Tag Archive for: Oprah Winfrey

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Just Start, My Secret Sauce to Success

Just Start, The Secret Sauce to Success

“I’ve never begun any important venture for which I felt adequately prepared.” -Sheldon Kopp

I just love that quote. We all have times of hesitance when we embark on a new endeavor. Even the most successful of us are not free from that feeling of, “Am I really ready?” How many plans, ideas, goals and dreams did you sit on because of this nagging voice? How many sparks of illuminating inspiration have you had that withered and faded into the distance because you did not feel like you were adequately prepared?

Does any of this sound familiar to you? “I’ll be ready once I take just one more class. I’ll do it when I lose 10 more pounds. I can start once I have a little more money.

EGO TRICKSTER

You may not realize it, but that voice of hesitance is the ego tricking you. You see, the ego’s job is to help you to feel safe. That’s why it’s always telling you that you need to take one more class, get one more certification or that you need what ever “it” may be. It goes on and on in a never-ending cycle. The ego wants to hold you in your safe zone. It’s afraid of change. Even if the change is better for you than staying where you are. But the truth is, you’ll never feel adequate until you just begin. Sure, you may be scared. You may make mistakes. You may be rough around the edges in the beginning. Heck, you may even fall flat on your face. But you have to start from somewhere. I mean really, it’s pretty difficult to be perfectly perfect right out of the gate.

JUST START

The trick is, it’s actually easier if you do yourself a favor; release the pressure and JUST START, even if you don’t think you’re ready. Starting is the key ingredient to the secret sauce of success. Take one step at a time, and keep going, and going, and going. The mere act of starting creates momentum. The fire is sparked, energy flows, and low and behold, you’re on your way. And the great news is, you will have the opportunity to fine-tune it as you move along. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” -Mark Twain

 

F*E*A*R

Yet too often, fear comes into play. You feel more secure in the safety of what you know. But in actuality, this sense of security is mostly a superstition. Avoiding fear is no safer in the long run than getting right out there and taking a shot. And what is fear? False * Evidence * Appearing * Real.

EMBRACE THE CHANGE

In the wise words of Socrates, “The secret to change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but in building the new.” Because trust me, that which you focus on, becomes your world. And if you fight for your limitations, they will be yours to keep.

WORST CASE

So let’s break it down. What’s the worst that’s likely to happen if you take the leap and Just Start? Dig into your deepest fear. Is it that people won’t accept you? Is it that your plan might not work? Maybe you will lose? So what??? This is not life threatening.  Keep on going. Dare yourself to fail. In life, those who take the risks are the ones who achieve success.

SUCCESSFUL FAILURES

Did you know that some of the most successful people in the world had to first endure failure? Michael Jordan was turned down by his high school basketball team. One of the greatest NBA players in the history of basketball and his high school team turned him down! And Oprah Winfrey, she was told that she wasn’t good enough to be on TV. He-he-he. Really??? Didn’t stop her from being one of the biggest TV hosts in the world. Oh, and that little known band the Beatles, they were turned down by Decca records and told that they never make it in show business. Way to call that one wrong Decca!

DREAM ON

So challenge yourself to become the dreamer of dreams, become the risk taker. And start, even if you don’t think you’re ready.

I hope this inspires you to go forth with confidence in the direction of your dreams.

I would love to hear your comments. Share your inspiration with us. Have you started a project before you were ready? Do you have a idea that you want to get started on. The story continues in the comments. Let’s inspire each other.

Shine On!

Jewels Bertrand

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The Power Of A Daily Spiritual Practice

As some of you know, I have recently committed to expanding my yoga teaching accreditations to encompass Kundalini Yoga. I’m in a 9 month training course studying under some of the best Kundalini Teachers in the world. Guru Singh, Amrit Khalsa, Guru Prem Singh and Simran Khalsa, just to name a few.

 

Discipline 

As part of this intense teacher training, we were required chose and perform a specific 40 day kriya (physical yoga practice) along with a meditation. The direction was to do this practice for 40 days straight. If ya miss a day, ya have to start over. Needless to say, The discipline it took to finish this 40 days was at times extremely difficult and arduous.  And being the over achieve that my nature dictates, I chose a rather rigorous kriya. Ugh, what was I thinking???

 

No Time

Often times when I mention that I’m a yoga teacher, people tell me… “Oh, I wish I could go to yoga, but I just don’t have the time.” 

 

Ya know, life is pretty much always full. We manage our home life, personal life, work life, social life, deadlines and commitments. Most of us have a pretty full plate. But if we don’t take care of the most important aspect of our lives, YOU, what do you have? 

 

But what if…

And what if by doing spiritual practice like yoga or meditation it actually helped you along in your life? Helped things to move in and out more freely, helped you to feel better, be more peaceful and calm. And what if it actually helped to open doorways and opportunities for you? Wouldn’t it be worth it?

 

That’s pretty much been my experience with my spiritual practice since I first began my yoga journey almost 10 years ago. Oh I’ve gone through sh*t storms just like everyone else. But somehow, when I keep in my practice, I can draw the power to center myself in the eye of the storm. Chaos swirling all around me, but steadily and gracefully I stand. And just if by magic, things turn out just the way they should.

 

Transformation

During my actual 40 day Kundalini spiritual practice, I have experienced such transformation. I was joking to my fellow students during our last meeting. Saying that with all the change and movement, uncertainty and shedding that I’ve gone through this month, the old me would have mentally broken down or hid in bed. But with the Kundalini yoga and meditation, I was able to keep up and spiral up. 

 

I mean, my plate was full. I had to travel back and forth across the country, pack up and move from my Manhattan apartment I loved and called hOMe for almost a decade, sell all of my furniture, get through Christmas, entertain guests, start a new business, move my life to my new home and still go through 14 hour days of teacher training. 

 

Powering through

I needed to be extremely disciplined and dedicated. Yet during every single aspect of it, I endured. Oh trust me, at times I cursed it. Screaming up to the heavens to the beloved Kundalini yogi master, Yogi Bhajan saying, “I am too tired, can’t I just skip a day?”  LOL.  And then there were the times that I cruised through the practice with joy and ease. 

 

Victory 

I can proudly say, I finished it! And all I can say is, wow. I feel so radiant, so calm and strong. I have a sense of freedom. Like I unleashed the inner warrior within me and I’m ready to take on the world. 

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I read a lot of books and articles about practices of successful people. And low and behold, ya know one common thread? A daily spiritual practice. Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey, Gabby Bernstein, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Russell Simmons, Arianna Huffington, Russell Brand, Hugh Jackman, Gweneth Paltrow, Richard Gere, Sting, Orlando Bloom, Katie Perry, Howard Stern, I could go on. 

 

I’m telling ya, this stuff is powerful!!!

 

I leave you with these words by Yogi Bhajan referring to Kundalini Yoga. I find this quote so comforting

 

“Keep up and you will be kept up”

 

Please Share

If you enjoyed this blog, please share it with a friend. Sharing is caring. 

 

What Is Your Experience

I’d love to hear your insights. Do you have a daily practice or ritual that elevates you? The conversation continues below. Something you bring up may help someone else in their journey.

Sat nam,

Jewels Bertrand

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