U-Turn Warrior Blog

What is the Feldenkrais Method?

2011-12-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

The Feldenkrais Method is a unique approach to human movement and learning. Often our movement is limited due to unconscious habits of muscular holding.

Feldenkrais lessons help people to recognize and interrupt these habits, and eliminate limitations and restrictions. As a result students learn better body mechanics and discover natural flexibility and comfort. As students let go of unnecessary effort they start to move more in accordance with the design of the skeleton and experience reductions of strain and tension throughout the whole body. This new way of coordinating oneself results in increased strength, grace and well-being.

This learning is directly applied to improve all of life’s daily activities, as well as athletic and artistic skills. There are two complimentary formats of the Feldenkrais Method (Awareness Through Movement), and private lessons (Functional Integration).

Carolyn Townsend is a Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner and well-known Physiotherapist in Fredericton. She practices physiotherapy and the Feldenkrais Method at CBI Health Centre, Kings Place Mall and offers Feldenkrais Classes and Workshops at Lokamotion Complementary Health Studio, 151 Main Street, Unit 2, Fredericton, NB.

For more information, to book an appointment, or register for a workshop, contact ctown@nbnet.nb.ca or phone 459-8697. To contact her at CBI Health Centre call 458-0204.

The Importance of New Beginnings

2011-11-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

You reach a certain stage in life when it seems there are more endings than beginnings. In his epic book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill says that most people have given up their dreams by mid-forties. There are many ways to die.

I got thinking about this as I sat parked in front of the building that once housed our flooring businees. It's slated for demolition. It looks broken, used up, nothing like it once was.

I thought I might get a sense of soul if I went there just once more. I was mistaken. Gone is the laughter, the blood, sweat and tears. It used to vibrate with our passion and dreams.

I now get to view it all through rose-coloured glasses. I can let go of the struggles and remember the success. Brian and I would often look at one another and say, "We have the best customers!". It was a zoo in there. One former employee said, "It was a fun place to work".

The ambiance was such that our customers would come and linger: perhaps on the showroom couch, sipping fresh coffee, meeting their friends and sharing their news. Come, sit awhile. Times have changed.

It's important to begin again. With each passing, we must create a new adventure. There is no failure in life other than doing nothing.

It's all too easy to charge through life, breathless, numb and missing the meaning, the beauty and the possibilities for rebirth.

Entrepreneurs have an opportunity to truly express who they are and create a great experience for both staff and customers. Don't miss that! And, if you are in a job or career you hate, one that violates your deepest values, move on.

Begin again - because you can.

Feeling stuck? Call me.

Warmest regards,
Sharon

Stories are not Truth

2011-10-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

We are a story-telling species. Stories make sense of our world, shape our identities, beliefs and tell us where we belong. Our past, present and future are embodied in our stories. From cave walls to Facebook walls we seek our place and fulfill our innate need to tell our stories and to hear those of others. By sharing our tales, we find validation and common ground. There are countless ways of expression through music, art, dance, writing and speaking.

The whole world is fuelled and shaped by stories. In order to understand a culture you must listen to the stories. Stories can inspire, motivate, teach, persuade and entertain.

Stories can also separate, isolate, segregate, manipulate and devastate.

Every experience has a story attached to it.

The story we choose to attach to our experience is influenced by the information we have at the time and the cognitive level we’re at. Before language, a child is imprinted emotionally. Future experiences will trigger past emotions and colour our stories. We are also influenced by culture, religion, schooling, assumptions and the opinions of others.

We can become entrapped by the stories of our life.

Become aware that You are not the story: You are more than the story.

Recognize that others are not the stories you make up about them.

What about your story can you reframe?

Leadership in this changing world requires that we re-write the stories of how things should be. And, the world today requires that we all be leaders. We need to take charge of our lives and that means first that we take command of our thoughts, our judgements and our script. Innovation and creativity don’t arise from a mind and soul trapped in stories that no longer serve.

What are the thoughts that chain your mind?
What if you were the “hero” in your own story?
What is your Bigger Story (your life purpose)?
What actions do you need to take?

Warmest regards,
Sharon

A Heartfelt Testimonial

2011-07-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

I made a call to Sharon at a moment when I felt my life was spiraling down around me. I was a bundle of emotions with anxiety, sickness, despair and frustration. I remember being close to tears when I made the initial call saying I need to be fixed. Sharon, very matter of fact said, you are not broken and I will help you find the path to clear vision and a place of calm. Immediately after making that initial call I was feeling better, the weight I had carried with me for the past year was lightened because of our conversation and her reassurance that she would work with me to help me understand myself and my feelings.

That first call in my time of total despair put me on the path to finding the authentic me. Sharon asked me a very simple question that I had never really thought about in the past. What are your values?? A simple question yes, but for me it took some thought. Listing my true values on paper helped me understand my own feelings and how I relate to others. Another pivotal point for me in our weekly sessions was learning to respond and not react to situations. I learned why situations triggered my emotions and learned how to Respond instead of React. What an uplifting and motivating experience!!

