"Words to Thrive By" by Mary Anne Dorward

So often the people I talk with say they feel powerless: powerless to change themselves, others, their circumstances, their life. I certainly share a sense of feeling powerless at one time or another. I have learned, that often when we feel we are most powerless, we are in fact at our most powerful.

There is something quite powerful that takes over inside us when we absolutely know we are right and we know the other person knows it, too. We don’t always get our way, even if we are right, and others may still refuse to do the right thing, in the end. But to be a witness to ourselves or to someone who stands firm in their own belief is truly inspiring.

Observing someone who stands firmly in the power of his or her faith and country can be equally breathtaking. Recently there was a story on NPR about a Muslim woman who had been a translator for the Allies in WWII. Normally, translators in that job lasted a week before the Nazis found them and tortured them to give up information. This woman lasted three months in the job and when the Nazis captured her and tortured her, they could never break her.

They themselves began to doubt if they even had the right woman. Her internal power, Muslim faith and her belief in what was right for a better world, were far too strong to allow any physical torture to shake them.

There are all kinds of ways that healthy power shows up in the world.

How do you see healthy power showing up in your life and work?

“You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it

come true. You may have to work for it, however.”

                                                                                                                            — Richard Bach

This photo above was from my two year cancer free anniversary recently. My children and I celebrated with strawberry and chocolate mocha balls with candles!

What are you celebrating right now?

If you don’t test trust, then you will never find out who or what is trustworthy.

You know that game people play at school or at company retreats, where you take turns falling back into another person’s arms? You’re told, “Don’t worry, their arms are open and ready to catch you”? This game is designed as a trust-building exercise.

The test of your trust is the moment you finally release yourself, on faith and let yourself fall.

Your trust is justified the exact moment when you know you are truly caught in the arms of the other person.

Trust, in both personal and professional life, is never a game.

Are you trusting? Are you trustworthy?

When I am stuck at a red light and in a hurry, I patiently turn my attention to my breathing. On my in-breath I say, internally or out loud, “I am grateful for all that I am.” On my out-breath I say, “I am grateful for all that I have.”

Or I might say on my in-breath, “God is my source.” And on my out-breath I might say “God is my supply.” I’m always surprised at how this helps me begin to have patience for all the frustrations and delays that come up over the course of a day.

I actually look forward to delays now. A delay gives me a chance to practice my deep breathing and affirmations. And any time I am delayed, I am absolutely

convinced that my Guardian Angel is protecting me from something…a car accident up ahead on the road, a person, or a bad energy I don’t need.

Do you use affirmations in your life? If so, what is one you feel comfortable sharing?

How have you developed PATIENCE in your life?