Thursday, September 27, 2007

The 90 Day Challenge: Day 59: What If?

What if?

As I have moved through the past 59 days of this project, I am struck with the opportunity and question: What if?

What if this is my chance to really breakthrough in my life and creates the dreams I have been longing for? What if this is it for me?

I have done a huge amount of work over the years in self-help seminars, and learned a great deal about myself and people in general. Yet, all of that information really hasn't motivated me to pull my life to a higher level. What if, instead of sitting in a seminar, that the only way to really experience those valuable lessons from the past is to apply all of that knowledge in a supremely personal way; to sit with myself and my experiences and pull from the abundance of my soul what I say I want my life to be. What if the execution and application of the designed strategies in this challenge are the last, and most profound, step needed in order to experience fulfillment of all my life's yearnings and accomplishments? And if so, what exactly is at stake here?

I must admit that I have had an amazing life. It has by no means been ordinary, and I have had exciting, life enhancing experiences that I will always cherish. Yet, I have had the feeling that there could be something more, a daily experience of living so profound, so satisfying, that it calls me forth every day. That is what this is all about for me. Achieving the ability to live a life that is
deeply satisfying, a life that will enable me to share the lessons learned and happiness I have experienced with others, and to live with love, prosperity and serenity. It is clear that for me that will come in a spiritual way, and I have already delved deeply into the ocean of knowing who I am in that respect.

As I have approached and worked through the stages of this challenge, I am thankful that I have had the life experiences that have given me strength to move through this journey. That I have reached this point in my life is not a coincidence. There are no accidents. Those of you that have found your way to these pages in many ways are on a similar challenge and journey, and I salute you for you valiant efforts. Someday I hope to hear about your valuable ocean of experiences. Ashford and Simpson once sang "I need your light with mine", and in this moment, no truer words have been spoken. We sometimes forget, or neglect to remember, that we are all in this together. Life is about relationships, communication and love. Your participation here, at this moment, has been created through divine guidance and I welcome the lessons and experiences that each of you are willing to share. We each hold a very valuable key to each others success; let us share our deepest heartfelt experiences so that this truly becomes the year that we break through and manifest the magnificence that our lives are meant to be.

I have everyday been confronted with the challenge that this process has presented - to be conscientious at each step of the program. Each direction along this journey creates a foundation for the next idea, and a pyramid of knowledge and understanding is built as I move towards my goals. My request of myself has been to stay on course, even in the worst moments, as the goal, the “prize” is always in my sights.

This challenge, for me, has been about designing the abilities to live my life as it was intended to be – brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous!

I Am.

Kristian

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Still On Course

90 days. Not a very long time. Just enough time to completely redesign your life.

Over the last 42 days, I have been through a great deal. A stalker. A seriously mental one. I took action and obtained a temporary restraining order. Went to Superior Court with an attorney vs. the stalker. Obtained a restraining order that protects me for the next 3 years. Long enough to have the stalker fade out of my life forever.

I have also gained the ability to make friends again. People that make me laugh, and people that make me think. And, I’m getting myself into awesome physical shape. And my six pack in not far from being reality again. I’ll be ready for the camera again in another month and a half.

I’m gaining personal confidence and am ready for beautiful music making and an audience by February. No joke. This time it’s really serious.

I have successfully negotiated the minefield that is my financial picture, and can clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel. And am designing a program of wealth that should carry me through for the rest of my life. I've discovered that wealth is not about money, but about happiness.

Ninety days is not a lifetime, but it can sure be the start of a great second wind. I’m regaining harmony in all aspects of my life….right on target.

Now, what’s next?

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

The 90 Day Challenge - Days 6, 7, 8

Everyone,

The past few days have been about follow through and gaining momentum on the projects that I currently have in hand. Having completed my financial chart, I’m in the process of composing and mailing letters to relevant parties, creating a budget that will work, setting up automatic payments from my bank (which will enable me to place my attention on other matters and know that everything is being taken care of), and taking stock of changes in my behavior so that I may cement all the new activities seamlessly into my schedule.

I’ve been faithful to working out at home on my personal equipment, and it gets easier each time. I’ve found that if I make it my first activity in the morning, it feels almost effortless, and is not on my mind all day as something that I need to schedule into my day.

