The Power of Trust: Moving Away from Fear of the Unknown

While we were in our mother’s womb, we didn’t have to fear, control, stress over and worry about what color our eyes were going to be or how our organs were going to develop. We simply surrendered and trusted that everything was being taken cared for us. We trusted the wisdom of life and we trusted ourselves. But as we grew older, constantly hearing that the world around us was a fearful and hostile place, and being exposed to painful and unhappy experiences and circumstances, we slowly but surely began to drift away from that trust. We forgot about our true nature and we began to think that we were all alone and helpless.” ~ 
 

I have been learning a lot about TRUST lately, and about what it means to ALLOW a Power bigger than yourself to guide you and to lead you through life; about what it means to open your heart to love, and have faith that no matter what happens to you and all around you, you will always be safe.

 

As someone who has learned from a young age that if you put your trust in others you will never be safe, I know how challenging it can be to let go of fear. If you read my book, and if you watched the talk I gave at Awesomeness Fest, you already know that I grew up in a hostile environment where I learned to fear life and to always keep my guard up.

My father, who was meant to love and care for me, never really knew how to do these fatherly things. He was a lost and tormented soul who projected his pain and misery in the form of extreme violence on myself and my family for a long time. And as a result, I began to think from a very young age that I can’t trust anyone and that I have to be in control at all times.

This is what fear does to you. This is what fear does to all of us. “Fear makes you doubt the goodness in people. It makes you feel small and insignificant, bitter and resentful, unworthy of anything good. It makes you doubt yourself and everyone around you. It makes you question your own beauty and perfection, and it makes you question the existence of the most beautiful and most real feeling in the world, LOVE.

The Power of Trust

I used to be fearful of everyone and everything – afraid of God, of myself, my father, and of the whole world. But as time went by, I had to learn to let go.

I had to learn that you can’t hold on to fear and expect to feel loved. You can’t hold on to fear and expect to be happy.

Ten years have passed since I started on this path that I am now on, and in these ten years, I discovered that there is a Power bigger than all of us that flows through all that we are and all that we do. And that this Power is the Source of all Life – the Truth of who are, the Essence of our being. This Power is the Love we seek, and the answers to all of our prayers.

Moving Away from Fear of the Unknown

There are many things you can do to help you to trust more and fear less; so many things that are meant to help you realize that the whole world universe is at our service and you have nothing to fear and worry about. And today I would like to share 7 of these things with you.

1. Be okay with not knowing

According to Abraham Maslow, two of the characteristics of self-actualized people is that they welcome the unknown and are detached from the outcome. They have no fear of the unknown and are okay with no knowing how things will unfold. Seek to do things for the love of doing them, not because of anything else, and let life take care of the rest.

2. Talk to Your Self

We often hide from our ourselves and our fearful thoughts. I guess that’s because deep down inside we know they aren’t real. We know they have no real essence. And that is why I want you to look in the mirror every morning (use the pronoun “you” or your name instead of “I” as this will have a more powerful impact on you) and tell yourself.

YOU are loved!

YOU are safe!

You are divinely protected!

There is nothing to fear, only to love.

ALLOW Source to flow through you.

Let go and relax.

3. Devote 5 minutes each day to listening

Set aside 5 minutes each day to devote to listening to your inner voice and guidance. Take a pen and a piece of paper and write down whatever questions you may have. Allow the answers to come to you because they will.

4. Leave the past behind you.

Leave the past behind you and start each day anew. Forget about what happened yesterday, last year, or a day before that. Take the best from your past, immerse fully in the now, and leave the rest to Life. 

5. Open your heart to love

Take the advice of Mother Teresa and love until it hurts. Because if “you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” Don’t be afraid to love yourself, to love your and to love stepping into the unknown.Always remember that love can never hurt you. Love can only love. 

6. Let go of grievances

A Course in Miracles says that love holds no grievances. When you love, your mind is purified, and all the thoughts of fear and resentment that were imprisoning you and the other person, no longer have a place in your heart. Love liberates, and fear enslaves. So keep your mind free from resentment. Keep your heart filled with love.

7. Have fun

No need to be so stiff and rigid. Life isn’t as serious as we make it out to be. Be as a child – joyful, silly, cheerful and alive. Be soft like water. Let life flow through you.

by Luminita D. Saviuc

26 Life Changing Lessons to Learn from Audrey Hepburn

 “I never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people’s minds is not in my mind. I just do my thing.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn was one of the most beautiful, most humble and most loving beings to ever walk the earth. A role model for women and girls all over the world, me including. And because I believe there is still so much to learn from this wonderful woman, I decided to gather some of her most inspiring quotes and share them with you as 26 life changing lessons to learn from Audrey Hepburn.

1. Pick the day. Enjoy it.

“Pick the day. Enjoy it – to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come… The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present – and I don’t want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

“If my world were to cave in tomorrow, I would look back on all the pleasures, excitements and worthwhileness I have been lucky enough to have had. Not the sadness, not my miscarriages or my father leaving home, but the joy of everything else. It will have been enough.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

2. Accept life unconditionally.

“I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally; I never expected it to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped. Most of the time it just happened to me without my ever seeking it.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

3. Tomorrow is another day.

“I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles” ~ Audrey Hepburn

4. When opportunities come along, you have to grab them.

“I’ve been lucky. Opportunities don’t often come along. So, when they do, you have to grab them.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

5. Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!”

