Tools and Resources

     Are you living a life filled with PASSION?  I’m not talking about sex!  I’m talking about having a life filled with things you love to do—things that bring you joy.  Are you excited to get out of bed each day to live your life?  If you answered YES, that’s great.  If you answered NO, if not now, when would be the time to create the life you desire?  Wouldn’t it be fantastic to be ‘fired up’ about your life? 

If you are just going through the motions of everyday living and the years are flying by, I challenge you to create a VISION of how you would like your life to be. 

• What would your ideal day be like? 
• How about your ideal week? 
• Can you imagine your ideal year? 

I’m sure you heard the story of how the actor, Jim Carey wrote himself a check for $10 million.  Not long after that, he got paid $10 million for the Mask 2.  He certainly got fired up about making money and it worked.  He certainly knew what he wanted.Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame, had a list of 15 initial passions—most of which have happened for him.  This is someone who knows who he is and what he loves.  He also had no problem with thinking BIG.

•  How long is your list of PASSIONS? 
•  Do you know what brings you JOY? 
•  Do you know what FIRES YOU UP and makes you FEEL MOST ALIVE? 
•  Are you able to THINK BIG and create your life the way you want it? 
•  Do you have a CLEAR VISION for your life?

When I attended my first Central Ohio Coaches meeting, I discovered the wonderful career of coaching.  My life had been very successful up to that time.  I had been a sales person—winning contests, gaining achievement club status and making great money.  At this meeting, however, I discovered my PASSION for coaching.  Upon hiring a coach for myself, I was able to make my own list of passions, get a clear idea of a vision for how I wanted my life to be, learn how to walk through fears, set goals for myself, be accountable and continue to take action steps.  For the first time in a while, I got really fired up about my life and I still am!  My husband jokes about how I don’t sleep anymore.  It is so true that if you love what you do, it isn’t work.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned by teaming up with my coach is that I get to choose how I want my life to be. I get to choose how I spend my time.  I get to choose what I want to manifest in my life. It is great to have a partner who supports, encourages and also calls me forth to be the best I can be. She doesn’t tell me what to do….she helps me to uncover  what I already know.  She helped me to add so many other tools to my toolbox for life.

In living my vision, I am creating a life filled with fun, joy, fulfillment, connection and passion.  I am spending more time with my passions and I’m not talking just about coaching.  My husband and I are taking the time to go to dinner, to the movies or go biking.  When one of my daughters wants to spend time with me, I do it.  They give me so much joy.  I walk my dog, Buddy, just about every day.  I also spend time with my two cats, Willie and Serena. I am working out again (finally!). I planted a vegetable garden.  I am taking pictures.  I am scheduling time with friends.  I am coaching and conducting workshops. I am attending network meetings.  I am attending leadership retreats.  I am following those things that MAKE ME FEEL MOST ALIVE.

What are your passions?  Do you know what gives you joy?  What makes you feel most alive?  Are you moving towards this aliveness?  I challenge you to get fired up about your life.  Woohoo!!

 Ideas for getting fired up:  (When you are clear, what you want will show up in your life.)

*         Make a list of your passions—pick the top five and move towards them—what you put your attention on, grows.

*         Schedule things on your calendar that bring you joy—if you put it on your calendar, you are making it a priority.

*         Journal about your ideal day in the present tense and be excited as if it is already happening—visualization really works.  Try it!

*         Be accountable to someone in your life—in this way, it is more likely to happen.

*         Make a dream board or vision board—you are creating a visual for attracting what you want in your life.

“I had always wanted an adventurous life.  It took a long time to realize that I was the only one who was going to make an adventurous life happen to me.”  Richard Bach

Creating a morning ritual is something I learned about in this last year at my Life Coach Leadership Retreats through the Coaches Training Institute.

I am happy to say that these retreats were held at The Mother Tree Retreat Center in Sebastopol, California.  Each morning, our leadership group would go out in the field and breath and stretch and greet the morning.  As you can see, every morning even the turkeys had a morning ritual!

It was so beautiful because we overlooked a valley that looked different each time I was there in all of the seasons.  After stretching, we then did a process called Shintido.  We saluted the east- for the spring season–new birth, babies, flowers blooming, new learnings, beginnings.  We saluted the south for the summer season-cookouts and barbecues, the teenage years, living fearlessly, everything in full bloom.  We saluted the west for the fall season-colors changing, adult life, cool crisp air, football games.  We saluted the north for the winter season-snow and ice, maturity in life, surrender, acceptance, reflection, end of life.  We also then saluted Mother Sky, the earth, the center and each other. Read the rest of this entry »

I was watering my vegetable garden this morning and I was thinking about everything that went into making this garden what it is. Initially, I had the dream of having a garden. But first, I had to find a place where it would receive sunlight. I had to dig up the dirt, break it up and also put in some new rich dirt. I had to buy the vegetable plants, plant them, stake some of them up and water and feed them on a regular basis.

I have a “Shake ‘n Feed” all purpose plant food that provides continuous release of nutrients. I also have to pull out the weeds regularly. From this garden will come lots of great tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce and strawberries. I am so excited. I can’t wait to be able to go out and pick fresh vegetables from my garden! I will really enjoy these “fruits of my labor.” Read the rest of this entry »

People choose life coaching for the following reasons:

• to be challenged to move forward when they are stuck and need motivation
  
• to create a clear vision for their life
• to learn more about who they are and what their YOUniqueness is
• to learn to stand in their own power
• to learn how to manifest and attract what they want
• to gain more confidence
• to find out what is standing in their way
• to have support during a time of transition
• to develop better communication skills
• to be the best that they can be
• to learn to be in the driver’s seat of their life
• to have more gratitude
• to be able to walk through fears
• to get more tools for life
• to do something they have always wanted to do
• to clarify their passion—what makes them feels most alive
• to have someone who will call them forth and support them
• to get help with shifting a perspective on how they see something
• to become aware of an existing pattern of how they have been doing life
• to have time for someone to listen to them and only them’
• to have accountability for goals
• to uncover their life purpose—why they are here and what they are intended to do

Life coaching is about discovery, awareness and choice.

It is about discovering who you are and what you want, becoming aware of how you do life and consciouslymaking choices to create the life you desire and deserve. You also get to explore unlimited possibilities, step into new perspectives, walk through fears, grow and learn, be accountable, empower yourself and have fun creating a fulfilling life!

It is about empoweringto find your own answers, encouraging and supporting you on your path and celebrating with you as you create your desired life.

• Do you have a clear vision of how you want your life to be?
• How satisfying would it be to align with your values and who you are naturally every day in your life?
• Do you like the idea of overcoming obstacles in your life or possibly seeing them as “hot-dogging” opportunities?
• Is a consistent, focused action plan with someone encouraging you what you need?
• How great would it be to be fired up about your life and excited to get out of bed each day?

Look at the following list and mark those that apply to YOU. Read the rest of this entry »

Hi There,

Thank you so much for visiting my blog.  It means a lot to me.

I hope you will learn from my articles and have fun looking at my pictures.  It would be great to receive comments from you.  I would also like to know what other topics are of interest to you.

KNOW that you can do or be anything you want. 

KNOW that you have a YOUniqueness and that YOU are meant to stand in your own POWER!

KNOW that you have PASSIONS that make you feel alive and learn to follow these PASSIONS!

KNOW that you have a LIFE PURPOSE and that no one else can live this PURPOSE except for YOU!

Ignite your POWER, PASSION AND PURPOSE!!  IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

Linda