When Your Plans Fall Apart On You

… a better plan is coming together for you.

It can be no other way.

Plans are the foundation on which we build our lives. If a plan you’ve worked hard on is falling apart, it obviously isn’t strong enough to support your growth. Don’t be upset that it fell apart before its vision was realized — be grateful that you now know you require a stronger foundation and build it accordingly.

Not every plan is meant to come into fruition. Some plans are more important for where they bring you to then whether or not they materialize.

Trust the process of your life — if something doesn’t come together for you, it’s because something better is just around the corner.

The best laid plans should fall apart if they are not able to support your dreams. Be flexible. If it crashes down, step back and recognize that there is something much better coming together. Know that it’s not a punishment, it’s a reward.

Life is funny like that.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s Book, “Life Lessons,” click here.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s Weekly Column at the NY OBSERVER, click here.

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If you would like more information on Life Coaching Sessions with Donnalynn, click here.

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How You Leave Things

… determines how you move forward.

In life, the way you leave relationships and situations determines the lasting influence they will have over you.

Do you walk away angry or resentful? If so, you’re still attached to that person/situation; you’re not emotionally free. Harboring negative emotions keeps you bound to the very person/situation you are trying to escape.

Do you leave with understanding and compassion? If so, you are beginning to cultivate a degree of detachment from the scenario that has you bound.

It’s all about how you let go. If you let go with negative emotions, those emotions keep you stuck reliving the drama and keeping the pain alive — it keeps reminding you that there’s no resolution.

If you can start looking at the constructive reasons for letting go and the ways it benefits you, you’ll be released from the clutches of attachment and begin to free yourself from the pain of the past.

How you leave things determines how you move forward… Don’t hold onto the pain of the past, you will only carry it with you. Learn to let go with love and that love will transform every new encounter you have.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s Book, “Life Lessons,” click here.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s Weekly Column at the NY OBSERVER, click here.

Follow Donnalynn on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook. 

If you would like more information on Life Coaching Sessions with Donnalynn, click here.

If you would like to schedule a session with Donnalynn, click here.

 

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Redefining FAILURE

… is a step closer towards success.

But we were never taught that.

We view failure as a setback, but in reality “failure” is NOT a setback, but a necessary “step-BACK” along our path towards success. Sometimes it’s necessary to step back in life to regroup and re-calibrate so that we can move forward in a stronger, more definitive way.

It’s important to understand that success is very rarely a steady trajectory upwards. By it’s definition, it’s frought with many step-backs — it has to be. After all, if you didn’t know failure, how could you ever really come to know success?

Our lives are about taking 1-step forward, 2-steps back and it’s the steps-back that enable us to “re-trace” our steps in order to do things better next time. The steps back allow you to process the wisdom you’ve already garnered and make some new decisions with it.

Failure is never falling short of your goal — it’s part of the process it takes to get there. When you learn what doesn’t work, you begin to understand more about what will work. Rejoice in your failures, they innately set you up onto a more solid foundation moving forward. The only way to get to the next highest mountain top is to come down the side of the mountain you’re on. Don’t fight the downhill slide, use that experience to go higher up the next mountain.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s Book, “Life Lessons,” click here.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s Weekly Column at the NY OBSERVER, click here.

Follow Donnalynn on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook.

If you would like more information on Life Coaching Sessions with Donnalynn, click here.

If you would like to schedule a session with Donnalynn, click here.

 

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When The Dust Settles

… you can see more clearly.

But not until then.

We all go through really confusing situations from time to time. And while you are going through them, they never make sense. They are NOT supposed to. At the time, you just need to get through them. But once the dust settles, you can begin to understand just why that situation was happening to you.

Clarity only comes with time. Take a step back from those painful, confusing situations and put your energy into something else. All the wanting in the world for answers will NOT bring them any quicker. Situations resolve and lessons are learned when the timing is right.

Let the chaos around you settle down, don’t try and force the dust to settle either. You cannot control the amount of time you are caught in that dust storm. So best to put on your goggles and gear and trudge onwards. The important thing is that you nurture yourself along the way. All dust storms create uncertainty, confusion and of course bring up fear of the unknown. But as long as you know that going in to the drama, then you can remind yourself that the dust isn’t forever, it is just an illusion and before you know it, that the dust will settle and you will have complete clarity.

Life is a process and everyone gets caught in the dust storm; the question is how do you ride it out? Don’t take it too seriously, the dust will settle and you will see what was there for you all along. You don’t always get what you want in life, but you always get what you need and once the dust settles, you can see what that is.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s new Book, “Life Lessons,” click here.

If you would like more information on Emotional Wellbeing and Life Coaching Sessions with Donnalynn, click here.

If you would like to read some reviews on Donnalynn’s Coaching, click here.

If you would like to schedule a session with Donnalynn, click here. 

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When People Get Stuck In Their Own Stories

… they CANNOT hear you.

They only hear what they want to hear or what they’ve been conditioned to hear. But regardless, when they are stuck in their own story, they won’t be able to hear you.

