“It takes courage to speak our truth. Speaking our truth allows what is deep inside of us to come out – our hopes, dreams, desires, beliefs, who we are. Many of us let life’s not so fun circumstances run amuck, which swallows up our truth eventually leaving us lost and depressed. Oh my, how I know that all too well. There comes a point in time, though, when enough is enough.” ~ Speak Your Truth & Soar, TWWC article 2009

Talk about resonating! This excerpt from Speak Your Truth & Soar grabbed my heart today because in recent months I have found myself in that exact spot of being in not so fun circumstances running amuck in my life.  The result?  You got it!  Feeling lost and depressed and might I add fragile.

Last month I wrote about my being on that crazy merry-go-round kind of life knowing that the only way to get off would mean making some tough decisions.  Enough became enough when finally, I stepped up into courage and made some changes and now I am in the process of adjusting to what that means, and it is good.  You will be seeing the results of this in the next few coming weeks!

Discovering and living out our truth is a process.  Over the next while I will be posting about this because discovering is not enough!  We have to do something with what we discover!  And then we have to be careful to not get stuck in the process or we will never truly shine … or put another way, we will never fully bloom into who we were created to be.

Do you know your truth?

Do you speak your truth?

Do you live your truth?

If this brief article is causing something deep within you to stir, take heart!  This is a very good thing because you are in the right place at the right time.

Stay tuned for more on Knowing Your Truth: Think, Speak, Live.

Share in the comment section below if there is a stirring and/or what it means for you.

To listen click the link below:

Healing Hidden Hurts Part 2

To listen click the link below:

Healing Hidden Hurts Part 1

This past Tuesday on May 11th, Georgie Holbrook and I began a conference call series on how to experience your natural ability to heal.  Georgie and I both share our story about how we began to listen to the clues our bodies were giving us and honoring those clues.  Click on the link below to learn how we both healed ourselves of illness and depression.

Healing Stories Conference Call

For more information about our next conference call click here ==> Schedule

We are asked all the time how we are.  Most of the time we give a pat answer that we are fine.  We go from meeting to meeting, activity to activity, job to job, etc. often times stressed without realizing just how stressed we really are.

Honestly?  That is where I have found myself recently!

I have started The Wonder Woman Challenge fan page on facebook where a bunch of us have started a 30 day challenge together.  It has just started on Monday.  Even though we are only a couple of days into the challenge I am personally amazed with just how much pressure I have been putting on myself, ignoring what all is going on inside … in body, mind and spirit.

So, how are you … really?

When was the last time you checked in with yourself, when you stopped to get quiet long enough to get an answer back?  And when was the last time you asked yourself what you needed and actually gave it to yourself?

We get caught up in life with all of its ups and downs.  In doing so, we tend to ignore, deny, and even mask what is going on inside of us and unless we take the time to stop and listen, we end up in a numbed out state just going through the motions of life.  And I know from personal experience how that state can lead to depression and illness.

I ask you, where’s the joy in that?

So, how are you … really?  Are you living in joy?

I encourage you to stop right now and give yourself a check in.  How full is your cup?  Take some time now to fill that cup of yours up with love and joy.

I invite you to join us at The Wonder Woman Challenge fan page on Facebook for a 30-day challenge.  It’s only 15 minutes a day.  You’ll get support there as well and you’ll get to read my personal journal.

Love and hugs to you!!

I had no idea what brought me joy so I began to explore the world around me in little baby steps.  Never underestimate those tiny gestures like buying yourself a flower, allowing yourself a little time to read for pleasure and/or work on a hobby, sneaking a few minutes away at your favorite cafe, a bubble bath, exercising, etc. … while all at the same time being aware in the moment relishing the time and appreciating yourself.

As I did those things I learned about myself, I tapped into myself, and began to explore bigger things like the Internet.  And, I dared to believe that I could make a difference some how online.  It wasn’t always easy because sometimes my own fear would want to stop me but I persevered as I wanted more in my life and I knew that I was destined for greater things.

Twitter came along as did facebook.  My world continued to open up.  The next thing I knew I started The Wonder Woman Challenge.  And in the middle of all of that (and less than a year ago) I connected with a pastor from Nigeria who quickly became my pastor, my mentor, and my friend.  And just so you understand he actually lives in Nigeria and I’m in the US.  Pretty crazy!

Our hearts resonated and we began to work on projects together.  One thing lead to another and just this past August WD Favour took his first trip off the continent of Africa and visited all of us here in Pittsburgh laying a strong foundation for further work to impact the world.  And here is the kicker!  I’m a part of this world impacting work as are my best girlfriends!!