These sessions helped me understand myself in a way that has given me self confidence and clear direction. It has helped validate who I am. My personalized coaching with Sharon moved my business forward in a professional manner at a very fast pace. This shift was taking place before my very eyes with each weekly session. Imagine my excitement seeing such immediate results!! I am in a leadership position so it was extremely important for me to understand Me before I could lead others. I am now having fun and enjoying the challenges life brings each day whether it is in my personal life or professional life. It has restored my desire to be the best I can be each and every day. I Now Believe in Me. I have lost the backpack of guilt, frustration and limitations, I feel lighthearted, happy and empowered to spread my wings and be open to opportunities, enjoy new experiences and new dreams.

Thank you Sharon for helping me find my way. It has been a positive eye opening experience for me and has made ALL the Difference in My World. The best part of this experience is knowing Sharon, you are only a phone call away if I stray from my path you are there to light the way!! For that I am very grateful.

These personal coaching sessions with Sharon are very powerful and helpful for anyone no matter where you are in the path of life!! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!! There is only One You!

Reignite your Passion for Life and Follow Your Dreams you will Love Yourself for it!

Sincerely,
Jane
Halifax, NS

Intentional Goals Part 3: Creating the Powerful Plan

2011-06-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

The feeling of your INTENTION is the power that drives your goals. It’s not just your thoughts, words or actions.

The focus of your ATTENTION is when your thoughts and energy are aligned with your Intention.

I can’t stress enough that to achieve Clarity for the above, you must clear the clutter in your head!

NOW you are ready to create your Powerful Plan.

1. Your Intention and your Goals must be written down. This is the first and most important step.

2. Written goals should begin with “To...” Example: "My intention is to be a catalyst for my clients to achieve more clarity, joy, fulfillment and success in their personal and professional lives. My current goal is to create a program that will assist my clients to clear the clutter that obscures their full potential and purpose.”

3. All goals must have a completion date.

4. It is the smaller goals that are most important because they are the Action Steps that will get you there.

5. Get clear and specific about the obstacles: write them down.

6. Be prepared and flexible about changing the goals or steps when necessary.

7. Stay with it! Check in with your lists weekly.

A slightly new twist on SMART GOALS:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Accountable (for living into the Big “A” agenda)
• Resonant (fully honouring your core values, desires and true self)
• Thrilling (compelling, exciting, powerful, big)

Be Bold; Be Real; Be a Warrior!

Intentional Goals Part 2: Focusing Your Attention

2011-06-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

If Intention is the “compelling why”, then Attention is the “what”. It is the mental, rather than the emotional, tool.

ATTENTION requires that you are fully present both mentally and physically to what is needed to serve your goals and propel you forward.

ASK YOURSELF:
1. What are you giving your attention to?
2. What is your “self-talk”?
3. Are your “doings” taking you to where you want to go?
4. What do you need to let go of in order to clear the path – your barriers and obstacles?

Now we get to the big question, the one my clients most often ask: HOW?

When you think of the journey towards a goal, most of us are wandering aimlessly and hoping for the best. Or, we’re tossing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.

“HOW” BECOMES JUST ANOTHER STUCK PLACE!

If you are very clear about the Intention and you are giving your Attention to what you are doing right now, the How will unfold. Sounds a bit scary, right?

This is not to say that you don’t create a plan. In fact, we will deal with that specifically in Part 3.

When your Intention is coming from the Real You, the path with heart, the steps will open up naturally from your gut, your inner voice of wisdom.

As you take these steps, do a mental and physical check:
1. What is happening physically? Excitement, clarity? Or, anxiety and stress?
2. What is your gut telling you?
3. What are your thoughts?
4. Are you vibrating?

When you are on the right path, you’ll feel energized, positive and passionate. If not, you may have to go back and examine your intention or perhaps redefine your goals.

WARNING: Be prepared for the “naysayers”. By following your truth and your passion, you quite likely will not be meeting the expectations of others.

NEXT BLOG: Intentional Goals, Part 3: Creating a Powerful Action Plan

Intentional Goals: Part 1

2011-06-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

All of our successes and failures are tied to our Programming and our programming determines most of our thoughts and beliefs.

Our Self-talk , the endless chatter in our heads, reflects our strongest programs that we have carried with us since childhood. Much of this programming was imprinted before the age of reason, which is approximately age 7. It becomes stronger and more tenacious with time and repetition. If allowed, it controls our thoughts, influences our self-esteem, attitudes, beliefs and most of our actions and results.

Many of the goals we set for ourselves come from the “should” place.

“Should” is usually about meeting the expectations of others. We begin to collect the “shoulds” in the early socialization process and soon they become the hammer inside our heads.

“SHOULD” IS WHERE WE GET STUCK; it is a fear place.

Change your self-talk and the thoughts you attach to and you will change your programs. Change your programs and you will change your life.

INTENTIONAL GOALS: the goals you set based on your personal core values and according to the vision you have for your life. Intention is not a “doing” but rather, it is about outcome and feelings. It is the heart of the matter – the path – your passion. When you are in your authentic intention, you feel the energetic vibrations.

