Last October I took a trip to Los Angeles and Hawaii which truly taught me:

My choices determine how I experience life.

I learned that my perception and attitude to life experiences are stronger than the events themselves.

A year ago, my dearest childhood friend asked if I would do her the honor of presiding over her wedding which was to take place in beautiful Oahu.  The honor was all mine. 

My brother lives in LA, so it stood to reason that I would stop for a couple days to spend time with him.  The itinerary was 2 days in LA followed by 6 days on Waikiki beach, then back to LA for a day, then home.

Off to the airport I went, full of anticipation and excitement. 

10 days of sheer bliss.  Alone time with my brother, beautiful sandy beaches, time to read, reflect, drink cocktails, have fun, spend time with old friends and yes, the cherry on the top, officiating at the wedding of my dearest friend and the dedicated, loving, unique wonderful soul who was to become her husband.

I will keep what ended up being a very long story short.  3 flight cancellations, a drive back home before leaving the next day, a convoluted stopover schedule, less than 18 hours in LA (and almost missing a flight), finally landing in Oahu - 66 hours later - without my luggage.  I wore the same clothes for 5 days... awesome trip right?!?

Actually, yes, it was. When the first glitch in the plan arose I thought, ‘ya know what Tanya?  Paradise is waiting on the other side, don’t lose sight of that.’… and I didn’t. 

Instead of stressing when something went 'wrong', I chose to make the best of right now. 

When I was waiting 2 hours in a plane that didn’t take off, I happily sat there reading a book that had been on my bookshelf for ages.  When I got back home that night, only to take off the next day, I hugged my family and we laughed about the craziness.  When I arrived in LA, my brother and I talked and talked and talked (almost missing my re-scheduled flight to Hawaii) packing 2 days into 18 hours.  And finally, when my bag arrived at the hotel, 5 days later, I changed clothes each time I went into my room and wore every single outfit I brought with me in the 2 days I had left.

I enjoyed every moment of that trip. 

Ok I’ll admit:  When my bag still hadn’t arrived the day before the wedding, I got a little cranky.   I’m not a shopper so the thought of having to spend time buying a new dress didn’t thrill me.

But the airline called in the nick of time and I had my dress for the wedding.  My take away from that was ‘you get what you ask for’. 

When my bag didn’t make it to LA, I kept thinking ‘as long as I have my dress for the wedding, it’s fine’.  And guess what?  The Universe provided.

I got exactly what I ‘wanted’… who’s laughing now?

Am I saying that I do this every time things don't go according to plan?  No.  But those stories are for another time.

What it demonstrated to me, in a profound way, is that life is what you make of it. 

I had every reason to be miserable, upset, unhappy and whingey, but I wasn’t.

I single-mindedly chose not to let anything stand in the way of the great experience that was in my grasp. 

When I started to think I about what was going wrong, I looked around me and smiled. When people wanted to commiserate with me on the tribulations of my trip, I just nodded and changed the subject.

The wedding was magnificent.  The Bride and Groom were elated, we were in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and 2 remarkable families who are witty, dedicated and loving came together to celebrate this special moment.  I am grateful for having been included.   

Did things unfold like I thought they would?  Absolutely not.  But that was no reason to cast shadows on my experience.

When things don’t go according to plan, we have a choice. 

We can choose disappointment, frustration and anger.  OR, we can limit the time we think about what’s going wrong to what’s productive, then look at the positive experiences and opportunities the new direction is offering us.

I truly believe that things work out for the best and that the ways of the universe always have my best interest at heart, but that is laying the responsibility somewhere outside of myself.

I would rather empower myself by realizing that my decisions, choices and actions truly determine how my life unfolds. 

I choose to walk away from victim mode where my pattern is ‘isn't it awful that it’s happening to me’ and instead, take my experiences in hand, reject thinking that reflects on things in the past, and understand that I can only take action and change things from this point forward.  I focus on what I can change to make me feel better right now.

The bottom line:  You can’t change what ‘happens to you’,

but you can change what you do with it.   

Last October I took a trip to Los Angeles and Hawaii which truly taught me:

My choices determine how I experience life.

I learned that my perception and attitude to life experiences are stronger than the events themselves.

A year ago, my dearest childhood friend asked if I would do her the honor of presiding over her wedding which was to take place in beautiful Oahu.  The honor was all mine. 

My brother lives in LA, so it stood to reason that I would stop for a couple days to spend time with him.  The itinerary was 2 days in LA followed by 6 days on Waikiki beach, then back to LA for a day, then home.

Off to the airport I went, full of anticipation and excitement. 

10 days of sheer bliss.  Alone time with my brother, beautiful sandy beaches, time to read, reflect, drink cocktails, have fun, spend time with old friends and yes, the cherry on the top, officiating at the wedding of my dearest friend and the dedicated, loving, unique wonderful soul who was to become her husband.

