Archive for Empowered Thinking
Practicing the Art of “Being”
Posted by: | Comments
I’ve spent the majority of my life “doing” rather than “being”. After all, there are places to go, people to see, and things to do, right?
This approach to life fell short for me over ten years ago when I made the bold and courageous decision to leave behind the security of my steady paycheck. I quit my “Corporate” job to pursue my entrepreneurial dream because I was exhausted and burnt out from all of my “doing” for the sake of what?!
Little did I know that I would find myself going through life transition upon life transition, starting with my divorce and the subsequent hurdles of my daughter’s health struggles.
Because of these changes, I was challenged to find answers to the questions of “Who am I?” and “What’s next?”
I could write a book on the topic and some day I just might! In the meantime, the key learning is that I am a “human being”, not a “human doing”. Out of this paradigm shift, I have reaped the benefits of living a heart centered life and I am committed to supporting women like you to do the same.
For those of you who are “do-ers” (which is 99.9% of the women out there), here are some practical next steps that will help you “to be”.
- Slow down and breathe fully. Repeat multiple times during the day!
- Go for a walk in silence. A little bit of exercise, a chance to be and not just “sitting still”.
- Get up early in the morning before everyone else wakes up. Drink your coffee in silence and breathe some more.
- Stop talking and listen. Pay attention to others and to your inner voices, your body, etc.
- Read my blog article “On the Verge of a Break Through” for more insight.
Learning to “be” is essential if you want to find inner peace, joy and greater purpose. It’s a huge shift from the crazy-making world we live, yet so worth the perseverance and commitment to find it.
So what else would you add to this list? Share your comments at Facebook and the Blog…And then, breathe and “just be”!
Stop Settling: What are you tolerating?
Posted by: | Comments
I know this might seem really petty, but over five years ago I began a “love-hate” relationship with the closet doors in my new home. They are the kind that slide on a track and get thrown off on occasion, which means I need help to re-align them because it’s awkward and difficult for me to fix them on my own.
Today both of the doors went off the track and it really annoyed me. I don’t think it was the doors being off the track that bothered me so much, but rather the realization that I’ve been tolerating this little nuisance for over five years! Because….Why?!
I don’t really know the answer to this question and right now I don’t think it really matters. What’s important is that I’ve made the decision to replace the doors because I’m done “settling” for this minor yet annoying inconvenience.
Today’s closet situation actually reminded me of a powerful question my very first life coach asked me. I invite you to ponder it as well.
“What are you tolerating?” Said differently, “What’s getting in the way of you being your best in your life and work?”
So what does this mean for you? How might you answer these questions? I’m curious what minor change you will make so that you can change your impact from surviving to thriving?
The decision to replace my closet doors has me energized and empowered me. It reminds me that at any given moment I am at choice, and how I think and act has one of two consequences. It either moves me toward my best self and inspired life, or it takes me further away from who I am destined to be and to achieve.
So what choice will you make today? Share your thoughts at the blog as you make the decision to stop settling. Start thriving beyond what you are are tolerating.
Celebrate and Acknowledge 2009
Posted by: | Comments
I recently had the chance to pause and celebrate my past year and was amazed at all that has happened in 2009. There have been huge milestones like the launch of the new website, blogging and the venture into social media. However, when I looked beyond the obvious I was pleasantly surprised that my year was sprinkled with several small and consistent wins that have made this year a huge success for me, based on what I define as being successful.
So here’s the bottom line. You must make time to celebrate and acknowledge your wins for 2009! Why? Without knowing where you’ve been and what you’ve accomplished, both inside and out, who knows where you’ll end up in 2010. Also, be sure to review your year based on your personal definition of success, not what someone else would consider it to be.
There is a passage from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll which cleverly illustrates why it’s important to know where you are headed in life, especially in this ever changing world we live:
“Cheshire Puss,” she began rather timidly, as she did not know at all whether it would like the name. However, it only grinned a little wider. “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat.
“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the cat.
