True Potential

What Is Spiritual Anyway, And Why Is It Important In Connecting To Your True Potential?

I had an interesting email yesterday. A subscriber to my newsletter unsubscribed because she didn’t think it was spiritual. I understood, because essentially I bring concepts to that newsletter and this blog that I want to be both insightful and practical regardless of your beliefs. I don’t necessarily use the word, “spiritual” (although now I might start!), and everyone’s definition of spiritual is different. But, I want to thank her because it did alert me to the need to share with you what I think being spiritual is and how it matters to living your true potential. So, please read this as my point of view and take what works and discard the rest!

 

I think your true potential is your spiritual self. Your true potential is available when you connect with your spiritual self – your authentic self, your authentic voice and your authentic power. That spiritual self is connected to the higher order of the universe. That is who you truly are. So, when you connect to your spiritual self and make your decisions from there, you are aligning with the higher order of the universe and living your true potential.

 

People have different names for the higher order of the universe. Some call it higher power, some consciousness, some innate intelligence, some the quantum field, some energy, some the mechanics of the universe, some cosmic intelligence. Scientists and spiritual teachers have spent eons talking about this. It doesn’t really matter to me. Coming from a spiritual foundation, I call it divine, or God, or consciousness. It is the substance of all things, and I believe it is the energy of love. So, at our essence, we are the energy of love.

 

How does this matter to you? That divine substance is living through you as your authentic self. It expresses differently in every individual. When you live from that, you are your true self. When you are your true self, you are happier. When you are happier, your life flows more easily and you are more productive. When you are your true self, you are able to make your greatest contribution to the world. You are living your true potential.

 

So, what is spiritual anyway? It is many things to many people, but bottom line, I think it is about recognizing the oneness that is present. We are all part of the same energy. It is when we make the decision to live from our connection to the divine, practice that in our lives by whatever means works for us, and share with each other from that core of love. It is when we look with spiritual eyes to see in each other that divine spark and treat each other with the respect and regard we each deserve. It means living from our true potential and bringing our gifts into the world for all to share.

True Potential Tip

Take a moment to consider and meditate on what being spiritual means to you and how you live it in your life. If you want to read more spiritual information, please connect with my blog, http://www.ConspiracyOfLove.net, and sign up for my Daily Ah Ha! at http://www.AndreaBeaulieu.com

One way I express my spirituality is through a Kriya yoga meditation practice. Here I am with one of my teachers, Rajima with the Art of Living Foundation.

Copyright Andrea Beaulieu Creates 2010

It's often about the questions we ask

Have you ever wondered how very creative people create? One of the ways is by the questions they ask. In looking for possibilities, it's important to keep the line of questioning open and stay away from judgment and "reasoning." Creativity is about connecting with that "unreasoning" part within us and letting it play.

So, what kind of questions encourage creativity? Questions that ask what and how, and sometimes, who. What would it take? What would it look like? How would it feel? How would you know it? What would have to happen? How can you move forward?

These questions invite us to explore. Often, the first set of answers are just the warm-ups. When we keep asking those questions, our intuitive brains kick in and the answers change, often leading to those ah ha moments.

One of the best questions I've ever been asked is, "Who are you?" At first, that seems pretty simple to answer. But when you are asked, quietly, over and over, you would be amazed at what you realize, deep inside. Who are you?

True Potential Tip

Choose someone you are close to, who you trust, and sit quietly, facing each other. While your eyes are closed, your partner asks quietly, over and over, "who are you?" You answer, softly, out loud.

Self Awareness is Key to Unleashing Your True Potential

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. Tao Te Ching

 

What is the key to knowing and mastering yourself – the key that leads to true strength and power? To unleashing your true potential? Self awareness.

 

Everyone agrees they affect their circumstances. What they don’t know is how they affect their circumstances. Through self-awareness, you understand how what you think, feel and do affects your circumstances, and what you can do to make a positive difference. 

 

Here's a question. What kind of a driver are you? Are you a courteous driver who most often allows others the room and leeway they need to get around on the road, or, like me, do you often find yourself speeding and switching lanes to get around "slower" drivers? How does this affect you, the others in the car with you, and your driving experience in general? How does it affect the other people on the road?

This has been an example of a lack of self awareness on my part. You might think, well that's not such a big deal, but if you've ever been driving in front of another driver who is obviously in a hurry and isn't concerned with your safety, it seems like a big deal indeed. Does that mean I am a "bad" person, or that others who do this are "bad" people? Of course not. It means that, in that area, there is a lack of self awareness.

