How High Will You Fly? Inspiration & Tips To Bust Free Of Limitation

This talk shares an inspirational message, providing tools, tips and stories to inspire you to live in your genius and make a positive impact in the world. Message inspired by the book "The Icarus Deception" by Seth Godin. Step into a new paradigm and create a world that works for everyone. Create with intention, stand in your power, speak your truth, and make a positive impact.

Transcript

There's a children's game of tag where you draw chalk squares on the ground,

And if someone tags you from the other team,

You must stand in this square,

This chalk square,

Until someone from your team tags you out.

Now,

These are the rules of the game.

Truly,

There's nothing holding you in this chalk square except your willingness to abide by the rules of the game.

So imagine you're playing this game,

And suddenly it starts to get dark,

And everyone else playing decides to go home.

Well,

You got tagged,

And you're standing in this square,

And you so believe in the rules of the game that you feel like you can't leave.

It's getting dark,

It's getting dark,

It's getting cold,

And you are stuck in this box.

Now,

It sounds ridiculous to think,

Well,

Why don't you just step outside of the box?

All you have to do to be free is to realize that nothing truly hinders you.

Yet,

In our own mind,

Those chalk lines have become brick walls of lack of limitation.

But it's all in our own mind.

We make the meaning of it.

We decide,

Oh,

This means I can only go this far,

And we keep ourselves trapped.

But it's just a chalk mark.

Just like we say in affirmative prayer,

When we say,

Let that lack of limitation dissolve back to the nothingness from which it came,

And we stand in our truth,

That is how we transform our mind.

So what hinders you?

You are right.

So what hinders you?

Let's make this personal.

Let's decide today to have a shift to experience a transformation in our mind,

To step over that chalk line of what has seemed to be a brick wall.

What hinders you?

Say with me now,

I am ready to bust free of what hinders me.

I see the truth.

That is what we are here to do today.

See,

You must want to fly so much that you give up being a caterpillar.

That's from that wonderful book,

Hope of Flowers,

Yes?

You must want to fly so much that you have to give up being that fuzzy little worm.

But it can be hard when we see ourselves as a fuzzy little worm to know that something greater within us is emerging and seeking to grow and expand.

But that is the nature of the universe.

We are always growing and expanding.

So as Lola mentioned,

We are studying the Icarus deception by Seth Godin and he talks about this new paradigm that he calls the connection economy.

He says,

Our culture and the connection economy have made it easier than ever,

But still increasingly difficult,

For you to start walking the path of gods.

It's not a cliff or a chasm.

It's a stepwise path,

A gradual incline,

A method bit by bit,

Forgetting from where you are now to where you deserve to be.

I love that word,

Not where you want to be,

Where you deserve to be.

Dancing,

Dancing through life.

Yes,

You must leap into the void.

We don't know what it looks like.

It's dark,

It's scary,

It's unknown.

You must take that step over that chalk mark into the void,

And you must take that step over that chalk mark into the void,

But you can always start with a little void and then work your way up.

I love that.

Start with a little void.

Take a step.

Move in the direction of what is calling you forward.

And what is evident now more than ever with this new connection economy,

With this way that we're so plugged in through social media and aware and connected with each other all over the world,

There's so many opportunities,

So many ways to get our voice and our work out into the world that it's evident now more than ever that our consciousness is the only glass ceiling.

There is no more glass ceiling.

Infinite possibility is available to each of us.

So what do I mean by consciousness?

That is our set of thoughts and beliefs,

Also subconscious,

That we hold about ourselves in the world.

So we can only go as far as we believe we can go.

And that is why we are up to changing our mind,

Transforming those beliefs that hold us back.

What hinders you?

And how far,

How high do you want to fly?

That is where we begin our work.

And it's empowering because it's only our mind that holds us back,

Which is also quite scary.

You choose.

Because it means taking 100% responsibility.

But I love how Seth tells us it's a step-by-step path and so is the work of spiritual transformation,

Of changing your mind.

You don't have to look and see like,

Oh,

I want to be there.

When I'm here,

Start one belief at a time,

One thought,

One moment.

And each moment,

When something triggers you,

That's your opportunity to do your work and to change your mind.

And as you do that in each and every moment,

As that lack or that doubt comes up,

Oh,

Who am I to do this?

We take a step and then,

Like,

Oh,

No,

This is not comfortable.

And we start to go back,

Breathe into that moment,

Step into your truth,

And take another step forward.

And that's how we bust down that wall one brick by brick,

Thought by thought,

As we change our mind and step into this new paradigm,

This new belief system of possibility.

Einstein says,

Everyone is a genius.

Phew.

But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,

It will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

Everyone is a genius.

Say that with me.

Everyone is a genius.

Look at someone around you and say,

You are a genius.

Someone else,

You are a genius.

One more person,

You are a genius.

We're a room full of geniuses,

Creative geniuses at that.

And we all have these special skills and talents based on our own life experience and our own gifts that we have cultivated and that we have grown into.

And so we must stop trying to be someone else.

