Stepping Into The Unknown With Determination

Many times following my coaching sessions with my coachees, the same question keeps going around in my head: Why do we tie up our own hands?

Regardless of the circumstances or the context of the coaching I would be working on with my coachees, a truth always stands out before my very eyes.

A one-sided humiliating relationship  mistaken for a loving two-way relationship; a client who thinks just because she’s been away from the work market, she would not fit there again despite the fact that she’s been receiving non-stop job offers during her stay at home; another guy who thinks he is not as good as others, and therefore, cannot possibly compete with his rivals, and so on. The examples are diverse, but they highlight the same fact that I discern over and over again: We are tying up our own hands with a pair of non-existent cuffs. I use the word ‘exist’, because in most cases, they are intangible, and may not even exist in their day-to-day reality. They’re mostly driven by the fear of the unknown. I too am guilty of holding myself back  every now and then, because of fear.

One of the blessings in life is that people come from different backgrounds, as this allows them to see other people’s experiences from a totally fresh point of view. If I had the same fears towards their problems as they did, I would not be able to motivate them in anyway. However, the mere fact that every person has a unique perspective towards what they hear and see, reinforces my sense of confidence in that I can help more people every time, which renews my sense of life purpose, and re-ignites my passion to help others.

Coaching is the best career step I have ever made in my life. It ties in together all my previous experiences, and allows me to align with my values and goals. It feels so great when you’re able to achieve a shift in perspective for your coachees. There’s nothing more worthy than to invest in human beings. I choose to do this, as opposed to investing in money as a life purpose. In return for work, I am gaining friendships, and in return of a fortune, I am gaining enough money to make me feel the achievement I am attaining every step of the way.

When I listen to these people’s stories, a voice in my head says: Regardless of the context, we limit their actions towards our goals, due to the strategies of fear that only we know their details, and we do that in prevention of a probable danger (criticism, bully, losses, etc.), mostly an unknown and a non-existent one in the external reality (as opposed to our internal sense of reality).

Byron Katie talks in one of her seminars about the culture of fear that parents and caregivers plant in children’s minds, thinking they are teaching these young souls to be more careful so they stay away from danger. Yet, they don’t teach them that getting hurt and falling down is part of life, and that danger is just as realistic as the floor they’re jumping on.

However, the difference between what parents teach their kids earlier in their lives, and what they (kids growing up into adults) suffer from eventually is that earlier in their lives, the source of instilling those fears was present and dominant, i.e. the parent/ caregiver was mostly standing around the child, and taking care of him/her.

Yet, it seems that as people grow older, they stop needing that teacher of fear to be physically present around them to remind them of those fears. Adults practice what they had learned as kids automatically. This is what I call “tying our own hands with non-existent cuffs”. Whether consciously or subconsciously, these fears are valid and existent (at least in the person’s mind), and because I may have a unique perspective on things, I can’t see these threats affecting me. Not feeling threatened by what threatens other people can help one feel grateful and more confident that I can help them. Simply by hearing a different insight, the listeners may achieve a major shift in their views to certain matters. They start to see how their fears are inside their heads and hearts, and they had been inflicting pain, stress and anxiety upon every part of their bodies. This applies to me. Helping others helps me realize my own fears and feelings, and that’s the beauty of investing in people.

When people create different understandings of pain, hurt, fear, pessimism, rage, anger, disappointment, etc, as the destinations they never wish to get to, in most cases, they end up dwelling there anyway.These people go on their lives carrying their loads of negative emotions toward things that had happened to them in their lives, or toward people who had caused them. However, the difference between this and adult fear is that when one is young, there’s somebody nagging him/her with such negative thoughts.

Despite the painful period of anxiety and stress, it can be undone, mainly by gaining more awareness around them and acting upon motivation. A heightened awareness can lift those invisible cuffs and worries off of our hands and minds. Coupled with a willingness to overcome those fears, it can have a major effect on our lives.

Byron Katie goes on to describe the sheer joy kids experience upon overcoming an adventure. Kids thrive upon delving into the unknown with a completely fresh mind and an energized soul, yearning for more life and adventure. If protecting ourselves from danger is the guarantee of happiness and success, then most cautious and long-living individuals must be the happiest people on earth.

Dr. Suzan Jeffers talks in her book, Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway,  that a good way to combat a feeling of imprisonment or blockage due to some fears we have, we can say to ourselves: “I’ll handle it”. So, when feeling afraid of committing to a certain action, we can say to our brains: If this (failure, hurt, disappointment) happens, I’ll handle it. The brain takes on whatever we tell it. So if we consciously overcome our fears around some things, then our brains can translate that into action in many cases.

We are born with an innate passion for adventure and experimentation as the result is mostly fun. Yet, as we grow older and are required to act and think in certain socially acceptable frameworks,  we may well allow our personal fears turn into cuffs that we accept as limitations to limit ourselves and our potential, in prevention of some unobservable danger.

