Becoming Deep...

Recently, I found myself in the midst of total chaos. I have a to-do list from hell and a whole slew of projects on my desktop, just waiting to be completed. In the middle of all this, I'm working my day job and building my coaching clientele from referrals. I'm pooped today.

My dream is to be a full-time coach, teacher and writer while making a fortune. My desire is to support myself and my partner completely as a teacher, coach and writer. This is my dream, but in the meantime, as I transition into this phase of my life, I need to sustain myself and that's what becoming deep is all about. How can I eliminate the fluff and get to the essentials?

How can I sustain myself as I work towards a better tomorrow? How can I, today, set it up so that in a year from now, I'm full-time, living my genius and inspiring others to do the same, all the while getting paid a fortune to do so?

I feel wide today, I would even go as far to say thin. And now, it is time for me to go deep. And that is my invitation for you too: What are you needing to delete, delegate or develop in your life? What incompletes do you have laying around the house, on your computer, or in your heart? Don't you think it's time to get deep, to clean house for good?

This week, this is what I'm doing. I'm taking fun on the road inward, on a journey to financial freedom while living fully in my genius, doing the things I love to do. But of course, this journey takes time, so today, I'm writing my game-plan. I'm completing my to-do list, getting current with all the people and projects in my life and stepping on the train to the life of my dreams... one check mark at a time.

Today, do something different: Take some time out for yourself to consider doing the same. Isn't it about time?

Excuses Are No Longer Good Enough!

Excuses are no longer a good enough reason why I don't or can't have what I want. Yes, being content with what I have is important and not to be taken for granted; however, as I reach for more from a place of celebration, it is no longer okay for me to put excuses between me and my goals/desires.

As some of you may know, I recently got engaged. That's right! I am engaged to the man of my dreams (for real) and have the added luxury of being on the receiving end of his fantasy of dream boy, as well. Lucky we are! And, he has taught me a valuable lesson: Not only do I get to enjoy and co-create one of the most amazing, loving and inspiring relationships I know of, but I now believe in myself that I can really create (co-create) what my heart desires.

Stay with me, check this out: I ran into an old friend who I haven't seen for awhile and upon mentioning my new engagement, he said, "Nick James you truly deserve it more than anyone I know, for you have been talking about true love for as long as I have known you." Wow, what a shock, I have!? I guess so, here's what I got from our conversation: You really can have the life of your dreams, but you have to love yourself enough and believe you can create what you desire and you have all the power you need to do so.

I imagine most of us read that sentence and cringed, knowing we can, but never really giving ourselves full permission to dream big and actualize. So, if you can't believe in yourself, right now, take it from me: You can have and enjoy your heart's desire! I can recall years desiring for true love and now, I get to enjoy him and me to the fullest as I do so from a place of pure appreciation. I will never forget all the nights and days I wished for love and my number one actually came true.

So, if I can create this, what else can I create? And that's the invitation I offer to you! But guess what, here's the catch: You're already demonstrating huge amounts of power to create, you're results are showing you so. So, whether it's true love or the lack of, having millions of dollars or none at all, you're current results are showing you you're current unconscious commitments. Simply own, reclaim, feeling your feelings and re-direct your energy and intentions to what does feel good and what you desire.

I know, at this point, it's no longer enough for me to put anything but love between me and my partner, that same is true with all of my other goals and desires... here is the magic of everyday living illustrated – take the invitation. Simply make a commitment to being excuse-free, to no longer putting anything but love and celebration between you and your heart's desires.

Money Problems = Get a better Problem

I'm excited to announce that my dear friend Mary Tebbs and me are launching the revamp of our group The Appreciation Circle. Committed to revolutionizing, on a global level, our relationship with money and abundance, this weekly group held in Salt Lake City is about to change the way we do money for good by creating wealth, from the inside out.

(For those of you out of state, either sign up for my FUN NOTES NEWSLETTER to keep updated or follow the link below to see how you can participate in the money generating game.)

I invite each of you to this group, starting in a couple of weeks (details coming soon), not only to support me actualizing my dream of creating more rich communities (both in love and money) but for yourself to create a life of wealth and happiness.

