Podcast!

by | Oct 7, 2020 | Inspiration, Love

 
How are you? Are you getting Zoom-literate now? I hope you’re feeling well and everyone you love is feeling well too.
 
Exciting news! My podcast is up on all podcast formats. It’s called, Connected Living with Cherie Ray, Truths & Understandings for the Business of Life.
 
Here’s a description of what we’re up to on the podcast: Experts sharing truths, understandings, and insights that are helpful for the business of life. Who doesn’t want a smoother ride? That’s what this show is all about. Offering a smoother ride with all of life’s hot topics; career, relationships, creativity, and all the other things we encounter in life. You will gain distillations of wisdom oriented to living a limitless and fulfilled life.
 
If you enjoy listening to podcasts, please subscribe and rate the podcast by following these links (Apple | Spotify | Google ). If you know of someone who would enjoy listening, please share.
 
Your support is always appreciated.
Warmest wishes,
Cherie

Covid-Land

by | May 27, 2020 | Conversations, Inspiration

I hope you’re doing well!
I’ve loved hearing from you about the invitation extended last week to do something you’ve never done before, right where you are in Covid-Land.
Right after sending you the invitation, I called to check on my mom. To my surprise, my 89-year young mom and my sister were smack-dab in the middle of doing something my mom has wanted to do for a long time, but never had. I loved the cosmic coincidence. She was moving from her inspiration and I was too.
Her long-time desire was to send a letter to Jenna Bush Hager. I had no I idea this was a long-standing desire of hers. She wanted to share with Jenna a remembrance of her grandmother, Barbara Bush.
Now you’re probably wondering what’s the deal with Barbara Bush? Well, Barbara Bush has a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. My mother had a famous chocolate chip recipe that was immensely popular until Barbara’s recipe came on the scene. When she shared Barbara’s recipe, her 60-year-old recipe got dethroned!
As a family, we’ve shared countless hours baking cookies together. It’s a place where we get together and share precious time. Everyone has their role in the process. Too funny!
I encourage you to take a break from Covid-land and do something you’ve never done before. You will find the action of engaging very invigorating. Let trying something new be a game. You truly have nothing to lose!
Please share what you do with me, cherie@cherieray.com. I’d love to hear about it.
Sending smiles,
Cherie

Capacity, Resilience, Potential: You’re not tapped out!

by | Mar 16, 2020 | Being Human, Inspiration

Does your mind subtlety suggest to you that you have limits to your capacity, your resilience, your potential? I find it fascinating that our minds are so convincing about what’s available to us in our lives. What’s equally fascinating is the reality that our bodies get flooded with emotion matched with what looks real in our minds. A feeling of stuckness, defeat, disappointment, why bother? It runs the gambit. Where our minds go, our emotions follow. I also chuckle that there is this part of me, my thinking mind, which dwells in the past or the future, rarely present in the moment, offers me convincing input on how life works in real time.
This comes to mind because I saw Willie Nelson and his sister, Bobbie, perform at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this week. My mind subtlety projected into the future and filled me in on how the concert would be. Well once again my mind was wrong, way wrong.
As I watched Willie play tunes, he’s played a zillion times before with passion, presence, and energy, I was struck by what I was seeing. Here’s a person 87 years of age, performing in front of 70,000 people and having a blast. On one song his sister Bobbie was featured. She was banging those piano keys at the speed of Chuck Berry or Jerry Lee Lewis. I was so taken by her performance that I looked her up and saw that she’s 89 years of age!
I wanted to share this story because I found so much inspiration around what’s TRUE and what we perceived to be true around our capacity, our resilience, and our potential. Too often we believe what we think without question. It’s helpful to see we have the option to align with our perceptions or we can align with what’s TRUE about life. Anything is possible for us. If we have a heartbeat, it’s a sure sign that pure potential is present.
Sending smiles, Cherie

Following the Inspirations that Come

by | Jan 17, 2020 | Conversations, Inspiration

Following the Inspirations that Come
Dear cheryl,
Following inspiration is captivating me at the beginning of this new year. It occurs to me that inspiration is an invitation from the Intelligence behind all life to explore beyond the known. Inspiration is something that comes like a spark from within me. For me, inspiration has a very fresh feeling and carries a lilt of lightness. Maybe even a feeling of enthusiasm. What’s it feel like for you? I’d love to know.
So, with curiosity on board, I’m letting inspiration lead the way. The inspiration said go to the state park, 70 miles from my house, super early and look at the year ahead. As the inspiration started moving, I watched both the spark and the objections that were coming up, almost simultaneously. In my unwritten pledge to follow inspirations, I dismissed all of the very reasonable and credible objections that my mind had to offer. 
I had my marching orders. Time to follow. I packed the papers off the top of my desk, my bicycle, my lunch, my favorite pink pen, and some blank journals. I loaded the car and took off before sunrise.
I arrived at the park so early that it was too cold and damp to be outside so my car became my workspace for exploring what I wanted to play with this year. As I sat in the passenger seat of my car, I was taken aback with the quiet and beauty that I was sitting in. Almost immediately, I found myself asking, why would I resist experiencing this? It was a very rich feeling.
Loads of ideas poured out covering the dashboard. Before I knew it 4 hours has passed. What awoke me to the time was my stomach growling. I couldn’t understand why because, in my mind, I had just eaten!
Following this inspiration has been a delightful experience. Not for the fruit it bore but for the full, rich feeling that filled me.
Insights from following inspiration;
1.    Disregard the mind’s suggested outcome. It’s not possible to know the outcome of what hasn’t happened.
2.    Inspiration comes with a feeling of possibility, lightness, enthusiasm.
3.    Feasibility is a buzz kill that comes with a very different feeling.
4.    When inspirations are followed, you can’t imagine why you would hesitate.
This month I hosted a webinar on letting inspiration lead the way in 2020. I’ve included the link below, if you’d like to watch it. Please share it with someone you feel might benefit from listening.
I encourage you to open your heart and mind to fresh inspiration. It’s life’s natural invitation to expand and explore life.
Here’s to living life feeling inspired!
Cherie

Living Inspired, Naturally!

by | Dec 31, 2019 | Conversations, Transitions

Here we are at the end of 2019! Can you believe it? I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy New Year! We’re not only starting a new year, we’re beginning a new decade. How exciting is that?
How do you want to live in 2020 and the years that follow? Letting INSPIRATION lead the way has been on the top of my dashboard lately. I’ve noticed that when I follow my natural inspiration the ride of life is expansive and full of aliveness, when I don’t, I feel flat and stuck. It’s helpful for me to understand what gets in the way of me following.
I’m inspired to have a free community webinar on this topic on January 2nd at noon CST. I’d love for you to join me in celebrating the beginning of a new year and exploring INSPIRATION. The information for joining the webinar is below. Please share the webinar information with anyone who might benefit from the conversation.
Thank you for the opportunity to share and grow together.
Wishing you a very happy new year filled with joy, love, and enthusiasm for life!
Cherie