Archive for Pursuing Dreams
Embrace Today
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Where are your thoughts focused? Are you noticing what’s not working? Do you pay attention to what still needs to be done or what you still don’t have?
These are good places to look because it helps you choose your activities, supporting changes that intentionally move you in the direction of what you want. This is what will make your dreams become real.
The problem is that it’s a one-dimensional approach toward life. You are not just a “human doing” you are a “human being”. When you keep your internal focus zoned in only on the changes needed, you lose sight of what’s present here right now.
Ask yourself these questions to bring fullness to your life today:
- What’s good?
- What’s working”
- What can you celebrate?
- What strengths can you embrace?
As you consider this insight, remember that your life is like a coin. One side is about being in action while the other side is about slowing down to connect to your internal core. Both sides of the coin are essential to allow all of who you are to thrive and flourish at home, work and more.
So, it doesn’t really matter whether you have been on the doing side of the coin or you’ve been resting in the being side. Play with the coin, flip it and decide to embrace what’s here today as you let this present moment inform you of what’s next.
Your thoughts? Post your comments at the blog and share the wisdom.
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is God’s gift, that’s why we call it the present.” Joan Rivers
Photo Courtesy of Photoxpress © angelo.gi
The Gift of Reflection – Increase your Impact and Improve your Results in 2011
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Christmas is over yet there is still one present remaining if you are willing to open it. It’s the gift of reflection time spent during this last week of the year.
There is a slight “catch” with this gift. Someone isn’t going to come to you and hand you extra hours in your day for this reflection. This is one of those presents that you must decide you will get for yourself. Even once you choose this gift, you must be intentional and disciplined to make use of it.
You might be wondering why it’s so import to experience this gift. For me, this time has become non-negotiable and I guard it with intention because:
- Reflecting back on your year helps you identify your successes and wins achieved during the year. You can celebrate your accomplishments and own the many ways you’ve grown and become more of your true and authentic self.
- You clear out unnecessary thoughts, paperwork and possessions you no longer need for the coming year. This frees you up to move into the new year without hindrance.
- You identify what you want for your life and work in the coming year and can make intentional plans with action steps to get you there. This helps you begin your new year in action, being proactive toward what you want to create for 2011. This results in a thriving and fulfilling life rather than reacting to life and just surviving.
I imagine that many of you reading this blog probably still have kids at home who are on break. You’ve probably checked out from reading this post because you see this reflection time as a luxury rather than a necessity. I challenge you to take on a different perspective consider these questions:
- What if you deciding to make this time for yourself is the way you model healthy self-care to your kids?
- How might the future of your children be different if you choose to celebrate your year and plan intentionally for the one ahead?
As you choose to open the gift of reflection this week, use this celebration tool to guide you through the process. This is my free gift to you and for those of you that need a little extra encouragement, I’m going to sweeten the deal. The first 4 of you who send me an e-mail with your answers to the questions will receive a FREE 15-minute laser coaching session from me. To be considered you need to e-mail me by Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 and it’s first come, first served.
As we wind down the year, I want to celebrate each of you by thanking you for being a part of my blog community. It’s been a privilege and joy to support you with wisdom, resources and encouragement this past year and I look forward to partnering with you in 2011.
Here’s to celebrating 2010 for the sake of an extraordinary and abundant new year!
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”
Hal Borland
The Spiral Staircase to your Authentic Success
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I am currently in a pretty awesome (and scary!) transition place in my life and work. I’ve been here before so I’m keenly aware of a “pattern” that surfaces when I’m called forth to a new level. I notice that I become very “controlling” toward my outer world in an attempt to bring peace to the chaos I feel inside. Can you relate?
I’ve also recognized that the one person in my life who takes the brunt of my “controlling” nature is my daughter as you’ll see by my post below. When I realized this (again), I decided to share the article I wrote 3 years ago on the topic to let you know that “moving forward” toward your inspired life also results in some “moving back” in order to overcome the obstacles that are in your way. It may seem like you’re “stopped” but as the spiral staircase shows, this is actually a coming back around the loop at a slightly higher place all for the purpose of moving upward to your authentic success.
I also want to make the point that when you are going through this “letting go of the old” to “make room for the new” you must practice extreme self-care. For me in this moment, it means sharing something I’ve already written so I don’t have to muster the attention and strength to be creative with a new blog post this week. (by the way, I’m redirecting you to the original article to keep this post length manageable).
As you read the article below, I invite you to ponder the following questions:
- In what area are you being called forth to a new way of life that is more genuine and authentic?
- What support do you need to overcome the patterns, beliefs and behaviors that are holding you back in your life and your business?
- What’s your next step?
I welcome your comments and insight. Feel free to share by posting them at the blog at www.shannonbruce.com. If you like the article and want to receive more tips, wisdom and insight from our team, we invite you to join our community and sign-up for the Inner Wisdom Unleashed Monthly Newsletter.
The Heart of a Mother – The Power of “Yes”
Have you ever noticed that one of the first words out of a toddler’s mouth is “no”?
Hmmm. I wonder why that is?
I have been reflecting on my role as a mother and I realize that I frequently use the word “no” with my nearly 7-year old daughter, Taylor. With our recent struggles, I am aware that my overuse of this word has been a hindrance in our ability to reconnect. It’s draining me and separating us further. This is not who I want to be as her mother, nor is it the relationship I want to have with her.
I recently decided to try a different approach. I started to say “yes” more often.
I am in awe of what I have noticed…Read on here.
Photo from Photoxpress © Lars Christensen
New Experiences
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Last night as I was writing in the gratitude journal shared with my daughter, I asked a “coach-like” question about her 3rd grade year. With today being the last official day of school, I thought it would be fun to hear her answer. As I let the question out, I held my breath hoping she would be willing to answer on a deeper level, rather than the usual one word responses I typically receive. 
