Transformations

How will you know that you know?

2011-03-25T12:20:00.005-04:00

Results Rule! Are You on Track?

Our success and credibility in life are directly proportional to our ability to produce results. A key difference between successful people and people who are struggling is the application of something we call an evidence procedure in NLP Coaching. An evidence procedure is how we know that we are on track or that we have achieved a goal. It is external, measurable, and therefore has nothing to do with our feelings.

Almost every coach I have every trained and every client I have ever worked with begins with their emotions as their evidence procedure. “When I feel more confident, then I will...”. “When I'm less overwhelmed, then I will...”. “I'll know that I'm successful when I feel...”. Healthy people feel all of their emotions. This means that you will feel a range of emotions during any set of tasks. Some days you will love your business development tasks, and some days you won't. Your emotions are valid. You will feel however you feel while you do what you need to do. The problem happens when we only DO based on how we FEEL.

The easiest way to wrap our hands around this is to pay attention to our own words and deeds. Do our deeds match our words? When it comes to comparing words vs. deeds, that we have to give more weight to deeds. This is where the saying “Talk is cheap and deeds speak” really applies in terms of personal success. This concept is highly empowering.

Teachers use this concept all the time when assessing student progress. In teaching they are known as benchmarks. By a certain date students will be able to... and we will assess this through exams, papers, and vocabulary increases, for example. If the student makes each of these benchmarks, then it is fairly certain that the student will make the goals for the semester. If the student is challenged at any benchmark then the teacher can intervene as necessary.

Evidence procedures greatly reduce the inner-judge dialogue by creating awareness and freeing us to focus on their specific steps and tasks. If someone says, “My goal is to be happy.”, your redirect is to explore that statement in terms of actions and behavior; “When you are happy what will you be doing that is different from what you are doing now?” Each named behavior has a skill set attached to it. Aquiring the skills becomes a new goal and the skills also act as benchmarks.

Remember your feelings are valid. Process them. Choose to ACT based on what results you are seeking. All journeys begin with a single step. Keep it simple and take small steps daily and you will be surprised at how quickly you get to your goals.

Did the Door Hit You in the Backside, or 'Whoosh' You Through?

2010-05-01T12:14:00.001-04:00

May 1^st, is May Day. The Celtics call it Beltaine. The Catholics celebrate Mary and wear flowers in their hair. In more than 80 countries around the world May 1^st is a national holiday. In many others it is celebrated as a religious holiday.

Energetically it is a time of life-generating celebration. It is time of celebrating the Goddess aspect and Divine Feminine; regardless of whether you call her Mary, Kwan Yin, Gaia, or the Hindu Gayatri. It is a time of fun, merriment, and fertility. (What do you think the May Pole really represents anyway?) May Day brings to mind mystical stories of Robin Hood and Greenwood Weddings. It is also known in esoteric history as a “Hinge Holiday”. We always remind our clients and students to think of a hinge as a huge energy door that suddenly swings open on it's hinges. In terms of energy, it's a holiday that contains both an increased amperage and voltage...so it tends to carry a wallop!

In this article I'll answer the two most commonly asked questions:

So what actually happens on a hinge?

Hinges are magnifying energies. Whether you perceive the structure of your life as good or bad, is irrelevant. Whatever structure is present acts as the filter as the energies pour through. Positive things become more positive, and challenges become more challenging. Since awareness is the key to conscious creation, all of the earth shifts (there are eight every year) increase awareness.

Most of us use avoidance as a coping mechanism. The problem with keeping your head in the sand (if I may be so blunt) is that your backside is in the air. Inevitably, it gets kicked. We usually experience this as some huge drama with someone or something. Although it's tough on the ego, this can be a blessing of sorts too. If you got kicked, it is an area of your life that is significantly out of balance and has been out of balance for some time. This means that when the hinge energy hits this poorly balanced structure, it topples to the ground, usually with great fanfare.

How do I make this a good thing?

Use the energy! The energy of the hinge also provides the exact frequencies necessary to transform whatever you focus on! The blessing behind something 'blowing up' is that now it is very much in your awareness. Since it is in your awareness, now you can focus on what you want your end result to be!

I'll admit this is a challenge, because most of us don't really know what we want...we only know what we don't want. Be cautious! Focusing on what you don't want, especially during a hinge, guarantees that you will get more of it (up to three times actually via the Law of Threefold).

The same mechanism also applies when you are focusing on manifesting, healing, transforming relationships...with a threefold payout.

Focus well everyone, and have an awesome hinge!

Happy May Day everyone!

Are You In the Big Winds too? There's an Answer!

2010-03-01T15:34:00.005-05:00

Are You in the Big Winds time too?

The Big Winds are the stirring up, the vortex, the spinning out of control that let's us gather the momentum we need to break through our own thoughts and perceptions. As we do this the Wounded Healer, Chiron, breaks from the world of Illusion into the world of Enlightenment.

Have you noticed the seemingly insane energy that is around us now? Earthquakes, sudden deaths, massive endings, and yet, fabulous triumphs as well. The Olympics provided us a very fitting backdrop in which to see this in motion and feel its effects too. What in heavens name is going on?

Welcome to the Super Full Moon in Virgo, and the transformation energy that is pouring through it. This is energy that specifically has flavour of awareness, expansion and growth of your vision. It sounds great, but we must address the illusion we are trapped in before we can experience the vision we desire. Rest assured, there is a solution. The Universe is kind and always presents a specific map out. The overview is called Awareness, Skills, Management.

We all want to have new skills in place and to effectively manage our lives into the magnificence that we all sense that they hold. But before you can have skills, you first need new awarenesses.

