The Secret to Having Unstoppable Impact ~by Shannon Modrell

You have something important to share with the world – A gift, a viewpoint, a piece of the puzzle of life that only you can share.  Or maybe it’s a song, a book, a speech, or knowledge of how to do something.  There is ALWAYS something…

But are you like most people? 

Too often, we assume there is nothing inside of us that anyone would gain value from.  This usually stems from a deeply buried (or sometimes not-so-deeply-buried) belief that “I am not enough, just as I am”.   We compare ourselves to some idealized standard that we don’t measure up to and think it is how we have to be if we are to make an impact in the world.   And too often our would-be contributions shrivel up inside of us, never seeing the light of day OR they become destructive little children until we listen to their cries for recognition!  (This is why I wrote the song I AM Enough)

I often recognize gifts and abilities in people that they themselves don’t see.  But when I point out the abilities I see in them, they frequently respond by insisting that I’m wrong and that they couldn’t possibly be as talented or special or important as I seem to believe they are.  Not only do they deny what I tell them I see in them, they get downright insistent that it’s not true!  It never ceases to amaze me how absolutely invested people can be in focusing on their own lack of ability.  I mean, people cling to the belief in their own smallness with bulldog tenacity!

Yet there are many famous speakers, writers, artists, teachers and musicians making an impact in the world who share that they experience the same self-doubt at least from time-to-time if not every day!  Despite the self-doubt they are still out there making a difference in the world, doing what is within them to do.

So I’m going to give you one of the secrets to ceasing playing small and stepping out in a bigger way in the world:  

Choose to give instead of seeking to be great
 
Maybe you aren’t trying to “be great”.  Maybe you habitually shrink back from your own abilities, too afraid to even be seen, let alone great.  Either way, I invite you to play with this concept.

Sometimes the blocks we experience come from having far too lofty expectations.  We set ourselves up by thinking our work, our art, or our ideas have to be SO GREAT that nothing we do could ever live up to the standard we’ve set – forgetting all the while that WE set the standard in the first place! 

My coach Sandra Zimmer taught me that sometimes the best thing we can do is forget the idea of having to be an expert and just allow ourselves to be “someone who knows some stuff and is willing to share it”.  It takes the pressure off of the outcome and puts the focus on simply giving to others what is within you to give.  It takes the focus away from “out there” (“what will others think of me?” “what will happen as a result of this?”) to being in the present moment (“what is in me that wants to be expressed right now?”)  This also applies to anything we want to create or express such as art, a play, music, etc.  

The irony is that once we let go of the expectation of how spectacular (read “perfect”, let’s face it!) our efforts must be, we are freed up to express the things that have soul – and that is what makes for true impact on the world!
 

Is there anything inside you that is asking to be seen or heard?   Try applying the “give it to the world” concept instead of worrying about whether or not it will be great and see where it takes you.  I’d love to hear about where this leads you, so please feel free to share!

Peace and Blessings,

Shannon

  Want to use this article in your Ezine or Website?
Please do - just be sure to include the following blurb in it’s entirety:
 
Singer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker Shannon Modrell changes lives and mindsets by performing transformational healing music at international conferences, holistic events, and at Unity and United Spiritual Centers all over the USA. 
If you want to be inspired, encouraged and empowered to live the creative fire within you, sign up for a FREE
subscription to her Ezine Gifted U  by emailing:
shannon@shannonmodrellmusic.com
Want to read more articles like this one?  Visit Shannon’s blog at: shannonmodrell.wordpress.com

Permission To Do Things Badly ~by Shannon Modrell

Gasp!!!!!  

“Did she just say what I think she said?!?”

We westerners are such a results oriented, perfectionistic culture in so many ways!  Too often we confuse striving for excellence with striving for perfection.  If the thought of allowing yourself to do things badly has you aghast with horror, then you have a perfectionist streak, my friend! 

Now granted, there are times when striving for perfection is preferable – Doctors performing surgery springs to mind as one example.   And you’d better believe that I want the auto mechanic who works on my brakes to be on the top of his game the day he’s under my car! But more often than not, perfectionism hampers good results. 

I know because I am a recovering perfectionist myself.

Allowing myself to do things badly has been the single most effective tool for getting me into action.  It was the policy I finally had to adopt in order to accomplish anything.  Everything I have ever created including my CD’s, articles, resumes, artwork, speeches, classes, workshops, my Ezine, my songwriting - everything – has only been created because I was willing to just start somewhere, anywhere, and step into action…and do it badly.  I always know that I can adjust and make corrections along the way, but giving myself permission to not be perfect is the only way I even get started.

And, of course, there are times when mistakes happen.  Despite my best efforts, sometimes I generate writing, performances, speeches, classes, and articles that contain errors.  Funny thing is people always seem to get something of value out of them anyway!  In fact, not only are the flaws in the things I do usually nowhere near as huge as my magical magnifying mind makes them out to be, but often I find that the “flaws” actually put people at ease.  It gives them permission to make mistakes too and not beat themselves up over it.  And then there are the times when what I judge as a flaw turns out to actually be an asset!  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten tripped up on a lyric or made some other error while performing, and it actually made the audience and I more connected with one another.  It has a way of melting pretence and separation, giving everyone a sense of “we’re all in this together”.  It gives me and the audience something to laugh about together.

