The Simply Luxurious Life's Newsletter 84

Published: Fri, 01/20/12

"Mastering your fear means accepting it, owning it, and making it work for you instead of against you."

-- Rhonda Britten

No. 84 Friday, January 20, 2012

nd so life continues to pull the puppet strings it seems. Sometimes it pulls in a direction we would rather not go, but just as many times (and often more) it offers serendipitous moments that fill us with glee and absolutely astonish us. The irony is that we have more sway in determining what life does than we realize.

While life is its own entity, its own navigator, we do have the ability to cajole and nudge with our attitudes, actions and behaviors. However, if we only rely on hope, the life we desire will never occur.

Yes, this means that we must constantly be making conscious decisions. Yes, this means we must do the hard work, the research, and not just rely on hearsay. Yes, this means that we will have to be more organized, focused and clear about what we want to achieve. And yes, most importantly, this means we must not let our minds run our emotions, but instead be cognizant of our emotions and not let them get the better of us.

Last week, I was watching Oprah's OWN series "Master Class" which featured Jane Fonda, and she shared something about mastering those things we fear, those things that keep our feet stuck in cement unable to grow or overcome so that we may see what we are truly capable of. Simply put, she said, "When I'm afraid of something, I embrace it. I become its best friend. I know everything I can about it." By doing this, the fear dissipates because we only fear things when we are uncertain of exactly they are made of, so when we know all the ends and outs, we can then prep and deal with it appropriately and effectively.

To master fear is to propel yourself toward your destiny. To let fear master you, is to deny yourself the beautiful and beyond-belief reality that might exist if only you were to step out of your own way. In other words be willing to be the master of your mind, your emotions and your attitude, don't let them lead you astray. Project the image and behavior of a person who is confident, yet humble, serene, yet strong and observant as well as compassionate.

Dealing with the Unknowns of Life

During this past week on the blog, the theme focused on successfully changing your life and living in a way that is congruent with feeling accomplished. Monday's Inspirational post appeared to pique readers' interest - 6 Essentials to Create a Life of True Accomplishment, as it shared ideas that sometimes are overlooked, but should always be part of our lives if we wish to build a sound foundation of fulfillment. And then Wednesday's Why Not . . . ? followed up with help recognizing the stages we must go through if we wish to make a change for the better in our lives.

While we must always be consciously living and navigating our ships toward the life we desire, it's okay to bring a little fashion into our lives which is why Sunday night's Golden Globes Red Carpet garnered the most attention on the blog this week. Click here to see my list of best-dressed ladies.

Back to a more serious note, with all of the opportunities life offers us, we thankfully have a chance each time to enhance our lives and our experience, or to regress. It will require us to be mindful, slow to speak, yet quick to think, with regards to how we respond in every situation, but the potential is there for us to make an amazing life for ourselves. Have confidence in yourself that you are more than capable of mastering this. Yes, it will take practice, but the more attempts, the greater the success in the end.

From the icy Pacific Northwest, I wish you a wonderful weekend and continue making January the springboard for a most magnificent 2012. Until next week, I'll see you on the blog.

-Shannon

EXTRA FASHION & DESIGN POSTS

Reese Witherspoon - Elle US February 2012