Totally fun to put this together. I’m so visual so I love it! The music is cool, too. Inner Circle starts on Monday, January 11th, if you want to join. There will be lots of inspiration delivered via written words, audio visualizations, mini movies and whatever else I can dream up for you!
I made this video using animoto.com. Check it out, if you’d like. In my program, I ask people to create a vision board to amp up their energy with goals. Visual reminders ALWAYS help. I’ve been creating vision boards for years and they do work. This year, I’m making an animoto mini movie in lieu of a vision board with loads of images, music and words to remind me of my personal priorities and what I plan to achieve. Borrow my idea if you want to make one for yourself!
Over the next 21 days, I will follow a program created by Dr.Alejandro Junger. It’s quite simply called Clean. He has a book by the same name, if you want to check it out.
There are 2 ways to do the program…one is outlined in his book and requires some work since you’ll be making fresh juices and cooking a lot. The other is sold on his website and is much simpler (in my opinion). Always a fan of simplicity, I’ve opted for the simpler route.
Here’s what I’m facing over the next 3 weeks..
I’ll start each day with a liquid meal/shake and some supplements. Lunch-time will be a REAL meal (food outlined in his book/ chicken, veggies, etc.) with more supplements. And, dinner will look a lot like breakfast since it’s another liquid meal. So, we’re talking about one traditional meal a day! Can I do it? We’ll see.
WHY am I doing this? Well, let me start by saying I’m already very into “clean living”. I gave up dairy years ago since it made me feel bloated. I rarely drink alcohol and water is truly my favorite beverage. You’ll rarely see me drinking a soft drink or eating junky food. Most of my food is purchased at my fave store, Whole Foods, and I pay very close attention to eating quality food. But, I do have two vices that come back now and again…I love BREAD and SUGAR.
When I’m bread and sugar-free, I feel INCREDIBLE. But, with too many summer barbeques lately (and those yummy burgers on hamburger buns) and too many chocolate chip cookies (love those), I’m starting to feel less than incredible. Some of you might laugh when you read this since I don’t sound very toxic, right? My sister teased me about this today and wondered what on earth I’ll “detox” out of my body. She affectionately refers to me as the ‘well-oiled machine’ since I am pretty conscious about what I eat. But, for ME, I know I can feel better and I’m curious to see what will happen if I do this particular nutritional cleanse for 3 whole weeks!
PLUS, I’m turning 40 this September and want to enter that decade of my life feeling and looking my absolute best. So, here we are!
My plan is to update this article every day to document how I’m feeling and any other insights about the cleanse. I’m sharing this with my friends and clients since I know it might inspire a few of you to upgrade your health. I do want to say I’m *not* necessarily recommending this program (yet) since I haven’t been through it. So, if you’re interested in giving it a go, please check with your doctor first. It’s my understanding this program is *not* recommended for everyone but it does have glowing testimonials from well-respected people, so I have a feeling it’s a good one.
If you subscribe to this blog, you will *not* get a new update sent to you each day. So, check this page online if you’re curious to know how I’m doing.
DAY 1 (July 15th): My shakes and supplements arrived yesterday and I was excited to begin this AM. As a coincidence (!!), today was also the first day to volunteer delivering food to the homeless. My sister recruited me to help once a month and today was a quick “training”. Can you believe it…guess what the food was? TONS of BREAD, COOKIES and CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES (with sprinkles). I kid you not. It made me laugh out loud. So, there we were picking up day old items from various stores and delivering it to food pantries and homeless shelters around town.
I have 3 thoughts about this ‘coincidence’:
1. There are no coincidences and I’m being tested from day one to see how committed I am to the program. I passed that test with flying colors. It truly wasn’t even hard to do.
2. Homeless people need better nutrition. It makes me sad to think they are loading up on bread and sugary treats. I hope they have access to more quality food as well.
3. I don’t really know what ‘hungry’ feels like in comparison to millions of people around the world.
This was a good experience for me since I WAS worried about being hungry on this plan, but now I’m not. And the truth is, I’m not hungry TODAY. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.
