What I fear I create!

The banner “What I fear I create!” hanging on the wall reminds me of the first time I considered this truth almost 25 years ago.  After 40 plus years coaching and encouraging people to better their lives, I realize this statement is one of the universal truths governing my future.   Most of my life I have just made do, thinking and believing my life events were results of my heredity, environment, karma or other external forces.  It often seems that I allow natural limitations to explain the circumstances of my life more than intentions or choices.  I become a victim rather than accountable in life and quickly argue for and defend my limitations. 

The good news!

The statement, “What I fear I create” is only a portion of the greater truth – “I experience what I create”.  I can choose to create my life from my fears or from my positive intentions.  I believe that each of us is made in the image of the Creator, giving us the power of creation, will and choice!  One of my favorite writings is found in Genesis  2:4-5, “The Lord God made the earth and heavens and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew.”  I am given the capacity to choose much of my future.  I can make my future bigger or more powerful than my past and present circumstance.  Fear lives in the past, and only has power that is given to it. 

What do you want?

None of us has to remain stuck believing what is to be will be. Our world is full of mystery and our creative minds allow us to aspire and live abundantly.  Begin by forming the image of what you want that is in harmony with your being (contract) and directing the energy into actions (doing).  Energy comes from the image or idea of what we want.  We become true to our nature, co-creators with the Creator – powerful and potent.

Russ

The Language of MORE!

Many of us avoid change in our lives because we believe that it requires so much of us. We would really like to become what we’ve dreamed of but we tell ourselves we can’t spare the time or energy. But consider this possibility. Would you make a change if you knew that it required just a simple change in your language?

For example, in a visit with a young man the other day, I learned that his goal for this year is to be less angry. “What would less angry be like for you?”I asked and he explained that he would become more thoughtful and respond rather than react to situations that seemed to “cause” his anger.

“Would you be willing to take part in an experiment ?”, I asked. “Would you be willing to replace the idea of “less angry” with “thoughtful and responsive” each time you thought or talked about this goal for the next week?”

He agreed to this experiment. One week later he reported a significant change in his experience at home and at his job. He had not found very little to be angry about. He had felt much more productive and satisfied with at his job. And his time with family had been calm and enjoyable.

This is a simple example of learning a new language. No it is not a Rosetta stone version. However, it would be a great idea! The language that most of us have been speaking since being small children is the Language of Limitation! In speaking it daily we remind ourselves of our weaknesses, inabilities and insecurities. In speaking the Language of Limitation we insure that we will not be able to rise above the cycles of frustration, disappointment, and feeling of being not important.

We could spend a lifetime trying to break out of these cycles that we find ourselves in. Many just give in to the lies that this language continually whispers into our subconscious thoughts.

How can you become a Winner?

We all want to win! We all want to be champions! We all want to be successful! What is the language of champions, of winners? The Language of Winners is the language of Abundance! This new language focuses on the positive, possible, and challenging ideas of your dreams. It lifts you above the old thoughts of weakness and failure. It is the language of MORE!

What MORE do you want in your life? Would you be willing to try an experiment?

“The first time you accept ‘good‛ is the last time you will see excellence.” John Ulmo

This came across my email this week as quote of the week from someone. I
almost automatically deleted, then, wait a minute! I read it again, and
thought, this is the cheer for those who want MORE! This is the mantra of
Win/Win! This is the belief that I want personally to be guiding my choice
making.

When I get to a place where things are “good” I have a tendency to self congratulate.
“Wow, Pat, you have worked hard! Now sit down and rest and
give yourself a break!” Good is so comfortable, especially after years of feeling
miserable, depressed, angry, or rejected. Good is like heaven!
But wait! Can accepting ‘good’ become a comfort zone in itself? I believe it
can if we settle into it like a comfy couch and begin to let life happen without
our thought or input.

I’m not saying that we should not enjoy the results of our efforts. I am not
saying that we should not celebrate! It is important to take stock, acknowledge
our growth, and take care of ourselves by resting and celebrating!
However if we truly want to experience excellence in our lives, “good
enough” may not get us there.

