So You Want to Be a Hero?

By Lori Elgin | Published March 29, 2011

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

hemanThe information revolution has provided an almost endless supply of advice and help.  If you want to learn to do anything, you name it, you can find it.  Back in the old days, before the internet, there were libraries and books.  There were stories and movies about super heroes, war heroes, and even dog heroes, but no how to be a hero instruction books.  So what does it take to be a hero?  Is it super human strength, or accomplishing stupendous feats?  Nah! Let me tell you a story.

I was the new kid, in a new town, at a new school.  Soon enough, I was befriended by a happy friendly little girl, Jo.  Jo invited me over to her house after school. Little did I know, nor could I have even imagined ,how this friendship would change my life. We became lifelong buds. When we arrived at her house, her father, Clancy, with his long, lanky saunter, his mischievous smile and contagious laughter, was busy making green cement.  He had never seen green cement and thought it was the perfect El Paso backyard decor.  Before we knew it, we were helping , not that we knew we were helping, we were simply having fun.


Clancy was just a big kid in a grownup’s body. He loved hanging out with us.  He loved making up cheesy songs and outrageous games. These previously unheard of games invoked shrieks of uproarious laughter.  MP900387460MP900049659Donkey baseball was a real treat.  We had to hit the ball, grab a wayward donkey and ride the bases. I do not remember anyone ever winning.  Who cared?  He taught us all the variations of  jacks and card games by the score. He played corny old records.  One featured a comedian talking about dogs getting lost in a tobacco field and cigarettes tasting funny.  We laughed because he laughed. Then, we just laughed because we were funny.  We were a rowdy gang. How Mamba, Jo’s mom, Charlene, tolerated the pack of us is beyond me.


What did Clancy do to be the hero of my life?  It was who he was.  He opened his heart.  He gifted his time.  He listened.  He never stopped being childlike. He loved life. He was gentle, ingenious, kind, and funny.  Half a century later, Clancy remains my hero.  We grew from skinned knees to hearts, growing pains, marriage, children, grandchildren, lost dreams, stories, and memories. Ten days ago, he left our world.  He outgrew his failing body.

Clancy

Clancy

How do you become a hero? Learn the secret from Clancy:

Reach out to the little rag-a-muffin, scruffy child.   Open up.  Gift your time.  Listen.  Be yourself.  Lighten up.  Laugh. Laugh until you cry.  Make up crazy songs and sing really loud.  Make up crazy games and play them. Receive the moment.  Love when it does not make sense.  Pay attention. Receive hugs.  There are few things a good cookie and an old Maverick rerun won’t cure.  Save a few bucks.  Forgive. Work hard. Play harder. Talk with God like He is there.  Love with all your heart. Never grow old, no matter what the calendar says.  Never see those around you growing old, remember them as young and beautiful. Cry until the tears are gone.  Do not hold back. Always have a dream. Live it!

Lori

I would love to hear from you!

Connect:

Facebook Twitter

Lori Elgin is a high-risk pediatric/neonatal nurse practitioner and an integrated wellness and transformational life coach.  She is married, a mom and a grandma.  A perpetual student, she studies under masterful coaches Robert Stack and JB Glossinger.  She loves family, friends, music, listening, traveling, laughing, wayward Scotties, demanding elderly cats, playing, and enjoying this crazy life.


Posted in Relationship | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

When You Give, You Will Get Back!

By Debra Moser | Published March 29, 2011

iStock_000015102902XSmall[1]What does it really mean “When you give, You will get back?”  I have read it defined as the Law of Reciprocity and in the Bible it is described as sowing and reaping, or giving and receiving.  You can’t go through life getting something for nothing and in today’s society most people have yet to learn this basic and significant law of the universe.

Are you someone that complains incessantly that you are not being treated well, by-passed for promotion, don’t feel loved or haven’t received the respect you think you deserve?  Do you find yourself griping that life is just not fair and you can’t win for losing? If not then you must have run into a “Negative Nellie” sometime in your life.  This basic law of giving and receiving is not fixed and it’s a give and take exchange.  Everything in life is part of the natural flow of the universe.

A while back I was having difficulty with a “Bully” manager at my place of work.  There were days of frustration and tears and I knew this could not continue.  Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth eloquently affirms: “Whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you are withholding from the world.  You are withholding it because deep down you think you are small and that you have nothing to give.”  It is important that you stop thinking in these terms.  This mind-set is coming from a position of lack.  Change your attitude to one of gratitude and positivity.  I stepped out of ego and with clarity made the decision to take an approach of love and kindness when dealing with this individual.  I went to work with a fresh perspective and offered up a prayer of forgiveness and a blessing.  In the end our working relationship was much better.  Focus your attention on giving to others and away from “ego” you will find great joy and happiness and abundance will be multiplied.  Open up to receive and give with the right intention; coming from your heart unconditionally you truly can make a difference in someone’s life.

