I'm taking today off. It's been a long and busy winter and my body needs a rest. I got some difficult news a few days ago that hit me hard and my head and heart need a rest.
I am sensing fear all around me. I don't like the feeling and find myself needing to consciously redirect the energy so I can overcome it. Perhaps a cup of tea, a good article and some quiet contemplation about action steps I can take to "Overcome Fear in All It's Disguises" Care to join me and my mentor, Jack Canfield for a few minutes? http://www.jackcanfield.com/articles/family-time/item/992-overcoming-fear-in-all-its-disguises.html As part of our efforts to stay focused on our mission and stay positive in the face of major budget cuts, my Teen Clinc staff decided to promote the theme of positivity in our schools and in our community. The original idea stemmed from a simple, yet meaningful thank you gift I received from a middle school teacher and her students for a program I did with them last summer. The gift was a simple black bracelet with a silver band on the front imprinted with the word "Positivity" I love that bracelet and wear it every day. The teen peer educators I work with also loved my bracelet and wanted one of their own, so I looked into ordering them. A few weeks later, budget cuts were announced and we were all charged with brainstorming ideas for saving money. Going with the theme of Positivity and refusing to think in terms of lack, the teens started planning a fundraiser. They got together and made Christmas ornaments, designed t-shirts and in collaboration with a local teen friendly in North Conway, NH called Cool Jewels, we ordered Positivity bracelets, packaged them in little organza bags tand began spreading the word while raising some money to offset the proposed cuts. With the impending threat of program cuts looming over their heads, the teens began to reflect on what we do and why it's so important. Although our primary work is around sexuality education, the kids told me it was so much more than that, from their perpective. And I couldn't agree more. Our work is about promoting self-esteem and self-worth, about teaching kids how to make healthy choices that support positive growth, it's about inspiring them to be the best they can be, and providing an important support system during the confusing adolescent years. Their insight always amazes me and their passion continues to spark my own! They disappeared for awhile and spent some time on google. They came back to me with a quote they thought helped describe the essence of what we do and why it's so important. They asked if the quote could be printed on a card and included in the sparkley, starred Positivity gift bag we were selling. Absolutely perfect! The quote we've adopted is: "Together let's see how many people we can impact, empower, uplift and encourage to reach their fullest potential." ~Anthony Robbins The quote is now a mural in the Teen Clinic waiting room, painted by our resident artist, Deni. The campaign has since expanded to Facebook and we are now collaborating with Positivity Nation and a local high school to spread the word about PN's "Year of Positive Action". You can buy your own Positivity Bracelet today by clicking on the link below. Bracelets are $5.00 each plus $1.00 shipping. Proceeds will go to help support the Teen Outreach and Teen Clinic Programs at White Mountain Community Health Center in Conway, NH. Feel free to spread the positivity word to family, friends and organizations you might be involved with! I must warn you, it's catchy ... and it's sooooooo fun to watch the positivity epidemic spread! It should be noted that our service area has one of the lowest teen pregnancy rates in the country and our service model could easily be replicated to produce similar results across the country! "Like" us on Facebook and join us in A Year of Positive Action at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Teen-Clinic-at-White-Mountain-Community-Health-Center/143662842351818 "Like" Positivity Nation on Facebook and visit their website for daily inspiration and positivity at www.positivitynation.com. We believe that thoughts become things. We're embracing positivity and creating abundance, success and inspiration. We hope you will join us! Standing, Danielle Mason and Mikayl Cerney, Peer Educators Seated, Trisha Jacobson, Teen Clinic and Community Outreach Coordinator at a local artisans fair in Conway, NH In addition to her practice at Transition on Purpose Coaching, Trisha Jacobson is the Coordinator of Teen Clinic and Community Outreach programs at the White Mountain Community Health Center. (www.whitemountainhealth.org)
... woud the voice of courage whisper in my ear? These words come from the song, If I Were Brave by Jana Stanfield. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and work with Jana at the Breakthrough to Success Workshop I'm always talking about! I use this song in many aspects of my personal and professional work with teens and adults. In the classroom, I use it as part of a journaling exercise that helps teens to identify how fear can hold us back, how to break through fears and beliefs that limit us and to begin a discussion around the importance of developing support systems in our lives. In my work with coaching clients, I use it as a tool to help uncover passion and purpose and begin developing goals and an action plan. I also use it in my own personal work to check in with my fear levels or to prepare for a meeting, presentation, or a situation where I sense fear may be present. Or simply when I need a boost of bravery! Take a few minutes to listen to Jana's song and reflect on your answers to the questions she asks. Then I hope you will contact me to get a free to laser coaching sesson designed to inspire you to take some action around whatever comes up! Thanks to Jim Bunch for this wonderful equation:
Inspiration + Action = Transformation I must admit that yesterday, I got some news that disconnected and distracted me for a bit and I found myself on the edge of fear and lack. Yesterday I was informed that the teen clinic and teen outreach programs I coordinate will sustain, at minimum, a 34% cut in our budget effectivve July 1, 2011. During the meeting between me, administration and the clinical staff, we were asked to evaluate the new budget and submit our recommendations for program cuts. For the past several years, I have been an avid student of the Law of Attraction. I truly believe that our thoughts create our reality. I have witnessed how thoughts of lack and not having enough create just that ... lack and not enough. Contrary to that, I have witnessed the Law of Attraction in action in my daily life and in the lives of those around me. To be honest, living in the flow of the Law of Attraction is much more fulfilling than surviving in lack and living in the "not enough" state of mind. I must admit, the news of budget cuts was sobering, scarey and extremely frustrating and the implications will be significant if the numbers stand as they are. I could go on a rant about political agendas and the shortsightedness of the people who are making budget decisions. I could speak to the value of our services with respect to the outcomes we've attained. And I can certainly make a strong case that our program could easily serve as a model for the entire country for teen pregnancy prevention. Or I could begin a campaign to education the country about how $1 spent on prevention saves $5 on treatment and support services that our tax base will have to pay for one way or another once these cuts take effect. Perhaps another time ... instead I stayed focused on the next best steps. First, I found myself grateful that the administration was asking for our input on the impending cuts. I arranged some time with my clinical staff to take a realistic look at what we're facing. It's won't be fun, but it simply has to be done. Second, I asked the adminstration if they were open to exploring creative ideas to generate new sources of support. I felt more gratitude for their support and encouragement to seek creative solutions as well as their offer to support our efforts. Then, I went downstairs to talk to my teen staff. I'm always amazed at how my energy rises when I enter their energy field! They inspire me to be the best I can be! They remind me of my purpose and validate that our work must continue ... without question. And they make me smile and expand my heart to it's fullest capacity! We gathered together on the couches in our reception area, in front of a centerpiece of shamrocks, nibbling on homemade sugar cookies decorated with green icing, wearing green plastic lei's and Erin Go Bragh lapel pins. Mikayla was in the mood for a party and surprised us all with the spread! In between bites of sugar cookies, I announced the anticipated cut. Immediately, one of the teen peer educators said that she would like to change her status from a paid employee to a volunteer. She followed up by saying that our services are too important to our community to stop providing it. The other teens followed, offering to volunteer their time. What followed was not a discussion about cutting services, closing services or finding alternative employment. What followed was a creative brainstorming session and the beginning of an action plan for getting the word out, raising money and making our program more expansive so we can reach more teens! Lack as a state of mind is simply not an option. No matter what! Abundant thoughts and inspired action will allow us to continue doing what we do ... and most likely expand to something better! I love Jim Bunch's equation: "Inspiration + Action = Transformation" If you would like to help us create abundance and sustainability, feel free to share your ideas, insights, suggestions, connections and contacts! And of course, we're always happy to accept donations! To learn more about what we're up to, visit us at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Teen-Clinic-at-White-Mountain-Community-Health-Center/143662842351818?sk=info http://www.crowdrise.com/successpriniciplesfo/fundraiser/trishajacobson www.whitemountainhealth.org Also, I had the wonderful opportunity to do some work with Jim at Breakthrough to Success and continue that work through his "Ultimate Game of Life" program. You can get more information about Jim's work athttps://ultimategame.infusionsoft.com/go/home/a1705/ Clear the clutter!
Commit to de-cluttering your office or your files or your closet or your car...no matter WHAT you commit to, the key is just getting started. It has been proven that when we clear the physical clutter in our environments it helps to clear the "clutter" (and stress!) in our minds! Not sure how to start? Let me offer this suggestion: Set aside 15 minutes each day this week to work on de-cluttering the space you have identified. Approach it with two boxes or bags -- one for garbage and one for items to donate. At the end of the week not only will you have an organized space but you will have completed a charitable act by donating useable products and cleared your mind for important tasks ahead. P.S. Share your commitment with your co-workers, friends, and/or families. You may just inspire them to take action too! Permission to share A Year of Positive Action granted by Positivity Nation. Visit them at www.positivitynation.com for inspirational quotes, events and positivity news!
I am an avid skier. This is my thirteenth season teaching at a small, family owned mountain in NH. I don't make alot of money being a ski instructor, but I make alot of smiles and witness lots of success on snow. I truly love teaching! I measure my on- snow days by counting the number of new skiers in the world, the number of wedge turners gone parallel and the number of times my students reach the goals they set out to accomplish.
This winter I decided to pursue my teaching certification through the Professional Ski Instructors Association (PSIA). I've considered getting certified for many years, but always resisted. Hmmmm ... an interesting observation raising some interesting questions; the biggest of all being "why the resistance"? Was my resistance based on fear of success? Fear of failure? Fear of rejection? Fear of being judged? Perhaps a little bit of each? These feelings are not unfamiliar. I've felt them before in other aspects of my life. Many times, actually, However, awhile back, I made the committment to minimize the impact of fear in my life. I had a huge breakthrough in fear and in letting go of control when I learned how to rock climb. Climbing up a slab of granite and trusting someone to guide me safely scared the hell out of me ... similar, I'm sure, to the way my ski school students feel about standing on the top of a snow covered mountain attempting to defy gravity with two waxed boards attached to their feet! Since my rock climbing "freak out" experience, through the embarrassment and the tears and having the opportunity to process it with my partner and guide and then taking the lessons further into my daily life, I am pleased to say that fear has mostly lost it's hold on me. I have become quite adept at identifying fear when it rears it's head. At one time, I either fought hard, withdrew and pushed away or ran when I felt fear. Now, for the most part, I simply observed it, breathe through it and take the next best step through it, and ask for help and support when I need it. The pathway to PSIA certification is pretty clear. The process consists of studying the Exam Preparation Manual along with lots of on snow practice based on the guidelines set forth by the Professional Ski Instructors Association. The final step of the process is a two day on snow coaching and evaluation session with a PSIA Examiner and a group of fellow "candidates" There was something about that word "candidate" that triggered me. It is so cool to simply be an observer of myself, my feelings. my fears and my triggers as opposed to my old role as victim. My first step on the path toward certification was to state my goal to my director and my colleagues at Ski School. As part of the application process, the "candidate" has to have the endorsement of the Ski School Director. I can remember the feeling of relief I had as I watched my Director sign my application form. He signed, so apparently he thought I was good enough to represent my profession. After he signed, he offered words of wisdom. He said, "As long as you learn the PSIA language and their demonstration techniques, you've got everything else you need to pass." "Cool and thank you," I responded. I somehow needed to hear his approval. Hmmmm ... interesting. I've been teaching skiing for years and I am good at what I do. I have one of the best ratios of coaching first time students through the progression and getting them up the mountain and coming down independently, in control, smiling, having fun and feeling proud of their accomplishment. If I was honest with myself, I knew that with a little work, I would do fine, but somehow, I still needed his approval. Hmmmmm ... where have I felt that before? The second step was to ask for help. I needed a coach to help me prepare for the exam. I needed someone who was willing to share their time and expertise to help me prepare to reach my goal. I needed to make myself open and vulnerable. I needed someone who could nudge me along the path I had chosen and provide feedback to help me develop new skills and improve old ones. Hmmmm ... yet another interesting observation. Asking for help was difficult for me. It has been a repetitive theme in my life and has not always served me well! It is amazing how those limiting beliefs keep showing up. They may look different. be cleverly disguised and the circumstances in which they show up may be different, but the subconscious tapes and the underlying old, outdated and limiting beliefs are the same ones that have been there since as long as I can remember. They are the same beliefs that have held me back up until now. The difference is, I now have the tools to break through them, reprogram my brain and be successful in whatever I choose to do. I stated my intentions out loud to my ski school colleagues. I approached one of them specifically and asked if he would be willing to coach me through the preparation process. He was happy about my decision to seek certification. He outlined his expectations and told me that if I would commit to the process, he would be glad to coach me. He told me he would take my training seriously and expected me to do the same. I agreed. At the same time, several other people offered their support. A couple of colleagues offered a critique of my skiing along with tips for improvement. A couple more offered their knowledge about the PSIA teaching philosophy to help me get in the mindset and help me practice using the preferred teaching language. Several of my previously certified colleagues stepped forward to share their experiences of the preparation and the examination process. It was amazing how when I decide what I want, state it out loud and ask for help, people are happy to help me accomplish my goals! At one point during the preparation process, I had scheduled a training clinic with my coach. It was a cold, rainy morning; the perfect day to stay home, hang out, drink coffee, catch up on the daily news, email, etc. I fought the urge to skip clinic and went to the mountain to meet my coach. I suggested that we postpone the clinic for another time. He was very adament in his response. "You need to decide if you really want to do this. If you do, you need to do what needs to be done!" He was clearly not pleased with my stalling that morning. Less then five minutes later, I was all geared up, outside in the rain and ready to go. The clinic was great and that day I decided that I was 100% committed. Looking back over the past several weeks of preparation, it has become apparent that a simple decision to pursue PSIA certification served as a fine example for how the Success Principles (listed below) can be applied to just about any goal or desire and how much a coach can help with the process! In the recipe for success, The Success Principles are like the ingredients, my coach, the mixer stirring it all together and I am like the oven where the final product is produced. Decide What You Want Believe That It's Possible Unleash the Power of Goal Setting Release the Brakes Ask, Ask, Ask Face Your Fears Head On Reject Rejection Be Willing to Pay The Price Use Feedback to Fast-forward Start Now-Just Do It Give Your Best to Be Your Best Perform with Persistence by Keeping Your Eyes on the Prize For more information about the Success Principles, check out the links below. By the way, I got my certification!
Breakthrough to Success 2011 workshop at http://www.jackcanfield.com/cmd.php?Clk=3989235
This morning I'm off to my second day of a certification clinic for the Professional Ski Instructors Association. Hopefully when I return, I'll hold the credential I've been working towards. Wish me luck!
One thing for certain ... whatever the outcome, I'll be sure to write about the experience as an analogy to achieving success, however you choose to define it! Stay tuned ... and in the meantime, enjoy the day, the lessons and all there is to be grateful for! This morning I've spent some time contemplating the events of the week. Saturday mornings are often like that for me.
In many NH towns, this is the week of town meetings and deliberative sessions over budget issuse. In a nearby town, there was a major incident that clearly demonstrated the agenda of elected and appointed officials that was not in support of the voters in the town. The issue was the school budget. The voters overturned the budget committee's decision by a landslide. The process involved an intentional and deliberate campaign to inform students, parents and voters about the issues. Facebook was used as a means to "go viral" with information about the impact of the proposed budgent as well as organize action teams to explore the issues around the cost of education in the school district. Without going into detail, the meeting was an interesting demonstration of a two sided issue. There was no middle ground. There was frustration and anger. There was compassion and understanding. And the outcome was clear. Transformation happened. The community came together and it's priorities were clearly established. There will be no turning back to old ways of doing business. Change is underway. It was truly amazing to witness. This morning, I'm also thinking about similar times over the past several years where similar transformation have begun. It is becoming clear that many of our systems are inefficient and ineffective in serving the majority of our population. Some of them are beginning to crumble and suggest that our sense of physical and financial security is false. Although a difficult question, is this a time to focus on fear and lack? Or a time to experience these times as an opportunity for amazing transformation and abundance? The middle ground appears to be shrinking and it seems that we are being nudged to choose a perspective. A friend shared a bracelet he had received at a 12 step meeting. It said, "Let go or get dragged". Recently I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Evolve or die". The middle ground is seemingly hard to find now. I am reminded of the words of a Robert Frost, the famous poet, that inspired me as a teenager, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by ... and that has made all the difference." Unlike my teen years, it seems that the road I am traveling is a more popular road. It is a road of amazing transformation and abundance! I'm going with this because of what I'm observing in all the environments of my life, in the people I'm connected with and in some of the natural disasters as well as man-made catastrophies we have experienced over the past several years. My students are not the same students they were 10 years ago ... even two years ago. My interactions with colleagues are at a whole different emotional level. My personal relationships have transformed. The Internet now gives us the power to connect, spread information, positivity, hope, compassion and love, as well as take action at a level we've never known prior to this time in human evolution. Does it have to do with the Mayan Calendar? Or the rotation of the earth? Is the world coming to an end? Is it the beginning of a new age? A new way of thinking, being and connecting? Are we at a tipping point where the scale is about to tip in a whole new direction? What is the purpose in all of it? What's our role in it all? My sense is that we are moving toward authenticity and transparency and honest expression of who we are, what we know at our core and what we've come here to accomplish. My sense is that the new research around the subconscious mind and the power we now have to reprogram old, limiting beliefs is huge in human tranformation. My sense is that this transformation is happening faster and faster and over a wide range of communities and cultures. My sense is that our old attitudes around what provides us with security will be less about money and possessions and more about human connection and discovering and expressing our authentic selves. Whatever is happening, a practice of daily gratitude helps me stay grounded and keep things simple. Today I am grateful for: -my support systems who allow me to share my hopes, dreams and fears -my students who challenge me to open my heart and mind -my pets who supply both comic relief and effective stress management -my home which provides me comfort and peace -my Rossi Z-9's which provide me iwth a fun way to get to the top of a mountain, take in the beauty, connect with like-minded others, connect with my body and experience the fullness of being alive! Memetics is the first of nine enviroments that Jim Bunch teaches as part of his Ultimate Game of Life coaching program. (see the 3/9/2011 blog post below) Memetics refer to our beliefs, our paradigms, our world views. They are the thoughts we have over and over again in our subconscious mind. They are the filters through which we see the world. New research suggests that we download these subconscious programs by the time we reach the age of seven. Reseach also suggests that as adults, we run almost on autopilot according to those beliefs we downloaded as children, to create the lives we live as adults. As a avid student of both science and spirituality, I find this research fascinating, but that's another topic for another day. Back to our first enviroment, according to Jim Bunch: Memetics To explain this concept, Jim uses the analogy of seeing the world through three different sets of sunglasses; a red pair, a yellow pair and a green pair. Looking through red glasses we see everything that is wrong about life and your environments. You will see life as a struggle, that life is hard, that people are inherently bad. We would be focused on the negative, on the problems and see the wrong in the people and circumstances that make up our life. Looking through yellow glasses we see both the good and the bad. Looking through green glasses we see all the good in life and in people and in ourselves and in others. We see the world full of opportunity. We can see how to upgrade our environments to create health, wealth and happiness. Jim proposes that the more time we spend looking through the green glasses, the more success, happiness and abundance we will produce in our lives. Did you know that the subconscious mind controls 94 to 96% of our brain power! I am an avid supporter of this work and the impact it has in supporting positive change in our lives at both the conscious and subconscious level! Jim says, "An unquestioned belief is a guaranteed reality." In my own experience with this work, I discovered that old, limiting beliefs were creating unwanted results in three of my nine environments. Once I discovered them, I was able to incorporate specific techniques to rewire that old software and replace those old beliefs with new ones that now support my goals and desires ... and are now producing amazing results! You can do the same! Research strongly supports that the neural connections in our brain can be changed and thus we can change our subconscious programming. As we begin to identify old beliefs, we can shift old paradigms, and begin rewiring the subconscious, and thus literally redesign our life experience. Hypnosis is a wonderful tool to aide in rewiring and upgrading your mental software. Coaching is a great way to move from present reality to the life you want through focused and inspried action. Coaching and hypnosis together, also known as hypnocoaching, is a fun, fast and cost effective way to produce results in any of your environments! And what better time to begin than spring! Learn more about Jim Bunch's 9 Environments at https://ultimategame.infusionsoft.com/go/home/a1705/ Help the hungry in your community. Make a donation to your local soup kitchen or food pantry. If you are struggling financially and a donation of goods is not something you can work into your budget, consider offering the priceless gift of our time. You can help package, serve, or deliver food to others who are in need. “If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” ~Mother Teresa Shared with permission by Positivity Nation. Visit them at www.positivitynation.com. This morning I am reflecting back to my childhood. I used to love to go grocery shopping with my Mom. It was girl time, it was fun, and she could always use a hand wheeling around the second cart. I used to wheel the cart with multiple gallons of milk. There were seven of us in the family, five of whom were boys, and they were big milk drinkers! An entire shelf of our huge refrigerator was designated as the milk shelf. Every week, my Mom would ask the cashier to bag certain items separately ... milk, bread, eggs, cheese, fruit, veggies, tuna, meat and sometimes chocolate or another sweet treat. There were two bags every week. They were carefully set aside from the rest of the bags as we packed the car. On the way home, my Mom would drive to that familiar gray three family house. She would stop the car and get out with the two bags of groceries. She would disappear toward the back of the house and come back in a moment with a satisfied look on her face and drive away in silence with no words. One day, I asked why we always stopped at that gray house and what she did with those bags. Eventually, she told me that when she disappeared behind the house, she quietly snuck in the back door of the building and left the groceries outside an apartment door of a family she knew was struggling. Every week ... anonymously ... for months and months. She told me it was better that way; to give without recognition and without expecting anything in return. She told me that she felt good doing it. The she told me that what we give away returns to us ten-fold. My Mom was right about so many things! |
Transition on Purpose
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