Emotional Health

How to Stop Forcing and Start Having Faith

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Hiya Gorgeous!

Happy Valentine’s Day! I was hoping to write something about romantic love or heartbreak today, but I couldn’t decide. Should I re-tell the story of how my biggest heartbreak made space for my greatest love? Nah. Wasn’t feeling it (shout-out to my hubby, Brian, though!)

Perhaps, I’d write about cancer. Today is my cancerversary, after all. Fourteen years living with cancer and still going strong. Nope. Wasn’t feeling that, either. Politics? Hell no. What about how to make a smoothie or take a good poop? Meh. The clock was ticking (we publish every Tuesday) and I was coming up snake eyes.

Well, I could write about a much bigger love—the universal love that’s always available to us. Call it God, Goddess, the Divine, Natural Order, Higher Consciousness—whatever works for you.

But to really do that, I’d have to talk about how I’ve been blocking this love and support (when I need it most). Ooh, that’s juicy! Alrighty, here goes…

I’m a fixer, a problem solver, a get-the-job-done type of gal.

I like to manifest the crap out of life. I get an idea, gut check it to make sure it feels good and then spring into action, creating a multi-tiered plan to make it happen, captain.

Now, I’m not saying that this is always a bad thing. It’s helped me be successful in many areas. But when my behavior is out of balance, it’s exhausting.

So lately, I’ve been easing up. Less doing. More being. I re-calibrated my goals and focused my energy. I declined speaking opps and social engagements. I even expanded my team, which allows me to delegate more. Yay!

Yet no matter how much I took off my plate, I was still overwhelmed and I didn’t understand why. My conscious, solution-oriented mind was coming up short.

Hmmm. Maybe it was my adrenals? Could Ashwagandha help? Nope, tried it. Jeez, what was wrong with me? Screw strategy! It was time to tap into spirit and ask for help.

So, I prayed on it. I prayed and prayed and in the stillness of meditation, I heard this:

“You’re pushing your way through life, relying on force vs. faith.

You’re depending on your own strength vs. Divine timing.

You’re not alone. There are unseen forces working on your behalf.

So, stop trying to control everything.

Instead, show up for your life and the people in it with love. The Universe will do the rest.”

Now, that’s what I call a big medicine message from spirit!

In essence, my spirit was telling me to surrender my need for certainty.

For control freaks like me, that’s a hard pill to swallow. Control can feel so good when we have it. It’s orderly and cozy. Our ducks are in a row and stuff is buttoned up. But, is it really? In my case, control was masking anxiety. Drive was disguising fear.

Life doesn’t always want to be tucked in like that. We’re human beings, not human doings. So when we’re overly obsessed with controlling outcomes, it’s a sign that we’re out of alignment with both our inner guidance and our connection with the Divine.

Constantly plotting, planning and trying to figure things out on my own wasn’t working. My schedule wasn’t exhausting—my mind was! If this sounds like you, the following solutions may help.

How to move from force to faith.

Start by quieting your mind and connecting with spirit. As your thoughts and breath settle, ask for Divine assistance. You may say something like, “Please help me arrange this situation, I can’t figure it out on my own and I need your help.” Then, let go.

Each time a fearful, controlling thought pops up, replace it with a loving, confident thought. Rinse and repeat. Daily, hourly—whenever you need.

Remember that love is patient. Love is trusting. Love is unshakable—even in a shaky world. When we’re aligned with love, we’re aligned with the Divine and with the natural rhythms of life. We create from a place of sacred synchronicity rather than scarcity.

We believe that what’s right for our highest good is being coordinated on our behalf. Therefore, we don’t always have to strategize, force outcomes or figure everything out. Instead, we can do our part and then relax.

Again, this doesn’t mean we passively float through life letting everything happen to us. It means that we find a balance of action and allowing. Sometimes, it’s enough to just hang out with the vision we want to create for a while. We don’t have to jump on it right away. We can sip it like a fine wine. Swish it around and allow the flavors to reveal themselves.