I know plenty of musicians who have had music in them for years, but they are waiting for the chance to make the perfect CD before they will even start.  I know many writers who would be wildly successful except that they can’t finish -or even start-  their book or articles because they can’t write up to their own lofty standards, or they sit around worrying about improper grammar.  I promise you I am intelligent enough to look past their bad grammar (should I even notice it) – I would much rather gain the benefit of their concepts and ideas.

It’s counter-intuitive to what our western culture reinforces, but it’s amazing how taking the pressure of expectation off of our results can actually improve our results!  Letting go of the voice of perfectionism helps you to see how imperfectly you can do things, and still do them effectively.  Perfectionism is healed by taking action imperfectly and surviving!

So if there is something inside of you that wants to be birthed, a project you’ve procrastinated starting, an idea to create something you just can’t seem to get going on, I invite you to ask yourself this one question:  “What small, imperfect action step can I take toward my desires today – even if I have to correct course along the way?”

Peace and Blessings,

Shannon

Want to use this article in your website or blog?

Please do ! Just be sure to include this ENTIRE blurb with it:

 Nationally acclaimed Singer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker Shannon Modrell changes lives and mindsets by performing transformational healing music at international conferences, holistic events, plus at Unity churches and United Centers for Spiritual Living . 

If you want to be inspired, encouraged and empowered  to live the creative fire within you, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to her Ezine Gifted U by emailing:Shannon@ShannonModrellmusic.com 

Visit Shannon Modrell’s  Website at

www.ShannonModrellmusic.com

Want to read more articles like this one? Visit Shannon Modrell’s blog at shannonmodrell.wordpress.com

Guide to Navigating the Weirdness of Transition ~by Shannon Modrell

http://shannonmodrell.wordpress.com/

Did you sign up for a life of spiritual growth, conscious awareness, and all the unlimited joy that the path of divine evolution has to offer – only to find that there are times you feel like you’ve run smack into a brick wall? 

 You know, those days, weeks, or even months when  living the life of spiritual enlightenment feels like trudging through swamp water, leaving you to wonder “What am I doing wrong?”

 Truth is: even though unlimited joy IS available to us right here, right now, some bumps on the path of spirituality make you spill your proverbial coffee all over the pristine white slacks of your life   - sometimes it’s just plain messy! 

As a person who started on a self-actualizing journey at a very young age, I have been through more major transitions than many people go through in one lifetime.  I don’t say that as a mark of distinction, it’s just what I happened to sign up for.  As a result I’ve had to learn A LOT about how to navigate the sometimes murky waters of transition on the way to greater joy.  

The process of releasing old limiting mindsets in favor of new empowering mindsets (fundamental to spiritual growth) is a lot like a snake shedding an old skin.   Even when change is wanted, there is a grieving process of sorts to go through amidst the joy of the good experience.  But some transition periods are just downright painful, or can leave you feeling like a fish out of water with no way back in. 

Despite what some spiritual traditions teach, the journey of true enlightenment is not all rainbows and pink clouds of bliss floating over Never-Never Land.  Sometimes in order to grow the only way out is through.  And that means experiencing temporary pain.  But it’s what we do with that pain that affects how miserable or happy we are long-term. 

I’ll share with you the insights I’ve learned in order to navigate the unsettling weirdness that takes over during those times (and I saved the best for last). 

 Most of the insights amount to these 2 things:      

Listen to your own still small voice, and…

Become your own loving parent.

Here they are: 

Be gentle with yourself – especially in regard to negative self-talk:

Try to be patient with yourself.  You may be in a heightened state of vulnerability and negative self-talk is likely to bubble up to the surface during this time, sometimes to the point of crippling any ability to believe in your self at all.  If negative thoughts and feelings appear, try to breathe through them and remind yourself they are not real.  Believe it or not this brings one of the most powerful opportunities to release and heal painful self-limiting beliefs stored within us.  (My song “I AM Enough – Celtic Chant Version”  is designed to help with this)

 Avoid toxic people as much as possible

Transition time is a time of vulnerability.  Crazy-makers, critical people and people who frequently speak lack, doubt and limitation will only drag you down and help make your growth process a long slow crawl through unnecessary pain and reinforce false doubts.  Do whatever you must to avoid them as much as possible.  Make excuses if that helps. Screen calls.  Your sanity is worth it!

 Honor the need to rest

In her book This Time I Dance – Creating the Work You Love Tama Kieves wrote an entire chapter called “The Year of Sleeping Dangerously”. Why? Because times of transition and change often involves a great expenditure of energy, whether we feel it or not.  If you find yourself needing more rest than usual, honor that – your body’s wisdom will tell you what you need in anticipation of the next step in your journey.  Without enough rest we cannot be emotionally or mentally balanced, and this is especially important in times of transition.

Exercise

In addition to honoring the need to rest, getting some exercise will also make a world of difference both in terms of the intensity of the experience, and its duration.  The exercise doesn’t have to be extreme: gentle walks through the park or your neighborhood may be enough.  Just set the intention that this period of exercise, whatever form it takes, is to be used to move energy through you and support you in healing.  You can even state a specific purpose such as: “I want this walk/jog/treadmill time to help me in releasing the belief that _______” – fill in the blank.  Also, listening to music with positive, affirmative messages while exercising helps you incorporate new empowering beliefs about yourself faster and at deeper levels.  

 Delay major decisions (if possible)

Times of transition can leave us feeling confused.  That’s natural because we’re shifting energies on many levels.  We just don’t always make the best decisions when it feels like the rug has been pulled out from under us.  I realize some major decisions cannot be postponed, such as taking a new job after the old one disappears, but if a major decision can be postponed, postpone it!.

 Eat nourishing food

There’s a definite connection between the physical, emotional, and mental parts of our being.  Eating foods that nurtures our physical body makes a huge difference in the intensity of our emotional and mental states.  IMPORTANT: Don’t beat yourself up for eating the bag of potato chips or chocolate chips because this will only make things worse, but do try to listen to the small still voice of wisdom planted in your body and let it tell you what it really wants in order to feel whole and healthy. (Hint: if you’re used to giving your body whatever junk it wants, it may take some practice to hear past the requests for more junk that vie for your attention, but eventually the truth will override these impulses)

 Organize and clear out clutter (as best you can)

Trying to do this during a transition time can be daunting, I know, especially if you’re in head-fog.  But if you can spend at least a little time and effort in creating order in your physical space, you will net  AT LEAST 3 major benefits:  1. Gets you out of the realm of emotion and into a left-brain activity; 2. Creates a distraction from the intensity of emotions and strengthens focus and clarity; 3. Helps move out old energy and creates space for new energy which translates to new experiences, new ideas, new ways of being.

 Breathe.  3 times.  Deeply.

This one tool may be the single most powerful you can use when in emotional intensity.  Slowly, breathe in and out, deeply, 3 times and just notice how dramatically different you feel!  Repeat as often as necessary

Peace,

Shannon

Want to use this article in your website or blog?

Please do ! Just be sure to include this ENTIRE blurb with it:

 Nationally acclaimed Singer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker Shannon Modrell changes lives and mindsets by performing transformational healing music at international conferences, holistic events, plus at Unity churches and United Centers for Spiritual Living . 

If you want to be inspired, encouraged and empowered

 to live the creative fire within you, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to her Ezine Gifted U by emailing:Shannon@ShannonModrellmusic.com 

Visit Shannon Modrell’s  Website at

www.ShannonModrellmusic.com

Want to read more articles like this one? Visit Shannon Modrell’s blog at shannonmodrell.wordpress.com

9 Steps to Manifesting Whatever You Want in Life -Steps 7, 8 and 9 ~by Shannon Modrell

Today brings the end of our series on the “forgotten rules” of the 9 Steps to Manifesting Whatever You Want in Life.  If you’ve been following since Step 1 you may have noticed that all of the steps interrelate to one another.   

Below are the last 3 steps (7, 8 and 9) with a simple action step for each one:

# 7 Appreciate and nurture what you do have now

 This is about being a good steward

 It’s so easy to forget just how blessed and prosperous we really are.  As Americans, we live in the richest country in the world.  Even some of the poorest among us live better than many in other countries.  Most of us don’t even realize how much we take for granted the freedoms and opportunities that are unheard of in other countries, and throughout much of our own history.

 What we focus on expands

 Even if what we have now isn’t quite up to the level of what we want, sending the energy of appreciation to what we already have will cause greater and greater good to expand into our lives.  The more time you spend appreciating that which is, the more you will find things to be appreciative of are attracted to you.

Spend some time walking through your home and see it through the eyes of a homeless person.  You might be surprised at what you find! 

 

 #8 Focus on the emotional quality of what you want more than the form

 I’ve mentioned this in a few of the other steps previously posted, but it bears repeating. 

 Manifestation is often confused with the vending-machine concept: input your order to the Universe (usually through visualization) and magically, out will pop what you wanted.  What most people don’t realize is that by the time someone has manifested something that they have visualized (new car, new job, healing from an illness) they were already at the last stages of the process.  Whether they knew it or not, they had at some point previously already said YES to the emotional quality of what they wanted, and YES to receiving it.

 Take a few minutes each day to bathe yourself in the feelings of what it is like to have what you want.  The essence of what you want will be drawn to you. 

# 9 Be willing to take action steps to get what you want

 Although we don’t have to know exactly how we will get what we manifest for, we do need to be willing to take any necessary action steps to obtain it.  I’m not suggesting “do -whatever-it-takes-regardless-of-the-consequences”, that’s just fear-based clutching and grabbing, trying to force things to happen the way we think they should.  What I’m referring to is taking action – even a small action – toward your goal.  If I could impress one powerful suggestion upon the world about this it would be: 

 Move in the direction of your dreams

 Mountains are climbed one step at a time.

 Overwhelm is one of the biggest reasons people resist getting into action.  We tend to think we have to have a plan all worked out in our head for how it will happen, and this can lead to giving up, or just sitting around hoping and wishing for what we want.  But if you’ll break it down into small do-able steps you will be led down path you cannot even imagine!  If you will take even one small, manageable step toward what you want, the next right step will be shown to you.

 Try to think of some small thing you can do to move you closer to your goal, and do it.  One micro-action a day is better than nothing.  Sooner or later those small actions add up in surprising ways.

 I’ve enjoyed sharing my personal experience with using the law of attraction through this series. I hope you will find it useful for creating a life of health, peace, and prosperity.

Shannon

Want to use this article in your website or blog?

Please do ! Just be sure to include this ENTIRE blurb with it:

 Nationally acclaimed Singer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker Shannon Modrell changes lives and mindsets by performing transformational healing music at international conferences, holistic events, and at Unitychurches and United Centers for Spiritual Living . 

If you want to be inspired, encouraged and empowered

 to live the creative fire within you, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to her Ezine Gifted U by emailing:Shannon@ShannonModrellmusic.com 

Visit Shannon Modrell’s  Website at

www.ShannonModrellmusic.com

Want to read more articles like this one? Visit Shannon Modrell’s blog at shannonmodrell.wordpress.com

9 Steps to Manifesting Whatever You Want In Life -Step 6 ~by Shannon Modrell

Step 6 is one of my favorites – and sometimes one of the most challenging steps in the “forgotten rules” of the law of attraction.  But if we can train our selves to put it into practice we open doors of MASSIVE possibility!  Possibilities beyond prediction…

Step #6 Let Go of the Good for the Better 

(This one is closely related to step #4 which is: Let Go of the Old.)

 And it’s mostly about trust.

 Think of your favorite shirt or blouse you may have had years ago.  When you first got it, it was wonderful and new (at least new to you, if not brand new).  But over the course of say, 20-30 years of wear it would become faded, maybe with some holes here and there, and it’s probably also way out outdated by now, not to mention overly snug or too large if your weight changed over time.   It probably just isn’t as spiffy as it was back when you first got it.  What was once fabulous and new and made you feel good no longer serves quite the same purpose – because it’s time of service is over.

 It doesn’t mean that it was never that good to begin with, or that it was wrong to have it, or that you were a fool to have ever seen anything good in it. 

 It just means that your needs have changed and now it’s time to get a new shirt or blouse to replace it.

If you hang on to it, insisting that it stay in your closet because it was magnificent in its glory days, there is one less spot for a new, more suitable replacement in your closet.

 How often do we do this with items – and situations – in our lives?  Cling to what was rather than letting go of it and trusting that what takes its place will meet our need just as the old thing or situation once did?  Don’t ask me how many careers I’ve stayed miserable in because I just couldn’t see what else I would do with my life…Ok, I’ll tell you:

I’ve done this twice with major careers:

I’m a person who needs constant change, but I used to have a pattern of staying stuck and miserable in a career choice because I couldn’t imagine what else I could do that I’d be as good at as the career I was in. I did this both as a nail technician and then again as an interior designer.  I loved both careers when I first started them:  I jumped in awash with child-like enthusiasm, I was growing, learning, expanding my business, getting my needs for being productive met.  But once I’d mastered what I was doing the fun started to wear off and it became a grind.  But I couldn’t see what else I would be good at and enjoy as much as I had enjoyed the career when I first started it, so I just stayed where I was. 

And grew more miserable with each passing day. 

 Fear of the unknown and resistance to re-experience the awkwardness of being a beginner at something kept me stuck in what was once challenging, exciting and nearly addictive, but now sucked the life out of me.

 It didn’t mean those careers had been bad choices. It didn’t mean I hadn’t gained benefit from being in them

It meant that I had outgrown them.

Fortunately I let go of that pattern, once I realized I was in it! 

And I love what I do today; singing, writing, inspiring and encouraging.  And I know that I can always reinvent what I’m doing to suit whatever direction my soul is calling me toward.

And…of course this works with stuff, too.  Like I said in step #4, objects that no longer serve you jam up the flow in your life in countless invisible ways.  If you took the action suggestion listed in that step you may already have testimony to just how true this really is!

So my hope for you is that if you are clinging to something that once suited you but you have outgrown, please bless it, let it go, and trust that something new and delicious will take it’s place – something that suits perfectly who you are right now, today.

Peace, Clarity, and Inspiration to you!

Shannon

Want to use this article in your website or blog?

Please do ! Just be sure to include this ENTIRE blurb with it:

 Singer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker Shannon Modrell changes lives and mindsets by performing transformational healing music at international conferences, holistic events, and at Unity and SOM churches. 

If you want to be inspired, encouraged and empowered

 to live the creative fire within you, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to her Ezine Gifted U by emailing:Shannon@ShannonModrellmusic.com 

Visit Shannon Modrell’s  Website at

www.ShannonModrellmusic.com

Want to read more articles like this one? Visit Shannon Modrell’s blog at shannonmodrell.wordpress.com

9 Steps to Manifesting Whatever You Want in Life -Step 5 ~by Shannon Modrell

We’re more than halfway through with our law of attraction series on manifesting.  I’m really excited to bring you today’s  topic because it tends to trip so many of us up when trying to create something we want in life.  It harkens back to the idea that I mentioned in Step 4 about true prosperity being the experience of living in the knowing that all of our needs are met, all the time. 

Last post covered Step #4 in manifesting whatever we want in life which was “Let Go of the Old”. 