So for this Solutions page let's look at the current themes and bring these into our Awareness:

The Hermit: Introspection and Personal Integrity

You need to be aware of where YOU are out of integrity with your own self! Where are you 'living the lie' to keep the illusion of peace? Where has your own illusion left you between a rock and a hard place?

Virgo: The sign of Spiritual Service

You are being asked NOW to step into service. Your comfort level with your gifts has nothing to do with the power of your gifts! Comfort and growth are mutually exclusive concepts. Where does your 'story' effectively trap you and prevent you from living the dream NOW? (Kids, husband or wife, family, job?). Are you listening to the challenges with an ear for a SOLUTION, or do you hear the challenges and just say, “Forget it.”.

In order to work with the Truth, you need to be able to LIVE it first.

Pisces in Sun and Jupiter: AWARENESS, EXPANSION AND MANIFESTATION and GROWTH of your VISION.

Note that the above heading said nothing about waiting until next year, or when the kids are older. What can you set up now, what step can you take NOW, that will further your vision?

This is a very specific theme of releasing your illusion and letting go of what no longer serves you. This is the focus of all of the angst at this time! It is meant to spur you into ACTION releasing the anchors holding you back. For most of us, this isn't a new them. What is new is the ACTION that we are being asked to take, and the release of all of our convenient excuses as to why we don't let them go now. So complete this cycle, heal it and release it!

Courage: Remember that courage means action in the face of fear, not fearless. It is important to resource, ask for inner and outer guidance, and have a plan of action. Isolation is the mark of hopelessness. Resourcing is the mark of thriving.

The rays of Idealism and Devotion are here too. So aim for a new level of Grace. Remember that there is no single right way. All decisions made from fear add to Illusion, so be care-full and gentle with yourselves!

We are in this flux until the Spring Equinox, so stand strong, resource and this will make sure that the Big Winds will avoid blowing you away!

2012, Chakras, the Super Moon, and you!

2010-01-31T10:58:00.013-05:00

We've all heard about 2012 by now. It is an astronomical event of 26,000 year cycles that coincides with many historical and legendary time periods, events in our history as a people and with the planet's history too. It has been most clearly written about by the ancient Mayans, although it is referenced in the Bible, the Torah, and in the hieroglyphs in Egypt. All major religions and societies have referenced it. We are now in the stage known as The Great Shift, and it has been written about as a very dynamic time in our history.

But what is it really about?

At it's core it is a choice point. Some say it is an evolutionary focal point. During times of great polarity we will have to decide whether we are creating our individual lives from a fear point, or from a place of potential. Living small, or living the Soul Contract. And each choice will immediately lead to new choices that you could not have seen mere moments ago. It is a cumulative effect and as we reach the 2 year arc of the bell curve (Dec 2010 - Dec 2014) things speed up drastically. A time of faster and faster options placed before us.

The flavour of the choices we need to make will come in a particular order too; survival and family, relationships, willpower, divine connection/forgiveness, speaking our truth, seeing the Divine plan, and living in connection with the Divine...all while here in a human body. For those of you who are familiar with chakras, this is the order of the choices. We are creating the new foundation or Red Chakra that will sustain our next cycle...and we are doing it now! Today. So pay close attention to what choices are before you right now!

And speaking of now, we come to the Super Full Moon. Astronomically speaking, a Super Full Moon occurs when the moon is as close as it will get to our planet that year. Astrologically speaking, that means the 'magnification' effect of those energies are also at their peak. That this is occurring at the Earth Shift known as Imbolg/Candlemas/Groundhog Day...HUGELY magnifies this intensity.

So we are now in a place where both FEARS and HOPES are magnified for you...tenfold. Which place do you choose to create from, and how can you create momentum to make these choices easier?

Take baby steps of action in the NOW. For those of you who say, "But I don't know what I want or why I'm here", use the following steps:

1. What are you most passionate about (children, car racing, healing, changing the planet etc.)?
2. Use your imagination (it's just a game) to feel/hear/see what your world might look like when you are DOING that...what might you be doing?
3. Now from there work backwards from the vision to the now.
Example: You love kids and want to change how they are taught...you see yourself teaching others HOW to allow full body learning...so that means in some capacity you are going to be a spokesperson/teaching/training others in some techniques. So you make a plan to get certified as a trainer while you are exploring techniques you love...so in the now, what is the step you can take today towards that plan? It might be researching training companies, or attending a training, or having a meeting...as long as it's an ACTION! Which will put you on your path to magnificence and out of your comfort zone!

Rationalizations. Excuses. We all have them. Really good 'reasons' to stall on things we know we want to be doing, or things we said we would be doing, and aren't.

Why is that? Why can't we just keep going?

In my opinion it has a lot to do with skill. I believe after working with so many clients and students that generating MOMENTUM and using it is a skill set. You have to learn it...which means it is learn-able...which also means all our monkey-mind talk about why we don't do it, is just cheap monkey-mind talk. Oh - then you need to practice it DAILY.

What action do MY GOALS need me to take today? Often the next big step is not the final destination, just merely another step on the path of your magnificence. Go ahead and notice that comfort was not in the sentence! It's the ACTION your GOALS need you to take...not the action you think you need, or are comfortable with. Does that make sense? The goal determines the criteria, not your emotional state.

Here are the steps to learn this new skill:

The first step in learning something new is becoming aware of what you currently do. Is using your family your favourite excuse, or your spouse, or your job, or your health? Are you OK with this action as long as you stay in the local vicinity, or only spend 'x' dollars, or that your parents approve?

The second step is catching yourself in the old pattern and REPLACING it with new thoughts, and actions every time you catch yourself doing your old pattern. The good news is that your unconscious is very, very trainable, and it will run the new patterns of magnificence with the same efficiency as the patterns for living small.

