Energy Coaching

My dear friend Pamela is my guest writer today.  She blogged about her extremely liberating experience of quitting her  9-5 job.  It’s inspiring to read her insights and how she found her path once she let go of the old.  Congrats Pamela and thanks for allowing me to share this with our readers!

Some of us think that we are obligated to work 9-5 as a measure of our success in society. That programming is difficult to ignore and the material goods that accompany a steady pay check are enticing.

Some of us just are not cut out for that lifestyle. We try to conform to the system. We do our job knowing that we are not part of that system and here is the result: We spend most of our waking hours with people we would not normally associate with. Maybe there are some co-workers we strongly dislike yet we are forced into a small, crowded office with them. We get caught in office politics that we do not care about, with people we don’t like, for a job that may be meaningless in the greater scheme of things. We come home tired, angry, frustrated, stressed.

Our true vocation is on hold. There is no energy left after the 9-5 brain drain. We wake up in the middle of the night agonizing over a stupid power play from the office (Why are these people in our bed?). Morning comes and we are already stressed. The night’s sleep didn’t erase the daily grind. Now we have to rush to get ready for work, walk the dog, drink the coffee, drive to the office, find parking, clock in, and face the music again. The weekend comes and it is run to the grocery store, the dry cleaners, rush through basic housekeeping chores, rush, rush, rush. If you have kids, the rushing becomes exponentially more insane. Multiply your daily to-dos by 1,000.

This was my life for 6 years. I sidestepped a life of creativity and spirituality, my two most important values, so I could pay bills. It seemed like the easy way out. I was tired of hustling my talents to make a living. So I bought into the 9-5. My boss was a micromanaging freak with a huge chip on her shoulder. Three years of hell and I landed a job in the arts at a very progressive place promising growth, opportunity, camaraderie, and enjoyment ! What a concept! A 9-5 that is a fun place to work…until it is not.

The economy shifted, the balance of power shifted, and with it came a truckload of stress. And then my body started to react. Everything I put up with at work I swallowed whole and my body was not happy. My stomach hurt. My teeth hurt. I had bags and circles under my eyes. Acupuncture helped but…without changing the situation that was causing the bodily ailments, the discomfort continued. I eat organics, take vitamins, practice Reiki, do Pilates and shun medications but my poor little body was bombarded with negativity and couldn’t process it. No wonder so many Americans succumb to the myriad of medications promoted so heavily in the media. And no wonder they are so overweight. They drown their misery in chemically laden, over processed factory food, which compounds the stress imbalance of 9-5.

I ask you – can  you simplify your life? Slow down? Reconnect to your values?

I did. I left my job to rediscover my true self, so I could reinvent my future. The first week I was home I found myself caught in the habit of rushing. I forgot how to do anything at a leisurely pace. I had to retrain myself to enjoy the process of whatever it was I was doing and to be grateful for everything. Everything is a gift! Then I began to engage in things that bring me pleasure: cooking delicious food, sharing a meal with family and friends, decorating for the holidays, baking cookies, gardening, long walks with my dog. Best of all, after weeks of reconnecting to my soul, I reconnected to my inner artist and got back into my studio. I am a weaver. I need to weave, to create with fabric, yarn and threads. It keeps me grounded, balanced, connected to a higher power and appreciative of my talents as god-given gifts. I go in my studio and create something every day and ask myself – “why am I making this?” And the answer is always “because I can!” Sometimes “because I can” is enough. Who else do I know who is doing what I do? No one. I’m it. And that makes me feel good. I’m it. I’m here to share my talents – gifts from the universe, given to me, to create things that can be given to others, to bring joy. If I can’t bring joy into this world then what am I here for? Certainly not the 9-5 grind. Did that bring me joy? At first I thought it did and I learned a lot (rationalizations here) but I did it bring joy? No. It did not. Did I sell my soul to the 9-5?

So now I have been home for three months. My body has normalized. I have slowed down. I give thanks every day for all that I have. I am using Ana’s coaching/visualization techniques to reinvent myself, to create my future. I am more focused on doing Reiki and meditating. With no expectations. I give back to society. I create. Coincidences keep occurring. And opportunities are presenting. I must be doing something right!

Thanks, Ana, for your friendship and your moral support and for your excellence in coaching me to my new reality.

Namaste,

Pamela

Looking into the future is a fantastic game.  The process of re-inventing oneself is one of building a vision for one’s life honoring his/her past, choices and present.  This a much more sustainable and inspiring way of changing than the motivation based on the fear that one is not good enough and needs to change in order to fulfill the expectations of others.  There is a huge difference in taking the pro-active step of re-inventing oneself when the inspiration comes from a desire to better perform his/her mission of service and share his/her gifts with others most effectively.  It’s fair to say that sometimes the process begins with a major crisis and the need for change can no longer be ignored.  However, in order for this ‘wake-up call’ to be sustainable, it needs to be followed with deliberate actions. 

Whatever the initial motivation for re-invention is, the process has steps.  I want to share with you my own process of re-invention which I am currently undergoing.  So far, I have been able to recognize a few steps.  Here they are:

1.  Making a choice to undergo re-invention.  This has to be a concious choice.  In my case, it has certainly been fueled by our recent move to Hong Kong.  It has been a clear choice to go beyond what I’ve been doing, to grow and answer a higher call.  I remember what the call sounds like from my days as an athlete.  If I wanted to get to a higher level of performance, I needed to answer a few hard questions and take action toward the goal.  Did I want it bad enough?  Was I willing to sacrifice physical comfort and emotional security and take a leap to a different life?  Was I committed enough to re-invent myself and become a better athlete?  I chose to say yes to these questions and to take the actions.  Now the time has come once again to say yes to become a higher performer.  The biggest obstacle that impedes most people to take this step is that there is no map to it.  The road is dark and one can only see a few meters ahead.  It requires faith in oneself to move forward.  Once the decision is made to go ahead with the process of re-invention, there is hardly a choice to go back.

