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Telling the Truth (the whole truth and nothing but the truth!)

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 21 Conversations

 

At this time of year there is a magnetic pull to look ahead and begin planning the new year. While this is powerful, we miss out on priceless information by jumping ahead too soon.

So before you jump on this bandwagon, how about trying something new?

Look back.

Look back and tell the truth about the year that’s been.

Nude sculpture by Leo Mol, Winnipeg, MB

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” – Gloria Steinhem

Yeah, it might piss you off, but you can’t let that stop you. Looking back and really seeing both positive and negative aspects of the year is the best way forward. Trust me on this one.

It takes courage and truth-telling; I know you’ve got both.

When you do this work before brainstorming what you want for 2013, you actually create on a blank canvas and not on top of the crap you’d rather hide and forget about.

Telling the truth strips away all pretense.

Let’s begin.

1.  What worked this year?

Rewind and go back to the start of 2012. Review the past 12 months and make a list of anything that left you feeling satisfied.

2.  What were some of your accomplishments?

It’s sad, but this is often the most challenging question to answer. It’s also an opportunity to be generous with yourself.

3.  What didn’t work?

Think of the many areas of your life: business, relationships, health. Be honest about any experiences where you would have loved a do-over.

4.  What was missing that things didn’t turn out the way you wanted or planned?

Big learning here if you look. What was missing? Structure, planning, resources; get specific. The more detailed the better; huge learning that will propel you forward when you get this.

5.  What are the three greatest lessons of the year?

Do you need to strengthen boundaries or practice better self-care? Maybe it’s time to let go of your attachment to a certain outcome or belief. Whatever is, get it, own it, and move on.

6.  What opportunities do you now see?

And finally, it’s time to start creating what you want for next year. Take all the wisdom you’ve just claimed and go for what you want! As if you had a blank canvas, and a better set of brushes, this is your opportunity to create.

But only after you’ve told the truth.

“There is no truth except the truth that exists within you.” ― Neale Donald Walsch

Tell it now.

 

Keep Calm, and Go Within

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 10 Conversations

 

Everything you go through in life, whether from mind, body or spirit has information for you. Information along with an invitation to go deeper, to go within.

Image of Buddha in Maui: photo credit - Sandi Amorim

What do you do with the information?

Do you receive it or resist?

Do you make changes based on the information or pretend you never got the message?

Both are very human responses.

But whether you resist or refuse to get the message, the information persists lingering in your body.

The bad news is, that information has to come out sometime, somewhere. Wouldn’t it be better to have a say in that?

When you feel stressed, upset or fearful your sympathetic nervous system kicks in, sending adrenaline racing through your body, while your heart begins to race and your breathing becomes shallow.

The best thing to do in that moment is to focus on your breath, slowing everything down to a deep and rhythmic pace.

The second best thing to do is get curious about the information you’re receiving.

During a recent coaching conversation a client shared that she was feeling lost in her life, unsure about where she was heading. We started to explore it together.

I asked her:

  • What has you feel lost?
  • How do you know you’re lost?
  • What do you feel in your body when you experience feeling lost?

Exploring the feeling released the pressure she felt. She was suddenly able to breathe, the tightness in her chest dissipated, leaving in its place a sense of calm.

“Intelligence is not the ability to store information, but to know where to find it.” – Albert Einstein

You have to go within.

Use these simple steps, and be patient with yourself as you begin. Remember, this IS a practice.

With pen and journal in hand, take a deep breath and begin. . .

1.  Say what’s there.

Just as my client did, get out of your head and into your body. Acknowledge the feeling that’s there.

2.  Get curious.

Ask the questions above and write down your thoughts.

3.  Go within.

Feel your way through the experience. Feel what’s going on in your body. Ask yourself, “What’s the message here?”

Then listen.

And remember,

“Calm is a superpower.” – Brene Brown