The third step is resourcing through others. You must TELL people what you are doing and check in with like-minded people often. Isolation breeds excuses and living small. Survival patterns are about isolation. Thriving patterns are about resourcing!!!

The fourth step is to have an action plan where you ACTION something every day. This is how momentum is quite easily generated and (here's the key)...MAINTAINED. As you soon as you achieve the step or goal, toss that momentum towards the next step.

A small step, everyday, gets you to your goal. So to quote an anonymous brilliant person posted on Life Hacker.com (a site for making life easier)..."One thing at a time. Most important thing first. Start now."

Commitment & The Law of Attraction

2009-09-02T15:09:00.004-04:00

You've planned. You took the appropriate action, or so you thought. And yet the idea or deal still fell through. Why? Well it could be that you have unconsciously sabotaged your project at it's most basic level. You may have neglected to create space, or failed to commit to the space that was created. In either case the result is predictable; failure. And it happens all the time.

So let's start with some definitions:

COMMITMENT: In the quantum energetic world, commitment means you have spent the time, money and energy necessary to make something happen. It doesn't need to be equal parts; for example you may spend more time than money, but unless all three have been spent, you have not made a commitment.

CREATING SPACE:
Before something can show up in your world, it has to have somewhere to go. If you are going to buy clothes, you have to have space in your closet. Literally. It has to exist in the real world. Real world things involve physical things like space, contracts, money, having time blocked off, etc.

How does this apply to a project? Let's say you want to run an event. You need a date and a location. The location needs to have a contract and it needs to be signed. Ideally a deposit at least should also be exchanged...then you get to 'own' it. It's yours. Unless you have a space locked down in the real world there is no place for the people to go to.

CONGRUENT:
Your body, mind and heart are all on the same page. The Universe takes it's cues from you, so if part of you wants this, and part of you doesn't (even if MOST of you wants it) it still won't happen. You are sending mixed messages, and at best, you're result will take a lot longer to show up in your world.

How does this apply to a project? Let's say you are excited about this new opportunity, but also afraid of putting yourself out there and taking a risk...emotionally or financially. You will spend 'x' amount of energy creating, and 'y' amount of energy stalling. In the end you may have a 'zero' or negative balance. You can't create something out of nothing. And those fears lead to the next definition.

UNCONDITIONAL:
You are congruent that no matter what you are going to do whatever it is you wish to do. There can be no back door. If you leave yourself an out, you haven't committed AND you are not congruent. This is a guaranteed way to fail.

How does this apply to a project? Let's say you want to run an event and you decide that you need ten people to make this event work. So....you stall on signing the contract. You say to yourself, "When I have ten people registered, then I will sign the contract". WRONG ANSWER!!! If you don't believe yourself enough to commit to a project or idea, how is the Universe, (or anyone else for that matter) going to believe you enough to commit to it?

Of course you can set criteria. I need ten people to run this event is fine...as long as you sign the contracts first. Make sense?

So as we all gear up for the fall and busy-ness, use the above definitions to make sure that you are getting the biggest bang for your buck. We all want to work smarter, not harder.

Good luck everyone and feel free to contact me with any questions or comments!

Resources and Goals

2008-12-30T17:01:00.011-05:00

The new year is a great opportunity to start fresh, turn over a new leaf, or make a new goal. Often though that new start becomes just another brick in the wall of our frustration. So what makes some goals a success and some a failure?

It's all in how it's constructed. It turns out that there really is a formula after all. It's been used for ages with successful business leaders and now you can play with it too! In our Designing Your Destiny two day trainings we teach the structure to people, along with how to blow out fears and install your goals neurologically.

Success also has a lot to do with how well you reach out to others too, so if you pride yourself on doing it alone, you may never get there. Resourcing means creating, maintaining and using your connections.

The structure is S.M.A.R.T. It takes traditional goal setting and adds in a quantum twist!

Part 1:
S: Your goal must be specific. Really specific.
'I want to be my ideal weight' is not specific. 'I want to be 130 pounds, toned, healthy and fit by June 21, 2009 through eating smaller meals, increasing my exercise, and becoming more educated about food', is specific. If you can't name it in a sentence or two, you can't get it!

M: Your goal must be measurable. No feelings can be in your goal!
How will you know that you have achieved your goal? You see the scale number, or your jeans are looser, or you have lost 3 inches on your waist, etc. Your goal must also be for you, because unless you want it, it won't happen!

A: Your goal must be attainable, and as-if it's NOW.
If you are only makeing $30,000/year now, setting an annual income of $1,000,000 probably isn't attainable as your first financial goal. If you've never gone to the gym steadily before, setting a goal to go five days a week probably isn't attainable, but walking three times a week certainly is. When you've mastered that, then set a goal to go to the gym for three days a week.
You also need to put your goal inthe present, even though it may be grammatically incorrect.
So I am enjoying...I am celebrating....I AM...

R: Your goal must be realistic.
A woman once told me her goal was to have her body process sugar like protein. Not only is that unrealistic, but by current body design she would have been dead if she achieved it. Make your goals realistic, and build on them.

T: Your goal must have an end date and it must be towards what you want.
Note that the goal I listed earlier had a time on it. You must put an end date on your goal, otherwise it's just a wish.
In my fall blogs we spoke about Towards vs. Away. Towards wealth is different than Away From poverty. Very different. Make sure your goal only has positive language and only describes EXACTLY what you want.

Part 2:
Look around your world, listen to what friends and family are saying...who can you tap into as a resource to assist you? Announce your goal to your family! Give people an opportunity to assist in creating your success. Success is fun for everyone!

