I am a super freaking lucky girl. I just had the great fortune of honeymooning in South Africa and Zambia (celebrating my marriage to Jason, a truly incredible and special man). As if the magnitude of this celebration and the grand adventure of our first visit to Africa was not enough, we traveled with TUT Wow Tours (check it out - tut.com - you won't be sorry!), a travel family of absolutely amazing like-minded individuals. And, for those of you familiar with TUT already, among these amazing travel companions were Mike Dooley, a.k.a, The Universe, and his brother Andy Dooley. Mike and Andy are both authors, public speakers, teachers,and coaches specializing in the power of our thoughts to change our lives. 'Thoughts become things, Dude' ~ Mike Dooley. I have recently become certified to teach the TUT Infinite Possibilties course. As I return home from this most magical and life changing trip, I have been reflecting on how life will proceed from here. Being so far away from 'life as usual', and seeing such different cultures and landscapes, gave me a fresh perspective and context necessary to more clearly see the magic of how the Infinite Possibilities core principles and lessons apply universally. Thoughts Become Things. I know, I know - we are incredibly complex beings, and there is just no way that this overly simplified statement can be true, right? I started this course with the same skeptic mind. I mean, I am a scientist. We need interventions, randomized trials, and committees (at the very least!) to make 'things' happen, right? But, the more I loosen my mental grip to allow for alternative explanations and routes for how to get where I want to go, I realized that this concept is right on. There is of course nuance and much more to discuss on this, but in the end, it truly is simple - 'Thoughts Become Things.' While in Zambia visiting Livingstone and Victoria Falls, we had the great fortune of visiting the local 700 year old traditional Mukuni Village, and interact with a small portion of its 7,000 current residents. This was the most primitive village I personally have ever been to, and it was a truly humbling experience. Did they just not know that thoughts become things??!? Along the village tour, we were invited into one family's living space - a small round hut with walls made from terminate mounds and a thatched roof. A couple of thin pads to sleep on where the only thing close to furniture. There was no electricity and no water. But, on the wall was one hand-written piece of paper, a portion of which is pictured above. In the lower right hand corner, I was absolutely floored to find this quote, 'Everything's better when you feel better'. In the end, what things do we all universally want? I would venture a guess that whether you are thinking of specific material things, grand experiences, or loads of cash, the over arching theme is happiness. Feeling better. And when you focus on happiness - when you choose happiness* - you attract happiness, and everything is better. You have the power right inside you - your Thoughts Become Things. Taking Action - start with baby steps. To create change, be it big or small, you need to take action. But, here is the amazing news - no matter how massive the change you want to make, the action necessary to get there invariably consists of super small (sometimes seeming almost useless and futile) baby steps. Baby steps like just getting off the couch, walking out the door of your hut, phoning a friend, putting your clothes on to greet the day, smiling at a stranger.... you get the idea. A step in ANY direction will be a step in the right direction in that you are allowing for possibilities every time you do so - possibilities even beyond anything you can imagine or plan for. Cape Town, South Africa, was one of the most profound demonstrations of the 'haves vs. the have-nots' that I personally have ever seen. There is an entire culture - consisting of tens of thousands of people - that reside in the Cape Town shacks (community pictured above). These communities often exist directly across the street from mansions and wealth beyond my imagination. At first glance, it was hard for me to think about how the Universe and concepts of Infinite Possibilities were actually at play here. With my limited Western beliefs, I was tempted to feel nothing but heartache for these residents. How can the Universe let them live like this? But, what is abundance and what is happiness? These constructs are actually incredibly personal. And again, the baby steps necessary to get there are invariably small regardless. There is no wellfare system in South Africa, so what was most fascinating and eye-opening to me was that those looking to take action are extremely creative in their baby steps. They were taking action and creating their own change and abundance. Hand written notes offering a variety of skilled services in the wealthier resident mailboxes. Standing on busy street corners with the tools they need to complete electrical work, yard services, and home repairs. And my personal favorite - those who would collect trash from vehicles at stop lights in exchange for a modest tip. Talk about service mixed with a super creative baby step! They are OUT THERE. Taking action. And, by doing so, they open themselves up for infinite possibility. Who knows who may pull up in the next car? That small step to help a local passenger literally clear their vehicular clutter may just change their own life in massive and magical ways. Everyone