How can this be??  You could say it’s the law of attraction or the law of agreement and you wouldn’t be wrong.  But it’s my personal belief that the bond we share goes way beyond the natural laws of this world and into the spiritual realm that only God Himself could orchestrate.  Words cannot express the awesomeness of this experience and even what’s to come in the very near future.

Let me take this back around.  When I was dead I had to start some place to lead me out of that position of being a depressed victim.  I had no idea where those initial baby steps would lead me.  I’m sure that if someone had told me that a few years later I would be working with a pastor from Nigeria impacting the world I would have said that they were crazy.  Now that I’m here, I can’t tell you how excited and alive I feel.  I know but I know that greater and bigger things lie ahead of us and I just can’t wait for it to all unfold.

As WD, my pastor and mentor told me long ago and reminded me just a couple of weeks ago … I’ve been waiting my entire life for this experience.  He is so right.  I was created for such a time as this.  It’s a thrill to be alive!

Do you know what you were created for?  Are you ready to come alive in a way that you’ve never experienced before? All you have to do is take the next step that’s right in front of you.  Do you know what that next step is?

For WD’s latest post concerning the impact of his trip click here:  http://wdfavour.com/the-pain-of-parting

I love The Wonder Woman Challenge website.  It represents me pretty well.  It’s cute, girly, feminine, fun, etc.  Does that mean it’s not relevant?  No, not at all.  It is quite relevant and where it looks like it’s all fun and games, it is far from that.

I keep hearing over and over stories of women who have lost themselves in taking care of their families and responsibilities.  And/or in pleasing everyone but themselves putting everybody else’s needs above their own.  The outcome is always sickness, depression, and unhappiness.  Time and time again I hear a version of this story.

Realize that this does not have to be a way of life for you.  You always, always have choices.

Have you ever considered what you’re designed to be?  Who you are designed to be?  Do you know what makes your heart sing?  What brings you absolute joy in a soulful way?

Stepping into your God-give unique design is a simple decision that will look different for you depending upon where you are on the journey.

1. If you have no idea what your unique design is then your decision is to choose to take the path to discover it.  This requires playful exploration along with personal coaching.  The Wonder Woman Challenge provides both of these elements.

1. If you already know what your God-given unique design is but are not living it out then your decision is to step out in courage and into your design.  This, too, can require coaching and continued self-care strategies to keep you in tune with your needs, desires, and dreams.

Either way, you are one decision away from discovering who are you, which means living a joy-filled life.

If it’s that simple why does it take courage?  Because you are daring to believe that you can be something different than you are right now regardless of your current circumstances.

I can guarantee that you are a beautiful, brilliant, passionate woman waiting to be recognized as such.  It’s all within you.  Take the simple step that’s right in front of you to know, be, and live your God-given unique design.

Which simple decision do you need to make today that will take you to what you were designed to be?  Do you need to begin the discovery journey or are you ready to step into your design and live it?

I would love for you to share where you are on this journey.  Leave a comment below, and as always, please let me know how I might help.

Do you ever experience that?  How do you react to your inspired ideas?  Are they met with resistance and judgment or with an open heart and courage?

An inspired idea can become an inspired reality when we embrace the idea with courage taking the next step in front of us.  It doesn’t mean that it has to be a long drawn out process as we can move as fast as we’re willing to go.  But sometimes we get stuck in resistance and fear for lots of different reasons that I’ll not cover right now as that can be a post all in itself.  So the best way to conquer fear and/or resistance is to act in courage by taking the next step in front of you.

Maybe you’re thinking that you don’t have any inspired ideas or dreams.  Many women have spent years taking care of every one and everything to the point they are numbed out and their dreams have become buried.  This also means that inspired ideas are rare.  Is that you?  Then I suggest you start playing immediately to create joy in your life!

The more we consistently nurture ourselves the more inspired ideas we receive, and also the more in touch we’ll be with our joys and dreams.  This also means that you will begin to move away from depression if this is something that grips you.

Speaking of depression.  I’m acting on an inspired idea and taking the next step in front of me to achieve it.  I’m compiling stories of how women have overcome depression.  The stories will more than likely be put together in an e-book although that’s not totally determined yet.  This is a “women helping women” project for the purpose of giving hope and encouragement for so many who struggle with depression.

If you have a story or know someone who has a story please email me at wonderwoman@shileennixon.com for information on how to participate.

We have discussed that:

1.    Self-care sets the stage for inspired ideas and fulfilled dreams.
2.    When the ideas come you must embrace those ideas. Take courage and act on them quickly before they die out.
3.    Embracing these two concepts will help to move you away from depression and towards your joy.

Are you practicing self-care?  Are you receiving inspired ideas?  Are you courageously acting on them?  When was the last time you allowed yourself to dream?

Please leave a comment with your thoughts.