And if you don't know what to do, make sure you keep asking until you do. This is where a coach can make all the difference in the world. Coaches work towards specific goals with clients, so make sure someone is coaching, and cheering you on.

Happy goal setting everyone. Have fun!

December Celebrations

2008-12-15T18:52:00.003-05:00

I'm visiting my family in the U.S. As I write this it is the day after the US Thanksgiving, arguably the largest American holiday of the year. It is also the busiest shopping day of the year, “Black Friday” - so named because if the books don't get into the black by the end of today, they won't get into the black by year's end. On Black Friday the stores open at 5am and limited availability items are the norm to lure shoppers from their warm beds. It is also the official beginning here of the Christmas/holiday season.

As I begin pondering my angle for this Celebrations blog my brother-in-law interrupts with a top breaking local story; a 37 year old man has been trampled to death by a crowd that broke the doors down at 6am to get the 'early-bird' specials at Walmart. They also knocked down a 28 year old pregnant woman, and thankfully initial reports say she and the baby will be OK. Before the day is out five similar stories are reported in the New York City area.

Leading me to ask the question; exactly what are we celebrating this season? Why do marketers speak about 'surviving' the holidays? We now know that what you focus on grows, and that led me to ask myself what I wanted to focus on this season.

It seems that in our technologically connected world, that we have become more and more isolated. Although we have access to everything, we have forgotten how to connect with everyone. In my mind the core of the season is about relationships...the giving and receiving and the joy that comes from that inter-connectedness with all things. This allows me to open the door and look at my relationship with myself, my parents, my spouse, my family, my peers, my past lives, the Earth and humanity, and my relationship with the Divine. The deeper my awareness goes, the more choices I have.

So this season I have decided to focus on Celebrating Relationships. Below are some concepts and strategies to help us have fun and keep our focus. Connecting is about giving.

Stay aware of your focus! Is it on the have to dos or want to dos? If it is on the have to dos, bring your focus back to why these relationships are important to you, and do the task with that frame of mind. It will alleviate lots of stress.
Decide to be a Secret Santa while out and about. See how many smiles you can create with a kind look, word or gesture. Anonymously pay for the person behind you at Tim's. Spread the joy.
Prioritize your time by limiting your social engagements. It doesn't mean becoming a hermit. It does mean accepting only those invitations that truly vibe with you.
Gifts are meant to bring joy, not create stress. Think about hand creating a gift. You've got no time to shop; think gift cards. They are all the rage for a reason.
Hate the craziness of the stores? Shop on line. Make sure you see the lock that signifies that it is a secure site. Also stay on familiar sites to keep yourself safe and sound.
Donate time and/or money to a shelter, or food to the food bank, or deliver turkeys and food baskets with your church. Give to your favourite charities. Decide to help a total stranger in need.

Happy connecting everyone and have a great holiday season and a healthy, happy and abundant New Year!

November Harvest and Gratitude

2008-11-02T17:54:00.007-05:00

Halloween has just passed and it got me to thinking about why this time of the year has significance in so many cultures and religions. Around the world themes on this holiday involve the finishing of harvest, a time of 'in betweens' , and the honouring of ancestors and those who have gone before us. In many cultures this is their new year, and before you can celebrate the new, you have to honour the old.

In keeping with the ancestors theme I began to wonder why we are ever-ready to harvest the negative and overlook the positive when it comes to our families? If perception IS projection and as Carl Jung said “we can see nothing except ourselves” than what does that imply about our how we unconsciously feel about ourselves?

Wikipedia has this to say about harvest:
“In agriculture the harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the field. Before the 16th century it was a word that referred to the Autumn season. In fact the word comes from old English hærfest, which meant Autumn (the German word Herbst has the same origin and still means Autumn). The word is a compound word (hær + fest) and its first part has Indo-European roots in *kerp meaning to gather, pluck, harvest. So hærfest indicated originally the joyful celebration of finally being possible to gather the mature crops; it extended afterwards its meaning to the all period beginning with the harvest (autumn).“

Have we forgotten the joy of harvest, of the gathering? Have we forgotten that it is a process, not a destination? Have we forgotten how to sift out the gems from the silt? And having found those gems, have we forgotten to take them into the quiet 'in between' times to polish them and bring out their lustre. Or is it just that we have forgotten in our automated society that harvest, while joyous and gratitude-filled, is work? Harvest requires focus and effort. Once again, what you focus on grows. Imagine if we focused on our gratitude and celebration of ourselves and others? Wow! What 'sparkles' we could all share!

We are often a strange culture in North America. Our busy-ness often leaves us disconnected from our selves, our families and the planet itself. In our disconnection I think we have lost the importance of harvest. So in honour of hær + fest I'd like to consciously harvest some of the treasures from my family, both through blood and marriage. Feel free to make your own list. It's an amazing exercise.

Here are some of my 'harvest gratitudes':

To my mother for showing me that love has many forms including fierce, messy, and highly dynamic forms of love

To my mother for the power and exhilaration of dance. It is still a power-full part of my life.

To my father for showing me that pragmatism and negotiation get you to your goal too

To my father for showing me that you can't respect others unless you respect yourself first

To both my parents for the living definition of courage; action in the face of fear, not fearlessness

To both my parents for proving that a committed, passionate relationship is not only possible through hell or high water, but that anything else is settling.

To my sister for showing me that stability is as important as passion. Together they are the best combination of them all.

To my sister for showing me the power of laughter. You still make me laugh until I can't breathe

To my family for teaching me that you don't need to understand to love. Love IS.