These few days have also been about the process of examining myself from an intellectual standpoint. I was having a conversation with a friend and during the conversation I made a statement that surprised me as being true, but I hadn’t given it any thought previously. I stated that the past 7 years have been about my grieving process surrounding the events of September 11, 2001, and that I feel that I’ve finally come out of some sort of shell. I hadn’t realized that I’d put my life on hold, but after looking over my activities for the past 7 years, that’s exactly what I’ve done. This process has allowed me to reawaken myself and to live consciously again. The amazing thing is other people that I’m associated with have also noticed the change and are making positive comments.

That I earned a Masters degree in this period totally astounds me. In the middle of all of the internal struggle that I’ve had about the 9/11 event, I found strength to go back to school and accomplish that major task. The realization that I could accomplish the requirements of a degree during this past period is a testament to the powerful humanity and intent within me, and it feels wonderful to know that about myself.

Additionally this time has also been about acknowledging that I needed to slow down a moment to take stock of the first days of this venture, and to refocus and move more aggressively to my end goal. I am very proud to say that this process is awakening many aspects of living for me, and I am seeing positive results already. Today I will continue working on the projects that I already have in hand, and ensure that my intention remains steadfast.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

The 90 Day Challenge - Day 5 - Gratitude

Today I woke up with Gratitude on my mind. I've always known that I have a beautiful life, and each morning I take time to acknowledge that fact, and to express gratitude for the person that I am and the life that I have created.

Each morning when I wake up, I said “Thank You” to God for giving me the gift of another day. Then I go about looking around my home, being grateful for the things that fill my environment. I can truly say that everything in my home has been hand-picked by me, and I love and cherish each and every item, with each holding a deeper meaning of a particular time and place or activity that reminds me of having lived a full life.

My personality is apparent in each and every object. I’ve decorated my home in a style that speaks clearly to my own sensibilities, and am nurtured by the quality and meaning of each composition.

I’ve learned that a home is a place that should nurture you, give you comfort, and express to the world what your heart is about.

I’m grateful for the totality of the environment that I live in, which includes:
• The building
• The furnishings
• The color on the walls of my dwelling
• The peacefulness and energy of the space
• The elegance and vibrancy of my choices
• The weather that surrounds my existence
• The view from the windows of my home and soul
• The friends and acquaintances in my life
• The city that I currently call home
• This country
• Being a citizen of the world

Being in gratitude encompasses so much more that one might think initially. It is about ALL of the components of one’s life, loves and passions. And, it is about being grateful for, and acknowledging the greatness of, YOURSELF.

Most of all, I am grateful for this moment, realizing that there is no greater gift than being right here, right now, acknowledging and experiencing the blessing that I have been given in this moment. I AM.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

The 90 Day Challenge - Day 4

Everyone,

Today’s experience has guided me to a moment of acknowledgement for the clarity gained thus far in this process.

I gathered up all of the outstanding bills and letters on my desk, and when done, realized that I had a stack about 3 inches thick. I thought, wow, how can I find the strength to confront all of this?

As I began sorting through, I realized that a large portion of the stack was duplicate material that had been forwarded to me. When I finally sorted the material by creditor and date, it became apparent that only about ½ inch of paper was currently relevant. All of the older duplications were then tossed.

As I called each creditor, it became more and more apparent that they were happy to accommodate my inquiries, and look forward to assisting me in resolving each item. As the day progressed, I sat down and created a spreadsheet of open accounts and amounts due, and found that I have a much brighter financial picture than I have given myself credit for. All in all, the total amount of debt is so much less that I had made up in my mind looking at the 3 inches of paperwork prior to starting the process.

Having made that realization, I began to think about all of the situations in my life that I conjure up thoughts about, and make more serious than they actually are, because of an inability to confront a situation and take a clear look the bottom line basics. I learned a valuable lesson yesterday – that all of the speculation and fears in my mind are just a way of keeping me from the actual acknowledgement of truth lying beneath, which is never as dire as I think. [Funny how I never really though of myself as a drama queen, but there it is, LOL!]. Once a situation is confronted and light is shed on the subject, it becomes so much smaller (literally) and falls into the realm of being possible to resolve.