  Step 5 focuses on a common stumbling block for many people:

 Be willing to give it however long it takes to achieve it!

 Sometimes what we ask/pray/manifest for comes instantly.  Sometimes it takes a while.  Some people say that when it takes a long time, it just means our faith is not strong enough; otherwise we would have it immediately.  I don’t see it as quite that black-and-white.

The universe has an uncanny way of making sure that all of the blessings we receive are also blessings for those around us.  Think of how many other people are affected when things in our lives change – nothing happens in a vacuum.  We are all connected, and what affects us, affects others.  Each of the people who are a part of our change have a path of their own, with intentions already set in motion. 

Sometimes it takes time for our dreams to be realized because other events need to fall in place in order for the optimum conditions for our dream to really blossom.  There may be skills we need to develop.  Often there are changes that need to occur within us as old mindsets fall away to make place for the new ones that match our new vision. Sometimes there are people we need to meet who are not yet ready to meet us because they are still involved with intentions they set in motion previous to ours. 

It’s human nature to want instant gratification, but I’ve come to trust that all things work for good and that when things don’t happen on my timetable, there’s a good reason for it. 

It has taken me 3 years to complete my CD “Speak Your Word”.  At the time of this article it is almost complete, but I originally hoped it would only take a few months.  Hah!  During the recording process things seemed to just crawl along like molasses, and unexpected delays and setbacks became commonplace for this project.  I was getting very frustrated and tempted to push things to happen faster, but I had to just trust that things were happening in divine right order.  One day, about a year into the process, I was in Tierra Studios recording vocals on some of the songs, and the studio manager pulled me aside.  He said “There’s a really fabulous guitarist from England who’s going to be in town next week.  If you need any lead guitar parts on any of your songs, I’d recommend you do whatever you can to get him scheduled for a session.  He’s only going to be in town for a week, and he won’t be back for a long time.” 

It just so happened that I did need a lead guitar part for some of the songs, and the songs that needed it were exactly at the point they needed to be in order to accommodate laying down lead guitar parts (we were building the instrumental parts in layers, rather than having all the players record their parts at one time).  The guitarist turned out to be David Munday, a phenomenally talented blues guitarist who has played on CD’s for several famous artists such as Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks, Bryan Adams, Natalie Imbruglia, and Belinda Carlisle just to name a few.  He gave the songs exactly what they needed! 

Had I tried to force the CD to be completed in a few months time like I’d wanted, I would never have gotten the chance to have David Munday play on it.   

Now I can see how things were working in my favor, despite the frustration of slow, grinding progress.  That was another huge reminder to me to trust that everything works for good – even when events make it appear otherwise, and that my human timetable is not always the best timetable.

So whether you would like to create something big or small, If you are tempted to give up
 or not even try because of how much time it may take,
I invite you to adopt one of my all-time favorite mantras:
“My dreams are worth whatever time it takes for me to achieve them.”

***If you are contemplating making a huge life change by following a long ignored life’s calling, I highly recommend Tama Kieves book  This Time I Dance: Creating The Life You Love

Want to use this article in your website or blog?

Please do so! Just be sure to include this ENTIRE blurb with it:

 Singer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker Shannon Modrell changes lives and mindsets by performing transformational healing music at international conferences, holistic events, and at Unity and SOM churches. 

If you want to be inspired, encouraged and empowered

 to live the creative fire within you, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to her Ezine Gifted U by emailing:Shannon@ShannonModrellmusic.com 

Visit Shannon Modrell’s  Website at

www.ShannonModrellmusic.com

Want to read more articles like this one? Visit Shannon Modrell’s blog at shannonmodrell.wordpress.com

9 Steps to Manifesting Whatever You Want in Life -Step 4 ~by Shannon Modrell

So far in this law of attraction series I’ve focused on getting better stuff and increasing our money, so I feel it’s a good time to point out what I think is one of the most important points about prosperity: it’s not about the stuff. 

It’s too easy to develop a “grab-it” mentality around getting things when we work with prosperity principles.  

But in reality, the whole point of learning to manifest is really about what kind of person we become in the process.  The real truth is that the manifestation of the good stuff is a by-product of living in the knowing that our needs are easily and naturally met at ALL times. 

In the last article we explored Step #3 in manifesting whatever we want in life which was “Be open to something even better”.  

 Step 4 focuses on one of the most overlooked blocks to creating the life we desire… 

 Step #4 Let Go Of The Old 

 Most of us have heard by now that we humans tend to stay stuck in our comfort zones, no matter how painful or soul sucking the comfort zone may be, and that often we don’t even realize just how much we are clinging to what is, and how that blocks us from what could be.   We know that if we are to manifest a new situation we must be willing to let go of the old one. 

But one of the biggest things that holds us back – and most often overlooked – is…

 CLUTTER!

Having things in our lives that are not in service to us jam up the flow of good into our lives (including the flow of money)!  Those old clothes that we never wear, things that are broken, things we really don’t want, gifts that we hang onto out of guilt, the mostly empty shampoo bottles with .05 cents worth of goo in the bottom that keep getting knocked over, the old cosmetics that sit in the back of the cabinet, the garage full of stuff we barely remember…

Do not underestimate how much this stuff blocks up your life.  It may seem unrelated to anything that is going on in your life, especially if you are accustomed to believing that reality is only that which you can physically see, feel, hear smell and prove.  Trust, me when I say it IS connected in invisible and powerful ways.  It slows down the process of manifesting your true desires. 