Remember the image of these two kids jumping into the deep blue sea with total eagerness, energy and optimism. If these kids stop to think of the dangers, they would never experience the fun of such exciting dive. They may get hurt or they may not, but that wouldn’t stop them. That wouldn’t have stopped us when we were their age.

Think of what happened that made you change. Gauge if adventure is needed sometimes to gain some real success in your life. Prepare, plan and prevent danger, but don’t let it stop you from fulfilling your passion.

Free your hands from your invisible cuffs, and take a dive into the unknown. You can only expect more learning and more excitement.

Cheers!

Related articles

• What Are You Afraid Of? (selling4aliving.com)
• Don’t let and fear get in the way of your dreams! (discoversuraiya.wordpress.com)
• How to build better confidence: 5 effective steps! (theselfloveblog.com)
• Self Sabotage!! (themodernhippy.wordpress.com)
• Fear (possibleself.wordpress.com)
• There’s Nothing to Fear, But…Aw Heck Aren’t We All Afraid Sometime?? (ltrs2mom.com)
• Achieving Success: Top 6 Steps in Overcoming The Fear of Success (achievesuccessacademy.wordpress.com)

10 Tips for Public Speaking

I found this interesting article in the website of Toastmasters International.

I heard a very useful statement today made by someone called Ryan Eliason who said Perfectionism is the enemy of time management. In other words, nervousness does not necessarily lead to better quality of presentations. That could well be a myth. Most of us feel nervous in one time or another to give a speech or a presentation. So the following tips are simple but quite energizing.

Enjoy!

Source: http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/NeedHelpGivingaSpeech/TipsTechniques/10TipsforPublicSpeaking.aspx

How to find your confidence.

Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial, but too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here are some
proven tips on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:

1. Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more
   about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say.
2. Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.
3. Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers.
4. Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.
5. Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. (“One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm.
6. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping – it will boost your confidence.
7. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you.
8. Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the audience probably never noticed it.
9. Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.
10. Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need in a safe and friendly environment.

Visit a Toastmasters meeting!
Toastmasters groups meet in the morning, at noon, or in the evening in communities and corporations all over the world. No matter where you live, work or travel, you’ll likely find a group nearby.

Related Resources

10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting: Nurturing Your Child’s Soul

A friend, Beryl Comar, shared in the Six Seconds newsletter, the ten principles of how parents can raise their kids and refine their levels of spirituality.

Very interesting!

I truly believe this can help elevate kids’ awareness level from body to soul, which would offer a wiser perspective on life in general.

Enjoy!

 

“10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting: Nurturing Your Child’s Soul”  by Mimi Doe.

The parents I have worked with that have started using the principles say it has given them new perspectives on their parenting  … and they find new ways to spend  time with their children

Doe offers exercises, affirmations, and activities for parents for each spiritual parenting principle e.g.:

Spiritual Principle #1: Knowing God Cares for You. “Establish daily spiritual habits and household rituals & pray anytime you hear a siren & Send a blessing to everyone involved in the emergency incident & paint or draw pictures of God & point out simple signs of God in your child’s life: the perfect snowflake, the lunar eclipse, the magic of spring & Learn about the world’s religions & create a family alter.”

Spiritual Principle #2: Trust and teach that all life is connected and has a purpose. “Bring nature inside and let your family observe growth & Get involved in neighborhood beautification projects & Celebrate Earth Day & Take a hike & plant a butterfly garden or window box & Adopt a cause.”

Spiritual Principle #3: Listen to your child. “Have mealtime conversations & ask your child to write some prayers that the whole family can use & Make dates for one-on-one with your children & Set up specific discussion themes and times & Read books with your child & have family meetings & Wish upon a star with your child.”

Spiritual Principle #4: Words are important, use them with care. “Write a poem about your pets & Create a cartoon character that represents you & Create a story box & Grab your journal before you go to sleep at night and jot down five images of your child from the day & write the story of your child’s birth & plant secret love notes & Pray together as a family & tape record your daily conversations.”

Spiritual Principle #5: Allow and encourage dreams, wishes and hopes. “Spend time role-playing a dream & create a dream book & point out examples of good luck throughout the day & encourage team activities, sports, and interest groups & Ask each family member to draw or write his goals or dreams”

Spiritual Principle #6: Add magic to the ordinary. “Look for the fairy in the soap bubbles when you wash dishes & walk in the rain & Arrange the bedsheets into a tent and turn an ordinary night into an enchanted imaginary camp-out & watch the moon come out & Have a picnic indoors & Try waking your child with a song & Play in the snow & come up with a family logo or family slogan.”

Spiritual Principle #7: Create a flexible structure. “Take a recess from dishwashing for a night & turn out the lights and just use candles & have fun with a monthly dinner with international cuisine and music & choose a direction and walk for ten minutes that way & get silly & talk in a silly language.”

