Will you allow yourself?

Will you allow yourself?

by | Mar 29, 2020 | Sunday Muse

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. 

This provocative quote is most frequently attributed to American mythologist Joseph Campbell, best known for his work on comparative mythology and comparative religion. What did he mean by this statement?

The cave is a common metaphor in literature and mythology. It symbolizes a place of initiation, where a character or hero makes a sojourn into the inner realm of the Self where transformation awaits. The cave also represents that which we fear because it is a dark and mysterious place where we must venture into the unknown. The cave, in more ways than one, is an underworld.

Campbell refers to the cave as sacred space, where individuals may gain access to the mysterious contents of their own soul. In this context, the cave represents a person’s creative power center. He strongly asserts that sacred space is a necessity for all of us, a requirement for fulfillment in life. “This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.”

Follow Your Bliss

Clearly, Campbell acknowledges that it is not always easy or comfortable to access our sacred space, but with practice and dedication anyone can tap the riches we possess inside ourselves. He also claimed that allowing yourself time every day to be in that space can help us connect to our true joy. Perhaps Campbell’s most famous quote is: Follow your bliss.

All to often we deny ourselves access to what brings us the most happiness. Last week I asked readers to identify and list the things that spark their joy. I wonder how many actually did this, and what they learned about themselves from doing it. Some readers may have even skipped this simple reflective exercise without a second thought. But let’s suppose 100% of those readers identified and listed what sparks their joy. The question remains: What is to be done with that knowledge? How does the acknowledgment of one’s joy make a difference in the quality of life? What is the point in even bothering?

We frequently shy away from connecting to – from allowing ourselves to enter our own sacred cave space. Next week we will explore some reasons why we deny ourselves access to our own sacred space, and explore ways to change that story!

Do you follow your bliss? When was the last time you made room in your life for the things that spark your joy? Perhaps in these unprecedented times you could make your best effort to explore your own sacred space. Usually our lives are so fast-paced and focused on everything BUT what is most meaningful to us. Perhaps you have a little time for yourself these days…has it been a while? If so, Joseph Campbell would say, Grab it. Your life is right there waiting for you.

I would love to read your comments, revelations and aha-moments on our website or Facebook page!

 

To get this blog every week, click here

Keep calm and Brumbylon.

Thanks for hanging out with me – have a great week!

~ Lisa

“The seed that grows toward the light begins in darkness.”

Return to blog
Wake up and be AWESOME!

Wake up and be AWESOME!

by | Mar 22, 2020 | Sunday Muse

How are you doing this week, friends? With all that is happening around us, what is stirring inside you? Is it fear or anxiety? Is it gratitude? A spark of renewed energy or joy? Perhaps a combination?

I am seeing it all on social media, and you probably are too. With so much uncertainty there is a high level of stress in people, and we are responding in myriad ways. Call me crazy, but I am truly enjoying the break in my routines, and have settled into a sort of peaceful introspection.

Significantly, it has dawned on me that a wonderful opportunity exists at this juncture…a chance to build some new ways of being in community. It feels absolutely seismic! What I am seeing clearly amid the chaos is a flowering of the cooperative and generative nature of people. It’s a beautiful spring.

The shifts that are happening right now at light speed call to my mind a possibility to consider: Maybe this crisis is a gift, a blessing in disguise. What if it’s actually the wake-up call we need to address the pressing issues of environmental, social, economic and political upheaval?

Perhaps the high level of insecurity that we are experiencing from this pandemic can show us how to take things back down to ground-level again. Historically, crises have always forced us to reassess outdated or destructive patterns, prompting the replacement of that which no longer serves, and promoting creative new ways to do old things.

History isn’t ALL bad

We are a quirky species, possessing both creative and destructive tendencies, all rolled into one family. Whatever you do, try not to fall into the trap of believing that we are all going to hell in a handbasket. Humans of different cultures, religions and persuasions have coexisted throughout history. There are countless examples of this, despite what we are taught in schools…you know, the usual: wars and gladiators.

