Friday, January 29, 2010

Find Your Power and Strength

We are approaching the end of the first month of 2010, a time when most of the resolutions we set in the hope of the new year have faded and we succumb to the gravitational pull of the past.

Can you see already what the shadow spoilers in your life this year are going to be? There are always a few patterns, behaviors or impulses that lurk beneath the surface of your consciousness, waiting to whittle away at your self-esteem and veer you off into those dead-end cycles. Maybe you think you can just have one drink, one cupcake, one Coca Cola, or one day off from your exercise program. The problem with these shadow impulses is that you think you should listen to them, that they're the truth, that you have to obey their orders.

When did you give the shadow power over your life? How old were you when you decided that some urge, impulse or feeling could direct the level of success and achievement you experience in your future? These are the questions that you have to use to challenge the urges, the impulses, and the destructive repetitive patterns that keep you wound up tight inside and stuck in your robotic predictable past.

This is the year, this is the time, this is the day to reclaim your power.

Your Weekly Shadow Work

(1) Fess up to whatever it is that you listen to -- the voice, the internal conversation, the feelings, the fear -- that can suck you into the rat hole of self-despair.

(2) After you've admitted to it, go inside yourself and ask, “What is my inner need? What would I have to do or say to myself that would empower me to make a higher choice? Who could I call? What could I read or commit to that would support me in this instant, in this hour, to follow my dream?”

(3) Take the actions to reclaim your power.

It's not too late to arrive at the end of this year feeling accomplished, inspired and in awe of who you've become. Having the best year of your life is a one-hour-at-a-time process. Trust me. You have the power and the strength to win the war over your dark side -- one choice at a time. You can do it!

With love and blessings,
Debbie

***

Bask In the Light of Your Highest Self
There are only a few spots left in The Shadow Process workshop in San Diego, California from February 26-28th and early registration discount ends January 31st. Register today http://www.thefordinstitute.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=152&Click=1087
Celebrate Valentine's Weekend With Debbie
Join Debbie for a private reception and a keynote workshop on The Shadow Effect at the LA Conscious Life Expo on February 13th in Los Angeles. Enjoy other amazing teachers as well including Arielle Ford, Gregg Braden, Jean Houston, Maura Hoffman, and many others. Learn more http://www.consciouslifeexpo.com/program2010/workshops/satworkshops/FordDebbie.html

Check Debbie's calendar for other amazing events http://store.debbieford.com/pages.php?CDpath=3&pID=9

We Are Standing For Your Success
There is nothing better that you can do for yourself to be in a structure that demands you give your best, do your all, and be accountable to another person. Hire a private coach http://www.thefordinstitute.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=4&Click=1087

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Love, Passion & Enlightenment

As we head into 2010, I've heard from so many of you that one of your intentions for the new year is to foster loving, passionate and spirit-filled relationships. You may be looking for love or you're just ready to rediscover passion in your relationship. Maybe you're ready to blame and criticism and find new levels of intimacy. And I'm excited to offer you an amazing tool.
My dear friends Katie and Gay Hendricks are some of the wisest relationship experts on the planet. They're not only a living example of an amazing relationship themselves, but they're the relationship experts that the other relationship experts go to for help. If you've seen them on Oprah or any of the hundreds of other shows they've been on, you've seen the relationship miracles they can create with their powerful techniques.
There is a whole new level of spiritual awakening that can come from working on making your relationship great. And I want to suggest that relationships, like health, need attention every day. So if you're excited to open up to more love, more joy and more delicious s_x, I highly recommend you take on your relationship this year. I'm quite inspired by the program that Gay and Katie just created out of their commitment to the relationship revolution going on right now as more and more people are experiencing the power and potential of conscious relationships.
The Relationship Solution shows you how to create and maintain a great relationship. This fascinating new audio/video program has all the wisdom and activities you'd get at their 'live' seminar, but you can do the program at your own pace at home. And you can listen to on your iPod or your computer.
If you're still running around saying you want to be in a relationship and haven't found the love you want, I recommend that you read my sister's Arielle's book The Soulmate Secret. It's yummy. And if it's true that you have to FEEL what it's like to be in a relationship to manifest one, then buy The Relationship Solution and start working to make yours better now.

With love and blessings,
Debbie Ford

Friday, January 15, 2010

A Love Letter to Haiti

Dear Friends,
As I sit at home writing the end of The Shadow Effect book, my heart is aching. In the devastation of these past days, I'm struck at the insanity of what goes on in the world. I know that, in my business, we say things like "This too shall pass" and "Everything happens for a reason." But on a clearly human level, on a mother-to-mother, brother-to-brother, friend-to-friend level, what has happened in Haiti is horrific. These tragedies, when viewed from a human perspective, make no sense so at a time like this, we may feel at a loss for what to do. So I wrote this prayer which I humbly offer now as a simple love letter to the people of Haiti. If you feel moved to sign it, I hope you will click on the link at the bottom to sign it and then pass it on to all of your friends and family. I will do my best to get it posted in Haiti with all of our signatures. I trust that the power of our collective intention and prayers will somehow be felt and hope it will soothe the pain of an aching human heart.

