authenticity

Creativity Unleashed

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 24 Conversations

Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things

Today’s spotlight shines on a very special person. She’s someone I connected with about a year ago, but it’s only in the past couple of months that we really clicked, and I’m so glad we did because she is magical. She is Cigdem Kobu and she’s just launched an extraordinary project called A Year with Myself.

You may remember her from the month of self-care; her contribution The First 66 Days of Taking Better Care of Yourself was not only a very popular piece but she generously shared a free workbook to help you on this path.

My first conversation with C.A. left me inspired, energized and buzzing with ideas. She calls herself a creative alchemist and project midwife, and that was certainly my experience of her. She’s also an idea generator!

But she’s so much more. She’s one of the most generous people I’ve met; sharing her gifts with others, showing up as a resource and bringing people together in ways that instantly work. Could be that alchemy she speaks of!

Can you tell? I’ve got a serious friend crush on this woman!

She is up to some extraordinary things and I’m delighted to have her here in the spotlight.

Enjoy!

 

C.A. Kobu photo1. Why are you here?

I’m here to serve my kind. That means serving courageous and wild women who want to grow, create and change their world. These are women who have entrepreneurial spirits. They are venturesome and fertile in heart and in mind.

I want to hold their hands and make it easy to rediscover their wholeness and their powers, to reconnect with themselves, and to translate their authentic gifts into fulfilling and change-making feats.

I want to wake them up and help them flourish.

{Note from me: You can see why I’m crushing over here, can’t you?}

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Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 20 Conversations

 

Day 17 – Saying No

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” – Dr. Lissa Rankin

 

You’re so good at. . .

You should be a. . .

No one else can do it like you. . .

We need you to do it. . .

Nothing new here, you’ve heard it all before.

You have things you can do, things you’re good at, maybe even things you’re better at than anyone else. But unless you feel good about doing them it’s time to start saying NO.

True story:

Before I became a coach, I did many different jobs and I was good at pretty much anything I tried.

There was the year I worked for a publishing representative. I love reading and writing and I had a lifelong love affair with books. What more could I ask for? Nope, not for me.

Then there was the year I did research and development for a post-secondary institution. Loved the challenge of finding the right material, enjoyed supporting the instructors in creating their courses and was pretty brilliant at it, if I do say so myself. But did it light me up and make my soul sing? Nope, not a peep.

Two years of freelance photography and being my own boss. . .this was it, right? Nope, not even this, although it came closer than anything else I’d tried.

Each time I was lured by the challenge, seduced by the feedback that I was doing a great job and lulled by security.

But here’s the thing I knew in my gut and ignored. . .

None of that work came close to touching my soul or using my own particular genius.

I was just good at it.

Being good at something truly doesn’t mean you should be doing it.

“Lean in. Listen up. Closely.
It’s your soul speaking and she says, 
Get UP! I need you. I want you. I am you. Choose me.
Lean in. Listen up. Closely.” – Danielle LaPorte 

Are you willing to listen that closely?

Right here, right now, listen up.

L I S T E N.

Your soul’s been speaking for a very long time. It might sound like a whisper, butterflies stirring, or a long slow breath.

Take a good, long look in the mirror.

Is that the expression of someone who is lit up and inspired by life?

If your answer is yes, celebrate! It takes courage to shine that brightly.

If your answer is no, consider it’s time to start saying no so that you can say YES to the genius burning inside you.

You are ready.

 

Over to you:

In 2012. . .

  • What’s on your “stop doing just because you’re good at it” list?
  • What’s on your “hell yeah, that sets my soul on fire” list?
You owe it to your genius to find out. 

 

#reverb11 is a prompt driven writing project during the month of December. Its purpose is to inspire reflection and create intention for the coming year.

 

Ramblings of an Overactive Mind

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 14 Conversations

Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things

At the start of the month I was introduced to Reverb, a month-long writing challenge. Like other online challenges I’ve done it’s introduced me to a new community, and as in any group, individuals stand out.

Jason Benoit stood out like a sore thumb.

His blog, Love Letters & Suicide Notes, is a foreign land, a land in which you might lose yourself in words or perhaps fall into a darkness which could scare you off, never to return. It’s this tension that makes his writing powerful.

I read a lot, and skim even more, so to catch my attention and leave me on the edge of my seat not wanting a story to end is quite a feat. There are probably hundreds of Reverb posts being published each day; his is one of the few I look for.

It’s that compelling. And, it’s not for the faint of heart. It challenged me to stay with it, to keep reading, and I’ve gotta tell you it is not easy reading.

It is however, extraordinary reading because he masterfully shines the light on our darker emotions, the ones we most try to hide.

Jason writes about the humanity of living; the good, the bad and the often ugly, and I appreciate that. It’s easy to put on a happy face, smile big,  and make it look like you’ve got life handled. What’s not easy is baring your soul, and yet he does.

So beautifully.

His writing reaches out and invites you in, even when he’s writing about a traumatic event from his past.

And when he writes about beauty, connection, intimacy – the emotions we all want more of – it is heart-breakingly beautiful.

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The Darkness of Fear

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 15 Conversations

Fear.

It bubbles up uninvited in the middle of the night like slow-moving lava, so hot it burns through everything in its path.

Burning, it makes room for a host of dark allies: doubt, cynicism, resignation.

flowing lava, Kilauea

You can’t breathe, your heart beats faster and your mind? It’s way ahead, having conjured up some grisly outcome worthy of Masterpiece Theatre.

Oh wait. . .

That was me in the middle of the night imagining various worst case scenarios of a health challenge that arose this year!

And I am (like you) so very good at worst case scenarios, thanks to my old friend the lizard brain.

Back to fear. . .

Fear has a tendency to stop you.

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Living a Life Less Ordinary

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 11 Conversations

A life less ordinary takes integrity.

It takes being a stand for something greater than yourself and today’s spotlight Stacey Herbert lives this way.

You might be wondering why I’m posting a Friday spotlight on Saturday and my answer is integrity, or rather a breakdown in integrity. I’m going to be writing more about this in future but for now let me just say this –

the level of integrity that’s gotten you to wherever you are becomes insufficient to take you to the next level of whatever you’re up to in life.

Simply said, what got you here won’t get you there.

And I’m talking about my own integrity for a moment. I could give you the reasons and excuses for why the spotlight didn’t run yesterday, but what’s important is that it didn’t, not the why. Part of the power that lies in integrity is the ability to acknowledge and clean up the breakdowns quickly, without the drama.

How could I not own this breakdown and then have Stacey here as a guest? She writes brilliantly about what she calls the integrity gap:

What started out as an integrity breakdown has quickly become an opportunity to realize there’s a gap, and what better time to own that than here in Stacey’s light?

So without further ado here is Stacey Herbert, a fellow philosopher (we both love the work of Brian Johnson and his Philosophers Notes). I encourage you to read her blog and follow her adventures. I trust you will fall in love with her as I have.

 

headshot Stacey Herbert1.  Why are you here?

If you’d asked me this question a little while back I may not have been able to give you an answer. I was stumbling through life, having wonderful ups and life altering downs.

I had no focus and struggled to put a label on me or identify my purpose in life.

Then something incredible changed in me. It’s been a long time coming and at times very painful, but it’s opened me up to who I am and why I’m here.

Although it scares me to articulate it publicly, the reason I am here on this earth is to love, encourage, enable and support people to live their best, most highest, audacious life. It doesn’t sound like much of a job description, but I’m slowly coming to terms with that. My first task is to lead by example.

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Stretching Beyond

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 6 Conversations

 

As I watched, it stretched its neck, ever so gracefully upwards. . .

Reaching for the tender leaves hanging down.

The word vulnerable came to mind and I wondered. . .

Where are you not stretching? Not reaching for the tenderest, juiciest leaves (your dreams)?

swan stretching its neck

Where are you waiting…

– for someday

– for the right moment

– for the leaves to drop

Why not reach up?

Way up.

Stick your neck out.

S T R E T C H .

And go for what you want.

You’ve nothing to lose.

You don’t have what you want now.

“It’s silly to be afraid that you’re not going to get what you want if you ask. Because you are already not getting what you want.” – Marcia Martin

Silly you.

 

Tell me:

What is just out of reach?

What’s the cost of not stretching?

Say Something New

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 19 Conversations

“The words you speak become the house you live in.” – Hafiz

mime putting on make-up in mirror

I recently had the pleasure of exploring what Monique MacDonald calls your Sacred Gifts. Her work had been recommended to me by many people and that always gets my attention. Then my friend and colleague Coral Heron took the training and the opportunity arose.

After 15+ years of personal development work of all kinds I know myself pretty well. My strengths and weaknesses are familiar friends and I do my best to focus on the former. But as Coral lead me through the process another layer of the onion fell away.

Your gifts are not necessarily your skills or talents, or what you’re good at. Instead, think of them as qualities you were born with that allow you to do ordinary things in extraordinary ways. Chances are, that like me, you’ve probably taken them for granted.

“Gifts are planted in your being-ness, and must reach out beyond your stories and your human-ness.” – Monique MacDonald

I was intrigued to by the idea that your gifts are always for the benefit of others. As Coral and I discussed each of my gifts this became evident. They’ve shown up in the work I do, the way I live my life, even my interests.

My gifts include: Wisdom, Encouragement, Knowledge, Leadership, Writing, Extraordinary Trust and Teaching.

While many of them were not a surprise, a couple of them triggered some resistance. Some part of me didn’t really want to own them, especially if they were for the benefit of others. I’m pretty sure that’s where my next level of growth lies.

The surprise was realizing that this new awareness of my gifts felt like pieces of a puzzle – the puzzle that is me – falling into place.

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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.

 

 

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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Nothing to Undo

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 27 Conversations

Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things

Pretty All True is in the house today and as one of Kris’s many fans (ever notice the small distance between fan and fanatic?) I just have to say…

SWOON!

She has this way about her that makes me laugh, cry, SNORT, and just generally love every moment she shares of her life.

The good, the bad and the…not always pretty.

When she’s good, she’s really, really good. And when she’s bad she’s brilliant.

I can think of no other writer I read regularly who covers so much emotional ground. I love that she lets us in to bear witness. I love that she lets us love her even when it’s uncomfortable.

People?

I have a Kris Crush.

I so do.

1.  Why are you here?

I am here because weakness met weakness and surrendered. I am here because of broken bits and shards that never cohered into a whole. I am here because of mistaken promises. I am here because of damage. I am here because of harm. I am here because of insanity. I am here because of cruelty. I am here because of evil. I am here because of failure.

I am here because I did not break, although breaking was intended.

I am here because I am stronger than I expected to be.

I am here because I am weaker than I hoped to be.

I am here because I am determined.

I am here because my path thus far has led me…ere.

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