Soar Coaching and Consulting LLC

Renewal.  Rest.  Revival.

Renewal

© Photographer: Saniphoto | Agency: Dreamstime.com
Do you take enough time for renewal? No matter what you call it, it’s important to take time to rejuvenate and restore your joy in the midst of lives hustle and bustle.

It’s the first day of Spring!   New life is taking root all around us.   What better time to embark on a journey of personal renewal? I am typing this in my home office, listening to the birds chirping outside.   I love my office!  It is a quiet, serene place.  OK, I have this blue shag carpet on the floor that looks like something out of the 1970′s, but if I just ignore the color and focus on the softness against my feet, it feels soooooo good. Creating an environment that I enjoy is one of the ways that I renew my spirit.

I also use meditation/self-hypnosis.   Lately I’ve been drifting off to sleep with a meditation mp3 running in the background.   All those positive affirmations running through my subconscious as I drift, drift, drift into a restful sleep.  Is it any wonder that I wake up feeling fresh and ready for a new day?  I find myself repeating certain affirmation throughout the day.   “I love myself unconditionally.”  “All of my needs are continually met.”  I breathe, I enter a state of renewal in the middle of the day.   I affirm my right to exist and my right to be happy.

Another effective path to renewal is exercise.   I need to pump mine up!   Energetic exercise is a great way to discharge the excess adrenaline that builds up when we are under stress and allow our bodies to let go of the tension that builds up in our shoulders, necks and backs when we are stressed.

Brick wall

© Photographer: James Steidl | Agency: Dreamstime.com I’m not sure who said it first, but I my daughter recently posted it on her Facebook page and it sure rings true.   “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you wanted.”  And boy, do I have experience!   The exciting thing is….I am going to share some of this with you in my new series-Life’s Lessons. You may be like me.   When I was younger, you could tell me over and over, if you bang your head against a brick wall it WILL hurt!   You could support your opinion with scientific articles.   You could tell me about your own experience with heads and brick walls.   You could even tell me stories of people just like me that banged their head against a brick wall and got hurt.   I would still have to try it myself, because I never believed the rules applies to me until after I tested them.   Maybe your smarter than me (I sure hope so!)   If you are, you might learn something by reading my ramblings.  Either way, I hope you enjoy.

This first lesson is about  brick walls.  I bet you already guessed that!  I have such smart readers   Like I said, I had to test the whole brick walls hurt heads theory personally before I believed it .  Trust me, if you bang your head against a brick wall hard enough for long enough, it will hurt.   And I used to thing that the answer was to keep banging (don’t give up) and/or bang harder (give it your best) and the wall would eventually fall.   Ummmm, wrong.   As a matter of fact, I experienced more than one epic fail.

© Photographer: Kutt Niinepuu | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Now we all recognize a “real” brick wall when we see one.   (If not, please let me know as I can always use another idea for a blog post)  But what about the more symbolic brick walls?  What might they look like? How do we tell when we have arrived at a brick wall? It can be tough to tell if you are on  the verge of accomplishment and just need one more push, or if you have hit a brick wall and need to try another plan.   For me, one clue is that I have gone from the good tired of giving my all in hopes of the eventual pay off to the first steps down the road of hopeless, repetitive actions that will eventually lead me to the blue funk of depression-not a happy place to be!   How do you know when it might be time to try something different?

Through the Brick Wall: How to Job-Hunt in a Tight Market

© Photographer: Sunnie7 | Agency: Dreamstime.com. Have you ever noticed how we tend to put off change, especially change for the better?  We will change when the children grow up, when we are financially secure, when a fail safe plan is in place.  So what happens?  The time to change never comes and, in the words of  Henry David Thoreau: “Most men live lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”

How sad!  I want my song to be heard, don’t you want to sing yours?  The world becomes a better place each time one person shares their unique gift.  Why do we put off the things that most fulfill us and bring us joy?

It seems to me that many people suffer analysis paralysis.  I know I do sometimes.  I want to have foolproof plans in place.   But what do I tell my children?  Pick a worthwhile goal and pursue it with all your heart.   Maybe it will be impossible to achieve.   Maybe you will change your mind and change direction.  But it’s ok, because as long as you are heading in a positive direction you can make adjustments on the fly as you learn.

What leads you into procrastination and what techniques do you use to get back on track?

© Photographer: Mega11 | Agency: Dreamstime.com
I just found this article today and had to share it. The author examines spiritual abuse. So many people in the world today carry deep spiritual scars, wounded by leaders who deliberately or ignorantly abuse their power. What are the warning signs? How can you spot a dangerous situation and get out before you are deeply hurt? This informative article may give you a heads up on a bad situation. Remember, you have direct access to the divine spirit. Be wise and selective with your trust.  http://dallascult.com/recognizing-spiritual-abuse/

© Photographer: Patryk Kosmider | Agency: Dreamstime.com It’s finally happening! Tomorrow is the day that I close on my new home. Wooooooo hooooo. It’s sort of like going back to the future, I am moving back to the town I lived in until 6 months ago, but I am ready to make a brand new start. The old house was a great family home and had a lot of memories packed into it. But this place is the my “single home.” A place I can make into a private sanctuary away from the hurry scurry of the work a day world. I can hide in my woman cave! I am woman-hear me yawn. See me cuddle up under a blanket with a good book by the fireplace.

I have been through transitions before, so I recognize one when I see it coming. So exciting to know that I am on the verge of a major break through. I really love reinventing myself every few years and it has been a long time since I have taken the time to really examine where I am and where I want to go. The last few months that I have spent doing that are getting ready to pay off.

I’m stuck in a rut. I’m smiling all the time and I can’t stop. What has you smiling these days?

PS-I just noticed as I was browsing Dreamstime for a suitable photo that there aren’t many images of single home buyers. That seems wrong in our society. Since I am a contributing photographer for DT, I think I just found a new niche. Life is good, always good.