30 years of life....only 10 things learned?!?

A great mentor told me (words through a trusted friend) told me recently within the past few months to write down the 10 things I've learned so far in my 30 years of life. Boy, talk about something that I had issues with writing down!

---

If you know me well enough (and if you don't just find some of my friends, they'll tell you), it was crazy difficult to write only 10 Things down. Then when I decided on what they were, finding the right words to say and putting those words down on paper, digitally, and sticking to them? Geesh.

It took a while (longer than expected), but I finally wrote them down. I'd like to share them one at a time, not all in a row so maybe they will simmer a bit in your mind how I view things (which is different than the norm, believe me).

Beginning February 8th, I'll share my first lesson I've learned, also explaining my reasoning behind the meaning of the Lesson. It seems when you have words put down on a page, whether physically or digitally, the meaning becomes clearer (or at least the person's view of it). Hopefully by going into some detail why I put it on my list will give me more meaning.

...or not. That's the pill you'll have to take. All of our perceptions of how someone types/blogs/texts are different - hence the beauty of Facebook, emails, setting up a time with me to chat or a coaching session to delve more into issues...it's all about the relationships we have with people making it through this thing we call "Life" around here.

Stay safe and warm, have a cup of coffee on me, and make it great today.

(in the meanwhile, create your own lists of lessons - I would love to read your thoughts, comments, etc!)

Being still in the Eye of the Egoic Storm

When you find yourself among the storm of emotion, an on-going battle of people's egos desperately trying to win, know that being still in the eye of that storm is possible.

---

I sometimes find myself in the midst of people's ego trips, and I have to say they amuse me. They used to get me caught up into the storm, and at times I get tempted to join the current of the ego-battle.

Keeping a mindful breath in-and-out pattern is effective when having to deal with people that come into a discussion aiming to win. You see, the ego desperately wants to win, never wants to die away to let the other 'players' on the field have a moment. It takes an unconditional/loving mindset to let go and let the storm rage on while not getting caught up in it (if you through ego-driven fuel to the fire you simply feed the beast of the storm to rage on).

The people that are driven by their ego will continue to push to 'win' the argument until they realize you are not going to contribute to the conversation until all is calm. They might continue to let off steam, but it is not them; it's their ego trying to get you involved in the egoic storm.

Once the storm passes, all that is left are two people having a conversation, and with no ego driving the conversation you can have a successful discussion.

If you would like meditation tips, breathing techniques that help keep a mindful approach when the storm surges around you, please feel free to contact me (brandon@alignyourjourney.com)

Divine Synchronicity

Definition by Merriam-Webster:

-- The coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality —used especially in the psychology of C. G. Jung

---

Are the connections that occur in our day to day adventures something simply 'coincidental' or are they something more?

If you don't know me personally, let me say proudly: I believe Syncronicity is the Divine knocking on our physical door, letting us know we are connected way much more than we think.

My journal is jam-packed with multiple occurrences of syncronicity, and I'm very glad the Divine chooses to show me the way on a day-to-day basis. I'm not boasting that I have X-amount of signs more than you, because there was a time I didn't believe in the way of those happenings being more than simply coincidental.

To have Divine Syncronicities come to you is actually very simple, yet the hardest to accept: that they exist. If you choose not to have the magical happenings really tickle your metaphysical fancy, then they will not be there in your awareness. They still exist, but not to your perception of Life. If you choose to see the Divine in everyday things (nature, people, places, symbols, music, words, etc), make that intention.

I had to choose a certain way that I receive Divine Syncronicity, and it was tough to whittle it down (because at heart I'm very ooo-shiny in my endeavors, simply ask my wife).

• Choose a goal in which you desire success in
• Set a positive intention (with future-based language) how to be shown signs along the way
• Be aware of the Divine Syncronicities that will appear
• Journal them when they happen (time, place, what specifically, etc)
• Be Patient and Trust the Process

I emphasize "Trust the Process" step because sometimes the signs don't show up right away...hence the Patience Key. We live in a world of Instant, but at times we must learn the lesson the Divine is trying to convey is given to us one step at a time. If you try to rush and take the shortcut you might get to the goal faster, but the Journey will not be as memorable and bless-filled as you desire, causing a sense of being done but also unfulfilled.

Make it a great day :)

Awareness of Your True Reflection

We sometimes need to remember what we are currently experiencing in life is what we're currently putting out in the Universe before us. What is life: our perceptions in the current moment currently receiving to our minds as "life", or is it something more?

---

There are times that I find myself staring at the mirror or a reflective surface simply looking at myself. My gaze sometimes wavers and takes in my surroundings, whether it being the simple background of my bathroom or the outdoor trees and what mother nature has to offer with wildlife.

Have you ever taken the time to stare into a mirror and simply let that moment be? Not for the sake of a task: fussing with your hair, brushing your teeth, or even the times of putting yourself down because you think there is something "wrong" with you (hair is too long, too many blemishes, why are my teeth not as white as they are?, blah, blah, blah....

Have you ever thought that your "faults" you put on yourself is perhaps you deciding that they are "faults"? Yes, we may be swayed by pop culture out there that says we are not good enough without (insert random product that apparently makes you a better person). We are the ones deciding what is important to us or not...what is your definition of being Enough?

Look at yourself in the reflection and think that maybe all of what life is is this moment you're looking in the mirror. Is anything else happening right now in your life rather than this moment you're aware of?

...or is there more to it than that?

Take at least 5 minutes to stare into a reflective surface and really take in your surroundings. What do you see? Feel? Hear? Taste? Touch? Take in all senses and after taking the moment to really Reflect on yourself, write down what your experience was like. There really is no wrong thing to be reflecting on, because what you are is currently important to you in some way.

Share on the Align page if you're daring enough to :)

Reason for the Season

I absolutely love this time of year for multiple reasons: family, friends, time together, gifts, appreciating what you have, etc. There is a bigger reason for the season (for me), and I sometimes have to be reminded by those that are more intelligent than I am :)

---

The simple yet profound reason for my season is the realization that a great divine gift was given around this time, and also to become aware that even though our loved ones are not physically here they are here in Spirit. When family/loved ones gather and have a celebration together I believe those that have moved on have a chance to stop by and see what is going on. They can almost be felt by others within the group (if they are awakened and aware enough to feel it).

Being aware of that fact gives me the biggest joy to the world that I am living in (sure, pun intended). I know when we celebrate the coming of 2016 it will only become more comlpex, fun, loving and exciting knowing we are supported by our loved ones in physical and spiritual form.

Be the Light

Become the Light that you are meant to be.

Sometimes it is difficult to be the light when dark things, thoughts, and emotions are around. The people that are continually "seeing the silver lining" can easily upset and aggravate those that are stuck in the bottom 3 (yup, mentioned it again, will post about it soon).

The feeling of being the Light I can only describe as this:

Being fully in the Moment, unattached to emotions and egoic form of wants/needs, and fully being there for others when they need you to be there.

Being in a full-service-loving-mode I suppose is another way to view it.

When you are unconditionally there for others, unassuming, not wanting anything in return, you can begin to feel your Love-Light grow. It will affect others, and people will seem to want to be around you simply because they feel better when they do.

It's because you are fully accepting who you are, where you've been, the lessons you've learned, taking all of the good, bad and ugly and knowing those moments were simply moments that passed, and letting all of those materialistic things move through you. You are not attached to them anymore because they do not serve you.

If you feel that you are fully letting that light grow within you and feel at times it is being taken from you, I can help show you techniques that I've learned that has made it easier for me to still be the Light among those that are only seeing the gray (bottom 3). There is nothing wrong with those that are the Bottom 3, they just need to learn and evolve in mind/body/voice in their own time and understanding.

Have a great Christmas holiday with friends, family and loved ones that are here in physical or spiritual form.

Death of the old Self

Death of the old self is a good thing, although it is very scary to experience.

---

Usually our evolution of new ideas, thoughts, patters begin to question our foundation where we came from. Our tribe's (family) ideals, ways and traditions might flood our thoughts, causing us extreme anxiety/depression.

The thing is we grow into new things, new experiences, and ways of thinking if we are open to it. I had to really ask myself what I wanted to become and how I would get there.

Family is truly important to me, and I would not be where I'm at now in my life if not for the great teachings I learned from my family.

---

When you are experiencing the death (or the events leading up to it) of the old self you feel extremely lost, confused, and most likely frustrated to the point of aggression. The ego loves got us to hold onto old habits, traditions, and doesn't want us to evolve into Love for ourselves and others. It tries to hold us back, keep us safe, and most people stay there (more about that in the "Stuck in the Bottom 3" post).

If you are enjoying new ways of thought, new philosophies and new ways of being, here is the advice I was given. If their aim, approach, and process is Love, then go for it. Even though our foundational tribe (family) might try to have us stay in our old self it is within our power to either keep serving where we came from entirely, or choosing to use the foundation as the foundation and look towards building into our true self, growing and leaning to how best we can serve our world.

Spirit Animal Totems...wait, what?

As a holistic coach I make it a point to study and read about various beliefs, activities, perspectives on issues, etc - I really like learning new things everyday.

Lately (within the few last months or so) I've studied and learned about Animal Guides/Totems. At first I didn't know how to approach this topic, since I had no information going into guides or totems. I always enjoyed animals and the characteristics of them, sometimes mirroring qualities within others. I even remember from time to time when I played (and still do sometimes) the game of "ok, if you were an animal what would you be and why?".

I think it all starts from that. Wondering what animal has qualities similar to you, or qualities that are uncannily appearing due to certain circumstances at your Now-given moment.

To each their own, but I enjoy reading up about animal spirit guides. It takes us back to native american studies, shamanic studies, and other areas that are very much spiritiual/religious in nature. Nature can teach us a lot about ourselves if we are open to the possible magical experience nature and animals can give us.

I am going to share what I have learned and what I believe within animal guides. If you don't feel it's something you jive with, simply don't read on. If you want to just learn about something different and new, please continue

All of us have energy centers throughout our bodies, what I call the chakric centers (Chakras). They all have corresponding colors and representations along with each center. I've read lately about animal guides being associciate with each energy center, that you have one main guide, multiple guides, etc. It can be a bit overwhelming at times. I'm simply going to have this introductory post about animal totems coming into your life (and will have multiple posts in the future sharing what I've found/read/meditated on my journey to help you on yours).

A huge resource that I came across is Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews. It's a really nice and big collection of animal guides, what they symbolize, and how to become aware of their guidance. I've also done the very typical "asking the google gods" for help, and great friends who work with animal guides as their journey.

Find a quiet space this week every day for 5 minutes and simply breathe. If thoughts bombard your mind, feel that feeling, and move through the thoughts: come back to the breath. Sometimes I listen to my heartbeat to keep the tempo of breathing in and out. Set an intention of wanting to become aware of your animal guide. If you don't get a smack-dab-answer-in-your-face awesome moment, that's ok. The process is a long one. I can confidently say I haven't finished my journey (and the fun thing is we never do...we simply enjoy each step everyday). If you begin throughout your week to see a certain animal, jot it down. A journal is a great tool to keep all of your thoughts on paper so you don't get caught up in trying to keep it all in your head.

I will continue to post about animal guides, and post mp3's of meditation music (guided by myself or others) that help me. If you want more information about animal guides, I would be glad to chat about what I know and who I know to help you on your Journey.

~Use your guides to learn more about yourself~

Peeking In

For some reason I feel moved to share a bit about myself and my journey.

Some people think that I always eat healthy, never give into food-temptation, workout religiously, etc.

It wasn't always like that and even today I still struggle.

Long ago food was my escape, and I felt comfort in it. Growing up in a town where they boast about being the Ice Cream Capital of the World didn't help things, either. The normal pressure of growing up, fitting in, and doing well in school were other times where I opted for the comfort of food to make me feel better.