INTENTION IS THE “COMPELLING WHY”.

Until you identify the compelling why, you will continue to wander aimlessly in the wilderness. The “why” is not about satisfying needs and wants. It’s about realizing clear choices through inner wisdom and intuition.

Your first step to intentional goal-setting is to get uncomfortable and ask yourself:

1. What is my truth that needs to be expressed?

2. What is the outcome I wish to create?

3. How do I want to feel about the outcome?

4. What is stopping me?

5. Will this goal and outcome serve my greater purpose, my Why?

Be specific.

Be Bold and Courageous,

Sharon
NEXT BLOG: INTENTIONAL GOALS, Part 2: Focusing Your Attention

LEADERCAST

2011-05-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

I attended Leadercast at the Forestry Centre on Friday and what a great opportunity, thanks to modern technology. By large screen video we got to “attend” a live event taking place in Atlanta featuring many extraordinary people who are making a difference in the world. Among them, Seth Godin, John C. Maxwell, Sir Ken Maxwell, Mack Brown, Suzy Welsh, Frans Johansson, etc.

The main messages for business leaders, entrepreneurs and anyone wishing for more fulfilling and prosperous lives were as follows:

Values – your authenticity

Intentionality

Take responsibility

Imagination

Push the boundaries – Challenge the status quo

Don’t “react”

Do what you love

Good decision-making skills

Visualize outcomes

Creativity – be an artist – create from your uniqueness

Leadership is creative, comes from the real you and has momentum

Stay tuned for my next blog: Intentional Goal-setting

Millions of Souls, the Philip Riteman Story

2011-04-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

The sadness in his eyes pooled and glistened, welling up from his very soul, as he rolled up his shirtsleeve to reveal to me his tattoo. Philip Riteman had been Prisoner Number 98706.

I met Philip in the 1980’s – he was the owner of an import trading company out of Nova Scotia. Over the months and years that he called on our retail flooring store, his story gradually unfolded. From this gentle, kind, and soft-spoken man, the tears fell with each telling.

In 1941 the Riteman family was uprooted by the Nazis from their home in Poland, along with the rest of the Jews and many Christians. Within a week of arriving in Auschwitz, Philip’s grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters were all dead. In all, he lost 30 family members by the end of the war.

Philip was only 14 when his odyssey of horror began. The journey took him through five concentration camps. The prisoners were subjected to starvation and tortured randomly for the amusement of their sadistic captors. He witnessed what the mind cannot comprehend.

Liberated in 1945, the 17 year-old weighed just 75 pounds.

In 1946 he was brought to Newfoundland by his mother’s sister. With nothing but courage and determination and speaking no English, he became a door-to-door pedlar. Through the kindness of the people he rose to become a successful businessman.

Philip had recovered, but he was not free.

The darkness that encased his spirit and his mind gave him no rest. The voices continued to cry out in agony. The bloody images were indelibly etched upon his sight.

He remained silent for 40 years...until it became unbearable to do so.

Thus began his journey to finally speak for the millions and millions of souls whose cries haunted his days and nights.

In his eighties now, he is still speaking to hundreds of students each year.

His book, Millions of Souls: the Philip Riteman Story, as told to Mireille Baulu-MacWillie, was released in 2010. In his book, Philip says:

“When I go speaking in schools I feel like I am crying in the wilderness, I am crying to God, I am crying to young people so that they can be aware of the dangers of evil thinking and malicious intentions.”

Philip Riteman has been recognized for reliving the unimaginable. Among the many accolades are honourary degrees from Memorial and St. Thomas universities. In 2009, he received the Order of Nova Scotia.

Philip’s message to students is clear: “to think for themselves, to respect others, to love rather than hate, and to stand up against all evil.”

Choices

2011-03-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

As a solo-preneur, there are times when hard choices must be made. For the past year, as I dealt with loss of loved ones, I decided to pull back from writing and concentrate my time and energy on my clients. The death of my ex-husband and business partner, father of my son, resulted in a very complicated estate. Due to mental illness and hoarding on his part, cleaning up and disposing of his material world became another “job”- complex, emotional and exhausting. As I plodded through it all on almost a daily basis, I needed to look for the gift in it all. That first required that I separate the mess from the man. The grieving became two-fold: the loss of his presence in my life and the loss of what might have been. Mental illness robs its victim of peace. It has far-reaching consequences for those who choose to stand by. Although separated, I chose to be there both in his life and in his death. In the gradual separating of him from the consequences of his illness, I finally reached the fullness of acceptance. I had harboured resentment and sometimes anger for the many ways he had complicated our lives for so many years. In choosing acceptance, I was then able to forgive him and, more importantly, myself. I smile now at all we shared that was positive. We had built a successful business, a family and a life. As his illness progressed he was living more in the past and we would often laugh about the many adventures we had shared in business and, the wonderful people we met. Brian remains in my heart. In my vision he is strong and healthy and smiling. He championed my journey into Life Coaching and he is still encouraging me with each new day.