To my grandmother for understanding that it is truly simple: the Goddess needs her God

To my grandmother for showing me the treasures in simple things

To my mother-in-law for showing me that wisdom can be passed down through the generations, and that our stories are sooooooooooooo important

To my brother-in-law and father-in-law for showing me that fighting for and living my dreams is essential to well being

To my daughter for showing me that we have all been here before and old souls come in small bodies. It's been a joy to know you again.

To my husband, soul-mate and business partner: You are my rock. Thank you for proving that the five year old was right; from lifetime to lifetime that magic is real, and so are you.

October Change: Towards or Away From

2008-08-29T23:59:00.009-04:00

Fall is one of my favourite seasons. There's this sense of anticipation in the air. The trees are changing, and dropping their leaves. The air is changing from cool, to crisp and cold. Everyone is solidly in the midst of intense activities. The holidays are changing from Thanksgiving into Halloween.Change is solidly all around me.

So you'd think that with all this change around me, that it would be easy to move forward into the changes that I want to create in my life. Yet, this seems to be the exact time that everyone slides backwards into old patterns. It's really interesting, actually. From a brain perspective that is.

This backward slide seems to bring with it a reinforcement of the past negative things we think about ourselves; I'm not strong enough, I'm weak willed, I'm not smart enough, I'm lazy. And actually it's usually none of these things at all. It's a component of strategies. And it has to do with the direction of our thoughts; towards our goals, or away-from our pain.

Last month I wrote about strategies; the 'how' we do what we do. This month we need to refine our strategy focus in terms of the 'movie in our heads' that we are creating from. Are we focusing on what we really want, or on not creating more of what we don't want. And by focus I'm referring to that little voice in your head that chatters at you all day long – you know the one with all the negative, disaster thoughts? I call it our 'monkey-mind'.

Let's use money as an example. Most people want more money in their lives. So I'll ask clients, 'When you think about having more money, do you have a picture?”. They always say yes. (And here's where it gets interesting). When I ask them to detail the sights, sounds, and feelings of what they are seeing they usually say something like “so now the bill collector won't call”, or “my spouse won't yell at me over the credit card bill”, “I hear my parents telling me I'll never understand money”, etc.

In NLP language, those are called 'away-froms'. Remembering that the brain can not process negatives, this translates in your brain to...(you guessed it), having more calls from the bill collector and more yelling at bill time. The rule is: Whatever you focus on, grows. So focusing on what you don't want brings more of that into your life! What the monkey-mind continually chatters about, is what you get!

If you're willing to use a quick and powerful tool to keep you on track to your goals, then go through the following exercise:

Imagine that a magic wand has waved itself over your life and that there is nothing to fix! You have all the money you really need to live the way you wish to live. You are healthy. You are in a great and passionate relationship. Remember to really imagine that this is the case! See it. Hear it. Feel it. It's just an imagination exercise, so really play at 100%.

Ask yourself, “Now what?”. Specifically. Imagine, in detail, with all of the colour, sights, smells, sounds and textures possible. If you weren't spending all your time on problems, what would you create with your life? Imagine it. See it. Hear it. Feel it. Make it so real that you can taste it. This becomes your new goal. Now if you said “I don't know”, than that's the problem! You can't create something unless you know what you're creating!

Spend as much time every day with this new goal as you did with your problem. Talk about it with friends and family, imagine it, research it on the internet, draw it, create a brain map to it, make it real to your self and everyone around you. That way you will be spending your energy creating something positive, rather than negative.

Remind yourself that this is more than a 'think good thoughts' game. This requires specifics, time, energy, and eventually it might even entail money too. But one thing at a time. Begin to make your goals and dreams more real to you than your obstacles, and you will reprogram your own Unconscious to use all of your resources to create consciously towards your goals. It happens fairly quickly and it's fun too.

Happy 'Towards' Everyone!

2008-08-28T18:46:00.000-04:00

September Strategies: How we do what we do

September is right around the corner, and that usually heralds the 'start up' of our fall activities. School is back in session; we put away thoughts of vacation and cottage; and are prepared to bend ourselves back to the grindstone.

And this year I've found myself asking, “Is that the best way?”. Can we not work smarter, rather than harder? I'd like to think so, and as is the case with my coaching clients, there are a few guidelines that seem to help.

For this to be effective, it's important to tackle one area of your life at a time. I always ask clients, “What area of your life (health, career, relationship) if it were brought up to your expectations, would have the most impact on the rest of the areas of your life?” That's the area to do this exercise with. Pick one or two key 'pain points' (I don't make enough money for example) and then go on to the paragraph's below.

First we need to determine if the problem is the 'what' or the 'how'. Is it 'what' you are seeking or attempting to accomplish that is the problem, or is it 'how' you are going about it? The following questions will all determine if it is a 'how' problem:

Do you find yourself continually stuck in the same pattern? Dating the wrong people or playing out the same relationship dynamics? Maybe fighting with not making enough money, or not having enough health?

Are you physically, emotionally, or mentally tired (or exhausted) from fighting the same fight? Is there part of you that says to yourself “I just don't know how much more I have to give?”

Do you find yourself getting to your goal, and then slipping back again? Quitting and then restarting to smoke, or losing and regaining those few pounds?

Do you feel that if you were just stronger, or had more willpower than you could just get to where you needed to be?

Or have you just accepted that 'it's just the way it is', and you'll never be able to change?

If any (or all) of the above sound like you, don't despair. It's just a strategy, and the good news about strategies is that they are changeable. Strategies are 'how' we do what we do...at the unconscious level. In certain situations where feelings are triggered, a behaviour automatically follows. And it's fast! The strategy fires and runs, often within seconds. And yes, we have a strategy for everything that we do.

A friend of mine often reminds me that doing the same thing, over and over again, while expecting a different result, is the definition of insanity! From an NLP Coaching perspective, it's also a strategy and so it can be shifted to work with your current situation!