Day 2: (July16th) Nothing too eventful today. I will say the powdered shake is not very yummy. I had to use the old “plug your nose” while you drink it trick I learned from my parents a long time ago. It helped. Funny how our sense of smell is such a factor when it comes to food. Salmon and veggies for lunch (not a departure from how I usually eat, though). But, the good news is that there was NO sugar today and NO bread. I’m realizing bread isn’t really the issue since I’m not craving it at all. But, sugar is another story. I started reading about the program a bit more and am thinking about changing gears and making the recipes in the book which are smoothies, juices and soups. Sure, I’ll to go on a scavenger hunt to look for some of the ingredients…but I think that actually might make this cleanse more of a challenge for me and yield greater results, too. I’m sure the shakes are ideal for busy people but the truth is I have the time to prepare meals. The one major negative I already feel is that I’m not getting enough “live food” benefits. I’ve done week long JUICE fasts before (fresh veggies, fruits, in a juicer) and always feel incredible. On another note, I sat in my infrared sauna today for 30 minutes to get my ‘sweat on.’ Sweating daily is always recommended during a cleanse. I think it helped! FYI, my sauna was purchased through SunlightSaunas. LOVE IT. I’ve been in contact with the “Clean Program” staff and must say they are very helpful!
Day 3: (July17th) Feeling very CALM today. A better word to describe the feeling might be “even”. I have my usual amount of high energy but this cleanse is adding a calm feeling that I really like. Since I have hypoglycemia, my blood sugar is a tricky matter if not managed just right. Even though I’m only eating one solid meal a day,with two shakes for other meals, I feel full and my blood sugar feels very stable all day long. I did have some trouble falling asleep last night since I felt so energized.
Days 4-6 (July 18-20th) I’m writing this Monday morning. Switched gears and started making some of the recipes in the book. Now, I’m alternating between the recipes and the powdered shakes. I felt kind of puny/weak Saturday AM. From about noon onward, I felt great all weekend. I know there are energy slumps now and again during a detox. I find myself feeling super relaxed in my body, which is a very good feeling. At the same, time I have loads of energy. It’s an ideal combo for me. I love it. My body is starting to hum, if that makes sense. I can literally feel energy moving throughout my body. I feel very vibrant and centered. Oh yes, Dr. Junger (author of the book) sent me a note on Friday. He’s reading my journal. LOVE THAT! He challenged me to re-think my hypoglycemia, too. I’ll write more about that later. I’ve been having loads of insights about that topic lately.
Day 7 (July21st) OK, I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record. Today’s update? I still feel great! Since many of the recipes are “raw” (uncooked), I’ve been researching raw food eating plans. After the 21 days, Dr. Junger suggests eating a diet made up of at least 51% raw food. I plan to make that happen…maybe 50-70%? We’ll see. Tomorrow, I’m scheduled to deliver bread and cupcakes to the homeless shelters again. Let’s see how that goes. Kind of grosses me out, to be honest. Although, I did start salivating a bit while passing fresh ciabatta rolls at Whole Foods yesterday. OH YES, I made a super yummy smoothie with blueberries and cacao (raw cocoa) with almond milk (non dairy). So, basically, we’re talking about a chocolate-blueberry milkshake. I’m a fan. I’m also grateful to learn some healthy alternatives that totally satisfy my sweet tooth. Feeling GOOD. More tomorrow.
Day 8 (July 22nd) This morning I ate what tasted like lawn clippings for breakfast. I was in a rush and loaded a lot of random veggies into the blender with water with some apples for sweetness. Broccoli, kale, swiss chard, etc.. I must really be committed to the cleanse process since I downed the drink without thinking about it too much. I still have an aftertaste in my mouth and it’s HOURS later. Oh well.
After breakfast, I delivered day old bread/cookies/cakes to the homeless shelters again. If you’ve been reading my updates you’ll know my sis recruited me to do this recently. Probably not an ideal fit for me, I know. But, I did it and it wasn’t a problem at all.
So, there I was driving along with piles of bread in my front seat, mountains of choc chip cookies in the backseat and cake and cinnamon rolls in the trunk (where they belong!!)HILARIOUS. Yes, there I was with a car full of junk and a stomach full of lawn clippings.
Lo and behold, I still feel FABULOUS. Nothing can derail me!
Days 9-10 (July 23-24) Well folks, I’m near the midway point. Yesterday (day 9) was slightly different. I had my 2 liquid meals for breakfast and lunch and the “real meal” (fish and veggies) for dinner. No issues with hypoglycemia at all, even though there was a long stretch of time not eating much. Fascinating!! I did feel very light yesterday…sort of like a floating feeling. Not sure if I liked it. Not hungry at all, just light. Since I’m not eating any dense food, this makes sense to me. I prefer to feel more grounded, though. Wondering if that can only be accomplished with more dense foods? I’ll explore this more after the 21 days. For now, I’ve decided to simply be an observer and see what else happens with my body…On another note, I’ve been attracting lots of coaching opportunities. Literally 5 or 6 people a day have been contacting me for phone coaching. Since I don’t have space, I keep saying “no” or add them to my waiting list. None of them read this blog, either! They’re just random people showing up for coaching…I always see a relationship between what I ATTRACT in my life and how I FEEL. When I take really good care of myself, I attract a lot more. That’s a plus and a minus. I’ll say more about that later. Happy Weekend everyone!!
