Gratitude and Appreciation for You in 2009

Greetings to You ~

When was the last time you appreciated yourself and everything you do?

Gratitude and appreciation for yourself and your achievements is an important step to connect with your Higher Self.  It's a very high energy and can shift us away from lower energies of worry, fear, overwhelm and the like.

It's often easier for us to focus on gratitude and appreciation for others.  That's really great but we also need to learn how to be grateful and be appreciative for ourselves.

A good way to start is by making a list of 10-25 things you did in 2009 that you're proud of.  This may be difficult for you but it's SO important.

Why celebrate yourself?  Because you may forget how wonderful you are in the days, weeks, months or years ahead.  During those times you may hold yourself back from doing something really huge.  This list is for you to keep forever and refer back on.

It's more meaningful when you're specific and really powerful to include how you felt. Here's some ideas.

• I learned how to...I felt really confident after expanding my comfort zone
• I planted a garden...I felt so peaceful and connected to nature
• I overcame a challenge...I felt stronger knowing I can handle things better than I thought
• I helped my family...I felt so much love for...
• I reached out to friends...I felt happy
• I made a decision to...I felt enthusiastic 
• I became more responsible about...I felt empowered
• I had fun doing...I felt joy and freedom

Create a file in your desk or computer or keep a special journal where you'll save this Celebration List. Take one hour and list all of the wonderful things you did, journeys you took, leaps of faith and changes you made, challenges you overcame.  Add the good feelings that came from each of those.

You do things and have gifts that are special because there's only one of you.  You're unique and see things and people in your own way.

What if you held yourself back or felt some doubt with a decision to move forward with something? That's the time you'd take out your Celebration List of gratitude and appreciation for the wonderful things you've done and remember how awesome you really are.  You'll also remember those feelings and realize you are fully capable.

Cheers to you and all you did in 2009!

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Giving and Receiving to Yourself

Greetings to You ~

How are you feeling after the holidays?  Feeling a bit tired?  Feeling disconnected with work and a regular routine?

That's natural after all of the outer actions and "doing" that has taken place up until now.  Sometimes it creates a habit of busyness. Saying yes to invitations or a feeling that we "should" get together over the holidays because you have some time off.

I'd encourage you to take time to connect with your own inner guidance. Ask yourself these questions:

What do you need for yourself right now?

What would replenish you and fill you back up?

Many of us need a bit of solitude and recovery from the giving to others.  A perfect time to give back to yourself is before the New Year as the urgency of getting things done goes on pause for a few days.

What if you received one of the following?  How do you think you'd feel?

• Quiet time with a book
• A break from cooking and going out to eat
• Time spent in nature
• Going for a walk or a run
• Watching movies at home or going out to the theatre
• Stay in your PJs all morning watching TV

So, before automatically saying yes to the requests of others and filling up your calendar, make yourself a promise.  Decide to do something really special and loving for yourself this week.

Pick the day and the activity.  Receive and enjoy the time for you.

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila

xo

Lights of Hope

Greetings to You ~

Visited the inspiring Lights of Hope display at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.

Our family spent two Christmases there so compassion goes out to those who aren’t able to be home for Christmas.   Appreciation is also sent to those who work during the holidays in service to others.

For those of you who are missing a loved one who has passed on, hold a happy thought in your mind and close to your heart.  Their physical presence is missed but their essence and how they made you feel is just a memory away.

The challenging times often bring us closer to our loved ones and helps us appreciate what's most important.  It also makes us appreciate the happy, fun-loving times even more.  Let the people you love know how you feel even if you may feel a bit uncomfortable sharing that.

Extending a bright light of connection, healing and hope to you this holiday season. 

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila 

xo

Holiday Connection

Greetings to You ~

Have you taken a moment to connect with the part of the holidays that fills you up?  The tradition that puts you in the feeling of joy, gratitude and appreciation. 

If you didn’t get your greeting cards out on time, forgive yourself.  What’s the intention behind your greetings?  It wasn’t to check something off your to do list.  You really wanted to connect with someone right?

How can you best do that?  Sending an email, an ecard, a letter or a card?  How about calling someone just to say I’m thinking of you.

Remember it’s about connection.  People crave this.  They really don’t care how you connect, they just want to know that they are remembered.

When you’re acting from spirit you have an invisible force on your side where more time and energy magically shows up.

Stop for a moment and ask if you need to give to yourself or someone else right now.  Take three deep breaths and a few minutes of silence.  What inspired idea comes to you?

Whether it’s connecting with others, yourself, a pet or Spirit.  Fill yourself up with that connection.

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila 

xo

Winter Solstice Tradition

Greetings to You ~

Many cultures celebrate the darkest night of the year as a birth of a new season.  Had to share a most incredible Winter Solstice tradition. 

In Vancouver there are two locations where a Labyrinth of Light is created with over 700 candles. A community centre is transformed into a sacred space.  When you walk through the doors it smells rich with beeswax and immediately you feel a shift of energy. 

By donation people are able to walk through the Labyrinth in a self-guided ceremony.  The intention when you walk toward the centre is to help release old attachments. Letting go of what no longer serves you.