So, on a practical level here are some tools to move us in the right direction. I find it's helpful to think like a designer in terms of how things blend together, and to stay focused on my big picture.

Although it's been said before, “If you want something different, you need to DO something different.”. So find something to add to your routine that is different. Speak to someone different about your situation; read a book; go to a training...as long as it's different from what you already do.

The brain doesn't act on a negative. What that means is you can't 'not do' something, you have to replace it with something else instead. So instead of 'not snacking', you go for a 10 minute walk instead.

Do your new something for 3 weeks, and it will be your new automatic behaviour.

I love working with strategies because often the smallest change, produces the most amazing results. So as we move into September, remember to play with the design of your life. You are the designer, after all, so enjoy your renovations. I wish you all of the colours, textures and sounds to make your experience the most vivid for you!

globeandmail.com: Mountain Equipment pulls water bottles off shelves

2007-12-07T11:34:00.000-05:00

Below has been excerpted from today's Globeandmail.com and is important to become acquainted with the issue for your health and those around you.

Mountain Equipment Co-op, the country's largest specialty outdoor-goods retailer, says it has pulled most food and beverage containers made of polycarbonate plastic from its shelves, citing concern over possible health risks.

The Vancouver-based firm been one of the largest sellers of such products as polycarbonate Nalgene water bottles, and probably has done more than any retailer to make the distinctive, brightly coloured containers an iconic product everywhere from backcountry campsites to urban offices and university campuses.

The retailer didn't issue a public announcement that it removed the containers, but made a decision to take action Monday and instructed staff to cart polycarbonate products out of stores Wednesday.

The plastic in question is made mostly from bisphenol A, which mimics estrogen and is derived from petrochemicals.

It has been linked in dozens of independent research studies to illnesses that could be caused by hormone disruption. However, manufacturers of bisphenol A say their research shows the material to be harmless.

Health Canada is conducting an assessment of bisphenol A and trying to sort out the conflicting evidence. It expects to issue preliminary results of its review next spring, and a final report on the safety of the chemical in 2009. The Ontario government is also looking at the chemical.

globeandmail.com: Mountain Equipment pulls water bottles off shelves

Remembrance Day and Gratitude

2007-11-11T19:15:00.000-05:00

Namaste -

Today is Remembrance Day here in Canada, and filled with so many polarities about death, and celebrations of life.
I taught all weekend with the Journey of Truth program...Saturday on archetypes and soul contracts...today finishing up three months with students on mandalas and perceptual positioning...

Illuminating who they REALLY are, and their place in the big Universe as microcosm and macrocosm. I love that focus on WHO we are, rather than WHAT we do. It always leads me inwards, towards stillness.

In the back of our centre was running a Veterans Sweat Lodge ceremony...and smooth as silk, I slid out on a break, and was asked to assist the Fire Keeper...
and my whole class came out and had an impromptu training in Native Ceremony...and then we were privileged to be present at the Ghost or Spirit Ceremony that followed.

A truly amazing experience that was full of intention, love, stillness and presence.
(My last Spirit Ceremony was in 2002 the night after my mom died, and I really hadn't consciously remembered much through all of the emotion.)

It made me remember why I choose to do what I do, and how gratitude filled I am to have you all in my life.

The life spiral, of course, also presented itself, and Mike has gotten www.kimredmannlp.com live with a bare bones one pager and a youtube video of me at last years Transformations Intensive, that got big media attention and some national coverage with tv interviews. I smiled at how much I USED TO move my hands!!!!! Thank goodness for 'trainers training' and new tools for personal excellence. The site should have several more pages up this week, so check back!!!

Be well my friends and I look forward to speaking to you all soon!

Kim

Valentines Vibration Of Love

2007-02-04T11:53:00.000-05:00

As I sit here this morning, basking in some alone time, I am surrounded by the energy and feelings of *Gratitude*. Gratitude is a theme in my life, and one of the *Secrets* that propels us forward into flow, into abundance, into a seemingly seamless process of manifestation.

"Why is that?", the teacher in me ponders. What is the essence of *Gratitude*?

And I sense in my body the answer of self-love. You can't truly experience being grateful to anyone or anything if you cannot feel gratitude-full for your own self, your own inner beauty, your own accomplishments.

Valentines Day is around the corner and it is always a wonder-full time to express your love of another in your life; but what if we first made it a Celebration of Self? A day to immerse yourself in self love? What if we made February our Pamper Yourself month? How good might you feel? And how might that feeling roll over onto our friends and loved ones?

Imagine it! A self-date all month! Making small choices to pamper me....like soft clothes and sexy underwear, 'just because'. How about a half hour in the bath at night, instead of zoning out in front of the TV? Can you imagine meeting your own eyes in the mirror and smiling at yourself? Or how about telling yourself "I love you" in the mirror, all month?

What joy! What silliness! What fun! And what a great way to create new neurology around Gratitude!

Looking for gratitude daily, experiencing gratitude daily sets up the groundwork neurologically for you to focus on the good stuff that happened that day, rather than the one or two seemingly bad things. You begin to experience gratitude, so you know that it's possible, and then you begin to expect gratitude. Wow!

So I wish you all a very merry self pampering month. As a matter of fact I'm going to make it Self Pamper month at the Creatrix Transformations Healing Centre (CTHC) too! So look for our upcoming pamper specials...I'll go brainstorm and should have them up soon.

In Love & Light,

Kim

Curiousity and the Human Spirit

2006-12-16T19:41:00.000-05:00

On my way to the Creatrix Transformations Healing Centre I always pass two churches as I approach Sharon, Ontario. Both of these churches have the traditional billboards, and both of these churches always have *something* written on them. Interestingly enough, one I always ignore, and one I can't wait to see.