Case in point: Have you ever worked your butt off to reach a goal but for whatever reason, it didn’t happen? Maybe you wanted this goal so badly that it was kinda hard to bounce back after it didn’t work out. Perhaps not getting what you wanted, what you worked so hard for, made you sink into a depression and even doubt your abilities.

Then, out of the blue, months or years later, the unmet desire suddenly happens. You didn’t do a darn thing, it just showed up. Why is that? Because the seed you planted blossomed while you were doing other stuff. Basically, the universe worked on it’s timeline, not yours.

Or maybe, what you wanted showed up in a different, more wonderful way than you actually imagined. Maybe your vision was smaller than what the Universe had in store for you!

You will be led to exactly where you need to be—to the right people, doctors, business opportunities, romantic relationship and decisions.

“Life loves you,” as Louise Hay would say. It’s on your side. It wants you to be unapologetically you. But, life also needs you to have faith in the unfolding.

I hope this topic resonates. If so, are there outcomes that you’re forcing? Can you try to apply a little faith and trust to the situation? Understanding that your muscle pales in comparison to the power of the Universe.

Peace & prayer,

Add a comment
  1. Kris Carr your knowledge is truly enlightening and amazing and has lifted my spirits on so many different occasions and I am so thankful for the light you give this world. You are truly Gods gift!

  2. Deb reidy says:

    Kris,
    sharing this tonight as a Valentine present to my love who works so hard and still feels like she just can’t get it all done. This helps me think about how I can be to help the situation vs. pushing solutions at her and wanting her so badly to “do what I say”.

    Agree, the being is a wonderful part of the day & yet not celebrated in our times..

    PS. thank you so much for not talking about politics 🙂

  3. Kat says:

    That was stellar Chris! Thanks for the reminder. I really needed to hear that!
    Happy Valentine’s to you!

  4. Lisa Longfellow says:

    This was the greatest Valentine ever, today! My dad died last Saturday and am a huge control freak. Can’t control that, now can I? Your blogs have helped me tremendously this week.
    Love you!
    Lisa

  5. Fern says:

    I really enjoy your posts. You are one of two people I follow and actually read what you say….my life is busy but I really enjoy your thoughts. What you’ve expressed here I’ve thought about and you express it so well. I try to live this. But I’d like to offer you another concept to think about. I’ve been studying the bible with the Jehovah’s Witnesses after a life time of new age study starting with Louise Hay and going from there. I’m 60 now. The Witnesses came into my life by chance or was it by divine gift? Over two years ago, and a year ago I decided to take them up on it and study the bible with them., something I had never been able to make srnce if on my own. I told myself as soon as something seemed”off” “unreal” “propaganda” etc I would stop. But every week it gets better and better. I’ve been attending meetings, studying and pre-studying. Jehova God, who tells us his name through his word, inspired and recorded in the bible….is not longer as “I ” conceive him to be, and through the bible, I am coming to understand that what “I” conceive him to be , and what his purpose is for us and the planet is, is just the tip of the ice berg. I ask you to consider this… this God that you have faith in, that loves you and cares for you…. how do you return that love to him? I’m not talking about extended his love that you received out into others and in the world here… which of course is our natural and necessary path… but to him? Do you know what God wants from us? Do you know that his message , what he wants from us, is so very clear in his word?…. I hope you’ll think about that…every time you see a marvellous aspect of his creation, and he created all this for us… and for the most part, throughout history we’ve given him nothing but trouble….. there are so many good people, like you and I and millions more… but there is more at play in the world . The issue is bigger than creating our own little wonderful circle and bubble. Do you really believe that if there were enough loving circles they could overcome the earth. History has shown differently. Can man direct his own step? Or does he need to be obedient to the one who is Love. And what would that mean? These are the things I am learning about, meditating on, reasoning with…and it’s expanding my world, bringing me peace and security and “fruitage of the spirit”… in ways that nothing ever has before., in ways I’ve never dreamed of.. I hope this little comment gives you some other questions to ponder upon and wish you a happy journey with it.

