Consciously Design My Life

In a few weeks I am Training in 'Life Quality and Design'.  What I love about my Coaching Course is that it offers me the opportunity to learn and grow and undertake the Processes which may help my Clients on their Journey.

I love the Ideal Scene Activity which allows me to Consciously Design My Life.  It is essentially based on the question "What do you want?"  The key in this opportunity is to talk to from a place of I Am...talking from a position of the Future Self.

Romance and Family

- I am Married to my Man - we are in love - we are active in loving and supporting each other

- We have 2 beautiful, healthy Children who bring us so much joy

- Spending time together and with our Children are our Priorities

Family and Friends

- We spend time with our Family on a weekly basis 

- My Mum and Dad and my Man's Mum enjoy time with our children

- We always welcome Family and Friends to our home

Community

- We make it a Priority to be involved in Community, to give our time and financial support

- We support 4 children in overseas Countries - 1 child for each Member of our Family

- We donate money to Communities living in poverty

- We are also part of a Church Community and Neighbourhood Community

Physical Environment

- We live in a 4 bedroom home - we love our home

- Our home is close to the beach, where we regularly visit the ocean

- I have an outdoor Space - which offers 2 areas - an area for Coaching and Meditation - and an area for Creation - which paints and colouring crayons, textas and pencils and art paper and symbols and sand play and images - a place for my Family, Friends, Children and Coaching Clients

- The outdoor rooms are in a Cottage space with a beautiful outdoor area for drinking cups of tea and reading books

- We also have another undercover outdoor area where we regularly sit with our Family and enjoy time together

- My home is organised and uncluttered - I make time every day to be organised (I have a timetable for my housework and shopping) and there is space for everything - there is space in the bookshelves for new books and my cupboards are so organised with my clothes and study organised and in order
- My home is always neat and tidy and I am not concerned if Family, Friends, Neighbours come over at anytime

- Once a year we have a Springclean and have a garage sale and give to those less fortunate - clothes, toys, books - whatever we no longer need

Health

- We eat healthy food, including organic fruit and vegetables
- I eat fish once a week and sometimes organic meat and I am very conscious of eating animals
- I love cooking healthy food and healthy treats for my Family and I believe in Balance and I enjoy chocolate and treats guilt-free (on the weekends)

- I love walking for fitness - I walk 4-5 times/ week
- I love being back to running, now that I have had children, and I am trusting how my body feels

- I love Yoga - I go to a Yoga class at least twice a week

- I allow myself time to rest from exercise guilt-free

- We walk as a Family

- We enjoy Bushwalks

- Sleep is a Priority - 7 to 8 hours a night

- Meditation is a Priority - 30 minutes/ day and also Meditating with my Husband and Children

- I am in good shape and feel happy with my physical being
- I love my clothes, I dress for myself, I enjoy my style - and my clothes are very organised in my wardrobe

Career

- I have a successful Coaching Business - I love being a Coach - I work with 10-15 Clients/ week

- I feel confident being a Coach - I feel I offer a Sacred Space - an opportunity for Process and Action

- I feel confident working with Clients to help them achieve their Goals and help them experience Peace and Happiness and Self-Love

- I work solely for myself - I do go in and work for Businesses - but on a daily or contract basis

- I am able to work hard through the year and also have time off when my Man has holidays from school

- I work one on one with Clients and also run weekly, monthly and quarterly Groups

- Meditation and Transpersonal Tools and Techniques, helping people get in touch with their Unconscious, is a major part of my work

- I am a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation

- I attend the Yearly ICF Conference

- I also have a Business Spread The Yellow which specialises in the sales of Products and also has Motivational Seminars for Schools and Business encouraging Connection and Consciously Choosing to help Make A Difference for others

Self-Development

- As a Successful Coach, I attend at least 1 or 2 Seminars or Training Workshops per year to keep learning and broadening my Professional Capabilities - including Shadow Work, Archetypes, Dreamwork, Shadow work, Sand Play, Art Therapy

- Every week I make time to read Blogs and Articles on the Internet to continually broaden my understanding to help my Clients

- Every month I read at least one new Self-Development Book - I run a Women's Bookclub

- I Journal and Blog regularly and make time for Self-Reflection - monitoring my Shadow, my Yin/Yang, my Archetypes 

Fun and Recreation

- We make it a Priority to spend time outdoors and in nature together as a Family

- At home we enjoy sitting together for dinner every night and we love playing board games and having a laugh together

- We take adventures together - day trips - to see new and exciting destinations and favourite places and we enjoy the simple and beautiful places and delights in life

- My Man and I enjoy a date night at least once a month - just the two of us

- Every year on our Anniversary we enjoy a night away to honour our Love

- At least once a month I gather with female friends for movie, dinner, afternoon or morning tea

Financial

- We are financially organised - we have a budget that allows room and freedom for flexibility

- We have a savings plan that allows us to travel once a year interstate and every few years travelling internationally

- My Superannuation is organised

- Our Wills are up-to-date

- We have money to shout Family and Friends to lunch, dinner, activities
- We are active in contributing to Charity 

Creative Expression

- Music and Dance is a big part of our household

- Most nights we put music on (rather than the TV) and we Dance and have fun together

- We make time for Art - there is always paints and textas and crayons and pencils and artpaper on hand

- We enjoy having a Garden and growing our own herbs and beautiful, fragrant flowers

- We write love letters and notes to each other 

- We openly express our feelings and acknowledge feelings in each other and make it okay to be real

I love that I can see a clear Vision for My Future and I love being in Meditation with these hopes and dreams within my Heart.  As I Consciously Design My Life in my Mind's Eye through Meditation, I feel Excited and Inspired to take ACTION.  I have a strong sense I need to bring in more Yang into my life to balance out my Yin - more Yang, more doing.  And having Balance and relaxation and making time to be in Nature is also very important.