I believe at this point, we owe it to ourselves to be an example for the rest of the world, money does grow on trees and in our hearts, we simple need to open up to receiving it and get out of the way what's keeping us from our natural birth right: a life of complete and total success.

My invitation: get a better problem, stop making money the issue. In fact, money is a phony issue, for when you take a look at all the ways in which you resist the flow of feeling good in your life, you can be pretty sure it's related to the flow of easeful income you have flowing in. Today, make your focus about appreciating all that you judge to be good and all that you judge to be bad – be willing to get a better problem, join us in two weeks for the launch of The Appreciation Circle.

More Info Click Here: THE APPRECIATION CIRCLE

Where are you? From React to Respond!

Where are you? I'm right here! Well, it seems like part of you is missing.

I asked myself this question earlier this morning when thinking about my "come from" or "posture," in life. As it seems, I've lost myself in so many ways, having given my power away to the economy, my phone provider, my clients - even my partner. I have been allowing myself to be an up-and-down roller coaster of how-I-show-up-in-life based on others' moods and circumstances outside of my control.

Perhaps you have had a similar experience? Rather than responding to life from your core – from your truth – you find yourself reacting to life depending out what's going on around you?

I know, for me, growing up this was all to familiar; depending on how mom and dad were feeling determined how I expressed myself and my behavior. In fact, I see how I'm needing to update my story, as I continue to show up in the world, today, as I did if I were "in trouble" as a child.

I have set my life up so that I side-step the possibility of rejection or failure. I recoil into a smaller version of me, because I feel scared that if I showed up in life – just as I am – as my full self that I would scare the pants out of half the world and/or the other half would flinch in utter disgust.

Funny, I know, but consider how you may have played this out in your own life. How have you withheld an important fact or truth your partner should know or avoided facing into specific situations (I.e., calling your local politician or bill collector) to express yourself or clean up any mess you might have created?

Today, I commit to facing into life as it is, feeling any discomfort I may have and take full responsibility for how I show up in life. The classroom is yours as much as it is mine, today I invite you to express yourself fully, even if for 5-minutes. The reward - total satisfaction.

What If... (continued)

On the path to enjoying the life of your dreams, there is one thing you can do to guarantee complete disaster: Obsess about the things that when you check into your body, just don't feel good to obsess about.

For example, say you're current favorite fascination or obsession is money (or the lack of). By remaining in the judgment and story that you have enough (or not), you keep yourself from actually having a different experience. You literally don't have any room in your body or current story to receive more of the good you might say you want. Its as if we decide that life is a certain way (I.e., I don't have enough money) and by running this script through our minds, over and over, we produce the exact results we say we don't want.

I now see enjoying the life of my dreams as me allowing myself to simply be open and receive. By reminding myself, I might not know everything, I get to be curious how I might actually have a different experience. Once again, here's the power of fun and wonder at work.

In the past, I have caught myself playing out what I call "The Triangle Game" (villain, victim, hero roles) with money. I have found myself arguing for my limitations with money and how I "just don't have enough." Well... as the saying goes: "If you think you can or can't, either way you're right." And so it is with enjoying the life of our dreams, if we aren't open to another option (or don't see that we have one) we'll continue to play out the same story over again, until at some point we either hit a wall and forced to look within or choose so with curiosity.

In regards to money, the best thing you can do is simply ask yourself: If I wasn't obsessing about how little money I had, what would I be doing with my time?

And the answer to that question is the exact thing that will assist you in producing more money than you can imagine while in the obsession. At this point in the game, I believe that when we're anywhere but in "the flow" or "creative open space" we're closed off to all the love, money and joy we say we want and yet, work so hard to create. It's as if we've been doing life backwards... talk about swimming up stream.

Today, my invitation, ask yourself some very important, bold questions:

1) What am I currently obsessing about?

2) What would I be doing if I wasn't obsessing about this?

Extra Credit:

3) How do I feel in my body as I read all this? Is there any truth in these words? What body sensations am I experiencing, right now, in regards to money? Am I willing to love and forgive myself for my current or past experience with money? Am I open to a new experience with money? If I had all the money I wanted and needed, what would I be doing today?

