How Not to Be Miserable in 2016

Dear Friends,

As you may have noticed, over the holidays I shut down most of my social media activities. This was a conscious decision, so I could hear what my Inner Voice is asking of me for 2016.

We all have that voice, but it’s hard to hear what it’s saying amid the drama and expectations of our daily lives, and especially during the non-stop marathon that is the holidays.

This voice wants to guide us to live as our True Self, which is the most satisfying—and often adventurous—life we can live.

It will challenge us to look at those parts of ourselves we’d rather not see, so we can love and heal them.

It will nudge us out of our comfort zones, because that’s where the growth will happen that will take us where we most want to go.

It will respond to our highest intentions by testing us to see if we’re serious about pursuing them. Are we willing to let go of who we thought we were to become who we really are?

It will send us synchronicities to guide us on our path. And it will watch carefully to see if we receive these with gratitude or if we brush them off as meaningless coincidences.

It will send us new opportunities to see if we say “yes” this time.

It will send us experiences we DON’T want, to help us get clear on what we DO want.

It will come to us in dreams, and by way of songs, or books that jump out at us, or a phrase we randomly read on a wall somewhere, or something a friend says, or a tiny thought that whispers in our mind when we first open our eyes in the morning.

Always it is calling to us: Rise up! Rise up! Awaken! Live as your True Self while you still have time! Uncover the aliveness and joy that wants to be expressed through you!

Is this the year you will listen?

Is this the year you will find the courage to uncover and ask for and experience what you really want–but are afraid to want?

Only you can decide.

Once you decide, get ready to go on the ride of a lifetime.

 

My Ride

I have been on this ride for 25 years now.

It has led me to study leaders and awakened world changers from the inside out, both as a journalist and as an avid researcher.

It has led me to work in the townships of South Africa, to travel alone through Asia for 7 months interviewing everyone from monks to drug tourists about happiness (and to write a book about it), to start a children’s charity and build schools and toilets for the poorest of the poor, to an experiment called “the year of giving myself away” where I gave up all my goals, lived on almost no money and spent one year simply volunteering for organizations that supported seniors, the homeless and community food organizations.

It has led me into multiple 10-day meditation retreats where I learned to sit with discomfort and dissatisfaction until it transformed into wisdom and healing.

It has led me to read hundreds of books: the autobiographies of awakened masters to basic human psychology to quantum physics and astronomy—how the world was formed, how we were formed, and how can we make our lives work?

It has led me on a journey from experiencing the world as a rebellious teenage novelist, to a suit-wearing legal secretary, to a workaholic business journalist and national magazine editor, to a curriculum-creating college teacher, to a travelling corporate facilitator, to a brand storytelling consultant, to a purpose coach, to an intuitive guide and medium.

It has been one hell of a ride, let me tell ya.

Not one of those shifts was planned. Every one of them was the result of my Inner Voice telling me what I needed to do next, followed by me freaking out and resisting, followed by me inching toward it, then finally stepping fully into it.

Each of those shifts required letting go of who I thought I was, so I could become who I was going to be next. This often meant letting go of people and things that didn’t fit me energetically anymore, and that was the hardest part. Because it wasn’t so much that I chose to let them go; they just fell away.

And each of those shifts were equal parts terrifying and joyful, as I stepped up to that next level of being and realized I could do it…I was doing it. And, with practice, I was good at it and even enjoyed it!

 

It’s important to understand that we are all equals on this path, shining our unique light into this world.

Where we differ is: How much have we cleaned and polished the glass through which that light can shine through? The secret to a life of aliveness and joy and powerfully sharing our gifts is to keep cleaning and polishing.

 

Every year I keep cleaning and polishing—wiping away all that I am not, so that more of what I AM can shine through.

And because of that every year of my life has improved for the past 15 years.

I’m 45 years old, and I already know this is going to be the best year of my life so far. How do I know that?

Because I’ve learned that what I choose to believe shapes my experiences. So why the hell wouldn’t I choose to believe in good things for myself, right?

Ya dig?

This year I will be reaching out to work with healers who hold space at a powerful level, to help me heal any remaining egoic beliefs/traumas and to deepen my own abilities, such as  “validation”—which is the name given to examples of proof that come through from our True/Higher Self, to let a client know they can trust in a reading you are delivering for them.

As my ongoing clients will attest, I’m already quite good at this, but I will never stop polishing this glass, so that the light can shine through ever more powerfully and accurately. Accuracy and results are my obsession.

My highest intention for my life is to reconnect as many people as possible with their True Selves, so they can be guided from the inside…and so they no longer need someone like me to help them connect to that.

Yes. I am most effective at my job when you don’t need me anymore!

Of course, I’m also going to keep writing that novel I started in November as part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

And I’m going to begin stepping back out into the world as a speaker and facilitator, listening to my Inner Voice for opportunities to help people reconnect with themselves. Right now I’m exploring some possibilities with a good friend who works with homeless youth, because that is something close to my heart.

And who knows what else my Inner Voice will whisper in my ear? That’s a big part of the adventure!

 

What Do You Want To Express in 2016? Here’s a Quick & Easy Exercise

Every single one of us wants to be special.

We want to Do something special. ADD something special to this world.

What we all miss, is that we ARE something special.

Just by existing, we are DOING something special and ADDING something special to this world.

We are an expression of the Great Mystery—Life itself. The filter through which we express that in the world is one of a kind.

At least it is…once we stop copying everybody else!

So we all need to take time to stop trying to BE special, to compete with ourselves and each other,

And just BE.

Sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and just BE.

Forget, for a moment, about who the world wants or needs you to be.

Forget about who you thought you needed to be, or whoever you’ve been until now.

And ask yourself:

What would I most like to do in 2016?

And what do I want to express in this world in 2016?

And what small steps will I take right now to move in that direction?

Then write write write until there are no more words left in you to write.

 

FREE 2016 Planner That Will Make You Feel Excited About Your Life

After you do that, download this totally FREE and life-changing planner called Year Compass. It was created by a bunch of very evolved and kindhearted Hungarians who just want to help you experience your greatest year ever. You don’t need to sign up for a mailing list or any such thing. You just download it, print it off and use it.

I did it last week and it gave me absolute clarity on what I was learning in 2015 and left me feeling a lot happier about some of the things I’d been struggling with. It also made me feel super excited about 2016. It is worth its weight in gold, yet it is completely FREE. So go…download and print this thing. It’s a booklet!

 

One last thing: I love you guys. Thank you for going on this journey with me. It wouldn’t be as much fun without you to share it with.

 

Rise up and shine as your True Self,

Shawn xo

 

P. S. I’d love to read your thoughts or questions about this or any other post in the comments below or on my Facebook page.