When you move from that lack of awareness to being aware, you create new possibilities. You unleash your creativity. New ideas emerge, leading to new results and a new level of potential.

In this driving example, now that I am aware, I can make different choices that can provide a much better experience for me, my passengers, and the other people on the road, and I feel better. I might even find different routes so that I don't have to rush, or decide to take my time because, well, life is just so much more pleasant that way.

How do you become self aware? This can happen in any number of ways, as we all know. Sometimes life steps in and gives us a wake-up call in the form of some dramatic event. Sometimes our friends or family make comments. Sometimes there is a moment of awareness -- an ah ha moment -- and we just know. It is a gift from the divine. I find these usually go in stages. First, we get a little nudge. If we don't make a change, we get a stronger nudge. This progresses until at some point a much larger event might happen to get our attention.

Because, it really is all in where we put our attention. We all have a lot of mental noise going on in our heads, and some of it usually shows up in the form of opinions and justifications. In this example, I might be thinking I have every right to speed because, well, how much does that matter anyway (justification)? The fact that it is against the law doesn't even make a dent. If someone were to mention something to me, I might have an opinion that it's not that big a deal, let it go, and continue with what I'm doing. What message does that send to that person? Is that a message of respect? You can see what kind of outcome that could create. 

Whether it's about driving or something else, when that happens, we are not paying attention. We are on autopilot. We are allowing our mental noise to run the show. This is the time to get present and make the choice to pay attention.

I have a three-step process I use to do this: Stop, Breathe and Focus. Stopping and putting our focus on our breath gets us off autopilot and into the present moment. Focusing on what outcome we would like to create puts us into the responsive mode, not the reactive one. From there, we can choose to become the observer and watch ourselves in action. I can decide, without judging myself, whether I want to change my behavior or not. From this vantage point, I'm more likely to make a conscious, informed decision than a reactive one based on justifications or opinions.

Perhaps driving is not your issue. Perhaps you have challenges in relationships or finances, or something else. Whatever it is, becoming self aware will change your life because you -- the real you -- takes charge. You no longer feel like you are a victim in life.

Through self awareness, you engage your power to create what you wish in your life. You make choices from your authentic self. You unleash your creative mind. You engage your true potential and life becomes happier and more peaceful.

True Potential Tip

Wake up! Make the choice to become self aware. Listen  and look at what life is showing you by way of your experiences and your relationships. Stop, breathe and focus. You'll thank yourself. :-).

This amazing rainbow appeared as I looked out from my front yard. The biggest I'd ever seen, I couldn't capture the whole thing in one shot.

Andrea Beaulieu Creates, LLC copyright 2010

Your Authentic Voice® System Practice Seven: Move with the Energy that Brings You Joy

If you've been following the trail, you know that the last practice I discussed was paying attention to what happens within and without. When you do that, and start to explore the options, you will notice that a certain path just seems to start opening up as if by magic. This is your authentic voice telling you what to do. You either get the “ah ha” moment, things start falling in your lap, or you just know, in your gut, what to do. You know because it feels good, loving, honoring and peaceful. Trust it. Follow it. Follow it for its own sake and enjoy yourself. Be unattached to the outcome so it can present itself to you.

Now, sometimes this can be scary because it can take some time, and we don't necessarily know how things will turn out. There's a part of us that wants to know all the answers, and wants to be in control, and sometimes, well, it's hard not to let that part of us take the control. I'm suggesting, no recommending, you do your best to not fall prey to that part of you that wants to connect all the dots right away. Allow yourself to be in that creative tension and walk the path.

You see, we only get to know the part of the path we are on. We only get to see from A to B, not from A to Z. But, if we walk the path with faith that it is moving us toward our goals and our destiny, and we let go, it will be the easiest, most efficient, most effective path. We just have to choose to trust.

I have seen this work in my life and the lives of others so many times I cannot count them. And, truthfully, every time I have chosen to do this, I have experienced fear and confusion. Every time I have chosen to continue in spite of that, the path has always led me to my greatest good in ways I could not have anticipated. All that is required of us is a little courage, a little faith, and a sense of humor. It's also a good idea to realize that you are much greater than whatever you are going through or wish to create. Remember that and it will be much easier and you will experience your joy!

Love,

Andrea

Here's wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving and the start of a beautiful holiday season.

 

Copyright 2009 Andrea Beaulieu Creates, LLC

Listen to What Life Calls You To Do

It seems to me that many of us spend a lot of our time trying to be all things to all people. Does this resonate with you? We have made many commitments, or have several irons in the fire, as they say, and yet are not getting traction in any one area.