I believe that most of us equal excellence with a level of discomfort. For
example, if I want to weigh 150 pounds, I am going to have to change my
choices about eating and exercise. This simple desire on my part will tear me
out of my comfortable place where I’m feeling pretty good! And I will have
to THINK! OFTEN! About what my commitment is and what actions
it requires. UNCOMFORTABLE!

How do I get the results that I want? I first know what results I want. I make
a mark each day on the Excellence Elevator. Any discomfort that I experience
I count as an indicator that I am ever closer to reaching my new goal.
And I begin to understand that the idea of discomfort is a JUDGMENT rather
than a reality. If the Result I want is important enough, then the action I
take to achieve it is not discomfort. It is merely a step toward EXCELLENCE!

~ Pat Hardesty

Hugs

After the completion of the June 2010 session of Freedom Seminars, I arrived home to house guests which had arrived from Florida earlier that day, on of which was my Grandma. She’s getting older and the realization of that has taken hold as I cherish the times we have together, which isn’t very often. Most of my family have always given hugs, but often it’s the “tent hug” or the “granny hug”, when your patted on the back until you want to burp. I welcomed her with a big “Freedom Hug” which I could tell surprised and touched her heart. She didn’t want to let go and neither did I. What a wonderful way to start our visit. I had made a mental list of the things I wanted to do with her during the brief 36 hour stay and we manage to check everything off in rapid succession. As she left, we embraced once more; this time initiated by my Grandma, neither of us ready to say good-bye to the other.

When I was a young teenager, I remember when my Grandpa Hardesty completed the Roots and Wings training. It was unusual to have him here in Missouri; we were often the ones making our annual summer pilgrimage to Oklahoma. I hopped in the car with Dad to take Grandpa to the airport, which was weird anyways, and then Grandpa held on to me the entire time. I can remember thinking, “OK, Grandpa, you’re going to miss your plane if you don’t let go.” I was a willing participant, a little confused, but willing to hold his hand and give him a big Freedom Hug before boarding the plane. I didn’t realize the full significance of that moment in time, but now as a grown woman I will cherish that experience forever.

Giving someone a proper hug is not only a way of greeting or saying good-bye, it’s a way of letting them know that you love and cherish them, that you care deeply about who they are. For some, I believe it can be a way of feeling vulnerable and there fore they are reluctant to share that experience with other. It opens one up to what each has to offer the other in becoming more “in-to-me-I-see” (intimate) with them. It’s amazing how such a seemingly small act can be so powerful and on of the greatest gifts you can ever give another human being.

When was the last time you gave or received a good Freedom Hug? You can take action in creating meaningful relationships with those you care for by sharing this simple yet powerful tool with them. It’s not necessary to explain the reason behind your actions; just let it be and see what happens!

August 2010

Amy Craighead

What Are Freedom Seminars?

Hard to describe in words, Freedom is not a traditional seminar with a podium and tables. It is an experience, really it is an experience that will change your life. During Freedom Seminar I learned tools that I have been able to use from that time forward.

Recently I had the privilege of being a TA with some very seasoned veteran TAs. One of the things Russ Hardesty, the main trainer, said to the TAs was to trust the process, because Freedom Seminar is a process by which transformation occurs, the caterpillar becomes the butterfly. This happens visibly to every person who completes the Roots and Wings seminar. Even the strongest, most confident among the group stands taller, speaks with more confidence and is more determined to make a difference in the world. Some realize for the first time they can make a difference in the world.
What occurred to me on the last day of seminar is that the seminar is not really even about them. As a TA, Russ told us to remember that the seminar is about the trainees. The people who go through the seminar set the tone for what will happen in their lives. While they are there, at the seminar, it is about them. On the last day, the last song reminded me, though, the seminar is not about the 17 who were graduating on that day or the hundreds of others who’ve gone through the seminar over the years. It’s about making the world a better place. It’s about giving back to others so that they have the tools to help change the lives of everyone they meet.

It is a spiritual journey to wholeness. It is about getting rid of the baggage that has held us back. Freedom Seminar is about getting unstuck. But its also about having to tools to get out of the mire before it engulfs completely.
Simply put, Freedom Seminar is about becoming everything you hoped to be and more. It is a spiritual, practical journey that starts the moment you walk through the door of the Roots and Wings seminar and continues for the rest of your life.