“I probably hold the distinction of being one movie star who, by all laws of logic, should never have made it. At each stage of my career, I lacked the experience.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

“I was asked to act when I couldn’t act. I was asked to sing ‘Funny Face’ when I couldn’t sing, and dance with Fred Astaire when I couldn’t dance – and do all kinds of things I wasn’t prepared for. Then I tried like mad to cope with it.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

6. If you ever need a helping hand, it’s at the end of your arm.

“Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it’s at the end of your arm, as you get older, remember you have another hand: The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

7. Living is like tearing through a museum.

“Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering – because you can’t take it in all at once.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

8. We’re all ONE world.

“The ‘Third World’ is a term I don’t like very much because we’re all one world. I want people to know that the largest part of humanity is suffering.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

9. People, even more than things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed.

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

10. Laughter cures a multitude of ills.

“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

11. Solitude is a great way to refuel.

“I have to be alone very often. I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

“I’m an introvert… I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk with my dogs and looking at the trees, flowers, the sky.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

12. A nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people.

“Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

13. Embrace yourself.

“Why change? Everyone has his own style. When you have found it, you should stick to it.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

14. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It’s the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

“There is more to sex appeal than just measurements. I don’t need a bedroom to prove my womanliness. I can convey just as much sex appeal, picking apples off a tree or standing in the rain.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

15. Make-up can only make you look pretty on the outside but it doesn’t help if you’re ugly on the inside.

“Make-up can only make you look pretty on the outside but it doesn’t help if you’re ugly on the inside. Unless you eat the make-up.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

16. There is a moral obligation that those who have should give to those who don’t.

“Since the world has existed, there has been injustice. But it is one world, the more so as it becomes smaller, more accessible. There is just no question that there is more obligation that those who have should give to those who have nothing.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

17. Everyone looks for a way of finding love.

“We all want to be loved, don’t we? Everyone looks for a way of finding love. It’s a constant search for affection in every walk of life.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

18. Find someone who appreciates you.

“Your heart just breaks, that’s all. But you can’t judge or point fingers. You just have to be lucky enough to find someone who appreciates you.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

19. If you ever get married, get very married.

“If I get married, I want to be very married.” ~ Audrey 

20. You’re never too old for fairy tales.

“If I’m honest I have to tell you I still read fairy-tales and I like them best of all.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

21. Happiness is health and a short memory.

“I heard a definition once: Happiness is health and a short memory! I wish I’d invented it, because it is very true.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

22. You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him.

“You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

23. A quality education has the power to transform societies in a single generation

“A quality education has the power to transform societies in a single generation, provide children with the protection they need from the hazards of poverty, labor exploitation and disease, and given them the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their full potential.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

24. True friends are families which you can select.

“True friends are families which you can select.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

25. The beauty of a woman, grows with passing years.

“And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!” ~ Audrey Hepburn

26. Water is life.

“Water is life, and clean water means health.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

 




Luminita D. Saviuc

How to Begin Rebuilding Your Life and Make It Ridiculously Amazing

  

“Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses, and disappointments; but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures.” ~ Joseph Addison
What if one day you woke up and decided that you were tired of feeling tired and that you had enough of everything? Enough of stress and anxiety, enough of anger and resentment, enough of struggle, lack, pain and poverty, enough of tears, heartbreaks, self-destructive thoughts, behaviors and relationships and enough of all that is negative and toxic? What if you decided that you wanted to change yourself and your life but didn’t know where exactly to start, what then?


There are many things you can do to begin rebuilding your life and make it ridiculously amazing and today I will share with you 12 things that are meant to help you do just that. Are you ready? Let’s begin:

1. Make a commitment to yourself

I (name),
Make a commitment to myself,
To spend so much time improving myself and my life that I have no time for worry,  judgment, criticism, whining and complaining;
To forgive, release and let go of my attachment to any past struggles and allow every challenge life sends my way to make me better not bitter.

Starting now, I make a commitment to let go of what’s behind me and start appreciating what’s in front of me;
To let go of all the pointless drama, all the toxic relationships, thoughts, and behaviors that are present in my life and to constantly shift my focus from the bad on to the good;
To make room in my heart for love, happiness, peace, and tranquility and to create my life from a place of infinite choices and possibilities – the present moment, and no longer from a place of limitations – the past.
I commit to staying true to myself at all times and to never betray myself just so I can please other people.
I commit myself to give up on toxic thoughts, behaviors, and relationships but never on myself and my dreams.
Starting now, and starting today, I will begin rebuilding my life and make it ridiculously amazing.
Sincerely, (name)
Once you truly commit to rebuilding your life and making it ridiculously amazing, nothing and no one will be able to stand in your way.