I understand this, and support the process of trying on different hats and exploring possibilities when we want to create something new. In fact, that is one of my practices – Shift Out of Normal to Experience New Possibilities. So, I’m good with that. My next two practices, however, are about paying attention and going with the energy. This helps us to focus our attention and our energy on what actually “wants” to be born – to listen to what life calls us to do. This is where I think we sometimes get lost. Instead of focusing, we end up diffusing our energy and not seeing any real movement forward.

In his book, Theory U, Leading from the Future as It Emerges, C. Otto Scharmer presents some practices that not only mirror my own practices, but provide a way to ensure that we are connecting with our true potential – our authentic dimension and all the information, wisdom and power that come with that – and also use that to move with the ball as it goes forward.

This book is content-rich and presented in an academic framework. He interviewed hundreds of people from all around the world, and is doing some work based on his Theory U approach. It took me months to get through it. I wanted to read it because I wanted to learn of others’ approaches to bringing this kind of leadership into the world, for business, academia, or any other industry. I wanted to see what I could apply to my own work, learning from great minds who are open and have adopted this kind of leadership model.

In Chapter 21, Scharmer presents his Principles and Practices of “Presencing” for Leading Profound Innovation and Change. He breaks these down into five processes that move through the U – co-initiating, co-sensing, co-presencing, co-creating and co-evolving. He then presents 24 practices that support these. My process involves three principles and seven practices. No wonder I had a bit of a time getting through these! But, I was so happy to read that while he had much more detail and objective evidence to support his theory, our approaches were very congruent.

Here are Scharmer’s first few practices:

1. Attend: Listen to what life calls you to do. He recommends we take four minutes each evening and review our day as if looking at ourselves from the outside. We pay attention to how we interacted with others and what information we picked up. We do this without judging ourselves or others – we just observe.

2. Connect: Listen to and dialogue with interesting players in the field. Here is where we listen to our inner voice, and to the people we connect with. We persevere even if we receive information that is not in keeping with our original intention, because often there is a time-lag between conception and manifestation. And, we continue to nurture and maintain our original “holding space” until the messenger shows up with an invitation to do something we can’t “not” do.

3. Co-initiate a diverse core group that inspires a common intention. In this practice, we create a checklist that sparks a common intention among the diverse core players, trusting our heart’s intelligence when connecting with people and exploring possibilities.

What these practices do is put you in a position to start to listen to what life calls you to do. Living or leading from this position means letting go of any sense of “control,” and “allowing” the future to pull us forward. It requires us to choose to trust the process.

I can say, from personal and professional experience, that this works. And if we do this, the outcome is much better than had we tried to force things to work based on our own limited understanding. It also helps us stay focused and on track, not scattered, because “the way” becomes so clear that it seems foolish to do anything else. Plus, it’s much more fun, and who doesn’t like that?!

True Potential Tip

Listen to what life calls you to do. Set aside your normal way of doing things, just for an hour, or a day, and try Scharmer’s first three practices, or my seven practices. See what happens.

Life was calling me to get more exercise! Here I am on North Mountain in Phoenix enjoying the weather and the view. Love it!

Servant Leadership and Your True Potential

In preparing for a speech, I spent some time reviewing the principles of servant leadership. Actually, several years ago I took part in Scottsdale Leadership, and servant leadership is their model, so this was not entirely new.

When I reviewed what the Alliance for Servant Leadership, based at Indiana State University, had to say about it, it was very clear that these principles mirrored my own approach to Personal Transformation and Authentic Leadership, which is this:

Personal Transformation involves becoming self-aware so you can make conscious choices that support what you wish to create, rather than react based on fear, erroneous judgments or cynical thinking. The goal of personal transformation work is to erase the limited, inauthentic thoughts and behaviors that keep you stuck and not performing at your best by guiding you to return to your authentic self where your gifts, talents and highest level of creativity and intelligence are located.

Authentic Leadership is the outcome of personal transformation work combined with the knowledge of how to apply this work in leading and working with others toward a common goal. Personal transformation and authentic leadership are complementary and synergistic. You need one to have the other. These two process form the foundation of my work and offerings.

Here are the servant leadership guiding principles:

• Principle #1: Transformation

  Servant-leaders embrace transformation as the process through which people and institutions develop improved and innovative ways to meet their needs. They are particularly sensitive to the challenges of change and attempt to create circumstances where people are free to respond authentically, accepting honest mistakes and celebrating genuine efforts. The servant-leader recognizes that solutions emerge because of the process. Problems are viewed as opportunities to become aware of our limits and rediscover our authentic selves in the search for better directions.