Courage vs Complacency

2011-03-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

Look around you. Complacency is everywhere in our society. We tend to look to the news headlines for the courageous, the heroes.

Complacency breeds upon itself and spreads insidiously through all areas of our lives as we unwittingly give up our power and our will to create excellence.

Good enough or that will do becomes the standard of the day.

Why should you care? No one else does.

Complacency is a deadly disease. It steals your energy, your joy and your aliveness. It kills companies. It destroys economies. It diminishes and destroys your relationships with your partner, children, friends and colleagues.

Complacency fosters the acceptance of negativity, violence, self-centeredness, isolation and substandard quality in all things. It has crept silently into our education systems with the “dumbing down” of standards and the “numbing down” of mind and spirit.

So, who are the courageous, the real heroes?

The most courageous amongst us are those who commit to discovering who they really are and seek the best in themselves. They are the individuals who are committed to learning and changing the beliefs and habits and thoughts that are holding them back from fulfilling their dreams. They are willing to fight complacency.

Change is the hardest thing that any of us can do. It requires that we face our fears, our limitations and take responsibility for our decisions and our mistakes. It means letting go of blaming and making assumptions.

How do you overcome complacency?

Napoleon Hill says: Control Your Own Thoughts.

Focus on the thoughts that feel natural to you: positive, intentional thoughts that move you forward towards your goals and feel congruent with your values. When things don’t quite work out, don’t bring out the WHY hammer and beat yourself or someone else. Learn, change and continue forward.

Courage brings you freedom.

“Only those who risk going far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
(T.S. Eliot 1888-1965)

Is Your Belief System Congruent with Your Business Goals?

2010-08-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

Your Unconscious Mind is steering the ship! Using the iceberg analogy, our Conscious Mind is only the tip that is visible above the water line. This Unconscious level controls our life-view, decisions, our health, wealth and general well-being. It determines how we show up in both our personal and professional lives.

Much of our Belief System resides in our Unconscious Mind. It is built on our evaluation and perception of events and experiences in our lives. If we re-evaluate or change our perspectives (thoughts), our beliefs will change. We create our own reality.

Integrate the conscious and unconscious levels and you create congruency.

The process, the shift, begins with Values Clarification. What is important to you and why. Are you living and working in alignment with those values?

The next step is to look at your Comfort Zones. A comfort zone is the emotional ceiling you have put in place. It is a place to hide. It feels safe because it is familiar.

Your Comfort Zones will indicate your Limiting Beliefs.

For example: Your obvious business goal is to be successful. But, perhaps your unconscious belief is that you are a failure, or, you are not worthy of success.

Your Limiting Beliefs Support Your Comfort Zones. Failure becomes your comfort zone because it is familiar. Everyone has failed at something.

A new zone may feel awkward, foreign or like you “don’t belong” and your inner critic (that voice in your head) will pull you back. The critic, your personal saboteur, will always fight for the status quo, the comfort zone.

In order to access your Limiting Beliefs, you might ask yourself the following questions:
- Where and when do you feel frustrated, disappointed, stuck?
- What are your excuses? Your “yes, buts”?
- Where do you feel guilty?
- When and how often are you second-guessing important decisions?
- How is it serving you to stay where you are? In other words, what is the payback?

Although it is not always necessary to identify exactly where the fears, self-doubts and limiting beliefs originated in order to make a shift, it can be helpful.

Most of our limiting beliefs date back to our early programming as children.

As you begin to re-program your belief system and dump the old stuff, you clear the way for that other voice: the voice of wisdom, insight, intuition and confidence.

Make the choice today to rewrite the old stories and beliefs and access your inner Warrior, the voice of wisdom.

Want to get there faster? Get a Coach!

You Dream of Starting Your Own Business....

2010-08-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

You have been feeling the itch for some time. You want the freedom to fully express yourself and your talents and to be your own boss. It will take more than talent, passion and prayers.

Here are 10 things to consider before you take the leap.

1. Are you crystal clear about what you want to create?

2. Who would be your competitors, directly and indirectly, and what are they
doing? Get out there and ask.

3. What would make your business stand out? What makes you unique?

4. Who are your potential customers; what are their burning wants and needs
that are not being met? How will you know for sure?

5. Can you realistically obtain and support sufficient financing for the next 2-5 years
it will take to establish your venture?

6. What are the potential barriers and risks and how will you manage them?

7. What aspects of your business will require training? Where will you get
it and what will it cost?

8. What is the impact on other areas of your life and your loved ones?

9. What support structures will be there for you?

10. Is your level of commitment great enough to sustain you through the
obstacles and unforeseen setbacks?

Beginning a new business is a bit like a new romance. The adrenaline is pumping; you feel energized; your creative juices are pumped and you are passionately committed. This is the honeymoon stage. When you hit the first few bumps in the road, you are still confident that nothing can stop you.

