Introduction to Embrace Your Boulder Subscription Series:

“Yes, I have seen nightmares, but those pale in the presence of a world of sublime grace. To feel the prayers, the hope, the generosity of friends, families and “strangers” is to feel the breath of a choir of angels on my face. The world’s outpouring of love and generosity has changed my world in a way that no “mere” brush with death can compete. We are strong through this not because we fight to be strong but because the “knowing” is so strong– the faith is so strong– that it is “natural” to be strong. We feel your prayers. We feel your hope. With your wind at my back I face this quest with the determination of a warrior and the faith of a saint. I never feel that I walk alone and I will never falter.”

“I woke up bubbling nervousness, purpose and the chills of the pending “yet-to-come”. It’s a strange place to be these days– familiar in the sense that it’s still me, but unfamiliar in that I know that the world will never be the same. I feel a huge sense of “enormity”. Any sense of control that might have pretended to live inside of me on the Thursday before the accident has been replaced with the awe of greater meaning and the need to remain comfortable in the midst of such a wave of momentous change.”  2/29/16

So tomorrow (or should I say later today) as you look out onto the beautiful sunshine and the breathtaking skyline, take a moment to let your mind wander. Today is the day to promise yourself that going forward, you will now “risk” believing in miracles. You will believe before you see. You will replace the “impossibilities” in your world with a treasure chest of “I’m possibilities”! Schuyler is 100% proof that miracles DO HAPPEN. And for that matter, MANY MANY MIRACLES can and do happen.

Expect greatness. Dream it. Feel it. Smell it. Touch it. Celebrate it long before reality unveils it. Life is a poetic balance of the real and the magical so explore every inch of your masterpiece’s canvas! 3/9/16

The power of the human metaphor is breathtaking. The ebbs and flow of the Universe can sometimes feel like the mighty waves— relentless in their majesty. And yet there we sit, a metropolis of individual brilliance comprised of millions of individual lights. Alone, the lights are somewhat basic, but in the context of a skyline, the impact is breath-taking. Turn off even one of the lights and the vision changes, even if it is oh-so-slightly. Turn on enough light and that light can be seen in the distant corners of space. 3/11/16

We are human— which means that we are rich beyond words. We have been given the freedom to be one light or to dazzle as part of an entire city scape. I urge you to light up the sky (Schuy) today as you have never done before. Explode in your brilliance and dare any shooting star to shine any brighter… 3/11/16

Those were words that I posted in early 2016 in the days and weeks after a boulder had fallen on my youngest daughter, Schuyler. Her injuries were massive. The odds of survival were supposedly minimal to none. And yet, far from having this be a time of depression and despair, this time proved to be a turning point for me— a time when I was able to move beyond the decades of wounds, shame and sorrows that had built up over a life time. Suddenly, in the midst of chaos came breath-stopping clarity. Out of the darkness of apparent crisis came a gentle brilliance that allowed me to embrace and appreciate this amazing all-encompassing process that we call Life.

So how, I thought, do I begin to share this?

How do I begin to offer to my fellow human beings the opportunity to also seize the gift of joy and clarity that has been given to me?

It is hard to write these words because I realize how cliché they may sound to some— and yet write them I must. I do not pretend to tell you what to believe or even how to behave as you move forward. What I can promise is that what I share with you, I share from my very real experiences and from the parts of my life that have worked— and worked remarkably, often against great ( sometimes even seemingly “impossible”) odds.

THE CHALLENGE

Most of us know that we have dreams— even a mission. Definitely a “bucket list”. Yet, the propensity to sabotage our success without even understanding what we are doing is undeniable. Even pure and simple happiness is frequently de-railed by thoughts that say, “ I would be happy, except __________________.”  How many times have we heard our minds state that “it’s impossible to be calm/happy/ successful when _______”? Outwardly, we believe that we truly are  working hard to fulfill our dreams— and yet, our minds rant on with statements that paralyze us. “I’m basically a shy person.” “I’m awkward in a crowd of people.” “I have a tough time following through.” “I’m always late.” “ I’m not good at that.” “I’m a single parent.” “I just don’t have enough money to do ____” “I never seem to be able to _____” “I don’t have that type of luck.” These just begin to scratch the surface. It’s no wonder that “we” say that we are our own worst enemy. So how do we “stop the madness”? How do we learn what they didn’t teach us in school — that our minds are powerful yet at the same time, they are programable. We can learn to deliberately guide our thoughts, our beliefs, our purpose… We do not have to let our thoughts simply “think themselves” (as Esther Hicks would say). We do not have to rely on whatever the default setting of the day might be. We can learn the art of deliberate empowering thought as successfully as we can learn to ride a bicycle or speak a language.

MY PROMISE

As you progress through the EMBRACE YOUR BOULDER program, you will learn to identify the thoughts and beliefs that you have been giving air time that do not in fact serve you. You will learn how to begin re-programming those thoughts so that they add to your dream’s momentum rather than slow you down. You will learn how to master the art of mindfulness and intentional positivity. From there, you will learn how to tap into the monumental energy created by the power of positive expectation and true Joy.

Reset Your Inner Potential from Average to Extraordinary — From No Where to Now Here!

MINDFULNESS

Even though “mindfulness” is an ancient art — not unlike what was referred to as the Zen Mind in past decades— to many in mainstream society, it is a new concept that is recently getting more and more “airtime”. The goal is to be present and focused— to slow down the chitter, chatter in your brain…to savor the moment, often focusing on the inhaling/ exhaling motions of your breath.

What I’m going to offer in this program is the opportunity to dip your toe not only into the world of mindfulness but also into what I will lovingly call “my advanced version” of Mindfulness: InJoy-ousness . I know, not technically a word, but sometimes the most powerful feelings don’t need words to make them real.

We are subjected to years and years of “programming” — long before we realize that this is even so. We let others teach us how to define ourselves … how to think… how to define our “reality”… how to behave … even what to expect from our lives.

“InJoyous-ness” not only gives you license to live life full on — but it allows you to give yourself the gift of being fully present and powerfully (yet positively) focused. In this frame of mind, you WILL see your life and ever aspect of life differently. You will “real eyes” that stories are simply reflections of the one who is telling them. As your positivity grows, your stories can, will and do change.

If you are ready to make a powerful change, no matter WHAT your circumstance— no matter HOW BIG your dreams, come play with us on this journey. Your world will never be the same…!

In Joy,

Meridith Hankenson Alexander