Category Archives: personal

The Answers Are Within The Animals…

By | life lessons, personal | 297 Comments

As many of you know this past month or so has very challenging for me.  Amongst other things, I mourned the loss of my great friend and mentor, Roger Anthony.  Since that time I am being asked to step up my game and to live a greater and grander life, and thereby teaching by example how to move through life’s challenges with elegance and grace (thank Rog, no really thanks a lot!).

Okay, okay, I know, I’m not there yet… as much of this process has been ugly and a long way away from elegance and grace!!

That being said, I know that “the process” can be interesting (to say the least) and I am beginning to embrace that notion.  In a funny way, this is all perfect, as I am beginning to embrace the “beast” from within.  I love Roger and all that he represents. He spent most of his adult life creating a unique and effective method of living life at the highest level of integrity and truth.  He used nature and the animals to do this teaching. Once these principles are embodied, living them does the teaching… by example.

Roger always said the ultimate goal in life was to live Peace, Happiness, and Joy.  I am finding that the means in which to do this is to “live the principles” he so eloquently laid out within the BE A BEAST training.

Many of you know that I’m a ghostwriter, and that books are my life.  Some of you may know one of my favorite sayings that “many times we write the books we should read.”  And this goes for me just as it does for any other author.

I am in the process of writing this book, called BE A BEAST, and have also been an integral part of the planning and implementation of that program, as well as Dave and Roger’s “Beast Mode ON Challenge” training course.  So I am going to listen to my own advice and dive deep into these teaching principles on a daily basis.

I am going to dive deeper into these principles of truth and take my life to a higher level of truth and integrity.

And in doing so, I am hopeful that the results will be the example that “does the teaching…” for all whom I come into contact with.  I fully believe we are all here to help one another, and to make this world a better place to live.  So I invite you to join me and take this journey along with me; whether that is just by witnessing my growth and stumbling forward transformation, or by diving into the principles yourself side-by-side with me, in a collaborative journey of sorts.

If your mind has been tickled even a little bit with what I have had to share here… feel free to check out the BE A BEAST principles here:  What is BE A BEAST?

And if you are ever so inclined as to jump in to learn more and experience this unique coaching for yourself, I have a gift for you that will save you a chunk of money. My “Friends and Family” link…will give you a $100 discount off the cost of this training, and I would love nothing more than to share the love with my family and friends.  BEAST MODE ON Family Discount

So here I go… jumping head first into a deep dive to make my life more full and meaningful, and in turn this world a better place in which to live…

Thank you Roger Anthony.  You are definitely A BEAST in my book!

 

 

_DSC8697_Cathy headshot

 

Cathy Lynn
Author.Ghostwriter.Screenwriter
https://www.facebook.com/mylovemylifecathylynn/

 

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Sweet Sixteen… and “Always” Been Kissed!!

By | family stuff, inspired writings, life lessons, personal, spiritual/religious | 2,327 Comments

Today is the special day where we celebrate the birth of our 4th son, and remember in great gratitude the many blessings he brings to us each and every day!  He is sixteen years old today, and unlike the popular notion of “sweet 16 and never been kissed,” Daniel has always been kissed… and blessed from the heavens above.

Daniel continues to bring many blessings to our family and to everyone who has met him… knows he truly is a miracle. The following is an excerpt that will be featured in the upcoming book, called “Unwavering Strength,” which will be released this September.

Since today is his “birth” day… I would like to share his story now…

 

Daniel – A True Life Miracle

“Love your children fully, as they are seeds to transforming the world they will need every bit of their strength and leadership ability to right “the damage” that has been done, it is not accurate to say “the wrong” because God created it all, so that all can be experienced. However, people need to become more aware of “the damage” they have done from their own darkness or lack of knowledge. The consequences of this are that some of the wonderful creations of God can be destroyed, and it will take these seeds that he has planted and entrusted to you to help create healing in the world.”

 

It was 12:10pm in Omaha, Nebraska, and my husband had just ordered lunch with business associates when his pager went off. His first thought was, oh no, what now? He hadn’t been able to sleep much the night before; due to the stress he was experiencing with a major business deal he’d been working on for the past eight months. And after just having moved our family into a new home, one with plenty of room for number four in a long line of brothers expected in mid-July, everything seemed to be riding on the success of this project.