...looking back now at where I've been and what fuel I decided to opt into gives me a great way of looking at how I am now. You see, the struggle was there, and sometimes it still is here, visiting and rearing its ugly head to make me recall my past-self, but I believe people look at how they reflect on their struggles as a bad thing.

I believe Struggle is put in our way to test us, help us gain the strength to overcome and use the energy of the situation to shape us (if we choose to do so).

We all have the choie to see obstacles as situations of growth, seeing problems as opportunities in disguise. We all have been given a different set of speed bumps and short cuts on this life of ours, but we are the ones to shift our perspective in order to see things through a lens of Objective Peace.

It took me a while to gain that perspective, but now I'm very glad I took the steps in order to achieve it. That's why I'm grateful for this Journey I'm on; I can use those struggles and speed bumps I've overcome to use as tools to help others achieve the fearless life they deserve as well.

All it takes is that one step. Stepping out in faith and love towards positive change. I can help, but it takes the individual to decide to move.

Take care, Brandon S.

Total Freedom: 1 Step

I sometimes laugh outloud when I see the "101 ways to" fill in the blank, or the "14 simple steps in order to", etc.

I see total freedom as a way of being completely free. Whether the stress comes in the form of relationship, business, financial, etc, this simple step can really give you the freedom you need and really deserve.

Life happens through your observation of it. Think about that for a moment. Moments in life happen, whether it being of our control or not. Through our perspective of what we call "life" happens to us at an astouding rate of speed and what we observe. Some things just can't be the way we want them to turn out. That's truth. We easily fall into an egoic pit of stress when we continually try to control everything. When we 'want' a certain thing it is usually for a materialistic goal of attaining a certain 'standard of living' or status to aspire to. These are not bad, but we can easily make them so if we become attached to things.

The energy that flows in and around us on a daily moment-to-moment basis is a beautiful thing. If you become still enough you can feel it (and some can even see it in various forms). You can't really see wind of itself but you can feel it, see it move various things, etc.

Take the energy that is going all around you today and know that you have the opportunity to intuitively access this energy if you choose to.

"But how can I get total freedom?" you say.

Take a long, deep, wellness-filled breath. In that moment of non-thinking and purely being, there you have it.

We choose to hold onto things whether physical, mental or emotional. It is our decision to either hold onto the energy these various things in our lives give us, or to use the energy and let it go. Share this energy. Know that everything is always in motion, change is always constant.

Enjoy the NOW-freedom today :)

Claiming your Power: Removal of the Dog-Ears in Life

A really good friend of mine chatted with me last night and relayed a message that she was given and felt it necessary to share it with me as well.

Boy, did it come at a good time! It's great to have friends and those we care about that share the same frequency of thought/belief, because they become our support system, our network of Love.

If you are an avid reader like myself, you might find yourself at times all full in the head with too many things. Quotes, books, articles, things to do, etc. We have our bookshelves and our mental "bookshelves" as well, trying to organize and make sense of it all.

Take today and go through your books on the shelf and books in your inner self and remove the bookmarks, dog ears, and pieces of paper that are holding in all that information. I completely understand when you want to fully understand something you have to take information in order to become more learned about the topic/subject.

There comes a point, I believe, that our ego still drives us to keep consuming more and more books when really our true self/body/heart is telling us "You have the knowledge. Put it to work. Trust your inner guidance."

It is difficult to quiet the voice of the ego by listening to your body, but it is possible. And think of all of the bookmarks and dog-ears you'll clear up in the process :)

When you create the space that you truly desire the things you are striving for will begin to manifest for you. Put forth the effort, know that keeping a loving attitude will fuel you right, make the space, and get ready for the magic to happen!

The Dark Night Moments: using FEAR as our guide

I won't go into much detail, but maybe you've heard of The Dark Night of the Soul. Some say it is a sense of being lost that you've never heard of, a feeling of emptiness that cannot seem to be fulfilled/taken care of.

You might be going through an event (or a series of them) that this Dark Night of the Soul somewhat pertains to you. When I find myself entering a dark time, I use the method called FEAR (not my own; thank you to Pema Chodron and her audio CD Walking the Walk).

If you fully take on Fear it might be easier to get through (or at least find a way of moving through the emotion more fully/thoroughly). F stands for Feel. Fully Feel the emotion that you are feeling. Let it really take you over and make sure you are objectively looking at it. Next, Embody the emotion (the more difficult steps to take with emotion). Let the emotion fill you up and fill every pore, knowing that you can then Allow it to move through you. Too many times we let the emotion stick around a certain Chakric center (I can explain my views on Chakras and how they speak through our Body Hints for a later time). These centers hold in the energy, manifesting a body reaction. Holding in tears can hurt the throat, eyes, and even gut. Not to quote a disney film we have all heard this track from, but we must "Let it Go" and move through us.

Finally we must realize and Recall that we are not alone in our feeling that we are currently feeling. Others have gone through this same feeling. We are truly not alone in our emotions.

I know I tell my family/friends/clients no one can truly tell you how to feel when you are down and out (nor should we tell others how to feel; it's not even our body!). The key is you must realize and heal within. We truly can move past emotions and trials that come our way if we let the emotions be as they truly are; emotions. I know I've either posted this before or said it somewhere, but if we let the Energy-in-Motion (Emotion) stay within our bodies, we feel pressure and try to hold it all in before it truly makes us implode.

Let the emotions flow through using F.E.A.R as you guide.

"Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth." -Pema Chodron-

What to Believe In

People seem to always wonder about what we believe. What group do we associate with, what religious/spiritual faction do we side with, who are we going to vote for, what stance we take on the death penality, the list goes on and on.

I'm not one for being apathetic and saying I'm for no side, I side with no one but my own, because then others won't listen to what I actually do believe in.

I love talking about viewpoints and beliefs - I love to hear what others have to say. Pretty good career to choose as a Life Coach, right?

To be odd (which you shouldn't be surprised by now), I believe totally in Love. I believe in the Divine Love regardless of definition. I grew up in the Lutheran belief through Christianity, but I've grown to appreciate and respect other forms of religion.

If we have to get across the state to get to the other side, there are multiple ways to get there. I have my beliefs (my car), and you have your beliefs (your car). As long as we are fueling our vehicles with the same fuel (Divine Love for ourselves and for others), we will both arrive at our desination. Regardless if it's Religion, Politics, Hot Button Topics, etc, I appreciate all fuel I hear, just know mine is going to be inspired and infused with the high-octane, low emission form of Love :)

The trick is to realize that we all know the Destination will arrive, but to awaken and enjoying the Journey right NOW is the key to living Fully in the Moment, Fully in Peace.

Listening Within

The Inner Voice can be heard, but we let our own ego-fueled voices overpower them at times.

How do we quiet these voices?

---

At a grand party you stand with multiple role models, teachers, coaches, inspiring figures around the grand ballroom. They all attend your accomplishments, your progress, your struggles. They are here for you.

The room is filled with laughter, crying, yelling, singing, speaking of various conversations. You observe all what is going on and feel a sense of being overwhelmed and in awe simultaneously.

All guests at your party are dressed in formal black/white with touches of silver and gold, all looking their best. Joyous and lively music is playing over the resounding voices all around - hypnotic and distracting throughout the evening.

You glance and quickly notice a little girl in the middle of the party, wearing a vibrant dress of many colors, and she seems to be speaking to you.

You strain your ears to listen, but the party for you keeps swelling and drowning out the little girl to her repetitive message.

You begin walking towards her and lean in close among the guests.

The party goers swell again with their voices, praising you on your outfit, the location, the food, the drinks, the music, everything. People surround you and critique your career, your location. They praise your wellbeing; they suggest the best route to take. They ask for the caterer's number for they love the food. They want to hire the musicians at their next event. They wonder and inquire about why you chose this night instead of the following weekend which would work out for others.

You politely move past them and move closer to the girl. Still at this close proximity the girl's voice is overwhelmed by the guests, but her face is very peaceful and has a hint of a smile on her cheeks.

