Inspired Aspirations May

Mothers are like angels; you don't have to see them to know that they are there.

Shut your eyes for a moment. Feel the presence of your mother, even is she is no longer with you in the physical sense. Regardless of the relationship you share, notice how strong this connection is. It is undeniable.

If you are a mother shut your eyes and feel the presence of you children. Notice the power and strength of this connection. Despite all the little frustrations that children can bring, this feeling too is undeniable. It is love. A love that reaches into the very heart of your soul.

If your relationship with your own mother is challenging it may help to know that hidden between the layers of complication, at the very core this love is and will always be present. Although sometimes it is a little hard to notice it! This is the love that heals.

A couple of months ago I listened to a presentation by one of my favorite speakers, Carolyn Myss. As I listened tears streamed down my face as she was able to articulate this feeling in a way that completely validated to me what it means to be a mother. In celebration of Mother’s day I would love to share it with you

When a woman becomes a mother she is given the gift of grace. This is the grace that allows a mother to sit by the bed of a sick child with the words “If I have to hold you for four days and four nights I will. You will live.” It is effortless.

When asked later how did she did it, she will reply. I just did. I had no choice. With this gift of grace, she has crossed the bridge from the physical to the mystical, to the divine.

This is a force so powerful that it goes beyond the mind…beyond the heart. It comes from the soul. It is a mythical power. It is transcendent. It is the love that heals. This feeling and force cannot be explained with words. It can only be known in the soul.  May the mothers who are reading these words ‘know’ in every part of your being the truth of these words.

For those of you are not or will not become mothers, I do not share this with you to make you feel lesser, I share it with you so that you can know in your heart what that connection to your own mother means.

Celebrate it, cherish it and honor it. Share your love and gratitude with words and with feelings. Even if she is no longer present on the earthly plane, spend some time this Mother’s Day connecting with her and tell her how much she means to you.

I have a funny belief about our parents. I believe that we chose them. We chose them because of the gifts that they are have to teach us. It is these very gifts, the joys, the challenges and the pain that helps us become the person we are here to become. To live the life and make the difference we are here to make.  If your relationship with you mother could do with some healing, then give both of you this gift. It may be the most precious gift that you could give this mother’s day.

So for all the mothers out there, celebrate this beautiful role in your life every single day. Notice it, be present to it, and love it. Don’t push it away in the quest to do something more important, this is important. It could be the most important thing you ever do in this lifetime. Cherish it.

Honour yourself. Love yourself for the gifts that you give your children every single day, even if sometimes they do not notice. One day the will, or at least they will know them in their heart.

I wish you from this moment on the joy, the love and the grace to know in your heart how special you are. Happy Mother’s Day.

Inspired Aspirations February 2010

Article of the Month:     Are you listening??

So many people live their life on autopilot, doing what they have always done, getting what they have always got without ever questioning whether it could be different. Many people live a life of quiet desperation, too afraid to wish for more, only to be disappointed.
 
There may be this niggling feeling...or a quiet question...is this all there is? At the start we push it down quickly, suppress it, hope it goes away. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it gets louder, begging you to pay attention. It catches you when you least welcome it...those quiet moments at home, especially when you are by yourself. Maybe you are at work or with the kids doing the same old thing again.
 
Or first line of defense  - get busy, really busy! Crowd out the voice with all the noise, hope it goes away so you don't have to do anything different. Even though you wish deep down you could.
 
Our spirit is strong, it wants us to hear. So it does more to get our attention. Just like an impetuous child it starts quietly then escalates until it is heard. It may be a head cold, feeling a little down or a little accident - just to give you some time out! Do you push through regardless??
 
So it gives you a stronger message - a more serious illness, a job loss, a family crisis. Do you listen then? I wonder, does it need to scream at you until you pay attention? What would it take for you to really listen?
 
Human beings do more to avoid pain then we do to get pleasure. We love being safe, until that certainty feels like a cage. This is a good thing! It makes us look for a way to break free. Many people have to hit rock bottom for them to look for the light to show them the way out.
 
It doesn't have to be that way...The light is always there, all you have to do is look for it!
 
