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.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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