  Principle #2: Personal Growth

  The servant-leader acknowledges that the organization’s capacity to provide for the liberation of human potential is the cornerstone for success. A commitment to holistic growth and development of every person means that the servant-leader ensures that the organization has structures, programs, and activities where everyone can grow. He or she accepts the need to create awareness, even when it disturbs more than it comforts.

  Principle #3: Enabling Environments

  Servant-leaders promote work environments where individuals can be accepted, authentic, honest, listened to, and productive. They understand that the organization’s potential is based on how well it helps people reach their capabilities.

  Principle #4: Service

  The servant-leader serves the institution by holding its future in trust. The servant-leader also seeks to provide direction and vision for the future of community, assuring that it meets the needs of people as well as those of the organization.

  Principle #5: Trusting Relationships

  The foundation of relationships is not based on organizational position but on a concern for others that is characterized by acceptance, trust, civility, reciprocity, respect, and collegiality. The servant-leader is absolutely inclusive of all people. The servant-leader seeks to understand others first before seeking to be understood themselves and models these values in their own actions. 

  Principle #6: Creating Commitment

  Leaders are those who champion meaningful visions and encourage people to commit their best to achieve them. Persuasive power is the preferred mode of influence. Decisions are reached through collaboration and open communication. Effectiveness is developed through enabling others to act. People should be directly involved in the discussions about the needs and directions of the community.

  Principle #7: Community-building

  Effective teamwork is a preferred approach, where individuals work together, complementing each others’ strengths and weaknesses. Servant-leaders are actively involved in the life of the community, modeling personal skills, setting examples, and developing everyone’s comfort level with a participatory approach to community efforts.

  Principle #8: Nurturing the Spirit

• The servant-leader is someone who understands the deep human need to contribute to personally meaningful enterprises. He or she nurtures the individual’s spirit through honest praise and supportive recognition. Criticisms and suggestions are not personal or harsh. The joy of work is celebrated both daily and in special events that acknowledge the value of human commitment to worthwhile work. The community is reminded to reflect on the importance of its struggles and successes.

It is very clear they are grounded in our higher human values -- love, compassion, cooperation and reverence for life. When people are treated in this way -- when we see our purpose as service and base our interactions with others out of personal transformation and authentic leadership -- great things can be accomplished.

True Potential Tip

When you consider your own leadership opportunities, how do your practices and processes compare? Is there anything here that you could use to create a more fulfilling and successful experience for yourself and those you lead?

Love,

Andrea

Your Next Step

Just take your next step. That is all that is required to live your true potential. Sometimes, we get all caught up in all the work needed to create something. Perhaps we become overwhelmed, or afraid, or confused. Perhaps we even shut down and just throw in the towel.

What's happening? There is some belief, some expectation, some idea operating that things should be different than the way they are, don't you think? Maybe, that they should be easy, or comfortable. Or at least, that the path should be clear, not so strewn with obstacles or worries.

Yet, when we just focus on taking the next step, we can let go of all that negativity and allow things to unfold as they are intended. We can see pretty quickly where we need to make changes and how to continue. We can slow down, let go, trust and have patience.

True Potential Tip

What one thing can you do to advance toward your goal? Do it. Then when you have, ask, what is my next step? Do that. And when the doing is done, relax and smile. You have done your job. That is all that is required to live your true potential.

Sometimes this is all that is required to take your next step. :-)

 

Copyright 2009 Andrea Beaulieu Creates, LLC

Is Your DNA a Biological Internet?

I recently received an article from a friend titled, “Russian DNA Discoveries Explain Human ‘Paranormal’ Events,” by authors Grazyna Fosar and Franz Bludorf of Germany. Curious, I read it. I went online to try to verify it. I can’t say for certain that any of what I’m about to share is true, but I am sharing it because it is thought-provoking.  This article contains a lot of information on how our DNA is structured and what certain Russian researchers have learned about it.

 

The article reports that, essentially, most scientists believe only 10 percent of our DNA is used for building proteins, and the other 90 percent is considered “junk DNA.” These researchers, convinced that nature is not dumb, joined linguists and geneticists in a venture to explore that 90 percent of junk DNA and found that not only is our DNA responsible for the construction of our bodies, “but also serves as data storage and communication.” That other 90 percent contains the ability to access group consciousness and hyper-communicate. In other words, we have a built-in ability for telepathy, remote sensing, clairvoyance, and other “paranormal’ experiences, once we learn how to tune in to these frequencies.

