The Truth of Happiness

“There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe.... The soul of the world is nourished by people's happiness.”
- Paulo Coelho

Reading this quote above makes my heart smile! The soul of the world is nourished by people’s happiness! Imagine that! That awakens within me the desire to be a part of someone’s happiness. It makes me wish to move gently and with the flow, to observe and respond with love, to celebrate and recognize and to encourage and support. When I am in service in this way, my soul resonates as well and I am nourished and I begin to see the possibilities before me of what I am longing for, striving for and working towards. It is an amazing equation of grace and simplicity.

Yet we often forget it or lose sight of it, at least. We become bogged down by life’s complications. We become diverted by unnecessary needs. We become weakened by our fears or our negative beliefs. And we begin to stumble, lose momentum, and our positive life force wanes.

I am creating ways, this year, to pay attention and remain focused on what serves me and my goals and dreams. And since they revolve around being in service to others through Spirit, the path is light and filled with love, my steps are better grounded when taken with grace, and my heart is filled with compassion and strength as I reach out to do my work.

This year, I choose to live in my truth, in the truth of this planet and of the universe. I choose to believe good things are meant for me and that I am to do good as well. I choose to be open to the possibilities that have not even shown up on my own personal radar yet. I choose to live the life designed for me and to get out of my own way, to pull the brakes on the negative thinking or beliefs, to be brave enough to wear my personal power, to be humble enough to continue learning and growing and to be rich enough to give whenever and wherever I can. What a blessed year this shall be!

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2013 Lisa Meade

Possibilities and Dreams

I begin the New Year thinking ahead to what this year could hold. So many possibilities! A favorite quote by Robert Moss excites me on this day, "The futures we dream are often possible futures. They don't necessarily have to play out. They are fit within an order of probabilities which we can change according to our willingness to work with dream information and take appropriate action." Imagine the possibilities. To begin this year not letting doubts and fears box me in! To begin this year expanding upon the ripples of energy. To begin this year with appropriate action that is in alignment with where Spirit is guiding me. To begin this year finding the messages and tools within my dreams and bringing them to the day with intention and insight. Imagine the possibilities!

We all have the potential to be the creators of our future. We should not sit beside the road waiting for the next person to stroll by and tag along. We have the power and the gifts within to launch ourselves far into these beautiful possibilities! So what happens? What stops us? Mostly, our selves, I think. We worry that struggle will hurt or that if we make a mistake we have failed somehow. But if we can accept that all of that struggle, every mistake or failure is part of the BIG picture of our possible future and is necessary to its creation…we need to take that leap of faith.

This will not be a year of holding back. Nor will it be a year of blaming others or other situations for what is “not going right” in my life. I release that thought pattern and that negative energy. This year will be filled with the manifestation of dreams, the exploration of possibilities and the embracing of my potential. I will lean into the wind, not turn my back. I will leap off the branch, not cling with my last grip. I will dream big and not be small. I am excited to BE this year. There is much to do, to be in service of, to offer, to share, to receive, to love and to wonder! Join me!

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2013 Lisa Meade

Success and Passion

It is New Year’s Eve day and many folks are preparing for the evening festivities. There will be parties, dancing, drinking, eating, laughing and sharing. There will be those who are also thinking about the traditional New Year’s resolutions that are traditionally made at this time of the year. If you read the statistics…well, let’s just say it is not great. But you can up your chances of being successful with these steps. If you PREPARE for your resolution, making sure you have the proper ingredients, equipment, knowledge and resources…you raise your odds of being successful.

If you are REALISTIC with your expectations, making sure it is achievable, understanding you will falter, and are willing to start slowly…you raise your odds of hanging in there.

If you have COMMUNITY to support you, cheer you on, share with you the experience…you are more likely to meet obtainable goals.

If you TRY and TRY again, and you are willing to stick with it, understanding that you will lose some momentum, face challenges, cheat or fail BUT are willing to start fresh and keep on going…you will see results!

More often than not there are no quick fixes, no magic bullets, no fast and furious to the finish line (whatever that is) so if you can be fair to yourself and understand that most of the changes we are looking to make have been with us for a bit of time, it will take a bit of time to make the changes. BUT that is what it takes…to do things differently you have to change how you do them.

I am launching a new website tomorrow, www.VegVitality.com. It is for those who are on or are interested in plant-based living. Dietary and lifestyle changes are big for the New Year. I have purposely created a website to offer people support, information, menus, recipes, and community…and I kept it as affordable as possible…

ONLY $8 A MONTH!

Why? Because it is a passion of mine. Making food a sacred act! Finding ways to help people honor their bodies like a temple. I care about our global food crisis, our environment, and all the living beings on the earth. To me, being a vegan is the only way I can be this effective in the areas that I care about so much! So if you are at all interested in this being a new way for you in the New Year, let me know! I have made sure to include all the necessary components mentioned above into the equation to create a successful opportunity!

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012

The Powerless Victim

Being so close to the situation at Sandy Hook Elementary School and seeing the faces of the victims and their families … well, my definition of victim has changed. Witness tragedy and your perspective changes on many things. After witnessing this, holding this community and being in service to them I will forever and always be changed. And one of these changes will be whom I view to be a victim. I work with many different people who come from too many different backgrounds for me to begin to describe. Everyone has a past, a story, or a wound to share. I have worked with many people who view themselves as victims. But a true victim has no say or choice in their circumstances. A true victim has lost their personal power and is being held in full control by someone else.

So the next time you feel you are being victimized or wish to portray yourself as a victim, stop and think…where is your power? Are you doing it to yourself by allowing outside circumstances or people to hold power over you? We do not always have control over what happens to us, but we do have power over how we respond. Our power remains with us as we hold complete responsibility of our thoughts, feelings and of our reactions to the situation. As long as you have this power within, you are not a victim!

We met the people, or at the least heard of them, that have gone through incredible life challenges and yet they remain optimistic, they are positive, they live in the moment and most importantly, they are not looking for someone to blame for their life circumstances. They will not be victimized and give their personal power away. Steven Biko states, “The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.”

So I challenge you, especially in those times when you feel challenged by someone or something else, watch your thoughts, your reactions, your word choice. Are you really a victim? Or are you making yourself one? Check in with your power, it will reveal it all and you will quickly see who is in control.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade