This is how Wikipedia defines mojo:
“Mojo refers to a magical charm bag used in hoodoo, and in modern usage may also refer to sexual potency.”

Welcome to my blog. Today I am discussing mojo. My definition is broader than Wikipedia’s. I define mojo as our urge to create and be innovative. It is that spark that makes us vibrant, that charm that makes us appealing – call it charisma, call it presence, call it dynamic it makes us sparkle, smart, exciting and desirable. When our mojo is in swing, we are smokin’. And when it is not, we’re average. You may even say boring. So when I talk about mojo, I’m talking about the charm of life itself.

I have recently observed that many people are beginning to feel that their mojo is missing. Many have taken a hit in this economy – they have been laid off or have had to tighten their belts so many notches it is beginning to feel as if life, as they have known it, is changing – and not for the better. It is not easy to downsize when you’ve been riding high, to go from a Hummer to a Hyundai is brutal. What? Only two cup holders?

It is easy for us to begin to take this economy personally, because that is how it feels – personal. However, putting up a good front can only last so long and it is a sure way of losing your mojo. You can’t fake mojo; it is too authentic.

Can one have mojo in a down economy?

Yes. And if you are someone who feels that your mojo has left you for greener pastures, don’t worry, it is still there somewhere under all the depressing news stories.

So how do you get it back, or find it, or bribe it into making an appearance? Do you visit a Hoodoo doctor? Conjure up Austin Powers? Read books on creativity?

No, you need to be fearless. Fear is a mojo squelcher. Fear keeps your mojo at bay: Fear of not being creative. Fear of not knowing what to do. Fear of not doing what you don’t know what to do right. Fear of the past. Fear of some imagined future. Fear in any shape or form is the one sure way of putting the kybosh on your mojo.

All of us have some fear; some of us live in it. The key is to recognize fear and what feeds it.

What feeds fear is the STORY you create about it.

Here are a few examples of fear stories:

The pathetic work story: If I had been good enough, I would not have been laid off.

The bad economy story: I’ll never find a job in this economy.

The tragic family story: My relationships will never survive this.

And then there is the hopeless story about your future: I am heading for depression and homelessness.

If any of these are familiar to you, guess what? You are deep into fear and most like sans mojo. The exact content does not matter – you’ve created a story that you believe is true. You’ve taken it personally. It is the story that feeds your fear NOT your circumstances. Yes, the circumstances are not great however, the anxiety/fear comes from the story you create and then believe.

Think about it, what is fear without the story?

Fear feeds on the story surrounding your circumstances. These thoughts make your fear story appear so real that it is hard to give it up. Yet, that is exactly where you will discover your freedom and your missing mojo.

But don’t believe me – experience it for yourself. Observe yourself, become aware of what you are thinking when you go into fear. Watch for the story that you have created and believe – that is the source of your fear.

The next time fear begins to rise up and you begin to have a reaction, see if you can become aware that this is happening. That’s all – just an awareness that fear is rising. You can say to yourself, “There it is that darn fear is raising up inside of me.” Then just observe it – don’t try to change it, or fix it, just observe the feeling. And if and when the story begins recognize it for what it is – a story. Not the truth. Take a few deep breaths and close the book. End the story. In that moment, sitting, breathing, feeling, without the story, you are present – in the now. And look who is there with you – your mojo!

Your circumstances will not have changed, but in the present moment you and your mojo have all the resources within that you need to manage those circumstances.

Soon you might even discover it was the lack of mojo that got your attention. Your missing mojo was your wake-up call.

So, I am adding yet another definition to mojo:

That sense of liveliness that withdraws when we are not aligned with our truth.

Our truth? That discussion is for another day.