As you make your way back out of the maze you envision new possibilities for yourself. 

This is a perfect time to consider your intentions for 2010.  Guaranteed, if you write it down and don’t even look at it again, manifestation will occur.  It gives yourself and the Universe clarity with what you want in your life.

Make a list of what you want to let go of or heal.  Not being good enough, smart enough, rich enough, thin enough….letting go of fear and worry.

Make a second list of what you want to bring into your life.   Consider what you want to expand in these seven areas:

1. Spiritual
2. Mental Learning
3. Career or Volunteer
4. Financial Wealth
5. Family/Home
6. Social Network
7. Physical Health & Wellness

Create your own end of year tradition.  Light a candle and put your pen to paper with your desires and intentions for 2010…the year of illumination.

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila 

xo

Creating Joy

Greetings to You ~

How do you create joy in your life?  Sometimes we're busy doing things that take us away from our joy.

Years ago when I was still working at my job I carried a little notebook with me that I filled with quotes, wisdom and inspiration.  In this little book I created My Joy List.  It was numbered 1-100 and only filled up to 52...but what a great list!

Why a joy list?  We have lists for everything else...shopping lists, Christmas lists, to do lists, lists for work, lists for home.  Why not a precious list to remind you of activities that fill you with joy.

As kids that was our only priority and as adults we feel it's a luxury we can't afford.  Feeling good is a luxury we can't ignore.

The purpose of doing something on your joy list is simply to feel good.

What would be on your joy list?

• reading a good book
• going for a drive
• walking a dog
• going for a hike
• watching movies
• meditating
• painting
• singing

You don't have to use it as a reward after all the hard work is done.  Is there something on your joy list you can do before everything else?

Is savouring a good cup of coffee at your favourite cafe on your joy list?  That energy and good feeling will then flow forth when you continue with the other things you do.

When you notice something that you enjoy make a note of it on your list.  Then when you need some inspiration it's there for you.  A reminder of what lifts you up.

Go ahead and start creating yours...no rules.  Think of it as joy in progress.

Being in joy will make others around you happy too.  Please share your joyous experience with others today.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Suspending Your Fear

Greetings to You ~

How do you feel about getting out of your comfort zone?

Do you feel energized by the thrill of a new adventure?

Do you prefer something that makes you feel safe?

I recently visited the Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver.  I felt called to go there and take photographs because of the word connection.

The bridge stretches 450 feet across and 230 feet above the Capilano River.  Imagine being at shoulder height of the Statue of Liberty.

It was only mildly swaying as I crossed the bridge with tripod and camera in hand. I spent some time taking photos of the pond before the suspension bridge was to be lit up with Christmas lights.  An hour later I was surprised with the volume of people, back to back, coming across the bridge.

I heard comments from those who found it thrilling and others who couldn’t remember ever feeling so shaken.  I was surprised because when I crossed the bridge I didn’t feel nervous, and I’m scared of heights.

But when I crossed back over to the other side it was a completely different experience.  Due to the extra volume of people it actually felt like a roller coaster and there was no way you could cross without holding on to the edge. 

I went into the mode of just taking the next step, the next step, until I reached the other side.

Looking back it was a great experience, more interesting and fun than if it was safe and steady.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a good night shot of the bridge lit up because it was rocking too much with the camera shutter having to stay open.  But it was direct experience with seeing how different conditions affect our need to shore up more confidence.

Changing our lives, doing something different requires us to take risks and get out of our comfort zone.  It could be going to a party where you don’t know many people or signing up for a course that you’ve always wanted to take.  How about changing careers?

Make a list of all the things you’ve wanted to do but have not done yet due to fear.  Choose one thing to take some action with in the next month.  Counterbalance any fear with courage.

Even if it feels like a baby step, I encourage you to get out of your own comfort zone.

Feel free to share your story here.  It can inspire others to do the same.

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila 

xo

What's your dream?

Greetings to You ~

There is a huge awakening with more of us putting an emphasis on doing what we love.  We want to live our life on our own terms, schedules, foster our relationships, do what brings us joy and make a fabulous living.  Living life on purpose.

Are you saying that can't happen?  Does it sound like a pipe dream to you?

More and more people are looking to others who have already done this.  It's time.  People sharing their stories and how it all relates to your path in life.  Opening up and being available to others with your gifts.  

One of the best parts of my corporate career was having one to one conversations with members on my team and interviewing job candidates.  Why?  I loved to understand what made a person excited to get up in the morning and laser in with what they loved to do.

It saddened me when people were choosing to do something that was moving them away from their life purpose.  I understand that we need to earn a living but we don't have to leave the dream behind either.

We used an interview technique to determine whether there was a real match and commitment with potential candidates and the job they were applying for.  I'd ask questions to learn more about what their dream job would be.  So often it was not what they were applying for.  

So why do we move away from what we love?  Most often I'd hear, "I'd love to do that but the money isn't very good."  So there they were applying for a job that I knew would not fulfill them.  

I'm all about paying the bills but stop abandoning your dreams.  It's time to change this habit.  It's time to stop settling for less than what makes you joyful.

If you could be paid to do anything...I mean anything...what would that be?

