Breathe Deep, Step Back, Give Thanks

Posted on January 20, 2011March 19, 2014 by Sandi Amorim 15 Conversations

“A warrior of light knows that he has much to be grateful for.” – Paulo Coelho

A few days ago I was feeling a wee bit sorry for myself. You see, the past two weeks had brought death, sickness and a general feeling of malaise.

ma·laise

1. a condition of general bodily weakness or discomfort

2. a vague or unfocused feeling of mental uneasiness, lethargy or discomfort

That’s a bit more than this warrior/deva is used to dealing with and life felt heavy.

It felt like all my energy was being sucked into a vortex of lethargy and I could barely focus.

It’d be easy to stay in this state for awhile. People are understanding and caring, life would go on while I stayed in my PJ’s a little while longer.

Except?

That is not how I want to live my life.

Why am I telling you this?

Here’s the thing we don’t often acknowledge: It takes something to pull yourself out of this kind of foggy, complacent, low-energy state.

It takes breathing deep and stepping back.

Pulling the blinders off and taking a good long look at life.

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The Warrior Emerges

Posted on January 17, 2011March 19, 2014 by Sandi Amorim 16 Conversations

“Every warrior of light has, at least once, believed that he was not a warrior of light.” – Paulo Coelho

You are a warrior of light.

You probably didn’t ask for it. You might even try to ignore and avoid it at all costs.

And still, the light keeps shining, mesmerizing you with its brilliance.

Sometimes, you stumble towards it, unable to help yourself.

You catch yourself and step back from what your whole being longs for.

Who are you to step into the light so boldly?

You are a warrior of light.

Maybe you struggle to understand, questioning this path, looking desperately for an easier way.

Like other light bearers, you suffer, beset by the endless swirl of doubts in your mind.

Who are you to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Who are you really, to think you could shine so brightly?

Maybe you withhold yourself, misguidedly thinking this will keep you safe, unaware that this is an important phase of the journey.

You are a warrior of light.

Dreaming of what’s possible, you make mistakes and learn.

You risk, and survive.

Listen.

Your heart is beating. It has a gift to offer the world.

Not some day.

NOW.

This piece was inspired by Paulo Coelho’s The Manual of the Warrior of Light and is the beginning of a series. The warrior is a metaphor for those in pursuit of their dreams.

Starbursts, Sirens and Siriously Shining

Posted on January 12, 2011December 7, 2015 by Sandi Amorim 63 Conversations

Stunning View of Starburst Galaxy: photo credit - NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

Fear doesn’t stop you. YOU stop you.

I’ve wanted to write this post since my father-in-law’s sudden death, but the wanting was tinged with fear.

Fear that you would be put off, not get my point or worse, ignore me all together.

I’ve been headed in this direction for some time, but I’ve allowed fear to slow my steps.

Then death jolted me out of my comfort zone.

“You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now.” – Joan Baez

So it’s time to call bullshit…

You live like there’s someday.

You live like you have all the time in the world to pursue your dreams and follow your passions.

Plenty of time to shine… later.

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The Hero’s Journey

Posted on January 9, 2011July 6, 2014 by Sandi Amorim 14 Conversations

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” – Joseph Campbell

Malcolm gave life his all. In that sense, he was a hero.

He pursued his passions with an uncommon intensity and commitment to excellence that was inspiring.

Last night the hero’s journey was completed.

Rest in peace Malcolm Faviell.

You will be sorely missed.

Start Stopping Now

Posted on January 4, 2011March 19, 2014 by Sandi Amorim 19 Conversations

Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is STOP.

I know this may be a challenge for some of you who are still obsessing about your new year’s resolutions. That’s the first thing you can stop.

Then consider your life if you were to stop these four…

Stop over-promising.
Stop beating yourself up.
Stop comparing yourself to others.
Stop doing those things that feel like obligations.

Just stop.

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Nothing But the Facts

Posted on January 3, 2011March 19, 2014 by Sandi Amorim 18 Conversations

Coaching – 57,800,000 results according to Google.

Welcome to the world of coaching in 2011.

Ten years ago? I’d get the blank stare, followed by a hesitant, “What sport do you coach?”

Now? Coaches are everywhere. The Internet is full of them. It’s the newest, most all encompassing trend there is and if you spend any amount of time online you’ll discover quickly that every Tom, Dick and Harry is now calling themselves a a coach.

But what exactly does that mean?

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More Joy, Less “Oy”

Posted on January 2, 2011October 21, 2012 by Sandi Amorim 18 Conversations

I’d already been thinking about 2011 having just completed my annual review when I saw this update on Facebook,

At first funny, the message started to sink in.

As I reviewed 2010, it seemed like I’d experienced a lot of “oy” in the past twelve months. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t a bad year and I can easily come up with a detailed list of accomplishments.

It’s just that the feeling of “oy” followed by coulda-woulda-shoulda thinking was getting in the way of my creative process.

You may have already noticed that “oy” is not your most resourceful state!

What if you could shift your perspective from “oy” to JOY?

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How to Stop Singing the Blues

Posted on December 6, 2010March 19, 2014 by Sandi Amorim 15 Conversations

You’re on top of the world, feeling good and life blindsides you.

What do you do?

Do you pick yourself up right away and move onto the next task at hand?

Or do you sing your own personal version of the blues?

We’ve all been down that road. But what I’m curious about is how you get through it. Just to be clear, I’m not saying there’s one right way to get through it.

On the contrary.

What works for you may not work for someone else, even when you have a similar issue.

So how do you know what will work?

Experimentation and good ol’ fashioned research! Over the years I’ve tried numerous ways to get myself through it when the blues come out of nowhere and pull me in!

While it’s not always easy to coach yourself (in fact, sometimes it’s nearly impossible!) the more tools you have in your toolkit, the more resourceful you’ll become over time. Not quite the same as having your own coach on speed dial, but in a pinch, self coaching can make enough of a difference to get you heading in the right direction.

If you’re like me, there are times in life when you can still be knocked off kilter when things don’t go the way you’d planned, and head into a tail-spin of “Lady Sings the Blues!”

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Memories of Sugar Plums

Posted on November 24, 2010March 14, 2014 by Sandi Amorim 12 Conversations

This fairy caught my eye in a shop display.

She brought back memories of how much I loved the holidays as a child. I was captivated by the wonder and magic of it all.

In The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, the Sugarplum Fairy is the sovereign of sweets.

What a perfectly delicious, magical thought for a child!

Imagine, for a moment, seeing once again, through the eyes of a child.

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