As I was explaining this to my husband he suggested that I blog about it, and it really got me to thinking...why do I ignore one of the billboards and gauge traffic to appropriately be able to peruse the second? And it came to me; the second billboard always changes, and it's always something metaphorical and interesting.

Could enlightenment be that simple? Keep me curious. Keep me engaged. And I'll keep coming back for more.

Well as I began to look at it, I heard the NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) axiom that "How you do anything, is how you do everything?", and I realized that for me it IS true! In order for me to stay engaged in anything, I need to be *grabbed*. Intellectually or emotionally.

Hmmph!!! What to make of that? Is that a failing? Is that something to alter? And perhaps paradoxically (some might say), I came to the conclusion that *curiousity* is one of the most endearing traits of human beings, and that it is completely necessary for our human development.

Our need to evolve, to see *what's next* is directly linked to our curiousity and the wonder-full question of "What if...?". This is a trait that led to Einstein's discoveries about relativity, and recently, Bruce Lipton's work on epigentics; the study of how environment and belief alter our DNA.

Nope, says I, to the nay-sayers. I'll keep and nourish my curiousity. It has served the great minds of our time, and as I was reminded by a minister friend of mine, it served the Wise Men too :)

Curiousity may 'kill the cat', but 'satisfaction' brought him back eight more times :)

Yup, that's me...the curious one poking at the box of spiritual secrets...and yes, that's me too; the one very satisfied to have explored the territory and had all sorts of wonderous adventures.

Happy adventures on this holiday season everyone. May your curiousity bring you many wonder-full discoveries. I'll be the curious one waiting to meet you under the bright, shining star!

In Love & Light-

Kim-Marie

Beauty & Integrity

2006-10-13T10:39:00.000-04:00

This morning while I was opening my email there was an invitation from the "Dove Self Esteem Fund" to view their new one minute movie. As a mom with a 12 year girl, images and messages that come with integrity about our inner selves and our inner beauty are always on our *Yes* list :) What I didn't expect was for this movie to impact me the way that it did.

Let me explain...

Some of you know that earlier on in my life I spent time professionally in the performing arts, on stage with theatre and dance. As part of that life, I also did some modeling and considered myself pretty savvy about how makeup, hairstylists, and a team of professionals can turn anyone (and I do mean anyone) into society's image of a Goddess or God. Back then, airbrushing to change skin texture and colouration was common.

The movie takes a model through her no makeup beginnings, to the image on the billboard ad. What shocked me was watching the post digital editing that literally changed the model's skeletal features. We are now in a place where mere *beauty* is not enough. Now to be considered beautiful you have become non-human, with physical ratios and proportions that are just not possible to achieve naturally. Many are not possible to achieve with surgery!

Soooo....what was my real issue here? Why was I so triggered?

And it all comes down to integrity and intention. Holding your own integrity, through character buuilding, is only possible with a strong sense of inner self and inner value. What happens when someone tries their best, and still can't reach their goals? What happens when the goals were unattainable from the beginning? Is there an intention to dis-able the sense of self, to foster dependancy on externals like cosmetic companies? I can't say.

What I do know is that I question what that does to someone's sense of hope? And what happens to someone when their hope no longer exists? Their Spirit dies, one piece at a time.

Hope, passion and dreams are the things that our Spirit feeds on. And in spite of everything I do maintain hope that our society will contiue to shift, and indeed, is shifting now to honour joy and hope and balance. Anorexic models were recently banned from an important catwalk because their appearance was so ill-looking, Dove is working diligently to shift the perceptions of our young women, and all around me I see the daughters of empowered women learning the necessary lessons of empowerment at such a young age.

So I guess it's all about modeling after all. Act like you are empowered, and you will be empowered. Live that empowerment around our youth, and they will imprint that empowerment into their cells. And so the positive cycle continues too.

If you'd like to see the movie copy this link and paste into your browser: http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.ca/

Thanks for listening....

In Love & Light-

Kim-Marie

2006-04-12T12:39:00.000-04:00

How Do You Model Growth?

Hello everyone!

As the appearance of Spring begins to take hold, I see around me the evidence that we too are beginning to come out of our hibernation. Neighbors wave, stop and chat. Robins are looking fat and plump as they begin their mating and nest building rituals. Gardeners eagerly clear out the debris of last winter from their flowerbeds.

I celebrate deep in the core of my being, and look to see where I too can mirror this unfolding miracle. How can I take advantage of all of this transformational energy? How can I take this wonder-fullness from feeling into being? As I choose to *be* more full, I can then do more. While I do more, I find that *more* happens more easily. As I looked through my own tools, the tool of modeling presented itself immediately!

So what, exactly, is modeling and how do I use it effectively?

Modeling is a technique allows someone with relatively little or no skill, to successfully act as if they are very skilled in an area. Modeling is a mechanism. I like mechanisms because mechanisms produce results. It doesn't matter how you *feel* about yourself, or your capabilities. Use a mechanism = get results. Breathing is an example of a natural mechanism. Breathe in and oxygen gets into your system. Breathe out and toxins are released. Regardless of how you feel.

In order to use modeling, you need to decide on a skill set that you want; making more money, being more fit, chopping a wooden block in half with your hand, communicating effectively. Next you find someone who does this skill really, really successfully. You don't need to know this person. They could be a public figure or a character in a novel. Finally, you break the skill down into specifics physically, emotionally, mentally, and if applicable spiritually as well.