  6. Nancy says:

    Hi Kris
    As a fellow Stage 4 thriver Id like to thank you for letting me hitchhike on your strength and positivity. Sounds like a lot of people think you are cancer free, but the truth is you live and thrive with cancer. Everyday I try to do the same . Almost 3 years here. No one except other thrivers know the depth of the hell we’ve gone thru and the physical and emotional strength it takes to live a full life despite this diagnosis. I struggle daily to.live abundantly and.not.get.sucked into.the sinkhole of fear and depression. You have made all the difference. Hearts and hugs to you on this Valentine’s Day!!!

  7. Perfect Love casts out fear!! Be still and know . . . LOVE!!! Happy Valentine’s Day, Kris and all!!

  8. Kathy says:

    Thank you, Kris. I definitely needed to hear this today. I am helping to take care of my elderly parents & my husband who has health issues. I am 65, & he is 77, and we both still work trying to make ends meet. Sometimes I agree with the saying that “money is the root of all evil.” I am ready to simplify, but it’s hard to let go. Thanks for the encouragement to take the first step. Congratulations on 14 years!

  9. Bonnie Robinson says:

    Kris,

    This was exactly the message I needed to hear. I am a cancer survivor and I am realigning my world. Your wonderful message gave me courage to slow down and let God & the universe work things out. You are an amazing woman!

  10. Kim Gorga says:

    I love this. It is much of the essence of another visionary I follow that you might enjoy (if you don’t know if him already) – Mike Dooley – tut.com He has a daily mailing called A Note from the Universe that resonates like your message you received in your blog. It always seems to know the right thing to say and I swear that the Universe sees into my soul and he publishes exactly what I need to hear.

    Definitely take care of your beautiful self. You’ve done such a wonderful job of caring for your body. Glad you are taking the time to look after your soul now as well.

  11. Stephanie says:

    Perfect Kris, thank you. 🙂

  12. Jill says:

    Congratulations Kris!!!!
    Filled with gratitude for you sharing your gifts❣
    Learning (many times the hard way) what the universe has in store is soooo much greater and grander than anything I could imagine or control into creating.
    It is ok to let things come to you…wise words. Our inner knowing our intuition tells us when to move into action. So thankful for prayer and meditation, for stillness to hear that inner voice.

  13. Thank you, I really needed to hear that!

  14. Boy howdy, did I need this. “Controlling”, or the myth thereof, is my biggest challenge … spent the night worrying about my nephew that’s back in the hospital for a surprise MRI. Four years after emergency surgery and multiple rounds of chemo and radiation to battle stage 4 glioblastoma, last month he got the word, “remission”. We rejoiced and savored the miracles that surround this young man. So yesterday was a bit of a jolt. Awaiting word as to what’s going on and there’s not a bloody thing I can do … then I remembered to pray. Reading this post helped me ease up a bit, remember that he is a walking miracle and that God is working through and for him. Thank you, Kris. with deep gratitude and light filled blessings …

  15. Charlotte says:

    Thank you for this Kris! This is something that I really struggle with, being brought up in a very anti-religion family (so much so that any kind of spirituality was seriously frowned upon), so my gut instinct has always been skepticism… but I’m also a perfectionist and workaholic, and definitely need to learn to let go a little, and also to embrace failure and not beat myself up for it. Do you have any tips on how I can overcome this barrier on day-to-day basis? I’m already meditating 15 minutes a day, but the idea of getting on my knees and praying seems so bizarre and alien… What else can I try? Sending my love xx

  16. Cheri says:

    So true ?

  17. Donna says:

    Wow this was just what I needed to hear today have been working so hard on my business but losing my own balance in the process and missing out on precious time with those I love time for me to get quiet. Thanks kris for all you do and those whose lives you touch with your message!

  18. Kathryn says:

    That was awsome !!Thanl you kris?
    Happy Valentines day?

  19. Linda says:

    I got everything I needed here to get my day going. Now that’s the Power of the Universe! Thanks, Kris.

  20. Laura says:

    This was fantastic and spot on! I have been feeling so “helpless” and on auto pilot… I have to tell myself to have faith in my doctors- ” when they say “no more cancer” I have to believe them – let alone have faith in my own life and abilities. today I pray for help in finding peace and calm!

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