Passion and Purpose

My blog article and Facebook posts this week are devoted to the topics, passion and purpose.  Have you ever asked yourself, "What on earth am I here for?".  If you haven't yet connected with your life's purpose, then consider this:  Passion and purpose go hand-in-hand.

I was recently at a dinner party and our host asked us to each take turns introducing ourselves and sharing what we are passionate about.  Most people said they were passionate about their significant others and children, which for me is a given.  A few others talked about their hobbies--sailing, painting, music, etc.  A few people mentioned being passionate about helping change some of the challenges in our community, country or world.  And some people said they couldn't think of anything they were passionate about!

If you are having difficulty connecting with your passions, just pick up a newspaper or watch the news, and notice what really appalls you, angers you, or amazes you.  Anger is just another form of passion.  As you read or watch the news, check in with your body and feel the level of anger you are experiencing.  Is your heart racing?  Does the reported issue bring you to tears or make you feel sick to your stomach?  The more intense your emotions, the more passionate you are about the issue.

Now, consider an issue that you feel the most passionate about and ask yourself, "What can I do to make a positive difference?"  Donating money to a cause is always helpful, but perhaps you have skills, talents and some time that you can contribute that will in some small way make a positive difference.  It isn't the big action from one person that creates the most change. It most often are the collective small actions from many individuals that create the biggest change.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."  - Margaret Mead (1901 - 1978)

Deborah Perkins
Luminous Transformations
(480) 788-7140

Does your work week look like this?

Here are 3 common reasons for job dissatisfaction and some ideas on how to combat them:

1. I'm not paid enough for what I do: Don't be afraid to ask for what you feel you are worth.  Statistics show that women don't readily ask for what they want.  Remember, "Don't ask -- don't get!" Be prepared to validate your request with facts related to your performance and productivity levels.

2.  I have to do all of the work: Managers will pile the work onto employees that they know are capable. Make a list of tasks you do each day along with the time it takes to do them. Discuss this with your manager to see how you can balance the workload and ensure that what you are doing aligns with your job description and goals.

3. My job doesn't give me a sense of purpose: As we grow and evolve, what we are passionate about also changes. Careers that used to fulfill us in our 20's and 30's may leave us with a sense of emptiness in our 40's and 50's. Working our passion, whether it is a full-time job or even a hobby, can give us a sense of purpose and lead to a more joyful, healthy life.

Deborah Perkins
Luminous Transformations
(480) 788-7140

Release and let's go!

Releasing and letting go can often be an empowering albeit scary and difficult undertaking. We're creatures of habit who have an incessant need for control, and sometimes letting go can make us feel out of control.

Not only is it a good habit to assess our living spaces several times a year and release our attachments to material objects, but it's also a good habit to assess our physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects and determine what needs to be released.  Clearing away the clutter can help us focus, promote a more peaceful life, and move us out of stuck and stagnant thinking, habits and energy.

Try to take some time to holistically assess your life and see if there is anything you can release that would be of benefit.  You may have a need to release old emotional baggage, fears or limiting beliefs that are keeping you stuck in neutral.  You might want to release your attachment to certain people who are negative and emotionally draining.  Perhaps you want to release your ego self and step into your true authentic self.

Do a little spring cleaning and experience for yourself the many benefits you will receive.

Deborah Perkins
Luminous Transformations
(480) 788-7140

The Power of Imagination

Reading is one of my passions. A good novel can engage me to the point where I have no sense of time or surroundings. It activates my imagination thereby bringing the story and its characters to life.  Albert Einstein said, “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.  Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited.  Imagination encircles the world.”

If imagination is truly more important than knowledge, how can we harness its power to change and enhance our own lives?

In the book, The Art of Possibility, Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander refer to the familiar everyday world as the “world of measurement”.  They paint the picture that there is a “universe of possibility that stretches far beyond the world of measurement and includes all worlds: infinite, generative and abundant.”  They state, “Unimpeded on a daily basis by the concern for survival, free from the generalized assumption of scarcity, a person stands in the great space of possibility in a posture of openness, with an unfettered imagination for what can be.”

We have the ability to use the power of our imagination to invent and create new worlds of possibility.  Dreams and their ultimate manifestations stem from these new worlds, accessed by anyone at any time.  However, we are more likely to be successful at manifesting our dreams if we remove the chains of limiting beliefs and participate joyfully in the creation process.  There is no magic to this formula for it is based on the law of cause and effect.  Resources that can help us realize our dreams are more likely to come to us in greater abundance when we are optimistic, passionate, joyful, appreciative and generous than if we are pessimistic, impatient, discouraged, fearful and controlling.  It is also much easier to access the power of our imagination when coming from a place of peace and confidence than if we are in an environment that promotes fear and negativity.