Days 11-13 (July 25-27th) You know that cozy feeling you get in winter while sitting in front of a warm fire…wrapped in a blanket, on the couch? Well, that’s how I feel in my BODY now. I have the coziest feeling and it’s truly wonderful. I think it’s from eating so many fruits and veggies (blended into smoothies). Not really losing too much weight, which is fine with me. My meals, while mainly liquid, do have substantial calories. I wonder if I could eat this way forever?? Life feels sweeter and I’m even more aware of things around me. I’m usually fairly aware and “in the moment” but more so lately. Feeling really, really, really good. Looking good, too, if I may say! My skin is super clear and my eyes are sparkly. 
One interesting point made by Dr. Junger is about ‘hunger’. He says that hunger isn’t always HUNGER for food. I’ve tried to notice that within myself. I haven’t felt very hungry at all during this cleanse. But, the moments when I did feel hungry were usually linked to some sort of frustration. So, it’s not really hunger…it’s frustration. For example, I had an insanely busy day recently and craved a cookie for the first time since I started this thing. I wasn’t REALLY hungry (in fact, it was only one hour after lunch!). What I wanted was some sugar to make me feel better or to ‘numb’ the feeling of frustration. Now, what I am doing is looking for ways to remove that frustration from my life since insanely busy days don’t really serve me very well.
In a way, this cleanse is healing for the body AND for the soul. It’s encouraging me to continue to add balance to my life (I’m pretty good at it already, but need to tweak a couple of things to operate in the best way possible!)
Days 14-15 (July 28th and 29th) I’m getting lots of emails now from those of you reading my detox diary. Sounds like many people are inspired to give it a try! I do recommend the program. Buy the book (mentioned above) and stick with the plan. It’s all spelled out there.
Today, I woke up early to do the bread/cookie/cake delivery to homeless shelters around town. I’ve got this down to a science now. Doesn’t take long at all. However, I am still not sure I resonate with the type of food I’m delivering. Today, I ran into some of the people waiting for food and chatted with them about life and looked into their eyes to get a sense of how they were feeling. They were so grateful for the food and I realized that they also have access to veggies and other goodies at the shelter. So, I’m happy to hear about their well rounded diet. And, when times are rough, I guess a chocolate cupcake can give someone a lift.
One woman said the cupcakes remind her of birthdays and happy times. So, I’m trying not to judge what people eat and just be happy for them. This brings me to another point. In the past, whenever I’ve ‘discovered’ something great I always wanted to tell everyone about it and convert them to this fabulous new find of mine. Now, I don’t feel like doing that very much, which is good for me. I find myself allowing other people to do whatever they want. Feels much lighter to me and I like it. What’s interesting is how certain people are attracted to what I’m doing and asking about it. I’m always happy to share.
The difference now is that I don’t feel like I have to save the world and everyone’s eating habits. What I do know (from coaching a lot of people) is that when someone is really ready to change, they will change. I know lots of people are looking for many solutions to all sorts of problems. For me, I was looking for a solution to my hypoglycemic tendencies, I realize. I found it. And, it all started by reading a book with info I’ve read in various ways in the past.. I was ready to hear the message NOW, though. TIming is everything.
Oh yes, one of my new favorite smoothies (have I talked about this before?) has blueberries and raw cocoa. That’s my new choc cupcake. I wonder if I can put a candle in it and make it a birthday cake?? Funny.
Days 16-17 (July 30 and 31st) The last two days haven’t been my finest. I’ve been slightly off course with meals and skipped a couple! I don’t have much of an appetite, which is interesting. Only drank half of my green smoothie this morning, too. Just didn’t want more. I know I need to eat since the meals are so few and far between and full of essential nutrients for living! The catalyst for this must be my busy schedule. I’ve been so focused I worked right through lunch. Haven’t done that in years. I discovered some RAW granola at the healthfood store without sugar and have been snacking on it. Not exactly a cheat item (you can have snacks) but not really ideal in lieu of lunch. Tomorrow is a new day and I’ll get back on the schedule with 3 meals a day. I’m in the home stretch and it feels great! Thanks to everyone for your great emails. Much appreciated.