My dream since I was a young girl was to have my own greeting card company.  That dream is taking birth right now!  There's a whole story about how I became reconnected back to that dream which I'll share with you when the website launches in the coming weeks. You’ll want to be sure to read it … it comes straight from my heart.

You have a dream and sometimes it sounds crazy to your responsible self.  But "what if" it was possible to do what you love and get paid for it?  What would your life look like?

Start by taking a moment to share your dream right here on this blog.  Your dream is safe here.  I invite you to connect and share. Just drop a note in the box below.

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila

xo

Untangle Your Bright Lights

Greetings to You ~

Have you ever had so many ideas going through your mind and not knowing where to start?  You're eager to begin but your thoughts get overwhelmed and sort of short-circuit?

Like a string of Christmas lights with the potential to be so beautiful.  No single light can shine if the entire string is tangled.

Have you ever tried to untangle the string in a hurry?  It often gets worse and you get more frustrated.  In the process of getting the task done quickly some of the bulbs even break.

We'd benefit from taking some time and patience to methodically think through the process.  Untangle the string.  Have everything laid out.  Have a plan on how we'll put them up on the house.

Your ideas are like bright lights and they too need the same care and attention.  We need to organize and plan what we're going to do with them.

Taking action to prepare for when it's time to flick the switch.  Ready and waiting for you to illuminate and shine your light onto others in the world.

Set aside some time and space for yourself to untangle your thoughts and ideas.  Do this when others aren't in need of your time and energy.

Walking out in nature is a wonderful way to shift our energy and virtually untangle our thoughts.  I recently took some time out to walk around a beautiful mountain lake.

It was interesting how the mind wanted to go there with a purpose.  To look for fallen branches and greenery to take back home and create an arrangement for the front porch.

It doesn't want us to slow down and allow us to take in the nature that's so abundant and present.  We have to consciously let go of having an agenda, other than to appreciate our surroundings.

Taking in the smell of the cedars in the forest.  Hearing the water rushing as it spilled over the rocks into a waterfall.  Crossing the bridge over a creek and seeing the heavy moss draped over branches like wet clothing.

Feeling the part of us that connects with all of that.  What is your way to connect to that part of you?

The part of you, the invisible energy, which will light up your ideas.

Carve some space out for yourself even if it's just one hour.  With absolutely no agenda but to be still and connect.

Notice how your thoughts untangle.  Shine on.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Nurture Your Overwhelm

Greetings to You ~

Have you ever wished that you could press the pause button on the outside world?  There's so much to do and you're feeling behind and overwhelmed?

Trying to work harder and faster seems to speed up the downward spiral and increase your stress.  We truly need inner peace for our outer actions to be effective.

Thankfully wisdom came through a couple of different people to validate my own inner guidance today.

Breathe.  Stop yourself from taking any action until you're feeling more calm and relaxed.  Press your virtual pause button on the outer world and focus on creating inner peace for yourself.

A short time-out for self-care and nurturing is essential if you feel like you're drowning.  Meditate for a few minutes.  Journal and release any frustration and lower level energies that are inside you onto the page.

What can you look at, listen to or visualize to bring you to a better feeling place right now?  Breathe.

Have you ever had anxiety increase when you looked at your do list?  The reminder of what didn't get done yesterday, last week, last month feels SO overwhelming.  Set it all aside for a moment.

Today an email came in from Heather Dominick, EnergyRICH® Entrepreneur Success and Master Coach, with the subject line "do you always feel just one step behind?"  YES.

She says it's not about finding more time but rather it's about our relationship with time.  Not to simply get more done in less time but to focus on getting the right things done first and faster.

What are your three most important and dire needs for the day?  Choose to focus only on those individual tasks...for now.  You want to flow into the feeling of "this is doable."  It may not take as long as you thought and then you can add the next most important task.

Build in enough breaks for yourself.  This is not a time to push.  You're bringing yourself back into balance while still moving forward.  Think of a child on a bicycle.  You wouldn't want them to ride too fast, too soon.

You may not see today's challenges as your opportunity for inner growth.  But they may be.

While nurturing yourself you can build inner strength and create harmony with your outer world.

There's no need to hurry to grow.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Inner Guidance and Making a Decision

Greetings to You ~

So you've asked the Universe to partner with you on how to fund your business?  You've actually released the need to do the work of how this will happen.

You've taken inspired action that came to you.  You sent that out and have become detached as to what happens as a result.

I mean you really detached, you haven't followed up, you haven't checked in, you haven't wondered why you didn't hear back about it.  Very good.

You've shifted your old money story.  You wanted to see evidence.  Show me the money, show me the proof.

It showed itself in small ways that you do attract abundance.  Winning lotto tickets were given to you, and you won a door prize a few hours after you asked to see more evidence.  You noticed.  It increased your faith.

You've recognized that empowerment comes first and then abundance follows.  You know that you'll be shown the way.

Larger evidence in the form of opportunities have presented themselves.  You recognize that you played no part in making that happen.  Someone called you right out of the blue to offer you a job.

Rather than make a hasty decision you're aware that you should consider this.  Not sure if it's the right thing but it needs to be explored.  It's not stepping backward, it has interesting benefits.