Pay attention to the little voice, the niggles, the colds, the headaches, the spilled milk, the feeling that there is something there that you just can't put your finger on! This is a wonderful place to be because it means you are becoming aware of your inner guidance system.
 
Ask the question...What is this "cold"  trying to tell me? You fill in the gap!
 
You may not get an answer at first, wait, keep asking. Trust yourself enough to know the answer will come, if you allow it to!
 
The second part is to ask yourself what you want. So many people go through life never really asking that question. They do to a degree, as they get an answer like new shoes, a TV, a holiday. This is never what we really want. This is the addiction of our ego. It wants that high that comes from instant gratification.
 
Have the courage to go deeper...keep asking the question
 
1. What do I want?
2. What do I really want?
3. What do I really, really want?
4. What do I really, really, really want?
 
You will know it when you hear it. This is the heart cry from your soul, the one it has been begging you to hear. Honour it. First listen.  Then take one simple step to show you your gratitude. You won't be disappointed. You will see the light and feel the freedom that comes with this.
 
Soon the magic begins... the flashes of insight, the creative ideas...it all happens when you really listen. This is what it is like to be in-spirit. You will never be alone again. Your highest self will be your constant guiding companion.  When you choose to listen.
 
If you would like some help with this process all you have to do is ask. It may be the first simple step you can take. Please e-mail me on shiona@authenticsuccess.com.au or phone on 0409 252 700. I am listening.

Inspired Aspirations February 2010


Inspired Aspirations: What does it mean?
 
Last month the article was about following the wisdom of your heart and living your personal truth. When we do this we are inspired...we are 'in spirit' or connecting to our highest self. For me, when we are inspired, our soul is singing with joy!
 
An Aspiration is an ambition, or a goal. The word comes from the latin Aspirare, which means to breathe upon, seek to reach.
 
By honouring our dreams, first by listening and then by acting  we are breathing life to that which is comes from the heart of who we are.  This to me the true definition of authentic success.
 
The first step is to listen So let's take that step together.

Article of the Month:     Are you listening??

So many people live their life on autopilot, doing what they have always done, getting what they have always got without ever questioning whether it could be different. Many people live a life of quiet desperation, too afraid to wish for more, only to be disappointed.
 
There may be this niggling feeling...or a quiet question...is this all there is? At the start we push it down quickly, suppress it, hope it goes away. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it gets louder, begging you to pay attention. It catches you when you least welcome it...those quiet moments at home, especially when you are by yourself. Maybe you are at work or with the kids doing the same old thing again.
 
Or first line of defense  - get busy, really busy! Crowd out the voice with all the noise, hope it goes away so you don't have to do anything different. Even though you wish deep down you could.
 
Our spirit is strong, it wants us to hear. So it does more to get our attention. Just like an impetuous child it starts quietly then escalates until it is heard. It may be a head cold, feeling a little down or a little accident - just to give you some time out! Do you push through regardless??
 
So it gives you a stronger message - a more serious illness, a job loss, a family crisis. Do you listen then? I wonder, does it need to scream at you until you pay attention? What would it take for you to really listen?
 
Human beings do more to avoid pain then we do to get pleasure. We love being safe, until that certainty feels like a cage. This is a good thing! It makes us look for a way to break free. Many people have to hit rock bottom for them to look for the light to show them the way out.
 
It doesn't have to be that way...The light is always there, all you have to do is look for it!
 
Pay attention to the little voice, the niggles, the colds, the headaches, the spilled milk, the feeling that there is something there that you just can't put your finger on! This is a wonderful place to be because it means you are becoming aware of your inner guidance system.
 
Ask the question...What is this "cold"  trying to tell me? You fill in the gap!
 
You may not get an answer at first, wait, keep asking. Trust yourself enough to know the answer will come, if you allow it to!
 
The second part is to ask yourself what you want. So many people go through life never really asking that question. They do to a degree, as they get an answer like new shoes, a TV, a holiday. This is never what we really want. This is the addiction of our ego. It wants that high that comes from instant gratification.
 