See,

We can look outside of someone and have mentors and role models,

But their way of doing something may work great for them and may bring much success,

But it doesn't mean it's your way.

So we are here to find our way,

Our own path,

And to step into our own truth in an authentic way of sharing our gifts and talents.

Ernest Holmes says,

Listen to your own voice.

It will speak in terms that are unmistakable.

Every person within their own soul is in direct communication with infinite understanding.

Let's read that again.

Every person within their own soul is in direct communication with infinite understanding.

When we depend on other people,

We are simply taking their light and trying to light our path with it.

When we depend on ourselves,

We are depending on that inner voice that is God speaking in as in through us.

Yes.

So that's what we're here to do,

To find our path and to know what is mine to do,

To be,

To share,

To create with the world.

Ask yourself,

How are you here to add value in a way that is unique to who you are?

How are you here to add value in a way that only you can?

And if you're not so sure what that is,

Ernest Holmes gives us this great advice.

Tune in,

Tap in,

Listen,

Connect.

We have a spiritual practice here called visioning,

Where we align with that divine presence and we ask,

What is the highest vision for my life?

What is the highest vision for this specific project or this relationship or this idea that I'm seeking to birth?

And so if you're unclear exactly on what it is yours to give,

To do,

To share in this moment,

That is a beautiful practice to just commune with the divine,

To listen,

To ask,

To be in the inquiry of what is mine to do?

Show me.

What is mine to do?

What is mine to share?

Who am I to be today?

The nature of the universe is always growing and changing.

And yet when we stay connected to that guidance,

We will always be on that path that is our unique path,

Taking one step by step.

So sometimes change can come and sweep us off our feet.

Yet if we're willing to let go of the resistance and to step into that flow and to listen to that guidance,

We will see that there is something bigger,

Something greater,

Pulling us forward step by step in the midst of what may look like chaos.

But to remain true,

Something within me knows what is mine to know now.

What is mine to know now?

What is mine to do now?

To stay connected to that guidance and to listen.

Some of you may know that I am the original director of Youth and Family.

I created our youth program here at BODI 13 years ago.

And I want to share a little bit about my journey.

Because I was here and I started that program and it was the exact call of my heart.

And then four or five years later I had the opportunity to move to Hawaii to teach theater to kids.

And so that felt like,

Yes,

Go live in paradise.

My partner,

We do this work together.

Be in somewhere that I love,

With someone I love,

Doing what I love.

But it was so hard to leave BODI and to leave that youth program.

It was the first thing that I created.

It wasn't a literal child but it was birthing something.

It was the first thing I'd birthed.

And so,

You know,

There was the sadness and the push and the pain and the pull but I said yes and I took that step and I moved to Hawaii.

And I thought I was going to be there for years teaching theater.

Well,

Pretty much as soon as I got to Hawaii I got connected with the Center for Spiritual Living and then the call to ministry came.

I didn't think this is what I was here to do.

I came to do theater.

And that call came so strong I remember thinking,

Oh,

This is a real thing.

This calling thing.

That's interesting.

I was at a leadership conference with Center for Spiritual Living and I heard a minister speak and I knew he is to be my teacher.

And so we moved from Hawaii to LA so I could start ministerial studies.

Now this was in 2009.

And for those of you who were here last Sunday,

You were here as we recognized my completion of ministerial studies.

Now if you do the math,

That is seven years later.

It's not a seven-year program.

So there was a little bit of resistance along the way in stepping into that true calling and stepping out of the comfort zone.

So I had a journey.

So I moved to LA.

Well,

Not long.

Less than a year we lived in LA.

And we moved back to the Midwest.

I dropped out of a ministerial school dropout.

I dropped out of that program,

Moved back to the Midwest and got a job doing youth ministry.

Back in my comfort zone.

I know what I'm doing.

I'm good at this.

See,

I grew up in this teaching so it's easy for me to teach and express spiritual principle to five-year-olds because I learned it as a five-year-old.

So that was my genius.

It was my comfort zone.

But what happened over the last two and a half years or so,

That calling for ministry really began to come up again.

I began speaking and teaching and sharing more here.

And all of a sudden,

That divine discontent,

That feeling called to do something,

Yet it's hard to break away from that old identity.

See,

I'd become so attached to my life as a youth director.

That was who I was.

And to think,

You know,

I've only ever been at Bodie on staff doing youth ministry.

What else is possible?

I don't know.

But that's scary because I don't know.

So it took a little while to move into that.

But when I realized that I was in my comfort zone,

That's when I knew it was time to change.

Something was pulling me forward.

And so I knew it was time to take that step.

And I continued or I got back into the program and I completed that program.

And I decided to leave my position here doing youth ministry.

And it's been a ride.

It's been a journey.

But it's so good to step into the flow and to stop resisting.

Lola knows.

So I share this with you to know that it's like,

You know,

Sometimes we can see something and say,

Oh,

That's for someone else.

So that's easy for them.

And then we let it stop us.

But no,

It was a seven year journey for me.

But here I am shining brightly,

Stepping into this calling.

Yes.