Physically:
What does the person physically do? For example if I wanted to be as fit as the golf legend Tiger Woods, I would find interviews where he discussed his physical routine and then copy it as exactly as I can. Tiger gets up at 5:30 am 'sharp' every morning to begin his training. OK - not for me...but you get the point. If it was the skill of breaking a board I would want to know exactly how they stood, breathed, moved their arm, held their hand, focused their eyes.

Emotionally:
What were they feeling? Were they seeing something, or hearing something in their own head that helped them to get 'that feeling'. How did they magnify that feeling? Where did they feel that feeling in their bodies? What was their recovery strategy...what did they do when they weren't 'feeling that feeling', to get them back to 'feeling that feeling'?

Mentally:
What were they thinking? What were they seeing or hearing as they went about accomplishing this skill? Specifically? Were their images, mantras, focus points?

For myself, I looked to the garden as my expert model. It is clear that each skill I want to add into my life has it's own specifics. Here is the general process:

Clearing the Garden.
Physically I would need to invest time to clear out my old decomposing *stuff*. That amounts to creating at least the same space and time I would dedicate to my garden, and being as ruthless as I am with my weeds in removing and avoiding behaviours that do not support change.

Prepping the Soil.
That amounts to finding and studying the behaviours and skills of growth. So I not only needed to stop doing something, but also needed to start doing a different something.

Planting the Seeds.
Here is where I get to action the specific new skill sets I want tin my life. This is about doing it, and understanding that 'not doing it' is just a part of my old pattern. When I find myself 'not doing', I just gently choose to 'do the new' thing. Patterns take time to put down strong roots. Twenty-one days with a new skill will give you those roots.

Pruning as You Grow.
Now that you are experiencing the benefit of you r own growth, remember to prune as you go and grow. Continually remove the dead-heads of your life, and tend the growth with attention and tender loving care.

Have fun with yourself as you choose what you would like to be more of this Spring. Joy, excitement, and passion are all contagious and power-full building tools.

In Love & Light-
Kim-Marie Redman PhD(c), MNLP, MTLT, MCHt

2006-03-14T17:59:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to our new web log Transformations. The blog dedicated to the transformation of Body, Mind & Spirit. We are very excited to be able to establish a connection with you all in this way and look forward to our mutual learning!

It seems that as Spring approaches, the theme that always comes to mind is renewal. Rebirth. As we shed our Winter skin and behaviours, what exactly do we want to take with us into this new season? Perhaps more importantly, how do we execute these new strategies in an effective, yet gentle way, so that we maintain our balance through the transition?

For myself I've found that changes are much more likely to stick when I remember that I am conscious on many levels and need to have a practical strategy for each of those levels. I also know that simple is better, and more effective. So with this in mind let's look at some of the strategies for each level.

PHYSICAL (Body):
During both the fall and spring equinoxes the liver goes through a natural detoxification process. The body needs to release the stored toxins from the previous six months. When these toxins are released it is common to experience headaches, nausea, aches and pains and food cravings. Working with a good naturapath/ homeopath/ chiropractor can be invaluable at this time. They can speed the process along with gentle suggestions.

Generally speaking: Drink lots of water. (2-3 liters a day. And no, juice doesn't count.) Move the body - walking, exercise, deep breathing are all good. Get plenty of rest. The body rejuvenates and rebuilds when you are sleeping.

PHYSICAL (Environment):
Clear the clutter!!! Give each room a systematic scrubbing. Physical debris = mental & emotional debris. Cleaning your closets gives the Universe an opportunity to fill them with something new.

EMOTIONAL:
Pay attention to the people and situations that are triggering you. Pay special attention to anger. It is one of the emotions often associated with the liver detoxing. If you are angry - get moving. Walk briskly, breathe deeply and let it out (while you are alone of course.)

MENTAL:
Goals. Do you have them? Are they specific, positively stated, with a date, and phrased as if they are already happening? e.g. I enjoy a monthly income of 10,000 or more. I am a size 10 and healthy by June 1, 2006. Goals. You need to have them. You can't receive what you don't ask for. So get going and have fun with this!

SPIRITUAL:
Gratitude. The stuff that miracles are made of. Feeling the feeling of being grateful for your life opens your heart chakra, and bio-chemically releases neurotransmitters that are responsible for the feelings of well being and euphoria. A simple exercise: Write down 5 things every day that happened to you that you were glad for. Phrases are OK. "The lights stayed green when i was late". "The sunset". "Breathing instead of screaming." Truly it is life changing and joy producing.

COMBO: (Modeling)
Find someone who is already an expert at the skill set you desire. Study them. Specifically how do they hold their body? What are they feeling? What are they thinking? When you are at a crossroads ask yourself 'What would they do?". It doesn't really matter whether the answer is *real* or not. Merely thinking this way will cause an inductive logic pattern and get you 'out of your box' and into new opportuities. Play with it. Enjoy. It's your life. Live it to the fullest.

Believe It. See It. Live It...NOW!!!

In Love & Light-

Kim-Marie Redman PhD(c), MNLP, MTLT, MCHt

Kim-Marie can be reached at the Transformations Healing Centre (905) 478-4670 or via e-mail creatrix@journeyoftruth.com. Visit her website www.journeyoftruth for information on personal consultations, workshops and trainings.

Transformations

How will you know that you know?

Did the Door Hit You in the Backside, or 'Whoosh' You Through?

Are You In the Big Winds too? There's an Answer!

2012, Chakras, the Super Moon, and you!

Commitment & The Law of Attraction

Resources and Goals

December Celebrations

November Harvest and Gratitude

October Change: Towards or Away From

globeandmail.com: Mountain Equipment pulls water bottles off shelves

Related Articles

Remembrance Day and Gratitude

Valentines Vibration Of Love

Curiousity and the Human Spirit

Beauty & Integrity