Are You A Pollyanna?

Are You A Pollyanna?
And Who The Heck Was She REALLY?

I have been called a "Pollyanna" before and never really thought to ask more about that. In fact, I wasn't even sure if it was ever a compliment or not to be honest. And I was even quite sure it was not!
I mean, I know Hayley Mills played Pollyanna, but I did not understand at the time the depth of this character in the film or the original book.

Then just yesterday morning, I received my daily email from the Abraham-Hicks Foundation. Ok, LOVE them.

It said:

"We would demonstrate to everyone that we are cheerful, that we are optimistic, that we are happy, that we are looking for the best-feeling thought that we can find - and that we've practiced it so much that we often find it. And then, as people say to you, in accusing tones, "Oh, you are a Pollyanna," announce to them, "Pollyanna lived a very happy life."

So, of course I had to rush and google Pollyanna to find the whole scoop. She was sounding like my kind of girl for sure.

As many of you know (or may not know), Pollyanna is a character from a best selling novel written in 1913. Her philosophy of life centers on what she calls "The Glad Game", an optimistic attitude she learned from her Dad.

Basically, the game consists of finding something to be glad about in every situation. One Christmas when Pollyanna was hoping for a doll, she received a pair of crutches, so her father made up the game up on the spot and taught her to look at the good side of things. In this case it was to be glad about the crutches because, as her Dad said, "We don't need 'em!"

Of course this attitude is put to the test throughout the story by her "not so enthusiastic" Aunt who creates scenarios to break Pollyanna of her optimism and smile. It does not work.

However, Pollyanna is put through the ultimate ringer when she is hit by a car and told she would not walk again.

Suddenly, she could not find anything to be glad about.

Meanwhile, many town members began calling Pollyanna's Aunt to tell her how much encouragement they received from little Pollyanna and how it improved their lives.

This snaps Pollyanna out of it and she reminds herself how glad she is to have legs. And as a result of being temporarily disabled, Pollyanna appreciated her legs even more when she learned to walk again.

Yeah, I would say now that being called a Pollyanna is a compliment. Anyone willing to truly find the good in every situation is a real hero to me.

The world can appear a very cruel place at times, with unexplainable events and circumstances that arise.

Placing ourselves in the awareness of appreciation and finding the good in situations is as easy as a shift in perception yet feels as hard as moving a mountain at times.

Come back to that "What's Right" list we have spoken about.

Use it. Practice actually being in the space of seeing more good and what's right in your life.

"When you look for the bad expecting it, you will find it."

I think it's OK to see the good and the rainbows.

Be kind to yourself and others.

With love,
Sahara

Time To Choose

Greetings!

My understanding is that many of you reading this may already have a grasp of the spiritual principles that govern our lives, and I want to honor that greatly.

But my interest these days really lies these days in the fact that so many of us, even with an understanding of these principles, are still suffering in our daily lives.

We are finding ourselves more fatigued at times with less overall motivation and even completely sick. And it seems like the burden of daily tasks and pressures is really taking over.

We're concerned about our finances, our future and even maybe terrified at how we might make it through it one more day.

And what happens is that we tend then to consider these feeling more of "the norm" over time.

I don't know about you, but I don't find headaches, feeling totally drained, being sick and unable to care for myself and others really normal.

But I do have some good news for you.

You can change this. Quickly even in your life.

Now its one thing to understand that stress is NOT for the most part a circumstance happening to us. It's our internal response to a situation, which gives us choice in that response.

But its another thing to actually practice this in our daily lives so we can manage that stress.

And by managing that stress, some really significant things can happen to us.

We all of sudden have a greater understanding of pain and illness, and the power WE have in healing these situations.
We can see our communication in all our relationships, whether personal or professional, clearly improving.
And we just plain feel better.

Here's the bottom line folks. Its really time for us to get serious about standing up on that rock and creating change in our lives.

Here's why:

I feel we all have a great responsibility on this planet to live to our fullest potentials and share our unique and powerful gifts to the world.

How are we going to do this when we are too sick and stressed out on a daily basis to give this to ourselves and others?

This situation does no one any good and frankly keeps us caught in a world of limited perceptions.

Studies show that our energy fields extend a good 8 feet beyond our bodies.

Let me tell you something.

I feel very responsible knowing this to think thoughts of healing and goodwill, because those thoughts not only affect me, but affect others around me.

So, join me on my upcoming teleclass if you have any stress in your life because we are going to discuss what happens when we change our thoughts about a situation and how powerful that is in changing then the situation itself.

And I'll share with you some simple steps you can take in your life everyday that will have you stop choosing stress and start choosing your heart again.

I look forward to hearing you on the call.

Be kind to yourself and others.

With love,
Sahara

The Call You Are Never Prepared For

Here's the call you are never quite prepared for,
or at least I was not.

6:30am
Wed. May 27, 2009.

"Hi honey, we are at the hospital.
Your father has had a heart attack".

I actually felt my mind and body unable to process the information at first, so I gave the typical response, "What?!"

Are you talking about MY Dad?

I remained present in the conversation with my mother and allowed myself to shed the natural tears that were forming.

I want to start by telling you that my Dad is not only fine now, but is already home and healing beautifully.

And here is what I found remarkable in this situation.

I was once again amazed at the natural inclination of people to give. And I mean truly give of themselves. Within a few hours of hearing the news of my Dad's heart attack (and before we even had a full report of what was going on), I reached out to some friends and even posted a note on Twitter about the experience.

Now, I believe it was a total of perhaps a minute or two (due to the transit time of email and such) that I began to receive note after note from people, some of whom I did not personally know from Twitter, sending their blessings to my Dad and our entire family. People offered help in any kind of way and, in my opinion, were completely available to be involved.

And noticeably, every single person mentioned that they would pray for my Dad and our whole family, and I am certain they did.

Marianne Williamson states in The Course of Miracles:
"When the Holy Spirit is involved, it's a win/win situation".

This is a wonderful example of that in action, and it was stunning.

The last 48 hours were such a reminder to start each day in service.

Ask yourself:
1. (God), how can I be of true service today?

And as Marianne states, ask:

2. Where would you have me go?
3. What would you have me say and do?

In that space, you will be guided. And that is certainly a win/win.

Thank you again for all your blessings. My family and I are grateful.

May you continue to prosper and grow in your own life,
Sahara