We all have these scripts that run inside our heads about who we are and how we show up in life. And just for the record, they are generally not very accurate. They tend to be the limiting, self-destructive scripts that keep us from greatness and/or keep us from learning how to truly connect with others.

It takes a very open minded and balanced being to be open enough/aware enough to hear the constructive comments of others and be able to distinguish them from the deconstructive comments. An open minded being doesn’t shutdown when faced with constructive criticism, they embrace it and seek to grow and evolve with it. Ask yourself if you are able to find constructive criticism in people’s words or if you just shut down when you hear things you don’t like?

On the flip side, have you tried to say something to someone you love and they just don’t get it? Don’t make yourself crazy. You can’t change people’s stories for them; it’s not your place to do so.  They live them everyday. They need them to exist. It’s not your job to fix anyone or save them from themselves. If they cannot hear what you are saying to them, it isn’t time for them to do that work with you. Back off and save your breath. Put your energy back into yourself. Don’t take it personally. Not everyone is able and ready to rewrite their stories. Some prefer to relive them over and over again because it is easier than trying to grow into new and unchartered territory.

Are you stuck in your story? Want to be free? Learn to let go of what you think defines you and open up to a new way of being. Life is too short to keep yourself stuck. If you stay stuck in your story, you will never hear anyone and chances are there is a newer and much better story out there for you. It might be time to go out and find it.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s new Book, “Life Lessons,” click here.

If you would like more information on Emotional Wellbeing and Life Coaching Sessions with Donnalynn, click here.

If you would like to read some reviews on Donnalynn’s Coaching, click here.

If you would like to schedule a session with Donnalynn, click here. 

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Learn To Let It Pass Through You

… NOT take you down.

What you attach to becomes yours but what you detach from NEVER impacts you.

You have a choice everyday as to what you will allow to affect you. If something in your life is upsetting you, don’t fight it, let it pass through you. When you fight/resist something, you give it life and validity. But when you detach from it, you diffuse its energy and it no longer has such control over you.

Life gets hard when you carry burdens that you don’t need to carry. If you don’t want it in your life, don’t give it any attention. Learn to let it pass through you, don’t attach to it and you will disarm the situation completely and what was meant to be a full out drama, will just barely irritate you.

By yielding to the storm, a blade of grass will allow the storm to pass right through it, whereas the old, stubborn tree will be snapped in half if it does not yield to those winds. As in all negative situations, learn to let it pass through you and you will be the one left standing when the sun comes out again.

Life is too short to attach to every drama that comes your way. Don’t bother resisting the negativity, you will only succeed in feeding it. You want a better life? Learn to let things pass through you. Only accept the situations that you want to engage in and let the rest fall to the wayside.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s new Book, “Life Lessons,” click here.

If you would like more information on Emotional Wellbeing and Life Coaching Sessions with Donnalynn, click here.

If you would like to read some reviews on Donnalynn’s Coaching, click here.

If you would like to schedule a session with Donnalynn, click here.

 

 

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Bend, Don’t Break

… learn to be flexible.

Learn to let things wash over you.

When we try to resist hardship, change, pain or heartbreak, we make it harder then it needs to be. Don’t fight the experience, learn to let it wash over you and leave you.

Many of us attach to the hardship, we personalize it and over-dramatize it and create bigger obstacles then need to be surmounted. Negative energy builds upon itself. If you want to create a monster, you can. What you resist, persists, but what you learn to look at disappears.

Be flexible, learn to navigate life with ease and grace no matter what is going on around you and you will ALWAYS have a better result. The slight and fragile blade of grass is still standing after a great storm, but the tall, resistant oak tree will be snapped in half. Strength does not guarantee success but the ability to yield to trouble allows you more options for survival. In the middle of the storm, bending and yielding buys you time until the sun comes out. If you resist, you will always be snapped in half… and Game Over.

Let each storm pass through you and as it does it will teach you something about yourself. It changes you and you find that you truly learn how to weather the storm. In life, don’t resist the inevitable… power through it, allow it to pass through you over and over again until the storm stops. When all is said and done, you will be the one left standing.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s new Book, “Life Lessons,” click here.

If you would like more information on Emotional Wellbeing and Life Coaching Sessions with Donnalynn, click here.

If you would like to read some reviews on Donnalynn’s Coaching, click here.

If you would like to schedule a session with Donnalynn, click here.

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Gotta Keep Your Head Up

… and learn to let your hair down.

Life is like that. It is all about balance. Yes, we have to be awake and alert to see the signs but we must remember how to have fun along the way. These two must work together at all times. But unfortunately they rarely ever do.

We tend to take ourselves too seriously and make things more grave than they need to be. We are overworked, over-structured and over-scheduled. We put focus on the day-to-day dramas instead of looking for ways to lighten our load. Remember what we perceive becomes our reality.