Days 18-19 (Aug. 1 and 2) I’m in the home stretch! The finish line is within sight! Maybe I’ll celebrate with a chocolate chip cookie. JUST KIDDING. I will say I started craving a wee bit of chocolate this weekend and learned that it could be a lack of magnesium! I guess chocolate is loaded with magnesium so I’ll start taking some supplements after the cleanse and see if this helps. The craving has been minor, but it’s worth mentioning since I’ve learned that when in a CLEAN state, the body craves nutrients it needs..and not usually junk. Of course, when you have sugar in your system (which I don’t right now), your body will crave more sugar since sugar feeds on sugar. My goal is to continue to be sugar-free and notice the cravings my body has and then try to add those nutrients to my daily diet. A balanced body…Loving it.
Days 20-21 (Aug. 3 and 4) I MADE IT. Yippee! The final week was kind of a blur, really. I can’t believe the 21 days flew by so quickly. Now, I’m thinking of adding a few extra days just for good measure. Other people in the program are doing that so it’s inspiring me to go for it, too.
For now, this article is closed out. Check back next week for a NEW article in this space about everything I learned. A summary of sorts.
If you’d like to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)a comment about this, please do. I love random, supportive emails from people.
I ran across an EXTRAORDINARY short film the other day on YouTube. It literally brings tears (happy ones) to my eyes each time I watch it…and I’ve watched about ten times already.
So, I want to share it with you. The link is below.
It’s the story of a young girl with a dream to do something BIG.
The odds aren’t in her favor.
Many of her peers try to knock her down, too.
But she has an edge…
She has a mentor who believes she can do anything she desires…
If she can simply learn to tune out the outer critics, the unfavorable odds and real challenges….
And tune into her dream instead.
She also has the discipline to take small steps forward each week…
Which eventually leads to ONE big finale. You really have to watch the video to understand.
You know, that’s EXACTLY how life works.
It’s also how my Inner Circle Program works.
Each week, I inspire people to tune into their dream of how they want their life to be…
Then, they step into action by taking steps forward each week.
When they get knocked down or meet challenges along the way…
Their coach reminds them to stay focused on what they want and to keep walking forward.
That’s me. I’m the coach.
Are you my client?
Once July 6th rolls around, if you aren’t on board, there won’t be another chance unitl 2010.
Here’s the video. It’s short and I know you’ll be very moved after watching it. Make sure you turn your speakers up since the music is such an integral part of the experience.
Enjoy!
ps. Click here for more info about how I inspire people to name their dreams and focus their time and energy on taking action each week.
What will your big finale be at the end of this year?
Today, I heard Howard Behar (former president of Starbucks Coffee North America and Starbucks International) speak to a group of coaches via conference call. You may know about him already or read the book he recently pubilshed called It’s Not About The Coffee .
Some of the highlights of the talk:
* Behar stressed the importance of values and being true to yourself. He believes that’s one of the core secrets of success (as do I!!)
* He talked about expanding Starbucks into locations such as Tokyo and not really knowing how to do that at first. Yet, he INSPIRED people to help him since they connected with him on a human level. They saw his desire to help people and wanted to help him in return. Great lesson in life. People will help you (and want to help you) if you can find a way to connect with them on a very basic, human level. I preach this to my clients constantly. If you’re hoping to break into a new career, for example, look for someone else in that field and ask them to help or mentor you. The trick is to INSPIRE them to want to help you. I teach my clients how to do that.
* The job of a great leader, in Behar’s opinion, is to constantly (DAILY) remind the ‘partners’ (that’s what Starbucks calls their employees) about the values of the organization and to live those values on a regular basis.
* In addition, he talked about ‘servant leadership’ and making sure he wasn’t just leading his team to accomplish the company’s goals…but to also lead them to accomplish their own personal goals. I love that!
* He also taked about “inner knowing” and the importance of listening to your intuition (although he didn’t use that exact word).
* Finally, Behar said he was really in the people business and his true desire was to build better humans…so to speak…not just build better coffee.
Is this refreshing or what? No wonder Starbucks is so successful! I don’t even drink coffee yet I love that place. It’s a cool place to hang out with your laptop and write while drinking a healthy Odwalla smoothie (smart, Starbucks, to offer options for non-coffee folks like me) I think people like it there since it has a good vibe. The employess seem genuinely happy and the whole place is usually buzzing with energy. Is it the caffeine or is it simply the happy/relaxed environment? At any rate, I believe customers are attracted to businesses that feel good to them.
How can you apply this all to your own life, even if you don’t run a business?
First of all, get clear about WHO you are and the life you want to live. KNOW your values and make sure your life is a reflection of those values.
