I asked her what she wanted out of life. This powerful, unshakable tower of strength suddenly looked like a twelve-year-old girl. "I don't have permission to want what I want."

I tilted my head, raised an eyebrow and eloquently replied, "Huh?"

"Well, people like you always say we should live up to our potential - and that includes knowing what we want. Problem is, what I want isn't OK with me. So I guess that is why I don't get what I want."

After much digging it turned out that what she wanted was to quit her job and start her own company. She felt she would be letting down her co-workers, the boss, and her customers if she quit. Meanwhile, she was miserable. She wasn't giving herself permission to do what would be best for her - and ultimately best for her customers.

First of all - don't ever give yourself too much credit. We will figure out a way to muddle through life without you around. Sorry about that. We do love you, and we humans are resilient. We can find ways to stay in touch if you leave your job and go elsewhere. Or not.

Second - when human beings listen to a higher calling and step out of their comfort zones, the rest of us benefit - your courage and your success can lift others up and provide valuable services. Be willing to step out of the "prison of your own ideas" and move up to a higher level of consciousness and service.

If you are miserable where you are, you are probably making the rest of us miserable. We have to put up with your unhappiness. Unhappy and insecure people are a serious drain on everyone around them. And worse, when you don't leave "because of us," you get to play martyr and we just feel bad.

Here's a new concept: Live up to who you are called to be. Write your goals and dreams even if you don't believe right now that you have a right to want them. Then, when you complete your list, put a little "opt-in" box at the bottom of the page. Review it regularly and consciously choose to check that box and opt in to your dreams. It may not happen right away. Some things take time. Some dreams need editing. Some ideas need to be expanded and explored. Believe that you have a right to be inspired and inspiring. Believe in your ability to move out of your rut and into a new way of being.

If you won't do it for you, do it for the rest of us. If Thomas Edison had kept his ideas to himself, the human race would be without over 1,000 inventions that we use daily and take for granted. If Marie Curie had kept her ideas to herself, we may never have heard of radium and may never have had the new ways of thinking about how we cure disease.

You don't need to be Marie Curie or Thomas Edison. You just need to be you. Find your highest and best path and pursue it.

It is time to look at your self-limiting beliefs and knock it off! How long do you think you have?

Take care of yourself!
The world needs healthy people - we need YOU healthy!
Beth