Good Luck. You have all that you will ever need!

What if...

What if you could have the life of your dreams? What would you do?

What if you already are having the right experience to get you to the "places" you want to "go?"

What if you had a full-ride scholarship, so to say, to enjoying the life of your dreams? What would you be doing with all your time and energy?

To be continued...

Enough is Enough

Ever have one of those days, where you feel like a total victim? You know the kind, where it feels like life is unfair and the only thing you feel like doing is to call up a friend and bitch. Well, I say bitch away, but my hope is you're also interested in having a different experience too. A radically new kind of experience where you know that life is your creation and a game to be played. Full out... if you choose to take the invitation.

These moments, I'm speaking about, no matter how "hard" they may seem are perfect opportunities to see where you still feel like you don't have a choice in the matter. The painful moments of life are the times it's most valuable to see where you're still playing small. Where you see the complaints of life as opportunities to commit to something better.

Let me be the first to tell you: You always have a choice. Always! And no matter how "hard" it gets or how "easy" it is to defend your point of view, it comes down to a really simple fact: Stop putting yourself in those situations that cause you the most pain. Stop running into the fist.

Today, I had one of those experiences. And with that, the pain has gotten so intense, that I've had to wake up and ask myself, "What the hell am I doing here?" And I say, what a great question to be asking. Why? For the simple fact, when we wake up and realize we are the only person that has control over our destiny, we give ourselves a chance to actually have a good life.

Life is good and whether it be love, money or having a fun time, you are always at choice as to how you experience yourself and which situations you put yourself in. Today, I'm doing something radically different, I'm walking away from the situations that cause me the most pain and having a heart-to-heart talk with myself about why I think I'm less than what I really deserve. Today, I commit to seeing what and who deserves my love, attention and affection. Starting with myself.

Today, put down the defense and find enough love in yourself to get more fascinated with the possibilities of life, rather than the dead ends.

Does it ever end?

Does the journey inwards ever end? I have found myself in the midst of drama again, created by me, and yet I say I want peace and love. I think best, in any moment of doubt, just love yourself.

Get In Today!

Have you ever been scared to a point where you pull "The Trump Card?" You know, things are getting a bit sticky and in frustration, rather than going through the fire or learning, you want to throw in the towel?

Recently, I've been given an opportunity to keep a 3-month commitment to a relationship. Yet, in the midst of my fear, I question what I'm doing and my agreement; therefore, never really giving myself a chance to grow or move beyond the problem. It's as if I'm more committed to being stuck, than to being happy.

My sweet partner and I have said yes and agreed to a 3-month commitment to not question our relationship. Yet, it seems like once a week I get scared and rather than growing and getting to better problem, like how can we work through this as a team, I question our agreement and pull my "Trump Card." I say things like, "I don't know if I want to do this anymore." But the catch is, I'm never going to get through the sticky and icky, until I put both of my feet in fully.

Today, I'm in – fully! We have 2-more months and this time I'm more committed to working through our sticky, than to being separate. I have a team player that I've been selling out on for a month – including myself.

The question: How much fun can I have in love with this sweet man?

I heard a story about Will Smith and Jada Pinket. They said at the beginning of their marriage that, "breaking up wasn't an option." That anytime a conflict would occur, they would find creative ways to work through it. That's the sort of life I want to live. Where I find creative ways to work through my issues with my partner. Whether it be in business or life-partner, the key: Commitment.

Get in, today! Be at choice to enjoy the people in your life.

I Commit To Being Happy!

Recently, I keep getting this non-stop feedback, I'm not happy with some certain things in my life. Shock, I know, but at first, it was subtle. A sort of whisper about my current situation, but now it's a loud, "wake up!" I have been running around, now, for a couple of weeks, looking for a "good" day-job. You know, the sort of 9-5, with freedom to come and go whenever and making the right amount of money that satisfy your needs?

Well, if not, let me tell you, the first step was taking 100% responsibility for my finances and life. I woke up one day and realized, I'm not on the path I want to be on, I'm not making money in a way that feels good, anymore. So, I'm back to the "daily-grind," looking for work in all the wrong places. But are they?

