One of my favorite authors of all-time is Laura Day.  She’s a well known intuitive and an excellent teacher.  Years ago, I read her book Practical Intuition and learned SO much about how to harness the power of my gut instincts.  Later, I read her book, The Circle, and learned how to use the power of focus, intuition (and law of attraction) to manifest important goals.  I HIGHLY suggest both books if you’re interested in learning more about intuition.

As a coach, I use my intuition all day long with just about every client, by the way.
In fact, we all use our intuition whether we realize it or not.  Anytime you follow a hunch or have a gut reaction, chances are it’s your intuition speaking.

So, when Laura offered a two hour online workshop the other day, I jumped at the chance.

Here’s what I learned....

Laura said intuition is particularly well tuned in two main areas of your life.  One is your area of expertise and the other is the area of greatest neurotic preoccupation.

So, if you’re a doctor (your area of expertise is medicine), any intuitive vibes you have about your patients of medicine are probably spot on. OK, so this is good....

And, if you worry a lot about something (this is what she refers to as the area of greatest neurotic preoccupation) such as being flat broke, your intuition will guide you toward that outcome.  Oh no!  Not what you want, right? Which brings us to another book Laura wrote called Welcome To Your Crisis. Laura wrote that book to help people deal with transitions or crisis points in their lives.

The goal of studying intuition is to use it to your advantage and to be more conscious of it...so you WON’T unconsciously intuit and draw to you the thing you worry about the most.

Does that make sense?

I see a lot of parallels between intuition and law of attraction.  Whatever you focus on will EXPAND and GROW in your life.  So, if you worry (and focus) on being flat broke, you will attract and create that result (or some sort of money probs) in your life at some point.  As Laura says, your intuition will guide you toward it as well.

So, let’s be more aware of how intuition works so we can all use it to our advantage.

The MAIN topic of her workshop, this time, was on the topic of telepathy.

Now, telepathy is something I’ve been practicing for a long time...without even knowing I was doing it!  That’s the first thing I learned.

Telepathy is sending and receiving messages to people or groups using your mind.  And, I do that all the time.

If you’re a client, you’ve possibly participated in one of my coaching exercises that I call “spirit to spirit conversations” in which you have a conversation (in your mind) with a target person or audience such as your future mate or group of potential clients.

For fun, I remember having one of these conversations nearly 8 or 9 years ago when I wanted to coach people from other countries.  So, I visualized a room full of people from various countries and saw myself talking with them about coaching, how to find me (via my website) and what I could do for them. I also tried to listen to them (in my mind) to intuit what they might say or their reasons for wanting to hire a coach.

Then, and I kid you not, the very next day I had 5 emails in my box all with the same title “free sample session” and each person was from a different country.  WOWIE.

Ever since then, I’ve wondered how the heck I did that.  Well, now I know.  It’s called telepathy.

Here’s how it works:

1.  Choose a target.  Do you want to talk with your future spouse? Unborn child?  Potential investors?  Clients?  Neighbor?  Boss?  Someone you already know or someone you hope to know?

2.  Choose a goal or response you want.  Do you want your target person (or group) to do something specific such as invest in your company and hand you a million dollar check?  Be very specific.

3.  Look for any hidden agendas you might have.  Let’s say your target is a boss from work.  Your goal is to get a promotion, so you “talk” with him/her about it in your mind.  But, do you really have another agenda such as being praised or recognized or getting a corner office?  Is that what you REALLY want?  If you got the promotion but still went without recognition and remained in your small cubicle, would you be happy?  Look for and eliminate any hidden agendas so your TRUE goal is able to stand alone.

4.  Next step, is to again, refine your goal and choose ONE.

5.  Be aware of the message you want to send to your target.  Use ALL of your senses.  So, if you want your target (boss) to give you a corner office (your real goal), think about what that would be like, see yourself sitting in the corner office, notice any smells (are there fresh flowers on the desk, for example, with a note of congrats), notice any sounds, etc.  Use ALL of your senses and EMBODY your goal.  Experience it as if it’s already happening...Again, this is similar to law of attraction.

6.  Next, be aware of your target.  See this person as separate (not you).  Jump into their experience and notice how they are receiving what you are sending.  Do they seem excited you are in your corner office?  Or, is something quite off?  Notice and use any info you can intuit to alter your approach or the message you are trying to send. 