With love and blessings,
Debbie Ford


To our beloved sisters and brothers of Haiti,

Our hearts are aching for you.

To you who are suffering, without food, water, medical care, a place to
sleep, or a friend to hold your hand, we pray you will be saved soon.

To you who are trapped inside the rubble with no one there to lift you
out or are searching for your family and friends, to you who are sitting
on the side of the street with the body of a dead relative close by, we
pray you will be saved soon.

We want you to know that we care, that we wish we had the wherewithal to
help you. We wish that we were closer and could rub your head or lift
the concrete off your loved ones. We wish that we could wind back time
and give you back life as you knew it before the devastating earthquake.

We have no doubt that you will gather together and find the strength and
the courage to heal and rebuild your future but until that time, we want
you to know that we are holding you and that although we have never met
and can't really feel your pain or share your heartache, we are praying
for you day and night, asking that our blessings become your blessings.

We wish you the faith and strength to hold on one more day. Help is
coming and we are all here loving you, standing in awe of your courage.

sign the love letter here: http://www.debbieford.com/ALoveLetterToHaiti

Friday, January 8, 2010

Are You Carrying Your Resentments Into 2010?

I hope this finds you well and thriving. I've been blown away doing The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse with thousands of people from around the world. It's not too late for you to join us. We're waiting for you. I'm struck by Day 4 which we did today - The Gift of Forgiveness. I wanted to share it with you to inspire you to jump on board. It's never too late to start the Consciousness Cleanse and handle the past so that 2010 can surprise you, enlighten you and fill you up with all the greatness you deserve.
All of us have been hurt, betrayed, lied to or disappointed in our lives. It goes without saying. If you're a human, you will develop resentments and grudges. The issue is not whether you should or shouldn't have them -- the question is whether you will release them.
If you hold on to your resentments, you are chained to the past. If you hold on to your grudges, your life is predictable because you will continue to be stuck in repetitive ways of thinking and behaving. And until you forgive, you will never have full access to all of who you are because forgiveness is the hallway between the past and the future. It's imperative to practice forgiveness and the only way to do that is to move out of your head and into your heart. It's difficult to do it alone, but all you have to do is ask for divine grace. It's almost impossible to forgive in your mind because it really has nothing to do with your mind - it has to do with your hurt heart.
Unknowingly, your resentments define who you are and who you can be in the future because you can be only as great as the size of your heart. And if your ability to love from deep in your heart is clouded by the experiences of the past, you are in a lose-lose situation. You first lose your freedom when something penetrates your emotional body and affects you so painfully. And you lose again when you decide to hold on to the bad feelings instead of turning them into powerful fuel for the future.
- Excerpt from The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse
Forgiveness is the key to unlocking your greatest future. Join us and have a taste by doing Day 4 of The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse at Oprah.com or buy The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse and do it with a friend. Don't procrastinate.

With love and blessings,

Debbie Ford

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

2010: The Destination of Your Dreams

It's so easy to make promises about the year ahead. You will follow your diet, be more financially responsible, be kinder to your spouse, spend more time at the gym...But, for most, the promises you make today will be empty dreams six months from now. So let's examine this. I would suggest this happens because real change doesn't occur when you just want something or wish for another reality. Real change happens when you feel genuinely inspired, turned on by possibility and unwilling to settle for anything less. It happens when you commit with all of yourself to a new way of life, to a new future. So how do you do this?

To feel inspired and lit up and to make room for optimism, enthusiasm, and lasting change, you must lighten your emotional load by addressing your past issues, your emotional blocks, your negative beliefs, your feelings of unworthiness and any infantile desires that drive you to repeatedly head off in a direction counter to your dreams. If you drop your commitments, it is not because you want to be seen as a quitter or a loser but because unconsciously you are more committed to an outdated self -- an old identity that feels comfortable and safe even though it might have stopped serving you years ago. Often, psychological laziness will have you switch your life over to autopilot and fall asleep at the wheel rather than stay awake to what will fulfill your heart's deepest desires and your soul's purpose.

On this eve of a new year, a very fertile time to look over your past and commit to a new future, you can ask these simple questions to unload some old baggage and steer your life in the direction of a brilliant and thrilling future -- the ride of your life.

What are your deepest desires for this new year?

What are you willing to give up to get them? What habits, limiting beliefs, unhealthy relationships or situations?

When did you become unwilling to do whatever it takes to have what you want?

What cravings or unmet needs will drive you away from your desired destination?

What structure of support will you need to ensure this new future?

Who could you count on to be your co-pilot to ensure that you will neither fall short of the runway nor overshoot your desired outcome? Who will help you stay awake?

If you wish to fly to new heights, begin by setting your sights on a destination you can reach and then create a flight plan, a map that will be your guide. And if at any time you don't feel like following your flight path, stop, take a deep breath, call forth your vision for your future, then pick up your phone, dial your co-pilot and ask them to remind you that veering off your route really isn't worth the pain of repeating the past. Veering off will only leave you in the same repetitive pattern of wanting, wishing, fantasizing, and then feeling intensely disappointed when you land at a destination other than the phenomenal future that awaits you.

