What Is Your Constitution?

I believe we are here on this planet to know, love, and fully accept ourselves. When we know, love, and fully accept ourselves, we can know, love, and fully accept others - creating a conscious state of oneness. When we speak our authentic truth, we give others encouragement to do the same. When we understand our constitution, we become more aware of those around us, empowering ourselves to choose experiences that align with who we are and who we desire to become.

Constitution can be defined as:

· (n.) The aggregate of all one's inherited physical qualities; the aggregate of the vital powers of an individual, with reference to ability to endure hardship, resist disease, etc.; as, a robust constitution.

· (n.) The aggregate of mental qualities; temperament.

· (n.) The state of being; that form of being, or structure and connection of parts, which constitutes and characterizes a system or body; natural condition; structure; texture; conformation.

Understanding our unique Constitution is vital for our individual and collective evolution. Identifying our natural condition, the character of our BEing, and our vital powers or beliefs, is essential awareness that can bring about transformational change in our lives. Owning, accepting, loving, and embracing who we are can help us make better choices in our relationships, experiences, and endeavors.

Join me this week in identifying your own Constitution by asking yourself:

• What are my natural tendencies?
• How am I made up?
• What experiences, relationships, and activities do I need in my daily life to thrive?

As an example, here are some aspects that make up my Constitution - the elements that have always been a part of who I am and who I strive to become.

Jennifer's Constitution

...values authentic, honest communication.

...thrives when connecting with others, nature, and all things.

...feels aligned when building communities.

...driven to make a big positive difference.

...centers when the body-mind-spirit is in harmony...

...appreciates positive affirmation and verbal support.

...needs consistent, moderate exercise to feel in balance.

...connects to higher and true self with yoga & meditation.

...rejuvenates with healthy, whole, alive food.

...finds joy in beauty, nature, and friendship.

...loves to write.

...thrives when helping others be their best.

...seeks out connection - with life, mysteries, synchronicities, & all things.

...sensitive to sugar imbalances in the body.

...embodies strong opinions.

...craves learning and awareness.

...defaults to using mental reasoning and processing.

...needs organization and aesthetic spaces to be productive.

Celebrating The Autumnal Equinox

September 24, 2011 marks the Autumnal Equinox, the time at which the sun crosses the plane of the equator away from the relevant hemisphere, making day and night of equal length. "Equinoxes fall on the halfway point between solstices and occur, according to the Washington Post, "when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are of roughly equal length, everywhere in the world." It also marks the first official day of Fall where those of us in the northern hemisphere will begin to experience shorter days and longer nights, peaking on the Winter Solstice, December 22, 2011. The Autumnal Equinox is also the time when the sun enters the sign of Libra, the scales, reflecting the balanced day and night of the equinox. This also marks the time when farmers bring in their harvested goods, as I did yesterday with my delicious and organic, corn, zucchini, cabbage, swiss chard, and tomatoes from my garden.

Use this auspicious time to harvest your own bounty, whether that be the vegetables from your garden or the insight and awareness that has grown within you over the past year. Cultivate your creativity. Gather your awareness. Harvest your accomplishments and nestle in to the beauty and comfort that Fall offers you.

What Is Your Living Legacy?

On Monday, I viewed the beginning of Oprah's send-off celebration after 25 years and over 4500 episodes on TV. I witnessed the beginning of a tribute that left me teary eyed and in awe. A gathering of thousands of loyal viewers, famous admirers, and friends such as Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Beyonce', Madonna, Patti LaBell, and Diane Sawyer, honored a woman that has literally changed the world. Video clips, testimonials, and audience participation highlighted the profound ways that Oprah and the Oprah Show, empowered women, inspired healing, instilled courage, and motivated people all around the globe to wake up not only to who they ARE but who they can BE. And, what was most profound, was to see the positive impact these people are making on their own, NOW.

I found myself saying out loud as a tear of happiness streamed down my face, "You have to be asleep not to notice the shift taking place. Look at this, we are finally honoring and celebrating the empowerment of humanity. This is truly the ripple effect - where one person creates a movement that empowers others other people to create their own movements that lead to incremental and global change. I am so grateful to be alive at this time on the planet."

