Spring is finally here.  That alone is enough to make my spirit jump with joy.  This is, no doubt, a gorgeous time of the year as nature comes alive with new birth.

With spring comes spring-cleaning.  We all seem to naturally want to clean things out, freshen things up, and make our homes sparkle after a long winter, at least to

some degree.  Making things beautiful inside and out, we want our homes to be fresh and new just like outside in nature.

Spring is a time to come alive.  To come alive is exhilarating … especially if you have not been in that state for a while whether from a long hard winter in nature or from life’s hard knocks.

Below is a facebook status update from my girlfriend that I would like for you to ponder …

Spring has come to Pennsylvania. As I was clearing away dead leaves and debris in my flowerbeds, I was reminded that now is a prefect time to do the same within ourselves. ~ BI

No matter what emotional state you might find yourself in and for whatever reason, how can this beautiful season of spring, spring you forward into a higher exhilarated state of being alive?

As you become still and ponder my girlfriend’s thought, what debris in your own life do you need to clear away?  There is fresh soil under the dead leaves and debris.  What might you find after you have cleared it out?  How alive might it make you feel once it is all gone?  What’s the first step you need to take towards making it happen?

Spring is a time to come alive … Go for it!!!

Take heart!  God is doing something new!!

In my last article, Do You Value Yourself?, I wrote about how the hardships of life can take it’s toll on our self-value.  But, Isaiah 43:1 tells us that we belong to God and He knows our names.  God’s love and value for us is like no other and it is this knowledge that carries us through the rough points in our lives.

Today I am writing about those rough points.  Times are rough for so many right now here in our country and certainly in other parts of the world with Haiti in the forefront.  May the Lord be with them providing miracles of provisions, healings, and salvation both physically and spiritually, and much comfort.

I don’t know what you’re struggling with today, but I encourage you to stop wrestling with the issue in the sense of wanting things to go back to the way they used to be.  Don’t we do that?  I know that I will find myself in that position from time to time.

We say things like if only this didn’t happen or that didn’t happen.  If we could just get things back to the way they used to be then life would be easy.  We will even make a plan on how to get it there, but does it really ever work out?  No.  Why? …

… Because life is forever changing.  Change is a good thing.  The quicker we wrap ourselves around the change that we are in the middle of the better off we will be, along with those around us and our situation.

“This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, 
a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.See, I am doing a new thing! 
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

The wild animals honor me, 
the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”

~Isaiah 43:16-21

Take heart!  God is doing something new!!

Whatever your situation is, embrace it!  Instead of dwelling in the past, look up and out!  God is doing something new in your life!  He is making a way for you in your desert.  He is making provisions for you, His chosen, so that you can proclaim His praise!

Glory be to God!

The opinion you have of yourself is what matters most!

I don’t like to be misunderstood. I suppose there aren’t too many people who do but some are better at letting it go than others.

How do you react when you are misunderstood, when someone forms an ongoing opinion about you based on their misinterpretation of you? We have a choice in how we react to such things.

Admittedly, there are times when someone’s opinion bother’s me especially when I’m being misunderstood. When that happens I typically have to process the situation in order to move beyond it, however, I refuse to linger there and get stuck in it.

When we linger and get stuck in the upset of someone’s negative or wrong opinion about ourselves only hurts us by steeling our joy and taking our focus away from the things that do bring us joy and the things that are most important to us. We then give that person power over us and we fall into the victim role. Oh boy! I hate that! When I become aware that that’s what I’m doing, I move out fast! I refuse to be a victim and you should too!

I do understand, though, that when it’s someone close to you such opinions can be very hurtful and the processing can either take longer or can even be ongoing because the issue may be something that has to be dealt with often. That is not always easy but more often than not the situation will resolve itself one of two ways.

1. Eventually the person misunderstanding you will finally see the light about you. Big relief!

2. There may come a point in time when you have to move on if it causes too much friction. In this case my thinking is … “go where you’re celebrated not tolerated”.

