Most likely, you’ve heard a number of stories about successful and famous people achieving great levels of wealth and freedom. Many of these people are consistent and disciplined in focusing on what they want to have happen in their lives, instead of believing that the past has any power and control over their future. They revisit their goals daily and look for possibilities to take steps toward their achievement, rather than dwelling on past mistakes made by themselves or others. Whether they are Olympic athletes, business millionaires, or spiritual teachers and leaders, they have a number of characteristics in common that they consistently demonstrate each day.

You can learn to cultivate some of these same characteristics to achieve more of your goals and experience greater freedom.

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” - Leo Tolstoy, Russian Novelist

In addition to being a speaker and author, I am an investor, consultant, and mentor.  Patience has been a topic of interest this month in all areas of my work and life. A real estate deal filled with turbulence required patience to see the situation clearly and allow Spirit to provide helpful guidance to complete the transaction smoothly. During some of my consulting meetings, clients had “urgent matters” that came up and the clear spiritual answer was to take a deep breath and a Holy Pause as a demonstration of patience so that decisions could be made from a calm place with divine guidance. This may sound simple, but I know very well that it can sometimes be tough to demonstrate patience in our lives.

I love to help people to create the lives that they love. As I was reflecting on this I recognized that many times in my past I’ve failed in asking for help for myself. I don’t know how this pattern got started, but if I could do something myself, I would just do it rather than “impose” on someone else. On many occasions, after I completed a task alone, others would ask me “why didn’t you call me for help – I would have been happy to help you?”

In my mind, I had created a “story” that included the benefits of doing things myself; “I wouldn’t impose on others, I wouldn’t be disappointed if someone said NO, I didn’t have to look weak or incapable.”  How in the world did I learn to create those ideas?

As I analyzed this pattern more, I realized that I wasn’t the only person who felt this way. In looking deeper, I uncovered a fear about possible rejection and separation that many of us share.  Author Amanda Palmer, explains it this way; “From what I've seen, it isn't so much the act of asking that paralyzes us--it's what lies beneath: the fear of being vulnerable, the fear of rejection, the fear of looking needy or weak. The fear of being seen as a burdensome member of the community instead of a productive one. It points, fundamentally, to our separation from one another.”

Have you experienced this fear pattern too?