Are You Saying "Yes" To Life?

Are You Saying "Yes" To Life?

Copyright © 2005 Eve Delunas, Ph.D.

Inner Vision Resources

http://www.innervisionresources.com











I used to be hung-up on the need to be successful. That is,

until I took a daring step into the unknown and discovered the

difference between attaining success and successful living. While

others achieve transcendence while trekking in Tibet or living

among indigenous tribes in the Amazon rain forest, my spiritual

epiphany began with a move to Munich, where I didn't know a soul

or speak the language. (Does gesundheit count?) In that move I

learned to follow my inner guidance, surrender to life, and trust

that I am safe and taken care of regardless of where I am in the

world. I discovered that life is meant to be an adventure, and

that only when we step out of our comfort zone can our dreams

become a reality.





I was 31 and living in Southern California. Despite many

wonderful friends, a rental house near the beach, a sports car,

a busy psychotherapy practice, and a lucrative speaking and

consulting business, I wasn't happy. Mostly, that was due to my

ever-present quest for success. I dressed to succeed (according

the popular book on that topic), drove the car a successful

person would drive, and constantly thought about what I needed to

do next on that seductive road to bigger and better achievements.

I worked too much, and played too little. Though I exercised at

a gym (for successful people, of course) took yoga classes, and

meditated regularly, there was little peace in my life. I was

driven by the fear that if I stopped for a moment, someone else

would take the place that was waiting for me at the top of the

mountain.





I was surprised to receive the message, "move to Munich" in

response to my inner plea for clarity, guidance, and direction.

But when the inspiration came through, I decided to "go for it"

and see where it would lead me. My transatlantic move was both

the scariest and most exciting thing I had ever done. I took nine

weeks off to travel by myself to Europe (I had never been there)

and look for work at the same time. Five months later I closed my

business, sold or gave away everything I owned, and moved to a

small, furnished apartment in Munich to teach psychology for an

American university.





One of the first things I noticed after my overseas move was that

I had taken myself with me. There I was, six thousand miles from

home, and recreating the same negative patterns that I had hoped

to leave behind. Unfortunately, this made it difficult for me to

blame my unhappiness on my life circumstances. Clearly, my life

was not going to be truly satisfying until I looked within and

changed some old, familiar ways of being in the world.





The most important thing I did was to redefine success for

myself. Instead of always pursuing some illusive, future goal,

I decided that success for me would be having nice days. Each

morning, I thought of ways in which I could make that day

special. I began to appreciate the music of the distant church

bells chiming in my neighborhood, the delicious smell of fresh

bread in a local bakery, and the light cast within my tiny

apartment, with snowflakes falling outside my window on silent

winter afternoons. With spring, I rode my bike along the banks

of the Isar River, captivated by the beauty of nature and the

magnificent, old buildings that line its banks. I anonymously

walked the streets of the city, and discovered favorite

cobblestone passageways leading deep into the ancient past. Each

night, as I lay in bed, I asked myself the question: "Did I have

a nice day?" If I did, I considered myself successful.





During this time, I discovered that I didn't need lots of money

or possessions to live abundantly. I earned little, owned almost

nothing, and didn't even have a car (unheard of in Southern

California, freeway capital of the world!) Yet, I found with a

little economizing I was still able to travel to Denmark, France,

Greece, Cypress, and Italy for glorious experiences. I stopped

identifying myself by my accomplishments or income level, and

even stopped dressing for success (oh, sweet relief!) Although I

made new friends from many cultures, I found that I was contented

simply being with me.





Not surprisingly, just when I was completely at peace within

myself, I met a wonderful man who has been my life partner ever

since. Life has taken its inevitable twists and turns since then,

bringing new joys and challenges along the way. Thanks to my time

in Munich, I strive to say "yes" to life whenever possible. I

have come to believe that we live our best lives when we act

courageously in accordance with the magnificent guidance within

us. There are enormous blessings which accompany our willingness

to say "yes" to the opportunities life places on our doorstep.

Although these opportunities never come with written guarantees

that all will be fine, in my experience, when we risk following

our inspiration, life unfolds even more perfectly than we ever

imagined.Eve Delunas, Ph.D., psychotherapist, author, speaker, trainer.

Offers proven strategies to help you rise above your limitations

and soar. Breaking the Spell of the Past--Book and Guided

Visualization CD set. Take a FREE QUIZ to find out if you are

SPELLBOUND by your past. Download a FREE guided meditation to

relieve stress and feel more peaceful. Sign up for a FREE monthly

ezine called AWAKENING INNER VISION: RESOURCES FOR ENLIGHTENMENT.

Go to: http://www.innervisionresources.com

mailto:eve@innervisionresources.com



Article Source: http://www.articlepros.com