Amazingly enough, while Brenda was here for a week and we were out hiking, dining and playing, I also managed to read a book in it´s entirety so I could send it back with Brenda. It was a light-hearted, fun book that had a great message. It was the The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella.

A great story about a 29-year-old high powered lawyer in London who has sold her soul to the law firm she aspires to be a partner in, and then makes one fatal mistake that not only loses her the partnership but gets her fired. She ends up as a domestic maid in a small English countryside village, learns how to cook gourmet meals and falls in love.

However, she is exonerated at the end of the story and needs to make a difficult choice. Does she leave this idyllic life, baking bread, hanging out at the pub with her lover on the weekend, suntanning in the garden and having a life to herself, or does she go back to the grind of sleepless nights, constantly ringing cell phones, non-stop meetings and endless deadlines?

Although the story is a bit far-fetched at times, it raises a great question for everyone. What sacrifices are you willing to make to have the amazing life you want? Will you work your tail off for 30 or 40 years to retire at 65 and hope the company is around to give you that pension? I bet you lots of people right now can´t believe that their retirement dreams have been decimated by the economic plight of many companies. All that work, all that money, all those dreams…gone!

On the other hand, do you give it all up, live a carefree life globe-trotting around the world and not have a plan for when you finally can´t do it anymore? Every one I know could earn more money. Every entrepreneur I coach has potential they are not using. Every day I ask myself this question: What am I willing to do to create my amazing life and what do I say, “no way” to.

You need to ask yourself the same question. Otherwise, you may find that you have sold your soul and you´re resentful or you missed the boat and you´re now sorry. This is a regular check-in for me. I suggest it be for you too.

One of the most amazing women that had a huge impact on my life is Tama Kieves, best selling author of This Time I Dance: Creating the Work You Love. When I didn´t know where to turn to or how to get my life to work, Tama´s book was a life saver for me. It never left my side for a few years. Today when I received her newsletter, I had to share it with you. It´s absolutely wonderful!

You can learn more about Tama at www.AwakeningArtistry.com Tama is definitely a resource checking out. Once a Harvard trained lawyer, Tama left it all behind to create an amazing life for herself and now helps people do the same.

This Independence Day, why not write your own Declaration of Independence?

What do you want to declare or break free from? I want to break free from holding back my power. I no longer want to live with only my low beams on. I want to shine so unequivocally that others decide to abandon their own shadow choices. I want to break away from the undermining thinking of the “realistic” world—and choose some independent thinking, some firecracker, celebrating, birth-giving thoughts. Here’s an excerpt from my DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. Want to come and live in my country?

As of this very second, I allow myself to be blessed.

I allow myself to be uncorked, unabashed, and showered with delicious good in every facet of my life.

I don’t need to fit in anymore, in the world of struggling, suffering, complaining, belittling. I am going nova and that’s okay. I am willing to have things be easeful and brimming with sheer wonder and I am willing to deserve this. None of us deserve this. That’s why it’s grace. It’s not about deserving. It’s about allowing Spirit to love and give to us.

Spirit, I am willing to allow you to give to me now. My work here doesn’t have to be oppressive. I don’t have to plod up hill anymore, dimming my song, or accepting crumbs and crusts and bowing my head. I can keep my heart wide-open and parade through wide-open doors in a welcoming world. I believe you want every golden circumstance for me. I believe you want me to experience more fun, jubilance, connection, generosity, nurturance, and synchronicity than ever before. I believe you want me to know your nature and your nature is not one of limitation or punishment or lack of any kind. I believe there are doorways to your kindness that I haven’t opened yet. There are oceans and skies I couldn’t see because I subscribed to the map of the world. There is honey I’ve never tasted, bounty not of this realm. But I am willing now to let go of the familiar and allow your unparalleled love.

I am willing to let go of what I think is possible or right or worldly or to be expected—and I am willing to allow you to dream through me, dance through me, breathe through me, grace through me, vibrate through me, peace through me, burst through me, light through me, laugh through me, gleam through me, dream through me. I am willing to co-create with you and I am now willing to no longer limit your power with silly, tired thoughts about my own. I am no longer willing to shape your destiny by crunching mine into a little ball of stunted possibilities.

Finally, I am willing to allow myself to be cherished and loved and nourished wherever I go and in whatever I do and it’ s not too much to ask for, it is barely enough, because there are so many dimensions of goodness and promise that I have yet to experience. The more I allow myself to receive—the more I can open up to receiving and giving my true love to this world as I have never given before.

Please check out Tama at www.awakeningartistry.com You will be so glad that you did.