I love that I can use Meditation and Coaching Tools and Techniques to help me on my Journey where I can Coach myself.  And I also recognise the Power of the Coaching Relationship and so I love that I am currently working with my own Life Coach to help me Consciously Design My Life today and every day and as I look towards a wonderful and bright Future.

By taking the time to Consciously Design My Life I have also activated the Law Of Attraction and also the Reticular Activating System in my Brain to find solutions and answers and present opportunities and possibilities to help me move closer to this Dream for my Life.

By just taking this time to see a Clear Vision for my Future I feel lighter and brighter and full of love and light and life.

As I have included a list for each Area of my Life, which is presenting an Ideal Scenario for me, I can also Consciously Choose to take ACTION NOW and make this Dream a REALITY.

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June Link Dump

Tis been a busy month with way more web information than I could post. So here is an end of the month link dump. First, something fanciful -- that map up there is called Food Wars, which shows the territories covered by the major food chains in the USA. Not at all what I expected.

Next, a couple of new blogs I find very interesting. My nephew Jake is in China doing a summer internship and has chosen to stay in touch via Tastes Like Chicken. Then there is my good friend Mira, who has literally leapt into the blogosphere with her and this part is true blog; already 13 posts in less than a month, now that is a blogger.

May I humbly recommend that you take about ten minutes to read this Conversation with God. No really. I found it very enlightening. I am sure there are several Mormons out there smirking because their faith has several similarities to this thesis. But do give it a read, ten minutes ain't that long.

For another dose of spirituality, one of my poker media buddies, Michelle Lewis, has a nice (non-poker) piece on the Meaning of the Number 9.

Having trouble focusing, try this little visual test from the NYTimes and this second one on multi-tasking. Let me know if they work for you, I scored 100% on both and methinks they may be underestimating us cybernoids.

I will wrap up with an Annie Lennox take on Bob Marley's Waiting in Vein.

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Plyers Clipart

In yet another entry to our tools clipart theme, today I decided to add a small collection of plyers clipart images. I hope these are useful for your home improvement, handy work, or other wesbite. Anyone who has done any handy work or repair work has most certainly used plyers, as they are one of the handiest of all tools. You can use this simple little tool to manipulate the shape of wires, pieces of metal, snails, and more. Their uses really are endless.

But it does take a lot of practice to learn how to use them effectively. I still don`t have very good plyers technique, but it`s something I work on regularly as I do a lot of handy work.

Here are the plyers clipart images mentioned above:

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A Little Poker

This is a little poker story followed by some nostalgia from my days in the world of professional poker. For my non-poker readers, trust me, you will know when to stop reading.* 

Early last week the fire alarm system in my building was being worked on, which meant that the very loud clarion clanging cacophony  was going off just outside my door every five minutes. On the third detonation I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my keys and headed for the car. I really didn't have a destination until I was a block or so from the apartment when I thought of the Oaks Card Club in nearby Emeryville. Fifteen minutes later and I am slipping into an Omaha 8 seat and being greeted by the friendly table captain.

It takes a standard couple of rounds for the locals to ask where you are from and where have you played before. When I mentioned Las Vegas, the World Series of Poker came up and I was asked if I had ever played in the WSOP. Normally what would follow would be my admission to covering the Series for the last four years, which would lead to question about why I am not there this year and eventually the Matusow book comes up and -- well -- I have been there before and just wasn't interested in going there again, at least not that day.

"You ever been to the World Series?"

"Nope, never have."

As soon as I said it, I knew those were the right words. Most days I just don't have any interest in what I was so immersed in for the past five years. I do keep track of a few players at the Series, but those are my friends. I do read a few of the writers currently working the tournaments at the Rio, but again those are my buddies and I am more interested in what they write about away from the poker tables than anything that happens during the games.*

I covered the WSOP for four summers (Gold-Yang-Eastgate-Cada) and I look back at that I remember much more about the time away from the poker tables and infinitely more about the preliminary events than about the main event. Except for Mike's great run in the '08 main, while Amy and I were finishing the book.

For my media buddies sweltering in the desert heat, I offer this bit of historical pondering. Notice my years of coverage and compare them to yours, I think I perhaps didn't choose my tenure wisely.

(Jamie Gold-Jerry Yang-Peter Eastgate-Joe Cada)

(Robert Varkonyi-Chris Moneymaker-Greg Raymer-Joe Hachem)

(Scotty Nguyen-Noel Furlong-Chris Ferguson-Carlos Mortensen)

(Russ Hamilton-Dan Harrington-Huck Seed-Stu Ungar)

(Mansour Matloubi-Brad Dougherty-Hamid Dastmalchi-Jim Bechtel)

(Berry Johnston-Johnny Chan-Johnny Chan-Phil Hellmuth)

(Jack Strauss-Tom McEvoy-Jack Keller-Bill Smith)

(Bobby Baldwin-Hal Fowler-Stu Ungar-Stu Ungar)

(Johnny Moss-Sailor Roberts-Doyle Brunson-Doyle Brunson)

(Johnny Moss-Johnny Moss-Amarillo Slim Preston-Puggy Pearson)

I think only two of those groups might be more forgettable then my four year stint.

