R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.......

Did you know that the song “RESPECT” has two versions? This song was actually written by Otis Redding in 1965, but the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin brought it to life in 1967.  Otis’s version of this song is a plea from a desperate man who will give his woman anything she wants as long as he gets his respect when he comes home.  Franklin’s version is a declaration from a strong confident woman, who demand respect because she know who she is and  that she has everything her man could want. So, whose version tells the true story of respect? Respect can come in many shapes and forms. I believe respect manifest itself from authenticity and intention.

My mom was a poised, confident woman.  She was very classy in everything that she did.  She was not a loud person. Very seldom did she yell at us.  She just said what she had to say and that was that. Her yay was yay and her nay was nay. She spoke softly and carried a big stick. The big stick was respect. With mom, free will was always a given.  She never made statements such as “if you don’t pick up your toys, I’m going to spank you”.  Her statement would be simply “pick up your toys or get a spanking” and because of previous experience of knowing that her yay meant yay and her nay meant nay we simply had a choice from that point on. My mom’s demeanor demanded respect from us. Her intentions were motivated by love and she knew who she was and the position she held.

In today’s society, it’s easy to find yourself trying to earn respect by doing or by giving a part of yourself away.  Respect is something that you should not have to try and make happen.  Knowing yourself and just being who you are should be enough.

Learn to relax, be yourself, in the words of Dr. Seuss “those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. 

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Intention is the crescendo of life

When you hear the word crescendo, you may relate it to music.  The crescendo of a musical piece is the gradual increase in volume.  It is also known as the climax. 

So, how is intention the crescendo of life? Well, here is my thought. I believe that as you go through life your intentions are gradually increasing the volume of your life. What do I mean by that?  Simply, the energy we put out, is the energy we get back. Intentions according to Webster is “a thing intended; an aim or plan”.    

As Eckhart Tolle describes it... “It’s the why beneath your why”.   Your intentions are the true reason you do anything.  Therefore, intentions are how you live your life and they will determine the outcome.

Ask yourself the question “What’s the thing that lies in the bottom of your heart”.  

The moral of the story is as you go through your life, check your intentions.  Your song starts now, what will your crescendo be.

Eckhart Tolle`- “You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already with in you and allowing that goodness to emerge” –

Authenticity, find it and live better

Are you trying to force a square peg into a round hole? Are you trying to function in abilities you don’t have? Comparing yourself to others or conforming to others expectations are traps to still your joy and they distract you from your intended being.  Just because its trending and everybody is doing it doesn’t mean it’s for you. Focus on what you know you can do and develop that to its fullest potential.  

Authenticity is not something we have or don’t have.  It's a practice-- a conscious choice of how we want to live.  Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make everyday. It's about the choice to show up and be real.  The choice to be honest.  The choice to let our true selves be seen.  Brene Brown. 

We all have our place in this life.  Live Authentically and live better!

Don’t know where to start? Ask yourself these questions.

1.     What do I really enjoy doing most?

2.     When do I feel the most alive?

3.     What am I doing when I lose track of time?

Watch this video it will make your day!

Dr. Seuss said it best

Today you are you, that is truer than true.  There is no one alive who is youer than you!

There are a lot of similarities in this world and people, places and things are put into categories by society because of the similarities.  However, regardless of the categorization or similarities everyone and everything are unique in itself.  In our daily walk through life we may run across someone who has the same favorite color, or drive the same kind of car.  We meet people that like to do the same fun things, and have the same hobbies.  We even meet people that have been through the same situations, tragedies, or circumstances as us.  But no matter what the similarities, there is only one you.   

Authenticity is simply being true to one’s own personality, spirit or character.  The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are. - C.G. Jung.  Comparing yourself to others or conforming to others expectations are traps set to steal your joy and they distract you from your intended being. To become your authentic self, you must begin by knowing yourself. I challenge you this week to take note of your behavior patterns and ask yourself why you do that thing that you do.

 Next week we will dig deeper into authenticity.

This above all:
To thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

 - Hamlet, Shakespeare