Juicy Bits 2015

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A Pause
       January 2014 to March 2015

In September 2009 we enjoyed an amazing and exhausting family gathering in California. It was a complete surprise for my older brother's 60th birthday that I'd painstakingly organized. Everyone flying in in ones and twos as they could across the country and from England. The following month, my little sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent successful treatment, and in remission, chose to keep all of it private. In August 2012 on my 60th birthday when she was visiting, I discovered she was seriously unwell. And the following month we learned that it was cancer of some kind. She received treatment. We travelled back and forth to England and she was doing well. So it was a shock in early 2014 to receive a call telling us she was fading. We left for England immediately and were with her when she passed in March 2014. We didn't find out until we read her death certificate that she'd been battling Stage Four Metastatic breast cancer the entire preceding nineteen months. How does one process all of this? I didn't do well. Sinking into a deep depression. Railing against everything and everyone. And angry … oh so angry in a WTF!! kind of way. It was a call to delve deep within and face the demons of my childhood and super-destructive family dynamics. And my own collusion in all of it. I did just that. Eventually surfacing slowly and reluctantly, one year later in March 2015. I was prompted to, in support of my friend Mari Perron, First Receiver of A Course of Love. I wasn't at all ready. And I knew I had to do it. For myself, for her, for the movement of A Course of Love, and for everyone! A choiceless choice. And so my crazy helical spiraling Journey continued — each circling loop wider, broader, deeper and higher. It's a quantum multidimensional kind of thing!

 


Living Fully
       August 2, 2015

“Living fully requires a return to the looseness that predates our first breath to an untroubled trust that we are supported by a universe that has no interest in hurting us, only in teaching us to dance.” — Martha Beck

‘Re-lax’ means ‘loosen again’. Here's how —
--✿Relax your need to relax
--✿Relax your attention
--✿Relax into whatever's happening
--✿Relax the standards you can never meet
--✿Relax your resistance to uncertainty

Breathe. Unclench. Re-lax.

Listen in ♥ Trust Yourself ♥

CoCreating Clarity Read Martha Beck's article — http://www.oprah.com/inspir.../How-to-Be-Less-Controlling...

 


On the Cusp of having Fun
       July 17, 2015

If you find yourself on the cusp of having fun this weekend, when suddenly you're drowning in all kinds of intrusive thoughts, take three deep breaths and come home to yourself.
--✿What is in front of you? The present.
--✿What are these thoughts? Past pain and/or future fear.
--✿Notice the present and say “Thank You. All is Well”
--✿Notice the thoughts and say “Thanks for sharing. 'Bye now”

Listen in ♥ Trust Yourself ♥

And have fun this weekend!

CoCreating Clarity http://www.theonion.com/.../man-on-cusp-of-having-fun...

 


Beginner's Mind
       July 9, 2015

Are you feeling burdened or overwhelmed thinking you have to have the right answer always for everything. Walk through your day today with ‘Beginner's Mind’ and see what happens.

“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.” — Zen Master Shunryo Suzuki

--✿ Take one step at a time.
--✿ Fall down seven times, get up eight.
--✿ Use ‘don't know’ mind.
--✿ Live without shoulds.
--✿ Make use of experience.
--✿ Let go of being an expert.
--✿ Experience the moment fully.
--✿ Disregard common sense.
--✿ Discard fear of failure.
--✿ Use the spirit of enquiry.

Listen in ♥ Trust Yourself ♥ Have fun!

CoCreating Clarity Read more at: http://zenhabits.net/how-to-live-life-to-the-max-with.../

 


Labels — Negative or Positive
       June 25, 2015

When someone gives you a negative label, what do you?
--✿ Do you get defensive?
--✿ Do you explain why they're wrong?
--✿ Do you get angry and launch a counter-attack?
--✿ Do you absorb it and feel bad?Here's Martha Beck's solution —
--✿ Pause, take a deep breath.
--✿ Ask yourself “Is it true?”
--✿ If the answer is “No”, simply don't believe it!

And by the way, note that “positive” labels aren't too helpful either!

Listen in ♥ Trust Yourself ♥

CoCreating Clarity Read more about how labels — both 'negative' and 'positive' keep us from being all that we are! http://www.oprah.com/.../Martha-Beck-How-to-Get-Rid-of...

