Success Principles start with taking 100% total responsibility for everything in your life. It’s mid-year, 2010.

Take a look at the goals you set for yourself, your family, community, your business, your employees and clients at the beginning of the year. Where are you in your achievement and level of fulfillment and satisfaction?

All success starts with 100% personal responsibility and accountability.

Here is a great little exercise, that when completed, is a powerful jump start for goal refinement, redefining your direction, taking new action.

This can  be used for personal assessment,  as well as in pair and small group discussions around community building, team building, employee engagement, and more.

I
If I were to take just 10% more responsibility for my life, I would. . .(state action)
If I were to take just 10% more responsibility for my happiness,  I would. . .

If I were to take just 10% more responsibility for my health and fitness, I would. . .
If I were to take just 10% more responsibility for  the quality of my relationships, I would. . .

If I were to take just 10% more responsibility for the effectiveness of my business, I would. . .
If I were to take just 10% more responsibility for the development of my employees, I would. . .

If I were to take just 10% more responsibility for quality of life in my community, I would. . .

If I were to take just 10% more responsibility for the health of this planet, I would. . .

Just think if BP could honestly answer these questions.

Thanks to Jack Canfield for inspiring this exercise

Happy Holidays!

What a wonderful time of year for giving and receiving, sharing love and reNEWal!

If you survived the last 3-6 months with your sense of humor still intact, take a moment now to CONGRATULATE yourself for your amazing navigation and accepting “what is” skills.

A friend recently shared this wonderful reminder with me:

LIFE is an endless transition. Go with the flow, change the flow, surrender to the flow,

be the flow, create the flow… the essence of the flow is: Transition

When we look at nature (biomimicry) we see how true this is.

It’s been quite a time of transition and reorganization for so many!

Most everyone with whom I speak has commented on the “intensity ” of the times with many of us undergoing, slow, yet massive changes in our homes, careers, businesses, and relationships. I believe we are all undergoing a collective re-organization.

What has changed for you this past year?

How are you reorganizing your life/business?

Any new approaches/attitudes you’d like to share?

The on-going theme for me  is SIMPLIFY. I didn’t realize how complicated simplification could be. It takes tremendous courage and trust to get out of our own way, surrender, and let go! As all manifestors know, the clarity of our intentions along with committed action/discipline is what creates “so-called” miracles.

Now is a wonderful time to move from hoping to knowing/feeling what it is we are creating in these times.

“Everything comes to us that belongs to us when we create the capacity to receive it.” -Rabindranath Tagore

Clarity, love, acceptance, and gratitude are wonderful gifts to give and receive. In this holiday season, I am wishing us all more ease, beauty, moments of peace and rest, more compassion and understanding as we continue to navigate and reinvent our lives, businesses, and relationships.

Change cleanses the soul. Enjoy the ride and be kind to your fellow travelers.

Wishing you warm and happy holidays!

“How to Survive & Thrive During the Economic Crisis”

I contributed to several sections including “How Do You Keep a Positive Mindset”

A few of my tips:

Turn off the news-or choose Good News for a Change at All-Top

Focus on what you want (rather than what you don’t want).

Take time everyday to tap into your inner wisdom with meditation, yoga, or some other form of body/mind/spirit discipline.

Laugh and Smile more- it’s the second best thing you can do with your lips!

Learn a new skill (or language)!

Do more with less-it cultivates creativity

Practice the Attitude of Gratitude- write down 20 people/things/places you are grateful for- DAILY!

“How to Survive & Thrive During the Economic Crisis”

Download now It’s our gift to you!

An article this past weekend in the NY Times referred to a new phenomena in todays’ economy, what Mark V. Cannice, Executive Director of the entrepreneurship program at the University of San Francisco calls “Forced Entrepreneurship.”

According to the article, the motivation for these new “forced” entrepreneurs (mostly laid off GenY job seekers)  is to produce quick revenue streams, rather than millions of dollars over the long term.  Jerome S. Engel, Director for the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Berkeley Haas School of Business, most of these “forced entrepreneurs” are focusing on serving immediate needs for individuals and businesses.

“Forced Entrepreneurship” . . . maybe, or . . ?

What if this whole economic shift is yet another opportunity for us (personally and collectively) to awaken to our purpose?  What would that look that?  How would it FEEL to be living in purpose with our work while making the contributions and leaving the legacy that we so desire to offer to our communities and the world.

Is the “job” obsolete?

Imagine starting a business, not with “forced” entrepreneurship, but with deliberate intention- a choice that is in alignment with our values, priorities, gifts, and passions. What if we declared “the job is obsolete?” Plenty of other laid-off workers across the country are doing just that- burned out by a merciless job market- they are building business plans instead of sending out résumés. For these people, recession has become the mother of innovation and reinvention.

Reinvent Yourself!

Whether you are looking for a  personal career branding plan (including social media marketing tools)   or ready to lay the foundation for that long-held dream  enterprise (even part-time),

NOW IS THE TIME!

Contact me for a complimentary consultation (through April 10).

Stay tuned for my NEW!

” INNOVATION & REINVENTION“

6-week coaching program starting in April.

THE FUTURE IS NOW!

I think this recession is a phenomena much more exciting than an economic downturn-

It feels more like a planetary upswing, and right now we are on quite a ride!

It’s a collective transformation and a huge opportunity for all of us to not only live more authentically and in purpose, but to live more simply with less consumerism, less waste, and much more attention to the health and wellness of each other and the planet.

Compassion in Action. Intentional Acts of Kindness.

There is an increasing shared consciousness  that we really are all in this together.

By letting go of the cultural influences of “entitlement” and the illusions of what “security” is,

we ‘re growing up!

Would love to hear your comments- include your website.

This past week has been a wonderful reminder of how good it feels to GIVE, and even more so, to do it, anonymously.

One of the communities that I am part of hosts an annual gathering on Dec. 24 in Sonoma County, CA. In addition to healthy, organic food and chocolate, we participate in a sustainable gift exchange.  No purchases, no additional consumption,  but rather, an offering of a treasure that you no longer use/need. During the “dancing” exchange, we keep passing from hand to hand these wrapped anonymous gifts, until the music finally stops.  It always turns out that each one of us receives the absolute perfect gift!

Here in my neighborhood, I love setting boxes of used “treasures” and clothes out for passerbys to take home. There is a Chinese woman who visits my “boxes” regularly. She also helps herself to the recycling bin before the weekly city pick up, and receives a few cents for each glass container that she recovers from the bin.

Last week, I saw her walking by with her shopping cart. She stopped, pointing to her feet. “Shoes good”, she said with a big smile.  I was delighted to see my pair of black clogs fitting her feet perfectly.

I am a big believer in tithing, and set aside 10% of my annual income to donate to such organizations as Global Exchange, Spirit Rock, Bay Area NVC, IONS, Seva Foundation, and CEO Women among others. 

TITHING

Do you tithe?  For more information on tithing and prosperity, read Catherine Ponder’s works, starting with The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity.  Catherine did not market and sell “The Secret.” Rather, she shared her simple formula starting back in 1958 to groups of business leaders, helping them go from recession to abundance!

 SHARE YOUR ABUNDANCE

In this time of reviewing, reflecting, assessing, and goal setting, take stock of all you have to be grateful for. To whom can you give anonymously?  What can you let go of (behaviors, beliefs, or actual “things” ) to bring in the new?  Share your abundance.  This is the SECRET!

 “Even after all this time,

The Sun never says to the Earth,

You owe me.

Look what happens to a love like that. . .

It lights up the whole sky.”

Hafiz

I am loving these long nights, and the clarity available in moments of stillness. Visions are birthed in the winter sky. What do you see, hear and feel? I just received the following message:

NOW is a time to speak of great things, to let your heart sing out in your words.  Today is a day that says ‘yes’ to all things, ‘yes’ to the future your soul wishes to create through you, ‘yes’ to your heart that wishes to release all the old burdens of regret and blame, and ‘yes’ to your center of truth that wants to rise up through the clouds of old ways of thinking and being and express itself truly.

NOW is the time to be yourself, but yet transformed into your true self, the self that lies underneath the complaints, fears and doubt, the self that is in love with life, that sees a sparkling future full of exciting adventures, new friends, new situations, new doors and windows to throw open so that the great winds of change can come pouring through, clearing away the cobwebs and the dust.

NOW is the time to talk of a glorious future, to let yourself actually say it in words:  “This is my dream.  Yes, yes, I know it is big, bigger than I could ever have imagined for myself.  But my heart and soul are speaking to me, and this is what they see.”

NOW is the time  to set aside all doubt and to know, absolutely, that you have within you everything that it is required to fulfill the dreams of your heart and soul. 

It is all within you.  All of the talent.  All of the abilities.  All of the courage. It is all there.

And so, today, let the dream hang before you, let the vision shine.  And then, today, take one small step forward from where you are toward where you wish to be.  Take just one small step; do one little tiny thing.

The tree of greatness begins with the dreaming seed and then sends forth a tender shoot, pushing up through the fertile earth, long before it can be seen by others. 

Today, let the seed fill your mind.  And then, with one little action, begin to sprout forth into new life, nurturing that little sprout with the vision you hold in your mind of the fully grown tree.

The Future is NOW!

On that journey to Sonoma Valley, CA, Michel and I discussed the multitude of our shared influences in the worlds of consciousness, human potential, belief systems, nutrition, sustainability, and business success. One of these shared influences was Abraham & Esther Hicks, whom I’ve since had the opportunity to meet several times in San Rafael, CA.

I am delighted to see that Esther’s new book, Money and the Law of Attraction, has made it the NY Times #1 Bestseller’s List.

I particularly like the section, Careers as Profitable Sources of Pleasure, where readers are encouraged to choose careers/vocations that are in alignment with what you love being/doing.

Our life’s experiences and our inner knowing will guide us to the right careers if we allow ourselves to follow the flow. Often times this means just GETTING OUT of our OWN way.