  

If you don’t believe me, try this:Get rid of everything in your life that does not actively, currently serve you or someone in your family.  Return it to circulation where it can be of service to someone if it’s truly useable, pitch it if it is not.  Do this in small phases if it’s overwhelming. 

 Organize what is left as best you can so that you crate order in your environment.  Do this in small phases too if necessary 

Start to notice how your life changes. See if life doesn’t flow easier, your thinking become clearer, your emotions grow calmer and your desires manifest faster! 

Peace, 

Shannon 

  Want to use this article in your website or blog? 

Please do so! Just be sure to include this ENTIRE blurb with it: 

 Singer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker Shannon Modrell changes lives and mindsets by performing transformational healing music at international conferences, holistic events, plus Unity and United Spiritual Centers across the USA. 

If you want to be inspired, encouraged and empowered  to live the creative fire within you, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to her Ezine Gifted U by emailing: Shannon@ShannonModrellmusic.com   

 Visit Shannon Modrell’s Website at 

 www.ShannonModrellmusic.com 

 Want to read more articles like this one? Visit Shannon Modrell’s blog at shannonmodrell.wordpress.com 

9 Steps to Manifesting Whatever You Want in Life -Step 3 ~by Shannon Modrell

In the last article I offered Step #2 for manifesting whatever we want in life which is “Get honest about why you want it”. 

 Step 3 Brings us not only what we want, but EVEN MORE!…

 Step #3 is: Be Open To Something Even Better

 Seriously.

 The gift of grace is that not only do we never fully experience the full consequences of our errors, but that we ALWAYS experience more good than we can ever imagine.  There is always much more good in store for us than we can fathom.  By working with the law of attraction in this way, we can bring it into reality 

I’ll give you a personal example of this: 

About 2 years ago I started to feel the tug of divine discontent about my then living situation in Houston, TX.  The need to move out of my 1950′s fixer-upper house and into something larger and nicer was bearing down on me like a sack of boulders because my soul (and my husband’s soul) was ready to birth a more expanded experience of life.  I mean it was getting downright miserable at times! 

So I began looking at houses in an area that would stretch us some financially, but not irresponsibly, and still be close to my husband’s job and school (he was preparing to leave the computer field and follow his lifelong dream of entering the New Thought ministry). 

 We fell in love with a house in a new construction neighborhood that seemed just too perfect to pass up.  So we put our house on the market and I started using the Law of Attraction tools I have used to manifest everything I’ve ever drawn to myself (namely the ones in this article) to draw to us our new home. 

 But instead of limiting my focus to getting that exact, wonderful, perfect house that we loved, I focused on the feelings that the house inspired in me, the sense of expansion from the open layout, the sunlight and connection to the outdoors from the large picture windows, the freedom of lower maintenance in a new construction home, the sense of order gained from better designed storage, etc, etc…and I always said “I want this house or something better!”.  I focused on the feeling – not the form!  I did this every day – at least once a day – for several months. 

Well, we never did move into the house, or the neighborhood. 

And the real estate market tanked. 

And we could not sell our house unless we were willing to take a huge loss on it. 

Instead…

My husband was offered a ministerial position in Nacogdoches, TX, a small town two and a half hours away from Houston.  This position would allow him the chance to pastor a church and gain ordination through a field licensing program, cutting down his schooling from 4 years to 2.  It also allowed him to go ahead and live the life he was meant to live sooner rather than later - in a church that really needed a minister with his particular skill set. 

Moving to the town also landed us an opportunity to rent a home that matched all the things I’d been manifesting, plus 2 extra rooms, from a woman who really needed to rent out the home or lose it.  We were able to arrange for a much lower monthly payment than a new mortgage would have been.  Moving to the small town removed all the sensory stimulation of Houston from my life so I could better focus on the expansion of my own singing, songwriting and writing career.  Plus we rented out our 1950′s house to a wonderful couple who really needed out of their bad apartment situation, allowing us to make a little profit on the property AND not sell it at a loss.

Had we gotten that perfect house in the perfect location as I’d sooooo badly wanted, we would have had to turn around and sell it in a down market (before gaining any equity) after having plunked down a hefty down-payment, or turn down the church position. And we would have had try to sell it in a down market.  So we not only got the essence of what I was working on manifesting, but we got much, much more, and in a way that brought blessings to everyone involved – people we didn’t even know existed when I started manifesting for a new house! 

I could never in a million years have orchestrated such a masterful plan or foreseen how all of these circumstances would dovetail to create blessings for so many.  So even though I probably could have manifested the exact form of that house in that neighborhood, I’m REALLY glad I knew to always stay open to something better!

 So I invite you to try this. 

Spend a little time each day allowing the feeling quality of what you want into your experience, NOT the exact form, as so many people in this law of attraction movement try to do  

 I would love to hear about your results!

  Peace!

Shannon

Want to use this article in your website or blog?