Have the courage to go deeper...keep asking the question
 
1. What do I want?
2. What do I really want?
3. What do I really, really want?
4. What do I really, really, really want?
 
You will know it when you hear it. This is the heart cry from your soul, the one it has been begging you to hear. Honour it. First listen.  Then take one simple step to show you your gratitude. You won't be disappointed. You will see the light and feel the freedom that comes with this.
 
Soon the magic begins... the flashes of insight, the creative ideas...it all happens when you really listen. This is what it is like to be in-spirit. You will never be alone again. Your highest self will be your constant guiding companion.  When you choose to listen.
 
If you would like some help with this process all you have to do is ask. It may be the first simple step you can take. Please e-mail me on shiona@authenticsuccess.com.au or phone on 0409 252 700. I am listening.
 
 

Inspired Aspirations Issue 1/2010

Follow Your Heart

This year I haven’t made a New Years Resolution. I have set an intention. What’s the difference you may be asking? The difference for me is focus, purpose and commitment. My intention this year is to listen and follow the wisdom of my heart.

Before I became a coach and started my quest for personal growth I had a Masters Degree in valuing the views of others over my own. This isn’t surprising. We have all been conditioned from the moment we are born that others know what is best for us. It is no wonder we stop trusting our inner voice.

In 2010 I have chosen to live my personal truth 100%. After all my life purpose is to connect people to the truth and peace within. To ‘know’ this at a deep level I must give this gift to myself.  As a coach you may have heard me say, I don’t have the answers, you do. My role is to help you tap into them, to trust them and follow your own guidance. It is your truth that will set you free.

Just the other day I was watching an ad on television - text your name and partner’s name and find out the perfect name for your unborn child! Or whether they are your soul mate! I appreciate that this is all ‘good fun’. It also optimises just how much we rely on external input when we know deep down what the answer is.

How often do you ask for an opinion, seek expert advice, or listen to the latest news to gauge how to live your life?  Contrast this with how often you ask yourself how you really feel and what you really want? Listening to the wisdom of our heart takes courage. We can no longer blame others for the choices we make. It is also empowering because we know with certainty that we are on the right path.

So why is this so important?

There comes a point in everyone’s life when we stop and ask ourselves, Who am I? What do I want? What is the purpose for my life?

This is the moment we stop and notice that something is missing. For many women it is when their children go to school or leave home. For others it is the feeling that their job no longer has any meaning. Somewhere along the way we loose touch with ourselves. We no longer know who we are. The realisation that often follows is what if I never really knew?

Knowing and trusting yourself is one of the most empowering gifts that you can ever give yourself. For the first time you are free to love and appreciate who you are. When you follow your heart, you give yourself the gift of freedom.

You may be thinking isn’t this selfish? I guess it could be called that. We have been conditioned that self love and putting ourselves first is selfish. The opposite is the case. You cannot give away what you don’t have first for yourself. 

The perfect metaphor for this is the aeroplane safety talk. We are told to put the oxygen mask and life jacket on ourselves before we help our children. After all it is impossible to help others when you yourself have no air left to breathe. This is how many people choose to live their entire lives. Suffocating on the expectations of others, too afraid to live their truth and connect with yearnings of their soul.

It is time to take back your power and to honour your own spirit. It is time to follow your heart.

This month I have two actions you can take.

1.     When faced with a challenge, or a question…ask…what if I already knew the answer?

Wait, listen to the answer from your heart and then act on your inner guidance. Notice the sense of empowerment that comes with this.

2.     Make a list of your top 10 ways to nourish your soul.
 
This may be going for a walk, meditating, listening to music, craft or whatever it is for you.

You will know when it nourishes your soul if you feel at peace when you do it and replenished when you have finished.

Make time, every day if you can, to do something from your list. Remove all apologies from your language and set boundaries with family members. Notice how much easier it is to manage everything else in your life.

Get Real Success issue 20

Celebrate the Season, Celebrate the Year, Celebrate You!

Are you someone that achieves a goal or completes a project and then is quickly on to the next thing?

Today in our final e-news for 2009 I encourage you to take some time to reflect on the highs and lows of the year that will soon pass.  I also invite you to acknowledge how much you have grown and to appreciate how special you are.