Gradually reality creeps in. You are getting tired, less focused and clear. The day-to-day grind seems less attractive than what you had envisioned. This is where you may begin to drift from the “why” part of choosing to be an entrepreneur.

Here are 6 things to consider once you decide to take the leap:

1. Make a detailed business plan that includes the above questions.

2. Establish your goals and the compelling reasons they are important.
Why are you in business?

3. Identify your team and how they can support you. Be sure that you
include the professionals that you will need such as a lawyer, an
accountant, a banker and perhaps a business coach.

4. Make sure that your budget includes what you need to invest in
your own training, marketing and branding.

5. Make another plan: a plan for executing the first plan with excellence.

6. Pay yourself first. Always. Even if it is a small amount.

This the bare bones of what you will need. Depending on the complexity of your business, there will be many details. Make your plan flexible; re-visit it often and make necessary changes quickly. Leverage your mistakes.

In order to deal with the dip that follows the honeymoon, surround yourself with positive people who will champion you, be objective and truthful, and hold you accountable.

The last word:

Get out of your own way.
Have fun and laugh often.
Don’t give up.

Coaching Your Warrior,

Sharon

When My Ship Comes In....

2010-07-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

By society’s standards our dad was a very successful man: a top executive with an international company.

But we could always feel his discontent, his restlessness. It was in the air.

He always wanted to own a tree farm.

“Most of us die with the music still in us”, said Wayne Dyer, and others.

Does this sound like you?

What is your secret desire, your impossible dream? What is the fear that holds you back?

- when I have less stress..
- when I have more money…
- when the kids have left…
- what if I fail…

…..When my ship comes in….

So, here is my question. Have you sent your ship out?

Don’t miss the journey!

Your partner in success and bold steps,

Sharon

Saying Goodbye....Letting Go..

2010-05-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

I have been paralyzed and blocked from writing since the January 4th death of my ex-husband, former business partner and dear friend. He had been ill for a long time with a serious and progressive heart condition. He was also mentally ill. Mental Illness. We still, as a society, want to whisper the words. We shrink at the mere thought.

Brian was brilliant, exceptionally creative and talented and worked hard. He was a paranoid schizophrenic and an obsessive-compulsive hoarder. The collecting, the hoarding and utter chaos of his environment was reflective of the turmoil of his mind. The thoughts that ran together constantly, intersecting and bouncing off each other offered him no rest, no peace. A cluttered, noisy mind.

He hoarded at two locations over a period of almost 20 years. The emotional trauma for me and our son was enormous as we searched the rubble for treasures, for understanding and for meaning.

He was a talented writer. He wrote volumes in order to express the endless stream of thoughts that sought release. He searched for peace, for truth and for purpose. The real world became too harsh for him. He pushed against it. It was like pushing against an immovable object. The very evil that he raged against and tried to retreat from, instead, engulfed him. By holding onto the injustices that world spewed out, he grew weaker. The less he could control the world and ultimately his own thoughts and actions the angrier and sicker he became.

As we sifted through the massive piles and boxes, we traveled his twisted, painful path. We found little of material value. We felt his torment. We experienced his longings. We heard his prayer. And gradually, gently we began to let him go…with love.

And now we can now move forward, having chosen what we will keep and what we will release. I keep within me the memory of the man with whom I worked shoulder to shoulder to build a successful business from scratch. I hold on to the passion, the integrity of the dream and the gentleness of spirit that I knew was there. I can now hold him in that peaceful place he so longed for.

Grief takes you into the past. It is an opportunity for reflection. It is a time for sorting and choosing. It can also be a time for clearing space for something new and wonderful. Like Spring…a new beginning……..

……Or, the birth of a baby. Our first grandson arrived yesterday, May 15th, and is named Briden in honour of Brian Dennis Cowan.

What do you need to clear away to allow for new growth and possibilities?

What miracles are waiting for you to show up?

Captain Trevor Greene, The Peace Warrior

2009-12-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

On November 9th, 2009, Captain Trevor Greene received the Sacrifice Medal at Rideau Hall, Ottawa. He has traveled a long and hard road from March, 2006 when he was shipped back to Canada from Afghanistan in a coma. He was not expected to live.

In March of 2006, the Vancouver BC reservist, journalist, published author and new father of a baby girl, was serving a peace mission in Afghanistan. In a small village in the Taliban area, he and his troops sat down to a meeting (shura) with tribal elders for discussions to build trust. As a measure of goodwill the troops typically remove their helmets and lay down their guns, a position of vulnerability. Almost immediately he was savagely struck in the back of the neck with an axe. Another Canadian soldier shot the attacker dead.

Surprisingly, when he regained consciousness and after brain surgery, his cogitative abilities were still in tact! His recovery to this point has been a series of near-miracles strengthened by the dedication and support of his fiancée, Debbie. Still, it is the drive within that ultimately moves one past insurmountable obstacles. Trevor had not only the will to live, but to live a meaningful life again.

