IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE

By Leslie Brice | Published February 3, 2012

iStock_000017147227XSmallHave you ever noticed that sometimes you feel out of sorts, unhappy or even resentful but really have no idea why? Maybe you realize you are blessed with a loving family, a good job, and wonderful friends but still feel unsettled or have a case of the blahs.  These feelings of discord are signs that something in your life is out of balance.

Intrinsically, we are all a lot more than just what meets the eye. There are many aspects of our lives that need our attention in order to feel complete so we can be at the top of our game and feel at peace.  When off balance for a period of time, we start to feel the effects manifesting as resentment, depression, anger, anxiety, etc.

In order to decipher the cause of our imbalances, we need to know ourselves from the inside out. For instance, I have discovered I require an adequate amount of time to myself.  My mind is always going a million miles per minute, and I require time to process and organize my thoughts and feelings in order to feel at peace.  When my physical schedule keeps me running from activity to activity, I start to become anxious or down unless I make sure to carve out some time for me, even if it requires me to decline some invitations, get up earlier or stay up later.  I have realized that this is one way I truly connect to my center and gain clarity.  Whether I am meditating, sitting in a quiet room or soaking in a bubble bath, I cherish and need my alone time to regroup and recharge.

Everyone is unique, but specific areas that may be calling out for attention are time for fun, organization, sleep, creativity, studying, hobbies, self care and beauty, working out, social activities with friends and/or family, accomplishing projects, travel, volunteering, deeply connecting with another, speaking your truth, etc.

The next time you find yourself in a mood or feeling off kilter or uneasy, stop and ask yourself what you are currently requiring that is not being fulfilled. The answer is within and will definitely speak to you if you take the time to listen, trust, and then follow through.  The awakening to this understanding can be very enlightening and even life changing, but you must  follow through.

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Letting Someone Go!

By Debra Moser | Published January 18, 2012

goodbyeWhen I was younger I made bad decisions based on the influence of the so called “friends” I kept in my life.  Looking back now I can see how these friends were in my life because of the way I saw myself and I manifested these relationships.  I attracted these people because of my diminished self-esteem.  I kept myself trapped in the perpetual cycle of victimhood.  I knew I had to make a change in my life because I intuitively knew I wanted better.  It was one of the hardest decisions I made; letting these “friends” go.  As it turned out, it was the best choice.  I started working on my personal growth.  Moving forward with a changed positive attitude, with a heart full of forgiveness and accepting responsibility for my destructive behavior.  Letting go of the past and living in the present moment with love and kindness toward myself and with others.  I evolved through my self-exploration and changed my limiting beliefs, old patterns and became a strong confident person.  Is there someone in your life who is not contributing or supporting you moving forward?

Let Go.  I have asked myself this question and had to let go of some of my friends.  It was difficult but in the end, being surrounded with like-minded positive people who support  and love me and share the same positive outlook in life far out way being associated with sad and miserable people who don’t see the good in anything.  I knew that I was sad and miserable in my life and had attracted these negative people who kept me in the “victim” mindset. Randy Gage writes: “You can’t be a victim and move forward in life.”  I let the negative friends go and finally let go of victimhood and moved on. 

Change your environment.   I joined Morning Coach because it is a community of like-minded positive people who enjoy their lives and want better.  We all celebrate triumphs and support each other when there are challenges all in a positive way.  I don’t have to prove my value and I know that I can contribute with love and kindness the way it has been reflected back to me.  Join networking groups such as mastermind, attend conferences or go to meetings to connect with new exciting people.  

Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself when you sit back and take a look at the people you have in your life.  How do they add to your life or are they taking away from your life?  We are all here to help each other serve the greater good.  I am now moving forward in my life progressing and shining my light surrounded with loving, kind, positive people doing the same.  Take responsibility for your life now and move in a positive direction with the right people. Don Miguel Ruiz so eloquently writes: “We have to be what we are, so we don’t have to present a false image. If you love me the way I am, “Okay, take me.” If you don’t love the way I am. “Okay, bye-bye.” Find someone else.”

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3 Steps to Consistent Purpose

By Traci Vincent | Published January 18, 2012

iStock_000016880083XSmallFriedrich Nietzsche once said, “To forget one’s purpose is the commonest form of stupidity.” Unfortunately, many of us spend years if not decades “stupid” and asleep to the idea of living our purpose or perhaps better said, living on purpose. So whether you are 9 or 90, every person who seeks to live wisely, must reach a place where they ponder, “What is my purpose for being here?” What is my intention or what goal have I set out to attain that represents my life?

1. Introspection-Deep contemplation of the gifts and talents that are woven into your being is necessary in determining your innate purpose.  It is important to remember that each of us is unique and each of us bring our one of kind paintbrush to the mural called life.

2. Alignment with Values-When we connect our deepest core values with our talents, something magical happens. What are your top 5 core values? Are you aligning these with your gifts and talents?  If not, why not?