 

When Dave retrieved his page, he was fully expecting it to be business related. Instead, it was a message I had left him earlier in the day, telling him that our doctor wanted me to go over to the hospital that morning for additional tests on the baby, since my regular appointment earlier that morning had shown some concerns. In that message I asked him to arrange to have our eight-year-old son picked up from school, taken to our house to get his baseball gear, and then brought to his championship playoff game that afternoon. I also asked him to make arrangements for our two-year-old son to be picked up from daycare at 6pm. I had tried to reach our oldest son, who still lived at home with us, to have him help out, but hadn’t been able to locate him so far.

 

Expect the Unexpected

Dave was in a state of shock. It was tough enough dealing with the business problems he faced, but there was no comparison to the kind of stress that was beginning to take control of his body in that moment. He immediately called our doctor’s office, but found I had already gone over to the hospital (remember even though this was not that long ago, we didn’t have any cell phones or the immediate access as we do today). He then asked to talk to Maynard, who was our doctor and close friend, since he always had a reassuring way of addressing our concerns. When Maynard came on the line he said, “David, I’m sorry…but this is very serious,” and for the second time that day he immediately felt the color drain rapidly from his face. Our doctor then proceeded to tell my husband that he was concerned for both baby and mother. What? Dave wondered, could he be losing both his wife and son? Daniel had a heartbeat, but that was about all. He was totally lifeless and wouldn’t respond to probing or anything else they had tried. Maynard went on to say that for my safety, this baby would have to be taken out within the next three or four days. He went on to say that Daniel didn’t have much of a chance to live, and if he did, he would most likely be severely handicapped.

 

This was not the sort of reassurance that Dave was accustomed to. After hanging up the phone, he thought about how blessed he’d been to have three healthy boys, born with relatively normal births. The news he had just received was overwhelming. His business associate came over to tell him that his lunch had arrived and that it was getting cold, but he took one look at Dave and knew that he was struggling. My husband assured him that it was not business-related, and he then asked if the baby and I were all right. Dave could hardly breathe, much less speak, but went on to tell him of their situation. Then he felt the immediate need to walk outside for a moment to connect with nature. He walked beyond the parking lot and found some trees to stand under, then completely broke down in tears. It was hard to recall the last time he had cried so passionately. He began praying for strength, and asked for protection to surround both Daniel and I, and sent as much healing love as he possibly could to us both.

 

Testing our Beliefs to the Core

My husband and I have a strong belief that God gives each of us the power to heal. Some may find it hard to believe in this power, and most live unaware of this possibility, but I have found that we receive energy from the trees and natural surroundings, and in turn are able to use this energy to heal. It is a complete giving and taking experience. I have also noticed that the beauty of our natural surroundings grows stronger and intensifies with the more energy you give and receive. It is a positive energy force flowing in a living, healing way, as nature reaches out and supplies us with God-given energy; an energy that is stronger and more powerful than any known drug or man-made substance. I am so thankful that we were aware of this healing power, as our experience with Daniel put our beliefs in healing energies to the highest imaginable test.

 

As the day progressed, it was decided I would be taken by ambulance, from our local hospital to St. John’s Medical Center, since they had more advanced neonatal equipment and the specialists required. Our doctor thought it would be best to have an emergency C-section to get Daniel out right away. The outlook was not good and they had little hope of Daniel making it at all; and as he told Dave earlier, if he did make it he would most likely be severely handicapped.

 

In the meantime, Dave had taken the first flight home from Omaha and arrived at the Los Angeles airport at 5:30pm, right in the heart of rush-hour traffic. During the flight he had received the following inspired message:

 

“Daniel will be born tonight and will amaze everyone. He will grow strong and wise. Cathy will come through this just fine. Keep sending healing and love. Love your wife with all you heart. She is fine and your baby will make it. Keep the faith. He will bring great joy. See the strength in him, as he miraculously grows strong and wise.“

Not knowing how to proceed, he wrestled with the idea of telling the doctors that Daniel could not wait three or four days. He needed to be born tonight. Upon arriving in LA his pager again went off and he retrieved the message that told him that in fact the emergency surgery would take place that evening. Thankfully that was no longer a hurdle. Dave took the coast route and made it to the hospital at 7:20pm, just as I was being rolled into the operating room. After having a few moments to speak with me, the doctors pulled him aside to have a word. The doctors told him that I was just not accepting the severity of the situation; that I just didn’t understand. But in those short moments we had together, Dave could feel my strength and heard my words that everything would be fine. And what Dave said in response to the doctors was, “No, you don’t understand. Everything is going to be fine.” He had grabbed onto my strength and believed in it. Neither of us knew what the future would hold, but Daniel was about to be born and we would have the strength to handle whatever lay ahead for our family.

