WELCOME TO GOOD VIBRATIONS COACHING
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I recently changed the name of my coaching practice and blog to GOOD VIBRATIONS, because it became clear to me, that this is what actually happens when you start to clear away your old limiting beliefs, focus on things which make you feel good and connect with the greater consciousness. You change your vibrational level and literally feel yourself vibrating at a higher level. This is what happens with me, and also for the people I coach.
The Beach Boys song Good Vibrations has always been a favourite of mine. I can still remember the first time I heard it playing – on a juke box in the local coffee bar when I was about 12 years old. I felt joyous, happy and glad to be alive. Forty years later, I still feel that way when I hear it. It’s impossible for me not to respond in some way when I hear the opening lines. Even if I’m feeling really low, it will raise me slightly – on a good day, it will have me dancing around doing the housework and smiling. It brings me to the sea and the surf and to summer days.
I LOVE the ocean – especially the Atlantic Ocean when the waves are high. Going in to the ocean is one of the best ways I know for me to clear off any negativity and to wash my aura clean, and to restore me to balance. If I’m away from the ocean, listening to the beach Boys singing Good Vibrations can bring me right back there.
So to me GOOD VIBRATIONS is what it is all about. As I have worked with my own coaches and worked myself to clear away the old beliefs that were lowering my frequency, I have literally felt my vibration change – and I can see the results in my life, with the experiences and people that I am now attracting into my life. Things are very different for me than they were 5 years ago, and I know they can be for you.
Now I know, that what works for me may not work for you. You may not have the same affinity with the song and the ocean that I do. But there are things that can instantly change your frequency – there will be things that will lower it and things that will raise it. For example, thinking of something that annoys you about your partner will lower your frequency, but if you think about all the things you love about them, when you first met, what music was playing, it will raise your frequency. Things still might not be perfect, but you have a much better chance of coming up with a good solution if you’re in a higher frequency.
SO, what things can you do to raise your frequency and to give you Good Vibrations??
Some things that my coaching clients have come up with are:
walking in nature
listening to inspiring music
watching a funny movie or DVD
meditating
Listening to inspirational speakers on your ipod
Watching children play
Being around animals
Physically activity – walking, running, sport, swimming etc
remembering happy times
Make a list of the things you can do – make them easy to achieve wherever you are and whatever your financial circumstances.
Let us know what works for you – it might help someone else to hear of your experiences.
For any of you who are also beach Boys fans have a listen now – if you’re like me it will bring you to the ocean and change your vibration immediately!!
Are you enjoying the journey of your life?
By · CommentsOne of my favourite poems is “The Journey to Ithaca”. It really teaches and inspires me to enjoy the journey of my life, and not to be always looking into the future – to the big bright shinning things that I think are ahead.
It seems to have been coming up a lot this week in different conversations with people. The more you can appreciate the things that are in your life now, the higher your vibe will be. There is only the NOW – we all know this, but it’s amazing how little time we spend in the now. I know that a default expression of mine is “I’ll do this and then I’ll ………………….. (something more enjoyable). As I’m learning to do more of what feels good now, and also as I’m being more and more appreciative of things in the now, I am feeling a greater sense of joy.
What are you enjoying in your journey right now? What can you find to appreciate, even if things aren’t that great at the moment? I’d love to hear.
ITHACA
When you start on your journey to Ithaca,
then pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
Do not fear the Lestrygonians (*)
and the Cyclopes and the angry Poseidon.
You will never meet such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion
touches your body and your spirit.
You will never meet the Lestrygonians,
the Cyclopes and the fierce Poseidon,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not raise them up before you.
Then pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many,
that you will enter ports seen for the first time
with such pleasure, with such joy!
Stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and corals, amber and ebony,
and pleasurable perfumes of all kinds,
buy as many pleasurable perfumes as you can;
visit hosts of Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from those who have knowledge.
Always keep Ithaca fixed in your mind.
to arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for long years;
and even to anchor at the isle when you are old,
rich with all that you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.
Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would never have taken the road.
But she has nothing more to give you.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not defrauded you.
With the great wisdom you have gained, with so much experience,
you must surely have understood by then what Ithaca means.
– Constantine Cavafy (translated by Rae Dalven)
The Audacity of Hope?
By · CommentsI have heard a few references during the week to the idea that it is your INTENTION that is important, rather than what you achieve. It is what you are setting out to do, what you want to achieve, what you HOPE for the world – the vision that you can give people.
I suppose that one of the reasons this idea has been around, is because it is the first anniversary of Barack Obama’s inauguration. His message is such a one of hope and of possibility- “The Audacity of Hope”. I read both of his books and was so taken by his message, that we went to the USA to be there for the Inauguration – we weren’t in Washington, but went to BB King’s Bar in Times Square to be with a mixture of tourists and New Yorkers to witness the great event.
I have never felt that Barack had to do anything other than to stick true to his vision. He is one man. One human being, the same as me. I cannot ask him to do things that I am not going to do myself. He has no more power or obligation than I do to create a different world. But his vision can really inspire me and all I ask of him is to stay true to that. He cannot single handedly break through the power bases that exist in Washington and throughout the financial and commercial worlds. He is doing what he can – and a large part of what he is doing, is holding up a light as to what can be.
