Personal Growth

Your Words Are Heard

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 11 Conversations

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about the World Domination Summit. 

It would be a gross understatement to say it rocked me to the core, in ways both expected and surprising.

Surprising in that I noticed where I still hold back.

That there’s another layer. Opening deeper, embracing more, living in the now.

It’s a practice.

Ongoing till my last breath.

“Spiritual practice is like eating for the heart.” – Mark Silver

Opening as a practice.

Opening and expressing.

Why I’m here.

Purpose.  Mission.  Path.

Call it what you will.

I call it my heart’s desire.

I’m here to create a supernova-like collision that cracks open your brilliance so it becomes impossible not to take action on what’s important in your life.
I’m here to kick your ass and love you more than socially acceptable, because you were born to shine.

Now. Not someday.

Today.

Because there’s no time like the present and deathbed regrets suck.

Your words are heard.

So right now, in this moment what would you say about your heart’s desire?

Say it now in the comments below.

 

 

A Summit of Dreams

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 10 Conversations

I had a dream recently.

It felt like both a vague memory and something yet to be realized.

Maybe that’s what dreams are – reminders of what’s possible – but possible coming from the truth of who you are.

The truth of who you are.

The dream you are here for.

It triggers that small part of your brain, on the alert, protecting you from:

  • failure
  • rejection
  • disappointment

That part of you, your lizard brain, so totally committed to keeping you safe. Even from your dreams.

And safe you remain.

Thinking of someday . . .

A day, far off in the distant future.

A day when the planets align and the moon is blue.

A day when you finally get your ducks in a row.

But (this is where your dream becomes a nightmare) someday N E V E R comes.

Unless . . .

  • A loved one dies suddenly
  • You get the diagnosis you never want to hear
  • Mother Nature wreaks havoc and destroys life as you know it

We’ve all heard stories of this type of wake up call.

Stories of that inspiring person who wakes the fuck up and refuses to succumb to the diagnosis, embracing their dreams instead.

What if you didn’t have to wait for that kind of wake up call?

What if instead, you found yourself in a room with 500 of the most awake human beings you’ve ever encountered?

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The Practice of NO

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 21 Conversations

 

Ever notice how Italians say “No” with attitude?

It’s a big, decisive, full-bodied NO.

Curl your tongue to form a strong N.

Follow with a short punchy O.

Learning to say no with this kind of surety is the best way to say good-bye to overwhelm and resentment.

Because here’s the thing you’ve been avoiding. . .

How did you get to this point?

It’s not tough to figure out. I’ll bet you said yes quickly and without much thought. Yeah, I know. I’ve done it too.

You’re probably inundated every day. Requests, favours, tasks and a never-ending to-do list. It’s so damn easy to get caught up in saying yes.

(Which frequently sounds like, “sure, no problem, yup, any time” said with a weary smile on your face.)

I used to be a yes gal – an automatic “let me help you with your project/job search/relationship/fill-in-the-blank” frickin’ YES!

I admit it.

I love helping others, I’m easily inspired, and YES felt pretty damn good!

Until it didn’t.

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Leaning Out

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 15 Conversations

Juliet's balcony

I used to live in a loft in a hip part of town. Too hip for me I sometimes thought.

The loft had a European style balcony; not really a balcony at all but rather a railing just beyond the door with maybe a foot of standing room.

The year I lived there was one of the most challenging of my life.

My business which had started off strong was struggling; my confidence diminishing daily. And the root of it all was a story.

A story that, over time, became a touchstone worn smooth in my pocket. Sometimes I would finger it lovingly, speaking it aloud like a mantra. Other times I’d bring it out into the light, examining it from every angle.

Once in awhile, the story would keep me from sleep, and I would write. Pages and pages of story. With each telling it became more detailed, more real, more damaging to both my mind and my heart.

One part of me knew the story was a lie. But I hung onto it like a drowning man to a life preserver.

Why would I do that?

The story had ceased to be a story.

The story had become the truth.

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Explanations Be Damned

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 13 Conversations

 

“A warrior of light knows what he wants. And he has no need to waste time on explanations.” – Paulo Coelho

How much time do you spend explaining yourself to others?

