Living Consciously | Rainbow Bridge Coaching and Healing

I am the master of my fate…

July 3, 2010 in Healing, Spiritual Connection, Wisdom

Last night I watched the movie Invictus about Nelson Mandela and the South African rugby team. Twice in the movie, the poem Invictus was quoted, and it struck me how the last two lines of the poem speaks to the core of my beliefs and what I bring to my coaching. For those of you not familiar with the poem, the last two lines are:

“I am the master of my fate

I am the captain of my soul”

We often speak of free will, and whether the choices we make in life are made consciously and with intention. Even when we are embroiled in situations that are full of pain and grief, how we handle them often determines the outcome. At least, our personal outcome. Stories that support this are told over and over by people who have lived through horrifying situations such as the Holocaust, political prisoners like Nelson Mandela, and individuals who have been told they are dying only to do so with incredible grace as they ease their friends and family through their own transition.

When I think of the choices made in reacting to these types of situations, I wonder why it is so difficult for us to make the same types of choices as we move through our daily lives. Why is it hard for us to consciously think about our reactions when we are confronted with a choice of anger or compassion; fear or understanding; non-judgment vs. condemnation?

Most of us react to people and situations without giving much thought to what it is we are reacting to. Perhaps it would be beneficial for us to stop and ask ourselves the question “What is it about this person’s actions and behavior that makes me feel the way that I do?” or “What is it about this particular situation that causes me to feel fearful, and is it real?”

When we believe we are the master of our fate and the captain of our soul, we understand who we are, and who we want to be. It is reasonable then to assume that with practice we will react less, look consciously for the truth of the situation, and take the appropriate action.

I wish I could tell you that this will happen overnight, but I cannot. This is a lifelong practice session, aiming for mastery of being and the growth of our soul. We have been given the free will to make the choices that will move us along our journey in all areas of our life. I wish you well as you take your first steps to consciously create the life you desire.

If you would like help moving forward with intention, please e-mail me to set up your free 30 minute initial conversation to see if coaching is right for you.

Georgia Feiste, owner of Collaborative Transitions Coaching, Inc., located in Lincoln, NE, is a life transitions coach, writer, and workshop facilitator. She specializes in career and personal life transitions for people seeking change in their life. Georgia is uniquely skilled in providing support and encouragement as her clients set intentional goals to attain their desires, holding open the space they need to stretch and grow. Her passion is success grounded in purpose and passion, standards of integrity and priorities in life. Her website is http://www.collaborativetransitions.com, where she blogs about business and career, and http://www.rainbowbridgecoach.com , where she and many other coaches blog about mind, body, spirit and emotion. Georgia can be reached at (402) 304-1902.

Tags: choices, conscious choices, free will, Invictus, living consciously, living intentionally 1 Comment »

Choosing Calm

I haven’t written a blog about my readings of the Tao lately, but am feeling the need to share my thoughts on verse 26. I am finding it to be appropriate for me, as well as for our nation.

Verse 26 starts out by with these first two lines:

The inner is foundation of the outer

The still is master of the restless

What Lao Tzu is telling me within this verse is that I am responsible for my feelings, my thoughts, and what consumes me on a daily basis. When I am able to go about my daily business in peace, staying true to who I am, events and circumstances taking place around me can no longer control my emotional and mental state.

As we were driving through Colorado and Utah on our trip south, we were tossed and turned by the weather, and it made me think of all that has been running through my mind over the last several weeks in relation to our trip to Arizona, and the reasons for making the decision to sell our condo. From there, it was easy to turn my thoughts to the oil spill, the health care reform, and Arizona’s new laws around illegals. It was raining as we left Denver, a steady, but not driving rain. As we headed toward Loveland Pass, I noticed the car was sliding a bit, and the rain had turned to sleet which was quickly turning into snow. The temperature was dropping about a degree a mile, it seemed. As we came out of the Eisenhower tunnel, we could see cars in front of us sliding on the icy roads and we had to laugh at the vagaries of the weather as the temperature climbed 20 degrees in about five minutes as we headed down the mountain. By the time we got to Vail, the temperature was in the mid-70’s. As we progressed throughout the day, we hit a downpour where we could barely see the side of the road, and came upon the residue of hail storms twice in about two hours. The second time, there was so much hail on the ground we could not use the passing lane because we would have spun out. Meanwhile, as I gazed out the window, the mountains were stupendously gorgeous, draped in misty clouds and fog, with the sun rays peaking through to cast shadows on the crevices and ravines as if a light shining down on the folds of a blanket. The red rock was so smooth in places that it looked like velvet, deceptively soft and comforting.

The chaos of the day reminded me of how we can allow the chaos of our thoughts and emotions to toss us around, causing us to flit around like a fool, losing all control over our days, and even our lives. By consciously choosing to remain calm and uninvolved, we are able to remind ourselves that no one has the power to control our thoughts without our consent. We become as majestic and “rooted” as the mountains of the Rockies. I am reminded, once again, to keep the following affirmation at the forefront of my mind as I go about my tasks for the next several weeks, and embrace the family issues here in Arizona.

I am poised and centered, regardless of what goes before me.