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Do Work That Feeds Your Soul

5/23/2017

"Do whatever work feeds your true self, even if it's not a safe bet, even if it's like a crazy risk, even if everyone in your life tells you you're wrong or bad or crazy." ~ Leaving the Saints by Martha Beck

When my youngest graduated high school nearly four years ago, I set out to complete a dream that had already been twenty-years-in-the-making. When she was one-year-old and my life underwent a monumental change, I decided to become a Life Coach.

I'd been through such a life-altering experience that I knew I could help others in the same situation. And coaching has always been such an innate part of me; I just didn't have the formal training, nor the know-how to begin a business at that time.

And then, life happened. And my dream was set aside.

But upon my daughter's graduation two decades later, I knew it was time to dust off that old wish and just jump into it.

I quit my nursing job and sought out training.

People around me thought I was nuts.

But I felt where my heart was leading me, and it wasn't found in the halls of hospitals anymore.

By the end of the following year, I was a full-fledged life coach, but I was also still not making much money, and my savings account was quickly being drained.

Uh-oh.

I realized that my business would take longer to set up and make sustainable, so I found another nursing job to cover the bills for a while.

Friends and family sighed with relief.

But my soul started balking.

Nursing was not what my soul was longing for anymore; I'd had a good run spanning almost three decades, but it was time to pursue my new passion.

(Not surprisingly, the new nursing job didn't last long, either).

So I kept at coaching while my friends and family held their breath. At that point, even I began doubting my ability to become a life coach with a full-time clientele.

Even I began to think I was nuts.

It was taking much longer than I'd anticipated, it was draining my savings and retirement accounts, and I was losing faith that it would ever happen.

But I kept at it because I was following what made my soul happy: I hosted workshops; I wrote blogs and newsletters; I continued my weekly column; I spoke on the radio; and I kept working with clients.

And ever so slowly, somewhere along the way, it began to take shape. It's not yet a full-time gig, but that's okay. I'm happy; fulfilled; proud.

I continue to feed my true self, even on the days when it doesn't feel like a safe bet, because I trust that it will one day become what I've envisioned all along.

What about you?

What work would you do that feeds your true self, even if it's not a safe bet, even if it's like a crazy risk, even if everyone in your life tells you you're wrong or bad or crazy?

Much love,

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Are You Playing Full-Out in Your Life?

3/26/2017

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"A person will be called to account on judgment day for every permissible things he might have enjoyed, but did not." ~ The Talmud

I am constantly reminded of how short our lives really are, and how crucial it is to our own state of happiness that we enjoy our lives to the fullest.

A few years ago, a friend shared the following story on Facebook. It has haunted me ever since:

He had just lost his beloved 26-year-old niece, and he and his parents had stepped in to care for his great-nieces, who were 2 and 5 years old.

When kindergarten started for the 5-year-old that Fall, my friend was volunteering in her classroom and the activity that morning was to build something out of Legos, then show-and-tell it with the class.

My friend's niece confidently took her finished piece to the front of the class and set the square design onto the desk in front of her.

"It's a People-moving machine," she began. "It takes people to heaven," she explained while she maneuvered the claw-like appendage on the back of the "machine" and slid the Lego box across the table.

She went on to explain--as she bounced on her toes, clearly excited about her creation--that "Once you get to heaven, you have to answer one question to get through the gates."

Beaming, she looked into the faces of dozens of classmates and their parents, then continued:

"God will ask you: 'So, did you have fun?'"

As my friend relayed the story, he emphasized that the adults in the classroom went silent as they looked at each other in discomfort.

How could a child--who should've been grieving--be so wise?

I cried when I read that post, and nearly 3 years later, it's still hard for me to swallow.

Five powerful words: So, did you have fun?

This very young child had just lost her very young mother. She was living in a new home--surrounded by people she knew and loved--but it wasn't her environment, her home, or her familiar space.

Yet she already understood the value of life. And life continued despite her huge loss.

And according to her, life was about playing.

I played a lot when my kids were young. Having three to entertain daily was easy when I could take them to the park, the pool, McDonald's play area, a friend's home, a museum, or on some sort of trip.

The kids were both my excuse and my reason for playing. And we played hard. We also traveled often.

