The New Year brings opportunity

Happy New Year!

With a new year comes new opportunities. Take this time to look back over 2011 and reflect on the joys and sorrows it brought you.
Now, let them go.
Focus on the present and on what you would like to come into your Life in 2012. Is it a new job, travel, less worry, more joy, less stress, more exercise? Whatever it is for you, visualize it and allow yourself to be open to welcome those things into your Life.
I'm open for change this year and for a new job. I dont know when it may happen or what it might look like but I know it will happen. And it will be the right opportunity for me. I'm doing my best to let go of 2011 so that my energy is freed up for all the wonderful things 2012 has to offer me.

I wish you wonderful opportunity in 2012!

Perseverance

Fall down 53 times.
Get up 54.

Zen slogan

The Holidays and Emotions

I've been unemployed for the better part of 2 years now. My spirits have been higher than they've been in the last few months. I think I was still riding the waves of high from my graduation in June and most recently a move to a new city. Once the dust settled and my days started merging into one long day (or so it seems), the negative emotions begin to arise. They've been a bit stronger given the Holiday season. Sure, it's sad to not have money to buy gifts or really go out at all, but its more sad when you have no family or friends around to support you during the tough times. I've been struggling with feelings of helplessness and fear. I've come to the realization that I don't have the answers. To when a job will come for me, or my husband, or when I will see our family again.  And what do I do with that?

To get through this, I do the only thing I know. I remember that the Holiday season is a time of joy, thankfulness and community. So, I find things that I'm grateful for everyday and make a list. I reach out to my community of support (even if they aren't physically present, I know I can get support through email too). I create space for fun and joy to fill my life daily.

It's all I can do and it works. I just have to remember to schedule these things in my day, each day. That helps me balance my emotional energy during this Holiday season. What are some things that you do to deal with Holiday emotions?

Book Recommendation- The Hindi-Bindi Club by Monica Pradhan

I'm reading the Hindi-Bindi Club by Monica Pradhan for the second time. It's one of the very few books that I own. Most books I get from the library on the Kindle. This is an enjoyable read. I'ts a story about kinship between women, relationships, forgiveness, love and pain. And it's more than that. It's accessible to all and you also get to learn a bit about Indian culture (it even comes with some Indian recipes!) The author writes very well and I find myself feeling that I'm in conversation with her.

Here's an excerpt:
"I'm learning, understanding that what's right for one person, in one situation, may or may not be right for another person, or another situation. These are things that seemed so important to me in my twenties, thirties, forties, fifties. Now, I look back and see so many of those things don't matter at all in the long run. It was my ego that got in the way. Ego clouds our vision. We need to pierce the veil in order to see clearly" (Pradhan, 2007, p. 189).

Pick this book up, you won't regret it!

Doubt

Doubt creeps into my life more often than I'd like. It invades my thoughts and depletes my joy if I let it stay. So, how do I ask it to leave? I meditate, go for a walk outside, talk to a loved one, watch a funny movie or other tactic. Thats how I do it and then my joy returns. There is no right or wrong way. How do you diminish doubt and allow your joy to flourish?

Satir

Last week, I traveled to Beijing China with my mentor for the second time this year to attend her class on Satir transformational leadership/coaching. I learned a lot in a few short days about myself and experienced deep growth. I love the Satir approach because its deeply experiential. I am called to it because of the message that Virgina Satir, founder of the Satir family therapy approach, has spread. That is:

Peace Within
Peace Between
Peace Among

It's what I strive for daily. I try to do this by living out my values in service of myself and others. What growth or awareness have you experienced recently?

Be Yourself, do what comes naturally

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - Emily Dickinson

Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful ~ Annette Funicello on having MS

Is Leadership Irrevelant? (Forbes article)

Is Leadership Irrevelant?

Guided Meditation

For the last year or so, I've started practicing meditation. It's something that I will always be trying to improve, without judgement on self, because it is a life long discipline. I've found it difficult to meditate because I don't have a quiet space or dedicated meditation space in my home. Until I get that set up, I've taken to listening to a guided mediation. You can get them free on youtube.com or Itunes. Try it out and see if it serves your practice.

I am not here to become an acceptable person. I am here to accept the person i am. - Cheri Huber

Alignment

Wikipedia defines alignment as the adjustment of an object in relation with other objects, or a static orientation of some object or set of objects in relation to others.

I like the words adjustment and static orientation. To be in alignment is to adjust ourselves- our hearts, minds and spirits towards what gives us meaning and purpose in our lives. It can also be referred to as being centered. To have a static orientation is to remain centered in our purpose despite all other outside forces on us - job, family, others' expectations, our own expectations, etc.

To gain alignment, we must reflect on who we are today and what our potential is, and bringing awareness to that gap. Think about your dreams for yourself and how you are or aren't living out those dreams.

Reflect on being in alignment with what you are and what you could be.

Show Recommendation: Shania Twain, Why not?

On the OWN channel, there is a great, inspirational reality series with country singer and superstar, Shania Twain. I've had the pleasure of watching a few episodes and hearing Shania talk about her experience through the series. It shows her journey of personal growth and healing through tragedy and betrayal in her life. Its a very real and accessible story. I think many people, men and women, can relate to her and her struggles. I also think people can find inspiration. Check it out sometime if you can or read her book, From this moment on.

