Sunday 22 January 2012

Marketing with Integrity.....

I have been struggling with the concept of Marketing.  When I decided that I was to become an entrepreneur in 2012 I knew that I would have a spiritual block with Marketing myself and any product I am promoting.  It is not because I don't believe in myself or my ability to help people or that I don't fully support the product; no, quite the opposite, I do wholeheartedly.  The problem lies with marketing and how to get my message across to people who might be interested in my books, personal development, healing and growth.

This means I have to market myself my books, my services and any supporting products. As I am by no means a guru in marketing or marketing techniques I have been taking some marketing courses.  What I have learnt, has up till today disturbed me and given me pause.  

Seems one can't just come out and say what you mean.  You have to create a hook!  Marketing is a seduction...a subtle lure.  It doesn't matter that what you are promoting will improve people’s lives you have to dress it up.  Understanding this truth through me for a loop and a small doubt that I could become a successful entrepreneur crept stealthily into my head.  Now what?

It was back to the drawing board for me.  I often tell my clients that the road to change is not always smooth but that one must persevere.  Never give up and approach difficulties from different angles.  So I asked myself the following question:  How do I market myself with integrity?

The answer came to me this morning during my meditation.  I need to make sure that my marketing campaign clearly shows my intent to do no harm.  That my enthusiasm for helping people change their lives for the better will be clearly communicated.  I realize that I will not be able to please everyone.  It also became clear to me that I can only do so much.  I can't be responsible for other people’s emotions.  Additionally the people who are ready to make a significant change in their lives will embrace my message while those who are not ready will simply click, shake their heads, and close the page and think on it no longer.

My mission should simply be to reach those individuals that are ready to embrace change and find their inner power and beauty through balance within my one rule - First, do no harm....

Friday 13 January 2012

Afterlife....

I have been meditating quite a bit over the last couple of days about the Afterlife and what that means to me.  I know that one day I will leave this Earth Walk and return to the Source to be re-born again to learn, grow and become ever more connected to Spirit.  It is a shame in a way that I will not recall my current life however but should my Soul feel the same pull towards Spirit as it has during this Earth Walk I am sure to be okay.

This is my belief system…that my Soul will choose to leave this life and will choose to come back again and again until I don’t need to do so anymore.  What makes my Soul decide that it doesn’t need to come back anymore… I can only speculate.

Not everyone believes the same thing I do.  Does that make what I believe wrong – or for that matter is what they believe wrong? I don’t think so.

During my last meditation I had a definite moment of clarity.  Everyone’s Afterlife is what they believe it to be!  If you believe in heaven…then that is the Afterlife you will have.  If you believe in Reincarnation then that will be your Afterlife experience etc.

Why not?  Spirit can do anything in the Universe…maybe Spirit is the Universe and of course there is always the chance that there are parallel alternate Universes.  Wow the mind boggles!!

If we just keep it simple I think I can say with certainty that we get what we believe.  Our minds are the most powerful tool we have while we are alive.  It can make or break us with its rhetoric.  If we believe we can make things happen, even miracles or we can ruin everything with a single negative thought.  So therefore if we believe that we are going to go to heaven then that is what we shall receive.  Spirit would not allow us to have such conviction and then give us something we never expected. 

As a believer in Spirit I hesitate to consider what atheists will experience.  I am not sure what they expect to receive; nothing?  Is that what they will receive?  I doubt it.   I believe they will receive a chance to return and do it all again and hopefully in that life connect with Spirit after all we are given the choice every Earth Walk to do just that.  I think it raises some interesting questions that I will have to meditate on further….

It is really anyone’s guess but that is my five cents worth....

Love and Light

Thursday 12 January 2012

Celebration of a Life....

Yesterday I was at a funeral for the Father of a very dear friend of mine.  He had a full life, full of Love, Joy and Laughter.  As I sat there with the rest of "The Girls" I was observing the rituals we as humans follow when someone leaves. Although very sad they are especially beautiful when the person leaving has led a full and charmed life.

Jim Barnes lived to be 90 years old.  He met his wife who is still with us in 1946 and they married a couple of years later.  He brought his young family to Canada from Ireland and raised two happy children and his relationship with his wife strengthened over the years.  As I looked at the photo slide presentation there was picture upon picture of him smiling with his family and friends.  It became very clear that he was well loved by all that met him.

I know how he made me feel the time I met him.  He was funny and had me in stitches most of the time and kept on feeding me his  "kick-ass" home-brewed beer that could knock your socks clean off!!  I had a great afternoon.

Seems he loved a good party.  He enjoyed a good laugh, was quite the story teller and hard working.  Above all he loved his family and truly enjoyed his friends.  He inspired his children and adored his grandchild. A very special person whom we will all miss but none more so than his family!

How I hope that when I leave I will have family and friends that will remember how I made them laugh.  That I made them feel loved.  That I supported them and always tried to have a cheerful disposition.

