Daydreaming

February 8, 2011 — dragonflycoach

Quick Coaching Tip – Daydreaming

Daydreams aren’t just the realm of winter-weary gardeners and restless school children. We all need a special place to escape, for a mini vacation of sorts, from our ordinary lives. A place where we can, for a moment, let our spirits soar in a rich landscape where we can do and be anything our hearts desire. This respite is not an extravagance of overactive imaginations, but rather a necessary exploration of our authentic longings. Its where we give freedom to our creativity and shape to our potential.

Lately despite an almost paralyzing fear of falling, I’ve found myself daydreaming of skydiving. The courage to willingly drop out of a plane and the liberation of free falling to earth have translated on this side of the daydream to the confidence to stretch out of my comfort zone. As I’ve opened up to new opportunities, they’ve started to show up in ways I never would have thought to look for them.

Daydreams are a selfless gift we give ourselves. Today, take a few moments to let your dreams take flight and delight in following your bliss. I promise you it is well worth the trip.

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Being Fabulous

January 20, 2011 — dragonflycoach

Quick Coaching Tip – Being Fabulous

“Being fabulous is about being great at what you do and having the charm and charisma to let others know how great you are without being overwhelming.” – Meghan Wier from Confessions of an Introvert

The foundation of being fabulous is holding a stong sense of self. Allowing yourself to be defined by someone else’s ideals diminishes your ability to claim your own idenity.

A desire to live passionately enriches your life with meaning and purpose. Having something that really jazzes you gives an energetic boost to all you do.

Goals and the plans to reach them keep your greatness from going to waste. They mean the difference between sharing your gifts with the world and sleepwalking through your existence.

I truly believe we are all amazing beings who deserve to live self-empowered, passionate and gifted lives. My signature sign-off “Be Fabulous” isn’t just a catchy phrase. It is my gentle reminder to you, and to myself, that we have a responsibility to own our greatness every day.

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Having Faith

December 30, 2010 — dragonflycoach

Quick Coaching Tip – Having Faith

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. One year comes to a close as another year of possibility opens before us. But really, these are just arbitrary markers for tracking time and not tallys of success. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t reach a goal you’d set for yourself “this year” as long as you keep believing in your ability to reach it and continue to strive towards it.

Now is the time to stare down every naysayer in your life (including that pesky self-doubt) and shout “I Believe in Me!” When you hold the belief that you WILL reach that goal, manifest that dream, fulfill that aspiration no matter what the calendar date you will find that quite center of solace, serenity and strength necessary to make it happen – you will have found your FAITH.

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A Greatful Heart

November 24, 2010 — dragonflycoach

Quick Coaching Tip – A Greatful Heart

It is so easy in these days of economic crisis stories on the news and constant bombardment by retailers with bright and shiny gifts to become overwhelmed and begin to count what we “lack”. Daily stresses can distract us and make us forget we have much to be thankful for. Every one of us has much to fill our hearts with gratitude when we take the opportunity to truly consider them.

Several years ago, during a particularly trying time, I started every morning and ended every evening by listing all I was thankful for. Some days it was tough to come up with much and I remember giving thanks for the beautiful bird at the feeder or the squirrel that made me laugh. Some evenings I could only give thanks that I had made it through the day. However, I always found something when I took the time to consider it. Continuing to do this over the years has filled my heart with gratitude for all the blessings my life holds.

This year before tucking in to your Thanksgiving meal, offer your own personal Grace for the blessings in your life and invite those with whom you share your meal to do the same. You might just start a new tradition that overflows your heart with gratitude during this holiday season and beyond!

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Allow for Exploration

November 13, 2010 — dragonflycoach

Quick Coaching Tip – Allow for Exploration

The great thing about exploring a new activity or attitude is that you are not committing to permanently changing your life to accomodate it, you are simply allowing yourself to explore an interest. Is there a hobby you’ve secretly wanted to pursue? Do you long for the lifestyle of a favorite book or movie heroine?

Do some research into the subject, looking up information on websites, reading blogs, joining discussions boards, etc. In a given situation ask yourself “what would SHE do“. By immersing yourself in gathering knowledge about your interest or by responding like your she-ro you can “try it on” to see how it fits (much like a pair of shoes you might not be ready to totally revamp your wardrobe to match) objectively and without judgment.

You may find that there is a certain quality or aspect that appeals to you more than the actual lifestyle. Experiment with how you can incorporate it into your life. Could you volunteer your time to an organization that is aligned with your hobby of interest rather than taking on the project yourself? Is there a particular characteristic of your heroine that by emulating would enhance your own lifestyle?

By allowing yourself to explore you open to a new and exciting world of possibilities. No plastic masks required.

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Quick Coaching Tip – Acceptance vs Resignation

October 21, 2010 — dragonflycoach

Nonni's 100th BirthdayOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This month also marks two years since my grandmother’s passing. Nonni found a lump while in the shower and underwent a mastectomy at age 81. Here we are celebrating her 100th birthday several months before she slipped quietly away in her sleep, 19 cancer-free years later.

A quiet, self-possessed woman with an iron will, she faced life with a shrug of her shoulders and an “eh, wadda ya gonna do?”. This wasn’t giving up, not at all. Not one to wallow in self-pity, this was her rally to move on regardless of her circumstances. This empowering outlook is the theme of today’s Quick Coaching Tip of acceptance vs resignation.

And remember - early detection DOES save lives. Be sure to do a monthly self-exam and get screened yearly, especially if a close family member has been diagnosed. We can beat this thing!

The one thing we always have a choice in is our outlook. It can affect not only the quality of our days, but our whole lives. We can choose to accept “receive (something given) willingly” our current situation or we can resign ”give over, submit; give up, quit” ourselves to it. Over the course of a 100 year liftime that’s over 36,500 days!

When we chose acceptance, we give ourselves a footing, a point from which to move forward. We may not like what we currently have to face, but we don’t let it stop us. Whereas resignation is a slippery slope that leads nowhere.

The next time you’re faced with the choice of how to affect the quality of your day, remember my Nonni and ask yourself “eh, wadda YOU gonna do?”.

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Fierce Faith and a Funk

October 12, 2010 — dragonflycoach

I gotta be honest, times are lean right now. It is very slow re-building a coaching practice from scratch, and harder yet to do so while trying to “fly under the radar”. There are days when I don’t feel much like getting up, let alone writing something positive and uplifting.

Today was one of those days. The kind of day that greeted me with an anxious fluttering in my chest and an uneasy feeling I couldn’t seem to shake.

Luckily I have the tools to pull myself out of my funk and get on with the business of living MY life on MY terms. One of those tools is to seek inspiration from without when I can’t seem to muster it from within.

This Daily Gem from American author and humorist Tom Bodett was in my inbox this morning: “The difference between school and life? In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.”

Well, that got me thinking. And got me a little riled up. I show up every day. I trust that I’m on the right path. I don’t let the naysayers, no matter how well-intentioned, shake my core belief that this WILL work.

So, Divine. What’s with the tests? How far down do I have to fall? How hard do I have to hit bottom? Do you doubt my faith, ’cause I still don’t! Will it make you feel omnipotent to crush my faith only to swoop down to save it at the eleventh hour? My faith is FIERCE and even You aren’t going to shatter it.

Rebellious little thing that I am, that bit of bravado pulled me up by my boot straps and gave me just the kick I needed to fight my funk and dig my heels in even deeper into my faith.

And that’s when I realized it – that was the lesson learned by the test.

Damn.

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Shifting Perspective

September 30, 2010 — dragonflycoach

Quick Coaching Tip – Shifting Perspective

Perspective is “a way of looking at, or interpreting a particular situation”. Usually it’s a learned reaction we’ve adopted over time.

To shift your perspective, you first have to be aware of it. So, the next time you find yourself reacting to a bit of news, take a moment to consider what’s prompting your reaction. Now try re-framing that to a more empowering perspective.

My mom has admitedly “never been very optimistic”. She has glaucoma and the other day she found out the pressure had spiked. She started praying fervently while holding on to the belief that the worst would happen.

I asked her to take a moment to think about this from the perspective of the Divine. She was begging heaven and earth be moved to preserve her sight and she wouldn’t let go of the negative thoughts. She laughed and admitted that she had put a “but” in the way of having faith.

The next time you find yourself reacting to a situation, remember even the Divine doesn’t want to see your big ol’ “but” getting in the way!

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The Gift of Giving

September 23, 2010 — dragonflycoach

Those of you who know me know I use my BlackBerry for just about everything. For a varity of reasons (a story for another time) it’s easier for me to write my blog post on my trusty BB than to log on to my computer. Unfortunately, I saved this post as a draft instead of publishing it and since I rarely write my blog from the computer it took me a month to realize my mistake. So, in the spirit of better late than never and with appologies to the Shelters of Saratoga for the belated shout-out, I give you the post from August 19th.

August 19, 2010

Tuesday I had the honor of volunteering my services at the Shelters of Saratoga‘s 6th Annual One Fine Day fundraising event, something I’ve done every year since they started.

Attendees are encouraged to patronize the providers’ businesses and we are encourageed to promote ourselves. While I haven’t gotten a ton of follow-up from past events, that is not why I’m there. This isn’t a marketing pitch for me. I participate every year because I get something more precious than business – I receive the gift of being “in service” to a cause I strongly believe in.

After the event a small group of us had an impromptu brainstorming session with one of the board members. What a great feeling to be coming up with creative and out-of-the-box ideas to provide better care and services to those in need in our community.

It doesn’t take much to make a difference in the lives of others - a few hours volunteering services, whether to raise funds or in direct care; a good idea shared with someone in a position to implement it; a lovely summer afternoon spent at a fundraiser. Giving doesn’t have to be a form of penance. Toss the outdated notion of “give ’til it hurts” and try instead to “give to be happy”.

We all left there with hearts full of gratitude for the good we had been allowed to do. And I’ve been inspired to put a self-esteem workshop together for the shelter’s clients.

I encourage you to find your own ways of opening up to the gift of giving. You’ll be glad you did.

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Special Announcement!

September 8, 2010 — dragonflycoach

I’m so excited to tell you about Change is a Gift the workshop I’m co-presenting with my very good friend Joyce Willson RN, RMT at her lovely space The Art of Reiki in Troy, NY on Wednesday, September 29th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.

Changes are an important, yet sometimes less-than-comfortable part of our lives. This interactive workshop will allow you to tap in to your creativity and experience an evening of light bulb moments with time for reflection and journaling as you discover how to embrace change as the gift it truly is.

There is a $30 fee. Seating is limited and we expect to fill up quickly. Contact Joyce at 518-271-7802 to register

Posted in Life Coaching, Life Lessons, Miscellaneous, Spirituality. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »
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