(Matloubi-Daugherty-Dastmalchi-Bechtel)

or

(Yang-Eastgate-Cada-??????)

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Another Brilliant Book

As I work from the Clinic Rooms at the Bookstore on Friday, it is always tempting to buy Another Brilliant Book.  There are so many wonderful Books and I already have about 5 on the go at the moment.  Hence, do I really need another Book?  I do not go looking for Another Brilliant Book, normally they find me, it may be me waiting to talk to someone in the Bookstore, and then I casually see what catches my eye on the shelves.  Usually once Another Brilliant Book catches my eye, it is hard to not hear The Call to buy the Book and take it home. 

On Friday I buy 'The Dark Side of the Light Chasers' by Debbie Ford - WOW!!!  This Book is all about Shadow Work.  I have studied Courses in this area, and I love that this work is embraced in my work as a Transformational Life Coach - and yet obviously there is still more for me to learn.  And that's okay.   I believe that my Course is the necessary Step for me to become a Coach - and for me to become a Great Coach, it is important for me to keep reading and keep learning, and very importantly to apply these learnings in my own life.  Reading this Book is serving as a reminder to me of what I do know and what I have learnt.   And yet as I have been so focused on Yin and Yang and so focused on the Archetypes, this Book is reminding me to also be Consciously Aware of Shadows in myself and my Clients. 

I have read so many wonderful Books - and I am so Grateful that I do work from the Bookstore Clinic, as this opens up the opportunities to buy Another Brilliant Book.  There are so many parts of the Book that I love - and I have only started - and yet I want to share these paragraphs which are so powerful.

- p3. "Your life will be Transformed when you make peace with your Shadow.  The caterpillar will become a breathtakingly beautiful butterfly.  You will no longer have to pretend to be someone you're not.  You will no longer have to prove you're good enough.  When you embrace your Shadow you will no longer have to live in fear.  Find the Gifts in your Shadow and you will finally revel in all the glory of your True Self.  Then you will have the freedom to create the life you have always desired."  I am Excited and Inspired reading these words.

- p.3 "Every human being is born with a healthy emotional system.  We love and accept ourselves when we are born.  We don't make judgements about which parts of ourselves are good and which parts are bad.  We dwell in the fullness of our being, living in the moment, and expressing ourselves freely.  As we grow older, we begin to learn from the people around us.  They tell us how to act, when to eat, when to sleep, and we begin to make distinctions.  We learn which behaviours bring us acceptance and which bring us rejection.  We learn if we get a prompt response or if our cries go unanswered.  We learn to trust the people around us or to fear the people around us.  We learn consistency or inconsistency.  We learn which qualities are acceptable in our environment and which are not.  All of this distracts us from living in the moment and keeps us from expressing ourselves freely."

- p.9 The author writes "This process seemed miraculous to me.  So I made a list of all the parts of myself I didn't like, and worked on finding the Gifts in them.  As soon as I was able to see the positive and the negative value of each aspect of myself, I was able to drop my defensiveness and allow these parts to exist freely.  It became clear that the process was not about getting rid of things we dislike in ourselves, but about finding the positive side of these aspects and integrating it into our lives."

- p.16 "Within ourselves, we possess every trait and its polar opposite, every human emotion and impulse.  We have to uncover, own, and embrace all of who we are, the good and bad, dark and light, strong and weak, and honest and dishonest.  If you believe you are weak, then you must seek out its opposite, and find your strength.  If you are ruled by fear you must go within and find your courage.  If you are a victim you must go within and find the victimiser inside you.  It is your birthright to be whole, to have it all.  It only takes a shift in your perception, an opening of your heart." - Reading this reminds me of Yin and Yang - the opposite of energies - and when we are just in one Part of us, we need to embrace the other part of ourselves to bring about Balance.

I get inspired to look up images on Light and Dark and find some great images at on this website -

http://photobucket.com/images/light%20and%20dark/

- I am loving this Book.  I love reading p.25 "The key is to understand that there is nothing we can see or perceive that we are not.  If we did not possess a certain quality we could not recognise it in another.  If you are inspired by someone's courage, it is a reflection of the courage within you.  If you think someone's selfish, you can be sure that you're capable of demonstrating the same amount of selfishness.  Although these qualities will not be expressed all the time, we each have the ability to act out any quality we see."  Then p. 29. "What I discovered was my potential to act like the people I had been most harshly judging.  It became clear that I had to be on the lookout for the traits that most bothered me in others.  I began to recognise them as rooms I'd closed off." I love reading on p. 40 "If I am offended by your arrogance it is because I'm not embracing my own arrogance.  This is either arrogance that I am now demonstrating in my life and not seeing, or arrogance that I deny I am capable of demonstrating in the future.  If I am offended by arrogance I need to look closely at all areas of my life and ask myself these questions: When have I been arrogant in the past?  Am I being arrogant now?  Could I be arrogant in the future?... If I embrace my own arrogance, I won't be upset by someone else's. I might notice it, but it won't affect me.  My arrogance outlet will have a cover plate on it.  It is only when you're lying to yourself or hating some aspect of yourself that you'll get an emotional charge from someone else's behaviour."