Please do so! Just be sure to include this ENTIRE blurb with it:

 Singer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker Shannon Modrell changes lives and mindsets by performing transformational healing music at international conferences, holistic events, and at Unity and SOM churches. 

If you want to be inspired, encouraged and empowered

 to live the creative fire within you, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to her Ezine Gifted U by emailing:Shannon@ShannonModrellmusic.com 

Visit Shannon Modrell’s  Website at

www.ShannonModrellmusic.com

Want to read more articles like this one? Visit Shannon Modrell’s blog at shannonmodrell.wordpress.com

9 Steps to Manifesting Whatever You Want in Life – Step 2 ~by Shannon Modrell

We all want  what we think of as “the good life“, however we define that.  And I’m here to adamantly declare that we CAN indeed have it! 

But so often we get in our own way and don’t even realize it, even if we’re reading all the books and working on changing our beliefs and doing the things the manifesting gurus tell us to do.

That’s why I am so passionate about bringing you this series on The Forgotten Rules: 9 Steps to Manifesting Whatever You Want in Life

 Today we’ll uncover step #2: Get Honest About WHY You Want It.

This will do 3 things: 

1) Bring it about faster,

2) Help you eliminate any unconscious, misguided attachments you may have to it which block it from your life, and

3) Make you aware of whether you really want it or if you want it because of what you thought it would give you. 
I’m asking you for more rigorous self honesty here – Spend some time really exploring the truth of why you want to experience what you are trying to manifest.  What unmet need is within you that you are hoping this thing or experience will fill. 

Let’s go back to our example of wanting more money (from Step #1 last week).  Start by taking an inventory of what you think money will give you: More freedom? Prestige? A sense of worth and value? Vacations? Toys? A nice home? Safety? Joy?  A sense of pride and accomplishment?  To fill a “hole in the soul”?  Make a list of these things.  Try not to judge them as good or bad.  Instead, just notice if the feelings you have around them feel good or uncomfortable – or both.  

Now, spend some time allowing yourself to feel how good it would be to have the thing you are manifesting.  Feel all of those things in your body, right now.  Take 15 minutes or so a day to do this (this is key).  Why? Because no matter what we are trying to create, what we are really after is the feelings!  That is the motivating force that drives us to desire the things we want more of.  And the magic of this is that by allowing yourself to feel the feelings before you have the form (the result, the thing you want), you will either draw that thing to you or the need for it will disappear. 

Another reason to discover why you want something is that sometimes we want things for a misguided reason.  We think that the thing or experience we desire will give us something we need.  But if we ever got it, it still wouldn’t fulfill that underlying need.  Using our money example, if we think more money will give us a sense of self-worth, external validation, or an escape from a sense of shame around not having it, getting more money would only be a band-aid for a gaping wound that is screaming out to be healed.  And we would always be dependent on getting more and more money to keep getting to experience the temporary shot of the feelings we wanted money to give us in the first place.  And it usually either doesn’t show up at all, or slips through our fingers quickly if we do get it.  By understanding the underlying desire and healing it, we not only heal the pain that we carry, but we also get to experience more of the outcome we wanted (in this case, more money) 

 A personal example:

 I used to shop quite compulsively and impulsively.  Consequently I ended up spending a lot of money on things that had novelty in the moment, but didn’t get used (which blocks the flow of abundance).  I also accumulated LOTS of clutter (which also blocks the flow of abundance).  And, I ended up with a lot less money because I was constantly spending it (which also blocks the flow of abundance because it reinforces a sense of “lack”).  But no matter how much I bought, it was never enough.  I always came across something in a store that, in that moment, I felt would add something to my life. 

Then one day I had a light bulb moment…

 I heard the concept I stated above: No matter what you want in life, what you’re really after is a feeling state.”  I began to take inventory of what feelings I was really after when I made all the impulse purchases.  Here was my list:

• Feeling of affluence and prosperity (all my needs are met – safety/security)
• A sense that I deserve good things (self worth)
• Ownership (feeling in control of my life)
• Newness and novelty (creativity and adventure)
• Having good things in my surroundings (quality) 

When I realized that the desire for these feelings was driving my need to accumulate, I began practicing allowing myself to feel those feeling qualities as often as the thought to do so occurred throughout the day. 

Soon my desire to accumulate and buy every cute or cool thing I saw disappeared because I realized I could feel those things without spending money on useless clutter.  And I realized I didn’t really even want most of what I had accumulated.

AND things of quality and meaning are now in my surroundings because I had money to buy them.  AND all my needs are truly met.  AND I opened the door for greater and greater sense of newness and novelty in my life through new experiences that bless me and others (creating a healing ministry through song, and creating this blog and my Gifted U Ezine for example!)   Law of attraction in action.  

So I invite you to look at anything you may want to experience more of in your life, or anything you want to bring into your life, and spend some time getting clear about WHY you want it.  (Hint: For me, writing it out helps draw out the truth that lives just beneath the surface.)

Next post  will explore Step # 3! 

 Peace,

Shannon

Want to use this article in your website or blog?

Please do so! Just be sure to include this ENTIRE blurb with it:

 Singer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker Shannon Modrell changes lives and mindsets by performing transformational healing music at international conferences, holistic events, plus Unity and United Spiritual Centers across the USA.