can succeed and be abundant - no matter who, no matter what. Now, I can hear what you are thinking, as I have heard it so many time before. "Must be nice to take a first class trip to South Africa!" And, yes - it is nice! It has taken me a while to admit what abundance means for me, because it always seemed really self-indulgent and almost shameful. But, we all create our own realities and ideals for abundance. So, I am putting it out there! My focus is on a first class life. Connection, travel, adventure, learning and teaching. First class for me means finding adventure every day - here at home, and in traveling around the world. It means riding business class in the plane, and staying in a luxury hut with running water on safari as opposed to camping in tents. And I am very fortunate and grateful to be realizing this abundant life. Truly grateful. But I put it out there every day, and I make sure to take the action steps. Very often I have no idea where those baby steps are going to take me. I also frequently find myself way off track and frustrated to have to take a u-turn. But as I look at my first 40 years of life and where they have brought me... I can't deny that it is happening! And as I look at the wide variety of people that we encountered our our African adventure, there was success and varied flavors of abundance all around. Everywhere there was evidence of personalized abundance, action steps, and success. Now, as a scientist, I obviously can't statistically prove that anyone was actually achieving their self-defined abundance and success, but as a spiritual person, I could feel it - it was obvious in their happiness and joy. Shaun was our safari ranger at Ngala Game Reserve, and casual conversations with him over the course of our game drives revealed that he is enjoying a pretty awesome and abundant life. Contrary to what I find limits us most in our Western world - his abundance is all supported by what many would consider a modest if not meager salary. But he is out there. Taking baby steps and taking advantage of currencies beyond the almighty dollar. Born and raised in South Africa, an opportunity to teach English as a second language brought Shaun to Thailand. In Thailand he was able to become a scuba instructor. He then became a safari ranger and currently teaches tourists all of the magic and wonders of the South African bush. His work with his current employer will likely bring him next to anotherdream location where he can once again teach scuba diving. He is traveling the world. He is learning unique skills. He is teaching. He is adventuring. Whether he was aware of it or not, Shaun reinforced a need to free ourselves from past self-limiting beliefs of what abundance is. While this lifestyle is not necessarily everyone's dream, I was absolutely blown away by his sense of adventure and absolute freedom to follow his life in whatever direction unexpected abundance took him. In full disclosure, I didn't ask him about fears of self-limiting beliefs along the way, or what his parents may have had to say every time he decided to up and move to a different country. But he just keeps showing up, with his sights set on his version of abundance, and it is working - opportunities are coming, and the Universe is showing up for him in a big way. I mean - the stories above alone were evidence of magic and the power of the Universe so far as I was concerned. But again, being out of context and out of the hypnosis of my daily routine, I was able to be more aware. The magic was EVERYWHERE. Being able to look right into the eyes of a zebra walking freely on the path beside me in Zambia. Hearing hippos 'laughing' during an open air massage on the Zambezi River (at least Jason and I thought it sounded like they were laughing...). Watching a lion family walk so majestically past our safari jeep at night. Seeing a whole new sky on the other side of the world. Speaking with locals - who live a life so different from ours - and finding common ground...realizing our sameness. Connecting with a group of likeminded people from all over the world in such a spectacular setting.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Truly! Want to learn more about the power of your thoughts and helpful tools to harness your your absolute potential for Inifinite Possibility? Registration for my online course, Abundance, Adventure & Infinite Possibility, will go live this fall. This course will involve 6 one hour live webinars, recorded for your convenience and later viewing, and discussion through access to a private Facebook Group. Click here to join my mailing list for updates on session dates and registration information. *A note: I want to be be clear and acknowledge that I certainly realize there are situations in which simply 'choosing happiness' is way easier said than done...we will talk a lot more about that at a later time, I promise! Stay tuned for more in the near future.I mean - the stories....
2 Comments
Lisa Dwyer
9/13/2017 05:47:56 pm
Love It!!
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Kathleen Farrell
9/15/2017 11:35:05 am
Jenn, beautifully written and articulated.
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Author: Jenn PetersonHey there! I am a proud mom, wife, scientist, yogi, and teacher. My goal is to help others as I learn to help myself. Together let's help each other continuously realize our absolute beauty, strength, power, abundance & wellness! :) Archives
August 2017
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