Last year I spent New Years Eve camping at Mt Buangor with wonderful friends. We had the best fireworks possible – a zillion stars on a beautiful clear night. We sat around the campfire sharing our successes, our special moments and setting some intentions for the year to come.

To be honest I can’t remember a lot of what was said. (Such is the power of writing things down!!) What I do remember is the feelings we shared. There was also a sense of completion as we took time to show appreciation for the experiences we had been given and the people in our lives we love so much. It was also a time to cherish what we had learned.

It was incredible how the fire kept us all focused on the present as we shared our heartfelt dreams for the New Year to come. These were not some drunken new years resolutions – they were yearnings of our soul.

I am in awe of what has happened for me in the last twelve months. I also notice that I approach 2010 with a heightened sense of trust and self belief. Knowing my life is on purpose I can allow it to unfold. I have faith in the perfection of every moment.

So take some time to celebrate you in 2009. Let the answers to these questions come from your heart. I also encourage you to write down your answers.

1.     What are you most proud of?
2.     What moments took your breath away?
3.     What were you most grateful for?
4.     What were the challenges you faced?
5.     What did you learn from them?
6.     What 3 things will you leave behind in 2009 that no longer work for you?
7.     What are the top 3 things that you now choose to embrace in 2010?

I trust you have enjoyed taking time to celebrate you. Notice how you feel after completing these questions. Notice how you now choose to see the year ahead.

For those of you have may have been wondering - the lead up for me this Christmas has been filled with love, joy and spirit. Such is the power of choosing how we look at things! So may I extend this energy to you all?  I trust that Christmas and the New Year are all that you wish for and more.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank all of you for taking the time to read this newsletter every fortnight. For the many people who have shared with me the difference this simple newsletter makes to their lives, I am so grateful. Please join me again in 2010. Stay tuned for our new look, new name e-news due out on Wednesday 6th January 2010.

 

Get Real Success Issue 19

Rewrite Your Christmas Spirit List
 
Christmas is not my favourite time of year. I’d love it to be, but it isn’t. For someone who craves simplicity, connection and truth too often I see the opposite - excess, obligation and pretense.
 
Every year I work on my perceptions of Christmas.   It is not until it comes round again that I realise that I have more inner work to do. Every year I endeavour to carve out a Christmas that nourishes my heart and my soul. Every year I rewrite my Christmas Spirit List.
 
I know I am not alone in this. Friends talk about introducing a family Kris Kingle as “ things are getting out of hand.” The question …what are you doing for Christmas is answered with tiredness not excitement as the list of Christmas celebrations grow. For some reason we all attempt to catch up with everyone we know, and haven’t seen for months, or even years, just because it is Christmas.  For extended families Christmas is anything but simple. 
 
Then there are the gifts, which our ego loves to give and get!! Deep in our hearts what we all desire, what we really need at Christmas and always is to slow down, to pare down and to be present to what is most important in our lives. That is the true ‘present’.
 
Whatever your religious and spiritual views it helps to be reminded that Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus; A man who represents kindness, compassion and love. This is the true essence of Christmas. It is also the divine essence that is in us all. We have just forgotten. 
 
So I invite you to reconnect with your divine essence and rewrite you Christmas Spirit List.   You may like to focus on one or two that you know in your heart will make a difference not only in the festive season, but every other day of the year.
 
Here is my conscious Christmas list… 
 
1.    Christmas with Awareness 
 
Be conscious of the choices you make. Too often we do things out of habit, because we did them last year. Let go of anything that does not uplift you and bring you closer to others. Choose activities that make your heart sing. 
 
2.    Christmas with Heart 
 
Spend time; spend money because you want to, not because you have too. Everything has energy. Give gifts that come from your heart and the true gift will be the love that that you have placed there with intention. The same goes for every event that you attend. Remember it is OK to say no.
 
3.    Christmas with Truth 
 
“People stay silent not because they have nothing to say but because there is so much to say that they don’t know where to start.” Andrew Bovell. 
 
Make a commitment this year to speak from your heart. Tell people how you feel about them. Be courageous enough to ask for how you would love Christmas to be. Ask your family what would make Christmas special for them. Focus on simplicity, connection and love.
 
