being that way! WOW! I'm going to continue to look for positive aspects in my career and all areas of my life! Are you?

Now's the time to clarify

Many of us are in current circumstances that are uncomfortable or just downright aweful. With our country's current economic situation, we are reevaluating not only how we spend our money, but how we spend our time (aka OUR LIVES!). We're also thinking about our values. What's important to us? What have we been taking for granted? What will we do differently this time?

What better time to clarify what we want to be, do and have in life than now! It's time to embrace the present tense and to allow gradual change. If we want true positive change in our lives, we're going to have to ditch the temporary bandaid cover-ups of the past and be OK with where we are right now. Drastic and sudden change is possible, but not probable. It's time to stop the complaining and blaming, to move in the direction of where we want to be and to sow the seeds of our destinies!

It's really quite simple. So simple that it has become part of my daily routine. Each morning before I start my day, I spend an hour consciously journaling and visualzing through the following processes (and the rest of my day aware of their power):

1. Gratitude...Appreciate where you are right now! What's going right in your life? Write down at least 5 things that you're grateful for in a gratitude journal. Start today! Also, as your going through your day, find things to appreciate. Appreciate the color of paint on the wall, the falling rain outside your window, or the food on your plate. The more you notice all the good things around you, the more good things you will see.

2. Forgiveness....Forgive yourself and others for mistakes and shortcomings. This reminds me of a quote by MLK Jr. "Forgiveness isn't a one time thing. It is a permanent attitude." And the #1 person we need to forgive is ourselves! Until you can forgive and love yourself, it is impossible to fully forgive and love others. I choose to write at least one page in my journal forgiving and loving myself and the people I in my life. I write "I love and forgive _________ wholly and completely." Sometimes I will mention certain events or words involving that person too.

3. A New Story...Tell a new and improved story of life. Have you heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy? Or perhaps the "law of attraction?" We are nothing more than a product of the story we tell ourselves all day long! We draw to us experiences and people through the stories we tell (to ourselves and others!). If there's something you're not crazy about going on in your life, change your story.

I journal my new and improved story every day, describing in detail the amount of money I want to make and the people and events I want to attract. I am amazed at what I've already created in my life just from telling a new story. Change your story and then take action when you feel inspired. What do you want to create in your life? And don't just tell it, see it. VISUALIZE yourself living the kind of life you want to live.

4. Positives, not negatives...Look for what you like. Find the good in every situation. I got this process from Esther and Jerry Hicks, two of my favorite spiritual teachers. They suggest writing at the top of a journal page or piece of paper "List of positive aspects of_______" and then creating longs lists of good things about whatever person or situation you find yourself unhappy in. They even suggest writing the positive aspects of things in your life that you're happy about. Focusing on the good is only going to bring more good into your life. I don't journal positive aspects every day, but definitely do it when I'm feeling especially disappointed or confused about something. And sometimes I write positive aspects of good things in my life.

Be easy on yourself through these processes. You might find that you have some attitudes and beliefs to let go of that you didn't even know you had. Remember that true, permanent change is gradual. Allow the changes you desire to unfold and remember to feel good through it all. You will have setbacks. You will have days that don't feel as good. Just keep loving yourself through all of it, because in the end you're going to be amazed at how wonderful your life is!

2009 Manifesto

Well, I'm happy to say that 2009 is off to a great start! Here is a photo of the manifesto I created for 2009. I had so much fun writing out all of my intentions for this year and adding paint and images to create a clear vision of what I want to create. Some of my intentions are starting to come true faster than I ever imagined. Have you written down your intentions for 2009?

Story from a recovering drama queen (that would be me!)

My hands are so frozen I can barely type this post! (ok...maybe there's still a little drama in me!) My digits are struggling after a bit of an adventurous recent experience that made me realize, "OMG...I am like way less dramatic than I used to be!"

I had to write this after reporting to my husband that I had made it home safely in a text in which I signed off "a little bit o drama for the recovering drama queen." I loved that and I grabbed my laptop. So, what was the situation? I'm not sure that it's that important, but I will tell you any way.

I decided to do some late night Christmas shopping and had to take my husband's classic Mercedes since he had my car. When I left my house, I had to enter the car through the passenger's side door bc I couldn't get the driver's side door to open. After browsing TJ Maxx and getting minimal Christmas shopping done, I was ready to go home. This time, I was met with two frozen handles (and it's only a 2 door car!)

I found the situation comical and intriguing while my body was still warm from all the shopping. I felt pretty grounded and centered and thought, "Worst case scenario, I'll walk home or take a cab." I called my husband, who is the calmest person I know (one of the reasons I love him so much!) and he told me to get hot water from the coffee shop to pour on the door. I kept trying to say things like, "Well, if that doesn't work, then I'll just walk or call a cab." The thoughts in my head began to get toxic and then I quickly reminded myself of what a waste of time that was. After a little bit of negative "what-if-ing" in my head, I took his advice. I got the hot water, poured it down the seam of the door and it opened right up (two men who were all cozy in the car in front of me had fun watching all of this take place!)

I don't want to go into the antics of what my old self would have done, but let's just say I probably would have bitched and fussed on the phone to my husband, my mom and my best friend and taken a cab. I probably would have left the scene without even trying! And I certainly would have let my husband know that he would never be taking my car again!

I am proud to say that I truly feel I have reduced the amount of drama I allow into my life. When I occasionally feel the drama queen getting riled up, I just stop to notice her. Somehow just the awareness of her presence diminishes her power. As I move forward on this journey of less drama, I remember that I am the creator of my own experience and that any situation I am in, I have created for myself. Though that really frustrates the drama queen, I empowers me to be more calm, centered, clear and connected. And in the end, at least those situations make for an interesting story!

Create the Vision

Last week I had my biggest speaking engagement to date...450 people! I made sure to get some pictures of the big event because I know that as I move forward, it is important for me to have an image of what I want to experience. Creating a vision, whether you have a real picture or an imagined one, is essential in bringing something new into your life. You absolutely most see yourself being, doing and having what you want before it will come to pass. My intention is to imagine myself as speaking to audiences this big or bigger as I move forward.

Lead with Intention

I recently did a speaking event for the Junior League of Raleigh about leadership. It was a topic I had never spoken on, but one that really inspired me. I titled the speech "Lead with Intention" because I based it on many of the principals I talk about in my book "Live with Intention." Here are what I am now calling the 4 A's of Leaders that Lead with Intention:

1. Leaders that Lead with Intention are AWARE!
They know when to put on the brakes and assess what's working and not working in their organization. They know when to let go of the old and make room for the new.

2. Leaders that Lead with Intention are APPRECIATIVE!
They spend their time focusing on the good in their organization and authentically praising the people around them. As they appreciate all of the positives, they get more positives to appreciate!

3. Leaders that Lead with Intention are ALLOWING!
By that I mean they allow themselves to see the unseen, to think big and to see a clear vision for the future. They inspire others by talking about their intentions and create a team that is working toward a common cause. As Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge!"

4. Leaders that Lead with Intention are AUTHENTIC!
They reveal their weaknesses and are honest about where they are in the here and now, not as an excuse for why they aren't where they want to be, but as a definition of where they are starting from. They share their successes and their shortcomings in a way that is empowering and brings the team together.

Leading with intention and living with intention are one in the same because they both focus on creating a joyful, deliberate life experience that benefits all involved.