“Lead” yourself by constantly reminding yourself of your values (the same way Behar reminded his empployees on a daily basis). We all need reminders and remembering what you value is KEY. Write down a few of your values and frame them by your bathroom sink. READ the list while brushing your teeth each morning. It’s a very simple way to ground yourself each day.
Think beyond yourself and try to help others in some way. I’ve always said that the key to uncovering your ideal career is to think about how you can serve others. What’s a gift you have that other people could beneift from greatly? Share that gift with the world and design a career around it. Too many people think about how they can make $ instead of how they can make a difference. But, look at Starbucks as a shining example….when you focus on making a difference you can make a lot of $.
Check out this list from the book and pick up a copy for yourself. All net proceeds from the book are being dontated to a couple of causes close to Behar’s heart:
10 Principles of Personal Leadership - from Howard Behar’s book It’s Not About The Coffee
1. Know Who You Are: Wear One Hat
Our success is directly related to our clarity and honesty about who we are, who we’re not, where we want to go, and how we’re going to get there. When organizations are clear about their values, purpose, and goals, they find the energy and passion to do great things.
2. Know Why You’re Here: Do It Because It’s Right, Not Because It’s Right for Your Resume
The path to success comes from doing things for the right reasons. You can’t succeed if you don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish and without everyone being aligned with the goal. Look for purpose and passion in yourself and the people you lead. If they’re not there, do something.
3. Think Independently: The Person Who Sweeps the Floor Should Choose the Broom
People are not “assets,” they are human beings who have the capacity to achieve results beyond what is thought possible. We need to get rid of rules—real and imagined—and encourage the independent thinking of others and ourselves.
4. Build Trust: Care, like You Really Mean It
Caring is not a sign of weakness but rather a sign of strength, and it can’t be faked—within an organization, with the people we serve, or in the local or global community. Without trust and caring we’ll never know what could have been possible. Without freedom from fear, we can’t dream and we can’t reach our potential.
5. Listen for the Truth: The Walls Talk
Put the time into listening, even to what’s not said, and amazing results will follow. You’ll know what you’re customers want, you’ll know why the passion is missing from your organization, you’ll learn solutions to problems that have been sitting there waiting to be picked.
6. Be Accountable: Only the Truth Sounds like the Truth
No secrets, no lies of omission, no hedging and dodging. Take responsibility and say what needs to be said, with care and respect.
7. Take Action: Think like a Person of Action, and Act like a Person of Thought
Find the sweet spot of passion, purpose, and persistence. “It’s all about the people” isn’t an idea, it’s an action. Feel, think, do. Find the balance, but act.
8. Face Challenge: We Are Human Beings First
Use all the principles to guide you during the hardest times. If the challenge is too big, if you’re stuck, take smaller bites. But remember to put people first, and you’ll find the guidance you need.
9. Practice Leadership: The Big Noise and the Still, Small Voice
Leading can be the noisy, “I’m here!” kind of thing. But don’t ever forget that leaders are just ordinary human beings. Don’t let the noise crowd out the truth. Listen to your still, small voice. Let quiet be your guide.
10. Dare to Dream: Say “Yes,” the Most Powerful Word in the World
Big dreams mean big goals, big hopes, big joys. Say “yes” and enjoy all that you are doing, and help others to do the same.
I sent out a survey nearly 3 weeks ago and thought you’d be interested in reading some of the answers to the most important question of all. The question I asked?
“If ANYTHING could happen in your life over the next year, what would thrill you? In other words, what changes would you like to see in your life or career?” Check out some of the replies below!
I’m going to leave this page on my website all throughout 2009, by the way. So, try finding your answer (and remember the # so you can easily find it again)...and please know your wish has been ordered! It’s in print so that makes it official, right? Come back to this page often to remind yourself of your most precious wish for 2009.
Here’s what people said they MOST wanted to happen next year:
1. Have a child.
2. I’d love to find a job that I enjoyed and that would be flexible enough for me to take care of things at home.
3. to fall in love
4. A balanced life with goals, I would like to get more pleasure and contentment out of life, take nice trips, have an abundance of spending money, Iwould love to make NEW friends and have better relationships..
5. new job-career
6. I’d like my life to have more stibility and routine in it so the family could function better.
7. Meet the right guy or travel to at least one of the places on my “to see” list.
8. Financial abundance to be a stay-at-home mom while still being able to afford nice things for my home, family vacations, etc.
9. A new man, new home, great job, fitness, routinely out with nature and debt free
10. I would like to have a steady and large income
11. My business would become a success! I would like to have more time to spend with boyfriend and to maintain relationships with family & friends.
