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Carol
Adrienne's work and teachings have been a great
inspiration to me! In August of 1998, about four months after my
father passed away, I read about one of Carol's
workshops in a Learning Annex catalog and
synchronistically found her book on a bookshelf at the
bookstore. The themes of her teachings were
familiar and comforting, as they confirmed the thoughts
and ideas my father had shared with me shortly before
his passing. Her books and workshops ignited my
spiritual curiosity, setting me on my soulful life path,
which led to the very creation of
SoulfulLiving.com! Carol's participation has been
an integral part of SoulfulLiving.com, at its soul
level! Thank you, Carol, with all my heart!
~Valerie, Founder and Soul, SoulfulLiving.com |
Music, Mission, Money
MG writes from Fort Worth, Texas: "Each
day my life's work becomes clearer. Over the past year, I've
been yearning to go back to school for a Master's Degree in
Spanish Literature. Through your books and training classes,
I've uncovered these major passions in my life: Music -
I'm definitely a musician at heart; Yoga - I practice
every day and meditate consistently; Language - I have
traveled all over Central and South America; and lastly- Saving
the Earth. I'm a vegan and detest how animals are being
tortured for human consumption and vanity.
"During the class I did with you, I
decided several things. I am going to follow my passion for
music by learning to play the piano and write music as often
as I can. I am going to look inside myself and realize that my
environment is a mirror of my soul. I am going to appreciate
everything around me and not take anything for granted. I know
in my heart that I’m on the right path.
"Deep in my heart, I want to attend the
University of California at Berkeley. Some work colleagues
have told me horrifying stories of how drastically expensive
California is. I'm generally not driven by money, and have
saved ones year's salary so that I could go back to school and
live in Northern California. I didn't seem worried about it
six months ago; now I've become disillusioned by something I
haven't even tried. How do I overcome this "fear" of
not having enough money in order to do what I believe in the
depths of my soul is part of my life's work and mission?
"My other alternative is to take the
easy road out, and move to Austin, Texas and attend school
there, where it is more affordable. Austin has somewhat of a
California-like atmosphere—but is this just a compromise
because it's more affordable? How do I use this new-found
wisdom that I have about my life purpose and translate it into
action that is not ruled by money?"
Dear MG: These are great questions. Let’s
breakdown your concerns into specific parts. Whenever we have
these confusing mind-conversations, we need to stop and clarify
our motivation (what we really want—the most important
value) and review the fears to see what we need to
handle in order to move forward. One simple way is to ask
yourself to rate your motivations and options on a scale of 1
(low) to 10 (high). For each option let a number arise in your
mind for how important it is to you. Here are the competing
desires and options you mentioned. In parenthesis I added
corollary desires/outcomes:
- Deep desire to learn piano and compose
music
(be able to have the time for
this)
- Practice yoga regularly
(be able to have the time for this)
- Obtain a Master’s degree in Spanish
Literature
(would a degree lead to a
teaching position? Have you thought about what you’d like to
do after that? It’s okay if you haven’t!)
- Attend University of California, Berkeley
(because it’s the best school for Spanish Literature?)
- Live and attend school in Northern
California
(wanting to live in
California might be a separate desire from attending school.)
- Attend school in Austin
(more affordable, inspiring community)
- Not feel I am compromising
Let’s also clarify the various components
underlying what you feel about the idea of
"compromising:"
- EMOTIONAL
. What
would you be "giving up" by not going to UC
Berkeley? (A prestigious Master’s degree? The best program
in Spanish? The chance to live in the Bay Area?)
- INTUITIVE
. What
feels odd about taking the easier path by going to Austin?
- PRACTICAL.
Go
online and check newspapers or other apartment listings.
- COMPARE
OPTIONS.
Make two spending plans about tuition, books, travel, and
living costs for each area. Compare to what you have saved.
Yes, it sounds time-consuming, but it’s worth it. Don’t
guess (or be fearful) about the money—be specific. You’ll
have a better picture of what and why you are making certain
choices.
- COMMITMENT.
Are
you willing to work to supplement your savings if that’s
what it takes to attend Berkeley and live in the Bay area?
- OTHER POSSIBILITIES
.
Have you considered a third alternative? Often we get stuck in
either-or thinking and the real answer lies in another option!
- REAL GOAL
. Is the
real goal to get a master’s degree and change your career
focus, or to spend an interesting year in school in the Bay
area?
- EXPERIENCE AND FEEDBACK
.
Have you visited UC Berkeley to get a feel intuitively if this
is the right place?
It sounds to me like you are focusing on the
"fear of money" raised by your colleagues as a way
to avoid making a decision to move on. You mentioned that you
see the outer world as a mirror to your inner world. It’s
interesting how your inner doubts might be being expressed by
your colleagues’ warnings about California. Once you get
clear, you won’t find naysayers in your life anymore.
Get some more information, let your
intuition "cook" your findings, and if you really
think UC Berkeley is what’s going to make you happy in the
long run, commit to doing whatever it takes to make that work.
Remember, you not only have created a good standard of living
as a working person, you have also managed to include your
creative interests and yoga. Living in California to go to
school doesn’t mean you have to stay here forever if you
find that you prefer a lower cost of living. You are a highly
successful and motivated person that can create another great
situation. Anything is possible!
So here’s the summary:
- RATE OPTIONS
. By
using the intuitive scale of 1 to 10, identify your top
priority at this time in your life. Identify your second and
third priorities.
- STAY CURRENT
.
Make sure that the desire to go UC is a current deeply
held desire. Identify the three reasons you want to go there.
- IDENTIFY THE IDEAL
.
Write down a description of the ideal situation. The
ideal is defined as what makes your heart lift with joy. When
you focus on the ideal you will get amazing results to match
that energy!
- BE POSITIVE
. Talk
enthusiastically about your dream to people (e.g., "I
love the idea of getting a master’s degree in Spanish
literature.")
- GET THE FACTS.
Fear
often comes from lack of information. Be clear about how far
your money will go without having to working while in school.
- STAY COMMITTED AND FLEXIBLE
.
If the high cost of living and going to Berkeley would take
you away from your yoga and music time commitments, it’s
okay to change your mind without it feeling like you are
giving up the whole dream.
- FOLLOW SYNCHRONICITY
.
Notice what new information comes in (e.g., you might hear
about another program in a foreign country.)
- GO WITH THE FLOW
.
Taking the path of least resistance or the "easiest"
might allow you to include more of your priorities. It doesn’t
have to mean a copout. By visiting Berkeley or starting the
application process, see how you feel. Is there a flow? An
excitement in your belly? Then go for it!
(Readers: Please submit your own questions
for consideration in future columns! Apologies if I am unable
to answer all requests. Carol Adrienne)
© Copyright 2004 Carol Adrienne, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.
Carol Adrienne, Ph.D.,
is an internationally-known workshop facilitator and
author whose books have been translated into over fifteen
languages. Her latest book is When Life Changes, or You
Wish It Would. Oprah hailed, The Purpose of Your Life:
Finding Your Place in the World Using Synchronicity,
Intuition, and Uncommon Sense a must-read. She is also the
author of The Numerology Kit. An electronic copy of Your
Child’s Destiny—a numerological guide for parents is
now available at www.CarolAdrienne.comm.
Carol is available to for keynotes, workshops, and seminars
and can be reached at Carol22@sonic.net
or (510) 528-2226 weekdays 10 am to 6 pm PST.
Visit
www.CarolAdrienne.com
for
- Information on private consultations and life coaching.
- Ordering your personal 28-page Numerology Life Chart—delivered
by email.
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- Book recommendations
- NEW Stay tuned for Information on new Tele Class Series
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