To my surprise, she was eager, willing and ready to fully engage with me. It brought joy to my Mom’s heart and stirred the coach in me to get ready to be curious! So here’s how our conversation went.
I asked, “If you could use one word to describe your 3rd grade year, what would it be?”
She thought for a few seconds and then wondered, “Can it be two words?”
Excited to hear her answer, I said, “Absolutely.”
She shared, “New experiences.”
Wow, I thought! That’s deep and meaningful from a not-quite ten-year old. I wanted to know more so I put on my coach hat and said, “What are some of the new experiences that you’ve had this year?”
Her answers made me smile and become teary-eyed. I asked her permission to share these with you and here’s what she said:
- New friends.
- New math concepts; multiplication and division.
- Language arts; reading and writing.
- Math enrichment.
- Student council.
- P.E. was super duper fun this year; I liked doing all of the new sports, but football, not so much.
By reading this list, I’m sure you can glean a little bit about who my daughter is. She loves to read and write, is a bright girl, is an emerging leader, and loves to be physical and engage in sports. She’s a fan of math and plans to use her intelligence to become a veterinarian some day.
What is more profound than her answers is the fact that she has overcome many hurdles in her short life. In her earlier years, we spent many hours working with specialists to help her with endocrinology issues, sensory integration challenges, gastroenterology problems and some other delays. So who she is today is even more significant with these additional facts.
This conversation with her is very meaningful for me on many levels. The mother in me is proud of her for persevering and I am humbled that I have the privilege of nurturing this young girl’s spirit. The coach in me is inspired by the dreams that are developing within her and passionate about holding her bigger vision as I shepherd her heart and dreams in the coming years.
It’s ironic how all of this points to the integration in my personal and professional life. Not only is today a celebration for my family because of the end of 3rd grade, but it’s also the 4-year birthday of Inner Wisdom Coaching Services and the 1-year birthday of this blog. So, I am also celebrating professionally with this month’s team newsletter with the theme of Dreams & Visions Made Real. If you aren’t already subscribed to this newsletter, be sure to check it out because we are offering a huge discount on our “Making Dreams Real” coaching packages for you and your friends, family and colleagues.
So now I’m curious about you. What are the new experiences you are grateful for? And what are the bigger dreams that are evolving from these new experiences?
I invite you to take time to ponder these questions as you join me in the celebrations of the season. I’d love to read your comments so be sure to share at the blog at www.shannonbruce.com.
“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the things you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
Photo compliments of Photo Express © Nat Ulrich
Reflections of a Mompreneur
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With Mother’s Day approaching this Sunday, I’ve been contemplating what it means to be a mom and how this is so deeply connected to my role as a Mompreneur. In fact, I encouraged our newsletter community to make a list of all of the “mother” role models that have favorably influenced their lives which had me reflecting on my own personal list of “mom’s”.
Years ago when my daughter was diagnosed with a difficult case of acid reflux, I remember her pediatrician telling me “it takes a tribe to raise these kids.” The statement was so true! Even though she’s beyond reflux, I assert that it really takes a “tribe” to raise a woman, myself included! The truth is we are created to be “interdependent” upon one another, so the idea of growing up and doing it alone is really contrary to the way we as women are designed. (By the way, it’s also boring!)
It’s this reason that I have surrounded myself personally and professionally with what I like to call my “circle of wise women”. These are the women, who have invested in me by giving their time and sharing their heart. Each has used their respective gifts in so many authentic ways including prayer, friendship, professional coaching, collaboration, training, and more depending on who they are and how our paths connect.
They know the role they have played in my life because I regularly let them know how much I appreciate them. So today, I want to acknowledge them publicly as a way of saying thank you for being a “mom” to me and I love you for who you are and who you have called me forth to be:
The BFF’s: Heather, Jennifer A., Barb, Candee, Amy
The WayPoint Community: Kristina, Wendy, Jennifer P., Lisa
Circle of Wise Women: Dawnita, Rhonda, Pam, Michelle T., Marlee, Doris F., Cheryl
Dear Friends, Masterful Coaches and Brilliant Mentors: Teresia, Cynthia
My newlife.kitsap Sisters: Beth, Darlene, Denise, Erina, Kathy, Crystal
I also want to thank my own Mom who has been a steady and constant source of love, guidance, peace and support. This woman is the epitome of what it means to be a sacrificial Mom giving her all to nurturing a solid foundation of authenticity and truth for our family. Mom, I love you and thank you.
My daughter Taylor wonders why “Mom’s” have a special day and kids don’t. I laugh with her by telling her that Mom’s get “one” day when every day is kids day. Even though I tell her that Mother’s Day is my special day, it really is about her because I am eternally grateful for the gift of this precious child in my life.
As I’ve shared on my website, she is my “awakening” that has called me forth to my extraordinary life, and it’s because of her role in my life that I have found my true self. She has been a catalyst inspiring me to become a coach and now, I have the honor of living my passion and purpose as I call women forth to their inspired lives. I am honored and humbled to be her Mom and cherish the joy of our ever-growing relationship. So Taylor, I love you and thank you for the gift of living authentically.
So what about you? Who are the motherly role models in your life? What impact have they had on you? Share your comments and let’s spread the joy of motherly influence!
By the way, if you’d like to sign up for our monthly newsletter to learn more about how to communicate more effectively in your many roles you play, especially the one as a Mompreneur, please visit www.yourgreaterpurpose.com.
Photo at top: © Tolchik, www.photoexpress.com
