Really, seriously… no matter how many yoga poses you do, no matter how many affirmations you affirm, no matter how many morning pages you write, when you grind up carrots you’re going to get carrot butter—every time. Well, maybe not carrot butter per se, but some kind of carrot mess for sure.
You’ve got all the ingredients to mix up one heck of an awesome life. But here’s the thing; most of us are standing in the kitchen getting beyond frustrated because the carrots we’ve piled into the mixer just won’t make peanut butter—no matter how hard we try.
We start to second guess ourselves left and right.
What am I doing wrong?
How come this isn’t working for me?
You’ve read the books. You’ve seen the testimonials. There are people out there who are creating unbelievable lives—you’ve maybe even read about some of my clients here; the ones who talk about feeling a kind of happiness they never even knew existed or the ones who talk about feeling 10 feet tall—and yet somehow, it feels like this is just out of reach for you.
I’m here to tell you that it’s not.
Whatever it is you want to create in your life, whatever it is that’s calling you, it’s out there; yours for the taking.
In a millisecond? Honestly? Short answer…
No.
But if you’re willing to put some time into it; if you’re willing to get serious about your energy and harness and shape shift it, then for you, yes the sky’s the limit.
Your emotional energy is the secret sauce.
Your emotional energy is the alchemical potion that’s THE game/life changer. Those are the peanuts that make the peanut butter. (I’m not sure how I came up with carrots and peanuts; just so you know, I don’t have anything against carrots. I love them.)
The thing about emotional energy is that you can’t fake it. And that’s the piece that seems to be getting left out when people are talking about creating amazing lives for themselves.
Forced smiles and positive affirmations marched out like military exercises don’t fool the Universe—not even for one millisecond.
The Universe reads anxiety, sadness, dejection, jealousy, anger, whatever it is that’s lurking behind those forced smiles.
It reads them, amplifies them and mirrors them right back at us. Oh boy! Not so cool when we’re full of bitterness and resentment.
So, what the heck? We’re stuck right?
Nope. Enter tiny steps stage left.
Enter coaxing and gentleness and encouragement.
Enter awareness.
That’s the big one. If you know what you’re putting out; if you can feel the fake smile, you can tend to it. It may take you a little piece of time (and honestly, it’s often shocking how little time it takes) but you can coax yourself into a genuinely different mood.
You can get the carrots off the counter (so to speak) and put the peanuts in the grinder…
You’ve got all the ingredients you need for an incredible joy filled life. You’ve just been leaving out some important things. You’ve been mixing in some other things that would be better left out.
Some of the ingredients you need may be way back in the far reaches of those kitchen cabinets.
Maybe it’s been a long time since you’ve used them. But they’re there. I promise you. With a just a little reach and the intention to do so, you can get them back out onto the counter where they belong.
See, when you first arrived on this planet it didn’t take much to get you giggling and gurgling at the tiniest of things.You were beyond delighted by this planet and all its wonders. You were like a little spring of happiness, overflowing. (And just so we’re clear here—you can be that overflowing spring of happiness again. That’s not something that’s just reserved for kids!)
But then, as time went by, especially for those of you who are uber sensitive, you started to lose your quick and easy access to those juiciest of spices—giggles for no reason, delight at crickets, wonder at starry summer nights, laughter at smiles, anticipation, excitement…..
Other ingredients started to take over like bottles of flavors with names like “I’m not good enough”; “I’m too fat”; “Nobody wants me”; “I always get hurt”; “Life’s just too hard”…..
And we know the dishes that those flavors create all too well. And they’re addictive. They taste lousy but we find ourselves drawn back to them again and again. Our bodies crave them but they wither our spirits.
Your task and mine?
Gently, to acknowledge that these dishes are toxic.
Gently, to draw our attention toward other dishes.
Gently, to create lives with habits that support dishes made with giggles for no reason, delight at crickets, wonder at starry summer nights, laughter at smiles, anticipation, excitement… and all those juicy things that make us thrill at being alive. Those habits might be yoga, meditation, journaling.
Those habits might be regular massage; regular coaching; a tribe of people that challenge you when you slip back into those old spices.
And gently, begin to play again. Really play. The kind of play that has no ulterior motive or desired outcome. The just because it’s fun kind of play.
Play as in your feet dangling on a dock in the water.
Play as in you watching a lady bug walk across a leaf.
Play as in you swinging into a creek on a rope.
Play as in you skipping in the rain.
Play as in you dancing in the moonlight (no one watching).
Peanut butter from carrots won’t happen. Ever. But if you have your heart set on peanut butter, let’s make that happen for you.
What makes your heart smile like kid on Christmas morning? I’d love to hear so leave me a comment.