Reading conventional, curriculum-driven history is a lot like watching the news – dreadfully focused on the worst imaginable events. If all we are ever to learn is what we see on TV or read in history textbooks we may as well just throw in the towel.

Along with our primate cousins, human beings are mostly social, inventive and cooperative creatures by nature. I’m not saying we aren’t also violent and self-destructive. What I am saying is that it’s not all there is to report. And it’s certainly not all we are capable of.

It is too easy to settle into a “that’s just the way we are” mindset. This is weak and counterproductive – a quitter’s mantra.

Instead, let’s go ahead and project what the world will look like once we turn our attention, intelligence, technology and financial resources toward building bridges instead of blowing them up. Now that’s a healthy, optimistic and achievable dream worth manifesting.

Relationships are KEY to our collective survival

I want to talk about Gandhi’s famous quote, Be the change you wish to see in the world. This simple, commonly referenced bit of wisdom has never felt so powerful to me as it does now. It seems like the time is right for us to step into our own unique leadership by actively being the change. It’s a great time to see, acknowledge and connect with others who are doing the same.

Here is why it matters 100% that we choose to reconnect to our creative power, nurture relationships, engage in civility, listen deeply, and maintain a positive, healthy outlook on the future:

We are a people, all of us related if you go back far enough, a family, whether we like it or not. Our collective survival actually depends on our ability to bridge differences. It has always been this way. And the shift must start with ourselves. It’s the only thing we have any direct control over.

I would like to share a few lyrics from a Brumbylon original that Brett and I have been working on lately… a song of love, connection and hope for the future:

Take my hand, help me understand the language of your heart. If you just play nice I promise I won’t bite…now there’s a place to start!

We are meant to be together.

The song, which we call Meant to Be, is a song for our time, for this year, and will be dropped very soon in a live-streamed concert from the Cave (i.e. in just a few days) accompanied by a brand-new Kitchen Series video – stay tuned! WE CAN’T WAIT to share it!!!

Peeps, it’s time to wake up and be awesome. Take the hamster-wheel frenzy down a notch and up-level your inner VOICE. While there is an unprecedented opportunity, stop long enough to reconnect to your Self. Explore what is whispering – or perhaps screaming – to be heard. Your inner wisdom is calling you to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Here’s what YOU can do this week:

  • Write down everything that brings you JOY – don’t leave anything out.
  • Combine your joys into categories – where are the similarities and connections? Perhaps use different colors to identify those connections.

Once you’ve completed this exercise, make some time to engage with the things that spark your joy. It is especially meaningful when you are able to connect joy to your life – then just witness how the flow of your internal energy returns.

I would love to read your comments, revelations and aha-moments on our website or Facebook page!

 

Keep calm and Brumbylon.

Thanks for hanging out with me – have a great week!

~ Lisa

“The seed that grows toward the light begins in darkness.”

Return to blog
Shine: A Mountain Story

Shine: A Mountain Story

by | Mar 14, 2020 | Into the Cave, Sunday Muse

Peaks and Valleys

The first time Brett and I went to Wyoming with my Boston-based band, the Experts, was in August of 2017. It was a bumpy ride for this one. I was unhappy with myself, out-of-shape and heavier than I wanted to be, and feeling insecure about my role in a 9-piece band comprised of Berklee professors, each one an accomplished musician with great talent. I questioned my value as a member of the band. I fretted unreasonably over what to wear at my gigs. For whatever reason or reasons, I was having a dark night of the soul that summer.

Being in Jackson Hole magnified my issues. Our lodging for the week was a posh three-bedroom suite on the 9th floor of the Four Seasons Resort in Teton Village, in one of two condos owned by our friend – remember Jim? My wealthy, confident, energized, entrepreneur, risk taker, guitar player, mountain goat friend? He flew all of us and our spouses out to Jackson and housed us in this incredible residence for 8 days, while the band played a single weekend at the famous Silver Dollar Bar in downtown Jackson. All week long Jim treated us to wonderful dinners, hiking adventures, and introduced us to the colorful local scene.