20 minutes? An hour? More?

Imagine for a moment, striding out into the world and offering your gift boldly, without hesitation, without concern.

Imagine drawing a line in the sand, a demarcation that announced for all to hear,

“This is my work damn it, and I’m going to shine like nothing you’ve ever seen before!”

Right now, go on, say it.

Let. It. Out.

From deep within your belly. Let the world know what you’re up to. It’s waiting for you to take that step.

And once you do, life transforms.

It’s time.

  • To get out of your own way.
  • To stop withholding your gifts.
  • To stop suppressing your joy and passion.
  • To stop playing small when you were meant to shine like that brilliant star Sirius!

“Your work is to discover your work, and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” ~ Buddha

You know what you want.

It’s time to get real about it, because this is all you’ve got. . .

Reasons or results.

Fuck the explanations and choose.

 

Inspired by Paulo Coelho’s The Manual of the Warrior of Light, the warrior is a metaphor for those in pursuit of their dreams.

 

 

Memories of Sugar Plums

Posted on 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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Experiment in Trust

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 23 Conversations

 

Trust has been on my mind a lot lately.

You might think after so many years of personal development and almost a decade of coaching I’d be a very trusting person.

Not so much.

My lil’ lizard brain is suspicious and cynical, and you’d be amazed at the skepticism that rears its head almost every time I read or try something new. Why do you think it took me so long to start a blog and get on Twitter?

I’ve been lied to and cheated on in the game of love.

I’ve been burned by business agreements gone wrong, promises broken.

I’ve been hard done by, strung along and…

I know. This is starting to sound like a dramatic, movie-of-the-week. The result is this,

Not. So. Trusting.

You’ve got your own story of disillusionment and disappointment, so, we’re in this together.

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That’s How the Light Gets In

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 12 Conversations

 

“And I listen and I think. Time doesn’t seem to pass here; it just is.” – Bilbo Baggins

Rivendell retreat centre sign, Bowen Island, BC

Silence called to me from a special place. A place, that like its name, conjures up images of forest and faeries.

Like Bilbo, it is at Rivendell I find myself most able to think, to hear the thoughts and ideas bubbling up as though from a wellspring deep inside.

The sacred space, the silence, allow me to turn off the busyness of my life. My heart expands and I breathe deeply.

New thoughts emerge effortlessly as old thoughts play themselves out. It is easy to be at Rivendell; it offers itself up, a gift to unwrap slowly. An opportunity to treasure each moment, each thought that arises.

  • What is it that I am truly offering?
  • What is authentically, gloriously mine?

These are the questions I hear as I walk the labyrinth.

centre of the Rivendell labyrinth, Bowen Island, BC

I remember a line from a Leonard Cohen song,

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

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When Spirit Calls Do You Answer?

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 9 Conversations

spirit dancer sculpture, Santa Fe

“What is your spirit calling for?”

My spirit has been calling for silence.

Two weeks from now I’ll be at a silent retreat; four days of silence, rest and nourishment at all levels.

The silence has been calling for months, but I have not been listening.

I’ve ignored it, been busy, rescheduled it twice and dismissed the need.

I have been unwilling to honour the call.

Until now.

“Silence is sometimes the best answer.” – Dalai Lama

I have surrendered, given myself over, and booked off four full days (96 hours) of blissful, sometimes confronting silence.

The Spirit Dancer? Is satisfied.

And you?

  • What has your spirit been calling for?
  • How will you honour that call?

The Letter Love Wrote

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 28 Conversations

Dear Beloved,

Dear Beloved,

Lately? I haven’t been very good at expressing my love for you. There’s been a lot of make wrong, and judging and assessing going on and it hasn’t been pretty.

I’ve been focused on work and getting things done, mostly noticing what you haven’t accomplished. I’ve thought and said things to you that I would never, ever say to another. I am so…sorry.

When I think of what you’ve been through the past year and a half, I almost swoon with pride. Really I do. I just don’t tell you enough.

I save that for others.

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