I would have to say, "yes" and "no." A job is a job, despite how you look at it, but a dream is a dream and making your dreams come true requires a good foundation to work from. I've been living the lifestyle of a rockstar without the record label to back me up. Call me a natural, but ultimately, this week I realized there's more to life than work and money. I've been looking for a job to make me happy, to get my ends met and fuel the career of my dreams. However, I've been doing way to much "doing" and not very much "being."

Today, I commit to being happy.

Today, I commit being happy, so that when I do get a day job, I have things in perspective. My job isn't my life source, I am. The money I make isn't my happiness, I am. Therefore, as I go to my day job, continue to work on the release of my new book and set course to enjoying the life of my dreams, I'm very well prepared by starting today. I commit to being happy!

First and foremost, everything else comes next.

Lead With Love

What would happen if you lead with love and appreciation today?

I imagine there's more to say about it than that, but for now, let's sit with it, or better yet, let's act with it by leading with appreciation and love today in all that we do. I challenge you.

to be continued...

Choice is Power

As you may or may not know, I have been working on my first book since last summer. Nearly complete, this piece of work is a milestone for me as the completion of the book resembles me taking authority for my own independence, both financially and in my vocation as an author, speaker, coach and creative consultant.

I share this with you as I come upon an awareness that will surely reconstruct my world...

I'm 100% responsible for my income, career and success.

Although my "day" job is a fine line between living my genius and supporting others in their career and genius, today I realized, it is time for me to own my own authority around my success, income and choice vocation, for (as you may know) waiting for another person to do it for you (and me) is not being at choice, which is what we're all about here at Funiverse.

Being at choice as to how you experience life. Today, I hope you take your own power back and make it a commitment to being 100% responsible for your success and income:

Today, I __________ commit to being 100% responsible for my income, career and success!

How Much Fun Can You Have?

What if the only problem you ever had was this question:

How much fun and feel good can you have today?

Try it, explore and see if there actually might be a better problem than the bucket full you might think you have.

Let Yourself Have Fun and Be Loved!

Have you ever gotten something you wanted and then later thought it was too good to be true and resisted enjoying it?

For example, you were thinking about wanting a relationship that was out of this world amazing, yet when you actually did get the partner of your dreams, you forgot to trust yourself enough to actually enjoy him or her?

Recently, I got what I wanted. Now, I'm not saying genuine love is like that portrayed in Cinderella or the like, but I'm pretty clear I have created the relationship of my dreams with a man that continues to surprise me everyday. And sometimes, I can't believe my eyes it's happening, in fact, I upper-limit or create reasons why I can't just let go and be loved by him.

Not a bad place to be, but considering that I could relax more and just receive the love I said I have always wanted, now that it's here, I've got another challenge on hand: Allowing myself to finally be loved and love, to address my fear that asks, "Do I deserve this?" or "Why me?"

So, today, ask yourself, "Am I willing to relax and let myself enjoy all the good things I've created in my life?"

You've got what you wanted and are you willing to let yourself enjoy life as it is intended to be - fun?

You can have all that you want and more, and you simply let it in with a little breath, appreciation and enjoyment. In the Funiverse, you get to enjoy yourself and whatever it is you say you want. Give yourself a chance, let all the good things in, like someone who loves you!

If Thoughts Create Things...

If thoughts create things, then what are you creating today?

Have you ever caught yourself in a flurry of worry thoughts about what you need to do or how to generate more money in your life, doing what you love?

I recently heard that the average human think 65,000 per day, but only %5 of those thoughts are brand new and original. Most of what we think (if we're average) is recycled thoughts from yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that.

So, what are you thinking about today? Make it count!

From Entitlement To Appreciation

I caught myself again. As I was complaining about my current financial situation, I noticed that I was coming from a place of “you owe me!” I’m not sure who the “you” is in that statement, but it was pretty apparent that belief is running the show.

Even more, I’ve noticed this claim to ownership show up in my relationship, time and time again. I get more caught up in the “you should know” and “I deserve/blame-game” than genuine appreciation for how my partner is available, expresses love and cares about me.