But now that they are off into their own lives, my level of play seems to have slowed down. I still play, but I don't often have the same child-like enthusiasm, or unbridled faith to race into new situations without some hesitance.

Being with my children brought out the kid in me. It also required that I play full-out, which I did. Some days, I was the biggest kid of all. And I loved it.

You'd think that now when I'm free from raising kids, I'd have this playing-thing down pat.

But you would be sadly mistaken.

Playing often gets stifled, put on the back burner, or ignored because I have other "important" things to do. And I usually attach it to needing money, but there are so many ways to play without costing a single cent!

Oy.

How about you? Do you play enough? Do you play full-out? Or, like me, do you often use excuses to forego playing more?

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to change this self-defeating habit. I'm ready to stop making excuses and PLAY FULL-OUT!

I challenge you. And I challenge myself.

Let's go play like children. Like nobody's watching.

Then tell me all about it...

Much love,

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Pay It Forward...and Watch Magic Unfold!

3/14/2017

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As a voracious reader, I have a stack of books at my bedside at all times, ready for my nightly ritual of reading before sleep. And because I'm a self-help junkie, most of my books are about improving my life, which provides great fodder for my client's lives.

I'm particularly fond of books like The Secret, along with its precursor, Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting--both which use practical exercises to convince us (skeptics) that we really are being looked after, loved, and taken care of.

And that we really are cosmic magnets who can manifest anything we want.

Recently, I ran across another similar set of books by Pam Grout, and was instantly hooked. I wanted to try some of the exercises she outlines because it's fun AND because I'm skeptical by nature.

A bit of back story: it is not lost on me that magic happens to me all the time. Really. In many different forms, since I was a kid. It's comical sometimes because my "luck" and good fortune are very prolific.

You'd think I'd be a seasoned believer by now, but I'm not.

Sadly, I remain a skeptic about getting things that I really, really want. I receive free coffee and win raffles so often that they no longer surprise me.

But when it comes to what I long for, can I count on receiving those things, too?

In E-cubed, Grout shared a story about running around a large city with her daughter, leaving five dollar bills for people to find. She then challenged her readers to do the same, AND to expect some form of universal response within 72 hours.

So at the end of my vacation last week, I took her up on the challenge.

On March 7th, I posted this on Facebook:

"I paid it forward today and was privileged to see the results. I was nearly in tears watching how it lit up her face; how she took a picture of her surprise; and how she kept staring and smiling. I was thrilled she had no idea who it was from."

The weird part is, I'd been led by my intuition to pay it forward to that particular empty seat. And when a woman sat down, she was told by the guy in charge that she was in the wrong seat. Undeterred, she said she'd been told to sit there by another personnel member.

Funny how magic works.

A mere 3 days later, I posted this:

"Money has been floating around me for weeks: free hotel stays; rebate checks in the mail; a hefty raise at work; gifts of coffee, a ferry ride, and Tony Robbins tickets; and a tax return that is just enough to pay off some debt!"
Do I think there is a correlation between paying it forward and receiving so much in return? You bet I do!

And do you know what the most surprising thing is?

Much of this monetary reward happened in just ONE WEEK!

And here's another piece of magic to add:

When I purchased Pam's first book of the series, E-squared, I kept its sequel on my Amazon wish list to purchase at a later date.

Last week when I visited a used book store on an island that is only accessible by ferry, the first book I saw was a brand-new copy of E-cubed. It was sitting on the shelf in such a way that it was impossible for me not to spot it. The clincher? It cost just 8 bucks!

You guys, this is what magic looks like.

It feels like a giddy high.

And if often seems impossible.

But it is oh, sooooo fun to play!
Do you recognize magic when it happens?

Be on the look-out for it, because it's everywhere. You just have to be open to the possibility that it's real.

Then expect it to show up in some mysterious fashion. I say "mysterious" because it rarely shows up how we think it ought to.

I could've expected blessings in the form of bills; what I received was a big cosmic payback in the form of experiences, treats, dates, discounts, fun, and yes, some cash, too!

If you don't believe me, try paying it forward with a kind gesture, a free coffee, or anything you feel compelled to offer.

Then watch your life explode with a magical high-five!

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Do Work That Feeds Your Soul

Are You Playing Full-Out in Your Life?

Pay It Forward...and Watch Magic Unfold!

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