Open your arms

  "LAUREE!!!!!!"

When an email from a former client begins this way, I often close it and find the nearest spot to sit before continuing. I want to be fully present for the story that's likely to unfold.

This one was from Deborah, an advocate for women's rights in the workplace.

She came to me wanting focus, a clear plan for making more than "just enough" money, and someone she could be accountable to every week.

Where we landed was so much bigger than any of that.

As with many of my gold-star-earning A-student clients, Deborah was already a champ at plan building. She didn't need help with that. What would really bring her the success she was searching for was at a level deeper. She needed to:

• Believe that what she wanted was possible.

• Believe that she deserved to receive it.

It is not always a clear path to these new beliefs.

It can mean getting past and through old stories that someone has been carrying around for their whole lives, like "Don't get too comfortable with this. It could all go away." Or, "If I'm not working hard, does it count?"

The process is like spring cleaning your mind. Removing those old, worn, ill-fitting beliefs makes room for the shiny new ones that give you purpose, and help you welcome in love, kindness and connection from every direction.

Deborah increased her gratitude, noticing every day how good things were coming to her not because she worked hard but because she was her generous, creative, compassionate self. She really is those things; any who has ever met her or spoken to her on the phone can feel her genuine warmth.

That email, sent long after we had worked together, was beaming:

"With you I experienced a life shifting awareness....  RECEIVING....

So much has shifted....  I am making more money... I've had a couple of speaking gigs (and more coming in 2016), I finally joined a gym and actually GO and most significantly...  I remind myself of my gifts and talents and when i appreciate myself i welcome in more abundance and in return have more to give to all who call this office and in the world...."

When you hear the stories you've been telling yourself, and choose to tell new ones, you can finally see how everyone and every thing in your life is conspiring on your behalf to give you what you want.

Your only job is to open your arms.

As you go through your day, see the support that is coming your way and open your arms.

What happens as a result will be so much bigger and better than you can imagine. Deborah is proof of that.