As a coach and hypnotherapist, I facilitate and witness healings and manifestations that take place from the power of imagination.  For those who are relaxed and willing to engage their imagination during a hypnotherapy session there is a higher probability  that they will reduce or eliminate their fear, pain, grief, obsessions, cravings, anger or limiting beliefs.

How often do you engage the power of your imagination to help you release limiting beliefs and create new worlds of possibility?

Luminous Transformations

(480) 788-7140

The Wild Woman

There is a wild woman inside every woman.  She is the woman who dances with abandon, free from any constraints.  The wild woman exemplifies passion and courage for she is a force of pure and powerful energy.  Most women have locked away their wild woman usually from a misconception that she is an unacceptable expression of the feminine aspect.  This could not be further from the truth.

When in balance, the wild woman is deeply rooted with the wisdom of the earth.  She connects us with our passions and instills us with creativity and courage.  She is deeply in-tune with her self-healing power. There are many arrays to our feminine nature, and it is essential that we allow the full spectrum and depth of our expression to come forth in balance, without shame or fear.

During a time when our world is in desperate need of transformation on many levels, it is important to unleash our wild woman.  She will guide us, through passion, to the place where we can make the most significant contribution and then fill us with the courage to take action.

If you are having difficulty connecting with passion and life purpose, call forth your wild woman nature.  Be spontaneous, dance with abandon, and laugh aloud until the tears stream down your face.  Then, take a new look at the world with the eyes and heart of the wild woman who will help you connect with passion and purpose.

Luminous Transformations

(602) 697-5820

Love Like a Dog

You know that old saying, “work like a dog,” which means to work very hard?  Well, I think whoever came up with that saying got it all wrong.  I have 2 dogs, and I sure don’t see them work very hard.  On the contrary, I see them play hard, sleep hard, and love hard.  I walk in the door and they both greet me with genuine enthusiasm and affection, tails wagging and tongues lapping out of their mouths anxious to give me kisses—even when I’m gone for only a few minutes!

Animals can teach us valuable lessons, and the best lesson to learn from our dogs is the lesson of unconditional love.  Provided we care for our dogs and don’t abuse them, they will time and time again demonstrate their unconditional love for us.  They don’t place many expectations on their love for us (other than food, shelter and occasional attention) as we tend to place on our love.  Even when we ignore them or push them away because we’re too busy to give them attention, they easily forgive and forget reaching out to us again and again to demonstrate their loyalty and love.

It is said that unconditional love is the greatest, purist and most cherished love we can give and receive. Who doesn't want to be loved unconditionally despite our faults and shortcomings?  Yet, unconditional love can be so difficult at times for us to demonstrate.  The fact is, if we want more unconditional love in our life from others, then we have to demonstrate more unconditional love to others.

Let’s learn this important lesson from our dogs.  Love hard, love often, and love just for the sake of loving—without expectations.  Let’s just love and allow those we love to be who they are, in whatever place they’re stuck, and without judgment.  In other words, let’s love like a dog!

Deborah Perkins

Luminous Transformations
(480) 788-7140

Transformation

There is no doubt that our world is in serious need of transformation in many areas.  In his book, The Return of the Mother, Andrew Harvey points out: “The tragic imbalance of the masculine has brought humankind to the point of disaster, and unless we recover the feminine power of the psyche, the power of intuition, patience, reverence for nature, and knowledge of the holy unity of things, and marry in our depths these powers with the masculine energies of rule, reason, passion for order and control, life on the planet will end.”

Notice that Andrew Harvey does not recommend that we ignore the masculine energies of “rule, reason, passion for order and control”, but instead encourages us to call forth our feminine aspects and marry them with our masculine aspects. This is how he envisions we will achieve balance and transform our personal lives and our world.

When we need to change a circumstance in our life, our bodies will call out to us in the form of emotional or physical pain. If we ignore the call, the pain often intensifies until we can no longer ignore it.

Perhaps our world is calling out to us now, begging us to pay attention and become the facilitators of positive transformation. What aspects of your nature could be more balanced?  What action can you take to transform your life, family, community and world?  Where can you make a difference?

Deborah Perkins
Luminous Transformations
Deborah@LuminousTransformations.com

(602) 697-5820