CTV’s W-Five produced the documentary The Peace Warrior which follows Trevor and Debbie for more than a year as Trevor undergoes brain injury rehabilitation. This documentary (http://watch.ctv.ca/news/w5/w-five-presents-peace-warrior/#clip121589 ) received the Gemini Award this year for Best Biography Documentary.

Trevor appears at speaking engagements and is now writing a book about his experience and the power of hope.

Trevor before the attack and now is a thoughtful, deep and caring person. This has come back to him ten-fold from near and far.

The true warrior knows he doesn’t stand alone.

The true warrior knows he must be an instrument of peace.

Stop Kicking Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

2009-10-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

Possessing an “entrepreneurial spirit” does not mean that you must have your own business. Not all business owners possess it.

When a business, career or relationship is new - you feel alive. The vision is clear. Senses are engaged and vibrating.

And for a while you feel unstoppable, until one one day you notice that you are hurtling through space on the busy-ness rocket - into the darkness until you literally start asking yourself:

“When did the light go out?”

“When did the path become littered with noise?”

“When did my passion turn into panic?”

That’s when a 180 degree u-turn can help you get back on the right track - by doing something different.

Be still. Turn down the volume of endless chatter in your head.

Breathe. Have you been holding your breath?

Share. Speak what’s on your mind with someone who can objectively ask the tough questions and offer you new perspectives. Find someone who’ll hold up the mirror so you can see the real you.

Dump the details that just don’t serve any purpose.

Try something different - hey maybe a kick butt life coach can help :-)

Are You Living Your Dreams?

2009-10-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

Every dream and every goal that you haven’t achieved is the result of your shadows. In the darkness are the things that we hide, the parts of ourselves that we can’t be with.

Think of yourself as a house with many rooms. Some of those rooms are vibrant with light and colour. There is a distant melody. But a few of the rooms are in darkness. You have passed by so many times that you no longer consciously notice the closed doors.

Although you deny and resist your unconscious self, there are constant reminders. That little voice in your head feeds off your fears with harsh words, self-judgments and lies and claims “victory” each time you retreat in defeat. It is the voice of your Saboteur.

Your Saboteur wants to silence your Soul.

Your Saboteur delights in telling you, over and over, that you are not enough. Guilt, shame, addictions and self-destructive behaviours are the means of control. This dialogue is more painful than the secrets you hide from, but the pattern has been set. And round and round you go.

In cloaking those rooms in shadow you have also closed off the gold, the magnificence of your full potential. For in every shadow and every painful memory or story, there is a gift.

And so, it is only when you have the courage to fling open the doors and face things exactly as they are, without fear or illusion, that the light will shine gloriously on the learning, the gift.

You will recognize your Path. You will hear your Song clearly.

You will begin to Live the Real You!

Do you have the courage to seek peace and to let your Soul fly?

See me...hear me...touch me...tell me..

2009-10-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

that I matter.

We all need to know that our lives matter, that our lives have meaning. We need to be acknowledged. We need to know that the struggle, the pain and the trials have meaning and purpose.

More importantly, we need to be heard and understood.

One of the today’s greatest challenges is feeling isolated. Not knowing where we fit. It is a death of sorts. Fear isolates us. And so, there we all are, together, yet totally separate. Disconnected. Weary. Acting out our roles, our personas and wearing the appropriate masks. Trying to meet the expectations of others.

Remember the teenager.

The teenager walks that tenuous line between dependency and independence…two extremes. Not understanding interdependence. Longing to be unique, terrified of being seen as “different”. The world delivers such mixed and confusing messages.

What does it mean to be unique? Is the “real me” enough?

Many of us never move from those teenage terrors. What does it take to cross the “terror barrier”? Who will be there if you do? What if you fail?

Look at the criminal.

Who is he/she other than one of “us” seeking to be seen, heard, acknowledged and known. “I exist. I am here. I can make a mark. See me.”

Life is Choice. We tend to forget that. We can choose to be helpless victims or we can choose to have purpose and meaning in our lives.

We can choose Courage and Freedom and Service to others.

That is when our lives really matter. Are you ready?

Say What?!!

2009-09-26T16:04:00.001-07:00

Recently, on a Sunday, a client called. She blurted out that she had experienced a major breakthrough. And, it was a result of my telling her to ‘Shut up”!

Whaaat? I couldn’t have said that to a client! My mind scrambled to remember.
Ahhh, now I get it. I had suggested to her that she step back from her situation and observe; that she remain silent and allow herself to hear.

She had been verbally ‘reacting” to this other person based on her past experience. The knee-jerk response. Making assumptions. The ‘stories’ she clung to and dragged forward into the present were controlling her mind and emotions. She was, like most of us, projecting onto another what had hurt her in the past...her wounds.

For her, the new perspective was life altering.

What's interesting is that often. in the coaching process, the client will receive the message that they most need to hear.

Shut up. Perhaps we all are doing too much talking and not enough listening.

What about you?

Live the real you…. mindfully.
Sharon

What About Happiness?

2009-09-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

For 20 years I had the privilege of being a patient of family practitioner Dr. Duncan Hadley. In 1998 he died tragically in an accident at the age of 49.