7.  Repeat the process until the message you are sending is well received by your target.

Yes, I know some of this may be confusing to understand since it’s tough to explain.  But, I wanted to write about it anyway....I’ve been instinctively using this process for years without realizing it was telepathy and it was nice validation to hear the actual steps were so similar to the ones I used.  I also learned how to tweak my process a bit more and make it more effective.

Another tip!  You can use telepathy to RECEIVE messages, not just send them.  So, try using telepathy to converse with people with messages for you.

If you’ve been a client, this may remind you of the “old, wise person” visualization I like to use...which I learned, by the way, at a meditation retreat. I love to learn, can you tell??! 

In your mind (with your eyes closed) try to see yourself on a beach, in the forest or any peaceful place you enjoy.  Focus on seeing yourself first.

Then, see a wise, old man (if you are a man) or a woman (if you are a woman) in the distance.  Walk up to that person and have a conversation.  Assume this wise person has something she’s been wanting you to hear or know and simply LISTEN.  You’ll get some GREAT insights and messages if you do.

I’ll write more about the wise person exercise in another post!

Hope you can benefit from these thoughts about Laura Day, intuition, telepathy and visualization.  If you enjoyed this article, please let me know!

If you’re looking for ways to give back to the world, check out Kiva.  You’ll find bios and pics of many deserving people, in developing countries, looking for small loans so they can start or grow their businesses.  The vast majority of the loans are paid back, too.  If you want to help lift someone out of poverty, here’s your chance. 

Kiva allows individuals to make loans as low as $25 to low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world (microfinance). By doing so, individuals like you provide affordable working capital for the poor (money to buy a sewing machine, livestock, etc.), empowering them to earn their way out of poverty. 

It’s a new, direct and sustainable way to fight global poverty, and the way I see it, I get a higher return on $25 helping someone build a future than the interest my checking account pays. 

Please check out the site: http://kiva.org.  If you need more “reputable” validation than my recommendation , know that they have received great press in publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal to NPR to BusinessWeek.

I have a question for you....What happens when you go to the grocery store while your stomach is growling?  You either load up on junk food by tossing lots of goodies into your cart, or rip open a box of sugary or salty treats within minutes of entering the store and then proceed to chow down as you push your cart throughout the store.

Has this ever happened to you? 

If so, would you say you were THRIVING or just trying to SURVIVE?  Grocery shopping while you’re famished is never a good idea since it creates a “mini crisis” and even if you have the best intentions, it’s much more difficult to stick to a healthy eating plan.  All you want, in that moment, is the first edible item you set your eyes on.  Am I right?  It takes a very conscious effort to grocery shop (while you’re hungry) without adding unhealthy items to your basket.  We’ve all been there.  It’s about survival, in the moment. 

I believe many, many people are merely surviving in most of the critical areas of life.  They’re backed up against a wall with their finances, health, careers, relationships, energy etc...So, they do whatever they feel they need to do to get by/survive each day. And, in doing so, many rules of reason go out the window.  After all, in a crisis, there are no rules.  And, whenever you’re in survival mode, you’re in a crisis.  Does any of this resonate with you?

Take a look at your own life.  Where are you truly thriving and where are you merely surviving?  To answer that question, let’s clarify what it means to thrive or survive.

Thriving happens when you have more than enough of what you need.  Think about it.  If you have plenty of money in your savings account and extra cash leftover each month, after you pay the bills, you’d probably feel pretty good.  Few worries and few cares revolve around your finances since you have plenty of money.  You’re able to plan vacations, knowing you’ll have the funds to pay for it.  You are thriving in the money department of your life.

Surviving is another story. This is how most people live, when it comes to finances.  If you barely get by each month financially and have credit card debt, little savings and lots of worries about money, you are doing your best to simply get by each day.  Because you’re in “crisis mode” /survival mode, some rules of reason go out the window and you actually overspend by running up your credit cards (since you need money) with high interest rates.  Sure, you *know* it’s not a wise move to spend money you don’t have, especially with an interest rate attached to it, but you don’t care.  You are “starving” in the money quadrant of your life, so you’ll do whatever it takes to feed the hunger.

