Yesterday during a life coaching session, my client, let’s just call him Max, was worrying about the effect that the economy was having on his business. Max was in the building business.

There was no question that some of his clients were delaying the beginning of their projects. Max was freaking out and thinking about moving out of his nice house into his trailer. In fact thoughts about leaving the area entered his mind.

Later in the session, Max said that this thought was only fleeting and he was determined to ride it out and make it work now. In his mind he wanted a backup plan.

But how do you ride it out? Aren’t you then thinking about the future when you believe things will be different, rather than staying in the present?

That’s the catch-22 question. Yes we have to be hopeful about tomorrow yet not attached to it turning around instantly. Yes perhaps we would like it too, but it doesn’t work that way. It’s only when we make peace with our current reality, that our current reality will change.

Why is this so? Because the moment when we make peace with it, is the moment when we are totally in the now. It’s that moment when our mind stops racing ahead. It’s that moment when we experience that stillness. We all have our ways of getting there. What’s important is to take the time to get there. For me, meditation has been that way.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

Another beautiful day. It’s the middle of November and it’s 77 degrees this morning. The fall colors are becoming more vivid and the leaves are falling.

I love animals. There are lots of squirrels and birds on our property. We haven’t got another dog since Daria. So there’s a void in my life.

Two stray cats are beginning to frequent our property more often. The white cat, Snowie, is more aloof and mysterious.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

And the striped cat that I call Tiger comes around and is more of a lover. We have formed quite a bond.

In fact a few times he got into our house and went upstairs into our bedroom. I haven’t seen him yet today. We’ll see if he shows up. But he is definitely filling the void. Daria kept the cats away.

We all fill the void in different ways. The void might have been created by a change in careers or a relationship not working out. It doesn’t matter why…what matters is that you are open to what’s next.

It’s an exciting time….that’s what I keep saying to friends who I come in contact with and they agree. When I say it there’s part of me that hesitates. Yes there’s a lot of uncertainty, but we live in a historic time.

There’s more fear out there than since 911. The financial system is on the verge of collapse. And in some ways it feels as if we are on the verge of a renaissance.

That’s what I’m visualizing…a renaissance for ourselves, and for the world where we work together as one.

Yes it starts with the economy…but that wholeness also has the world working together as one.

I felt good all weekend. Nothing happened in the world of consequence. Yet I felt good inside. I continue to do the inner work.

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

Early coffee shop chatter. There’s still some talk of the election but there’s definitely a lull. All of a sudden I feel like I have a lot more time to focus on something new. The question is what is the new. My sports teams aren’t doing that well so I have lost interest in that too. I don’t start working with coaching clients until the afternoon.

Working out is a good start…getting my mind and body in better shape. The days are getting shorter and usually that’s a time for going inward.

That’s what I did this morning before the coffee shop. A long meditation to begin the day. And then wondering about the highlight of my day. I have written about this on previous occasions. As you are reading this blog, ask yourself a question. If it’s the morning, ask yourself what the highlight of your day might be.

If it’s in the evening, ask yourself what the highlight of the day has been. You might also want to ask yourself how did today contribute to your being a better person. By making this inquiry as you begin the day and before bedtime allows you to keep your focus on just today. Afterall, isn’t that what life is….a series of today’s…a series of now’s.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

We are so adaptable. For the last few months I was obsessed with the election. A few times a day I must have gone to five different sites to catch the latest polls. Now it’s over.

I am in between…there’s nothing right now that has caught my fancy. I’m also a big sports fan. What’s interesting is that the most popular political site, Fivethirtyeight.com is run by Nate Silver, who used to have a sports website for sports betting. In Fivethirtyeight, Nate transferred his expertise developed in the sports world to the political world. His predictions about the ultimate outcome were quite canny.

Right now my teams aren’t doing that good. So what’s a guy like me going to do? I guess be quiet and go inward before the next big phase.

And that what’s I have been doing for many years and that’s what helps me get through the changes that occur in day-to-day living. We can’t avoid them. We have to be flexible.

It takes making a choice on your part to live consciously. It takes making a commitment to make that choice a way of being. It’s a choice that you make over and over again. Choosing to start your day with meditation. It will set the tone for the day.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

You have a dream and then you begin to live it. You have hope and what you believe needs to happen, happens. Now here we are. The monkey is off our back….the anticipation is over. WE are back to now.

That’s where we always are. There is only one “now” at a time. I don’t know anyone who isn’t excited about the future with the election of Obama. But what do we do in the meantime because have to live in a world of today’s.

I don’t mean “have to” like we have no choice. It’s what we choose on a daily basis. We get to choose what we think about and focus on. Here’s a suggestion that I make to all of my coaching clients, whether it’s life coaching or executive or business coaching. It doesn’t matter what it is….It’s the same suggestion to everyone I know. After you take time in the morning for creative silence or meditation ask yourself a question.

This is what I do. I “wonder” what the highlight of my day will be. By definition, there’s always going to be a high point. It could be a brief moment, an insight, a smile or a purring of a cat. When you’re open to it, it will come. Be curious as to what it is. Sometimes I suggest that you keep a journal and after a month reflect back on those daily moments.

