Own Your S#*t in 30 Days: A Daily Guide to Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs, Stop Blaming Others, Becom

Bibliography

About The Author

Maica D. Walker is a Certified Estate Planner, and has been a financial advisor in practice for over 17 years. She works with clients in helping them establish, build, maintain and transfer their legacies, according to their wishes. She is an author of a book of poetry, Voice of Emotion, Journal I, published in 2002. Maica also wrote, narrated, directed and produced a Narrative/Dance/Theatre Production, Storm Recaptured, which was set to stage in 2007. Both the book of poetry as well as the stage production were written and performed under her alias, Indigo-The Artist. Therefore, this will be the first book written and published by Maica in her name. Although her predominant time is spent with numbers and planning for the clients in her boutique practice in Houston, Texas, Maica maintains a great love of the arts, from poetry and prose, to dance, theater, opera, live music, and visual art. She is often called upon for speaking engagements related to her field of expertise in wealth management, comprehensive financial planning, and estate planning, as well as for women empowerment workshops for women of various ages. Maica hopes that this book will help to inspire more people – men and women alike – on a much larger scale. She also hopes that someone will be motivated to reach beyond their current, and choose to become their greatest self – their ‘Ideal’.

Preface

I recently read something interesting regarding Albert Einstein’s Philosophy of Simplicity. It is apparent that he, a brilliant scientist, tried to take up the sport of golf, but gave up because it was too complicated. (I suppose I should not feel so badly now.)

The story is something to this….

Late in his life, a colleague convinced him to give golf a try. At his first lesson, the instructor, Gigi Carnivale, kept yelling tip after tip as Albert hacked away at the ball impotently.

Topping off one, completely missing the next, and slicing the one after that.

Carnivale continued hurling tips at Einstein Keep your head down! Keep your back straight! Bend your knees! And so on.

Yet Einstein still could not make solid contact with the ball.

Finally, Albert had just had more than he could take, and he picked up several balls and threw them at his instructor!

Carnivale swatted at the balls, ducking and dodging to avoid being pummeled.

What did you do that for? yelled Carnivale.

Young man, Einstein began sternly, when I throw you one ball, you catch it. However, when I throw you four balls, you catch nothing! So when you teach, make only one point at a time!

This philosophy is further spoken to by his words:

Any intelligent fool can make things more complex. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to go the other direction. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough. ~Albert Einstein

I lead with this thought to reiterate my intent to motivate simplistically. In this way, I hope to reach more minds and hearts, and share my legacy with many instead of few. Enjoy!

INSIGHTS

DAY ONE

Insight #1

Day One

Can you see the light?

INSIGHT 1

Your circumstances may be uncongenial, but they shall not long remain so if you but perceive an Ideal and strive to reach it.

~James Allen

This quote is very uplifting to me. It is a reminder that even when times are challenging, and situations just do not seem to be going in my favor, there is light at the end of the tunnel. It motivates me to continue in my perseverance, and to remain optimistic. Others, too, have experienced difficulties; and they get right back up to try again. Striving toward my ideal is what matters most. It empowers me to see beyond the obstacles and many vision obstructions, into what I perceive as my goal — my real purpose in life.

We must not allow our present state or circumstances to define us. It is imperative that we recognize each moment as a journey and not simply a destination. We must learn from each pathway and each step, and yet grow and improve with each forward movement into progression.

Although an individual may not presently live in his or her ‘ideal’, this does not mean that it shall remain an impossibility. The mere seedling within a thought — within a dream — is enough to plant a flourishing garden of advancement into a mental, physical and spiritual success. However, taking this initial step forward, going out on that limb, taking this leap of faith, advancing while drifting on a fathom of hope and belief, is the only real pathway to growth. Believing that the impossible can be made possible — this is crucial. Steady perseverance and tenacity through the most tumultuous weathers — this is challenging; and yet, it builds powerful character. It molds resilience. It empowers success.