Again, that is for the extreme situation. For those situations not so extreme, another option is to simply ignore it. Does it really matter what other people think? No!

“Ultimately, what others think about you doesn’t really count as much as what you think about yourself.  It doesn’t matter who they are – spouses, children, parents, siblings, friends, well wishers, colleagues, critics, detractors, enemies and any other categories of people you might be able to come up with.  What they think about you does not matter as much as what you think about yourself.
If you are living your life to impress and please others, you are still a foolish slave who is in need of emancipation.” ~~ by Pastor WD Favour in “Human Opinion Is Plastic Part 3″

There is freedom in living in our joy and that includes letting go of other people’s opinions about ourselves and it also includes surrounding ourselves with people who celebrate us rather than tolerate us.

Remember, it is your own opinion about yourself that matters most!

As I sit at my desk on this beautiful day my heart ponders where I am in this moment feeling very alive to where I was years back feeling dead and depressed.  More than that I find myself pondering what I experienced these last couple of weeks.  I sit in amazement because it really all started when I began to care for and love myself.

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

When was the last time you felt excited about your life in a way that you knew but you knew you were tapping into something deep within you?  When was the last time you felt alive in this way … I mean really alive?  Maybe you are currently experiencing this kind of excitement.  Maybe you are like so many women I talk with who long for this kind of experience but for various reasons feel it’s impossible to achieve. Or maybe you are somewhere in between.  Where ever you are allow me to encourage you to either hop on the journey or to keep going.

There was a time in my life when I felt dead.  Just getting up in the morning was a big accomplishment.  The thought of any excitement much less an excitement that moved me in a deep way looked and felt like something impossible for me to achieve, yet, in an honest moment with myself I admitted that it was something that I longed for.  However, it really did feel impossible but I had to start somewhere.

In my opinion it all starts with taking care of yourself.  That’s exactly where it started for me.  It sounds crazy but when I began a journey of self-care that’s when my world began to open up.  Why?  Because in order to understand what self-care meant for me I had to begin a journey of self-discovery.  I am still on that journey today and always will be as my journey continues to lead me to incredibly exciting places.

So how did I go from feeling dead to doing 15-minute self-care activities like reading, writing, bubble baths, hanging out at favorite cafes, etc. to now impacting lives around the world along with working side by side with a pastor from Nigeria?  My life has become so rich … yours can too!

I ask you again, when was the last time you felt alive?

Stay tuned for part 2 of “Coming Alive”.

Stepping into your God-given unique design requires courage.

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.

It is amazing what can happen in your life when you pursue and live in your joy.  My self-nurture or self-care journey began during a time in my life when I was depressed, which meant I was certainly out of tune with myself.  When we are not connected with our spirit, with who we are, that disconnect not only leads to depression but can lead to all kinds of illnesses.  You can read more of this story on the About Page.

As my story reads it was the summer of 2006 when it all began to turn around for me.  I began to learn about myself particularly about what brought me joy.  I began to take care of myself by honoring my needs and making myself a priority to me in a healthy, balanced way.  As I began to live in my joy my world opened up.

Even though The Wonder Woman Challenge was conceptualized in 2006 it took two years for it to come into existence.  It did so as I continued to learn about my joy, my dreams, and my desires.  And this all led me on a path to the unexpected as I walked through each door that was presented before me.

What door did I walk through?  What did pursing my God given joy lead me to?

I was asked to be a guest writer for Pastor WD Favour’s Discover Yourself website where he asked me to tell the story.  It truly is an amazing 5-part story that will inspire you.

This Wonder Woman Challenge is not about vanity or selfishness.  It’s about knowing who you are and embracing yourself.  It’s about finding and living in your joy the way God created you in order to let your light shine.

If you want to see just how powerful this 30-day challenge can be and how it can change, yes, even your world then I challenge to read the full story “WD Stories” at Discover Yourself

Next I challenge you to take this 30-day challenge.  If you’ve already have then I challenge you to take it again.