- I read on p. 43 something that interests me to ponder "when you embrace a quality within yourself, other people with the same quality can no longer plug into you.  Then they become free to experience you and you are free to experience them."

- p. 48 "Freedom is being able to choose whoever and whatever you want to be at any moment in your life.  If you have to act in a particular way to avoid being something you don't like, you're trapped.  You've limited your freedom and robbed yourself of wholeness.  If you can't be lazy, you can't be free.  If you can't be angry when something upsetting happens, you can't be free.  If you deal with someone's behaviour by being the opposite, question yourself.  If you are constantly annoyed by a particular group of people, find the ways in which you are like them."

- p. 50 "As long as we deny the existence of certain traits in ourselves, we continue to perpetuate the myth that others have something we don't possess.  When we admire someone, it is an opportunity to find yet another aspect of ourselves.  We have to take back our positive projections as well as our negative projections."

- p. 51 "Any desire of the heart is there for you to discover and manifest.  Whatever inspires you is an aspect of yourself.  Be precise about what you admire in someone and find that part in yourself.  If you have the aspiration to be something, it's because you have the potential to manifest what you are seeing." - How wonderful!!

I love applying what I am learning to my own life.  I am able to see in my day where I have reacted to qualities in other people and make meaning for this for me - where I have made a sweeping statement such as "I am always friendly" or when I am the Judge of someone for Judging another, or react to other qualities in others and realising that these qualities can also show up for me.  It is good being able to talk to my Man about these realisations, I am fortunate that he is my best friend.

Tonight we venture outside to watch the partial moon eclipse - and I enjoy the Light and the Dark.  And as the day is coming to a close for me, I enjoy the words of 'The Guest House' by Rumi -

"The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond."
~ Rumi ~

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Manichean

Manichean (man-i-KEE-uhn)
1. pertaining to a strongly dualistic worldview.
2. An adherent of the dualistic religious system of Manes, a combination of gnostic Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and various other elements, with a basic doctrine of a conflict between light and dark.

I am by nature opposed to dualism. I don't believe in light versus dark or good versus evil. Yet, many of the world's great religions are founded on such beliefs, not to mention many more secular philosophies, dozens of national constitutions and nearly all wars.

On one hand I believe any thoughtful person will concede that nearly nothing can be framed in a purely good versus evil dichotomy. Even in the darkest of evils and the brightest of perfections there are elements of the other. But more importantly the human minds that are observing these clashes of opposites almost never agree on which side is light or evil or dark or good. Grey is the color of the day, all day, every day, until the final day.

Standing on the far side of the battlefield we invariably find other humans who feel as strongly about their position in the light of good and truth and right as those on our side. Yes, yes I know you want to bring up Hitler and the Nazis right about now. I concede there are historical aberrations to contradict any position. However....

As fairly evolved sentient beings we are or should be capable of using our ability to perceive subtle nuances to inform our worldview. We should be able to discount the jingoistic speeches of political leaders and make measured judgments about our side (light) and the other side (dark), because there are equally intelligent, evolved individuals on the other side who would reverse those dark & light flags.

Part of the problem is one position cannot grow to be better, more light or inherently correct unless the opposing philosophy becomes more dark, more evil and inherently wrong. Such dramatic opposition leads to conflict, battle and war. Where does it all end? I would suggest the more productive question is to ask: Where did it all begin?

Conflict usually begins when there exists one or more dualistic views. If you strongly believe your position to be right, then others must be wrong. Wrong equals opposition to your position, which is by self-definition -- right. I encourage examining where your beliefs are dualistic or oppositional to another and then perhaps -- listening to the other. Start small. Begin with a minor disagreement. Leave terrorism, abortion and whaling for later.

Ever wonder why the dominate color of this blog is grey.

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I Miss You Desktop Wallpapers, I Miss You Pictures, I Miss You Photos

Love is in the air with emotions tugging at the heartstrings. If your love is not attributed with proper expressions then it will never render the cry of your soul. There are various ways; people can put forward their feelings to their loved ones. Here is the collection of the most inspiration I Miss You Wallpaper and Photos and few of those selected and most amazing I Miss You Desktop Wallpapers, I Miss You Photo Collection, and I Miss You Pictures.

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Big News

Today I am thankful that my Yang part of me was in full ACTION, getting my "to do" list done.  I was up and ready to go at 9am and it felt wonderful to become more Organised.  I was especially happy to spend some time on my bills, records and budget.

I was also glad to be at home and have the Space in my day to watch History, with Australia's First Female Prime Minister sworn in by the Governor General.  This is Big News.  This is Big News after 26 Male Prime Ministers and after 108 years.  Regardless of the Politics and my Beliefs and the potential greatness for Australia, I have so much empathy for Kevin Rudd.  As I watched his speech, I was moved by his words and his emotions.  I was moved by his love and acknowledgement of his Wife and Children.  I also loved that he named everything of which he is Proud.  It is true that he can be Proud of taking the step to apologise to Aboriginal Communities and also helping Australia escape the Global Financial Crisis.  He spoke well and I loved when he said  "I have given my absolute best, I have given my absolute all."  

