An Olympic Invitation

Did you know that the brain is hardwired to remember the things we fail at, that make us miserable, and to be fearful of what might happen?  Rick Hanson has several books on the subject and has a training program to rewire your brain (which I actually have not done, but love the concept of).  

Did you know that the Titanic had a sister ship called the Olympic that sailed successfully across the Atlantic so many times that it became known as "Old Reliable"?  

Well, unless you heard the NPR story about that topic, you probably didn't know about the Olympic.  That's where I first heard about it too.

But it fascinates me.  That our brains are hardwired to notice the struggles.  That we can be our own worst enemy when it comes to cultivating happiness.  It is our fear... when we perceive that something COULD go badly... that comes up.  This fear, of being wrong, unworthy, unlovable, "losing face"... drives us to grasp and cling to our image, and we forget that... most often... things go well.  Historical case in point, the Vietnam War.  We failed at that war, and left hanging our heads.  And yet, it was followed, not by a precipitous decline in our country, but some of the most prosperous years we had known.  In fact, our fear of looking bad went largely unfounded.  But there were huge consequences of the fear.  We stayed in a situation that wasn't working... and we paid a huge price.

I wonder if there are parallels for many of us.  Of course, there will be a difference in degree of the fear, the perceived fallout, and the consequences of basing our actions on our fears.  But, do you see where you have feared a nebulous outcome... and it's kept you stressed and stuck?  Do you see where you talked yourself into doing something you didn't want to do because you were afraid of not doing it?  Or where you did something hastily, based on fear, and suffered for it?  This fear, it encourages us to find balance... to be true to ourselves... and to embrace our values.

This year, 2014, is about noticing and releasing those fears... maybe even facing a few of them to find out that the repercussions don't match the fears we had.  It is time to release shame, to express our essence, to live fully as the people that we truly are.  This year is an invitation to be more present with yourself, spend more time and money doing what you truly value, and knowing what those things are!  

So, I am going to make an Olympic Invitation to you: today, notice three things that went well, were successful, or otherwise made you feel truly happy at your essence.  Write them down.  Put them somewhere that you can remember to notice and absorb into your being, the happiness that is around you.  Notice that the Olympic made it... over and over again.  Awareness is a fundamental piece of changing your experience into the life you want to live!