“So long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the cat, “if you only walk long enough, because if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”
So in the coming days, block your time and take 60-minutes to Acknowledge 2009, using this tool as your guide. Set your course onto the path that will lead you to what you want to create for 2010! And, if you’re ready to overcome your limitations, discover who you are, and take action toward your inspired life vision, it’s time to schedule your 15-minute complimentary information call to see if partnering with one of our coaches is your next step in the new year!
As your new year blossoms, may the journey of your life be fragrant with new opportunities, your days be bright with new hopes and your heart be happy with love! Happy New Year!
Empower your Inner Voice!
Posted by: | Comments
Throughout your day, notice the thoughts that swirl inside your head? Is your thinking positive or negative? Are your thoughts enhancing your life, or draining the life from you?
You can change your life today! When you empower your inner voice, the impact is profound because an empowered inner voice fuels and energizes you.
Whenever you plant a seed in your garden, something is assured of growing; the question is “Are you harvesting what you desire?” If you plant a seed of corn and expect a tomato to grow, you cannot hope for a harvest of tomatoes because you’re obviously going to get corn. It’s the same with your thinking.
Every seed of thought that you plant will grow into something, and more of its same kind will follow as they are harvested. There is a positive or negative nature to the seeds you are planting within the garden of your mind and they may or may not get you what you actually desire in the harvest of your life or your business.
Your words, combined with the voice of your inner self-talk, have the capacity to be a loving, life-giving force, or to be a critical drain, depleting you of energy and life. Your self-talk conveys underlying messages to yourself and to others that create physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual responses.
When you change your inner self-talk, your perspectives, your reality, and your life experiences will change also. Where you focus your thoughts will make a difference in how you act, in what you speak, and in how you treat yourself and others.
Now the question becomes, “Are your inner thoughts allowing you to be the person you are created you to be?”
Today, practice empowering your inner voice. Eliminate words like “should”, “have to”, and “can’t”. Replace these with empowering words like, “I desire”, “I choose”, “I will”.
What impact does this change have on your demeanor? Your actions? Your attitude? What do you imagine will change in your life and your business?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this! Please post your comments and register to receive my weekly blog at www.shannonbruce.com.
Forget Perfect; Be Excellent Instead!
Posted by: | CommentsThere’s a swirling undercurrent in the river of life that’s attempting to drown life from your heart. It’s subtle and it’s stealth-like, as this thing called “perfectionism” comes in through the back door to thwart you.
Over the past week, a repetitive theme of perfectionism has emerged in the coaching of my clients. When this happens, I assert that there are more of you out there experiencing the same frustration and defeat that comes as a result of this striving for perfection.
Before I make this assumption, let me ask you a few questions.
- Are you exhausted because you can never reach the high bar that’s been set, because it’s continually being raised higher and higher?
- Do you find yourself running ragged trying to manage your household, your business, your relationships and everything on your To-Do List, to the point you feel chaos swirling within and around you?
- Is your life running you?
If you find yourself answering “yes” to any of these questions, I give you full permission to “Forget Perfect”! It doesn’t exist and the more you chase after it, the more elusive it becomes leading you to a life of inner chaos, overwhelm, and defeat.
Michael J. Fox said it so profoundly when he said, “I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.”
Let that soak in for a minute. Breathe in the truth of that statement as you give yourself permission to reconnect with your humanness!
It’s time to make the bold commitment to “forget perfect”, since after all that’s really God’s business. Let’s all choose a perspective of “excellence” instead!
Here are three tips to assist you in the reach for excellence:
- Define Excellence. If this were a new value that you used as a filter for your life and work, what does it mean to you? Since values have an internal sense of rightness, make the definition personal and use this as an internal barometer for all that you do.
- Be your Best Self. Who are you at your best? What qualities and characteristics show up? Being excellent means bringing forth these attributes consistently and intentionally into your life and work.
- Extend Compassion. Remember you are human; you have strengths and weaknesses. The more you embrace the whole of who you are, the easier it will be for you to stay on the path of excellence. Let your life experiences be your learning tool that keep molding and shaping you into a more “excellent” you.
So what do you think? Let me know by posting your comments below.