 


Love
       June 20, 2015

“Love has been in the closet in corporate America. But my experience is that love and that kind of care and compassion are the strongest part of our organization. Bringing love out of the closet is critical for our corporations to be fully human places. Business is a win, win, win, win game — if we create value, there isn't anybody losing. Even competitors, they help you get better and not get lazy. As business flourishes, it lifts up the boats of everyone its exchanging with.”
John Mackey, Whole Foods Co-Founder and Co-CEO

CoCreating Clarity http://upstart.bizjournals.com/.../whole-foods-ceo-to...

CoCreating Clarity “A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large”. — Henry Ford
http://www.cocreatingclarity.com/.../CoCreating%20Clarity...

 


Roles and Power
       June 8, 2015

Everyone — parent, CEO, teacher, employee, spouse — assumes a place in each relationship, often with an imbalance of power.

As you go through your day, in each role you play, ask yourself:
--✿ What position do I assume?
--✿ Am I in a vertical Hierarchy? ‘One-Up’ or ‘One Down’?
--✿ Am I trying to figure out which?
--✿ Am I even aware of my choice?
--✿ Am I comfortable in it?
--✿ Or am I in a horizontal Web? ‘Side-By-Side’?

We cocreate the new through infinite flat webs with room for all.

So just for today try peer-to-peer relationship in every interaction:
--✿ Notice if there's a power imbalance.
--✿ Sit, stand, or move to level the playing field.
--✿ Ask questions. Don't assume you know.
--✿ Listen with compassion as a friend would.
--✿ Share without judgment or fear.
--✿ Invite the other to speak as you do.
--✿ Admit when you don't know the answer.
--✿ Invite partnership.

Listen in ♥ Trust Yourself ♥

 


Feelings
       June 1, 2015

Right this moment, pause and ask yourself:
--✿ How am I feeling?
--✿ Am I aware of my overall state? …
------✿ am I disturbed, fearful, anxious?
------✿ or am I peaceful, loving, confident?
--✿ Do I even know what I'm feeling?
--✿ Can I name it?

Just noticing and naming is a powerful way to return to your heart's clarity. Check in with yourself every hour today

Listen in ♥ Trust Yourself ♥

CoCreating Clarity And here's a lexicon of words that may help you name your feelings. It's a skill few of us are taught, and even fewer practice. Start with “I feel”, and choose the word(s) that are true for you. If you find yourself adding “I feel like …” , or “I feel that ...” — then quit and start again, because you're likely not expressing a true feeling. http://www.cnvc.org/Training/feelings-inventory

 


Anger
       May 27, 2015

“I have learnt...to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmuted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power which can move the world.” — Mohandas K. Gandhi

Anger can be a healthy and powerfully productive force.

Are you feeling frustration, irritation, anger, or rage?

Notice it, allow it, feel it and ask yourself:
--✿ What is unjustly missing/being withheld from me?
--✿ What is unjustly present/being forced on me?

Breathe, settle into the wisdom of your heart and ask:
--✿ How can I give myself what I need? remove what I don't need?

Listen in ♥ Trust Yourself ♥

CoCreating Clarity Read more on Anger from Martha Beck at: http://www.oprah.com/.../Martha-Beck-Positive-Impact-o

 


Spark Joy
       May 20, 2015

Here's a question that can instantly put you in touch with the wisdom of your heart. It's intended to help tidy up the things in your home. Perhaps it could tidy up your life too! :) Shining instant clarity in every moment on what you choose to do, when you choose to do it, where you choose to be, who you choose to be with, and how you choose to respond, act, dress!

Caution! Use this question only with love!

Take three deep breaths, settle into your heart, and ask yourself:
--✿ Does this spark joy?

Listen in ♥ Trust Yourself ♥

CoCreating Clarity Here's a 3-minute video showing an experiment applying the “Does this Spark Joy?” method for tidying up a home. Fascinating! It's really about having a LOVED, LOVING, and LOVABLE relationship with every THING we own! On our way to living in Relationship with ALL! :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIEEdzWrBFQ

 


Meetings
       May 15, 2015

As much as we love to hate meetings — at work, or even family meetings — something amazing can happen when a group of people come together with common intention to move a project along, or to solve a problem.

Next time you have to be in one, pause and ask yourself:
--✿Am I busily preparing what to say?
--✿Am I full of worries and anxieties?
--✿Have I armored myself — it's them and us — for battle?
--✿Am I closed to all input but facts and logic?
--✿Do I already have the ‘right’ answer?
--✿Am I sure one or more others are simply ‘wrong’?