I will keep what ended up being a very long story short.  3 flight cancellations, a drive back home before leaving the next day, a convoluted stopover schedule, less than 18 hours in LA (and almost missing a flight), finally landing in Oahu - 66 hours later - without my luggage.  I wore the same clothes for 5 days... awesome trip right?!?

Actually, yes, it was. When the first glitch in the plan arose I thought, ‘ya know what Tanya?  Paradise is waiting on the other side, don’t lose sight of that.’… and I didn’t. 

Instead of stressing when something went 'wrong', I chose to make the best of right now. 

When I was waiting 2 hours in a plane that didn’t take off, I happily sat there reading a book that had been on my bookshelf for ages.  When I got back home that night, only to take off the next day, I hugged my family and we laughed about the craziness.  When I arrived in LA, my brother and I talked and talked and talked (almost missing my re-scheduled flight to Hawaii) packing 2 days into 18 hours.  And finally, when my bag arrived at the hotel, 5 days later, I changed clothes each time I went into my room and wore every single outfit I brought with me in the 2 days I had left.

I enjoyed every moment of that trip. 

Ok I’ll admit:  When my bag still hadn’t arrived the day before the wedding, I got a little cranky.   I’m not a shopper so the thought of having to spend time buying a new dress didn’t thrill me.

But the airline called in the nick of time and I had my dress for the wedding.  My take away from that was ‘you get what you ask for’. 

When my bag didn’t make it to LA, I kept thinking ‘as long as I have my dress for the wedding, it’s fine’.  And guess what?  The Universe provided.

I got exactly what I ‘wanted’… who’s laughing now?

Am I saying that I do this every time things don't go according to plan?  No.  But those stories are for another time.

What it demonstrated to me, in a profound way, is that life is what you make of it. 

I had every reason to be miserable, upset, unhappy and whingey, but I wasn’t.

I single-mindedly chose not to let anything stand in the way of the great experience that was in my grasp. 

When I started to think I about what was going wrong, I looked around me and smiled. When people wanted to commiserate with me on the tribulations of my trip, I just nodded and changed the subject.

The wedding was magnificent.  The Bride and Groom were elated, we were in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and 2 remarkable families who are witty, dedicated and loving came together to celebrate this special moment.  I am grateful for having been included.   

Did things unfold like I thought they would?  Absolutely not.  But that was no reason to cast shadows on my experience.

When things don’t go according to plan, we have a choice. 

We can choose disappointment, frustration and anger.  OR, we can limit the time we think about what’s going wrong to what’s productive, then look at the positive experiences and opportunities the new direction is offering us.

I truly believe that things work out for the best and that the ways of the universe always have my best interest at heart, but that is laying the responsibility somewhere outside of myself.

I would rather empower myself by realizing that my decisions, choices and actions truly determine how my life unfolds. 

I choose to walk away from victim mode where my pattern is ‘isn't it awful that it’s happening to me’ and instead, take my experiences in hand, reject thinking that reflects on things in the past, and understand that I can only take action and change things from this point forward.  I focus on what I can change to make me feel better right now.

The bottom line:  You can’t change what ‘happens to you’,

but you can change what you do with it.   

In one of my Facebook Groups, the ultimate question was posed… ‘Sit Back and let the Universe provide? Or Take Control and claim 100% responsibility for your life?’

I have a real clear answer on that. It’s both!

And to be honest, I am surprised that my answer might seem conflicting to some people.

I am a firm believer and staunch advocate of the Law of Attraction and live my life by its principles. However, to the naked eye, LoA might seem to promote a ‘sit around and think good thoughts and good things will magically appear’ approach to life.

Not true. In fact, to quote our French friends, ‘au contraire’.

The thing is, the Universe can’t do it without you.

First, you have to be clear on what you want, which doesn’t mean focusing on what you don’t want. For some of you out there who are in a pickle because you don’t really know what you want, you just don’t want ‘this’ anymore, put your energy into how you want to feel… and then feel it in your bones!

That’s the Law of Attraction part. Thinking good thoughts, visualising, feeling, and believing that anything is possible. Focus on what you want in your life while rejecting thoughts that don’t align with that.

But if you really want the Universe to provide and make it happen, taking control and claiming 100% responsibility of your life is essential.

This means that you need to DO something. Take action so that the Universe can insert possibilities and opportunities into your life. If you carry on doing the same thing, continuing down the same path, there is no room for change. It also doesn’t really send a message that deep down you want to change. I mean really, if you want to change, you have to change something right?

Where the blend comes in, the perfect harmony between the Universe and your responsibility is that if you focus on what you want in life and take ANY steps to allow new things to come into your life, they will!