A product and business opportunity came to you that you had never heard of.  You never would have considered this as part of your life purpose but it keeps showing up.  You wake up with inspired ideas about this even though it wasn't in your plans.

Now you want to make sense of all this.  Now the flow is blocked.

You ask, "Why has this come to me?  What am I to do with this?"

What will your decision be?  It's your choice.  There is no right or wrong, it's a path you will choose.

So your life purpose and love is Whisper Greetings.  That will continue but you're looking for a way to fund it, that won't take too much of your time.

What are your values?  What are the values of Whisper Greetings?  They're the same; connection, healing and hope.  Do either of your two options resonate with your values?

Yes, one does for sure. They both make logical sense but one resonates with your values.  Pick that one.

That's inner guidance.  That's Truth.

Last evening I came upon something on Oprah's website Finding Your Strongest Life Quiz by Marcus Buckingham and just looked at the answers again.

Wisdom from my lead role as Weaver.

You ask, "Who can I connect?"  You see the world as a web of relationships, and you are always excited by the prospect of connecting two new people within your web.  Your best quality is your genuine curiosity.  Always trust in your web of relationships.  Be careful not to push people together who shouldn't be.  Your smartest career move is any job where you speed up the connection between people.

Wisdom from my supporting role as Creator.

You ask, "What do I understand?"  You aren't immune to the feelings and perspective of others, but your starting point is your own insight, your own understanding.  Your best quality is your ability to find patterns invisible to others.  Always find time to be by yourself.  Be careful you don't think so long, you never do anything.  Your smartest career move is any job where you're paid to produce new content.

That makes so much more sense today than yesterday.  Feeling really good about one of the options.  Was the other one there to show the contrast?

Your choice is still feeling a bit uncomfortable because you're choosing the uncertain over the certain.

What is your inner guidance telling you about a decision you have to make?

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Invisible Inspiration

Greetings to You ~

Who are you on the inside?  How do you feel when you're at your best?  Do you express that side of yourself to the outer world?

We had our own unique interests and desires long before we became a friend, lover, spouse, parent, grandparent, worker, business owner or volunteer.

Where does that inspiration come from?  From a place far greater than ourselves.  It works through us to be expressed in the world.

The dictionary meaning of inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.  Another meaning is the drawing in of breath; inhalation.

The creative process feels mysterious.  How does a concept or idea just come out of seemingly nowhere?

It's amazing when inspiration takes you to a place that you didn't expect.  Whether you're a painter working on a canvass, a writer putting your story on the pages or an entrepreneur creating a business.

Holding an initial idea in mind and staying open to possibilities as it unfolds.  Even a mistake can lead to a discovery or something better than our original concept.

Always thought it would be interesting to have a chat with the creative minds you admire and ask them about their own creative process.  When and where does their inspiration arise?

Interviews, documentaries and books that feature people in history as well as modern day creative minds are interesting to study.  Learning about the twists and turns that paved their path enabling them to shine their genius out to the world.

Who inspires you?  What can you learn from them?

Has inspiration been whispering to you?  Let it guide you.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Moving Your Life

Greetings to You ~

If you've moved your residence you know what a huge job it is.  You're not just moving your things you're moving your life.

The place we live and the people we're with should reflect who we are today.  It should also support the vision we have for our future.  

During a time of transition it can feel awkward to make changes.  One foot in the past or one foot crossing the bridge toward the new.

The beauty is moving toward your future rather than moving away from your past.  Feel the joy and enthusiasm for what lies ahead.

When there's something we don't want in our lives we can still appreciate the past and see how it has served us.  Challenges have taught us something and showed us the contrast of what we don't want.

We just moved Mom into a new home yesterday.  It was a time to honour the past and at the same time celebrate and usher in the new.  Literally closing the door of one place and opening the door into another.

The family home is where we came together for over 30 years.  It made us think about the memories created there.

It's not the house that holds the memories.  We take those with us in our hearts and our minds.  It was still an emotional time.

Let go of the house but never let go of the love and affection that made it a home.

The house no longer serves Mom due to its size and the maintenance required and now it's available for a young family to move in.  We hope that the house serves them as a loving place to create their own memories.

Driving toward Mom's new home a radio advertisement spoke about "the collage of your life."  As you pack up and move your life, you really stop to reflect on that.

The items that were tucked away and forgotten now serve as touchstones to reflect and appreciate memories.  Having to decide if those items are still useful or seen as beautiful to you.

Keeping several precious items that were meaningful to Dad and letting go of others that will be more useful to someone else.  As you change and move forward in your life some items no longer serve you.  It's okay.

It's helpful to have a ritual to walk through each room to really feel and appreciate the memories.  Your time to look back on the past before moving forward.  

The past is the past and you've honoured it.  You're not running away from your past but decisively making a positive choice for the future.

What is your vision for the future?   Look around to ensure that your personal space reflects that part of you.

We don't always move our life as we move forward.  A few adjustments can still help:

• Keep only items that you see as beautiful or practical today.
• Remove clutter to allow space for new and better things to enter your life.  
• Change your furniture around and see how the energy shifts too.
• Add some colour that suits your personality.