I also have so much admiration for Kevin Rudd as he chose to attend Question Time and showed so much Strength in Character.  This had an impact on me, rather than feeling into rejection or going into a Shadow of the Orphan, Kevin Rudd was Grounded in his Strength, staying true to his Party and the Country - advising that he would continue to be available to serve - WOW!  I loved that this was acknowledged by Julia Gillard.  I also loved that Julia Gillard, Wayne Swan and Tony Abbott acknowledged Kevin Rudd's work and how difficult a time it would be for him and his Family.  

My reaction to today's Events shows the Feminine Yin in me, where I am in tune with my Feelings and Emotions.  It is then good to talk to my Man who is the Thinker and so we have a good discussion and express our Feelings and Thoughts - Yin and Yang.

Today I watched the News over and over, which is a change for me.  For a long time now I have chosen not to watch the News, at least not on a regular basis.  And yet with my Commitment to be more Actively Involved I am choosing to become more aware on Local, National and Global Levels.  I am choosing to check in with the News on a daily basis, even if it is a quick look online.  As I am very sensitive, I have a sense that I can visualise a bubble around me, to stop myself from becoming too emotionally involved or distressed, especially with so much sadness and negativity that dominates the news.  And yet there is also the opportunity for me to gain increased Awareness which may lead me to take ACTION.   

Like today, every day there is Big News - events and situations happening around the world where people, Families, lives are being affected.  I want to protect myself, and yet I do not want to be de-sensitised  or unaffected by Local and World News.  By reading every News Article or watching the News on television and treating every story as Big News, this allows me to be interested and totally open.   Rather than becoming emotionally charged with every article or spending time and energy talking about the News and getting too caught in the Story, I can extend my love and light and I can also make Choices as to the areas where I may be able to get involved to Make A Difference and Spread The Yellow.

While I have empathy for Kevin Rudd, I have also been impressed with the words of Julia Gillard.  I especially liked these words -

"I will dedicate my abilities to what I believe in.
A nation where hard work is rewarded and where the dignity of work is respected.
A nation that prides itself on the excellence of its education system.
Where Government can be relied upon to provide high quality services for all Australians.
An Australia that can achieve even greater things in the future.  We should not be afraid of the future.
A strong Australia respected as a global force for progress, for peace and for tolerance.
A bright democracy for the world to admire.
And a sanctuary for all of our people.
Can I say to the Australian people there will be some days I delight you; there may be some days I disappoint you.  On every day, I will be working my absolute hardest for you. "

These words are Inspirational.  And it is Inspiring to hear that there are already 23 Female World Leaders.  It is encouraging to hear all of the young woman being so Inspired after today's Big News. Mr Gillard described his daughter as a "unique, hard working, passionate, driven'' person who only "wants to do good things for the country".

I love when Julia Gillard talks about the paradox - that people can have empathy for Kevin Rudd and also see the Strength and Commitment of Julia Gillard.  I am Excited to be choosing to bring my Yang onboard to learn more about the Government Policies and more about the Big News, so that I have increased Awareness, and a greater capacity to make Conscious Choices, and also be open to be moved to ACTION.

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Actively Involved

"If you're not Actively Involved in getting what you want, you don't really want it." Peter McWilliams

The words "Actively Involved" speak to me.  I have realised that I have been spending a lot of time in Observation of myself and Observation of the beauty in the world.  And this has been a wonderful place, very relaxing, a place of peace and calm - definitely being led by my Yin in my Intuition and Feelings.  My Man was also saying last night that there is so much that I want to do and get Excited by so much and yet I may need to focus.  And this is true of me.

I also resonate with these words

- "Now is the Time to Focus Your Energy

We are constantly faced with competing demands,

and easily distracted by the noise and the interruptions.

To be effective in our lives and work, we must focus.

We must decide on our Priorities.

We must channel our energy and attend to the task before us." Patrick Lindsay

What differentiates Coaching from Counselling is the focus on the Future and the attention to ACTION.  And I have a Commitment to be True and Genuine on my Journey with attention to Self-Development.   I am Excited that I have received a whole package of notes on "Life Quality and Design" - this is perfect timing for me - I am Excited when I read about the opportunity to write an Ideal Scene, to look again at my Wheel of Life, to take an Energy Leaks Inventory and complete a Tackling Procrastinations Task Sheet.  These are wonderful Tools for me and Tools for my Clients.  I am Excited that I can be Actively Involved in designing my Life.  And I Welcome this Opportunity.

I am VERY HAPPY that tonight I finally took the Step to become Actively Involved in supporting Communities living in Poverty.  Tonight my Man and I sponsored Ann, a 6 year old little girl living in Laos.  We chose to Sponsor a Child through Plan Australia.  What I love about their work is their Commitment to Children - "Child centred community development is the term we use to describe how we aim to do our development work. It's a rights based approach to development where we support communities to develop the structures and skills they need to provide a safe and healthy environment in which children are able to realise their full potential.  It is our belief, based on many years of experience, that this can be achieved only if children’s best interests are at the heart of everything we do and if children themselves actively participate in the process."

