Hey there,
Good morning and happy Sunday to you!

When my mom passed away five years ago my sisters and I began a tradition of renting a house at the beach and hanging out together for the weekend. We spend a lot of the time celebrating our Mom and telling our favorite “Mom stories” as well as getting caught up on each other’s lives.

To say the least it’s a blessed, wonderful weekend every year and this was that weekend so I’m incredibly grateful for my weekend with my sisters.

How about you? What are you grateful for as you read this? What is happening in your life right now that truly deserves to be honored and celebrated as a blessing?

… Cool.

THE HARDEST PART ABOUT THESE NEWSLETTERS

Some weeks I know exactly what I want to talk about in these newsletters so come Sunday it just pours out of me.

And some weeks I have no idea so as Sunday approaches it becomes really difficult to write anything because I have no idea what to share.

That’s the hardest part.

And this was one of those weekends.

What I usually do when this happens is just wait because something always comes. And sure enough it came yesterday after I walked the beach with one of my sisters.

She is going through a tremendous amount of change and upheaval and of course that can be very scary. Even overwhelming. And understandably because everything she thought she could count on is collapsing around her.

To say the least, she has lots of fears about “what next” in her life (maybe you can relate?).

So on the heels of last week’s newsletter topic of “trust and surrender” I was given a wonderful gift/opportunity to share some of the beautiful feedback from all of you about what I believe to be the absolute key to living a happy, fulfilled life (by the way, I hope my cartoon didn’t offend you with it’s religious tone. I didn’t share it for that reason but instead because I believed it had a very powerful teaching for us all. Again, thank you Libby for that!).

Well it clearly helped because by the time we walked back to our beach house it was as if she was a completely different woman.

Then my phone rang. It was one of our new students (two weeks in) calling to say how much she was loving the class so far and “not so much because of the acting lessons was but because of the life lessons.”
She proceeded to tell me how much fear she had around taking these classes and that she actually wanted to study with me five years ago but could never find the courage to reach out and schedule the interview.
I asked what had changed for her and she said, “All my life I have lived my life for other people. I have done what they wanted me to do or what they thought I should or ought to do. Six months ago my sister was diagnosed with cancer. She was given a year to live. She died three months later. The day she died I vowed to never waste another day of my life nor live another day in fear. I called you that very day and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself and my only regret is that it took this long to find the courage to actually live my life instead of crawling through it.”

“To live my life instead of crawling through it.”

Trust and surrender.

HOW ARE YOUR DREAMS DOING?

Have you noticed that this precious life is going faster and faster these days?

Have you noticed that everyone just wants to be happy and most people aren’t?

I have. I’ve noticed most people don’t love their lives or even life.

How are you doing these days? I realize no one is happy and thrilled and grateful all the time but would you say that you are mostly loving your life these days in spite of your obstacles, challenges, and fears?
Are you mostly grateful or mostly focused on what life isn’t? Are you mostly healthy or mostly unhealthy? Are you mostly kind and loving or mostly impatient and edgy?

THE ZOMBIES AREN’T COMING –THEY’RE ALREADY HERE

Recently I was walking down a fairly crowded street in a very good mood. As I smiled and tried to say “Hi” or at least acknowledge that another human being like me was approaching me I was thunderstruck how no one would even look at me (this is a verrrrrry safe, nice neighborhood by the way so no excuses).

No “Hello” back.
No Nod.
No nothing.
Just head down.
Walled off.
Zero aloha.
ZEEEERRRO.

And I believe it’s because most people are truly not happy with their lives. Most are consumed by fear and more fear and debt and doubt and should’s and ought-to’s.

Most are uptight/wound tight, closed off souls who are very lonely and very scared.

I get it.
I can go there, too.
But man, I want to be happy!

And I am committed to being happy and only doing things (when at all possible) that make me happy. And when I’m doing things that aren’t so much fun to find the fun and joy and gifts in that.

So that’s the day I’m going to create today and I hope you do as well.

And if you’re going through a lot of upheaval in your life right now please know that it not only will pass but someday soon you’ll be better for it.

You always have been and you always will.
Always.
So please go live your life instead of crawling through it.

And thank you for taking the time to read this. As always I’m sending you my very best.
Always,
Jim