So today, YOU have the power to choose the destination of your dreams, create a flight plan and stick to it. So gather your courage, your strength and your commitment and get onboard, making 2010 the most inspiring year of your life.



With love and blessings,

Debbie Ford

Thursday, December 17, 2009

A Blessing For Your Future

You deserve an unimaginable future, one that exceeds your expectations and your deepest desires. You can have it. It is your birthright through your divine connection.

Thank you for allowing me to do what is my heart's desire. From me and the staff of The Ford Institute for Transformational Training, on behalf of all of our coaches, our amazing Collective Heart, and our global community at large, we send you enormous amounts of love and holiday blessings. Here is a prayer I've written for you.

A BLESSING FOR YOUR FUTURE
Divine spirit
thank you for giving me the capacity for wholeness
Thank you for this very precious moment
A moment where I am present
to all the goodness that exists
inside and outside of me
A moment that inspires thoughts of a greater future
A future where I can love and be loved
where I can serve and be served
A future where I humbly and gracefully
contribute my soul's gifts to the world
A future that is filled with abundance and miracles
Today I open my arms to the loving presence
that will awaken me to my greatness
and fill my future with surprises
I surrender my life and will
to the greatest power in the universe
Today I accept my worth and my worthiness
And so it is


With love and deep respect,


Debbie Ford

The Mask of Tiger Woods

My Huffington Post blog

The Mask of Tiger Woods

Well, here we are in another media frenzy about our latest fallen angel - the one and only Tiger Woods. As yet another legend bites the dust by exposing his bad behavior, many of us are shocked and appalled while others are falling deeper into resignation about the imaginary faithful husband. And then for some others, there is a bit of glee. There are those who are just plain grateful that Tiger Woods isn't the superhuman that he has been made out to be. For some, Tiger's imperfections become a gigantic exhale of relief. Those who seek to find their happiness in the fantasy that one day they will become the perfect person can now see they are finally off the proverbial hook. As the women continue to come forward for their few minutes of fame and glory in this tabloid-frenzied society that would rather focus on the another person's flaws rather than do anything about their own, we are once again trapped in a conversation that judges another's behavior rather than working dilig ently to clean up our own. And even though we're in an era when most people don't have the time to focus on what's important to them, they do somehow find the time to focus on what will be meaningless in just a few days or months.

I could go on and on about why Tiger's behavior was predictable. If you take the time to read Why Good People Do Bad Things: How to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy and study the masks of the human being, you will indeed understand why Tiger could not maintain his "I'm the proverbial Nice Guy Overachiever" act for his entire life. How could he or anyone continually push down all of his unmet needs and ordinary human impulses that are built into our everyday human wiring? Can you imagine being that good? Can you imagine having to win at everything, to perform perfectly every day for the rest of your life?

How stressful it would be for a mere mortal to carry this burden.
So now Tiger joins the ranks of Bill Clinton, David Letterman and other infamous cheaters. Tiger will never be the same. Tiger's life as we have all known it before that fateful car crash is dead, something for the archives. And now a new life can emerge -- hopefully a life where he can live a more authentic expression, where he can experience more intimacy with his family, friends, and peers so that he doesn't have to seek false connections with women he hardly knows and surely can't trust. As most cheaters will admit, it's a quick fix, a temporary high, that they could have just as easily gotten from a shot of heroin or a couple of martinis mixed with the newest edition of Playboy. Hopefully, as Tiger gets over the shock of being exposed, he will find a safe guide to support him in going inside himself to find out who he really is and what he really wants now that he no longer has the right to don the mask of the Nice Guy Overachiever.

And it's not just Tiger's life that has changed. So has ours. Tiger has now shown all those who still believe in the prince on the white horse that the prince is flawed, imperfect, and human and that when the mask of our human persona gets too tight, when there is no more room to grow or breathe, it blows itself up so that it can recreate itself anew. We can no longer look at Tiger with the same awe of his divine perfection. Our jealousy can melt away. For all of us who are caught up in the Tiger drama, my hope is that we will take back all that we have projected on to him all these years. It is useful to remember the old Buddhist trick. Imagine Tiger standing in front of you and now point your finger out at him and say aloud "You are stupid" or "careless" or "an idiot" or "__________" -- whatever quality you are seeing in him, fill in the blank. Now look down at your hand. One finger is pointing out at him. Where are the other three fingers pointing? That's right. Back at you. And as we were continually reminded by our friends growing up, "You spot it, you got it!"

Your Weekly Shadow Work

1. Find one of the places you've been projecting, positive or negative, on Tiger Woods. And take it back. Or if you have a projection on people who are reporting on Tiger Woods, take back one of those projections.

2. Look at where in your life you have displayed this quality -- be honest.

3. Now how could you forgive yourself? See how you could love, embrace and have compassion for this part of you.

With love and blessings,

Debbie Ford