Shortly before he died he asked me how I had managed to survive and conquer so much adversity in my life. He was surveying his patients in an attempt to understand why some fall and others grow stronger.

I replied that I must remain strong for my son: set an example. He then asked, “What about happiness?”

I paused to ponder. I then answered “Happiness is in the moment….bits and pieces. It is there; it is everywhere; it is who I am.” He frowned as he tried to absorb this.

As he went to the door, he turned and said: “You are a very strong woman.”

And then, in an instant, he was gone.

The devastation to the community was beyond description. No room in the church for all who mourned the loss of a great man, a warrior.

His spirit lives on and I still feel the loss. He lifts me up still. He was a gift to all who knew him and to his beautiful wife and three daughters.

Is life fair? Absolutely not! But, this is the only life we have.

Duncan Hadley made it matter.

Live the real you, NOW
Sharon

On Becoming Authentic

2009-09-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

I was de-cluttering my office and sorting old files when I came upon this poem. It was sent to me by a friend back in 2001. When she wrote it, she was working on her Masters degree in Education and one of her courses was about being your authentic self. Since my tag-line is Live the Real You, I was struck by the significance and depth of this little poem.

On Becoming Authentic

We search for a lifetime
For what we
Lost at the beginning---
Our real self.
Left is a void
Anxious,turbulent
Vacant at times
And yet unyielding.
A constant search
To find the scattered pieces
And put them together
Into our original
True essence.
The journey back and forth at the same time
Requires committed
Vigilance
To integrate all our parts
Face our fears
And learn to love what
We lost in the beginning.

JMD

THE CAR BUTLER

2009-09-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

I am excited to say that I now have a butler- a car butler, that is – and I am willing to share! Derek Killam has hit upon a brilliant business idea and he is selling peace-of-mind. Who wouldn’t want some of that?

My car recently failed the MVI and I was informed that the cost to bring it up to snuff was going to be at least $1700. It was then I first decided to call Derek. What could I lose? He came quickly, took off with my car and had a couple of other experts look at it, suggest alternative solutions and provide estimates. The outcome was a saving of $1400. Now, that is not to say that he will always have that kind of result, but he will do whatever is needed to ensure that all of the options have been explored and you have an honest result. And, if it is a part you need, he will source the parts, take your car for the repair and get it back to you.

Now, in my case, he returned for my car when the part came in, had the work done and got the inspection sticker put on. This saved me hours of lost time. I was able to continue working and to feel confident that my car was in good hands.

Derek was a service manager for 12 years and now he brings the service desk to your door. Wow! This is creativity at its best!

Derek can be reached on his cell at 506.260.6271 or you can email him at DerekKillam@rogers.com.

A peaceful solution for very busy people

Love and Peace
Sharon

MARY KAY ASH: More Than a Pink Cadillac (by Jim Underwood)

2009-09-03T17:00:00.001-07:00

Jim Underwood, Ph.D., is an award winning author, business professor and strategy and leadership consultant. More Than a Pink Cadillac: Mary Kay Inc.’s 9 Leadership Keys to Success is an important book for all entrepreneurs, large and small. Even since Mary Kay’s death in 2001 her company remains one of the best run and most successful companies in the world. Her business philosophy and strategies have been taught at the prestigious Harvard School of Business.

I joined the company as a consultant in 2000 during a period of recuperation from illness that had taken me from my usual entrepreneurial pursuits. Although Mary Kay was no longer personally attending the Seminars, her presence was and always will be powerful. She began her business from her kitchen table with a passionate dream of making life better for the women in her community. She had $5000. The odds were overwhelmingly stacked against her. Mary Kay Inc. is now a debt-free, multi-billion dollar company in over 30 countries with a sales force of 1.7 million.

For myself, I felt privileged and proud to be on the “team”. It gave me a different perspective on business from where I had been. It showed me that a principle-based business can achieve phenomenal success without ever compromising the values and the mission. Often mistaken for a MLM, this company is, in fact, a solid direct-sales business where all consultants receive equal opportunity and some of the best commissions and incentives of any company in the world. Mary Kay was posthumously named the Most Successful Woman Entrepreneur of the 20th century.

Here are her 9 Leadership Keys to Success (from the book):

Create and Maintain a Common Bond
Create the Future: Think and Act Strategically
Make Me Feel Important
Motivate Others with Recognition and Celebration
Never Leave Your Values
Innovate or Evaporate
God, Family, Career: Foster Balance
Have a Higher Purpose
OK Never Does It: You’ve Got to Be Great!

The Six Virtues of a Great Leader

Humility
Seeking the Best for Others
Expect Excellence
Integrity
Be Impatient with the Status Quo
An Indomitable Spirit

Mary Kay’s guiding philosophy was the Golden Rule. And, P & L stands for more than Profit and Loss. It stands for people and love.

“Your career will blossom with the amount of care and love you send into the lives of others.” Mary Kay Ash

This is a book worth reading whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned entrepreneur and simply one who wishes to become a great leader in all areas of your life.