What an experience we had in this breathtaking location! On the day we checked in, Brett and I gazed in wonder at the fancy wait staff who were catering to residents in the pool area below, the view from our private balcony, while we sipped expensive red wine. It was exciting… and also intimidating. All my issues surfaced like monsters that had been living under my bed.

Life-Changing Discomfort

As I had mentioned in an earlier blog post, the events of that year had a life-changing impact on me. My challenging journey began when I was unable to hike up Cody Peak with Brett and my bandmates on a beautiful sunny day…this for two debilitating reasons: my paralyzing fear of heights and my poor physical condition. In addition, there were also some uncomfortable relationship dramas between me and two of my band mates, which compounded the existing feelings of insecurity. I drowned my sorrows in red wine and cried a lot when no one was looking.

Attempting to hide all this emotional junk was exhausting. It consumed a great deal of my energy. It is particularly hard when you are performing on stage and around other people for days on end. I wore a lot of makeup, hid my hair and face under visor hats, and smiled through most of it. 

Periodically throughout the week, Brett was on the deck working out a piece of music. As the days passed this guitar piece evolved into the song he calls Shine. I don’t really believe he wrote it about me or for me, but the song speaks to me on a very deep level, in particular the middle section, in which he sings about the life-changing experience of reaching a summit.

In November, after a weekend that Brett and I enjoyed in Florida with Jim, I made a game-changing decision. I made a commitment to do what I had believed was impossible, despite all the fear that was limiting my happiness – I wanted to see everything around me on the summit of a great mountain.

A Song Can Inspire Change

The song Shine is simple, both lovely and philosophical, and full of powerful life metaphors that ring true in my heart. Shine is one of the reasons I decided to climb the Grand Teton the following year. I want you to hear this home-studio recording, accompanied by a video that Brett made from clips of our Wyoming trip in 2017.

And yes, in case you are wondering, Brett does refer to that day hike up to Cody Peak in the video – he composed the song shortly afterward! I am certain that hitting the summit of Cody Peak inspired him to do so. I didn’t get to truly experience what he was singing about until I took the chance to climb that most daunting mountain of mine. It was worth breaking through my dark night of the soul, to feel that experience in my bones for the first time, standing 13,777 feet above sea level, on top of the Grand, looking over the mountain tops of Wyoming and Idaho. It was truly a ‘peak’ experience!

Perhaps Shine will inspire you to climb YOUR OWN mountain…

Speaking of mountains, we still have room in our Climb YOUR Mountain program, which starts this Monday, on March 16. We are SO excited! Check it out here!

 

Keep calm and Brumbylon.

Thanks for hanging out with me – have a great week!

~ Lisa

“The seed that grows toward the light begins in darkness.”

Return to blog
Live Life Inside OUT!

Live Life Inside OUT!

by | Mar 8, 2020 | Sunday Muse

Are You Living Outside IN?

It is so easy to fall into the habit of comparing ourselves to others. It’s almost written into our human DNA. Subconsciously, we move through our day to day lives always asking the questions: How do I place in the social order? Who am I in this world of people and social systems? Do I measure up? What is my value?

As common as it is, this subconscious pathology can get us into trouble. We may lose sight of who we really are by focusing too much on how we think others perceive us. Let’s call this pattern of thinking and behaving Outside IN… seeking vital information on the outside before checking in with ourselves first.

Does this sound like YOU? If so, welcome to the club!

The Outside IN Dilemma

People get caught in the Outside IN dilemma in so many ways. For instance, women receive constant messages from outside sources that their appearance matters. When they compare themselves to glamorous models and images of beauty, they usually fall short. As a result, women may try too hard to fit an image not of their own making. They may attach their value to what their reflection shows in a mirror. Outside IN.