Now, I could show you examples of thriving versus striving in all areas of your life.  But, I think you get the point.  So, think about it.  Are you thriving at work or are you amazed you’re able to “survive” another day since you feel so depleted most of the time?  Are you thriving at home or do you feel burdened and stressed out by clutter?  How about your energy level?  Do you have more than enough energy to do whatever you want or are you constantly pumped up on caffeine since it’s the only way to drag your body through the day?

There’s a lot to think about!

I’d like to challenge YOU to turn the corner and THRIVE in all areas of your life this year.  For starters, pick ONE key area (such as finances, energy, home, relationships, etc) and get crystal clear about what it will take to actually THRIVE.  Might be a good topic to discuss with a friend or write about in your journal.  Personally, I tend to meditate on this sort of topic and then visualize the results I want to create. Any of the above ideas will work. Just spend some time thinking about it.

Then, make a decision to THRIVE in your chosen area of life and get clear about what needs to change to REMOVE crisis mode.  So, if you chose finances, you might want to remove all facets of crisis mode by creating a budget and cutting back your spending habits.

Here’s what’s fun about this....When you remove the triggers that push you into a crisis/survival mode, your true essence will emerge!  What is your true essence, you ask?  Your TRUE purpose is to THRIVE.  So, when you stop surviving, notice how much easier it is to thrive.

To give your thrive mode a boost, try ADDING some actions that will help.  Using the financial example, great “thriving” actions might be to create a savings account, asking for a gigantic raise at work, moving into a much more affordable home or selling items on ebay or craigslist.

Remember, you’ll feel like you’re thriving when you have more than enough of what you need.  It’s up to YOU to decide how much “more than enough” means to you.

Train yourself to expect more out of life than mere survival.  Create a nice, comfy cushion of money, energy, friends, love, ideas, career fulfillment, health, hobbies, free time and joy.

Happy New Year!  Each year around this time, I love to sit down and write out my goals for the year.  It’s fun to dream and create a list of things to accomplish.  In addition, I always try to think of personal qualities I’d like to change as well.  In other words, it’s important to set “DO” goals (things you plan to do such as working out more, increasing income, or getting organized).....plus “BE” goals (such as becoming more compassionate, loving or energetic).  TODAY, I will spend at least an hour getting very clear about my DO goals and my BE goals.  I’ll share some of those with you in another post.  In the meantime, if you want some help setting goals, take a look at my Goals 2008 Program.  Best wishes for a magnificent year.  Your coach, Kristin

One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely.”

How do YOU typically end your days?  Do you take time to notice everything you have to be grateful for?  Or, do you obsess over all of the little things that went wrong that day?  Truthfully, most people aren’t super aware of HOW they end their days...but in my experience as a coach, I notice how many people carry their worries and concerns day after day, as if they’re on some sort of never ending treadmill.  I’ve been guilty of that myself and I know how exhausting it can be.

Most days, I consciously try to end my day with a gratitude exercise.  It’s very easy and only takes about a minute.  If you want to give it a try, here’s how it works:

Before you go to sleep, when you are cozy in your bed...think about all of the great moments from the day such as dancing around the house with your kids, getting a smile from a stranger, being kind to someone, or finally getting a promotion at work.  It’s also fun to notice how you’ve grown that day...such as ‘feeling more confident’ in a meeting at work, ‘bravely tackling a challenge’ or ‘being more patient’ with your spouse. 

If you find yourself thinking about something that went ‘wrong’ that day, such as being rude to the parking attendant or completely fumbling through a work presentation....try to leave all of that behind (before you go to sleep).  Everyone makes mistakes, including you.  Don’t take your worries with you into peaceful slumberland.  Instead, take a moment to think about how you might improve your actions the next day. Resolving the matter quickly will give you peace of mind.  Set an intention to apologize to the parking attendant, for example.  If you know you’ll never see him again...then let it go and resolve to be more patient in the future.  But, don’t worry about your mistakes day after day.

Give yourself a break before you go to sleep.  As the sun goes down, remember...a new day will approach soon.  Begin each day, as Emerson suggests, serenely.


Enjoy.

I’m filing this one under “fascinating concepts” but it’s also a book review.  Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist, wrote a book called The Hidden Messages In Water, which I’ve recommended to clients for the past couple of years.  Some of them thought I was crazy when I shared the message of the book with them.  I guess they weren’t ready to hear it.  One of those clients emailed me recently (even though I haven’t coached her in over year) to let me know she *finally* gets it and understands the sentiment behind the book.  I love it when a thought finally takes root in a client’s life and helps them!