Originally I was looking at Vietnam or Thailand or Nepal, and I have also been recently drawn to Laos when I found information on the Sunshine School that seems very advanced in their teaching Programs for Children - and I have also been interested in this area since I once worked with a guy from Laos and we were good friends.  Tonight while my Man and I looked at the different areas, I was drawn to Laos due to the low life expectancy of 55.1 years and also a low 51% who have access to safe drinking water and a low literacy rate (over 15 years) of only 66.4%.  I love reading about all the Community Projects taking place in Laos.

I am Excited that I finally made one small step to Spread The Yellow and be Actively Involved in helping build Communities.  What I also love about Plan is that they work to help Communities to become Empowered to overcome poverty, so that with time they can withdraw from a self-sufficient Community.

It feels great to be Actively Involved.  We saw a photo of little Ann and we are planning to write her a letter and look forward to learning more about her Community.  Little Ann is just 2 days younger than my Niece Ashley and I look forward to hopefully getting Ashley involved in this Process, perhaps writing letters or sending pictures.  In any case, it helps us realise that we are so fortunate and we can help Make A Difference.

I am calling on the Yang Part of me tomorrow (and every day) to be Organised and Logical and Focused and in ACTION.  I have my "To Do" List ready to go and I look forward to being more Actively Involved in MY LIFE, making Choices and taking Steps towards my Vision.

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Around the Firepit

Remember those late night debates in the dormitory. Do you miss them? I don't. Well I don't miss being 19 and talking and acting like I knew more than I did. But I do miss the conversation, the camaraderie and yes, the mind expansion that flow from interactions like those. I enjoy the feelings that honest, open, intense conversation engenders.

I was reminded of this a few weekends ago, when some of my olde grad school friends and I got together, had a big meat laden barbeque and then late into the night, we tossed yet one more log on the coals and launched into one more topic. Sometimes I miss heated conversations where polysyllabic utterances are not discouraged and where loud and pointed disagreement is often met with laughter and even agreement.

Read all you will, ponder until the dragons come home but articulating what you are formulating to an interested and attentive cadre is oh so satisfying. Even when they beat up your still half-formed thesis.

Gotta do that again soon.

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Break My Heart

I feel my prayers have been answered today - my Mum received positive news after a scan - we are relieved.  Thank you God for your miracles and healing.  I love my Mum.  And I love my Dad for being such a great man and so wonderful.  For the last two days we have been waiting for the results, and it is a tough time for my Mum and Dad (and me).

I went to Church on Sunday morning.  I enjoy going to Church and I especially wanted to focus on praying for my Mum.  Of course, I can pray outside the Church and yet there is something so powerful of praying as part of the Community.  We were praying for two people of the Community asking God for his healing and love and as I joined in the prayers I brought the image of my Mum to my mind's eye and I imagined rays and energy of love and light flowing to my Mum.  I love my Mum and pray for her continued good health and high spirits. 

I am so happy that I went to Church on Sunday - I always feel happy and uplifted and I really enjoy being at Church.  I love the opportunity to pray, I love the music and I love the Community at the Church.  I love the Commitment by the Church to be active in Community, active to Make A Difference.

We sang a song 'Hosanna' - I really love the words in this song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQGJdTpMUcU&feature=related

"Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me 

Break My Heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity"

The Pastor talks about the line "Break My Heart from what breaks yours" and this line resonates with me.  I feel very Inspired listening to the Pastor - he says that it is our Responsibility to Act, Serve, Give our Resources, Gifts, Strengths, Passions to Impact with Strength and Love.  He explains that "when we pray we must be prepared to be part of the Answer - to Give, Go, Serve, Speak..."  

I have a desire to be more active in this Community, certainly to "show up" more often to Church and just be Present and see where my Journey leads me.  We watched a dvd about the Cambodia Mission where a Group of people went to Cambodia as part of a Tear Australia Program.  It was amazing watching the Community in Cambodia where money raised by the Church has helped build a dam and well which now provides water to a Community of 200 people.  This has been incredible for the Children and Families and Community, where in the past Children had to walk two and a half kilometres there and back to fetch water a few times a day - and now the Children can go to school on a full-time basis.  WOW!!!  I learn that the funding from our Church is being directed straight into the Community via a local Church, which means the majority of money goes directly to the Community.

I love that the Church is very active in the Global Community.  When I see images or hear stories of Children and Families living in poverty this does Break My Heart and I am motivated to Act and to be involved financially through my Business and on a Personal level.  For the last two years I have heard the Call to get involved with Communities living in poverty and I have made a Commitment that for every Coaching Session I will donate $5/ Session to Charity.  This is just one small way that I can Spread The Yellow.  I would also love to do Volunteer work with Children and Communities overseas.

I love the information in an article that I received from the Church

- "What are some practical ways to help the poor?

1. Buy Fair Trade wherever possible! Fair Trade products are those that are produced in circumstances whereby producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions, and where environmental sustainability is promoted...

2. Go Green! Environmental destruction is a major problem for the poor of our world as it affects farming, production, livelihood and safety...

3. Get educated! There are plenty of good websites out there, and plenty of opportunities to hear good perspectives...

4. Use your vote! This is an election year, and many of the important political debates are based on issues involving the poor and marginalised of our world – climate change, immigration, health care. Do some careful research and thinking about which party to vote for. Dialogue with others who have a concern for the poor and find out their perspective. Don’t waste your vote! Or worse, don’t vote based on your own personal benefits...