It’s not just women who fall into this unhealthy pattern. A man may fear that if he follows his true path he will not be seen as strong, but rather he may appear weak. Many men fear a certain ‘social death’ in a culture that favors a specific, and very narrow code of masculine behavior. Outside IN.

Consider how often we see something in others that we admire. And yet, instead of fully celebrating their unique qualities, we may turn against ourselves. We sometimes perceive the Self as inadequate because we are not THAT…Outside IN.

Here are a few examples of some Outside IN thinking:

  • That person is very confident, I’ll bet they can do anything. I am too afraid to do anything special.
  • That person is in great shape, they go to the gym every day. I don’t have enough discipline to make that commitment. I can’t get myself to go.
  • That group is made up of powerhouse individuals. They’d never let someone like me on the team. I’m not enough.

And so on, ad nauseum.

Love Yourself Inside Out

To more fully succeed in the act of loving yourself, it is best to START from the inside. You already have what you need to do this. It’s really about where you place your attention…

Here’s what you can do. In any moment, when you experience conflict, a dilemma or crisis, or even if you’re feeling inspired, start by checking in with YOURSELF:

  • What am I feeling right now?
  • What is happening in my body?
  • What feels off?
  • What feels right?
  • What energy is tugging at me?

Inside OUT.

Make these your daily, moment-to-moment questions. Become familiar with the practice of asking them. There is no such thing as doing this too much.

When you can start from a place of checking IN, you are already making a difference. You are bringing your power back to the center – YOUR center.

Here is WHY the Inside Out method works:

1. You are paying attention to your inner wisdom. Yes, YOU have that. No one knows you like you do. You are better at figuring out how you feel and think than figuring out what others feel and think. Making assumptions about others is only a guessing game!

2. You are placing less power OUTSIDE your realm of control. This is always a personal choice once you know how to do it. Those ideas coming at you from outside? Myths. When you check in with yourself first you may actually notice that!

Don’t fret too much if you are feeling some negative stuff on any given day. Look inside FIRST. Whatever is there is information, messages to pay attention to. Only then can you decide – you can choose – what to keep or discard.

When you learn how to love yourself Inside Out you are taking charge of your own life and happiness. You can experience the freedom of being 100% YOU.

 

Keep calm and Brumbylon.

Thanks for hanging out with me – have a great week!

~ Lisa

“The seed that grows toward the light begins in darkness.”

Return to blog
What Do Children Know?

What Do Children Know?

by | Feb 17, 2020 | Sunday Muse

What do children know that adults forget?

Do you remember? As kids we were always saying things like, “I can do it!” and “Let me!” …often with great defiance and conviction. How did we go from there to being adults who continuously chant I can’t?

 

People have been asking me questions about the Climb program lately. Their curiosity has prompted me to write this particular post.

 

Hey…look at that happy couple standing in front of that scary mountain! 

I want to share why I believe the Climb program holds a treasure trove of value. I will tell you first that creating and launching Climb Your Mountain on March 2nd, as well as other personal growth programs to follow, is MY MOUNTAIN this year.

 

There is no greater feeling of empowerment than taking a challenge head on – a seemingly impossible challenge – and then coming out on top. Reaching the summit. Standing there in your own skin, looking down on how far you have come, with the reality of your stunning victory just sinking in…it’s like getting a shot of unlimited power right into your veins! Wonderfully intoxicating and energizing.

And yet, most people will retreat from taking on their biggest, most difficult challenges. Instead, they will label and accept them as insurmountable limitations, and settle into the comparative safety of their comfort zone. Once the decision is made to retreat, they begin composing internal stories of self-limitation, reinforcing the idea that they are unable to make any real, measurable change. In truth, the comfort zone is really just a self-imposed prison.

Over time, the stories become embedded as circular, self-perpetuating, limiting beliefs. Those beliefs then get tucked away in the subconscious and work 24/7 behind the scenes, playing out in the background of our psyche. Ultimately, our beliefs feed all of our decisions. Perhaps what is most disturbing is that we actually embrace our limiting beliefs, holding onto them like a security blanket. 