Dr. Emoto conducted an experiment with frozen water crystals.  In essence, he wrote down words such as ‘love’, ‘gratitude’ and ‘thank you’ and taped them to the side of a water bottle.  Then, he put samples of the water in petri dishes and took photos of them using high speed photography.  He also repeated this process using negative words such as ‘hate’ or ‘fool’.  The results are astonishing!

The ‘positive’ words formed brilliant, well formed, clear crystals. 

The ‘negative’ words had a totally different impact. In those samples, the crystals looked like messy blobs without a well defined shape. 

His book contains photos which illustrate the SHARP contrast between both types of crystals..negative versus positive.

Dr. Emoto expanded the experiment to include different types of music and placing objects next to the water.

He even tried speaking to the water. In one sample, he said “You are beautiful” to the water several times.  In another, he simply ignored the water and didn’t say anything at all. Guess what? The ignored water didn’t form a clear crystal while the ‘adored’ water formed clear, beautiful crystals.

What does this mean for you?

Everything in life (including you) is vibrating.  All things are made up of energy particles, even innate objects such as a piece of paper with words.  Of course, the vibration is so fast you can’t really see it, but it’s there.

Water is very sensitive and able to respond to the vibrations of words and everything around it....whether they are spoken, written or merely in thought.

YOU are made up of water, roughly 70% to be exact.

So, surround yourself with ‘positive’ words, uplifting music and encouraging people.  Don’t let anyone taint your water! 

This is ONE of the reasons I enjoy sending out my free, uplifting quotes each day from my site Morning Mantra.

Most people hope to create more balance, clarity and beauty in their lives.  If this is you, consider the impact of everything around you and do some clean-up if necessary. 

This week, notice all of the ‘positive’ words coming your way and be grateful for them. You also need to look for any ‘negative’ ones and set boundaries with the Negativos (negative people) in your life.

Your life is sacred.  Treat it that way.

If you want to discuss the topic with me or share your thoughts about it, feel free to drop me an email

This is where I go for a dose of solitude and the healing properties of nature.  It’s called Lanikai beach and it’s thought of as one of the best beaches in the whole state.  On my side of the island, we have very calm water so it’s easy to swim without being clobbered by 30 foot waves.  I must say, I’m much happier with the wimpy waves since I like to float and relax in the ocean.

I snapped this picture over the weekend after collecting some sand for one of my Goals Program clients.  In that course, I talk about the concept of finding ‘anchors’ to remind ourselves of our goals.  I’ve achieved a lot in my life with the help of many anchors. 

Not sure what my client plans to do with the Hawaiian sand, but I do know she wants to visit Hawaii to attend a special workshop/training she heard about.  Looking at the sand will help remind her to stay focused on her goal and create the income necessary to attend. I think we all need those little reminders to keep our daily actions focused.

As I took this picture of the water, I noticed the sound of the waves crashing. No matter how small they are, they still make that familiar, peaceful sound we all love.  Many years ago, I listened to a series of ‘nature sounds’ CD’s while working and going about my day.  My biggest goal that year was to feel more ‘peaceful’ on a regular basis which was quite a challenge for someone with Type A tendencies!

My favorite nature CD’s were ‘ocean waves’ and ‘birds singing’.  I love the sounds of nature since it always makes me feel calm and peaceful.

Those CD’s were anchors, too.  As I type this, I can hear birds chirping outside of my window.....live. And, after a 15 minute stroll, I’ll have a front row seat to the greatest concert in town...the sound of the crashing waves. 

Life is good.  For anyone reading this, please take this message of inspiration with you.  Think about what you want more of in your life and surround yourself with reminders or anchors.  When I chose the nature CD’s as anchors, I had no idea I’d eventually end up living in Hawaii.  At the time, it wasn’t a goal.  But, I did want to feel more ‘peaceful’ and live closer to nature.  So, life brought me here. That’s how it works.

If you want to know more about anchors, check out the Goals Program.

Update 2008:  This post was written when I lived in Hawaii for a few years.  Now, I can “go there” in my mind anytime I wish my closing my eyes and thinking about the ocean or opening my eyes and looking at this picture.  Do YOU have a photo of a beautiful spot in nature?  If not, find one! It will transport you on an instant vacation.