5. Think about money! And I don’t mean that in a capitalistic sense. Think about how much you earn – how much do you really need? How much can you give away to solid aid and development organisations or local services that help the poor? By all means, don’t just give money to the poor without thinking about the effect it has – you can have a very detrimental effect this way, as you could rob the poor of dignity, and perpetuate the cycle of dependency. But money used well can be a true gift and blessing to people around God’s world."

When donating money to support Communities in Poverty, I have recently been learning the importance of ensuring that the money helps people become Empowered.  I love what is written in the Church Newsletter "Some organisations simply provide money and services for the poorest people, and do nothing to empower them with options, dignity and education. In this way the poor become dependent on such aid, and they never really lift themselves out of poverty at all, thus continuing the cycle of victimisation."

As I am a Coach and I love helping people become Empowered to look at Options and make Choices for Transformation, I am keen to support the organisations that are helping Communities become Empowered, to Make A Difference in their lives.  When I think about Poverty it does Break My Heart and so I am saying to God and the Universe that I am here to help.  My Man and I are definitely looking to support Children and Communities in poverty and I have recently been doing some Research, wanting to make sure that the organisation that we support does help people become Empowered.  So far, I am interested in Tear Australia and Plan Australia.  

There is a Conference in July that sounds wonderful.  I would love to go to the Conference and yet I have Coaching Training over that weekend and when I realised that there is a clash of dates I was very disappointed.  Since I have such a strong feeling of disappointment, I feel that this Call to be involved in helping Communities living in poverty, in some capacity (it could be a small or a big capacity), is definitely real.  When I am at Church and when I am driving from Church, there is a part of me that wishes my Man was at Church with me and that he was as Passionate as me about being involved and active in the Local and Global Community.  And yet I know that he does Make A Difference in the lives of children every day, as he is a Teacher, and is very motivated and excellent at his lifework.  And the Sage in me, the wise Part in me, reminds me that my Man gives me Balance.  If we were both the same we may be on a plane to go and serve in Cambodia or Thailand or Vietnam - and yet my Man helps keep me Grounded in the other areas that are important to me - like being with my Family, and also looking forward to starting our own Family.  

On Sunday afternoon my Man and I had such a fun time with my Nieces, walking in the park, playing in the playground, laughing, me trying to do cartwheels, telling jokes - just being together.  While there is so much that can and does Break My Heart, I am Grateful that I can also be so Joyful and enjoy such beautiful, precious times with my Man and my Nieces and my Family.

And from this place of Joy and Warmth I can be open hearted and I can Choose to Spread The Yellow - this is my Purpose - this is why I am here - I am open to God and the Universe and his Angels to show me how I may serve - "Psalm 143:8 - Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my Soul."

For me God is love, he is the love and energy and Connection through us all, from him flows love, light and energy.  And we all have God within, the Spirit within that Connects us all.  And as I am in Connection with all I can offer my love and understanding - it is up to me to see the God within us all and live on Purpose to Spread The Yellow.  I am only one and yet I will do my best to be my best to offer love and light. 

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Saw Clipart

In keeping with our current theme of handy tools, today`s entry brings you some saw clipart images. Web pages for construction, or carpenters or other people who build things might be nicely complemented by one of these images.

I pesonally have no real interest or experience with saws. Actually I find them kind of frightening, and I have ever since I was a small child. I would always watch my father cutting things with a saw and fear that he would cut his arm off! Of course it never happened, but just imagining it was enough to traumatize me! haha

Here are a few saw clipart that I hope you find useful:






I found these clipart at clker.com. Visit that site for more collections of free clipart.

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Telegraph Avenue

I have lived in several university towns and spent a fair amount of time in many others: Ann Arbor, Madison, Cambridge, Austin, Westwood, Berkeley. While they all show the liberal influence of the ivy covered walls, they are all somewhat unique. Most influence neighborhoods they share, others dominate the entire city. And then there is the People's Republic of Berkeley.

Such a mixture of liberal/radical politics existing right alongside fantabulous contradictions. For a place of peace, freedom and social justice there are a lot of regulations. Mostly these are seen as "for the people" and against the establishment but rules are rules and are therefore necessarily anti-freedom. But politics and bureaucracy are not my topics today. Telegraph Avenue is.

Telegraph Ave. is less than 5 miles long. It runs from downtown Oakland north-north-east to the south entrance of the UC Berkeley campus at Sather Gate, which then spills directly into Sproul Plaza where "those" protests took place in the 60's. But when most of us hear Telegraph Avenue, we think of the last four blocks at the UCB end of Telegraph, where you can still buy beads, candles, radical bumper-stickers and incense. I live about five minutes from this stretch of Telegraph, so I know the restaurants and other necessary establishments there, yes olde friends I live within walking distance of Tienda Ho.

Early last week, I was up on Telegraph running errands, I hit the post office, grabbed a sandwich at Cafe Mattina and was looking for a place to make my seasonal lottery purchase. After casually keeping my eye out for a lottery sign, I realized that in the mecca of anti-establishmentarianism there was not going to be a retailer who would alienate the local clientele by trading in such a income discriminatory hidden tax. I think I must have been smiling even more broadly as I turned off Telegraph to head back to the apartment. I rounded the last corner stepping slightly around a well dressed young woman, who I noted was a bit out of place on the lingering hippy sidewalks of Telegraph when I heard her whisper;

"Date?"