This is not something that will come easily, however. We must be willing to swim against the heavy currents and tides that inevitably surface. Life rarely goes smoothly and without rifts for long. Nevertheless, it is these rifts and these difficulties that keep us alert — on our toes. These are the occurrences we will call to mind when we reach one of our ‘ideals’; and I say one, because there are many. Remember, life is a journey not a destination. We are constantly evolving, growing, improving, and expanding — this is the process of becoming and living a success. In addition, we need to encounter challenges and difficulties to strengthen ourselves for those we are meant to empower. Sometimes we cannot quite figure out why we are going through or experiencing certain difficulties, especially if repeatedly. It may feel as if life is just not fair for us. Perhaps it seems that we have been 'dealt a really bad hand'. Yet, there have been moments when I have looked back at very difficult times and realized how important these moments in my life have been, because they have made me into who I am today. They have given me the strength with which I currently stand. Moreover, although cliché, there is so much truth in the words what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger. There are experiences I have endured which allow me to be strong for others, some for whom I care or love, and some I do not even really know well. However, by someone much more superior to you or me, I was thought to be strong enough to handle these things, so that I may be a source of power or strength for someone who may not quite be there yet. For me, that is a privilege — that is a reward — a gift with which I have been entrusted. Now it would be a shame to waste this opportunity. I have the responsibility to share my gift and strength. This is how others become empowered — through our gifts, strengths, and power — if we are willing to recognize it — if we are willing to open ourselves and unselfishly share.

We each desire something more — some small and some great. We each strive to reach that 'something better'; some succeed, some give up in-route, some talk themselves out of it, some blame everyone else for why they cannot reach their ideal, while others may be very close and yet allow an outside trigger to move them off their path. Nevertheless, a strong belief system is essential. The moment you stop believing in the possibility, you lose hope and the negativity will defeat you and win. Remember, you are what you believe. You are what you allow yourself to believe as truth. Your truth is what will flourish in your mind and cultivate within your heart, and eventually produce and bear its fruit in your life by way of the resulting circumstances. You are responsible for the manifestation of your own greatness — only you. Therefore, if you do not succeed, you have only yourself to blame. You were your obstacle — your thoughts — your mind — your chosen belief system.

Your circumstances are the result of what you have allowed to be cultivated in your mind by your thinking and beliefs. So in order to manifest greatness, you must cultivate this thinking into your mind and heart, and truly believe in its power and the real possibility. You must see it as if it already exists, as if you can almost touch it. You must believe it into reality, in order to perceive it as your truth.

What is perception? Well ultimately, it is to see. However, it extends much deeper than just seeing. It is cognition and understanding. It involves intuitiveness, recognition and appreciation. It implies insight and discernment. It is also how things appear from the outside looking in. We may perceive things to be one way because of the way they seem to be. This does not necessarily denote truth or certainty; it is just the picture created for our viewing — sometimes intentionally, sometimes simply by chance.

How we would prefer others to perceive us is somewhat of a choice as well. Many of us know this, and are masters of this system of being. Fake it ‘til you make it?, I am sure we have all heard this phrase. (I am not condoning this action; I am merely stating its application.)

The perception of an ‘ideal’ - your ideal, of what exactly does this consist? Well, firstly you must see it! You must understand exactly what your ideal is — inside and out, upside down and right-side up. You must be able to recognize it. This is essential, because how else will you know when it appears? You must appreciate it — what it is, what it means to you, what it will mean for your life, your world, your happiness, your reality. You must be able to discern what it means, needs, involves, lacks, and requires. This demands insight and thought. This means that you must study and know your own personal Ideal better than anyone else — because it is yours! There can be no question of how it looks, smells, sounds or tastes. You must 'become one' with your ‘ideal’. You should eat, sleep, think, and breathe your ideal. Then, and only then will you truly believe it into existence, thus creating your ideal reality.

When it is so real to you that you can see it and just almost touch it, you must do everything in your power to strive to reach up and grab it. Not try — Strive! To strive is to devote or exert serious effort or energy, vigorously — to endeavor. It means, To struggle or fight forcefully, as if in opposition or resistance. It involves making a tenacious effort, or to rival.