But wait…isn’t security a good thing? After all, why should we attempt what is too difficult, and then fail? Security equals safety equals happiness, right?

 

Surprisingly, the opposite is true. All the while we are clutching our blanket, we are most likely wondering why we are not truly happy, bewildered by a vague and intangible emptiness…what is eluding us?

 

We rarely look up to notice that we have actually created our own glass ceiling. Perhaps it is too painful to see that which seems far beyond our reach anyway. We may feel a tinge of jealousy, and even hold judgment against others who are doing the things we wish we could do, disempowered further by their success.

 

You may have heard that most people “lead lives of quiet desperation, and die with their song still inside them.” This quote is attributed to Henry David Thoreau. It pretty much sums up the sad truth that many people will live out their lives never realizing their full potential, never singing their beautiful life-song.

Replace your can’t with CAN.

In short, limiting beliefs deny us access to achieving breakthroughs that could potentially restore flow, energy, and refreshing possibility into our lives. These soul-crushing beliefs also leak out into our speech. Those who live inside the limitation paradigm say the word can’t a lot.

 

Can’t is a deflating, cop-out word that instantly robs us of our freedom. How? By dismissing any and all empowering thoughts from even entering the mind. It bars their entrance before considering them as possibilities. The word can’t is a contraction – need I say more?

 

Think of it this way: Can’t is the gatekeeper of limiting self-beliefs. Can is the only key that opens the door to freedom.

 

So, what changed in me? What made me go from being stuck in a pattern of limiting self-beliefs to believing that I can do anything I set my mind to?

 

A decision.

 

I decided that enough was enough. I decided to change my internal story of no, I can’t …to yes, I CAN.

 

Well, that sure sounds easy. But it wasn’t. Indeed, making the decision was easier than doing the work that followed. I guess what I’m saying is this: You aren’t going to do any of the work until you make the decision to do it.

 

Here’s what’s true…just as surely as we work to embed any internal stories of self-limitations, we may also choose to rewrite those stories, transforming them into I CAN stories and beliefs. This transformation requires a bit of work – work I shall refer to from now on as training.

 

Climbing the Grand Teton, for me, was symbolic of something much bigger and deeper in my life – breaking through debilitating fear, and healing persistent internal pain.  The pain of low self-worth and limiting beliefs that kept me inside the prison of my comfort zone – small and powerless.

 

To be clear, climbing the Grand was neither a magic bullet nor a miracle cure for my pain and fear issues. Rather, it initiated me on a path of high-powered, accelerated personal growth. On this path I continuously meet challenges head on with courage and commitment to the process of healing – and that is where the training comes in. Climbing the Grand was my first big breakthrough, one that required building some muscle to achieve …not just physical muscle, but mental as well. It meant learning how to challenge – and rewrite – my own limiting thoughts, beliefs, and even speech.

 

 

It’s like anything else: the more you do it, the closer you get to mastery. By training for the mountain I actually mastered my fear, and began rewriting my most painful, limiting stories. And wow, it sure has powered me up for THIS year’s big mountain!

What is your greatest challenge? What fear, internal story or limiting self-belief is stopping you from achieving something you really want? I have asked before…what is YOUR mountain this year?

 

I assure you that whatever it is, you have what it takes to reach the summit. To get there, however, you must first make the choice – a decision – followed by commitment, the right support, and training. Personal breakthroughs are spectacular because we make them happen.

 

Do you feel the I CAN stirring somewhere inside? Do you wish more than anything to break through your fear and limiting self-talk to achieve a dream bigger than you’ve ever dared?

 

We will be offering a free week of “bootcamp” to introduce Climb Your Mountain for anyone who is excited and committed to upping their A-game. Watch for the announcement!

 

And don’t forget…

Keep calm and Brumbylon. 

Thanks for hanging out with me – have a great week! 

~ Lisa 

  

 

“The seed that grows toward the light begins in darkness.”

Return to blog