 

Without going into the whole article, the gist was that our bodies are programmable by language, words, and thought -- something that spiritual masters have been espousing for millennia. When we “raise” our vibration to higher levels, we have the ability to transform our individual and collective experience. And, we don’t need to cut and splice DNA to make changes. We can reprogram our DNA by words and frequencies.

 

The article points to the natural world in which animals communicate with each other without having to be in the same location. For instance, the queen bee can communicate to her worker bees without being present. If she dies, the worker bees stop their work because they lose that communication. Perhaps, in our earliest development, humans also had this ability, but lost it in our efforts to become independent. There could be a time in the future when we will be able to reclaim our ability to communicate across time and space, however in the future, we will not fall into herd consciousness, but rather use it to create and communicate as individuals that are part of the whole.

 

So, is this part of our true potential? I certainly believe that there is much we do not know. I have had many experiences that could not be rationally explained. If science is on the verge of explaining these things, I see this as a plus. Anything that can encourage us to use our true potential in our highest good is okay with me!

 

True Potential Tip

Be open to the possibility that life contains many mysteries we cannot explain. Scientists spend much of their time guessing, and then going about trying to prove or disprove their hypotheses. If you experience something you can’t explain, accept that as a gift into the unknown and smile. Perhaps you’ve just exercised that 90 percent of your DNA. 

Swimmers preparing to do a 1,000-meter race in Tempe Town Lake, including my son, Lucas, in the forefront, waving. How much of their DNA does this require?

Copyright 2009 Andrea Beaulieu Creates, LLC

Are you really in charge?

One of the things I think is most challenging for Westerners to do is to let go of the idea that we alone are in control of our destinies. It is almost anathema for us to think we aren't in charge of setting our own course and "making things happen." I mean, aren't we raised hearing, "you can do anything you put your mind to!?" Think about it.

Yet, when you look back, do you see how you have been helped along the way? Maybe a person showed up just in time to assist you? Maybe you received a financial boost just in time to pay your bills or make an investment in your business? How about those times when you felt all alone and you got that call, or that email, or someone sent you flowers, and you realized, I'm not alone? Were those just accidents or coincidences, or was something else at work?

Or, how about just going through your day? Do you ever stop to think that perhaps the choices you are making are being guided by a deeper intelligence that most of us don't really know? That maybe the you that you think you are is not really in charge at all?

Okay, you see what I mean? This is almost too much to even consider. This is crazy, right?

I don't think so. If you agree with me that we have a deeper Self -- the authentic Self -- that is not our personality self, then this is possible. When we engage this true Self and recognize that that Self is connected to the thing that is doing the doing -- which is life --  then we might start to get it. Then we can relax. Then we can be happy because all is well.

This is not to suggest that one just lets it all go and thinks, well, I'm not in charge so who cares. Although you could. This is to suggest that there is something deeper going on of which we are all a part and all playing our parts.

I know some of you might think this is hogwash. That's okay. That's the beauty of this forum, and of our country. We get to disagree. But, it is something to think about, yes?

True Potential Tip

Be the witness today. Spend some time "watching" yourself in action. Take notice of the you that is quietly, silently observing the action.

Love,
Andrea

Friends and I at the National Speakers Association this past July. The guy in the middle -- Bill -- was pretty happy!

Copyright 2009 Andrea Beaulieu Creates, LLC

No limits

If we listen to the world, we are often told what we cannot do, yes? There are those who would place limits on us, even to express our greatest dreams. But, I find, the more powerful limits are those we place on ourselves.
    "I'm too old for that."
    "There's no work -- look at the economy!"
    "All the good ones are taken."

There are a million things we say to ourselves, and to others, that place limitations on who we are and what we can experience. Do you ever hear yourself saying these kinds of things? If you're human, I bet you have. I know I have.

Yet, when we understand our true potential, we recognize these things as lies. Now, there are reality checks. There is no way I am going to be a heavy weight boxer. At 5'3" and 115 pounds, that is just not going to happen. Besides, I don't want to do that. Beyond that kind of thing, though, I believe we are the ones who limit ourselves, either out of fear, fatigue, impatience, or simple ignorance.

What do you think?

True Potential Tip
Pay attention to what you tell yourself and others. Are you limiting yourself? Are you hanging out with others who limit you? If so, stop it. Start a new practice of leaving the possibilities open. See how you feel then. 

This child, my great nephew Eathan, knows no limits

Copyright 2009 Andrea Beaulieu Creates, LLC