Create work that is in alignment with YOUR Source.

Abraham says: “We encourage you to decide as early in life as possible to live happily ever after.” Career is living a happy life. When feeling happy is of paramount importance for you–and what you do ‘for a living’ makes you happy–you have found the best of all combinations.”

Some of the basic Abraham teachings remind us that:

• Life is supposed to feel good and that overall Well-Being is what is natural. That improving our lives is within our control.
• When we feel good physically, we naturally feel joy and well being and have a good attitude in life. This fills us with the positive energy that makes manifesting easy.
• Learning to guide your thoughts in the direction of things that feel good, connects us with the power that only comes from vibrational alignment with Source.”
• The way you feel is always about the degree in which you are in alignment or out of alignment with your source. No exceptions.

THE SECRET BEHIND THE SECRET

What many fans of The Secret do not know, is that “The Secret” actually came from the work of Abraham and Esther Hicks. Her story and the beginnings of the Abraham work is quite amazing. For more on the Abraham, Esther Hicks, and the Law of Attraction teachings, visit the Abraham-Hicks site.

And hear Esther in a live presentation: The Secret behind the Secret.

Check out my article and previous post: What’s Your Passion? What Makes You Come Alive

I love to write, teach, and coach entrepreneurs, authors and leaders to Be the Change! Vocation is where your greatest passion and the world’s greatest need overlap.

There is no Secret!

There’s a wonderful exercise that came out of last night’s webcast- about complaining.

Make a running list of all of your complaints or complaining thoughts for a week, and observe where that voice is coming from. It’s not you, just your egoic conditioning – according to Eckert Tolle, the true You is the one observing what your mind is doing.

Now, isn’t that interesting?

Another exercise that I have applied in the past to help me break negative thought patterns is to wear a rubber band around my wrist- everytime I have a complaining thought, I snap it- hard!

Seeing and feeling the sting helps bring me back to the present moment, and away from these negative thought patterns quickly. It feels so good to be present.

Finding stillness within is about being grateful

For me, getting clear and staying balanced is an on-going process- it’s life-long learning and discipline!

Balance: What are your Daily Rituals?

Exercise, yoga, meditation, live, healthy food help create the anchors that allow us to “come back home” to ourselves. When I am feeling out of balance, it’s usually because I slipped out of self-discipline (why meditate when I can check e-mail?) and into some sort of unfocused swirl.

Choose daily rituals that support optimal life force – practices and habits that are cleansing, balancing, and clarifying. For me, a weekly mix of meditation, yoga, or dance along with time outdoors everyday and a mid-day, healthy, “green” meal helps keeps me grounded and in my body.

Clarity: What Makes You Come Alive?

To help you with this process:

1. Look at what you loved being, doing, feeling when you were between the ages of 7-14. These are the keys to your true passions.
2. Make a list of these activities/experiences. Did you love singing? How can you bring that back into your life now? Did you give up a dream? Bring it back, write it down as if it is happening now.
3. Ask Yourself: What’s the essence/sensation in these activities/experiences? As Abraham-Hicks says, “Move towards what feels good.”
4. Ask Yourself: What would I do if I knew I wouldn ‘t fail? Sit with this question. Write out 20-30 brave responses.
5. Create a Vision Board. Find images (on-line, your own photos & drawings, clips from magazines) that support these brave statements and serve as a mirror to your VISION. Giving attention to your Vision Board everyday will keep you focused on your vision, dreams and desires.Yes, that’s right, you CAN have that Now.“
6. Discover kinesiology and learn a few exercises combining mental images, movement and eye patterns. Releasing the mind clutter and reprograming/ retraining your brain (balancing the left and right hemispheres), creates space for the voice of clarity to speak through you. Negativity, fear, and paralyzing doubts come from confusion (lack of focus) and unfulfilled desires.
7. Share your vision and desires with others. We can’t do it alone- why would you want to? Own, love, and share your vision. It’s your responsibility.

It was truly a wonderful way to refresh and rejuvenate, release a lot of monkey mind clutter, eat lightly, do yoga with community, and get clear on what’s important to me.

I imagine many of you have been to Maui, but if not, I highly, highly recommend the Hana Coast. I felt such a deep peace there and rate her exquisite beauty right along with several other of my favorite places: the Baleares Islands (Spain), the Cyclades (Greece), Bali, and several islands in Southern Thailand (Koh Lanta, Ko Samui, et. al.). Yes, I’m an island girl.

I re-discovered what CLARITY is on this journey and that no matter how many goal-setting programs/workshops we participate in, if we don’t SEE and FEEL the DESIRE for an intended reality (as if it is occurring NOW) then the goal remains just that- a wish on a list.

That’s why I am such an advocate of Vision Boards and Vision Statements. They are fantastic platforms for COLLABORATING and COMMUNICATING with OTHERS what we see US (you, me, them, ) CREATING. We are living in most amazing times of radical shifts and unprecedented change. Breathe into your heart and discover what makes YOU come ALIVE. Share Your Visions.