 

What the doctors did not know was in recent months I’d just read an autobiography by Della Reese. She is the gal who starred in the “Touched By An Angel” television series. All throughout her life, whenever she had faced what looked like an insurmountable situation, she would pause and ask God to take over and to take care of it for her. An act of surrender. This was somewhat of a foreign concept for me, as all of my life I had achieved pretty much whatever I had put my mind to. I had not felt the need to turn anything over for assistance, and been very much self-reliant and capable. But this was bigger than I; this was life or death as the case might be. This was one of the many gifts that my son Daniel had come to deliver. This was an opportunity for me to discover and experience a deep surrender; a surrender into love.

 

The Power of Love and Healing Grace

When they took Daniel out, he was deep purple and lifeless. As five specialist doctors and four nurses struggled for several minutes to bring life into Daniel, I told David to go over and help our little Daniel. He asked the doctors if he could touch him, then reached his hand in and placed it on his tiny leg. He told Daniel to “feel the power of his love, and to feel the power of God’s healing grace” come through his body. At that precise moment, Daniel opened his eyes for the first time, and looked directly into David’s eyes, if only for a moment. He then began to breath and started his life in this world.

 

We know that Daniel couldn’t have survived if it wasn’t for the great work of the highly trained professionals who worked on him. But we also know that the power of God’s healing love, which passed through my husband and into Daniel at that moment, also saved his life. The doctors didn’t give Daniel much of a chance of making it through the night, and if he did there were many possible complications. Our older son, who was in third grade at the time, asked the next day for his class to pray for Daniel. They started that day and prayed for him many times over the course of the next days and weeks. As little Daniel kept defeating the odds that were against him, prayer groups all over the country were praying for him, while the doctors couldn’t explain his miraculous recovery. Day after day there were hurdles to overcome, and day after day we experienced the miracles of Daniel’s birth.

 

One of the nurses who cared for Daniel in the intensive care unit said that in her 27 years in intensive care, she had never seen a baby recover like this. Daniel not only lived, but all body functions began to work normally, one by one. As Daniel was taken off the various life-support systems, he began eating on his own, which the doctors didn’t feel he would ever be able to do. He only got stronger and stronger with each new prayer and each new day.

 

After just two weeks, Daniel was allowed to come home from the hospital, even though they originally thought he would need to be there for at least three months. Daniel defied all odds. He represented what a true “champion” was. He reminds us each and every day what life is truly worth living for. He reminds us of how to be happy.

 

I know, deep down in my heart, that the power of prayer and love that poured out for Daniel literally saved his life. To all those who showed concern and prayed for Daniel, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Having prayer, a part of each and every day of your life truly can, and does, make a difference. Expect miracles and be amazed when they occur. And always remember to surrender into love, as my sweet little Daniel taught me how to do.

 

This is a story of what a true life miracle looks like, and how the power of faith, trust, and surrender can show up in our lives. Daniel Austin came into this world with a bang, and continues to remind us of what is really, and truly important. And that is to… create love, be love, and to share love.

xxoo

Cathy Lynn

 

 

 

 

Release Date:  September 30, 2014 – Judy O’Beirn and friends – Unwavering Strength: a compilation of stories to inspire others to find strength and comfort in the journey’s others have taken through experiences of grief, loss, trauma and heartache.

 

Rising From the Ashes…

By | life lessons, personal | 293 Comments

Bird on Fire

I’m not gonna lie but this past month has been nothing short of “challenging” to say the least, but after just coming out of an amazing massage experience today, I feel there is a glimmer of hope…

And that I may be in fact “rising from the ashes” of both grief and anger… two elements or traits of “being” that I do not dwell near or tread in very often.

Where I began to lose hope and faith, I’m now finding that perhaps there is a new and grander level of that, which may in fact emerge from the ashes and rubble of my current life and physical existence.

I am finding that the answer to everything is love…

It truly is!!

And that every answer I seek is contained within the “animals” that my treasured soul-brother Roger Anthony, who passed away a month ago today, created.

Roger dedicated the majority of his amazing life to bringing into existence in order to both serve others and to make this a better place in which to be and live.

I honor you today Roger, for who you were and who you continue to remind us to be…

I LOVES you!! xxoo

Cathy Lynn

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit and Artwork by Baraka Robin Berger Fine Arts

Nothing lasts forever…

By | life lessons, personal | 119,622 Comments

Love with all your heart...

I spent last weekend at a woman’s retreat hosted by Mary Morrissey and Rickie Byars Beckwith…and one of the things I discovered for myself was that sometimes we put someone or something up on such a high pedestal that no one or nothing can quite live up to that memory! Not that remembering what is good and also great about a past experience or person is a bad thing. This is quite uplifting and comforting…such as in times of a loved one’s passing. We remember the great things about that person and cherish them. We re-experience those precious moments shared and hold those memories close to our heart. No longer are we focused or tangled up with the painful circumstances or unpleasantries of that relationship…we basically put the remembered one up on that pedestal and there they remain.

As I said, that’s not necessarily a bad thing…but what I discovered this past weekend was kinda liberating for me personally. You see, I only in recent years been aware of the fact that I have been “protecting” my heart…protecting it and hiding it from the pain of a perceived loss of “unconditional love” from somewhere in the past. A friend of mine pulled me aside and asked me the question “why are you hiding your heart?” Not only did I not know the answer to his question, I wasn’t even aware of the fact that I was doing this!!! Ha…isn’t that a kick in the pants knowing that’s exactly what I would like to have and give to others – unconditional love – and that if my heart is in fact closed and hidden, then that is impossible to achieve!!! And why is that so hard for me to attain? accept? or give?

Now let me explain before I may be misunderstood here… I consider myself to be a kind and loving person (at least in theory!) and strive to be just that in all circumstances (double haha)…but so often I get caught up in being impatient, annoyed and irritated, and in arguments with the people I love most! so what gives? I want exactly the opposite and my intentions are something completely not in alignment with those low-level feelings, so why do I get swept away in it and carry on that way???

This exact dynamic has been high on my list to explore and resolve…for pretty much the past three years. And here is what I discovered this past weekend. Forgiveness and a level of new awareness and understanding!!! In the first place, forgiving myself for not knowing what I was doing…and forgiving myself for allowing something (or someone) to be put up on such a high pedestal that nothing or no one else can quite compare!!! You see, if I am always comparing something to something else (and that something else or someone else could be now considered superhuman with how high I have placed them up on a perch!) – even if it is all true and I perhaps have had the best and most indescribable essence of unconditional love somewhere in my past, why let that prevent me from experiencing just that in my current circumstances and current relationships? What’s up with that???

My “aha” awareness on this subject is that I can use that memory or past experience (even if it is made up and larger than life) and bring that into my current relationships, right here and right now!!! Who wouldn’t want to have more love? If I have had the best…then why not re-create that and enjoy that experience in ALL of my present relationships?!!! It’s actually my responsibility to share that with everyone I come in contact with…to lead by example and share my heart and love “unconditionally” and without any holding back!

Now that may be easier said than done…but I’m not going to enter into an agreement with that! I am going to step forward and try do my best in sharing that “special love” (a love that perhaps seems like a distant memory and maybe even like a romantic fairy-tale) with others! But to do so, I will have to allow that which binds and hides my own heart, to be set free and allowed to love freely in order to do so… (see my previous post for more on that…) I will have to acknowledge that “nothing lasts forever” – unless of course you pass it forward and incorporate that love and experience within your current relationships…

Does any of this resonate with you?

How are you holding back, and is your heart held in bondage preventing it to be shared freely?

Are there areas in your relationships where this is apparent, or ways you can see any of this within your life?

I would like to know if any of this rings true for anyone else…

Please feel share your comments with me!!!

Cathy Lynn