Take three deep breaths, settle into your heart, and try instead to:
--✿Listen more than you speak
--✿Clear your mind
--✿Hold all present with regard
--✿Trust intuition AND facts
--✿Remain open to possibilities
--✿Ask questions and Listen Deeply

Breathe. Listen in and ♥ Trust yourself ♥

CoCreating Clarity For more on how you and your team/family members can prepare and stay open for surprising results at your next meeting, go to: http://collectivewisdominitiative.org/.../COTE_principles...

CoCreating Clarity Love that you are noticing what was/is happening! Now you can make a new choice. Try ‘Coming Home to Yourself' — it may help you stay secure in your huge brave, loving heart space💖 http://www.cocreatingclarity.com/centering.htm

 


FOMO
       May 4, 2015

“The feeling of being hurried is not usually the result of living a full life and having no time. It is born of a vague fear that we are wasting our life.” — Eric Hoffer ... And perhaps also a vague fear that we're missing something?

So the next time you feel this way, pause and ask yourself:
--✿ Is this what I choose to be doing right now?
--✿ If not, why am I doing it right now?
--✿ What disaster would befall me now if I stopped?
--✿ What would I choose to do instead?
--✿ Why am I not doing that?

Take three deep breaths, settle into your heart.

Listen in and ♥ Trust yourself ♥

 


Right or Happy?
       May 1, 2015

Are you facing a challenge that feels insurmountable?

Chances are you're vested in ‘justice’ or ‘fairness’ of some kind.

Simply pause for a moment and ask yourself:
--✿ Do I want to be right or happy?
--✿ Can I let go of wanting to be right?
--✿ What choice did I make that got me here?
--✿ What new choices are available to me now?
--✿ Which one am I willing to make that'll lead to happiness?

Take three deep breaths, settle into your heart.

Listen in and ♥ Trust yourself ♥

How'd that work for you?

 


Love as a Technical Term
       April 9, 2015

“If I were to take the word love and change it to some sophisticated-sounding technical term, and say this is the stuff that binds the world together in unity, it would be easier for you to accept. … If a scientist was to tell you that a benign energy had been found that proved your connection to everything in the universe, and gave it some fancy name, you would say, “A new discovery has been found and I am willing to believe it may be true, especially if others are also going to believe it to be true.” — A Course of Love, C:12.1

Just for today, let's make-believe this has in fact happened.

Everyone is talking about it.

It's trending big time in news and social media.

Now walk through your day observing & listening with your heart.

Are you willing?
--✿ to believe what your heart is telling you?
--✿ to trust the new evidence you're gathering?
------ ♥ Trust yourself ♥

 


Endings, Beginnings, and the Full Moon
       March 29, 2015

This is my first Blog post in a long while. Read and enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts, responses, reactions! The wild ride continues! Thank you for sharing in it with me!💞

https://muddyupandclear.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/endings-beginnings-and-the-full-moon/?fbclid=IwAR3AdHNGJC1nrVs-WWelSnQMmcTXCA8V0JfzoZbV_8tdwLMSz3CbYg0VqdA

 


Love is the Killer App
       March 24, 2015

How do you draw on your most powerful force at work, at home?
--✿ Pause for 60 seconds
--✿ Take three deep breaths
--✿ Turn your attention inward
--✿ Listen to your heart
--✿ Feel the love
--✿ And act on the truth of what you know

Try it today and see what happens — ♥ Trust yourself ♥

“The most powerful force in business isn't greed, fear, or even the raw energy of unbridled competition. The most powerful force in business is love. It's what will help your company grow and become stronger. It's what will propel your career forward. It's what will give you a sense of meaning and satisfaction in your work, which will help you do your best work.” ----------------- Tim Sanders, ‘Love is the Killer App’

 


Generous Leaders
       March 23, 2015

Here's how loving, generous leaders powerfully and successfully lead people (thanks for the pointer Selina ♥):
--✿ They want people to succeed.
--✿ They don't compete with their team
--✿ They're generous with their time
--✿ They're gracious rather than strict
--✿ They're open-handed
--✿ They freely share what they learn
--✿ They love to give away credit to others
--✿ They care about their team
--✿ They facilitate team members' goals and dreams

Give it a go today wherever you are. ♥ Trust yourself ♥

 


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