Oprah's legacy of hope, courage, and empowerment resonates deeply within me and inspires me to stay true to my own calling and authenticity. Her choice to be a powerful agent of service encourages me to do the same. Her commitment to honor her inner voice and inner compass reminds me to stay true to my own course. Her ability to lead, manage, and conduct a symphony of the human spirit awakens my passion and purpose to help people grow and expand.

As I look at my words, I remind myself that I am able to admire those qualities of light in Oprah because they are within me. You see, we are only able to identify qualities that we like or dislike in others because they are the same qualities that exist within us. We can use both perspectives (seeing the admirable traits or the negative, non-admirable traits) as opportunities to help us become more aware of who we are and more committed to who we want to BEcome.

Most legacies seem to be remembered in death. But, that does not need to be the case. Our legacy can form while we are awake and alive with every choice we make. As Madonna stated so eloquently, "Whenever I am asked who my role models are, or to name women that I can look up to, I say - dead or alive? The dead list is long and diverse; the live list has one name on it.... Oprah. Think about it, she has been at the top of her game for 25 years and she is still kicking ass. She fights for things she believes in, even if it makes her unpopular. She has balls and a well of compassion."

Whether you like Oprah or not, her living legacy has left an incredible positive mark on humanity's existence today. Let's use her or someone else you admire, to awaken our living legacies. Take a moment this week and contemplate who you really are and what it is you stand for.

Empowering Exercise:

Use these contemplative questions to help you consciously create your living legacy:

1. What do you stand for? What values do you want to pass on to your children or communities?
2. When people describe you, what 3 qualities would they use?
3. What impact or imprint do you want to leave behind?

Finding Comfort In The Unknown

When we are out of sync with our life purpose, the Universe provides subtle nudges that invite us to change our course. When we ignore them, they turn into wake-up calls that beckon us to shift.

All around us, change is happening. In fact, it has become a cliché that "the only thing that is constant is change itself." Surprises, unexpected events, opportunities, victories, and losses are all a part of being human. Despite this, it appears that we are living in a period of history where change is actually speeding up (documented by scientists studying the earth's rotation, planetary alignment, and quantum forces upon the planet of which we live).

So, what can we do about it? How do we find comfort in the change? Can we find inner peace in not knowing how events, decisions, projects, and plans will work out? Can we trust that our lives are unfolding and evolving exactly as they are meant to?

I believe the answer is YES.

We have a choice... We have a choice to resist what is happening to us or trust that clarity in the midst of confusion will be revealed at just the right time.

We have a choice as to how we perceive the events that are happening to us. We can allow them to shake us up, stress us out, and take us into a state of confusion, doubt, fear, and worry. Or, we can allow them to help us grow into the evolving human beings we are meant to be. The difference between which way we lean can come down to how stable, secure, and safe we feel inside of ourselves.

We can learn to access this powerful inner state of peace by turning within, by quieting our monkey minds, and by finding serenity in the silence that resides within our cells. With practice, we can quickly learn how to slow our breath rates when we feel stressed, we can learn to access our heart's intelligence when we feel scared or afraid, and we can learn how to find comfort in the mystery of our lives as they unfold, change, and evolve.

This week, I invite you to begin your own practice of inner peace. Here are a few steps to get started:

1. As soon as your feet touch the ground when you get up in the morning, say "Thank You" to your Source, to the day, to the unfolding events that are helping you become the best you can be.
2. Then, go to a quite place (a chair, a couch, another room) and sit comfortably for 3 minutes. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Literally, feel your body inhale and exhale, breathing in clear, light-filled, pure air, and exhale tightness, tension, and any thoughts or ideas that are not serving the best person you can be.
3. Continue your conscious breathing and place your awareness in your heart space. Bring in a memory that fills you with joy, happiness, or peace. Connect to the feeling this experience brings you. Allow this feeling to fill all of the cells of your body.
4. With time and practice, you can extend the duration of your conscious breathing and heart centered awareness that will allow you to access this space in times of change, stress, and the unknown.