What is Success

Wow! I can't believe it's been two weeks since I posted! I've been busy learning new skills and preparing articles for my website. I'll let you know soon when those are all ready. It'll be a rich resource not only for stress reduction but for meditation, loving yourself into success, and more!

Tomorrow is my birthday -- a big one, and it's cause to reflect.

What is success? To me, it's doing exactly what I'm doing right now, taking my next steps on a daily basis in the unfoldment of my goals of providing excellent information and services to help you with loving yourself into success, less stress and more happiness and well-being.

Some people would say that's all fine but very fluffy!

Ha! It sounds fluffy when you just read the words. But having spent over thirty years applying the techniques I share, I know that in the experience level, the steps of loving yourself are anything but fluffy. They are practical and doable.

Last night, I stayed up very late reading a fantasy novel, so I was extra tired this morning. I had planned to attend the local Unity church, but when I checked inwardly (while still under the covers) I intuitively got "No," don't go. Well, I knew that might just be "tired" speaking, so while getting dressed I tuned in again.

This time, I got "Yes, go," so a bit later I set off driving to the church. Twenty minutes into my drive, I realized I had made a wrong turn and was almost into Burlington. It was now almost time for the service to begin and if I drove over I'd be 20 minutes late. So I checked intuitively again and got "Go home." I went home and spent the next couple of hours sitting with my husband doing Spiritual Exercises (like meditation).

Now, I don't know why this happened the way it did. I don't know why I got confusing and contradictory answers from my usually clear intuitive self. I don't know why I spaced out and missed my very familiar route. I do know that I had a lovely drive in the spring sunshine. I know that I deeply appreciated doing SEs for two hours. I'm choosing to believe that this experience is exactly what I needed today!

Looking at my day as just perfect, including confusion and missing my turn, is one way of loving myself into success. When I can stay peaceful and loving in the midst of confusion, and when I can look for the best in whatever is present, I am indeed loving myself (not judging any of this). In the loving, in the self-compassion and self-acceptance, I find greater wherewithal for letting success emerge.

How, I muse, did I learn to love myself? Well, I practiced, a lot. I'm still practicing.

I suppose most of all, it's a choice. I keep choosing loving responses. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's very hard. The hard ones are when I feel like I'm not in control and my ego wants to be in control to feel safer and more secure! When I feel out of control, it's easy to start judging myself as stupid, incompetent, unspiritual, etc. And those are the times when I most need my own loving and acceptance. Those are the times when I need my inner support to help me keep going with integrity and enthusiasm, past the obstacles and into success. So I move back to choosing the loving responses as fast as I can. And it is generally much faster than a few years ago.

I invite your comments, questions and responses. Do my comments inspire you, encourage you, make you think? Are there other related subjects you'd like to hear about?

Joy and Peace to you,
Dr. Ilenya