Refuse to give up

When I reflect on this past year, I would have to say that this could possibly have been this year's motto.

My brother completed suicide in March, I systematically removed myself from dealings with my mother and sister because of a conflict in perceptions regarding my brothers' death, I endured nasty phone calls and emails and facebook musings because of this.  My husband and I were on the edge of separation and we dealt with my teenage son's threat of suicide as well.  There were other little disappointments thrown in as well but nothing unmanageable.

Through out the year I wondered how I was going to get through all of this.  There were many moments when I could have easily given up.  I can't count how many times I would announce to the Universe that I was throwing my hands in the air, that I was ready to toss my beliefs into the pit, give up the fight and join the craziness of those I was fighting against!

But I never did give up, because in those moments something would happen to me.  I can't explain it really, but a feeling would come over me and I would know instantly that if I did that, if I gave up, that I was losing out on the most profound experience of personal growth in my life.  With that knowledge in hand how could I possibly throw in the towel?

By sticking to it, by standing my ground and holding firm to my beliefs I grew into someone strong and courageous.  I know this to be true, not by looking in the mirror.  I don't see the change there.  I see the change in the people who surround me now, the people who surround me and who are in my life at this moment are the strongest, most caring and supportive people I have ever known.  They have lived a life like I have and they have refused to give up!  The people who surround you are a direct reflection of yourself.

Refusing to give your power over to someone or something is one of the most noble acts in this life.  Maintaining your strength and power in the chaos of this world is by far the hardest thing you may ever do.

But make no mistake it will also be the greatest gift that you give yourself and the people around you.

I know we have all hit a wall or two this year.  And although this year has been challenging, I'm sure you would all agree that it has been full of amazingly inspiring and uplifting moments as well. 

I learned so much throughout 2009 about myself, about other people, about forgiveness and the power of awareness.  I would not give up this year for anything in the world.

It was the year I shined!

The Great Mastermind

The Master Mind is defined as "coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose".

In his book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill says this "No individual may have great power without availing him or herself of the Master Mind."

I agree with this statement whole heartedly.

We've all been a part of a master mind at one time or another, yet it most likely wasn't called a master mind and maybe we weren't even aware that, that is what was happening at the time, but I'm sure we've all experienced the synergy, the connectedness of two or more people throwing about ideas and creating something bigger than they could have created on their own.

You've most likely felt energized and confident after a session with a couple of respected friends.  Imagine if you could access this group on a regular basis.  It has the potential to keeping you motivated and on track, it is a great way to progress in your life, in your business and with any ideas you may have with regards to creating change in your community.

None of us really has all the answers to life's questions, and bringing a group of people together from various degrees of knowledge and professional/personal backgrounds allows us to become whole in the experience of creating.  When we are acting on our own it is often difficult to see a project to fruition because there are so many stumbling blocks, so many areas of business and life that we simply don't have the solutions for.  That is where the master mind group comes in handy.

It is encouraged in Think and Grow Rich that everyone be a part of a master mind.  For personal and professional success (whatever that looks like to you). 

Being able to work through our concerns with a group of people who are committed to the master mind helps bring us to the other side of the issue much more quickly than if we were dealing with it on our own and we are quickly able to move forward and create something worthwhile.

I personally would love to see children master mind more often.  Children hold a wealth of knowledge, creativity and confidence.  Imagine if we were to bring them together to work synergistically towards a common goal.  What amazing things could be created within that master mind?

There are master minds that focus on using the law of attraction. This is a fabulous idea, since when we bring two or more people together to work towards manifesting our dreams they manifest that much quicker than if we were to do it on our own.

There are so many different things that you can set up a master mind for.  I encourage you to take a look at your goals and dreams, how many of them can you achieve on your own?  How many of them do you need a support system for?  Start your own master mind!  It's easy to do and doesn't cost any money, the rewards are endless!