We're always changing and moving, whether that's our inner self or outer circumstances.

Let's move toward something new and wonderful.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Business Balance

Greetings to You ~

This week the EnergyRICH® Business Boot Camp lesson was about business balance.

It came at just the right time.  It validated the need to take a break away from work.

Interesting to hear how the time we take to relax and rejuvenate helps us to hear inspired ideas.  The feminine energies of dreaming and creating can be heard.  Think calm and connection.

Have you ever noticed the difference between feeling passionate and feeling your ego's intensity to get something done?  We were asked to check in with ourselves every few hours as to whether we're operating from ego or spirit.

The ego creates urgency which is about fear of not getting things done.  When we're relaxed and in the flow we allow spirit to come through us.

We can then partner with the masculine energy of doing and taking action with inspired ideas.

More repeat messages this week coming across.  Listened to an awesome audio class with Juliet Oberding, the Lawyer to Healers, about "Heal Your Heart, Heal Your Practice."

She suggests we actually DO LESS.  Don't you notice many of us wear our busyness like a badge of honour on our sleeves?

Interesting how many excuses we come up with about not being able to take time off.  How many times have we heard or said we don't even have time to take a coffee break.

"But I have a deadline, I should get this done."

It's so restorative to take a short break.  Walk away from our desks, stretch a bit, take a walk around the block to get some fresh air.  Breathe.

A wonderful message on our group call was, "restorative energy regenerates."

The Artist's Way at Work  by Mark Bryan with Julia Cameron call them weekly time-outs.  For at least one hour, you take yourself on some small festive adventure.

The chance to explore or try something new.  The purpose is to awaken our sense of wonder, not self-improvement.

What would you do?  Where would you go?  Go ahead and give yourself permission.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Purposeful Shift of Energy

Greetings to You ~

It's a blustery Monday afternoon in November on the Pacific "wet" coast.  A day when the rain comes down sideways and your umbrella has a tendency to blow inside out.

Uncommon ideas have been percolating for the past few days and flowing forth.  Being in the flow and not aware of time as much as wanting to keep working.

Then there's a time when creativity just needs some space.  Time to sit and marinade.

An interesting feeling when you know it's time to purposely distract yourself.  There's simply no value or enjoyment with continuing to work, even if it's the middle of the day.

It's not avoidance or procrastination but an intentional choice to shift your energy and do something completely different.

It feels like a day to do an activity that brings back happy memories from childhood.  A day to bake cookies.  Cozy and comforting.

In the book, The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron suggests a task for week six to bake something.  "Creativity does not have to always involve capital-A art."  Permission granted to take a break.

Activities like gardening, mending, cleaning or anything that keeps your body moving and your mind at bay are restorative.  Easy, repetitive tasks that allow the brain to take a break.

It's a great perk to work from home and do things in your own cycle.  Whether it's morning, afternoon or evening you can work with your own energy and creative cycles.

No commuting in the rain.  Choosing to wear fleece and slippers on a cold day.  Baking cookies in the afternoon.

What would you do to give your mind a break and allow yourself a moment of comfort?

The wind is howling, the rain is beating down.  The cookies are out of the oven.

Time out to relax.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

The Art of Expression

Greetings to You ~

Beauty is all around us.  I'm in awe seeing the creative work of others who are masters of capturing the essence and feeling of beauty in physical form.

There's a painting in our home by Danny McBride called "Sunflowers."  It's a woman wearing a big red hat standing in a field of sunflowers.  There's something about this painting that I connect with at a level that's difficult to put into words.

It sounds strange but when I look at her, there's a feeling like I've connected to my higher Self.  Wise and non-judmental, patient with a calm energy.  She's beautiful in her own unique and non-traditional way.

Laura Hollick's website http://www.soulartstudio.com/ has a quiz to understand what kind of a creative spirit you are.  She has her own very authentic approach to creative interpretation.

One of my favourite visual artists, Laura Harris, gives an inspiring description of her creative process in a short documentary video.  I can feel her amazing energy when I look at one of her original paintings.

On the video she speaks about walking out to the point on the beach with her dog in the morning and describes it as “an overwhelming sense of connection that I haven’t felt before and it’s actually moved me to tears some mornings.  I'm walking and crying in a really happy, happy way.”  Then she goes straight out to her studio and starts painting.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

The graphic designer working on the Whisper Greetings branding asked me to brainstorm some ideas about explaining Whisper Greetings to someone in one sentence.  He's going to interpret feelings as well as practical values and the purpose of my business to form an identify, symbol or icon.

It sounded so easy.  A statement to describe your business to someone.

Recently in our coaching group, one of the members made a Freudian slip and referred to an elevator speech as an "elevation" speech.  I just love the thought of having an elevation statement.

So back to feeling frustrated with coming up with a single sentence to describe Whisper Greetings.  It's easy to be verbose and an art to succinctly express what you mean.

Heather, my coach, said we often move into our head with practical tasks like this.  She suggested to go to the heart and describe how Whisper Greetings began.

I told her the story and became overwhelmed with emotion.  A sign that it's coming from Truth and not my head.

