How to Tame Conflict and Live Happier

It can cause a headache or migraine, or a nagging feeling of guilt. It keeps you from sticking to your diet, or going to the gym. It shows up inside you, in your personal relationships, between groups, or factions, and on a larger scale, it can explode into war.

I’m talking about conflict, which you may not have realized has been a root cause of your self-sabotage.

Defined by dictionary.com as, “discord of action, feeling, or effect; antagonism or opposition,” conflict appears to be a natural part of the human condition. Or is it?

On a personal level, conflict simmers below the surface, keeping you from living life fully. Things like helping a friend or relative when you really don’t want to; feeling guilty about bailing on chores to do something fun; avoiding activities you KNOW are good for you… all mean you’re in conflict. 

You may find it surprising, but there is good news… fear and conflict are the same, and can be resolved  with love. Yes, that may sound a bit simplistic, so I’ve included an easy way to release conflict and live your life wholeheartedly. 

How to Tame Conflict and Live Happier: 

1-  Don’t “Should” on yourself! The world “should” is a dead giveaway that you feel obliged. It means you are not committed 100% to what you’re doing. (And you’d rather be doing something else!) It’s the same with the words, “Have to”.

2- Stop What You’re Doing – If you get that “something’s wrong” feeling when you set out to do something. Stop. Recognize that you are in conflict.

3- Write it all out – Grab a sheet of paper. Fold it down the middle. Write down the benefits of doing it in the left column, and the reasons why you don’t want to do it in the right.

4- Feel it – Allow yourself to feel both aspects at the same time… I want to, but I don’t want to, Sit with both feelings for a while without judgment, and imagine these feelings surrounded with a bubble of love. It may feel uncomfortable or weird, but hang in there!

Bringing your feelings to the light, acknowledging, allowing, and surrounding them with love may be all you need to move into a space of happiness, committing 100% to living life fully.

 

 

 

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Fly Like an Eagle…

Do you know the difference between having a good idea and creating a vision? A vision will excite you, make you feel awake down to the soles of your feet, and feel almost ever present. A vision usually feels both exciting and scary and sometimes, you’ll secretly wonder if you’re just a tiny bit nuts. A good idea on the other hand, will feel pleasurable but more realistic and you may even find that you can move into action quickly. Visions tend to touch the soul so although it may feel good, you may find you’re having a little bit more of a challenge to move forward. This is normal so don’t worry!

A vision should be able to seamlessly work into every part of your life and feel natural when you filter it through your mind, body and spirit. A true vision will be in complete alignment with who you are, how you live (or want to live) and how you want to make a difference in the world. Yes, the “bigness” of your vision might create some fear, but when you “check in” you’ll find it FEELS right. Be aware of your feelings. If you really get into your heart space, (by placing your hands over your heart and bringing your awareness under your hands, and thinking of something you love) you should be able to clearly tell if you have a vision, or if you’re doing things simply because other people are telling you it’s the best thing to do. Your vision is yours so don’t be afraid to claim it!

Finally, make sure to hold your vision and be sensitive to outside opinions. People may mean well but they aren’t you, and it’s easy for others to project their fears, concerns or beliefs onto you. There’s a story of an eagle who was orphaned and raised by chickens. Every day, the eagle would look into the sky and see birds soaring through the clouds. He desperately wanted to fly and there was just something inside of him that told him he could do that if tried. Having been raised by chickens however, he was constantly fed the message that chickens don’t fly. So the eagle would longingly dream about what it must be like to glide through the air, looking down at the land and experience that kind of freedom. Sadly, he lived his entire life grounded because he listened, and believed what others were telling him. Had he only held his vision and tried to make it happen, he would have realized his dream of flying!
You are capable of what is put on your heart, otherwise, it wouldn’t there. “If you dream it, you can do it” may be a popular cliché but just like the eagle, clichés become clichés because they are often true. Maybe the vision you have right now is telling you it’s time to fly!

© 2013 – revised 2021 MarBeth Dunn – all rights reserved

Change is Scary!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” -Marianne Williamson from A Course in Miracle

Ever feel like you’re trying to stand and balance on a large ball as it rolls along? That’s life! Life is always on the move. It’s challenging, and change is constant.

Change can be positive, full of opportunity… but there’s always that temptation to play it safe and stick to the familiar and hold firmly to what you know… even if you don’t like it.

Fear is not comfortable and there’s a strong impulse to resist it. It’s fear that holds you back from the things you want…

It’s why you stay in a relationship after it no longer serves you, even though you know you deserve better.

It’s why you stay in a job or career that you’ve outgrown.

Fear holds you back from your greatest opportunities. It creates resistance when you start on an exciting new path. It keeps you small, diminished, unsatisfied, and lackluster.

Close your eyes for a moment and ask yourself, “What if I had no limits, nothing holding me back, and all the money I need, what do I want to do? Who do I want to be? What are my greatest aspirations?”

What images come to mind? What feelings… body sensations? The more you can feel it, see it, be it, your magnetism and desire will pull it into your life.

Notice the feelings that come up. Excitement? Fear? Does it feel safe to dream so expansively?

Write down what comes to mind and what you experienced in the vision.

Then let your vision pull you forward into a new and exciting future!

 

© 2021 MarBeth Dunn – All rights reserved

Did Life Let You Down?

Have you ever felt sad or let down when life didn’t work out the way you planned?  A job you wanted and didn’t get, a relationship that didn’t gel, or something you were excited about that never materialized?

Disappointments happen, and it can be tough to feel joy-filled when it seems as if the doors of opportunity in your life are closing around you.

There is, however, a different way to look at this.  Doors often close to protect you from what’s on the other side.

It can be difficult, in the moment, to be grateful for closed doors, but the Universe has an uncanny way of protecting you from things that won’t serve your best and highest self.

It sometimes takes distance to recognize that what you thought you wanted might not have been in your best interest.

Living in the now means releasing regret over past disappointments, optimizing the opportunities presenting in your life now, and recognizing that something better is on its way.

In the big picture, if you go back and examine all those closed doors, I’ll bet you’ll notice that more often than not, not getting what you thought you wanted was the best thing that could have ever happened.

 

© 2013 MarBeth Dunn – All rights reserved

The Longest Journey from the Head to the Heart

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It’s our light not our darkness that most frightens us.” – Marianne Williamson

Have you ever wondered what this popular quote really means?  In one sense it could be restated as, “Our head cannot take us where our heart wants to go.”

Have you experienced the longest journey personally; the one from your head to your heart? The head, or more accurately, the mind, has powerful rationalization abilities.  Your head will tell you it’s not safe, whereas your heart will tell you to just try.  Your head will tell you that this career makes more sense, your heart will tell you the career that makes the most “sense” is the one in which you’ll be happy. Your head will tell you why you should trust someone, yet your heart may tell you they’re not right for you.

When you make head based decisions as opposed to heart based decisions, you usually pick the safe route not necessarily the right route.  And that’s a real shame.  Your decisions may not be popular or look the best on paper but your greatness lies in being your most powerful and authentic self and that is something only your heart knows.

How to make heart-base decisions…

  • Sit quietly and place your hand over your heart.
  • Bring your awareness into the warmth under your hand.
  • Breathe love into your heart space for a few moments
  • Ask your question and notice how it feels.
  • Does it feel good? Or does it feel uncomfortable?
  • Therein lies you answer, and you can trust it.
© 2020 - MarBeth Dunn - all rights reserved

Give Yourself the Gift of PEACE in the New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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