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What fulfills you?
This is surreal….for real. I have just shared the last three days with some real people, real souls and real hearts - Life Coaches. And lordy Lord…we shared…and shared…and shared. We laughed, we cried, we zumba'd. And now I type this out as I watch the Oscars Red Carpet (and have actual opinions on Angelina Jolie’s earrings and ask my husband if Marisa Tomei has had work done).
On Friday morning, our masterful CTI Leaders L.A. and Kelly challenged us to share with each other the following: what lights you up? What nourishes you? WHAT FULFILLS YOU???
What wondrous, magical questions. Can you sit with them?
If you’re wondering, many things fulfill me…depending on the time of day. But most recently, fulfillment has meant experiencing: Flow, Wisdom, Fearlessness, Faith, Spirit Guide, Sunshine, Release, Harmony, Passion, Shift, Sofia, Catney, Queen Bee, The Sparkler, Jewel, Gypsy Wanderer, Fire Walker, Oracle, and Pema. I am richer, more connected and more alive. Thank you.
So…I return my attention to the Oscars. Because that’s what Om Shanti/Fire Walker would do. She’d enjoy the fluff and eye candy…without judgment of self or others. Angelina’s earrings belong on her ears and Marisa seems happy.
Pass the popcorn.
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Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.
Do!
We spend a lot of our time being told what to do and what not to do. And then we have children and get to be on the other end (then they hit 5 years old and we’re back on the receiving end again… but I digress). I have a ton of respect for those who “do”. I live in an amazing neighbourhood in Toronto (Danforth East). It is culturally diverse, eclectic and some would say “up and coming” (though others suggest that this gentrification is unwelcome). Call it what you will, but this it ain’t no cookie-cutter ‘hood.
A source of frustration for residents has been the categorization of the area as being a mere sum of its parts. Where the media seems to see only vacant store fronts and thrift shops, residents see a gold mine of finds (John’s Hobbies, Royal Beef, Relish, Seb’s Cappuccino). Where some see unkempt houses, others see tree-lined streets, beautiful parks and helpful neighbours.
While many people tend to get frustrated and bemoan circumstances, others DO. I have the great pleasure of knowing a group of individuals who’ve said: “Enough. Let’s stop talking about what this neighbourhood doesn’t have and DO something about it”. Over coffees and wine in each others’ homes, bit by bit, the neighbourhood has mobilized…thanks to the Danforth East Community Association.
The results? A Farmer’s Market, revitalized storefronts, and a sense of civic pride.
These things don’t just happen because we want them to…it goes without saying that it takes a LOT of work. Case in point…two days ago (in the dreary days of February), a group of neighbourhood women carpooled their way to St. Catharine’s to attend a conference on organic fruits and vegetables, leaving kids and businesses behind in other people’s capable hands.
What of revitalized storefronts? Last fall a group of residents got together to help out a floundering shop…check out this article…it takes a village to raise a store.
And as for the aforementioned civic pride, please read DECA Diaries…the love child of Natasha Granatstein, a very very busy woman who chairs DECA and wants the world to know what can be done…if everyone just stops talking and DOES.
Many thanks for the inspiration. No one’s interested in something you didn’t do. - Gord Downie (Tragically Hip)
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.
The Kindness of Strangers
If you ever feel like you live in a cold, uncaring world, do yourself a favour and start a business. Preferably one you feel passionate about.
When I first started Board of Your Life, my friend Lisa gave me this piece of advice: “ask people for help”. I was mighty skeptical. What was in it for them? Why would they bother? What if they said no?
I was in Montreal last week, and while there, Lisa had a dinner in my honour. That was lovely in and of itself, of course, but the people who took time out of their insanely busy lives were awe-inspiring. One woman in particular was short on time, but not graciousness. Upon hearing about my business she asked: “How can I help? What do you need from me?” This is NOT a woman with a vested interest…just an interest in helping someone for whom she felt a connection.
Another woman I met shared with me her personal daily mantra: “how can I serve others?”
Ahh.
This brings me to a question I often hear from clients considering going through the Board of Your Life program: “how will I convince people to be part of my Advisory Board?” If only all of life’s questions were so easy to answer….and here it is: “just ask”. If you get to the point at which you decide that you want their help in taking your life in a magnificent new direction…they’ll fall all over themselves to accommodate. Wouldn’t you do the same for someone you respect?
But I digress…being in the presence of those women in Montreal made me realize how self-limiting we can be if we listen to those rhetorical questions in our head (of the “what’s in it for them” varietal). The reality is this: if I’m asked for help, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve said no to a reasonable request...'cause it was ONCE...and my Mom was nearing the end of her life. When it comes down to it, people are good, kind and want to help others. It really is a beautiful thing. And the kindness of strangers can always be relied upon.
PS - check out the Huffington Post's series on "random acts of kindness"
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.
Getting viral with it
On Thursday, I decided to treat myself to fifteen dollars worth of white tulips. They are beautiful. I’d love to say that I’m romantic and poetic enough to sit and gaze wondrously upon the miracle that is their creation, but really…who has time? But they are really beautiful…they’re a welcome shot of youthfulness and spring in our winter-stuffy dining room. Every time I pass them by they make me smile. I thought it was just me….but since Thursday, we’ve had many guests come through the house. Everyone comments on them…in particular, our daughter’s playmates. I heard one little girl tell her mother breathlessly “you should see the flowers they have!” Maybe the mother will think to indulge herself in a simple way too…or maybe not. But maybe seeing her daughter beam was enough to make her smile too.
Our favourite yogi, Eoin Finn, challenges his students to notice and enjoy the sensations of savasana and to “spread it around”. I love the sentiment…but I also love the potential ambiguity of the “it”. Clearly, he’s referring to the dual feelings of peace and vitality that a good practice will give you. For me, it made me wonder what “it” I would love to spread around. What is “it” that the world seems to be lacking, and do I have enough of “it” to give? So much of what I’d like to see more of are things that I myself sometimes lack: patience, serenity, generosity, selflessness, kindness (on bad days) etc etc. But maybe, just maybe, that’s where the work is…to give “it” away even if you don’t have “it” in abundance. Karma baby. Viral karma
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.
Gratitude
I am officially nine days early to talk about love. Luckily, I never worried too much about these formalities. I devote this blog to a trinity of support and inspiration around me...people that I love: Kate – you nailed the logo that meant everything to me…tirelessly…with patience and a side of Wyclef.
Jonah – for reasons I’ll never know, you’ve walked patiently beside me down the path of web development...for not much gain. What I do know, is that you’re in my heart.
Lisa – you’ve been a beacon of reason, intelligence and have been down-right demanding of me with your weekly challenges, which, as you’ve always known, resonate like sweet nothings in my ear.
Thank you all for having faith in me. Smooch.
Without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible.
- M. M. Bethune
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.
Groundhog Day
We have had two consecutive beautiful sunny days in Toronto (yup…you read that right).
As we basked in the sun on our back deck yesterday, rejuvenating our vitamin D-starved cells, I considered how blissful a short winter would be if Wiarton Willie didn't see his shadow today. I love winter…I really do. But I think that like all good party guests, orators and aging rock stars, the season should know when to make a graceful exit.
Further, this solidifies my belief that people should often reconsider their investment of time in pursuits that should have ended a while ago. For me, that has meant staying in jobs that stopped enriching my life long ago, but that I stayed in simply out of inertia. I have since given myself the gift of "no".
We don't have much say in how much longer the weather will stay warm, or if it will turn dastardly for another 6 weeks…but we can take pause and consider where we're giving our time away…and if we want to say "yes" or "no" to that.
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.