2.  Evaluating where I am in life.  This step involves a deeper look at my present, values, choices, surroundings, my chosen companions (partner, friends, family), my view of the world and of my spiritual path.  This step requires a lot of ‘listening’.  It’s not an easy one, let me tell you.  However, once I entered this stage, I began to notice the messages.  They were coming from all over; people, circumstances, moments, words, e-mails, dreams and books.  All of these mediums are coming together to show me a path.  As I was trying to make sense of it all, I realized that it was best not to try to make sense at all!  There is a clear call of  ‘letting go’ of control and of expectations.  I recognized that most of those expectations were coming from outside of myself.  The need to control is fueled by fear of not being good enough and the expectations are a collection of ’shoulds’ that the outside world gave me and I took in willingly.  I am working on letting go.  It has proven to be quite the task and one that has no specific end in sight.

3.  Letting go.  Lately, there have been many opportunities to let go of things, thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and fears that are present in my life.  I am taking actions that facilitate the process of letting go and I am pleased to report that the results have been amazing!  The more I let go, the more I learn.  The more I let go, the lighter I feel. 

There you have it!  That’s how far I’ve come.  I will keep sharing the journey.  My hope is that you also feel inspired to take the leap and re-invent yourselves with gusto.  Someone once said that “the only thing that is constant in our lives is change”.  By choosing to re-invent ourselves we accept this truth and become better equipped to let go of what we no longer need.  Life becomes lighter and we become freer.

With energy,

Ana

I notice that being genuinely commited to the growth of a profession, the betterment of the world, the development of the collective, brings us a sense of inner peace and humility. The focus becomes the “We” as opposed to the “Me”, and that’s when our ego naturally takes a back seat. The more commited we are with the growth of the collective, the less compelled we are to prove ourselves to others. That’s when it’s easier to feel peaceful inside.

It takes an enormous amount of energy to be focused on our ego, to be constantly pointing out our accomplishments, bragging, or trying to convince others of our worth. Ironically, the less we care about seeking approval, the more approval we seem to get. People are drawn to those with a quiet, inner confidence, people who don’t need to make themselves look good, be right all the time, or steal the glory. Most people love a person who shares from her heart and not from her ego.

The way to develop true humility is practice. The next time you have the opportunity to brag, resist the temptation. Give the floor to the other or better yet, to the collective. Invite others to talk about their lives and be willing to listen to their stories. Notice how many lessons you can learn from listening to what others have to say. Be truly curious just like a child. You will notice the immediate inner feedback in the way of calm, easy feelings.

Wishing you a peaceful week!

With energy,

Ana

This is a very special time for me.  The High Holy Days is a time for us Jews to make a conscious decision to be in sync with G-d’s will for us.  We do that by regreting our transgressions in the past year, choosing to change our ways and committing ourselves to use our gifts to fulfill our mission in this planet.  We reflect on the year past and rethink our choices, decide what we want to keep in our lives and what we want to let go.

The beginning of the year is called Rosh HaShanah and after that there is a period of ten days filled with intensive soul searching until we get to Yom Kippur, the day of atonement.  During this period we are called to repent, rethink and make different life choices.  We can do that during this time because there is a great deal of clarity coming to the world.  On Yom Kippur we confess to G-d all of our transgressions with the realization that they too can contribute to His plan for us.  We realize that even our transgressions are for our betterment and for us to learn crucial lessons that can propel us to a higher level of consciousness.  When we humble ourselves and recognize our mistakes, we use their darkness to inject light in our lives and learn from them. 

I look forward to Yom Kippur every year.  It is a day where we fast for 25 hours in order to connect to our spiritual side.  By doing that we are able to immerse ourselves in the all-embracing oneness of G-d and emerge pure.  On that day, the light of peace and possibility shines into the world, and we can see ourselves and our actions from G-d’s perspective.  In that light, even our transgressions of the past become blessings for the future, the darkness now serves to enhance the light, and the ugly conflicts now increase the splendor and beauty of the love and the conneciton we share with G-d. 

On Yom Kippur we celebrate forgiveness.  We are given an opportunity to start anew and to cherish the new found possibilities ahead of us.  It’s a time filled with potential and new beginnings.  Our call is to act on them and make them happen through our choices.  

The lesson for all of us, Jews and non-Jews alike, is that there is always a possibility for renewal and to start again once we commit ourselves to it.  May we all have a sweet and peaceful year ahead of us filled with blessings!

Shanah Tovah Umetukah!

With energy,

Ana

Recently I had the honor to be a witness in my best friend’s wedding in Australia.  While a big change was taking place in her life, the feeling of joy was the most present emotion.  They were both elated that they were taking this new step together.  It was refreshing to be there to see it.

A life change such as marriage, having a child or changing careers can be a difficult step to take.  However, most often than not, people are usually happier once they change something that no longer works for them or when they take a risk and experience a joyful return on their investment.

Enrich your life by taking on changes and challenges.  Like a surfer riding a wave, trust your sense of balance and open your awareness to the world around you.  Aim to be daring but not rash.  Marvel in the momentum of your journey, no matter what your final destination.  You will experience real growth if you take the leap.  Remember that a river is never still even and if it encounters rocks on its way, it circumvents them and looks for the path of least resistance.  Such model works for us humans as well.  Try it!

Embrace change!

With energy,

Ana

This post is dedicated to my friend’s Milena and Daniel.  May their life together be filled with joy and happiness!