If you put your emphasis on “working hard to make a living”, you will NOT succeed in creating a happier life, but you will succeed in “creating hardship in your work efforts.” It’s as simple as that. The universe understands “working hard” and so will bring you many more scenarios where you will need to work harder than you are now.

Now that does not mean that you should not use your passion and your drive to succeed, it merely means to balance out your efforts by making your work more enjoyable and breathing more space into those moments so you are not so rushed and frenzied.

Learn to let your hair down. That project will still be there in the morning. Close the laptop and go out for a drink with friends. Enjoy this life you have created for yourself. We only end up imprisoning ourselves by the one thing we think is going to give us the happiness we need. Pushing and pushing for more never works. Find the balance in your work and life. Success in life comes from self-joy; it doesn’t come from working 24/7 at a desk – no matter what you do and what you tell yourself about how much you love it. Life is about balance and the universe understands when an imbalance is at play. If you are not creating space for real joy; it will never come to you. 

Life is to be lived and keeping your head up to make sure you move forward is important, but learning to let your hair down and not take everything so seriously is the key to true success and happiness. It doesn’t matter what happens to you, the sun will always come out again, but it’s up to you as to whether or not you will make time to go out and enjoy it.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s new Book, “Life Lessons,” click here.

If you would like more information on Emotional Wellbeing and Life Coaching Sessions with Donnalynn, click here.

If you would like to read some reviews on Donnalynn’s Coaching, click here.

If you would like to schedule a session with Donnalynn, click here.

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When Life is Hard

… why make things harder?

Life is meant to be easy, we are the ones who complicate it. Our human minds are so complex and capable of such great things, and as a result, we simply know too much. We overcomplicate things and over-think things. Always remember – the simplest answer is the best solution. 

We complicate many things for ourselves. In fact, believe it or not, we relish complicating things. Many of us have made a habit out of creating problems where none should exist. You might be saying, “I don’t do that,” but if you have ever forced your agenda on someone because you want things to be a certain way, you are indeed complicating things.

Things are what they are. We add complications when we try to hyper-control an outcome or demand things to be a certain way or have set expectations of the way something should be. Why not just let life be? Why create complications and set up a retaliatory position such that “I will not be happy unless this happens.” If that is your position in life, trust me you will never be happy.

Everything is energy and when you are putting the energy of complication out into the universe (through demands, expectations, unwillingness to compromise, etc…), the universe boomerangs it right back in the form of delivering more complicated situations and people into your life to answer what it assumes you are asking for.

Like attracts like. If you want a more easeful existence, work on putting out ease and grace into the world. Don’t need life to be a certain way for you to be happy. Know that the qualities you are sowing now are the seeds that will deliver the future to your doorstep. Sometimes life feels difficult enough, if we add to it by putting out complicated behavior, we are only creating more of a challenge for ourselves. Life can be complicated, but you do not have to be. 

The time has come to lighten our load – be less complicated. Treat life with more ease of being and then sit back and truly enjoy a more easeful existence.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s new Book, “Life Lessons,” click here.

If you would like more information on Emotional Wellbeing and Life Coaching Sessions with Donnalynn, click here.

If you would like to read some reviews on Donnalynn’s Coaching, click here.

If you would like to schedule a session with Donnalynn, click here.

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Do it Anyway

You are not always going to be appreciated for everything you do in life – do it anyway.

We talk a lot about being who you are and about not allowing yourself to feel undermined by others who do not understand you. The same goes for your initiatives in life. When you find what makes you happy and you excel at it, you should continue to do it whether or not others understand or support you.

Nothing and no one should ever hold you back from putting good out into the world. If you are contributing to the betterment of others, an organization, society, humanity, your work and life in general, then that becomes its OWN reward. Always take the higher road because it always leads you to a higher place.

This requires a shift in understanding. Our egos are so attached to being right, being accepted, being appreciated and being supported that when we do not receive that type of recognition, we get discouraged and feel deflated and sometimes lost. Generally this happens in our careers and it is partly because others are not always able to see beyond their own personal situation and that tends to complicate their perceptions of your work.

Again, you are not always going to be appreciated for everything that you do.

You are not always going to be acknowledged for everything that you do.

You are not always going to be supported to do everything that you do.

Do it anyway.

Do it regardless of the level of appreciation, support and acknowledgment you receive from others. Do it because it is who you are and do it because it makes you a better person. Leave the others in your dust. Don’t need for them to see your beauty. They will not always see your greatness. It is their loss.

Whatever it is you are doing, or want to do with your life, do not allow fear to stand in your way. Ego and judgment (by ourselves and others) are our biggest obstacles. In the face of adversity, you should be able to stand up and say “this is what I am doing” and do it anyway.

When you stop caring about the result and the approval rating, your success will trump your wildest dreams. Life is too short, get on it and do it all anyway.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s new Book, “Life Lessons,” click here.

If you would like more information on Emotional Wellbeing and Life Coaching Sessions with Donnalynn, click here.

If you would like to read some reviews on Donnalynn’s Coaching, click here.

If you would like to schedule a session with Donnalynn, click here.

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