The message is simple; giving is not all about the money.  No matter how big or small you can offer a smile, a compliment or a blessing; it is a gift that keeps on giving.  Make a conscious decision to give to everyone you come in contact with.  Dr. Robert Holden, author Shift Happens writes: “If you want more love, be more loving; if you want to receive more, be more open; if you want to feel more abundant, be more grateful; if you want to enjoy your life more, be more present.” 

We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.  ~Seneca

 

 

Facebook

Posted in Spirituality | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

What Are You Waiting For?

By Tanya Mundo | Published March 29, 2011

Waiting smallFor anyone who has been around here at Morning Coach for long enough, you have heard JB discuss the Sacred 6 “To Do’s” and the Sacred 6 “Projects”. For entrepreneurs, these are just as they imply, “sacred”.

Over the weekend, I went to an extremely energetic, radical, and powerful women’s conference. I was laughing at one point when I heard one of the presenters address the issue of entrepreneurs and making the most productive use of our time. She was discussing how others who are not entrepreneurs seem to think that we have all the time in the world because we are at home and/or they perceive that we don’t have a “set” work schedule, or that we are not busy working during the day, as we would be if we had a 9 to 5.

Interestingly, however, is that many entrepreneurs end up getting side tracked and are less productive than they could be. Why? Well there are many reasons, but here are some ideas to help you to evaluate whether or not your could be sabotaging your own productivity and success:

- First things first! You have to begin with looking at what the priorities are for your business. Is it to generate more revenue? Attract more clients? Design a new offer? Identify the fundamental need for your business and start there. Do not allow yourself to fall into the trap of being busy and not productive. Refer frequently to your Sacred 6!

- Take responsibility! Part of taking responsibility for your business is to be able to set boundaries and to be able to say, “no”. When you allow mundane tasks and activities that are not moving your business forward to zap your time, you are operating from lack and fear. Are you spending three hours a day checking email so that you can put off what really needs to get done? Are you agreeing to participate in activities that serve others’ needs to the point that your time and focus are compromised? Pay close attention to whether or not you are “investing” your time or just “spending” it.

- Find/accept help! If you sit down to make your plans and find that you don’t know what to do next, it is okay! Nobody goes into business knowing exactly what to do every step of the way. Do not let yourself slip into the lower-level energy of feeling stuck or frustrated. Find someone to mentor you, hire a coach, get a book, or even look for instructional videos on the internet. Once you shift into motion, the universe will present the information and opportunities that you need to gain momentum.

- Respect the process! As an entrepreneur, you have been called to share your gifts with the world. This applies to every step of the way in the development of your business. Don’t get caught up in focusing on the end result (i.e., I will be happy when………..), or the excuses (i.e. I would, but………….). These thoughts come from the lack perspective of “not enough”. You have enough. Otherwise you would not have been called to share your gifts with the world as the powerful entrepreneur that you are!

Remember that hoping and dreaming will not get you all the way to where you want to go. The universe will not always deliver exactly what you want, but it will deliver the inspiration and opportunities along the way for you to achieve your dreams when you act on your intentions.

So, what are you waiting for?

Tanya Mundo is a Personal and Professional Development Coach who helps others to achieve financial freedom through entrepreneurship and lifestyle design through her private coaching practice, Efflorescence Coaching & Consulting.

Connect with Tanya online!

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Posted in Entrepreneurship | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Underground Inspiration

By Rachel Aubrey | Published March 28, 2011

NYC SubwayI love taking something mundane and seemingly automatic and shaking it up to create a new perspective. Riding the New York City subway. Seems like an unlikely place to find solace, doesn’t it? Having lived and worked in NY for almost nine years, I’ve always found it profoundly interesting how despite the movement of the world above, the rocket race of technology, and ever changing culture – the subway ride vibe never seems to change.

Of course, like any big city with a mass transit system packed with people, you can see all kinds of things …  if you look for them. Some of those things might be culture shock to out of towners, but to every day New Yorkers, those shocking moments are far and few between. What I find so interesting and almost poetic, is that the subway is one of the only places in high energy, fast-paced New York City that you can witness several people in thought at once. As I ride the subway, I notice people reading, others writing, and some playing games on their phone. But, cell phone conversations cease. There is no service underground and the break from that alone creates a notable energy. Particularly during evening rush hour, people are traveling solo. Some are being productive while others are sitting quietly engrossed in thought. The subway commute to or from work is “me” time for so many people. A half an hour to decompress in any way that suits them. I love the idea of the almost unintentional mental break for those whose minds are running as fast as the city itself. People like me. It’s really beautiful to experience this, and more so to witness it. Droves of people settling down from the day in their own special way – collectively.

