Let’s find inspiration in our accomplishments. By acknowledging the distance we’ve already traveled, we can enjoy our arrival, appreciate the efforts made to get there, and map out a deliberate travel plan for the next leg of our journey.

I open my eyes and look at the clock. It’s seven forty-five. I get out of bed; put on my shoes; grab a flashlight and head outside in search of a mountain.

Get this…when we’re born we like ourselves. We have no negative self-talk. In other words, we’re not pulled from our mother’s womb apologetic for having taken 22 hours to make our way down the birth canal. We don’t chastise ourselves if we drip placenta on the doctor’s shoes.

This is our birthright… to be who we are. To not make life decisions based on the level of approval we get from others. What kind of a life would open up for us if we could do that? Think about it.

In my own life I have set forth on a mission to change a quality that does not serve me. A tweak, if you will, on the original design. Nothing too enormous but the change could have enormous positive results.

A teacher of mine once told me that the difference between being brave and being a hero is that a brave person will enter a burning building to rescue a baby, while a hero will enter a burning building to rescue a baby … and never tell anyone about it. That leads me to believe that true heroism defies ego.

I thought about what I have held prisoner in my own cage. I thought about how impatient I can be to recover those pieces of me and bring them back into the light where I now understand they belong and have their place. I realized I couldn’t just drag them out of isolation and expect them to run free. It takes time. It takes love and it takes patience. With this newfound insight, instead of forcing Sam through the narrow door of the cage, I disassembled the cage around him. I breathed deeply with the knowledge that he needed space and he would come out when he was ready.

Here's the challenge. Next decision to be made...don't think about it. Place your options on either side of a coin - then flip it. When the random choice has been made - read your body for clues to what you really want. Your breath will either exhale with contented relief or utter dread. We know what those two experiences feel like in our body. You will have your answer. Just remember not to think and trust that your nervous system will reveal which decision feels right.