When I get frustrated with myself, and the lack of progress I feel that I am making in some areas of my life, it really helps me to come back to my intention – and to get clear on that. If I am true to that, it is all I can do. I may not be able to change the world. I can make changes in my part of it, and to be the best that I can be – and I can hold my vision of how things could be. That’s enough.
Raise Your Vibrational Level
By · CommentsThis is a technique that I learnt from Sharon Wilson, in the Coaching from Spirit course. All the people that I am now coaching know it, and it really is life changing.
If you find yourself in a situation where your energy and emotions are all tangled up and jarring – this is a great tool to help you shift your energy and your feelings, so that you can move into a more resourceful state.
I carry a notebook around with me so that I can do this at anytime, when I feel myself going off centre. You can do it verbally, but I find it much more effective to write it down.
STEP 1
GET YOUR STORY AND YOUR FEELINGS DOWN ON PAPER
Pour it all out. Don’t censor yourself. Use “I” statements. It’s all about how YOU are feeling about whatever is going on, and the story from your point of view. You don’t have to watch your language, or to see the other side. You want to be completely truthful to yourself about what you are feeling right now.
When you feel that this is complete – usually when you are repeating yourself and just going over the same things again and again – move onto the next step.
STEP 2
LIST ALL OF THE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Write down everything that you can think of that might be a possible solution to your problem. EVERYTHING. It doesn’t matter how outlandinsh or unthinkable it sounds. If it would solve your problem – write it down. What you are doing here is opening up possibilities that you can’t see right now – once you have more possibilities, you’ll notice a shift in your energy and your vibrational level.
Some of my possibilities have included things like – “Martians may come down and dig the garden for me in the night.” (when I was overwhelmed by the amount of work that needed doing in the garden.)
Write down all the possibilities you can think of - have fun!!
STEP 3
WRITE DOWN HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO FEEL ABOUT THE SITUATION THAT IS TROUBLING YOU.
Make sure that this is all about YOU. It’s not about other people changing (if thoughts about other people come up – put a possibility into Step 2.
I have things like:
“I would love to feel happy whatever is going on around me. ” ” I want to feel loving and kind.” ” I want to feel that I can cope whatever happens.” etc
STEP 4
ASK FOR GUIDANCE
Ask your inner guidance for help on what action to take next – and do it!!! Even if it seems a bit unusual.
Try it and see………………….. I’ve found it really helpful, and so do my coaching clients.
Have fun.
It was the last and first thing I wanted to do.
By · CommentsOn Saturday morning, I was getting stuck into giving my kitchen a good clean. It had that cluttered feeling following the Christmas period, which had been prolonged and added to by the snow and ice we had, and the water shortage – which meant that there were things all over the place and food in the fridge which didn’t need to be there!!! I’m sure you know the feeling……
Although, cleaning isn’t my favourite activity, there comes a point, when I know that the end result will be so good, that I look forward to doing it and enjoy it. Saturday was a beautiful day – warm, dry and still. I through open the windows and put things outside to air. I had some great inspirational teleseminars that I was looking forward to listening to in the ipod. I received a call about a great workshop I am going to be doing soon – 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers – and was feeling really excited, inspired and blessed to be able to do it. I was so looking forward to having a clean and tidy house – knowing that I would feel as if I could function really well. Read More→
Are you dreading Christmas?
By · CommentsThis carol always brings me back to my childhood Christmas feelings – nostalgia for something that isn’t there any longer, yet the hope that it will come again. I love to listen to it whilst I’m baking the Christmas Cake or making mince pies.Yet I am only too aware that Christmas is a very difficult time of year for many people, and this year, it seems like it will be especially hard for some people. I know of several friends who have lost close family members too young, this year, and it is hard for them to have a sense of joy as they approach the festivities. Other people are suffering financially, having lost jobs or having pays cuts. Others have experienced relationship breakdown and are heartbroken or full of anger. Others are losing themselves in addiction, or watching the ones they love loose themselves. Others are suffering from ill-health, or nursing family members who are sick.
When I have been facing Christmases when I have been suffering in someway, I have found it hard to enter into the partying and the “festivities”, but what has deepened for me over the years, is the strength of the message of Christmas. The sense of birth, possibility , humility. Luckily, this has got stronger for me as my spiritual connection has deepened.
The priest in our Parish Church, “came out” 2 years ago and confessed that he had had a secret obsession for several years, in that he collects cribs! He has hundreds from all over the world – Africa, Asia, all parts of Europe, North and South America, everywhere. Since he made his confession, he now shares them with the community on the 3rd Sunday advent. People come from far and wide to see them. It really is an amazing and moving sight. There are very ornate ones, and very simple ones, one with regional differences, different facial features. The one common thing is the baby at the centre. The smallest, most vulnerable member of the group being the centre of all the adults, and the Kings.
The crib which always moves me the most is one from Peru, made from clay, by a prisoner. It is just of the Mary, Joseph and Jesus – with Jesus, held so tenderly by his mother and the two of them enveloped in the protection of his father.