There it was, in the heartland of free love, a Tuesday afternoon solicitation. I wish I had not simply strolled on. I would like to know more about prostitution on Telegraph Ave. Think I could have gotten five minutes of conversation for what? maybe twenty bucks?

The times they are achangin'.

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Yin And Yang Everywhere

It was a busy and great weekend for me - time with Friends, Family and my Man.  On Saturday I enjoyed a long walk with a close Friend.  My Friend is studying Counselling and I love hearing about her Course and her Life and her Projects.  I also love sharing my excitement about Yin and Yang.  

I now see and feel Yin And Yang Everywhere.

On Saturday afternoon I enjoyed seeing 'Sex And The City II' with Friends - it is a fun movie.  And while watching and laughing with the movie, I am also seeing the Yin and Yang playing out in the characters and in the relationships between the characters.

I see the Yin and Yang dynamic in Carrie and Big's relationship - Big is enjoying more Yin time, quiet, relaxing time on the couch and Carrie is wanting more Yang, more "sparkle", sensing that there is too much Yin and not enough Balance, leading to not feeling a sense of Connection in their marriage. I love seeing Carrie take ACTION and the Conversations between them.  I also love Charlotte's Storyline, trying to be the "perfect" Mother and Wife and pretending that everything is going well - Charlotte is trying to be Yang, feeling that she can be Yang, where it is ordered and logical.  And then in Connection with Miranda, Charlotte is able to reveal her truth, her Emotional Yin, in that Motherhood is hard, and she is finding it difficult even with a nanny.  I love that Miranda makes it okay to talk openly.  And I also love Miranda's storyline, where she has a clash with her Boss, so much Yang happening in the Laywers' Office, and then she is able to be true to her Feminine Yin and be at her Son's School Awards and also then finds a job where she can be in her Yin and Yang.

I also see the dynamic of Yin and Yang playing out in relationships in my own life.  I see a situation playing out where there is a Yang energy and then this triggers another Yang energy and then there is no Connection - and as a third person, I try to bring in a Yin energy, softly, gently - and yet the whisper of Yin is too soft, the Yang energy is taking up the Space.  And then, in another situation I witness myself being more Centred and Grounded in my Communication with my Brother, which allows him to be open and share with me.  In the past I have often showed up in too much Yang or too much Yin, solely in a Warrior or Caregiver Archetype, which did not generate Connection, instead it was about right and wrong, black and white.  Yesterday I really enjoyed walking and talking with my Brother in an open and caring Space.  I would love there to be more time to enjoy Conversations and Space and I treasure these moments when my Brother is open and we are in the natural flow.  

And the lesson for me is to step away and not take on the worry or the energy - to trust my Family members to be in charge of their own lives (as they know that I am always here if they need me).   This is an area of Self-Development for me, not taking on the worries or concerns of others.  My Friend sent a text which was beautiful today "Happy Winter Solstice.  What are we going to say Goodbye to and allow more to come tomorrow when we wake?" - GREAT QUESTION.  I choose to say Goodbye to worry:

- Goodbye to worrying about the lives of others (still caring and showing empathy)

- Goodbye to worrying about that which is not within my Sphere of Control

- Goodbye to worrying about my past mistakes (still learning and growing from life experience)

- Goodbye to worrying about the Future (still believing in the Future and having a Vision for the Future, but letting go of my attachment to an outcome, and letting go of thoughts and worries that do not serve me in the NOW).

I Welcome BEING IN THE NOW.  I Welcome CONNECTION.  I Welcome being a Witness to Yin And Yang Everywhere and Consciously making Choices to bring Yin and Yang in Balance in my life, my relationships, my Coaching Sessions.  I love the below image of Yin and Yang - this speaks to me about the dynamic between two people in Connection.  This is the Consciousness that I bring as a Coach to my Clients.

I love that my Consciousness of Yin and Yang allows me to draw on these aspects within myself as Strengths and Resources.  On my work today, I am very Conscious of bringing in my Yang to support me for the day - it is though my Yang Part of me, my Masculine is the one giving me a positive pep talk.  As I walk to work I draw on my Yang image of Richard Gere who reminds me of the importance to go to work.  As my Monday-Wednesday job is not my lifework (at an obvious level) I sometimes have to bring my Yang to keep me Motivated.  And yet once I walk in the door, I stay true to my Commitment to do my best and I love when I Achieve and Exceed my Targets. 

And I am Conscious of also wanting a Balance of Yin and Yang in my work, in my everyday - and so I love the laughter and Conversations with other Staff and with Customers and I love walking outdoors in my breaks.  

By knowing my own Yin and Yang, I can Consciously make Choices in my life.  I am happy to be out in the world and an Observer to myself and the world, an Observer to myself in the world. 

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Free I Love You Greeting Cards, Beautiful I Love You Ecards, E-Greeting Cards

Today Love is the important word in life, Love needs no description or definition, but it definitely needs expressions and poetry is the best form of expression. Love protects; preserves and hopes for the positive aspect of life. True Love is the nature of bliss. Make your love more beautiful and romantic including some large collection of Free I Love You Greeting Cards, Beautiful I Love You Ecards and E-Greeting Cards.

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