What flowed from that was, "Whisper Greetings are genuine, digital, poetic expressions of connection, healing and hope."  That feels so right.  So real.

Funny thing is I had a half dozen different sentences and couldn't remember any of them.  This one is etched beautifully in my mind.

How will the visual branding capture the essence of Whisper Greetings?  Can't wait to see how it unfolds.

How do you express your creativity?  Through words, pictures, music, dancing, singing?

Creativity is food for the soul.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Remembrance Day

Greetings to You ~

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month each year we offer a minute of silence.  


In Canada we observe Remembrance Day or Veterans Day to honour those who sacrificed and lost their lives for a future of freedom.  

We must remember. If we do not, the sacrifice of those one hundred thousand Canadian lives will be meaningless. They died for us, for their homes and families and friends, for a collection of traditions they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for Canada. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our collective national consciousness; our future is their monument.  

(Heather Robertson, A Terrible Beauty, The Art of Canada at War, Toronto, Lorimer, 1977.)

One minute of being completely present.  One minute to honour what matters.

Remembrance is the action of remembering something, someone, even a memory.  

Take a moment today to stop and remember what you appreciate most.  Your life, your loved ones, your health, your challenges, your memories. 

Remembrance Day reminds me of my Dad who passed away almost three years ago and would have celebrated his 65th birthday yesterday.  I still appreciate his love and humour.

How about remembering who you are?  The ageless qualities and values that we appreciate and never change.

The part of you, your essence, that never dies.

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila

xo

Empowerment First

Greetings to You ~

A big realization came this past week that created an inner shift.  Empowerment comes first and abundance follows.

The analogy of an abundance train that needs a strong and empowered  engine to carry the load of all good things.  The engine is you.

If our inner energy is feeling really good our outer manifestations will also support that.   Sometimes our outer world speaks to us first to let us know that our inner energy is not serving us.

Stress, fatigue and negativity will not produce our desired results.  So we look after our inner self first.

My friend shared some brilliant wisdom from her Apache teacher.  It's important to stand on your own two feet and stand up for your beliefs.  It's not about overpowering people but rather standing in your own power and using your gifts.

The creative and practical aspects of business.  Can both be done in a joyful, easy manner?  Learn to allow this to happen.  Relax and take one step at a time.

The practical business tasks this week included laying down some business foundations.  It's important to be actively involved with contacting expert advisors you can trust related to banking, accounting and legal issues.

It's not an area of expertise or even interest of mine but it's important for me to understand the issues.  I always want to feel empowered with evaluating business options in order to make the best decisions.

Ask why you feel stressed or uptight with any specific task.  Is it just new territory?  Be authentic with everything you do and everyone you encounter.   You'll learn to enjoy yourself with the practical end of business too.

This process feels like another move forward to allow abundance to follow.  It is.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Possibilities are Blazing

Greetings to You ~

Feels SO good to be eager and enthusiastic with starting a project.  Not knowing exactly where the trail leads but it looks bright and beautiful.

Feeling passionate about possibilities.  Feeling happy to allow things to unfold.  Feeling joy to get started.

Where did all of this high energy come from?  Not sure, but loving it.  You finally let it in.

The dream is going to take physical form.  Thoughts, ideas and creativity that has come through me is going to have it's place in the outer world.

Collaboration is one of my favourite words.  The dictionary meaning is the action of working with someone to produce or create something.

How blessed I feel to work with a talented designer to help bring Whisper Greetings to life!  He offered great wisdom that success follows because of active participation.

So the right people, places and circumstances do show up when you take affirmative action.

We don't need to work in isolation.  Surround yourself with talented, supportive people.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Being Present

Greetings to You ~

Just love the book A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.  It can serve as a permanent reference.

While reading it the first time I understood it on an intellectual basis.  He was saying a lot of the same thing that other teachers had written about.

Something shifted near the end of the book, it took on a deeper meaning.

Since then I read it numerous times, taking notes and feeling connected.  Always getting something new with each read.

You know what's really funny?  I had felt some angst and lower energy with a resentment.  Justifying why I should feel the way I was feeling.  Not even noticing that my ego mind had a firm hold on me.

Thank goodness I picked up the book again.  I'm re-reading the chapter on the core of the ego.   Eckhart Tolle writes,

"Whatever behaviour the ego manifests, the hidden motivating force is always the same:  The need to stand out, be special, be in control; the need for power, for attention, for more."

"Can you feel there is something in you that would rather be right than at peace?"

Dr. Wayne Dyer has a great quote, "When you have the choice to be right or to be kind, always choose kind."  It's the ego that wants to be right, wants to feel superior.

What a beautiful reminder that presence can free us of the ego.  With awareness comes the opportunity to dissolve unconsciousness with our presence.

No need to "do" anything.  Just be in the moment and breathe.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Illusion of Fear

Greetings to You ~

It's easy to giggle and have fun on Halloween.  Why not be the same way when the illusion of fear tries to scare us?

What's the trick with handling fear?  Being playful with it.  Reminding ourselves it's not real.

The neighbourhood is decked out with witches, spider webs, ghosts and pumpkins.  Couldn't help to laugh out loud with seeing a stuffed witch who flew into a tree with a sign saying "don't drink and fly."

Our six week old baby cousin dressed in a pumpkin outfit arrived at the doorstep with his Dad.  Too cute!  Enjoy the little kids arriving at your doorstep dressed up and looking adorable.

Enjoy the silliness of the day.  Treat yourself and have some fun.

Celebrate your own inner child today and everyday.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Being In Stillness

Greetings to You ~

A short meditation break is so restorative.  Especially before taking action.

At yoga class last evening there was a reminder at the beginning not to force your breath.  Just begin to take notice of it.

That was so helpful.  Often when I try to take a deep breath right away it feels like I'm forcing it.  As we move from our busy outer world to become still, take the time that's needed.  Don't rush.  Start with awareness.

This morning I felt the need to connect outside rather than being still. Knowing my racing mind couldn't stop on a dime.  Rather than walking quickly it was time to slow down.

Last year I had an opportunity to learn a new meditation practice in a group setting.  Up until that time I used the Japa meditation practice following a CD.

The new practice seemed to go deeper and actually brought up uncomfortable feelings.  When you become still it can allow those feelings to surface.  A signal that you're ready to release them.

Our meditation teacher suggested to silently repeat some words gently as if we were speaking to a butterfly on the tip of our fingers.  It felt so much better.

When I was at the river today I was noticing the flow.  Some spots were flowing easily and other spots were bubbling up.

Meditation can feel calm and relaxing and other times "our inner stuff" bubbles up and begins to surface.  That's normal.  Just like the river, there may be rocks just under the surface that cause our flow to block and create a disturbance.

Noticing a few roses around the neighbourhood and a blossom on a rhododendron bush.  It made me think that it's never too late to bloom.  It's never too late to transform.

No need to force things, thoughts or feelings to be different.  Come to awareness and use our breath to shift our energy.

Thank yourself for taking even a short moment of silence.

Peace and Joy ~
Sheila
xo

Keeping Our Focus

Greetings to You ~

Feeling appreciation for experiencing clarity and focus today.  Yesterday I felt overwhelmed with a lack of focus.

Ironically I attended the Clear Focus Camera Club in the evening.  The guest speaker was sharing feedback with ways to enhance photographs.

It’s a great analogy for keeping focused with what’s important in our lives.  When there’s a lot going on in the frame, or our life, it’s hard to focus on any one thing.  It just looks busy and the impact is not effective.

These photography tips also apply to living our lives:

• Remove any distractions to keep a person’s eye on the subject.
• Identify your focal point and bring clarity and detail on the subject.
• Keep the subject in focus with no attention to what’s around it.
• A focal point is important to give your eye a resting place. 
• Once we have a focal point find a way to enhance it. 

The more interesting the focal point the better.  The more interesting our tasks and experiences are the better.

Just like the guest speaker who brought awareness of ways to make a better picture.  Raising our own awareness with what to focus on helps to reduce distraction in our life.

With focused attention came inspired action.  Working easily and joyfully through inspiration vs. perspiration.

Keep your energy on main focal points.  Secondary points of interest that are too strong can clutter and confuse the picture, our life.

Before you take a photo or take action in your life ask yourself, “What is my focal point?”

Let’s create a picture perfect day.

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila  

xo

Believe

Greetings to You ~

There’s a time when inspired action takes place with no outward evidence of it leading toward your goal.  This can be a time filled with positive energy of hopefulness and positive expectation.

Even though you haven’t turned the corner there’s a feeling that you’re moving toward the light.  You’re on the right path even though you’re unsure when you’ll arrive at your destination.

It truly feels like you’re enjoying the journey regardless of the destination.  A feeling that something as good or better is going to arrive.

All of a sudden the goal seems less important because the present moment feels so good.

Abraham-Hicks teachings speak about this feeling of positive expectation but until now I never really felt it when there hasn’t been outward evidence to back it up.  It really feels wonderful.

I went to their web site just now http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php and read this quote:

"This incomplete place that you stand is the best place that you could be. You are right on track, right on schedule. Everything is unfolding perfectly. All is really well. Have fun. Have fun. Have fun!"

--- Abraham

Feeling so appreciative for moving ahead.  Feeling appreciation for whatever is around the corner.

Believe that you can easily receive what you need.

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila  

xo

Your Inner Desire

Greetings to You ~

The music that plays in your heart is really your inner desire or your dream.

What holds us back from playing the music?  Old stories related to fear and judgment. 

What if we died, and found out in heaven that we could have been anything we wanted to be. Would we want to come back and live our lives differently.

Sometimes we’ve ignored our inner desire for so long we forget what it is.  We may even think we don’t have a heart’s desire.  We all do.

“I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was” by Barbara Sher is a great place to start.  I  just opened up my copy filled with post it notes and see that I still have the ticket stub for when I attended her Living Your Dreams workshop in 2001. 

Barbara autographed this book, “For Sheila ~ Go for that dream ~ You promised!”

It’s a wonderful book if you don't know where to start.  She writes in the preface, "Not knowing what you want to do with your life is no joke."

It’s never to late to get started.

My brother used the analogy between living our life and dancing when he gave a toast at my wedding.  There are times that life feels like a jive or a polka…but we strive for an effortless waltz.  Let’s raise our glasses for us to play the music and dance.

My wish for every woman on earth is to play the music in your heart and dance like nobody’s watching.

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila 

xo

Abundance Flowing - part 2

Greetings to You ~

Is it possible to do what you love and prosper financially? Determining our purpose, self-actualization and living our best life, requires that we take risks.

What IF you could do what you love AND make a fabulous living?  That would be living the dream.  Step one, the old beliefs need to shift.

Do you have an old money story that no longer serves you?  Mine is about having to “work hard” for money.  Paying off bills “wasn’t easy” so it created a feeling of holding on too tight, even when money flowed in.

The fear of losing what you have needs to shift.  It's not about how much money we have or don't have.  It's whether we have a limiting belief about our money.  There are those who think they don’t deserve to receive money. There are millionaires who are worried about losing what they have.

Once we have the physical and material necessities there’s a need for more meaning and purpose in our lives.  That’s the rub.  The old story doesn’t allow for investing in the dream.  The old story says it’s risky.  Why does it feel uncomfortable to invest in the dream?

I’m ready to shift these limiting beliefs.

·       People need to work hard to earn money.

·       I need to be careful with my money.

·       There's not enough to go around.

Show me the proof my ego mind says.  I began to list examples of regular women who started unconventional businesses.  So there’s evidence that it’s possible to do what you love and make a fabulous living.

What if it feels risky?  Fear of taking a risk is based on not knowing the outcome. We do have inner guidance and logical reasoning to help reduce the risk of making a wrong choice.

I love the five questions Ali Brown uses when making a decision:

1. Is this something I want with my heart?  Does this feel good to me?  Intuition.
2. Is this something I want with my head?  Does this logically make sense to me?
3. Does this align with my long-term goals and short-term goals?  Does this align with my path?
4. Does this excite me even it it's a little scary?  You want more "Woohoo!" than "Oh God."
5. Am I making this decision from faith and not fear?  From inspiration or desperation?

It has to be all yes for Ali to move ahead.

How’s this for synchronicity?  I just went to her web site and found the article, “Imagine Having the Choice…to be, do, or have anything you want.” http://www.alibrown.com/content/imagine-having-choice.  Read her story for more evidence that this can be done.

On a scale of 1 to 10 my own limiting beliefs have shifted in the right direction by one point.  As my EnergyRICH™ coach Heather says, “A shift is a shift, no matter how big.”

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila

xo

Abundance Flowing - part 1

Greetings to You ~

A group coaching call this week had us do a money exercise to bring awareness to how we’ve been treating money and our relationship with it.

I visualized standing on the shore of the ocean of abundance with a metal cash box and realized the lid was closed.  How do I put more in this container if it’s not open to receive?

Growing up my young parents didn’t have a lot of money but they taught us very early on to respect it.  Having a savings account at age six and taught to place bills in our wallet with the right side up, heads facing the same way.  It was organized and respectful.

Have you ever squirreled away money?  I used to hide some of my money as a kid and often forget where I put it.  I remember feeling delighted when it showed up later like surprise money.

Have you worked hard for your money?  I developed a strong desire to work and earn money early on.  Starting with blueberry picking, babysitting, retails jobs and eventually worked my way up earning a good wage at my corporate job.

The common denominator was that I never really enjoyed what I was doing for work.  The experience with having money was that it felt like “hard” work or having to work “a lot” to have enough.

Do you respect your money?  I didn’t always.

Around age eight, I spent some cherished centennial coins on candy at the corner store.  I remember feeling bad after the candy was eaten and the money was gone. 

As an adult I accumulated credit card debt as I accumulated things.  It was not a financial situation that I felt proud of. 

Around the year 2000 I came across a PBS television special talking about money and being in a place of power.  I had never heard of Suze Orman before then but became a big fan of her guiding principles, “People first, then Money, then Things.” 

From that day forward we tracked everything we spent in a little pocket calendar which kept us honest and on track.  It wasn’t easy but we paid off all of our debts and started receiving more abundance with unexpected increases and bonuses.  We came to develop a habit of mindful spending by listing our wants and needs and avoided impulsive purchases.

Wouldn’t it be awesome to choose to live from a mindful, abundant mindset?  You are.

Years ago I came across the work of Lori Bamber, a financial coach who shares a lot of wisdom about money. http://www.financialserenity.com/about-lori-bamber/

I love Lori’s calm energy in this interview clip.  I feel more relaxed just listening to her.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkMDl5veeRw

Anxiety warns us not to move, not to grow, not to reach toward our potential.

• Money does not cure anxiety
•  Our money must serve our dreams

Is it possible that the ocean of abundance really is unlimited?  When we honour our life energy doing what we love and mindfully consider how we spend our life energy, will it continue to flow? 

The ego mind says show me.  My higher self says have faith.  Are we making decisions based on faith or fear?  Lori says, “Any decision made from a place of anxiety (a place of fear) is likely to be a bad decision.”

Do you have an old money story that you want to shift?  I'm going to explore mine in the next couple of days.  Please join me to see if I can change it.

Peace and Joy ~

Sheila

xo