12. find a job as a college advisor OR a job that incorporates photography and creativity, without requiring too much technical skill or stress that in some way involves or benefits children, people living struggling with global poverty or health issues or the environment
13. Reduce my work hours
14. would love to see my photography career evolve somehow.
15. *Improve & become much more satisfied w/ my own work performance, & more highly regarded by peers & supervisor, thus happier & more proud of my work in these last few years before retirement * Commit so well to a health plan that I become slim & fit & attractive even to myself * Become emotionally ready to want to find a male friend/companion/partner with whom I can regain trust, commitment, happiness, & a satisfying sex life *De-clutter & make upgrades to my house w/out losing its “home” feel for my sons or me; get a handle on my paperwork packrat problem; integrate family heirlooms while also updating decor
16. Learn to take great care of myself AND create and maintain excellent standards.
17. get to goal weight & maintain it, start making money as a writer
18. I could use a little “Umph” in my life right now. Things are good but they could be better. My weight is okay but would be better if I lost 10-15 pounds. My house is presentable but would be better if the basement was organized. My spiritual life is blessed but if I’d Bible read/pray more consistently…..you get the idea. It’s not a mess but with a little consistent effort, it could be more.
19. Make a full life transition—make my move to a new city and have a full social life with friends and family to do things with!
20. Earn more money! Buy my first home. Create an ideal living/work situation for my disabled teenager.
21. Get started in a new career, lose weight, get my house under control, find new interesting friend groups that are like minded.
22. 1. Lose six more pounds (already lost 8) 2. Finish decluttering paperwork in my filing cabinet (I am dealing with these right now and hope to have them accomplished in the beginning of 2009)
23. taking accountability to self as importantly as accountability to others.
24. I am reducing my debt and will have attained most of financial restructuring by May 09. I have strong concerns about spending enough time with my older Mother and my daughter who is graduating from high school. My husband also works a lot of hours and time with him is limited. I would like a career that involves some traveling to new places, but also involves my online health certification business, but also provides insurance benefits and retirement. I am 3 years away from being vested in my current position. It has been suggested I work toward a vice presidency position, but am concerned about the time that be required of me
25. Getting back to my creative, funloving old self.
26. Become fit and lean. Do work that I love and that matters to me (preferably teach literacy) and to work in an environment that I enjoy being in—a private office with windows. To work with truly good people.
27. 2009: 1.) Manifest great new relationship that will lead to marriage. 2.) Achieve fantastic Trainer/Educator full time position in public speaking, leadership coaching and/or technical training for established company I can learn from. 3.) Take an exotic 2 week vacation to Turkey with friends.
28. I am in the beginning of a joyful relationship with my boyfriend and I would be THRILLED if it justs keeps getting better and better (as it has been for these last few months). I would also love to buy a house in a neighborhood/area I LOVE.
29. That I would feel satisfied with my relationship, or kno what I should do to improve it. That I would better knoww how to look inside for my fulfillment.
30. -decision about grad school -smaller, easier to manage house -pay off credit card debt
31. I’d like to own a thriving business and the changes would need to be finding the passion to pursue the business no matter what it takes.
32. Find my path of fulfillment, joy, and peace on this journey.
33. I would love to get a job that makes a difference in people’s lives that actually pays the bills.
34. That’s a hard one. I guess I need to do more dreaming.
35. more money, confidence, power
36. To see my small business become wildly successful
37. My goal is to be full of energy, yet calm and confident. I want to have enough energy to meet my goals, such as making well over six figures, getting super healthy, and taking care of our new baby.
38. Healthier lifestyle and getting out of debt
39. the job ive been waiting for and the partner i crave!
40. publish a book; get a full time tenured university teaching position; and/or my business takes off
41. My two autistic sons would recover or make significant progress with their unique issues.
42. owning a home of my own.
43. Clear out the non-essentials in my life so that I have the freedom to create a structure for myself and have the freedom to be spontaneous.
44. to know what i want and go for it
45. having a career/business that fit my personality and my passions
46. Be financialy secure and travel
47. Find a direction and purpose for my work life.
48. Create a career that would allow me to work from home, financially support my family, leave me with enough energy for family/friend time, and allow me to pursue some other interests that aren’t money-makers. I’d like to be in a helping/service profession and not selling something.