4.    Christmas with Forgiveness
 
"I forgive you for not being the person I wanted you to be. I forgive you and I set you free. This affirmation sets us free." Louise Hay 
 
At Christmas we bring our past hurts with us. Forgiveness is the greatest healer of the soul. Offer forgiveness to others. Offer forgiveness to yourself. This is the only way to move forward.
 
5.    Christmas with Kindness and Service
 
"Want things for others more than you want them for yourself."  Wayne Dyer 
 
Find ways to offer gifts of kindness to everyone you meet. Say thank you, bring loving energy to stressful supermarkets, look for ways to give freely of yourself to others, especially to people less fortunate than you. Feel the love grow in your own heart.
 
6.    Christmas with Gratitude
 
Be grateful for every moment in your life, the people, the opportunities, the gifts and even the challenges. Notice how gratitude shifts your perception from what is missing to what is already beautiful and present in your life.
 
7.    Christmas with Presence
 
"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon – instead of enjoying the roses outside the window today." Dale Carnegie. 
 
Be completely present for the people in your life, in that moment, in the now. It is all we have.
 
8.    Christmas with Joy 
 
See Christmas through the eyes of a child. Bring back the magic and the joy. Get down on the floor and play like a child. Laugh lots. Look at the world with awe and wonder. Follow your bliss. 
 
9.    Christmas with Love and Compassion 
 
Love is our true nature. Let your words, your thoughts and your actions shift from the clutter that is in your head to the purity that comes from your heart. Let the love radiate out to the world. Notice how it has the power to shift all fear. 
 
10.  Christmas with Peace
 
“Lord… Make me an instrument of your peace.” St Francis of Assisi 
 
"You don’t attract into your life what you want, you attract who you are."  Wayne Dyer 
 
Bring peace to every situation by being the peace that you wish to see. When you find this within your own heart, only then can you show others the way. 
 
May your Christmas be special and magical. 
 

Get Real Success Issue 18

Take a Leap of Faith
 
On Saturday I took a leap of faith. I went skydiving. I would never have considered this two years ago! My coach friend Jennie and I booked our adventure to symbolise our graduation from the Coaching Institute. What better way to celebrate and to get even further out of our comfort zones then to jump out of a ‘perfectly good aeroplane.’
 
For me skydiving wasn’t about the adrenalin rush – which was a bonus. It wasn’t even about embracing my fears – which I certainly had to do. It was all about trust and surrender.   There are times when we have to put our faith in others who can show us the way. This was certainly one of those times. Thanks Nikki, my tandem master! On a more profound level this was about trusting myself and knowing that everything in my life is unfolding perfectly - as long as I allow it to.
 
I don’t think I will ever forget the moment the door of the little plane opened. I could feel the force of the wind outside and some how I had to manoeuvre my feet out onto this little metal step. There was this voice screaming in my head…what are you doing.  My mouth was dry and my heart was beating a hundred miles an hour. Time stood still for just a moment. I remembered my intention – to trust. With that came complete indescribable calm. I let go, literally and metaphorically. We were free falling at 200 km an hour. 
 
The rush was like nothing I had ever experienced. You don’t even feel like you are falling. It is described like floating on a jet of air – the closest thing to flying like a bird possible to humans. Now I understand why dogs love driving in the car with their head out the window! Then we were floating over the splendour of the Great Ocean Road.  I was filled with a sense of awe, freedom and joy. Bliss! 
 
Jennie and I both knew that now we really could do anything. True courage comes from within. I had this realisation - if I could find a moment of peace when about to launch myself out of an aeroplane, I could find in anywhere!!
 
Have you ever wished that you could do something so far out of your comfort zone that from that moment on there would be no going back?
 
What are all the excuses – the reasons that you have been telling yourself why it is not possible for you? 
 
Imagine that you had a magic wand and that in an instant you could make all of the reasons disappear. Imagine what would now be possible for you. Notice how incredible that feels.
 
Anything is possible for you and more. You just have to choose for it to be. It is time to take your own leap of faith. 
 
Here are 5 Top Tips to support you to take your own leap and overcome your fears.
 