Love & Peace
Sharon

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, Part 2

2009-08-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

Part 2

I’ve been down in the bunker dodging the gunfire. Tentatively I’m looking towards the horizon to see if the coast is clear. I’m sure you can relate! While down there I decided to practise what I preach.

Be still and reflect:
What is my purpose, my dream?
What’s working and what isn’t?
What is it that I need to let go of (because it is out of my control)?
What blessings am I most grateful for?

Overwhelm: is not real. It is about what is happening all around us in the moment; what happened in the past; what one “should have, could have” done and what one “should” be doing; and what didn’t happen. When one is truly in the present, the moment, overwhelm is impossible.

De-clutter your life:
Organize, sort and prioritize your physical environment and your work. Delegate what you can and release what is no longer relevant. De-clutter your mind by spending time in the stillness and quiet. Make space for what really matters to you and listen to your inner wisdom that speaks from the silence.

Be Present:
In this moment, which is all any of us really has, deeply breathe in the peace and calm and breathe out the stress. This will give you clarity for the decisions you must make and the actions you must take. Be present to yourself and to others. Listen.

Shift your perspectives:
Put on a new pair of glasses so that you can see what is happening with new eyes and clearer vision. What is another way to look at this situation? What is the learning, the gold in what has seemed difficult and disruptive?

Take yourself less seriously:
Hey, the universe is not out to get you! There really is some humour in the fact that I stubbed my toe, fractured the metatarsal and am not able to walk in this glorious summer weather! So, when all else fails, laugh. Throw yourself on the floor and laugh hysterically. It is healthy for body, mind and soul!

The business owner buys himself a job. The entrepreneur follows his dream with passion and purpose. He/she climbs the mountain stumbling, slipping, eyes focused on the glorious sun-caressed peak.

“Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light.”
Albert Schweitzer

Entrepreneurial Spirit Meets Life Coaching: Part 1

2009-07-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

In the heart of every entrepreneur or potential entrepreneur there is a song that needs to be set free. Passion and inspiration write the lyrics. The soul gives rise to the music. So great is the longing that a risk-taker is born.

In all my years as an entrepreneur I never lost the dream, the passion and the desire to create. Reality, however, has a way of dimming the light. The details of running a business, dealing with employees, meeting government regulations and the daily grind can wear a person down. Maintaining your integrity and being true to your values can often clash with a seemingly hostile world. There is an “aloneness” for the entrepreneur with a dream. Creativity requires nurturing and nourishment. What happens when one day you wake up and discover you are running on “empty”? It all feels so heavy and you are wondering what it really means to be successful. You can no longer clearly hear the music.

When I first encountered life coaching I knew it was my path. My heart began to sing again and the fire was lit. The training was so exciting because a way to help others give expression to what was deep inside became crystal clear. The process of self-discovery is so rewarding as you let go of the clutter and baggage and peal away the layers of stress and struggle to reach that place of passion and truth…the real you.

Most significantly for entrepreneurs, coaching provides focus, clarity and better decision-making. By unloading worry, stress and fear, the main blockers of energy and creativity, you can once again connect to your passion and purpose. It is less about change than it is about uncovering what was always there. You have to be before you can do.

In the next article, Part 2, we will look at some tips for re-connecting with your passion and purpose and why happiness precedes success.

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
Albert Einstein

MJ THE WARRIOR

2009-07-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

The media frenzy continues around the sudden death of Michael Jackson. Larry King is set up with stories for many weeks to come! The hungry giant of the 24/7 news-babble must be fed. However, as I focus my laser beam on the whole picture, I question the idea that gossipy intrigue and curiosity is the driving force behind the prolonged mourning of the King of Pop. We have seen and experienced global mourning of celebrities in the past and through modern streams of media we have the meta-view of how it seems to feed upon itself.

The commonality that I perceive in this is deeper and more primal than a hunger for intrigue. In a world of war and corruption and a culture of fear, there is evident in these events, a profound craving of the soul for connection with others that transcends age, colour, creed, and race. This longing to be connected has not been satiated by modern technology and constant exchanges by text. If anything, we are more separated than ever before in our history. In grief, we can touch and feel and pool our tears. Our tears for the human condition, the struggles, the aloneness.

We have always been attracted to the tragic hero of both fiction and reality. What is unique in Michael Jackson’s case is that he seems to embody all of those “heroes” who have gone before him. We cannot know his troubled mind, but we can feel his soul. We relate to his human frailty, his suffering and his message of love. It is as though a power greater than himself was channeled through his fragile body to deliver a message to unite through love and forgiveness and acceptance. That is all there really is. As he so deeply wished, his message will live on in his music, his lyrics:

“If you wanna make the world a better place, Take a look at yourself and make that…change” Man in the Mirror.

Rest your weary head, Michael. You are a warrior and your message has been heard.
We are the world….we are the children…

Check out website: www.uturnwarrior.com

U-Turn Warrior Blog

2009-07-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned for our new blog.