49. get organized so I wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed all the time
50. Work in a smaller company with more professional people in a more defined/mature dept/company
51. Getting out of debt and achieving some life balance
52. career change
53. Get a new job in a fabulous location
54. need to improve income which has been decreasing in part because of economic condition in Michigan
55. Marriage.
56. Attract my ideal mate
57. more JOY in my marriage
58. lose weight
59. get healthy
60. To find my life partner
61. Figuring out what I want to be when I grow up and getting a clean bill of health.
62. Becoming debt free, buying my first home, making more money, getting a handle on time management, becoming more organized, looking better (being able to afford to pamper myself, buy nice clothes, getting my hair and nails done professionally)
63. Having my ideal career and keeping the balance I currently have…improvements =home and income. Already working on home improvements and de cluttering and researching new work options. My current income is temporary and I want/need more. I will focus more on the career after I get my home minimized of items and updated.
64. Finding the love of my life.
65. If I met a guy and was in a solid, loving relationship.
66. Hit a financial jackpot so that we can comfortably buy a lovely house!
67. My children finding life partners. More grand children. Getting out of debt forever. Securing financial stabiliy for the future. Opportunity to travel.
68. job more in line with my spirit, identifying what that career track would be and then landing the job
69. Extended travel in foreign countries; I did it when I was 22, put off going back to school for another degree for a year as I thought my education was more important than schooling.
70. That my business would really take off and generate enough money to live on.
71. weight loss and trying to find a new career path
72. A fabulous new role that uniquely fits me and the things I value and desire (at the next level of the organization, responsibility, leadership support, incredible manager, highly valued subject area, an office rather than a cube, more money, great teammates, clarity of objective, etc.)
73. Marriage/Engagement Successful new business Money in the bank A new real estate investment Successful family relationships with planned get togethers
74. I would like to make the Yosemite quilt I promised my father 6 years ago. I’ve got the fabric, but haven’t started the quilt yet. Want it to be perfect. Afraid that it won’t be, so won’t start it. I know that, but still won’t start it.
75. To visit and experience 3 of my 7 Natural Wonders of the World.
76. Peace, regardless of circumstances.
77. I would like to retire from my current job with enough financial security to pursue my next calling at my own personal pace, to include ‘trying’ out different options before committing.
78. I would be thrilled if my business was filled with coaches like you. I have had a VA business for several years, and I am now focusing on a more defined target market. I want to learn what services business coaches are looking for from a VA and how to penetrate that market.
79. Locating a management position in the elder living industry. I think I want to help self sufficient over 65 individuals manage their money, help them understand medicare, support their personal lives and still feel self- sufficient.
80. More money.
81. landing my perfect career that is filled with passion and purpose
82. Global warming averted; children happy and self supporting, engaged, contributing; feeling of joy or being thrilled
83. FIX CREDIT, BUY CONDO, SCHOOL FULL TIME
84. Growth of my new consulting business
85. I want to get very clear about what I really want, most specifically around career/work. I want to feel excited about what I’m doing.
86. Find a new career where my talents and creativity are used and that is financially stable with benefits and retirement…as good as that can be right now:(
87. Being organized and getting rid of junk.
88. Selling my TV pilot which would lead to studios looking at my other projects.
89. more of what i already have!
90. discovering the job, mate and location that provide me with life balance and totally fills my life with passion and feeds my spirit
91. I would love to find out what I want to do in life, what I want to be, what will make ME happy and then put it into action.
92. A little more stability in finances, relationships and living situations .For the past four years nothing has been steady and constant.
93. to have transitioned from my current job to earning income from my business that is greater than that from my job.
94. Finish writing a book and actually submit it. I have written loads of childrens books but I never submit them.
95. Meet someone, fall in love and have a healthy relationship.
96. Get out of debt and New job .
97. improve the quality of my life/stuck in a rut .
98. What could happen? 1) Card decks completed & published & marketed; 2) Book well-on-the-way to the above;3) Increased income allowing me to work a job p.t.w/health benefits (v. f.t.)
99. My own coaching Biz
100. I would love to find my ideal job - one that doesn’t involve toxic people who drain me on a daily basis.
101. I would find a job that suits me and allows me to do research and pays well.
102. getting a regular gig singing jazz standards in a classy place
Seeing all of these answers INSPIRED me to add another feature to my new Inner Circle Coaching Program. Here’s what I am thinking about….I’m going to give each client their own password protected page (so the whole world can’t see it, unless they want to share it) to immortalize their goals in one place! Plus, we can include a photo or image that represents their MOST important goals. So, the client can visit their page and be reminded of what they said they wanted….I love it. What do you think? Let me know .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if this is something you’d want in the program and I’ll add it.
Hi everyone!