3. Living Boldly-Many people know their gifts and talents and many people also know what values are powerful and meaningful to them. However, there is something that keeps them from connecting the two together. That something is fear. False evidence appearing real. Whether it is fear of failure or fear of success or something in between, it is still blocking your true purpose. It takes boldness and clear intention to step out and truly embrace your life purpose in a dynamic and fulfilling way.

If we get one thing right this year, let’s get consistent in our purpose.  Let’s start living boldly in alignment with our values and talents and truly impacting the world for the better.  I’m ready to stop being “stupid,” how about you?

Traci Vincent

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5 Tips For When The Going Gets Tough

By Traci Vincent | Published January 15, 2012

iStock_000015571746XSmall Most of us have probably heard the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” But do we live our lives like we truly belief this? Or do we spend excessive amounts of time and energy worrying and fretting about our tough situation, telling others about our situation so we can have company in our worry and fret, and then end up becoming nearly paralyzed by our situation?

So what are some ways to help us be tough and get going?

1. Connect with God. If God could create the universe, he is certainly capable of sharing his strength and creating peace and stillness in your soul about any situation you are facing. It only requires you to be open to it and allow it. See God as bigger than your problem, not your problem as bigger than God.

2. Look at your options and possibilities. Sometimes we get stuck looking at our situation from just one point of view and feel overwhelmed. It is important to think outside the box and see the situation from  different perspectives to gain a better understanding of the possibilities or choices available as a solution. Consult mentors or coaches to help you dig deep and discover new options and possibilities as needed.

3. Research those options. What are the costs mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially of the different choices? Take the time to understand what is involved and create a plan. Note of caution here: Set a limit on your research time because this can become another place where people get stuck and overwhelmed.  Researching endlessly and never making a decision or plan does not solve the problem or create forward movement in life.

4. Formulate a plan of action. Once you choose your option, make a plan of action. Fill in the blank for Who? What? When? How? And very importantly, Why? Just like anyone setting out on a journey, have your map or your plan written out so you can see it and refer back to it on a consistent basis.

5.Execute the plan. As Nike says, “Just Do It”. Step by step, day by day, follow your plan.  Do not let any first exceptions creep in, and if they happen to, go right back to your plan. Work your plan, keep learning and enhancing your plan along the way as needed.  Stay strong. Consistency always wins.

Something else I have learned along the way is to take “I can’t” out of your vocabulary.  Those two words put together are a self-fulfilling prophesy. Negativity grows and expands with the use of that phrase. Focus instead on what you can do. Empower yourself with thoughts and beliefs of what is possible. Remember, when the going gets tough, the tough get going in a positive direction!

Traci Vincent

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PROCRASTINATION

By Leslie Brice | Published January 11, 2012

With every New Year that flies by, there is talk about how to make this year better than the last. In order for this year to be better, it is important to set the foundation by being organized and having all your ducks in a row.  This consists of evaluating the foundations and physical surroundings of both your personal and business arenas. Many people procrastinate on tiding up their current circumstances because it is not as enjoyable as creating new, which is why they are still in need of attention.

There is a definite correlation between being organized with what we have, tangible and otherwise, and being open to receive new opportunities and prosperity. When we are organized in all facets of our lives, it equates to shouting from the top of a mountain, “I am ready, bring it on!” In addition, taking an inventory of our personal belongings usually leads to finding items we have not used, no longer like, don’t fit or just aren’t appropriate for where we are in our life, opening up the opportunity to donate.  Gifting these items benefits those in need who cannot afford it and leaves a space, or a vacuum, in our personal space that allows room for us to receive the new things we need and desire.

iStock_000018511872XSmallSo why is it that there always seems to be at least one lingering project needing our attention? We procrastinate.  Since I am guilty of this, I totally understand why we tend to procrastinate, especially on the more mundane things.  First of all, many of these tasks are large, making them appear overwhelming, and secondly, they are often things we don’t like to do in the first place.  The problem with procrastination is that the more we do it, the more we’ll do it.  The longer the task(s) go uncompleted, the more insurmountable they appear in our mind’s eye and the larger they grow in physical space, creating a snowball effect similar to that of an avalanche.  In addition, there are only so many hours in a day, and these hours need to be split up between work, family, self, health, fun, sleep etc.   If you are anything like me, I cherish time with family, my “me” time, fun, and definitely sleep, so I tend to put these ahead of things that I don’t enjoy as much.

Since freedom and free time are two of my top values, working in very small increments of time, i.e. 15-minute-blocks, is a great way to face the procrastination monster. This tricks me into working on the project on a regular basis because I know 15 minutes is not a big chunk out of my day.  It astounds me how much better I feel after this short 15 minutes, because I have a sense of accomplishment that I did not have before.  Even though 15 minutes is unarguably not a very large amount of time, it is amazing what you can get done when you are focused and in the frame of mind of accomplishing versus procrastinating.   The other benefits are consistency and pride.  When we see that we are making progress on a daily basis, it feels good, thus giving us more energy and drive to continue the process.

What are you going to do for 15 minutes today?

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