"A Place of Yes"

So yesterday was my day off from this summer camp and the whole time I kept thinking, “This is going to be good.  I’m blessed.”  I may be working like a slave from 7 am to 11 pm and dealing with some rather frustrating people both on the administrative and student side of things, but I’m blessed.  When I walked up to the castle yesterday alone and had time to think, I said “Thank you Lord for giving me this opportunity.”

I just finished reading Bethenny Frankel’s A Place of Yes and although it bothers me she is not a Christian, I have to say she gives some good advice.  I picked up her book when I was stuck in New Jersey trying to fly to Dublin.  I watched her shows these past few years and really grew to admire her as a business person, but I think it’s really nice that she’s found her place in her family too, and it’s good to hear her describe her journey there.  She had some great things to say in this book and I highly recommend you get a copy if you haven’t already read it. 

In her book, she lists 10 steps to getting everything you want out of life.  Her motto is that everyone should come from “a place of yes.”  This means that you must know yourself, your needs, your wants, and be positive that you will find a way to make all of your dreams come true.  At least, that’s what I took from it.  Her steps are as follows:

1.        Break the Chain

2.       Find Your Truth

3.       Act on It

4.       Everything’s Your Business

5.       All Roads Lead to Rome

6.       Go for Yours

7.       Separate from the Pack

8.       Own It

9.       Come Together

10.   Celebrate!

With each rule, Bethenny listed examples from her own life of how she did it.  I think the most motivational pieces of her book were the quotes she added and I’ll say there were several of her own that struck me.  I’ve listed them below with reasons as to why they stuck out to me.

“It doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks of your life.  All that matters is what you think of it, and what you decide to make of it.”

This one stood out because so many people (my brother especially) worry about what others think, what others want them to do.  It doesn’t matter though.  It’s your life…make of it what you want!

“It’s time to decide how much power you want to give to your fear.”

Bethenny was actually talking about relationships here but I think it applies to all aspects of life.  If you let fear hold you back from doing something, then you miss out on all the things that could be great in your life.  If I let fear hold me back, I wouldn’t be in England with the intention of moving back to Dublin, I’d be on my way home!

“When you regret something, what you aren’t seeing is that someday, later, or maybe sooner, you’re going to see why you didn’t get the thing you wanted.  So often, something better is just around the corner.”

It goes with the motto I’ve been living by, “God has a plan for us, and even though we may not understand, HE is in control and knows exactly what He’s doing.”  I have to trust that things will happen for a reason.  I have to believe that something amazing is going to come from all of this.

“Move out of your comfort zone.  You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” Brian Tracy

I couldn’t be less sure of what is happening in my life right now, so yes, I feel awkward here In England with no idea of what I’ll do when I get back to Dublin.  I’ll feel awkward for a while there too, I’m sure, but I’ll learn from this experience, and that I look forward to.

“Learn to live in your own skin-there’s nothing like that feeling, and it’s the most important thing you can ever do for yourself.”

I think this has always been a problem of mine and in the past several months I’ve begun to learn to do this-to live in my own skin, to be confident in myself no matter the situation.  This move is the true test.  Can I live here and be happy about who I am and where I’m going in my life?  I think so!

And my FAVORITE (which Bethenny happened to save until the last chapter)

“Promise me you’ll always remember:  You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Christopher Robin of Winnie the Pooh

I think we all get caught up in our doubts about ourselves.  I’ve asked myself several times in the last week, “Can I do this,”  “Will I make it a year?”  If we don’t give ourselves credit for the individuals we are, we will never accomplish anything.  I want to tattoo this on my arm so I never forget (I would never get a tattoo so don’t worry about that)!  I’ll have to keep coming back to this quote when I begin questioning myself again, which I know I will, but why not believe that yes, I am brave, yes, I am strong, and yes, I am smart enough to figure things out and give Dublin a chance.  This year might be the best of my life, and if not, I’ll come away with an experience and the knowledge that at least I tried.