I’d love your help with 3 surveys about my coaching offerings for 2009. Each one has only 10 questions and will take you about 3 minutes each to complete. I invite you to take all 3, if you’re willing. Your response will VOTE for the programs you’d most like to see next year. Hearing from you will help me direct my time and energy in the best possible way so I can offer the programs you’d MOST like to see. I’ll share the results with you in my next posting! Exciting!!
Click on the links for each survey:
Click Here to take a survey about Goal Setting Support for 2009 and a year-long coaching program
Click Here to take a survey about E-Courses/Coaching via email
Click Here to take a survey about Phone Coaching
Thank YOU!
Over the past month, I invited 10 people to become a client for just 30 days. Each one was coached by phone each week, individually. This was not a group coaching program, in other words. I challenged them to choose ONE topic to address over a 30 day period and together we came up with daily actions they took to make progress on their *one topic*.
I asked each client to email me EVERY DAY to report in and let me know if they took action. If they didn’t report in, I called them to see why. Extreme accountability!
You know, YOU could choose something to focus on for the next 30 days and coach yourself….Ever thought of that? Or, empower a friend to hold you accountable by emailing her each day with progress notes. Return the favor for her, too!
The trick is to choose ONE topic and hit it hard. Come up with daily actions that will help you make progress with your topic. For example, if you’d like to improve your FINANCES over a 30 day period…come up with a list of daily actions you could take to address the money zone of your life. The action step might be the SAME each day, or it may be different.
You may want to simply set aside 30 minutes each day to do financially related things, such as paying bills, researching investment strategies, negotiating lower rates with credit card companies, etc. Just make sure you take action each day for 30 days.
Of course, having a coach is nice since you’ll get a ton of ideas for the “daily actions” that will have the most impact. But, please know you CAN coach yourself, too. Give it a go.
Here’s a partial excerpt from the letter I sent the participants toward the end of the 30 days. The insights might apply to YOU, too, so I’d like to share this letter with a larger audience…ENJOY!
* * * *
THE LETTER:
Congrats on nearing the completion of your 30 days of coaching!
Committing to taking action every day for 30 days almost always brings up your “blocks”. I see this each and every time I offer this program.
In other words, in order to consistently take action on anything that truly matters to you (such as practicing self care DAILY or writing DAILY or exercising DAILY) you must have a CLEAR PATH with very few obstacles in your way.
It’s the OBSTACLES in life that keep you stuck.
One of the secrets of my coaching style is to help people REMOVE whatever prevents them from naturally having whatever they desire. If you can remove the roadblocks….everything becomes much easier and life begins to flow.
SO, that’s the experiment. You’ve been forced to SEE your own, unique “blocks” and obstacles this month. Now, you must decide what you plan to do about it and how you’ll remove the blocks.
Here are some of the blocks I saw in many of you…
1. Work stress
Many of you finally realized the toll work has been taking on your life. You cannot give your best self to work each day and expect your personal life to thrive. You can, however, do an excellent job at work without giving blood! In other words, some of you learned the importance of setting BOUNDARIES and raising your STANDARDS at work. One of you even attracted an added team member for your department to relieve some of the heavy workload and stress…after secretly wishing for this for YEARS. It finally and somewhat magically happened this month. That’s the power of intention and law of attraction.
2. Fear
A few of you shared your fears with me about change. If you find yourself saying you want something but are unable to take action or feeling scared in the process, it’s very possible you don’t TRULY want what you think you want. OR, you are scared of what the change may bring your way. The way through that is to have a good conversation with yourself (or your coach) about what you specifically fear regarding the change. For example, one of you wanted to move away from a negative housing situation (a former boyfriend lived next door). But, you found yourself scared of the unknown so you dragged your feet a little at times. Fortunately, the daily accountability of checking in with your coach helped. To make the changes a bit easier, though, I guided you through a visualization of how your new home COULD be…and how nurturing and exciting and wonderful it will be if you simply allow it.
3. Health issues
Without fail, 2 or 3 of the 10 participants of this program ALWAYS get sick. It happens each year I offer this…no matter the time of year (flu season or not!) Now, this is one of those sneaky “blocks” you have to keep an eye on. Be honest with yourself and notice when you catch a cold or get sick. Getting sick gives you a good excuse to slow down or even stop whatever you are doing. And that’s what some of you secretly want. Hey, I know I’ve been guilty of that before, too. Whenever I’m working TOO much or going TOO fast, I tend to catch a cold and then thoroughly enjoy spending a few days in bed recovering. The trick is to get back on the horse as soon as you’re well and to *not* forget your goals. Another trick is to RAISE YOUR STANDARDS regarding health and take extra good care of yourself at all times so you aren’t susceptible to the germs floating around in the air!
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.