If you want to be inspired, encouraged and empowered  to live the creative fire within you, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to her Ezine Gifted U by emailing:Shannon@ShannonModrellmusic.com 

Visit Shannon Modrell’s  Website at

www.ShannonModrellmusic.com

Want to read more articles like this one? Visit Shannon Modrell’s blog at shannonmodrell.wordpress.com

9 Steps to Manifesting Whatever You Want In Life – Step 1 ~by shannon Modrell

The Forgotten Rules of Manifesting    

By now most everyone in the personal growth movement has encountered the knowledge of how to manifest their desires.  Thanks to the movie “The Secret” and authors such as Jack Canfield, Wayne Dyer and the Abraham/Hicks publications, awareness about the law of attraction has skyrocketed and the movement is a-buzz with discussion on how to create what you want out of life and achieve your greatest desires.      

And fortunately, the power of affirmations and positive thinking to improve a person’s circumstances is now in the consciousness of an ever-growing number of people.  
However…

I see a lot of people focusing on a very surface-level awareness of these tools that amounts to what I would call “magical thinking”, which is all about attempting to change outside circumstances rather than focusing on the place where true manifestation comes from: changing us from within. 

I’ve been working with the principles of manifestation (law of attraction) since the age of 17 (that’s about 23 years, now).  Through my knowledge of these tools I’ve attracted 2 houses, my husband, my current car, jobs, plus much more.       

 In fact, I write songs that are affirmations set to music because I know how effective affirmative statements are, especially when you sing them.  

 

  

  

  But…
 
If all you’re doing is stating affirmations, you are in for a long, slow journey to the realization of your dreams.

And you’re setting yourself up to give up and decide it was all hogwash to begin with

 This I can promise you: Even though affirmative statements are powerful and effective, you can say affirmations until you’re blue in the face, but if you don’t take the time to address the conflicting emotional reality within you about what you are trying to create, you will get nowhere.
What does “addressing the conflicting emotional reality within you” look like?  It means getting rigorously self honest about any beliefs and accompanying emotions that are counter to what you want to experience – and then releasing them.  

Journaling is one of the most powerful tools I’ve ever used to accomplish this.  Meditation is the other.  Both have a way of pulling out of us things we didn’t know about ourselves – things that drive us unconsciously.

So I’ve decided to create a 9 part series on the forgotten rules of manifestation! (If you don’t like rules, insert the word step instead

This post is all about Rule #1:

 1. Get In Touch With (and let go of) The Conflicting Emotional Reality Within You About What You Want to Manifest. 

 For example, let’s say you want to manifest more money. You must not only affirm that more money is here for you now, but also get in touch with any hidden beliefs -and the feeling that go with those beliefs- that you may be carrying around in your subconscious and that do not match the experience of having more money.  Some common offenders are: 

“money is too difficult to attain” 

“you have to overwork yourself to get it” 

“people who have lots of money have to compromise integrity to get it” 

“I can only earn as much as my job pays” 

“my job is the source of my supply” 

etc, etc.  
And then there is perhaps the deepest bugaboo: “I don’t deserve it”.  More people carry this one around without realizing it than you might think!  

 Pick your poison.  Whatever it is I promise you will have some emotion wrapped around those statements.  The more you struggle with money on a regular basis, the greater the disempowering emotions you have wrapped around it (ie, fear, pain, anger). 

Be willing to spend a few moments allowing yourself to feel the emotions that bubble up.  Notice the discomfort.  Try to observe it without judging it and making it wrong.  Now, ASK FOR IT TO BE REMOVED.  Ask whatever your higher power is, whatever force that is greater than you, to take it away.

Here is a quick visualization meditation that I was given to help facilitate this process:

1. Close your eyes, take a few deep slow breaths and get quiet for a moment.
2. Picture something you want to manifest in your life (new car, new home, better job, going back to school, ideal partner, increased joy, etc, etc,). If visualization is a challenge for you, just think about it for a few moments
3. Become aware of how this thing or idea makes you feel inside.
4. Ask to be shown what is within you that is getting in the way of having that experience.
5. Picture a tall waterfall within reach, right in front of you
6. Imagine that you hold in your hands whatever it is that is getting in your way of having that (even if you don’t think you got an answer, just go through the motions)
7. Put whatever is getting in your way into the waterfall and imagine the stream of water washing it away.
8.  Now get back in touch with the feeling of the thing you want to manifest and sit with the feeling that you already have it.
Next post we will explore Rule # 2!  

Peace,
Shannon

 

  

  

Want to use this article in your website or blog? Please do so! Just be sure to include this ENTIRE blurb with it: 

  Singer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker Shannon Modrell changes lives and mindsets by performing transformational healing music at international conferences, holistic events, plus Unity and United Spiritual Centers across the USA. 

If you want to be inspired, encouraged and empowered  to live the creative fire within you, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to her Ezine Gifted U by emailing:Shannon@ShannonModrellmusic.com   

Visit Shannon Modrell’s  Website at 

www.ShannonModrellmusic.com 

 Want to read more articles like this one? Visit Shannon Modrell’s blog at 

shannonmodrell.wordpress.com