​I recently read an interesting piece on a ten year study on "genius" completed by researchers at Harvard called the Zero Point study.

They defined the genius capacity as being demonstrated by certain individuals that bring forth great ideas, transformational thinking, movement, social change, innovative ideas that transform and transpose us to a whole new height of living.

Have you ever felt nostalgic as you see a period of your life that is seemingly coming to a close?
Sometimes it is a move to a different country instigated by a new work assignment.  Parents can very easily relate to this when looking at their children growing so fast - one moment we are keen to see them grow up, become more independent and easier to take care of, while in the next, we yearn to stay in the moment while they are really young and just being child-like.  Sometimes, we feel nostalgia for the good old days in a relationship that has since evolved to a level which we no longer feel we belong to.

According to Mayo Clinic research, embracing forgiveness and relieving yourself of past pains plays a vital role in our Physical, Emotional and Spiritual health.  

On the Physical level, letting go of the past boosts your immune system, lowers your blood pressure improving heart health, relieves acute and chronic pain, improves digestion and balances your hormones.  Emotionally, forgiveness reduces stress, anxiety and hostility, enhances self-esteem, increases compassion and opens us to better relationships. On the Spiritual level, we feel re-connected with our closer and wider environment, our world expands and we are open to hear the innate guidance on how to proceed every day in alignment with our greater purpose.

These days we use navigation tools in so many ways that we can at times feel lost without them.  I know I have learnt to rely on my satellite navigation in the car so much that the idea of having to search for an address and then using a book as I drive to a new destination seems cumbersome.

There is another thing to be said about this.  The navigation system will offer more than one route to the desired destination.  The initial information that we receive on the suggested time that each route would take to get us from A to B doesn't always hold true.  

I love everything about Christmas — the presents, the great food, time with the family or friends that I don’t get to see or speak to regularly. I love decorating my Christmas tree and the house, wrapping the presents and listening to the festive music. But there is something else that I love above all — it is the opportunity to pause and take a deep breath, relax and allow ourselves to experience moments of silence and peace. An opportunity to sense the connection with countless souls around the world. It is a reminder that regardless of where we are, what we are doing or how we are living, we are all here at this time in history for a reason. 

Today as I sit in deep gratitude for all there is and all there ever has been in my life, I am reminded of a very different time and experience in my life.  Years ago, I was going through a challenging time, faced with a scary health condition and feeling like there was hardly anything good about my life.  In my eyes, the world was a hostile place and life was about nothing but struggle, full of obstacles and injustice where only the chosen few can thrive, always and only at the expense of others like me.

As we go through life, we distinguish as clearly as black and white between the good and the bad - we learn to do this from a very young age as we are trained by our well-meaning environment to become an individual who fits in with the expectations of the system and those around us.  So our beliefs about what is good and what is bad are deeply ingrained in us and form the basis of our habits, behaviours and choices we make later in life.

​There is a book “Power Thoughts” by Robert Schuller.  In it there is a chapter “Saying Yes to Your Dreams”.  Here is what it’s about...

What one thing would you do if you could not fail?  Write it down in capital letters.  Even if it seems odd or silly to you and your mind starts arguing for limitations as to why it couldn’t happen, just write it down in capital letters.  Let your imagination run wild.  Then, take a good look at what you’ve written down in capital letters.  

I’ve heard it said that some people live ninety years and others live one year ninety times.  The difference is that those living their years to the fullest are living their dreams.  We are all capable of living our dream lives when we open ourselves up to possibilities and opportunities.
 
We have been trained to look at conditions to determine what the opportunities and possibilities are for our lives, though these conditions can be limiting when viewed with just the five senses.  When we live outside the standard senses and use intuition, imagination, and perception we are able to more clearly see our heart’s desire and the dreams that will bring us the happiness we yearn.  

In many cases what sets “successful” people apart is that they make the decision to dream and dream big.  They also generally have a mentor or coach to guide them on their way. 
Making this decision can be a scary endeavour for many people, and yet it’s this exercise that leads us on the path to living a life we absolutely love.

What if we gave ourselves permission to dream beyond our current reality?  Where could these thoughts take us?

Taking these three steps can help you begin building your dream life.
1. Honour your discontent
Discontent is an important signal from our soul that something bigger is seeking to emerge through us.  Give yourself permission to enter and explore the realm of your deep desires.