Self-Worth: The Fuel for My Fire

Tools

2009-11-05T07:46:00.004-03:30

For those of you wondering about the PSYCHE-K workshop I attended I wanted to let you know that the process was amazing. Based on the concept that we have limiting beliefs stored in our subconscious that are roadblocks to our desires, this process can effectively remove them and allow us a straight path toward our goals. If you are local and are interested in learning more drop me an email and I will send you info about a course that I am putting together with Gary Summers for early in the new year that shows you how to do PSYCHE-K and gets you in touch with those limiting beliefs.

I must add that this, like any process, is merely a tool. No matter what we desire to create for ourselves and our lives, the tools to get the job done will show up everywhere along the way. The trick is to see them as such. I must admit that I saw PSYCHE-K as a panacea, something that would finally give me the missing motivation I was seeking. Of course, it was not.

I know intellectually that motivation comes from action, not the other way around. I know that motivation is an inside job, not something I will find doled out like so many apples at a farmers market. I know that in order to reach my goals I am going to have to be willing to go where I don’t want to and in order to have something I don’t have now it will require a level of commitment I haven’t previously brought to the table.

So, as I contemplate my next move and wonder am I crazy for trying again or fabulous for not giving up, I will start with opening my eyes and taking stock of the tools that are so freely available to me. I will be grateful for those tools and the supportive souls that surround me and I will count each as the incredible blessing they are.

Much Love Beautiful People,
Alison

Who’s ready for some change?

2009-09-07T15:50:00.001-02:30

I see it everywhere this time of year, cooler temps, buying trends pick up, class enrollments and gym memberships go way up and people even get new hairstyles . Funny how a season that signifies things dying can be the catalyst for so much new stuff.

I wonder how much of it will stick. Like the hair that grows out, will the commitment to the gym last longer than 6 weeks? Statistics say no. Answer me this - what are you doing to make your changes stick?

Are you setting yourself up powerfully to succeed, or are you relying on the same old stuff that has seen you fail to make your changes last in the past? Things like will power, changing because someone else wants you too or because it is a perceived societal norm.

Quick show of hands – who wants more money? Right, everyone – ok, quick question – why don’t we all have more money?

I visualize, I am grateful for every penny, I pray and journal and read and clear resistance, and do all the exercises that all the ‘law of attraction’ coaches are coming up with and yes my bank account has increased over the time that I have been doing these things, but not enough to purchase even one of the things I have visualized, not one.

So, what’s going on?

Is it all a hoax, am I not creating my own life? Or, am I going about it entirely wrong?

I am attending a workshop this weekend coming that will shed some light on that question. It is called Psych-K and is based on the idea that our subconscious mind is the one running the show and if we want lasting and powerful change we must learn to communicate with it.

This is my something new; this is the investment I am making in my health and prosperity. I am excited to discover this ability and to put it to work in my life and I am excited to share it with you all after the course.

Love and strength in this powerful time of change,

Alison

p.s. These courses are run all over the world so if anyone has completed one please share your experience in the comments section (which is now moderated btw- spammers begone!). If you are interested in taking a course yourself check out their website www.psych-k.com And if you are interested in the one happening this weekend email me immediately to secure a seat.

Grace in the Face….

2009-07-14T18:58:00.002-02:30

Do you recognize love when it is coming at you? When kindness, compassion or grace is extended in your direction are you a receiver? Or are you a suspicious type - one who relies on the skepticism of the ego to keep you safe? – safe from connecting with others – safe from being authentic – safe from being vulnerable – safe from the ‘assault’ of love.

Take a moment and ask yourself what would life look like if instead of safety, today I chose to risk? Choose to believe that the people you encounter want nothing from you, choose to believe that you are supported, uplifted and enhanced by every connection you create and nurture with another.

How would our lives be different if we acted with grace in the face of love? How would the world be different? I would hazard a guess that there would be less bombs going off, less hate crimes, less intolerance, less racism, less of the ego’s rant that tells us we are separate and special.