So when we get into that flow,

That's that space of being completely present,

Of trusting that everything is unfolding perfectly in our life.

We're not trying to make it happen.

And we are stepping out of our comfort zone and into that space where everything just flows through us.

That is the ideal.

That is how I want to live my life.

And this idea of flow,

It's something that I experience.

I think it's interesting,

You know,

Not only when I meditate and when I pray do I feel that flow,

But also when I create.

When I'm in the creative process of dancing,

Writing,

Coloring,

Speaking.

Anytime you're fully in the zone and not thinking and feeling that spirit moving through you as you,

That is being in the flow.

So again,

If you're looking at what is mine to do,

What is mine to share,

Think of those moments when you feel when you are in that flow.

And that could be a guidepost to say,

Hmm,

Try more of that.

Just experience,

And it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be your career or your livelihood,

But the more we can have these experiences of the flow,

The more we can connect and know and to listen to that divine voice that is guiding us forward.

And then the easier it will be to listen to that guidance and to step forward on that path step by step to our own authentic way of being in this world.

Seth Godin says,

Your puzzle is to find an idea or a product or an interaction that touches the right person in the right way at precisely the right moment.

The connection economy delivers access to more people in new ways than have ever been available to you before.

You get to set the stage.

You get to decide whom to interact with,

Whom the interaction is for to a point,

And you get to choose the outcome you seek.

All that choice gives you leverage,

But it also raises the bar.

Is this the best you can do?

That's a daunting question,

But with the tools you've been giving,

It's a fair one.

There's a lot in that,

Yes.

So we're here to find our unique way,

Our unique product or idea that touches the right person in the right way at the right time.

And he's saying that we have more opportunity to do this than ever before.

And yet it raises the bar.

How high do you want to fly is the question,

Not do you want to fly.

How high do you want to fly?

And then to realize that since the nature of the universe is always growing and expanded that you are fully sourced in resources with all the ideas,

All the energy,

All the possibility that you would ever need to have your idea be a success.

So notice when you are in your comfort zone and ask yourself,

Is this the best I can do?

Is this the best I can do?

Listen to that guidance.

What is pulling you forward to step into in an even greater way?

We are all artists,

Leaders,

Influencers,

Creators.

We are here to express,

To give,

To share.

And we are here to usher in a new paradigm of possibility and connection.

So I want to give some practical tools here.

So let's start by looking at the old paradigm,

The old rules of the game,

Of maintaining the status quo.

So the old way of being used to be follow the rules.

Color inside the lines.

Don't stand out.

Trust the system.

Learn how it's done,

How it's always been done,

And then do it that way.

Don't boast or be too full of yourself.

So think of how many times you have agreed to these ideas and allowed them to hold you back from what you are truly here to be.

Those are the old ways of being.

That's an old paradigm.

It no longer works.

And we here,

Those of us in this room right here right now,

Are on the cutting edge,

The leading edge of ushering in this new paradigm.

We are the creators,

The leaders,

The influencers.

So let's step into that new paradigm and here's how.

What that looks like,

This conscious creative artist that works for everyone,

Is to immerse yourself in cultures and experiences outside of your own.

Yes?

To question ideas,

To see if they resonate with you before you subscribe to them.

Find time to be alone,

To meditate,

To contemplate.

Create something new every day and put it out into the world for others to see.

This is so easy now with Twitter and Instagram and Facebook.

It could just be a quote,

A picture,

An inspiration.

Put something out into the world that inspires people.

Create with the intention of affecting positive change.

So be mindful of what you are sharing and what you are putting out there in such a way that you are the influencer of positive change.

Don't listen to others' opinions.

Do ask for feedback from those you respect.

You get the difference there?

Everyone has their opinion.

They're going to tell you a million different things.

Do this,

Don't do that.

That was good,

That was bad.

But who are those trusted few that you can go to and say,

Hey,

How was that?

Was that effective?

Was that clear?

How can I be better?

We're always raising the bar.

Stand in your power,

Speak your truth,

Especially when others don't agree with you.

You may be on to something there.

So much of our society is still living in that old paradigm.

So when you say something new that challenges the status quo,

You think,

What?

No,

That's not true.

And try to shush you or quiet you.

That's when you're on to something.

Stand in your truth,

Speak your power.

So these are the ways that we can usher in this new paradigm for a world that works for everyone.

Think like an artist,

Always growing,

Trying new things.

Be willing to throw something out if it doesn't work.

Be willing to try.

Keep expanding,

Making your art better.

Always creating,

Always in the flow.

Ernest Holmes says,

We are the chemist in the laboratory of the infinite.

What then shall we create?

I love that.

It's my new favorite quote.

We are the chemist in the laboratory of the infinite.

Anything is possible.

What then shall we create?

That is the question.

Step out of your chalk box.

Step out of what hinders you,

What limits you.

Step into new possibility,

Knowing that you are always fully sourced and resourced by the divine.

And ask yourself,

How high will I fly?

Thank you.

Reviews

I needed this thank you!

Awesome and inspiring! Thanks!!