There are countless situations in our lives in which we can apply this realization. Let’s take relationship as an example. How many times have we wanted to get to know someone, only to let our minds stop us from moving forward because of our own insecurities? The fact that we are willing to reach out to get to know others can be a wonderful appreciation of our humanity, yet we kill off the impulse to smile or say hello simply because we do not think we are worthy in the moment of being liked. In my own recent experience, I resisted my own “self-talk” and initiated a conversation with a couple of people that I’ve been wanting to get to know, and low and behold, they were as sweet and genuine as they could be and welcomed the opportunity of us getting to know each other better.

Now, under normal circumstances, I might look at this a just coincidence. Yet, at this stage in my life, I am certain that there are no accidents. That situation came into my life as a tool for me to learn that I should not let my personal fears stand in the way of the things that I desire in life. All I need to do is acknowledge my fear, and move forward with my intention without hesitation. The value of being courageous is more valuable than the fear of maintaining the status quo. Yes, a very, very valuable lesson learned.

This leads me to a deeper understanding of the concept of James Arthur Ray’s Harmonic Wealth philosophy. It is becoming increasingly apparent to me that all areas of one’s life work in concert in order to create the symphony of living we all refer to as “being happy”. Let the orchestra play.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

The 90 Day Challenge - Day 3 - A Deeper Understanding of The Process

Everyone,

Today has been all about understanding the process. As I was going through materials, I came across a large amount of papers that I’d written in college, and decided that they should be archived. I also sorted through unanswered correspondence and am working on a plan to reach everyone by either phone or mail.

I realized that I have YEARS of old paperwork and materials packed away in boxes, along with long forgotten articles and memorabilia, so I’ve decided to embrace another project of sorting through all stored boxes, clear out all unwanted articles, file papers appropriately and dispose of everything that no longer has relevance to my life.

It’s interesting that at 3 days into this project, I am beginning to recognize the power within this process; declaring an intention, then taking action, has shed light on areas of my life that have been hidden and/or ignored for years. Almost without effort, I’m confronting the issues of personal finance, archiving personal history, cleaning out closets and staying true to my word ( “I saw what I mean, and I mean what I say”), all on the strength of having made a commitment to achieving extraordinary results. Now, tell me who I am!

I also today began work on another pillar in this process, Relationship. I initiated new friendships, spoke honestly to those around me, and was true to my heart all day. It feels magnificent standing out on a limb, experiencing the creative process at work in my life.

I am grateful for the opportunity to share this process with you. I’m also grateful for the grace that has surrounded me all of my life, and the light that shines from within.

I anticipate that my finances project should take approximately 2 weeks to complete. In that time, I will have corresponded with and set a plan of completion with every outstanding issue. At the same time, I will begin to confront and sort through the remaining four pillars of “Harmonic Wealth” that will lead me towards an extraordinary experience of living by the end of this project.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

The 90 Day Challenge - Day 2

Everyone,

I am happy to report that things are still on course and moving along very well. I have also realized that its time for rubber to hit the road. As promised in my initial email and yesterday’s installment, this process promises to be a very revealing look at my life, so that others may easily resonate with the issues and concepts that will inevitably arise.

This has been a day of discovery, with financial freedom emerging as the first item requiring attention, so I have initiated work in that direction. Researching items, initiating correspondence and confronting a [very large] pile of paper on my desk at home has been the order of the evening. Additionally, contacting creditors, looking at my personal budget and taking stock of surrounding issues has been the focus.

Finance is one of the five pillars in James Arthur Ray’s “Harmonic Wealth” philosophy that I wrote about yesterday, and my senses tell me that I will gravitate to one or the other over the days and weeks to come as different issues arise. The fact of the matter is that there will/can never be complete harmony in all areas - we sometimes call that “balance”, however, life is designed to be random and will therefore generate imbalance at every turn. This is definitely a good thing. Just think about it. If everything was truly balanced, there would be nothing new to discover. What a boring existence that would be.

I’m beginning to understand the depth of the intention process that I spoke about yesterday. In my discussions and communications today, I’ve gained clarity about the necessity of placing focus on my financial well being, and am sharing that fact with you so that I may be held accountable for taking right action. I hope that you can feel my commitment and heart here. I acknowledge that I accomplished all that I could today in this direction, and much more attention is forthcoming over the course of the next 89 days and beyond.

I’ve decided to create a spreadsheet showing a workable budget comprised of obligations, amounts due, payment schedules, and workable time periods to optimize my process. This portion of the project will definitely move beyond the 90 day challenge, as should be expected; what is important here is that I am creating a new habit that will allow for final resolution on open issues over the next few years. Starting - and continuing - a process like this has been difficult for me over the years, and now I realize that in order to truly be “wealthy”, I need to pay close attention to all aspects of my life.