2. Forgive, release and let go of past hurts and resentments

Fill your heart with love. Forgive, release and let go. Not necessary because those who mistreated you deserve it, but because you do. Let forgiveness liberates you from your past. Allow it to take away all the resentment you kept in heart for all this time and allow yourself to fill in that empty space with love, inner peace, and compassion.
If others mistreated you in the past it doesn’t mean you have to continue their work. Look how beautiful Mark Twain talks about this: “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
Release and let go of all the negativity from your life. Start small and trust that as you work on letting go of all the extra baggage that is weighing you down, you will begin to feel lighter and you will gain a lot more clarity over your life. You will feel happier and more at peace with yourself and the world around you.

3. Embrace with grace all that you face

Shift your focus from the bad on to the good, from the pain on to the gain, from resentment on to the forgiveness, gratitude, and appreciation. Learn to embrace with grace all that you face.
Appreciate everything life sends your way, whether good or bad and know that “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melody Beattie

4. Visualize your achievements and create your destiny

Ask yourself the same question I asked myself a few years ago when I decided to let go of my attachment to my past and begin to rebuild my whole life: “If there were no limits to what I can do, be and have, how would my life look like?”
Let your imagination run wild. Dare to dream big. Don’t settle for less than you are worth.
The richer your imagination, the more beautiful your life will be.
“The power of imagination is incredible. Often we see athletes achieving unbelievable results and wonder how they did it. One of the tools they use is visualization or mental imagery… they made the choice to create their destinies and visualized their achievements before they ultimately succeeded.” ~ George Kohlrieser
See in your mind’s eye the life you would love to live, the person you would love to become and the relationships you would want to have. Live your life from the end and act as if all of the things you need and desire are already present in your life. Feel the feelings that come from having all those wonderful things happen to you and allow those feelings to be with you at all times.

5. Dreams won’t work unless you do

Act upon your heart’s desire. Do the things you need to do in order to get where you want to get. Read the books you need to read, contact the people you need to contact, build the skills you need to build.
Find a mentor. Dare to ask questions. Do whatever it takes to move closer to making your dreams come true.
Trust that with every step you take, your life situation will improve and you will become even happier than you already are.

6. Take one step at a time

Because of the many years of past conditioning and the intense training, you have in holding on to toxic thoughts, behaviors, and unhealthy relationships, giving up on all that is toxic in your life won’t be easy and it won’t happen overnight. Chances are that you won’t see major improvements in your life immediately, and that’s okay. Be patient and gentle with yourself while working on rebuilding your life and remember to enjoy the journey.
“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” ~ Greg Anderson
Take one step at a time and keep in mind that a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.

7. Develop a deep trust in life

You have to have faith. You have to have trust… Trust in yourself, trust in the people you interact with and trust in life.
Put your fears aside. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Develop a deep trust in the wisdom of life. “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ~ Matthew 17:20

8. Give yourself permission to “fail”

Give yourself permission to “fail” and make “mistakes”.
Trust me when I tell you that in every “mistake” there is a lesson to learn, a lesson that will be very beneficial to you as you continue walking on your life’s chosen path.
“There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they’re necessary to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.” ~ Richard Bach

9. Be good to yourself

Love yourself and be good to yourself because if you do, the world around you will start mirroring your behavior. Take good care of your mind, body, heart, and soul. Exercise, drink plenty of water, eat healthy and delicious food.
Nurture good thoughts. Act in compassionate and loving ways, towards yourself and the world around you. Spend time alone, spending at least 5 to 10 minutes per day in silence would make you help make you feel refreshed, rejuvenated and renewed.
Go outside. Spend some time in nature. Look at the plants, the sky, the stars, the moon and the trees. Celebrate the miracle of life.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ~ Albert Einstein

10. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations

Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling.  They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves.
Never get your sense of worth from outside yourself.  Your worth comes from inside yourself and not from forces outside yourself – people, events, material possessions. Don’t ever let other people tell you how much you’re worth, decide for yourself. It’s called self-worth not others worth.
You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.

11. Discipline your mind to stay present in the NOW

Learn to be present and engaged in the present moment. Be happy with what you have, what you know and who you are right now. Don’t allow your mind to trick you into thinking that you won’t be happy until you get where you want to get.
Appreciate what’s in front of you. If you learn how to be present and engaged in the NOW, you will live a very happy and content life and no matter how many challenges life will send your way, you will become a better not bitter person.
“As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolves, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out the present-moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love – even the most simple action.” ~ Eckhart Tolle,

12. Surround yourself with loving and supportive people

Surround yourself with positive, cheerful, supportive and loving people. People who can lift you up when you are feeling down; people who will turn on the light for you when you are in the dark; people who can see you for what you truly are and who you can truly become. Take the advice of Mark Twain and “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
You need positive and loving friends who will support you in your new way of life…
Commit yourself to making the best of everything life sends your way. Be soft and flexible. Go with the flow of life and no longer against it.
Enjoy the ride and no matter what happens to you and no matter how many challenges and difficult people life might send your way, know that they are all there to help you grow and evolve into the beautiful being you so much want and deserve to be.
You only have one life to live. Make it a memorable one.
Give up on all the toxicity present in your life but never on yourself and your dreams, ok?
“The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” ~ Don Williams Jr.



Luminita D. Saviuc

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