Why not start now. Believe again. Believe in what’s possible..in your own life and in the world. Do you see a renaissance coming?

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

I remember when I heard his speech at the Democratic convention in 2004, the Audacity of Hope. At that time with the current administration, things looked bleak. And they got worse, yet as I wrote in Octobers newsletter, A Voice for Optimism, I continued to believe. I didn’t give up hope.

For the week before the election, I thought of nothing else. I even went to see W, Oliver Stones portrayal of our current president. If you wonder how we got into this mess, go see it.

On Monday night, I watched Obama’s last pre-election speech in Virginia. I was so inspired.i couldn’t believe that he could be our next President. I was ready to let go, but contained myself because of the past disappointments in the last two elections. It wasn’t until the networks declared that Obama won Pennsylvania that I allowed myself to let go. I knew it was going to happen.

It was a historic moment. One way to look at it is that we have hope again.

Another way to look at it, is that we always have to have hope. No matter what the circumstances, we can’t give up. That’s what keeps us looking forward.

The dance is how to balance our hope for a better world from lessening our experience of the moment.

As to the inner work, nothing changes. We have to be consistent because there’s no permanent cure. It’s not as if you arrive at a place and stop. It’s all prevention. It’s an ongoing process.

And yes, there is no question that we took a big step forward. But the work continues.

I am hopeful that Obama will a transformational leader. I want to leave you with one thought. Without all of the events of the last eight years we would not have gotten him. The darkness paved the way for the light to enter. And that’s the way our lives are. Without all of the events and the circumstances that have occurred in our lives, we wouldn’t be in the place we are today.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

Whether it’s life coaching or business coaching, I have noticed that with some people that I work with, their changes are dramatic. They’re not the same person they were when we began our work together.

They have more self-confidence and are excited about the future, but in the back of their mind, they still remember where they came from and how in the past when things started to go well, they sabotaged themselves. Things fell apart and they are now waiting for that to happen again.

It doesn’t have to happen. Once we go through the gate to a new way of thinking, we’ll never go back. That’s what happens when we are on a spiritual path…we are awake and aware of things that previously we were not conscious of.

We can’t go backwards. It’s too late, which is a good thing. I remember when I first began this path of awakening there were times when I wish things were not so clear. I had to take responsibility for my life and could no longer blame others or circumstances, like my parents or what happened as a child.

I remember some people would say, “Ignorance is Bliss.” Once you know the truth you realize that “Ignorance is just Ignorance.” There’s no reason to try to glorify it.

The good news is that as you go forward from here, you’ll have more choices and possibilities to live a more fulfilling and successful life. You won’t go backwards even if you wanted to. On some level you are forever changed.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational and motivational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com.em>

What do you do to get going in the morning? Today I did what I like to do…started with my morning program. Meditation…yoga and a little tea afterwards…but I still feel like my energy is dragging. So how to get out of it. More caffeine is one way….but it depletes the rest of me and I feel jittery the rest of the day.

Getting stimulated naturally is another way. Moving usually seems to work…whether its exercising or dancing or walking around in the brisk air. Make sure you get that cardio in.

I have been creative lately with creating more movement in my life. If I need to drive to town I’ll park a few blocks away so I’ll get in a little exercise…or if I’m really up to it I’ll ride my bike….It’s a beautiful day for that. There’s one more thing that usually works…some uptempo music…..

There always is a time of the day when you are dragging….how you get out of it can make a big difference in the quality of your life and in your level of wellness.

By staying energized there is an extra benefit…it’s the best thing you can do to reduce stress.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow,JD, is an Executive and Life Coach, who inspires others to believe in themselves. A former successful trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. Signup! http://www.inspirepossibility.com

Fortunately you don’t have to do it alone. What makes the journey exciting and fulfilling are the people you meet along the way. It might be years later when you realize the significance of a particular meeting. Even though someone might have changed your thinking about how you see the world, you might not even remember their name or what they looked like. I remember such a meeting.

When I was in my twenties, there was a café in Sausalito that I frequented, which we called the “No Name.” It had an intellectual “air” about it that was different than most cafes and bars. It was not uncommon to see many of the regulars smoking a pipe and quoting Alan Watts, the famous philosopher and author of that era, who lived in one of the house boats.

Quite often, when you walked into the café, you would notice several people engrossed in a game of chess. On many occasions I was one of them.

One day a stranger whose name I never got, so let’s just call him Mr. X, engaged me in conversation and said to me: “It’s all energy.” At the time I didn’t know what he was talking about, but for many years I kept thinking about that meeting and the significance of what he said.

In today’s culture think of the number of books that refer to the concept of energy. Most prosperity books integrate this teaching into their message. It goes like this. “thoughts are things…which are a cluster of cells coming together. Cells are electrons and protons vibrating at different speeds which attract to them a similar vibration…of a similar thought. Many of these concepts, which I first became aware many years ago, have become integrated into the language of mainstream society.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow,JD, is an Executive and Life Coach, who inspires others to believe in themselves. A former successful trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. Signup! http://www.inspirepossibility.com