My beliefs in terms of organised religion are not always clear to me!! I was raised a Methodist. For years I went either nowhere or to various meditation groups and for the last four years I have been going to Catholic Mass very regularly, which I love. I love the symbolism, the marking of the seasons, the sense of tradition and community. But mostly I love the simplicity at the core of the message. Christmas means much more to me now, even though I often spend it very quietly, and with less and less of the trappings that I used to associate with it.
The crib from Peru, I talked of above, really sums it up for me – the love and protection, which is there, even when we are at our most vulnerable, if only we can feel it. It is there if you sit with the peace of the crib. The hopes, the new life, the love.
How can you get to the simplicity of the crib this Christmas?
What will give your family and loved ones the sense of love and protection that the crib offers? It’s not through material things, it’s through your presence. Sit with your loved ones, talk to them, listen to them. Laugh with them, cry with them. Bring the ones who are missing there with you all in love. Talk about them. Lay a place for them at the dinner table. If everything around you seems so bleak, or you have no-one to share this with, do if for yourself. Feel yourself as the child, held in invisible hands and protected by invisible arms. Find the tiny spark in you , that gives you the hope of new life, and do whatever you can to fan the flame of that spark.
YOU are your business. How are YOU?
By · CommentsIf you are a solo business owner or independent service provider, then YOU are your business. The health of your business depends on YOUR health and well-being. As you are one being, not lots of different segments, how you are in one area of your life will affect how you are in other areas. For example, if your physical health is neglected, you may not have the energy to do what you would like to do. If your family life is not honoured, or is stressful, this will cause a constant pull on you, and will tire you out and will lower your vibrational level. Many people set up in their own business because they want to be their own boss, have more time with the family, have more leisure time etc. Read More→
I just reading some of the writings of Meister Eckhart the 13th Century German, theolgian and philosopher. He was talking about the inner and the outer aspects of life . There was a sentence which struck me particularly.
“The outward man is the swinging door; the inner man is the still hinge.”
This really got me thinking – it’s such a great analogy. I know those times when I feel like a swinging door – or even a door that’s come loose of it’s hinges sometimes!!!. I’m delighted to say that those days are much less common in my life now than they used to be, but I still experience something similar at times. Funnily enough it can happen around Christmas time!! I used to get very drawn into the madness of Christmas, and get stressed, running around trying to make everything perfect. Of course, I rarely reached that perfection, so was often disappointed and upset. Luckily, I began to realise that I didn’t have to do this!!!
I love Christmas, I always have and I imagine I always will.
I love
- the lights in the darkness,
- the greenery,
- the carols,
- the message of hope,
- the crib,
- the friends,
- the sense of abundance,
- the beautiful food,
- news and contact with old friends
- the warmth,
- the sense of gratitude
- the feeling of possibility for Peace on Earth, goodwill to all men
- the magic of Santa and much more
I know that Christmas can be a very sad and lonely time. I’ve had some of these myself, with the loss of loved ones and personal difficulties. Somehow, the deep message of Christmas has always come through to me at some level.
When I realised what it was that I LOVED about Christmas, it was easy to cut out all the things that took me away from this.
I still buy presents and have an abundance of food in the house – but in ways that I love and appreciate. I even enjoy a bit of the common madness of the frenzy. I do most of my shopping locally in our small town, but a very good friend and I have a tradition of meeting in December and spending a day in the city to soak up the atmosphere. We have a lovely lunch, do a bit of shopping, but mainly have a lovely time together and share the expereince.
I make sure that I spend a lot of time singing Carols and connecting with the message of Christmas - which symbolises so much hope and chance of renewal. Whatever your spiritual or religious beliefs, there is so much in that story, as there are in all the great stories from the World’s faiths. All have such great things to teach us. Christmas is the one that is most familiar to me, because it is the tradition I was born into, but I love all the other stories too.
I realised when I read that quote, that what I try to do, is to do more of the things that help me to be the still hinge and to connect with my inner being. This helps to keep me conscious so that I can recognise when I am becoming the swinging door and flapping madly in a panic!! It feels much better for me, and I’m sure it’s much better for everyone around me.!!!!
What do you feel about Christmas?
What are the things that you LOVE about it? How can you ,make sure that these things are what you experience, and not a lot of the superfluous, commercial aspects that can take you away from what you love.
How can you be the still hinge and not the swinging gate this Christmas?
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What’s important – winning or integrity?
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I live in Ireland, and we’re going through an interesting time here following a game of soccer. I don’t know how many people reading this are aware of the fact that Ireland were eliminated form the World Cup, after losing to France by one goal (interesting I just misspelt that, and put gaol instead!!!! – can our goals be our gaols too? – sounds like a starting point for another post one day!) The goal was very obviously a handball, which the player admitted later, and shouldn’t have been allowed. However, none of the officials saw it and so it was granted. There is no appeal and so the goal stands. Ireland were the underdogs, and had played their hearts out, and outplayed France all through the game. The players, fans and most of the country were devastated. Only a game I know – but passions were high! This has raised very interesting discussions about sport, fair play, the messages we send to our children etc. I have been having interesting discussions with myself and friends – everything is such a great learning isn’t it? Read More→