To create a massive shift in your life, you don’t need a grand plan or master scheme. You just need to move in the direction of where you want to be, no matter how small that step is. At the same time, you need to stay open to signs and be willing to accept that how you get to that final destination might manifest itself in strange ways.

It also means you need to start saying YES.

Yes to things that are a bit out of your comfort zone, YES to an opportunity that comes along that doesn’t quite fit into your plan, and YES to new things in your life that you otherwise couldn’t conceive. Because who know where they will lead you?

The past month has been a major shift in my life. In the past year I had gotten myself into a rut. I was keeping busy and doing stuff with people I like, but not pursuing my passion or shining my light. Things came to a head this summer. I woke up and realised that I wasn’t happy because I desperately missed doing the thing that really makes me feel alive… working with customers and helping them through their transitions in life.

So, I wanted a change. I took control of my life, starting with what was right in front of me. I thought, “What can I do right now to make my picture look different?” So I went out and met new people. In one week I did 2 new things. In that time, I met a man that’s looking for help making a documentary, a lady that owns a coaching center that rents out space and guy that works for the local adult-learning University that thought my work would be perfect there.

BOOM!

All I did was GO OUT!

And the Universe took over and put opportunities and possibilities on my path. Now it’s my job to take back over and follow up. Explore the possibilities and see where they lead.

Will I make a documentary, teach at the local University and rent space to do workshops? I don’t know. But in the space of 1 week I went from feeling stuck, to seeing real possibilities in front of me.

All I had to was take responsibility for my life and let the Universe provide.

The first thing people say when they hear the word Mandala is "Aren't they those things with intricate shapes and lots of colors, like from Buddhism or something?"

My answer is: “Yes, they are, but that’s only one kind.  Anything drawn in a circle is a Mandala, and you can draw them yourself to get insights into your life…it’s so cool!”

At that point, I see their eyes glaze over in a panic, thinking things like ‘I’m not an artist,’ and ‘there’s no way I could draw something like that’, and then befuddlement sinks in, and they wonder; how on earth they could find out more about themselves by coloring?

Drawing Mandalas is a fantastic tools for self-discovery

They’ve been used throughout the centuries and across many spiritual practices as tools and symbols representing the soul and our place in the Universe.  I could expand ad nauseam on the history and value they have in spiritual and personal growth, but I am going to try to stick to the basics here:

1.    Mandalas are traditionally used as meditative tools and spiritual symbols.

2.    Carl Jung introduced the modern era to Mandala drawing as a form of self-discovery.

3.    Anything drawn in a circle or a circular image is considered a Mandala and anyone can draw one, you don’t need to be an artist.

4.    They come in many forms.  Drawing on paper or parchment is most common, but sand, sculptural, textile and mural mandalas are other known forms, just to name a few.

5.    They can represent the Universe in its infinite wisdom, or a piece of our inner-self or soul that provides guidance and direction.

6.    Generally, a mandala is created with an intention.  Either a broad concept for meditation such as Inner Peace or Love, or a personal intention for inner guidance and insight.

7.    Drawing Mandalas is FUN!

The woo-woo explanation of Mandala is that you’re connecting with your soul, asking to share its infinite wisdom through your creative hand.

The more down to earth is:

It allows you to set your thinking aside and let your intuition speak.

Setting all terms aside that might have connotations that you freak you out; it’s a way to let YOU tell YOURSELF something about YOU!

Does it seem deep and complex?  It’s not.

Take a plate, saucer or bowl; use that to create a circle on your page, lift it, and just color… knock yourself out and have fun!

Don’t think, analyze or ponder… just color.  Color like you mean it. Have fun!  Take the opportunity to create whatever comes to mind and damn the consequences!

This is where the magic happens

You’ll get answers to questions you didn’t know you had, and see things in a way that you didn’t know you could.

The key is when you’re done drawing, step back, walk away, disconnect and… allow.

When you’re intensively in that creative moment you see things, assume ‘logical steps’ in what you’re creating and move in that direction.  Jot all that down so you don’t forget.

But then!

Walk away, step back and create some distance.  When you go back and look at it with new eyes, eyes that are different from the creator, you’ll see different stuff.

Look at it from the initial intention’s point of view, and you might surprise yourself as to how intuitive you really are.

Mandala drawing started out as a deeply spiritual experience meant only for the chosen few… but has been understood and transformed into a tool that can help every individual…

and the best part is, you just need to let loose and have fun drawing, then step back and soak it all in!

Life is good!

If you'd like to give Mandala drawing a try but don't know where to start, get my free download 'Let Your Soul Speak.'   It is a step by step guide on how to draw Intuitive Mandalas that will connect you with your hearts desire and lead you to insights to show you the way.