June 2010

~Teresa Parker

Wizard of Oz

“You cannot heal or change what you do not acknowledge”

I was channel surfing the other night and there it was, The Wizard of Oz. I decided to watch it. I have vivid memories of seeing it the first time when I was a kid. It was on a Sunday afternoon at a theater in Oklahoma City. It scared me. I’ve seen it several times since then– it was pretty much an annual event with my children. The other night when I watched it, I realized that it is a great metaphor for my personal experience of Freedom Seminars. When I came into the training room, I was like Dorothy – lost, trying to find my way back. The only difference is she knew where “back” was – Kansas. I didn’t even know where I needed to be heading. I just knew I felt lost. I also felt like the Scarecrow – didn’t have a brain. I grew up feeling like I was not very smart and continued to feel that way as an adult. Not only did I feel lost and dumb, I felt dead. Like the Tin Man, I didn’t have a heart. To top it all off, I was missing the Lion-like courage to make the changes necessary to live my life better and more fully. So I was a mess when I walked into the room….lost, dumb, dead, and scared. One of the first tools that hit me was, “You cannot heal or change what you do not acknowledge.” Through the process of the training, though, I began to trust my fellow trainees enough to be open and to look inside. As I acknowledged the state I was in, I began to confront the flying monkeys and evil witches.

I finally realized that the “wizard” was inside of me all along and that I already possessed the intelligence, the courage, and the heart to get back home – a place of peace, love, and personal power. Freedom Seminars truly helped me find my way back. Now, if I stray too far from home - to that place of feeling lost, dumb, dead or scared – I reclaim my contract: I am a free and loving woman. In a flash, I go back to the training room and relive the experiences, the emotions, and the loving and supportive friends who were on their journey with me. Ahh, there’s no place like home – it’s like clicking the ruby slippers together.

June 2010

~ Marsha Medcalf

"I See You"

“I have set all of my judgments of you aside, and am ready to learn what you would like for me to know about you. Please teach me.”

My family and I are movie buffs of a certain kind. We have our favorite movies that we view numerous times…but not just for entertainment. We study movies. We study movies for content, dialogue, ideas. We study actors and characters. It’s just what we do! This last weekend Russ and I watched Avatar for a second or third time. We always let our thoughts mull for a couple of days and then have conversation about our experiences and insights. Avatar is a favorite for several reasons, but what I gleaned from this viewing is a concept that still wows me.

In the movie the natives of Pandora have a greeting for one another that is simple, yet it makes me sit up and pay particular attention each time I hear it. “I see you!” It is used as we might say “Hi There! How are you?” But it is so much more than a greeting. The natives of Pandora have a very unique and particular connection to one
another. They are connected to their world, and all the creatures in it, just as they are connected to one another.

“I see you” is a greeting that gains meaning as you follow this story. In the beginning the main character, Jake Sulley, witnesses the Pandorans using it among themselves. He is curious about it but does not understand the full meaning. As the story continues, this greeting becomes one that lets him know he is included and regarded as important and vital. And in the end it is a greeting that restores him to the Pandorans as a leader and the fulfillment of a long held prophecy (like his contract?).

Every time I watch this movie, I think, we should include this greeting in our Freedom training somewhere! It is so appropriate for the work we do. It is more than saying that I see your outer person, I see your clothes, your hair, your physical body. Its meaning would be something like “I have set all of my judgments of you aside, and am ready to learn what you would like for me to know about you. Please teach me.”

This is in a nutshell, what we teach in Roots and Wings. “I see you” is a greeting of honor, acknowledgement, acceptance, and discovery. It is a very loving greeting. Imagine what it might allow with you in your relationship with your children. Most of us believe that we are the owners of our children and know everything there is to know about them. There is nothing left to discover! What a limiting belief that is…and so hard for those we love the most. This greeting would also unlock a new level of intimacy and connection with a partner
or spouse.

There is so much more to be discovered within these three words. I challenge you to take them inside of you and learn as much as you can from them.
And check out the movie. There are many great lessons within its story line if one chooses to study it.

“I see you”! Love ,
Pat Hardesty