So, is this familiar, dear reader?

Have you ever found yourself claiming entitlement for what you want or what you have?

If you’re conscious of it or not, I would get curious. How have you been keeping yourself at arms length from genuine love or financial freedom? Have you fully claimed 100% responsibility for what you do have and your current life experiences? Have you considered appreciation as an option for getting more of the things you say you want?

Today, I commit to appreciating my life as it is, reaching for more from a place of gratitude.

Try it on, you’ve got nothing to lose but to have even more fun.

It's Not Your Birthday, So What!

Your day begins...

And did you celebrate yourself for being alive to have a day to begin? This morning, as I got up, I thought to myself, "Today, I have a choice. I can either celebrate my life the way it is today, what I like and don't like, or continue to wait for another temporary fix of external happiness to pacify me until I claim my own happiness, from the inside out. What's it going to be?"

And I share this with you, dear reader:

Are you willing to celebrate yourself today, just as you are?

Are you willing to celebrate "the good" and "the bad" as equals?

Are you willing to celebrate any unwillingness you may have to celebrate?

As you know, life is happening; are you seeing it as life is living you or you are living life? Today, take a couple of deep breaths and throw yourself a 30-second party that you're here, alive and the only thing between you, what you want, what you enjoy and a moment of bliss is yourself. Get out of your way and let yourself shine. Stop being your own shadow and celebrate yourself today - even for a minute.

Does All That Personal Development Pay Off?

Recently, a friend of a friend coined me as a "New Age Nightmare." At first, I felt sad and went to my usual place of "I'm not enough... I need more self-help to improve upon my current character." Well... that's a little exaggerated, but I did take his comment as feedback. Am I really caught up in a world of illusion, like Disneyland, where fun is only a choice away?

As I thought about this... my first response was, "I am creating the life of my dreams!" Yes, I have to admit, sometimes I get a little obsessive about my own personal development, but at the end of the day, are my results showing my hard work is paying off?

In the last two weeks, I can see how 3-years of intense inner-work is starting to pay off. From stepping more fully in my role with LifeWorks to enjoying a conscious, loving relationship with a man I adore, who adores me... looks like I'm doing pretty good. Considering where I was over 3-year ago, I've come a long way, but only until recently have I see physical matches to my inner change.

So, my dear reader... where have you not given yourself enough credit that you're very well on your way to the success of your liking? Where have you, maybe, gotten off track from your vision and life dreams?

Try it on, be willing to give yourself a chance at actually creating what you really want. From experience, looks like a nightmare can be transformed into living the life of your dreams! Choose again.

Did You Forget? You're Alive!

Have you ever forgotten that you're alive? Have you ever been so caught up in the details and dramas of life, only to forget that one day, you aren't going to be here anymore? These questions came to me when trying to describe the M.O. of a couple of people in my life.

I have made a commitment to learning from every relationship interaction, and such, results in learning from those in my world that I don't want to be like. As I was describing to a friend how I felt when interacting with some other friends, I noticed this sort of entitlement over appreciation with them and in that moment, I got the hit: I think they forget that life is a gift. Now, whether that's true or not, I took this awareness as feedback for myself. I get to own my appreciation for being alive and take advantage of the day to express such joy.

And... this is my toss to you:

Are you willing to see life as a gift and appreciate your life, today?

Spirit Gives Life.

(Check out this Quote:)

We live in a world of form and when you're in the world of form, you get in "form"ation. When you're in the world of Spirit you get inspiration. When you are inspired (in spirit) by some great purpose or some extraordinary project, your consciousness expands in every direction. By moving into inspiration, you can activate dormant forces and make them work for you. When you're inspired, everything works. You don't get tired, you don't get hungry, you don't worry about money, or you don't think about what's going to happen tomorrow. So becoming inspired is probably the most important thing you can do. The way that you do it is you look at the world of form, and all the things around you and you say, where did all of this come from? It all came from the world of inspiration. It's spirit that gives life.

So may you and I be inspired!

- Author Unknown.