You would not do all of this for something you do not believe is real, would you? You would not fight with all of your might for an empty dream or slight hope. This is why there can be no doubt in your mind that your 'ideal' can and will be achieved, without a possibility of failure or doubt. You must trust yourself to make it happen, regardless of surrounding occurrences, events, negativity or discouragement. Your determination, your strength, your tenacity and resilience, has to be such that nothing can keep you from your life’s journey.

As you continue in this struggle, with determination, power and strength, as you keep on your journey, maintain your path, perceive that ideal, and believe it, you can almost taste it. As you open your eyes and you see it, it is then that you will need to conjure up all of that stored strength from the struggles, obstacles, difficulties and blood, sweat and tears, to take that final step forward. At that point, you may open your arms out as far as you can, to finally reach, touch, grab, hold and claim your ideal as your own. The one for which you have worked so long and hard. The one you so desperately deserve. The one you have known all along that you would attain; and so you will.

Believe your ideal into reality starting right now, in this very moment! Allow neither an external hindrance, nor an internal delay, to keep you from your destiny. And when you - when we arrive - let us reconvene and share our stories. I cannot wait to hear about each of your journeys; and I am so looking forward to sharing my own.

DAY TWO

Insight #2

Day Two

I Am the Master of My Fate

INSIGHT 2

Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself…Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.

~James Allen

This quote is a reminder to me that each of us is on an equal playing field. It brings back to mind that no matter how humble or grand our beginnings, this is not a direct determinant of our future. This does not define my life and abilities, or how high I may choose to reach. It also cautions me to pay close attention to what is going on around me — to pay attention to my life and circumstances. If negativity follows me, perhaps this is due to my own negativity. If hard times are a constant, I may want to stop and ask myself what I may be doing to mirror such a result, especially if repeatedly, with no moments of even temporary bliss. It prompts my attention to who I truly am in comparison to the life I want. I am forced to ponder if my true self coincides with the euphoria of my desires and aspirations. Am I living my daily life, each moment throughout, in a way that will attract my ideal? It has been a tough yet eye-opening self-analysis. It is unforgiving and ongoing. However, I now have a subconscious reminder when I get off track. I have an innate self-monitoring system to help me stay focused and remain the reflection of what it is I desire.

In life it is easy and even natural, at times, to become disappointed with, and thus complain about, our circumstances when not ideal. Yet every circumstance in which we find ourselves is a direct result of our previous actions leading us to that very moment. We control our results more than we may realize or prefer to admit. We are the owners of our circumstance — the definers of our fate. As with the famous poetic words of William Ernest Henley in his poem Invictus, we are indeed the master[s] of [our] fate[s], the captain[s] of [our] soul[s]. The primary challenge with admitting to such is that by doing so, when things do not go as well as we hope, we’ve no one other than ourselves to blame. Human nature or inclination is to look for an outside source as the cause for a less than ideal result or circumstance. Passing blame is somewhat of a way to feel 'less guilty' or not responsible. Yet our circumstances do not define us, we define our circumstances. Circumstances cannot and will not exist outside of a stimulus or cause. We are that stimulus and that cause — our choices and our actions. Thus, the importance of our thoughts, our decisions, and the way we choose to act or behave ourselves. We are a direct product of our choices. We are the creators of our circumstances.

Our circumstances, regardless of how difficult it may be to accept, are a mirror for us. They are a direct reflection of the cumulative choices — mistakes and positives alike — staring back at us. Therefore, if we see circumstances that are not what we would like or prefer, perhaps we should take a long, serious look at ourselves. If we notice that we seem to attract negativity or distress, frustrations or failures, instead of the positivity and calm, love and success we desire, we may want to stop and acknowledge the painful truth.

We do not attract what we want, but what and who we are. In order to attract this positivity and calm, we must begin to exude and become positive and calm. If we would like to attract love and success into our lives, we must epitomize and define what it means to love and be loved. We must live as though we are the success for which we aim. It can no longer be an afterthought or a hope or dream. It must be a 'given'. Only by being, will we be able to attract these resulting circumstances. By being, you are proving that you 'can be' what it is you desire to attract; and like magnetism, it will naturally be drawn to you. There will be no way for it to resist.

So do you know who you are? Do you