1. FEAR stands for False Evidence Appearing Real
 
I have worried about many things in my life and most of them never happened. Mark Twain
 
Does this apply to you? Remember what you focus on is what you get so you are more likely to recreate the exact situations you fear. It is time to reframe your fear. 
 
2. FEAR stands for Feeling Excited and Ready. 
 
Fear and excitement feel much the same, it just depends how you look at it. I had butterflies in my stomach for most of the time leading up to my jump – my head and heart however were calm, certain and committed to following through with my dream. This is because… 
 
3. FEAR + ACTION = COURAGE 
 
Everyone feels fear. It is a physiological state in our body. The fear is not the issue it is what you do with it that counts.
 
4.  PRESENT moment = Absence of fear
 
Everything we fear happens in either the past or the future. 
 
Before our ‘dive’ was 15 minute scenic plane ride! I got nervous when I thought about the pre jump briefing (the past) or whether I would have the guts to jump! (the future) As soon as I brought my attention back to the present, my breath and the view below me there was complete calm. 
 
5. Embracing your fears = TRUST 
 
All you need is within you now. When you embrace your fears this becomes clear. You build you trust in you to handle any situation at any time and notice that everything really is happening perfectly.
 
I would love to hear about your leap of faith. So e-mail me at shiona@authenticsuccess.com.au and tell me all about it.   Make 2010 the year where you embrace your fears. 
 
Did you know that most New Year Resolution last less than 48 hours? There has to be a better way. And there is. The Authentic Success Dream Builder Kit has the tools you need to support you to live the life you love.   Buy the Dream Builder Kit at www.authenticsuccess.com.au for only $37 and you will receive support e-mails to keep you on track ever week for 12 weeks starting from the 4th January 2010.  

Get Real Success Issue 17

Get Real Success
Issue 17: Wednesday 4th November 2009
 
Clear the Clutter
 
Have you ever had the feeling that you are surrounded by clutter – your house, your schedule, and your head! We all have. That is how I felt last week. There was so much to do I that I didn’t know where to begin!
 
My poor old computer had become a metaphor for my life. Jam-packed with information, even a simple task such as sending an e-mail seemed to take forever. Then it would crash as if to say this is all too much – I’m taking time out! I am sure you can imagine what this was doing to my emotions! Something had to change.
 
Blessed with a new laptop I too am taking some time – to clean out the cupboards so to speak. Assessing what is really required, throwing out what isn’t and making sure that I will know exactly where to find it when I want it. I didn’t get the biggest computer I could find – the opposite. We all know that the more space we have, the more useless things we hoard.
 
My new computer will be the new metaphor for my life. My house, the purchases I make and how I spend my time. This is a long term, ongoing commitment - one step at a time. The reward will be space – in my house, in my head and in my heart. I will have more space for what is truly important to me. I will also create the space for the new opportunities that I know are waiting for me.
 
Simplicity: When you remove the unnecessary layers you have the clarity to see what is truly important.  Anon
 
So why am I telling you all this?
 
We have become a society who accumulates far more than we will ever need. We fill the hours of our days with busyness, running here, running there – no time to stop and smell the roses or enjoy quality time with the people we love. No wonder so many people are time poor, exhausted and lack meaning in their lives.
 
If you want things in your life to be different then you must make space and time for them to be different. Otherwise it is like trying to crowd more toys into the already overflowing toy box!
 
If you want a new business opportunity to arrive, clear out some space in your filing cabinet, tidy your desk, make time to do so research or make some phone calls. If you want to attract a new relationship, make some time in your week, clear out some space in your wardrobe!!! and make peace with the relationships from your past.
 
Personal growth is about get rid of what is no longer supporting and serving you so you can replace it with what will. In order to grow we must let go of something first. What pain from your past are you continuing to carry with you? What thoughts, feelings and behaviour are no longer supporting you to get where you want to be going?
 
It is less than two months until the start of a new year 2010…has a nice ring to it don’t you think? Start thinking now about how you would like it to be different. What will you be doing? What changes will you see around you? What will you be telling yourself? How will you be feeling? Start creating the space for the changes you want to manifest right now!
 
So let’s get to it!
 