"I just want to understand... Im a seeker, I'll be forever searching." ~ Shania Twain

Do whatever you want, but do it good. If you're diggin' a ditch, do it GOOD! ~ lil' grandmother from Trantasia

Its our choices that make us who we are

A beautiful song! Feel Good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veBNUdw79AI


I really LOVE this song by Lira, a singer from South Africa. The lyrics are beautiful and inspiring. Take a few minutes to hear her message! Feel good today!

Take a leap of faith and hope you fly!

Drive

Music often inspires me. I will use it as inspiration for my daily life and in this blog often.

One of my favorite bands of all time is Incubus. Their most popular song is titled Drive. The chorus goes:

"It's driven me before and it seems to be the way
that everyone else gets around,
But lately Im beginning to find
that when I drive myself,
my light is found.
Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there,
with open arms and open eyes.
Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there."

To me, this is a message about showing up, flowing with life, and being present in the moment. What does it say to you?

The Weather

Living in Seattle, I often ponder the weather. Here in Seattle, we get few sunny days and many rainy, grey days. With the constant cloudiness, sometimes my mood is dampened. When that happens, I play some good music to lift me.  One of my favorite artists is Amel Larrieux.  One of her songs is called Weather.  In this song, Amel sings "As long as you have the weather, the dark skies that find us, will send a clear day to remind us."

This lyric is also a metaphor for life. When you're not feeling so great about something- relationship, work, whatever- recall this lyric. Remember that a clear day will come soon to remind you of the brighter side of the situation. What are some of your favorite songs and what meaning do they have for you?

Im always doing that which I cannot do, in order that i may learn how to do it. - Picasso

The Doctor Who Walked Away

I was recently watching a reality television show - you know, one of those "emergency room" shows. One of the physicians featured on the show, was a woman who was in her third year of residency as a surgeon. She spent the last ten years in medical school and has spent over $100,000 on her education.

During the show, she explained how much time her job took away from the other things that she considered important in her life and how much stress it caused her. She valued family and because of her work schedule (60 hours+ straight most days) she was unable to spend time with them like she wanted. So, after thousands of dollars and years in school, she decided to resign from her residency. How brave! Some may not agree but I think that this woman was extremely courageous to make this decision. She made a difficult choice, but she chose to leave behind something that wasn't making her happy.

She decided to put herself first, not her job. Wow! I admire this courage. The woman said "If you're not doing something that makes you happy then don't do it." Sounds easy, right? Yet, so many of us choose to do the opposite. How can we be more courageous like this woman and choose happiness?

Think of your current situation. Are you where you want to be? Are you doing what you want to do? Simply put, are you happy? If you're not, then how can you move towards what makes you happy? How can you move away from the things that sap your energy and your joy? Put a plan into effect and start taking steps towards achieving it.  Be happy!

I'd rather have a lower salary and higher happy~ Me.

How can you incorporate more PLAY into your day?

I attend weekly yoga sessions at a local Anusara studio here in Seattle. In one of my recent sessions, my teacher discussed play as a theme. We played with our threshold levels for certain poses. I tipped and teetered a lot that day! But I had fun! And I don't know if I would've tried as many poses, if my teacher hadn't reminded me to just play and see what happens.

Play enables creativity, imagination and joy to flourish. Whenever I'm feeling constricted, frustrated or bored, I try to find time to play. I like turning on my Nintendo Wii and dancing or karaoke singing, or I  go outside for walks in the park or some other physical activity. These are the things that bring me joy and open my mind up. After these playtimes, I find new ideas come pouring through me.

Try taking a break in your day, each day to find time to play. Play can be dancing, singing, skipping, rolling in the grass with your dog- it's whatever it is that brings you joy and makes you want to create.

How else can you incorporate more play into your day?

Volunteerism- How do you give back?

I believe volunteerism is a way to give back to my community and, in even the smallest way, to help make the world I live in a better place for us all. I recently began volunteering with the Lifelong AIDS Alliance here in Seattle. Lifelong AIDS Alliance provides services for people living with HIV/AIDS in the Northwest. I chose to volunteer with Lifelong because of their holistic approach to care. They offer services such as case management, insurance, housing, and food. In addition, they have special events throughout the year, a youth program, a clinic, a pharmacy and a thrift store (plus more). Their major fundraising event is the Seattle AIDS Walk which takes place this year on September 24, 2011.  Please consider walking or donating. More information can be found here: http://seattleaidswalk.org/. 

Volunteering makes me feel better about how I choose to participate in this world. In what ways do you participate?

Book Recommendation- Earn What You're Worth by Nicole Williams

Nicole Williams is the author of Wildy Sophisticated and Earn What You're Worth. My husband purchased these books for me a few years ago and I've recently revisited Earn What You're Worth.  This book is easily readable and offers tips and strategies for evaluating and assessing your worth. My favorite parts include chapters on discovering your tangibles and intangibles and tips on selling yourself. She also includes great quotes and success stories of other women titled "wildy sophisticated icons" throughout the book. Her writing is geared towards young women, but I believe anyone can gain valuable insights from this book. Check it out!

A thousand enemies outside the house are better than one within~ Arab Proverb