Spiritual Principle #8: Be a positive mirror for your child. “Acknowledge your mistakes & sing hymns, drum, chant, or pray & Ask the blessing at mealtimes, say goodnight prayers, ask for a safe journey & laugh & List five traits you like about yourself as a child & support and cheer on others & yell or hold up cheering signs & smile.”

Spiritual Principle #9: Release the struggle. “Release you image of an ideal family & accept that children are not always going to please you & take a quiet day & slow down & Help your child create a peaceful place in her mind & imagine a restful setting & Ask your child to place his hands on his heart. Feel the beating & picture light around your home & meditate & take a hot bath & Form a parent group & push back the furniture and allow your child to dance their energy out.”

Spiritual Principle #10: Make each day a new beginning. “Validate successes at the day’s end, even small ones such as waking up on time & It’s alright to say no & Don’t sweat the small stuff & rethink your priorities today & Play with the idea that you have no limits & Start the morning on a peaceful note. If it means making lunches and laying out school clothes the night before, do so & get up fifteen minutes earlier & Encourage children to eat slowly &Walk like a winner & In the evening visualize how you would like tomorrow to turn out.”

Privacy or Not, This Is The Question!

How much privacy should we give our kids? Most of us have been guilty of keeping a closed eye on some things that our kids may be doing, out of wanting to give them privacy. Yet, some say by avoiding uncomfortable confrontations with our kids, we may be letting go of a crucial part in our role as parents and caregivers of these children.

I liked what a mother once told me: “I know I probably stress too much about my daughter’s friendships and whereabouts, but one thing I know for sure… I know I can never regret being there for her, and watching over her. When she’s old enough, she’ll probably be doing the same thing with her kids. “

Following is an article that talks about this, and how we can bridge the emotional gap between us as parents and our kids with a consolation basis.

Privacy: How Much Should Kids Have?
Weekly Tip from the Love and Logic^® Experts

Dear Razan,

 

Have you ever heard a parent say something like, “I don’t feel comfortable searching my daughter’s room. I don’t want to invade her privacy.”?

Perhaps you know a child who is severely bent out of shape because their “Neanderthal” parents won’t allow them to keep a computer in their bedroom.

Where do I stand on this issue?

• It’s our job to do our best to know what’s going on in our children’s lives.

• It’s our job to know what’s in their rooms.

• It’s our job to do our best to know what they are doing on their computers and their phones.

• It’s our job to do our best to meet their friends and understand what they are involved in when they are hanging out.

• When we do these things, we send the message that we love them enough to be involved in their lives.

Parents who do such things will likely hear, “You don’t trust me!” If so, respond with the following:

We love you. Do you think we do these things to be nosey and obnoxious… or do we do these things because we love you and want to help you stay safe?

This question is not designed to change their mind. It’s simply designed to plant a seed within it. When we consistently demonstrate love and concern…rather than a dictatorial attitude…this seed has a chance to grow.

As a society, we’ve lost far too many good kids to drugs, alcohol, pornography, suicide, video game addiction, etc., because we’ve been afraid of invading privacy. In our Teen Package you’ll find a treasure chest of ideas for staying highly involved in your teen’s life…without creating massive power-struggles and rebellion.

Thanks for reading! Our goal is to help as many families as possible. If this is a benefit, forward it to a friend.

Dr. Charles Fay

©2012 Love and Logic Institute, Inc. All copyright infringement laws apply. Permission granted for forwarding and/or for a single photocopy or electronic reproduction of one email tip only. Please do not alter or modify. For more information, call the Love and Logic Institute, Inc. at 800-338-4065.

80/20 Rule! Not Time But Goal-Management

Where does all the time go? Time nowadays seem to fly by so fast.

It is always scary to realize how much time has passed without having achieved what you had set out to do during that period.

The 80/20 rule is a very exciting technique that helps us keep track of time and manage to get the most important things done first.

Enjoy!

Host a Decor Swap Party

Host a Decor Swap Party.

via Host a Decor Swap Party.

Watch This Every Morning! :-)

Can you feel the difference in your energy upon thinking positively?

Make it a habit of waking up to a whole new list of positive affirmations that can seriously brighten your way.

I have read in one of the interesting blogs I visited today a quote by Henry Ford that said:

“Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right”.

You are what and who you think you are.

Create a happier, warmer and more successful You each day!

Change Is Not Always Bad… It’s An Opportunity!

Who said change was bad. Most of us frown upon the prospect of change. Few of us can see possibility in new circumstances. Fear of the unknown is expected but how about faith in the newness of upcoming things?

Dr. Wayne Dyer gives an example of this that is probably very similar to the days of recession we have been going through. Change is not always bad. In fact, it might be – according to Dr. Dyer – God’s way of showing you a new way.

Listening to My Inner Voice Can Make Me Happy

Listening to My Inner Voice Can Make Me Happy.

About Weight Loss!

Who’s not guilty of weight gain every now and then. I have found this useful article in the following link: About My Weight Loss Blog!.