Living with Uncertainty

Written by Barbara Huson

Transitions are a bitch. And so many in my community are in the midst of one right now. As I listen to their frustration and confusion, I’m reminded of a cartoon:

A frog is leaping from one lily pad to another with a look of sheer terror as he realizes he’s about to miss his target. The caption read: ‘Just when you think you’ve made ends meet, someone moves an end.

That’s exactly how it feels to be in transition—whether it’s a conscious choice (like taking a sabbatical) or an unwelcomed disruption (like being laid off). You’re poised mid-air between the old and the new, wondering “what do I do now?’

I remember my first big transition, back in the 80’s, when I moved from the Midwest to San Francisco…a dream come true. But as soon as I settled in, I felt untethered, disoriented, anxious. This wasn’t what I expected.

Thankfully, I discovered the book Transitions: Making sense of Life’s Changes by Bill Bridges. It was a godsend!

The Gospel of Rumi

Written by Barbara Huson

Yoga class began with the teacher saying, “Hold out your hands to receive something you truly desire.”

As we extended our hands, palms up, he softly quoted Rumi: ‘What you seek is seeking you.”

I, with arms outstretched, stood transfixed.

What if that were true? What if my desire is heading towards me like a heat seeking missile?)? What if (gasp!) I no longer needed to struggle?

It felt farfetched, but during Downward Dog, I made a decision. I’m taking Rumi’s words as gospel truth.

As I sank into Child’s Pose, I remembered a poster that once hung in my office with a quote from Richard Bach: “You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true.” Then, in tiny letters: “You may have to work for it, however.”

My Only Prayer…

Written by Barbara Huson

I intended to write on a completely different topic. But as my hands hit the keys, I heard a voice in my head whisper: “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you…that will be enough.”

I felt that Meister Eckhart was sending me a message (and maybe you too) which I imagined went like this: “Appreciate the abundance you have….and those who’ve made it possible. That alone will change your life.”

So today, in the spirit of Thanksgiving and a 13th century mystic, I’m taking this opportunity to say Thank You…

Finding Peace in the Midst of Pain

Written by Barbara Huson

Years ago, during a devastating crisis, I saw a quote that struck a nerve: “Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.”

I felt the deep wisdom in those words. Yet I couldn’t figure out how to apply them to my life. Here I was, facing a crushing divorce from a compulsive liar, a million-dollar tax bill I couldn’t pay, and my parents refusing to help. Left alone to raise 3 young daughters, I was terrified.

Since that time, I’ve often wondered—Is it really possible to find peace in the midst of pain? The answer escaped me…

Until this week…when Katie Adler, a member of my online community, shared an article about Wabi Sabi.

Wabi Sabi, an ancient Japanese philosophy, is all about finding peace and beauty in imperfection. And it offers a simple but practical formula for experiencing pain without suffering:

“Accept what is, stay in the present moment, and appreciate the simple, transient stages of life.”

The 3 Questions—For Anyone Facing a Perplexing Challenge

Written by Barbara Huson

Recently, I stumbled on an unfamiliar book title, A Course of Love. It got my attention since it’s billed as a sequel to A Course in Miracles.

I was intrigued enough to click a link that promised to send me a chapter.

I haven’t read the book, so I can’t offer my opinion on the entire manuscript. But the chapter they sent had me sit up and take notice.

In the chapter were 3 questions that were so profound, I wanted to share them with you, especially if you’re facing a perplexing challenge.

These questions could be asked in situations as commonplace as balancing the checkbook, the chapter explained, or as momentous as a doctor’s diagnosis of a disease.

In other words, ask yourself these questions anytime you’re overwhelmed, anxious, confused, or even mildly puzzled.

The Myth of “More”

Written by Barbara Huson

I have always found myself yearning for more…more money, more success, more sales, more ______ (fill in the blank).

I proudly considered this constant yearning a healthy sign of a robust ambition. Until I began studying neuroscience and realized how truly unhealthy this kind of thinking actually is.

Here’s why. We literally sculpt our brain by what we dwell on. The more we think a thought or feel an emotion, the stronger that neuropathway becomes in our brain.

By constantly hungering for more, I was inadvertently telling my brain “I don’t have enough.”

The more I repeated that thought, the stronger the “not enough” neuropathway grew, until I’d unconsciously do things that kept reinforcing my experience of ‘not enough.’

Shifting from Financial Misery to Financial Miracles in 3 Steps

Written by Barbara Huson

I spent much of my adult life in financial turmoil. Even as I learned more about money, I still felt out of control. Then everything changed.

The answer didn’t come from a financial text, but a spiritual one, A Course in Miracles.

From the Course I learned that we have “two thought systems” or two distinct “voices” in our head:

The voice of Fear (the Ego).
And the voice of Love (the Soul).

The Soul and the Ego have conflicting agendas. Thus, they produce dramatically different results–either miracles or misery.

“You cannot follow two masters,” the Course warns. “There is no compromise between the two.”

What’s Your Legacy? Don’t Wait Till It’s Too Late to Think About It.

Written by Barbara Huson

When I was in my 20’s, I saw a poster that read “Will it matter that I was?” Those words got me thinking about the legacy I wanted to leave, an inquiry that’s still ongoing to this day.

Every one of us leaves a legacy, but surprisingly few reflect on what they want theirs to be. Yet, it’s an important point for us all to ponder.

I once stumbled on a very touching blog written by a hospice physician. She saw how many of her patients were “deeply disturbed” because they hadn’t “contributed anything significant to life.”

“The message I have taken away from these patients,” she wrote, “is that it is far better to contemplate the meaning of life when we actually have some time left to work on the question.”

How Strategic Are You?

Written by Barbara Huson

When I wrote Secrets of Six-figure Women, I learned how important Strategic Thinking was to their success. Yet it’s not something many women are inclined to engage in. I certainly didn’t.

Strategic thinking means keeping one eye on your higher purpose without taking the other off the bottom line.

Men seem much savvier at strategic thinking. Women, in their eagerness to give back to their community or give birth to their dreams, often neglect this critical step.

To think strategically, you must constantly link your Big Vision to the costs of doing business, connect your mission statement to the profit/loss statement.

It’s Time to Toughen Up!

Written by Barbara Huson

Want to know the big secret to financial success? I got it straight from the mouths of women who make six and seven figures.

If you want to play a bigger game, you’ve got to toughen up!

Toughening up means disconnecting from your Inner Pleaser and growing thicker skin.

By nature, we women want everyone to be happy with us. Successful women are no different. Almost all I interviewed confessed to a “little girl inside me who wants to be liked.”

However, success requires us to make difficult, even painful, decisions that often have negative consequences for other people.

In fact, virtually all the women I interviewed told me that their biggest regret was not making tough decisions sooner.

Spirituality

Living with Uncertainty

The Gospel of Rumi

My Only Prayer…

Finding Peace in the Midst of Pain

The 3 Questions—For Anyone Facing a Perplexing Challenge

The Myth of “More”

Shifting from Financial Misery to Financial Miracles in 3 Steps

What’s Your Legacy? Don’t Wait Till It’s Too Late to Think About It.

How Strategic Are You?

It’s Time to Toughen Up!

If you want to play a bigger game, you’ve got to toughen up!

Meet Barbara Huson

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