I'm not going to beat around the bush today; I'm going to lay it out for you exactly as it happened.

Monday morning, when I got into my office, I discovered a major disappointment, something totally out of the blue. The shock of it brought to the surface emotions I'd been holding back for a while (and didn't even realize I was), and the combined "thwack" just rocked my world.

Now, here's where the story starts its happy ending: I put my head in my hands and cried.

(What kind of a happy ending is that? I'm not at the end, yet - it's coming - but more important than just hearing the end of the story is seeing how I got there. After all, you don't read these articles just to be entertained, do you? It's about learning how to improve the quality of your life through turning to God, and through your own knowing, help others to do the same. Yes? Let's continue...)

Where was I? Right - bawling my eyes out. Then, once I could function again, I started writing about it to my Mastermind buddies, who are great source of support for me, both personally and professionally. As I told them about what was going on with me, I cried a few more times, just saying what I needed to say... because I could feel the rightness in my heart for taking the time I needed to do what I needed to do, and not just redouble my efforts and start trying to "work through it".

Once that was done, I got up from my computer and saw that my office was kind of a mess. I knew I needed to work. And I knew I needed to clean. And, I knew I needed some time to process what was going on for me. Now, if you're anything like me, it's easy to put aside your personal needs for what you perceive as a better, more productive use of your time. And I'd done that, many times before. But had I done that this time, and dove back into work, or tried to fix the problem, I'd have been striving to change things from a mindset of lack. And I sure as tootin' wouldn't be writing about it to you, because most likely, nothing would have changed.

Instead, I chose the "road less traveled by." I gave myself the space to do what I needed, to take the time to find out what it was I needed, and not rush the process. (We teach our clients about mercy all the time; it sure is nice when those chickens come home to roost.)

I chose to clean up my office, and put on some music. And talk about Divine confirmation: the first song to play (I put my iTunes on random mode, so I didn't know what would come up) was called "Holy Now", which is a great heart-connector, and a reminder of God's Presence in every aspect of creation. And the next to come on was a sound byte I didn't even realize was in that playlist - a line of a spiritual litany recited three times, which translated means, "How excellent a Sustainer is my Sustainer, How excellent a Sufficer is my Sufficer." Talk about a message, huh?

The last step in my process was to sit and be in Remembrance for a while (the practice of calling to God in your heart), using the litany that had come across my iTunes. That grounded me in my heart, reminded me of something I had forgotten (that helped ease the disaster), and gave me the platform to get clear guidance about how to proceed from that point forward. Since that point, I've been not only feeling productive and positive, but I've been intimately aware of the Presence of the Divine in my heart, which is wonderfully comforting and reassuring.

Are you seeing the steps? Did you see how to get yourself out of a dark hole? Allow me to spell them out for you.

Usually when we fall in the hole, we tend to do one of two things: give up, or push harder. Neither choice feels good nor produces very good results, because neither choice uses your connection to the Divine; they are efforts made from a place of isolation. But by following the steps of the story above, you can find your way out of the hole, and do it in a connected way.

Let's take a look at the steps:

1. Giving yourself space for your reaction. In my case, I cried myself a river. But that's rare for me to let myself go there; it took acceptance of the situation, not fighting it. What could giving yourself space look like for you?

2. Listening to your heart. My heart knew I needed to ease my way through it, not push. So I took the time to clean my office and listen to music, not jump on my to-do list and re-establish priorities. When you're in a tough spot, how can you remind yourself to take your own time?

3. Connecting to The One. There is only One Sufficer, One Sustainer - and your work ethic ain't it. As long as you're looking to yourself alone to have your business work, your clients heal, and your life have some semblance of peace, you're destined to be frustrated, spinning your wheels. The only source of peace and healing is the Divine - and you'll greatly increase your chances of having peace and healing when you tap into your Divine connection.

The Remembrance is the foundational practice for this - repeating the Name that represents Oneness for you, in your heart - and, it's not the only way to Remember. The litany I quoted above is quickly becoming one of my favorites - and if you'd like to give it a try, you can repeat it in English:

"How excellent a Sustainer is my Sustainer, How excellent a Sufficer is my Sufficer.", or if you'd like to try it in Arabic, like I do: "Fani'ma-Rabbu Rabbi wa ni'ma-l-Hasbu Hasbiy."

Either way, it's a winner - because it reminds you of the basic truth that all things source from the One God.

Now that you've seen my happy ending, the next time you stumble into your version of a hole, you'll know how to get yourself out as well!