Yes the day was sad, and yes hard times still lay ahead for the family as they navigate the year of firsts, but in the words of his son - his voice will always be in their heads saying  "Sure everything will be alright" and I for one believe that.....

Love and Light!

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Leap Of Faith

I have been meditating a little on the concept of a "Leap of Faith".  What is it and why do people do it?
What does taking a leap of faith require?
Is it:
       Confidence
       Belief  
       Courage
       Strength
       Determination
Maybe it is all these things.  However at the end of the day all it really needs is FAITH!

As a coach I am often advising people that sometimes they have to take a leap of faith.  This time around it is my turn to do just that - take that leap.  I have, it took a while but I did it and I tell you that it is the most unbelievable feeling.  Letting go of control and the outcome and just allowing the change to take hold is liberating and exhilarating albeit a little scary.  I however have been given a new lease on life.  I have let go and released what no longer serves and I am embracing the new with all my heart and soul.

Friends, if you have been struggling with the question of making a change my advise is DO IT!  The outcome will be whatever it is.  If you do nothing the Universe may force the change.  As I say to my clients "Do something to improve your circumstances, even if it is just the smallest thing".

I am truly living and embracing  the words that I wrote in "Drawing Down A Dream" and I am feeling very blessed.

Love and Light!

Tuesday 3 January 2012

A couple of days ago I shared my wishes for my friends on my facebook page. I got such wonderful response to my post that I thought I would share it in my blog as well.

May 2012:
1. Bring people into your life that will allow you to grow and love
2. Bring you courage and strength to meet its challenges
3. Bring you creativity and inspiration to make your desires come true
4. Bring you healing and determination to let go of the past and that which no longer serves
5. Bring you intuition and clarity so that you follow the desires that serve your greater good
Above all be happy, laugh and love a lot, surround yourself with people that love and support you!!! Love and Light!!

As I reflect on the above I realize that this is something we should aspire to everyday. Most of us think about the big picture at a New Year and we resolve to do things differently. Then life happens and before we know it we are back in our typical day to day practices.

I am feeling acutely aware of this today as I have taken a momentous leap forward on this very day. There is no more falling back on old habits and my traditional comfort zones. For a short while this morning I felt anxious, my heart pumped a little faster and for a millisecond there was a pinprick of doubt threatening to darken my vision. I dug deep and reached right into the place that guided me to this decision in the first place and immediately calm came over me.  All I had to do was remember that what I am leaving behind no longer serves.  My resolve was set as soon as I recalled the reasons for my decision. 

There is no falling back this time I must move forward.  I will succeed and exceed my expectations.  When those cold talons of doubt wrap around my mind and the “little bitch” in my head starts telling me that I can’t I have the vision to ignore and silence her.  Soon she will be mute and will dry up and fade away, for this time round I will not give up and take any notice of her negative refrain. 

2012 is already bringing me what I need.  It is upward and onward for me…..

 
 

Monday 2 January 2012

2012 Is finally here. Now what, has anything changed?

2012 has been talked about with trepidation and excitement depending on who you speak to. Personally I believe that it is going to be filled with positive energy and that I am going to be able to make the final shift to becoming all I can be and follow my new path.

However in the meantime I have had to deal with some of my dark teachers. Anger and impatience has been knocking at my door these past days. This made me wonder; what has changed?  Here I am on the eve of another New Year with the same challenges that I have had year in and year out.  Then I realized that these teachers have showed themselves for a reason. 

With the Winter Solstice energy just behind us and us being in the midst of winter there is no better time to face our dark teachers.  This was reinforced by our Dance Chief at our sweat on January 1st, 2012.  I went to the sweat with the intention of setting my intention for manifesting in 2012 but once there I realized that I had to face my anger and frustration instead. The unfortunate thing in all of this is that people I care about usually suffer the consequences of my teachers showing up.  I can see and hear myself be confrontational yet I am unable to stop myself. 

Some time ago a girlfriend asked me “Why is it that we always hurt the ones we love?”  I replied that I thought it is because our loved ones can’t or won’t just walk away.  They hold space for us no matter how horrible we are because they love us.  People who don’t love us will throw their hands up in the air and walk away, they have no reason not to.

Often when we look at the "dark side" of our personalities we have an urge to squash it because we see it as negative. If we look deep inside the dark emotion there is usually something that we can embrace. I have found that within my anger lies my passion. It is the driving force that moves me forward and gives me determination to face whatever difficulties may lie ahead. If I embrace the positive aspects of my anger and turn it to passion just think of the amount of energy I could use for forward momentum rather than destruction. 

In the meantime I will work towards embracing my anger in the light and I apologize to my loved ones for being difficult and mean and remind you that I do love you all.  I look forward to 2012.  I am so excited about the changes that are coming I can hardly contain my anger....
I mean PASSION  :-)