A friend of mine recently told me he learned from a Buddhist teacher long ago that you can meditate anywhere. I questioned this concept, as my notion of meditation consisted only of sitting cross legged on a yoga mat in deep silence. Sure, there’s that. But he gracefully explained that you can meditate (or quiet your mind) anytime, anywhere, and while doing anything. But the secret it to just do one thing. If you are eating, just eat. If you are writing, just write. If you are doing the dishes, just do the dishes. Don’t eat and watch TV. Don’t do the dishes and listen to the radio. Take a walk and say to yourself … “I’m just taking a walk. That’s it.” Allowing yourself to just be in that moment, and only that moment, is a form of quieting the mind.

The subway environment made me think this would be a great time to mindfully practice this concept. “Just riding the subway” once in a while. Not reading. Not writing.  Not listening to music. And with so much to see and take in, what a wonderful place to ignite creation and inspiration. A giant salad bowl of culture – music, people, art, and movement to absorb and enjoy. Imagine what is often ignored. Imagine what could come from “just” …

Rachel Aubrey is an award-winning graphic designer, creative visionary, and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in business, branding, and marketing. Her personal experiences and ongoing commitment to self-growth and personal development have led her to find her passion—helping others unlock their true potential and achieve personal success with her support as a professional coach. Rachel is currently pursuing her professional coaching credentials through the Morning Coach – Academy of Coaching. Her coaching practice will launch in the Fall of 2011. Connect with Rachel online!

FacebookTwitter
Posted in Creativity | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Value of Powerful Questions

By Traci Vincent | Published March 28, 2011

iStock_000015122897XSmallSomething that I have been discovering more and more lately is the necessity of asking powerful questions.  Sadly, it has taken me many decades to realize the value asking the right questions at the right time and not worrying so much about how other people would view me for asking these candid questions.  But like Maya Angelou says, “When you know better, you do better.”  So here I am new to this journey of asking compelling questions to get to the truth and to expand my understanding of a given situation.

For some reason, maybe due to lack of self-love or esteem, my typical pattern has been what I might call “shallow dive” questions. I would ask a question and accept the first answer given as the pretty much the whole answer.  Over time,  I have come to realize that it takes at least 2 more follow-up questions to really get down to the core of the truth.  Let me give an example that I have fumbled on previously on more than one occasion and maybe you have too. When going out with someone new, many of us are afraid to ask the tough questions too early on in fear that we might somehow offend or scare away the other person.  We keep the conversations “light” for the most part. Before we know it, we have invested a lot of time with a person only to later discover that we don’t have a clear picture of their intentions or objectives.  I have come to think that a better way to approach this would be to clarify your own values, objectives and wants first and then confidently ask your date powerful questions such as,  ”Why did your last relationship end?”  That first question is probably going to get a rather standardized answer.  Asking a second powerful question on the same topic is going to require a bit more thought on their part, but you could still get a bit of a rehearsed answer.  It takes at least a third compelling question to really “peel back the onion” and get down to some sense of the authentic truth.

Most people function comfortably at a surface level when interacting with others.  Many people are uncomfortable with their own authentic truth and devise rather creative ways to keep it and other people at bay. Here’s probably the most basic example of this: When someone asks you, “How are you today?”, the standard answer is, “fine” or “good”.  Is that really the authentic truth or simply polite avoidance?  Wouldn’t you agree that it might take a second and third question to really find out how you truly are today?

So why write a blog about this?  Doesn’t everyone know how to ask powerful questions?  Unfortunately, I was afraid to embrace this concept until more recently, and sadly I have spent a lot of time in periods of suffering because I didn’t have the authentic truth about a person or a situation. In addition, I have caused many others to suffer as well through my lack of authentic communication. Maybe some of you struggle with this also. We have become too comfortable diving at the surface and have missed many opportunities to know people at their deeper, more authentic levels.  It is clear to me now that as we begin to ask powerful questions and dive deeper, we begin to truly know people in a real and meaningful way. We gain understanding of their behavior patterns, outlook, objectives and values. We see their motivations and if it is in alignment with our values and needs, this can open to a deeper level of trust and growth in the relationship. This knowledge helps us gain a more clear understanding and determine how best to respond or not respond.  From a woman’s perspective, I think this is vital information to gather from the beginning so that we don’t get our hearts in over our heads too early on.  If you’re looking for a book that further discusses the 3 question method, check out Steve Harvey’s Straight Talk, No Chaser.

I would love to hear your comments or experiences.

Traci Vincent

Facebook
Posted in Relationship | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments