Last week April 19 2016 was a record breaking day of heat. The first of two in a row. Seattle (where I reside) is known for rain, not heat!

Morning news reported that the day as one of the hottest day on record since 1956. “What a metaphor for doing self-development work,” I thought.

Imagine this: A hot day represents being outside of your comfort zone.

What I am used to also equals what is familiar and what I enjoy the most. Having grown up on the Pacific’s edge in the middle of California (within the protected Monterey Peninsula flanked by the moderate seaside climates of Carmel and Pacific Grove), that would be temperatures no higher than 70 or 72–at the most.

I even welcomed wind, cold, and rain because I had grown up with that. When it got too hot I got uncomfortable and I resisted acclimating. Yet, the weather never changed its quality of being for me. It was up to me to manage the extra heat—and hopefully learn from the experience.

Seattleite that I have been since 1998, when temperatures creep above 80°, I find myself uncomfortable especially when I’m outside or having to transition from the car to a building and back again.

Taking on restoring one sense of self at some point will feel like acclimating to 80+ degree weather. It won’t be comfortable immediately; and in time healthy adjustments are integrated and transitions of all kinds are possible with less effort, stress, and upsets.

I recall a time when I first traveled to a beautiful place in the middle of January; that place was Tahiti. January in Tahiti–given its geo-location on the equator– is Summer at its humid, hot, and sticky best. I didn’t know that before I got on the plane.

I left comfortable climes in the 50-60s in San Francisco, CA where I lived at the time and flew the direct flight of 9+ hours to Tahiti. I stepped off the plane into a hot sticky 85+ degrees at midnight. The next 12 days I spent more time in the water to cool myself down, but by the end of that trip I didn’t mind the warm humid weather nor the long afternoon heat that finally cooled down by 9 o’clock each evening. I came to enjoy it and looked forward to afternoons in a hammock before preparing fresh fish for dinner with our host family. I was both relaxed and energized and fully embracing life. I also appreciated the healthy glow I had even though I never sat directly in the sun to get that tan.

On those hot Tahitian days, practical wisdom looked like dressings light or keeping shades drawn. Essentially, I needed to plan, to dress, and organize my activities—as well as embrace the heat if I wanted to be part of life and the bustling markets in mid-day. Water bottle, sunscreen,  sunglasses and a floppy hat were essentials. I was always aware that I was hotter than I wanted to be, but I didn’t let that spoil my quality of experience. I leaned into the hot, sticky days and fully engaged with my exotic temporary home. I didn’t brood either about the weather I left behind. I wanted this adventure to be memorable and improve my quality of life. And it did.

Working on restoring a Sense of Self feels equivalent to saying yes to uncomfortable temperatures from time to time. With intention and curiosity, the body grows accustomed to new and unfamiliar sensations and learns from them.

The reality is: Were a person to want to relocate to a hot climate they would have to embrace the move, retrain themselves, act and dress accordingly, and acclimate to a whole new system—that might offer them more energy, wellbeing, and vitality.

Living life with a Real Sense of Self looks like that. And, with that Restored Sense of Self, wisdom shows up as more peace with self and others—regardless of the weather outside.

Here is the invitation: Take on looking at a what might be missing in your sense of self and do what it takes to restore full self-expression. That is what we invite you to do. It’s why we do what we do.

And the next time you experience a hot day and find yourself a little uncomfortable, may you be able to find the value in that hot day too.

Are you ready to say yes to living your own life? That’s the invitation to you.

P.S. How much longer are you going to wait??? When will YOU FINALLY step up, take a chance and make it happen? Let today be the day you say YES to YOU and YOUR LIFE. Start here>>> http://bit.ly/hysoscourse