It’s amazing what can happen in your life when you chose to pursue and live in your joy!

Self-care sets the stage for creativity and inspired ideas.  Personally, I have found that the better I take care of myself the more inspired ideas I receive.  Anytime during a walk, a bubble bath, working on an art project, listening to music, gardening, etc., I can receive an idea that can get my blood pumping with excitement.

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.

Jillian from “Biggest Loser” said something like,  “He needs to figure out that the self-image he created for himself just isn’t true.”  She was referring to a very young, obese contestant who was voted off the ranch Tuesday night.  No doubt at all she was right about the young man.

Her statement, though, grabbed me and I began to consider my own self-image.  

Have you ever gotten a message that who you are is not ok?  I sure have.  And for whatever the reason so many of us will take that message in and devour it until it becomes part of our identity. It can even sneak up on us … little things as well as really big important things.  We begin to create a self-image that just isn’t true.

I have found that my message lately has been “it’s ok to be you.”  It’s not just “ok”, it’s fabulous to be you.  You are the only person in this entire universe who can be you, who can influence the way you do, who can bless the way you do.  You can have the same job or “calling” in life as the next person but no one can do it like you because there is no one else like YOU. 

You are unique.  I am unique.  Embrace your differences.  Embrace all of those things that make you, you.  I suggest even embracing your shortcomings rather than fighting them.  It’s ok to have weaknesses.  It’s what you do with them that count. 

Learn to celebrate your strengths and manage your weaknesses.

The other day I noticed that I was berating myself because my fitness activity is not where it “should” be.  Should be according to whom??

I took a step back and had an honest moment with myself. What I discovered was that winter is not my best time of year.  I’m not competing (yet!).  I am in a healthier state that I’ve been in years.  I decided to embrace the situation.  It’s ok!  I’m ok!  So instead of setting fitness goals that will go against my natural rhythm, I decided to set goals that will flow for me. 

My goal for the remainder of the winter is to eat healthy and move my body every day.  I am happy to maintain.  Come spring I’ll set a lofty fitness goal and go for it with all I have.

What a relief!  I could have remained stuck in that berating mode but instead I took steps that nurtured a positive self-image and self-esteem such as:

     1.   Notice your thoughts, feelings, and actions.  What are they telling you?

     2.   Step back and have an honest and open moment with yourself.

     3.   Discover what you need.

     4.   Embrace yourself in a way that will create a positive flow of energy.

     5.   Set your goals accordingly and go with it!

I ask you …

     Is the self-image you have created for yourself true?

     Are you berating yourself over something that’s creating and/or supporting a negative self-image?

     What changes can you make to turn that around?

As stated in my last post, “Telling Secrets”, this year is the year for courage. I declared it not only there, but I’ve been sharing it with friends, family, and whoever will listen. The interesting thing about it is that right out of the 2009 gate there have been opportunities to practice courage. To me they are pretty big things. It certainly makes me wonder what the heck is ahead of me as I am certain that my experience so far is just practice.

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.

Enough IS enough! That’s what I am hearing, in so many words, from my clients. Who they are deep inside is screaming to get out. I’ve been there and I know what that feels like.

What holds us back? What holds you back? Boil it all down and the answer is fear. There’s a lot of good advice out there about facing your fears. I just heard a little phrase yesterday – “feeling the fear and doing it anyway”. Not bad … but the bottom line is this. “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” or “What we think about comes about.”

Understanding what we’re afraid of can be helpful, but by all means, stop focusing on it! You’ll just keep getting more of the same. Thanks, but no thanks!!

Today, right now let your focus be on courage, whatever the situation, and speak your truth! Don’t let those thoughts of fear keep you from speaking and living your truth. That fear may have been true for you once upon a time, but it no longer is your truth today.

Focus on courage! Focus on your truth! Speak it! Believe it and watch your spirit soar!!

“Be strong and courageous …” Joshua 1:6