You kneel down to meet her at eye level and hone in on what she is saying. You put your ear directly in front of her mouth, ready to hear the message, what she is definitely trying to tell you.

You hear nothing.

You move back a bit, confirming she is still moving her mouth but no sound is heard. All that continues are the guests; praising, complaining, complimenting, suggesting, arguing, singing.

Out of a fit of rage you stand up abruptly, look around at all guests and say,

QUIET!

The party suddenly stops.

The air is clear; silent.

No voices are heard from the guests.

The music is no longer heard.

No compliments, arguments, affirmations, threats, nothing.

You turn again to the girl, still in front of you with a smile on her face, and pauses.

The girl moves towards you and says:

"Who are You? You Are"

---

Accept your Fly-self

Do we take the time to realize that sometimes the "Bugs" in life are meant to bite us for a reason?

Sometimes the messaages of animals can be overlooked because we believe they are inferior to us.

If you look closer though, animals give us the insight of messages from the now. Animals are ever focused in the present, because that is all they have attention for. Fight or Flight, stay or go, they are always attentive to the present moment.

Othertimes, bugs are simply being bugs. Our definition of what is "bugging us" is really not worth fretting over.

---

I was about to meditate yesterday and for some reason I had the urge to go outside. The temperature was fine with a touch of humidity, but let's face it, it's Omaha/Midwest: I should be used to this by now.

Within meditation I kept feeling bugs crawling over my arms. I assumed they were a few flies and a small grasshopper, but I became so still they didn't bug me at all. In fact, they borderline tickled.

When I came out of my meditation, I genuinely smiled because I realized we look at flies especially because we deem them as annoying, or "bugging" us. No reason the song "shoo fly, don't bother me" exists, right?

Flies/insects are just doing their thing. I don't really think their goal is to look at us and think to themselves, "Oh yea, there's a human. Let's go fly over there and really crawl over them. Maybe we'll bug them so much they'll hit us."

People's reactions to other people's actions are kind of like flies. At our core we do what we do because we want to. Only our ego-centered selves deem other people's actions as "annoying" or "taboo".

...if you don't think that way, observe your actions and others' reactions to them: are you a fly to them? If so, does it really matter if you are a fly or not? You are simply doing what you are doing.

Bucket Lists....

(This post idea comes from my mother, so thank you mom for the suggestion!)

When good friends know each other for a while the topic of Bucket Lists might pop up.

"What do you have on your bucket list?" They say. Travel plans, extreme sports, purchases, etc fill up the list. Although we have great intentions for bucket lists, sometimes we miss the mark due to the fact that we could live each moment becoming aware of our own "Well Wishes" (coined by mom, so all copyrights are hers).

Well wishes I feel give great love in each moment. Whether you live in Italy (and yes, I am slightly jealous/envious of you), or you are located in a small town in the midwest, or your apartment in a bustling big city is your dwelling, you can make every moment something extremely special.

Some people say that it is difficult to be happy with how the world is, how things are going, how people treat them, how etc, etc, etc.

...little do we know how we perceive the world is what we define as reality; there very well could be a happier outlook, but we choose sadness instead. It is my belief that we attach emotions to items/things/people and it affects what we do/say/think/etc.

Now I'm not saying to live a healthy, vibrant life is to become callous and cold to all and everything around you. I am conveying that you can look at all of your surroundings in loving awareness yet at the same moment be non-attached to it. Energy and events can move in and through you, the energies around you moving and swirling around you instead of holding things inside.

If you think of Emotion, it is truly Energy-in-Motion. If we hold in our emtions and not fully feel them and let them pass, we become congested and aggitated (or the occasional emotional blow-up can occur).

Take your Bucket List and list out the emotions connected with them: Joy, Excitement, Scary, Adventurous, etc. Tie those emotions with every moment/thought/action you do in a day you live, and enjoy them fully...without attachment.

Life fully in each moment, respect and appreciate the love, and be mindful and aware that it will never occur again, until the next NOW-moment...which occurs simultaneously.

Aren't you glad your Bucket List is already complete?