1.      Pick one area of your life that could do with some de-cluttering. Start small to begin with and build your evidence of success.
 
2.      See that area exactly the way you would like it to be. Notice what you are telling yourself? Notice what you are hearing from others around you? How are you feeling?
 
3.      Notice if there are any roadblocks currently standing in your way?
 
4.      What do you need to let go of? What do you need to embrace instead?
 
5.      Write a statement of intention – How will this area of my life be when it is exactly the way I would like it to be.
 
6.      What is the first step that you can take?
 
7.      Schedule time.
 
8.      Do it!
 
9.      Congratulate yourself for keeping this promise
 
10.     Keep going!
 
Do you want more information on this process? The Dream Builder Kit has all the information and all the tools to support you to turn your dreams into your reality and for only $37. You can purchase it now by going to  On Line Store
 
I am dedicated to assisting you to have more peace, truth and meaning in your life. I would love to hear about your de-cluttering projects. So drop me an e-mail at shiona@authenticsuccess.com.au and tell me all about it!
 

Get Real Success Issue 16

Issue 16: Wednesday 21st October 2009
 
The Song You Seek To Sing
 
We all have a message that we are here to bring the world. Many of us have no idea of what this message is as it is buried deep inside us waiting to be discovered. Sometimes the message calls to us and we listen.  It is in those moments that we feel aligned with something bigger than us; we have a sense of purpose. Things flow, we have unlimited energy and we feel as light as a feather. It is in those moments that we are living our personal truth.
 
Sometimes it calls to us and we quickly silence it. To embrace it would be to risk being rejected by those around us, or to face our fears that we don’t have what it takes. True courage comes from this vulnerability. To stand up and speak your truth, regardless of how others perceive you is one of the biggest challenges we all face in a quest for truth. It is also one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.
 
You may have heard of the story of Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach.  This is a parable about a seagull who had an incredible dream to fly as fast as he could. Now being a seagull is all about food. Jonathan paid the price for his dream by being shunned by the flock.  His purpose was greater than the fear of being alone. He continued his quest to learn as much as he could about flying and discovered…
 
How much more there is now to living! Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s reason to life! We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly!  Richard Bach
 
He is rewarded for his courage when he meets other seagulls who also love to fly. They show him how flying can take him wherever he wants to go.  Most importantly they taught him about living his truth. He returns to the flock to find others like him and teaches them that they too can be all they wish to be. He becomes an inspiration to others, and so to in time, do they. There is a Jonathon Livingstone Seagull in all of us.
 
You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now - and nothing can stand in your way!  Richard Bach
 
Do you have a yearning within you to discover your message to the world?
Do you wish your life to have meaning and purpose?
Do you wish to inspire others to live their truth?
 
Then you must first give this gift to yourself. You must honour this within you. It is calling you. So listen. Take the time to explore who you are and what you stand for. This is true confidence. It comes from within. When we find this we can move forward with clarity, trust and self belief.
 
Here are my Top 5 Tips to help you discover and live your personal truth.
 
1.         Ask yourself… What is my message to the world? What is the one word that sums up what I stand for?
 
My word is truth. When I say this word it feels like it comes from deep within me.
 
You may not get an answer straight away and that is fine. Keep asking. Keep listening. You will know it when you hear it. Live that word every single day.
 
2.         Surround yourself with people who support your desire to know who you are and what you stand for. 
 
This is so important, especially in the early days. There is great vulnerability in living your truth. Communicate it only to those who you know will support you. These people may not be your family and friends, because they want you to stay the same! Distance yourself from people who ‘steal your dreams’ until you are strong enough to stand in your own power.
 
3.         Meditate Daily
 
Find this quiet place within you where you can listen to your truth. Know how it feels to really listen. Feel the peace that comes from connecting to the heart of who you are.
 
4.         Keep a Journal
 
We often think of a journal as a place where we write what happened in our day. My journal is where I explore my truth. I write freely, I ask questions and explore them. It has little structure. The key is to write without editing for at least 20 minutes. Let your thoughts rest and read them back another time.
 
