FOR MANY YEARS I HAVE HELD TO THE DREAM OF LIVING in Central Coast California. After visiting in 1994, my soul felt an instant connection that remained with me. Well, after wading through a sea of fears, I relocated from the Mid-West to the shoreline of San Luis Obispo County on May 1, 2002. Today, I am thrilled to live amidst the splendor of the Pacific Ocean, foothills and mountains, preserves, estuaries, and forests. The move has brought forth many feelings including excitement, adventure, and a profound sense of fulfillment. But most of all, it has taught me that I have all of the courage and strength I will ever need to keeping move forward in my life, no matter what.

Throughout the entire move process, I had to release my attachment to living near family, friends, and performing the healing work I had developed over the years. To help me through the emotional challenges of the transition, I held fast to a term that reminded me of my inner courage. That term is “Assume the Position”. I know that term may conjure up different interpretations for different people, but for me, Assume means “I will accept my inner power. Even if I’m feeling afraid and powerless, in truth, I am powerful beyond measure.” While The Position translates into, “This is the pathway I am meant to follow for it honors my heart and soul.”

For example, there were many “unknowns” facing me as I relocated. In many ways, it felt as though I would have to start over again. Everything I had lovingly cultivated in Michigan, including a spiritual network, support system, and healing work, was suddenly unfamiliar territory when I landed in California. Also, with regard to my husband, Tom, who had made some great contacts in California, there was no certainty of employment for him once he arrived. All of this was a big change from the consistent security we had become accustomed to.

Yet the term Assume the Position kept playing through my mind. That phrase was a constant reminder to hold to my dream, keep the faith and have trust that all would be well. And so far, it has been much, much, more than just “well”.

Within one month of moving into our new home, I was offered the chance to teach A Course in Miracles at a nearby Unity church, invited to interviews on TV and radio, asked to be a guest speaker at a local festival, and most exciting to my adventurous side recruited to provide “spiritual kayak retreats” for people nationally through a coastal surf and kayak business.

These wonderful opportunities are not happening because I’m “lucky” or “special”. They’re occurring because I’m choosing to assume that I am courageous, loving, and deserving of having what my heart desires, even when I may not feel that way. I’m positioning myself for abundance and all that life has to offer, right here, right now. Further, I’m realizing that there is no need to wait when I can act on my dreams today. Marilyn Grey wisely penned, “Why wait? Life is not a dress rehearsal. Quit practicing what you are going to do, and just do it. In one bold stroke you can transform today.”

Tom has also gotten into the habit of assuming a position of optimism and faith. This has resulted in manifesting his own business and doing what he loves. Since moving, he has generated more fulfilling work, an enviable flexible schedule, and more prosperity than he’s ever known. Like me, he has had to face many fears, and in doing so, he has experienced deeper empowerment and self-love.

Most people live life and die without ever having fulfilled their dreams because they’re too frightened to try. Don’t allow that to happen to you. What do you desire to experience? Healed relationships? Conquering addiction? Making a meaningful difference in the world? Forgiving your past mistakes?

• Assume the position.
  Always keep in mind that any resistance you feel is proportionate to the amount of healing, fulfillment, and peace of mind you will experience once you begin to move forward.
• Assume the position.
  Don’t allow yourself to shrink. Rather, give wings to your mind and cultivate a life that empowers you to soar.
• Assume the position.
  By practicing faith and trust and relying upon higher guidance, you will assume the position you were born to assume: powerful, loving, compassionate, and wise. Life is worth living, so dare to live it; not asleep, as so many are willing to settle for, but wide-awake.

For me, the greatest lessons of this journey have been faith, trust, and courage. To move away from family and friends, and to start in a new environment with my spiritual work—knowing that everything will not only be just fine but just right—has required me to call forth the inherent courage that resides inside all of us. I’ve come to realize that courage, like love, is not something that needs to be developed. Rather, it is an energy that needs only to be accessed and expressed. Shortly upon arriving in California, I was reminded of this truth when a dear friend sent me the following words, composed by Osho, a wise Indian philosopher, and spiritual teacher:

You cannot be truthful if you are not courageous.
You cannot be loving if you are not courageous.
You cannot be trusting if you are not courageous.
You cannot enter into reality if you are not courageous.
Hence courage comes first…and everything else follows.