Again, thank you for checking in with me, and please, do let me know what you think. I invite you to engage me in this conversation. If you think that I'm not being authentic in my conversations and actions, please tell me! My intent is to create real value here.

All the best on this day number 2,

Kristian

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

The 90 Day Challenge - Day 1

Day 1: July 31, 2007

First, I would like to thank all of you who have taken the time to visit my blog. I do absolutely appreciate your support. I know you have busy lives and realize that your time is valuable.

My intention here is to include you in my process of discovery, and to involve you in a way that inspires you to move to make positive changes in your own lives. I am grateful that you have expressed interest in this new project that I am creating.
Because this is the first day of my 90 day project, I want you to know that I have decided to place focus on areas of my life that will enable me to experience life more fully, or as James Arthur Ray has stated, to obtain “Harmonic Wealth”. This means, essentially, that I begin to create movement in 5 key areas: 1) financial, 2) relational, 3) mental, 4) physical and 5) spiritual. Over the years, I have accomplished modest success in each area, only to experience each change to a state of inactivity over time. My plan is to deliver intense focus and intention to effect permanent positive change in each area.

The power of intention - that is - the ability to focus with sincere intent in accomplishing my stated goals, is very real for me at this moment in my life. I will be confronting every aspect of my life here, and you are invited to watch me work through issues and hurdles that have kept me from realizing my full potential.
As this statement of intention is the first step in this process, I thought it might be appropriate to post the following article on the significance of intention, written by Marcia Wieder, a life coach:

Four Steps For Setting An Intention

It’s time to change the way we think and speak about our dreams. Transforming a conversation, just like manifesting a dream, begins by setting an intention. Your intentions will assist you in taking greater control of your life.

A working definition for intention is: “to have in mind a purpose or plan, to direct the mind, to aim.” Lacking intention, we sometimes stray without meaning or direction. But with it, all the forces of the universe can align to make even the most impossible, possible. My intention is to transform the conversation around dreams from fear and doubt, to hope and possibility, followed by action and results.

The media and masses say, “It’s time to be realistic.” Consider this. Without our dreams all we have is our present reality. Reality is not a bad thing. We have to know where we are so we can design the appropriate strategy for getting to where we want to be. The challenge is our attitude around “reality” and being “realistic” and what being realistic has cost us. Often that’s our passion and joy, our hopes and dreams.

Given the unknowns and sometimes craziness of life, there’s never been a more important time to dream and setting your intention is the first step. When should you set an intention? You could set an intention every day. It can be specific and about something in particular or more like a quality, such as to be more relaxed or involved with life.

First Steps:

1. Get clear about something you want and write it down.

2. Share your intention with someone in a way that will supportively hold you accountable to taking action.

3. Do something today to demonstrate your commitment to your intention.

4. Acknowledge that you did what you said you would and then, take the next step.

As written in the steps above, I’ll list today’s list of intentions. As I’ve stated in my original email, I will not divulge my final goals in order to allow you to experience this process from a fresh perspective.

1. Get clear about something you want and write it down

What I want is the ability to set positive intentions for myself and to follow through and do them no matter what. Today, the list is comprised of exercising, writing, reading, thinking and creating a plan of action that is challenging and life-affirming that will lead me to attainment of several undisclosed goals. Additionally, to take every situation that comes to me and utilize it to affirm my talents and abilities.

2. Share your intention with someone in a way that will supportively hold you accountable to taking action.

Share with someone…that would be you! I’m on the hook and at stake beginning NOW.

3. Do something today to demonstrate your commitment to your intention.

I have read articles pertaining to the power of setting intentions, done physical exercise, written in this blog and communicated with you about my intentions. Now that I have put my self at stake with you, I have a reason to produce the things I say. Accountability is everything!

4. Acknowledge that you did what you said you would and then, take the next step.

O.K. I promised that I would start my project’s process today and communicate with you through my blog, and I have done so. Now, on to building and designing a program for myself that works!

Ms. Weider’s philosophy on this subject radiates with clarity. It’s time for me to take action, and I will report tomorrow on the outcome of today’s intentions. Please stay tuned….