5.         Act on Inspiration
 
If books, people, or opportunities come your way and you feel that you are meant to act on them…do so.  These are not random coincidences.  You have attracted them into your life to help you grow. I can’t tell you how often the perfect book, or message or person comes into my life. You are the creator of your world.
 
Finally… we all have a song within us. As Neil Diamond in his soundtrack to the movie of Jonathan Livingstone Seagull states so beautifully…
 
Be. There’s a page that aches for a word that speaks on a theme that’s timeless...
Sing. There’s a song in search of a voice that’s silent
 
Take the time to find and sing your song. The world is waiting to hear it.
 
Don’t die with your music still in you. Wayne Dyer
 
Authentic Success specialises in supporting you to discover and sing your song to the world. If you would like a no obligation complimentary session than call me on 0409 252 700 or e-mail shiona@authenticsuccess.com.au
 

Get Real Success Issue 16

It's Time To Jump Into Life
 
Thank you for your wonderful responses to my last newsletter and my poem. It warms my heart when I hear that words I send are making a difference to your lives.
 
Well I am back from my holiday. We had a wonderful time. Yes the weather was a little erratic – we experienced that 1 in 70 year dust storm which turned idyllic Port Stephens into Mars!!  We still managed to experience all we had planned. A bike ride round Dubbo Zoo, watching a whale calf do acrobatics for over an hour and sea kayaking in Nelson Bay were my highlights.
 
It was also the little things that made the holiday special. Like watching the sun set from our campsite at gorgeous Lemon Tree Passage; enjoying a glass of wine with Terry and jumping on the giant jumping pillow with the girls. How grateful I am for the little things that make life count.
 
Children are wonderful teachers. They make friends with everyone and play with joyful abandon in a way which adults have forgotten.  They see the world through the eyes of wonder. Holidays give us all the opportunity to find that again and to reconnect with the people in our lives that count. The challenge – to hold on to these feelings and bring all we learn back into our everyday life.
 
I was watching the girls on the giant jumping pillow – have you seen those huge pillows they have at Caravan Parks? They are incredible and so much fun – a great work out too!  Other parents were watching also. It occurred to me how much adults become observers instead of participants in life. Adults detach themselves from fun, from laughter and adventure.
 
When did life get so serious?  When we allowed it too. 
With this choice out go our hopes, our dreams and our zest to live life to the full.
 
From that moment on I stopped watching the girls on that jumping castle on steroids and joined in – always. Yes, I did have a rest every now and then as did the girls. Like the acrobatic whale calf, children have what seems like endless energy for life – they also know when it is time to rest. Something we too have forgotten.
 
A made a choice a long time ago to live life to the full. To dream, to have adventures, to experience the beauty of the world, and to be all I can be. This means being open to getting it wrong sometimes, to even making a ‘fool’ of myself. After all, that is where the learning, the growth and the fun are.
 
Just like a child learning to walk, sometimes we fall down and have to get back up again. No one tells us we are doing it wrong – they cheer us on with complete faith that we will succeed. And I know you know how wonderful that feeling is - when you master something that is important to you!
 
This is the gift we must give to ourselves. Be our own cheer squad. Remind ourselves constantly that within each of us is an inner child who wants to play, wants to learn and wants to just get out there and see the world with wonder and be all that they can be.
 
Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow.                                             Mahatma Gandhi
 
It’s time to jump into life…
 
1.         Where have you been an observer in life?
 
2.         Make the choice to be a joyful participant.
 
3.         What is one thing that you have always wanted to do?
 
4.         Set a date, make a phone call and do step one TODAY!
 
Tonight I have my first session with an adult singing group – something I have wanted to do for a long time.  Am I a little scared? – off course. I am also excited to be doing something new, something that is important to me. Yes definitely. You can do this too.
 
5.         Let children be your teacher. Watch them play, watch their willingness to work it out as they go and observe how they know when it is time to rest.
 
Find the child in you. Spend a portion of every day as a mini holiday living life through the eyes of a child. With curiosity, with fun and the joyful desire to experience the wonder of the world we are privileged to live in.
 
I would love to hear your stories. Please e-mail me at shiona@authenticsuccess.com.au and share them with me. What new experiences have you had? How did it feel? What’s next for you?