Living With Intention | April 26, 2007 
Volume 4, Issue 2 | Subscribe

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A Note from Deanna  

Hello, my intentional friends! I’m feeling the burst of joy and energy that Spring always brings. And, for those of you who don’t know yet, I’m feeling even better than usual, as I am in the 4th month of my pregnancy, due in September with an intentional little angel. I couldn’t be happier and wanted to thank all of you who have shared your good wishes.

Be sure to take a look at the outstanding resources we’re bringing your way this May—our new Your Ideal Weight program and another offering of Living the Law of Attraction (formerly called Power Play Saturday). See the resources section for details!

Enjoy this issue and I wish you a surge of intention in your life!

Deanna Davis, PhD

Deanna Davis, PhD deanna@appliedinsight.net www.AppliedInsight.net www.DeannaDavis.net

In this week's issue:

• Ideas for a Wildly Fulfilling Life: The Winds of Change 
• Ideas for a Remarkably Successful Life: Stop and Start
• Resources That Will Change Your Life: Your Ideal Weight and Living the Law of Attraction
• Feedback and Free Stuff: Share Your Stories in Manifest This!
• People Making a Difference: Ourselves Growing Older Workshop
• Contact Info

Ideas for a Wildly Fulfilling Life…
The Winds of Change

Here’s What Happened: On my first camping trip as an adult, I woke my first husband from a deep sleep during the middle of the night in a valiant effort to single-handedly roll our tent out of the way of the oncoming train that was about to mow us down. At the time, it didn’t dawn on me that it would be odd for a speeding train to be bearing down upon us, threatening our very lives, in the middle of a Federal campground. But, the howling wind, combined with my vibrant dream state and uncanny ability to orchestrate massive displays of physical prowess in my sleep, made a very compelling case that our lives were in jeopardy and that it would be up to me to rescue us from impending doom.

I braced my feet against the sides of the tent, stretched my arms out like a Davinci sketch, and miraculously heaved the tent one full turn to the right. I violently unearthed all of the tent stakes in one mighty thrust and threw my husband like a rag doll out of his sleeping bag in a pile of human rubble, dazed, alarmed, and exceptionally annoyed. “What the hell are you doing?” he sputtered. While my task seemed obvious to me at the time, I gasped, “I had to…get us…out of the way…of…that…train.”

And then I woke up. On further reflection, it would have been much more effective to wake up before I had unleashed carnage on our shelter for the night, but I guess everything’s easier to see with a healthy dose of hindsight, a bit of consciousness, and the light of day.

His eyes were startled, wide and huge, and I think in that moment I may have witnessed the beginning of the end of our marriage (but that’s a story for another time). I whispered apologetically, “There’s no train, is there?” while I unobtrusively scanned the horizon for black smoke and strained to hear a wayward “chugga chugga choo choo” as I continued our dialogue. “NO, THERE ISN’T A TRAIN,” he spit out through clenched teeth, as a down feather from his sleeping bag floated gently down to rest on his lips. “AND NOW THERE ISN’T A TENT ANYMORE, EITHER!”

We spent an hour or so in the dark, braving the wind to piece together a makeshift refuge that would get us through the rest of the night. Although he would never admit it, though, I know that he knew that if there had been a train, I would have been a hero that night. I slept soundly with the knowledge that I could work wonders in the face of all odds (even when the odds were imagined instead of real ) and he, I believe, slept with one eye open and one leg poised for escape for the remainder of the night.

Now, I know that this rather memorable little situation happened due to my propensity for sleepwalking, the newness of my situation (a newlywed in a new tent), and the environmental factors like the wind and darkness that made the circumstance all the more odd. And I know that this particular set of factors probably would never happen again in my life, or at least I can hope that they wouldn’t. But I do know that I learned a few things about myself and unforeseen outcomes that helped me in future situations.

Here’s What I Learned:

1. The winds of change can give you superhuman strength to tackle all sorts of perceived threats. It’s best, though, to analyze whether changes in your life are actually threats or just something markedly different than what you’re used to. In the case of the latter, it’s best to give yourself a bit of time and space to get used to a new situation before taking radical action (word to the wise). A bit of analysis can channel your most effective efforts into your most elegant outcomes. This yields far better outcomes than going on an occasional reactionary rampage.

2. Your mind can take all sorts of twists and turns and make up a funky array of stories about how and why and when things happen. Sometimes this process can be most amusing, but often, the mind makes up stories in unproductive and unconstructive ways. It’s always a good thing to remember that you always have a choice about the meaning you ascribe to any event, as well as the opportunity to select empowering thoughts and actions at any time (provided you’re conscious, of course). It’s always good to remember that most of the time, when things go wrong, it’s usually not really about you. It’s about the variety of circumstances that contributed to an outcome. If you step back a bit, you can study the situation (and sometimes have a bit of fun with it) and then determine how you want to influence it next time.

3. Often, even in the most unfortunate of circumstances, you can still find a reason to laugh. Even in the midst of the slings and arrows of your own life’s outrageous misfortunes, there’s something memorable…or entertaining…or downright ridiculous…that can help you keep your sense of humor (if not your tent) intact.

Ideas for A Remarkably Successful Life…  
Stop and Start

Here are a few simple reminders of the things you can do to make every day more productive and positive:

• STOP recounting negative stories and complaints about what’s going on in your life. Instead, focus on what is going well and the evidence that you are making progress, even if it’s tiny steps. What you focus on expands…make a thoughtful choice about what merits your attention.

• START selecting your words carefully, since words have immense power over our emotions and intentions. Opt for empowering words such as “choose” (rather than “have to”) and “opportunity” (rather than “problem”). Use powerful, positive words both in your interactions with others and in your internal self-talk. You’ll notice a profound difference in your daily experience.

• STOP focusing on your weaknesses by trying to make them stronger. As Dan Sullivan of the Strategic Coach says, “if all you do is focus on your weaknesses, all you’ll get is a bunch of strong weaknesses.” Turn your attention to knowing and using your strengths every day in every area of your life. The payoff will be huge, both in terms of your success and your fulfillment.

• START living your life from a perspective of gratitude and appreciation, both for who you are and what you have, as well as for others and what they’ve brought into your life. Gratitude for where we are and what we have now is perhaps the single most powerful tool for drawing more people, experiences, and things to be grateful for into our lives.