Do yourself a favour and resolve to find out what your life will look like as an expression of grace – there are infinite numbers of opportunities every day, every hour, every minute to create grace, to receive love and to accept others and ourselves as perfect and connected and ready for the love that is waiting around ever single corner….go on, get out there and grab some!

Much Love,
Alison
(thanks Jen for yet another beautiful picture xoxox)

What does it mean to be Healthy?

2009-07-03T11:09:00.003-02:30

Being healthy means that I have enough energy to do what I want with my day and my night and to be able to carry out these tasks pain free. Physical health, that is.

Creating a level of physical health to meet my daily requirements is a priority for me right now. Spending the last few days in bed, and being completely drained of energy has been a powerful motivator. I can’t imagine how nuts I would be if I couldn’t move around freely and come and go as I please.

I am so grateful for my current state of health, for my ability to see what is necessary and for the mobility to be able to do something about it. I am grateful for support received from all my amazing friends and family who wish only the best for me and I am grateful to my wonderful self who has an amazing life to live here and so many to help as I share my journey.

Gratitude and Health go hand in hand, they influence, attract and create each other.

Cheryl Richardson (@coachoncall) said this morning that a “high quality life has more to do with what you REMOVE from your life than what you ADD to it”. So I am asking myself today, what am I ready to let go of to BE Healthy?

Stay tuned for answers and post your own for support, inspiration or if you simply feel like sharing.

Abundant Love and Health to All,

Alison

committed

2009-05-29T08:49:00.000-02:30

Most people say they want a different life, but truthfully, not many people are willing to change, no matter what they say.

I believe that we are committed to what we already have, not what we think we are committed to getting.

For instance, if you want a healthy body and you don’t have one, what are you committed to? If you want a big house and you live in a small one, what are you committed to? The reality is that we create a life to support the conditions that we are committed to. Bottom line.

So look around your life, don’t listen to the ego’s wants and moans of desire swimming through your head -that‘s just another load of crap to make us believe we are moving in the right direction - when in reality what we have is what we have created, what we have is what we support, it is what we create conditions around and what we defend fearlessly and therefore it is what we are committed to.

The question now becomes, how is that working for you?

Happy Friday

Alison

100%

2009-05-28T08:18:00.004-02:30

Sometimes I wish I were younger…..but mostly I don’t. The younger generation appears to have every advantage but honestly if I had to go back and create the lessons again in my life that would lead me to where I am now, I am not really sure I would make it!

Young people live in their imaginary protective coating of youth and think it forgives them responsibility, not only for their own lives but for their impact on the lives of others. No wonder taking responsibility for ones existence can be such a challenge. We are not raised to believe we are responsible. In fact it is quite the opposite.

Most of us grew up believing that if we don’t have enough money it’s because either the rich have more than they deserve, the government takes too much or our boss doesn’t pay us enough, in other words ‘not my fault’. We think that we don’t have the house we want because ‘they’ have driven the prices too high, or the car we want because insurance rates are off the charts, again, ‘not my fault’.

One of the hardest things to embrace from a self-awareness point of view is that we are 100% responsible for EVERYTHING that shows up in our lives. People I work with on this concept have no trouble embracing the wonderful stuff in their lives but what if you have been robbed? Been in a car accident? Lost your job, or had the bottom fall out of your investments? Are you responsible for those things too?

Yes, you are. If it shows up in your life you have attracted/co-created it. No exceptions.

Trying to assign fault for the situations in our lives is not only a waste of time (no one cares if we blame them) but it also creates a massive feeling of disempowerment; how can you change your circumstances if you are not in control of them?

If you take your life on to the degree of 100% responsibility, you will be continually growing and learning about your wonderful self. You will understand the world and your impact on it, and the world will rise up and embrace that responsible energy in ways that will blow your mind…but don’t take my word for it, give it a try.

Alison

Fear Anyone?

2009-05-14T09:05:00.000-02:30

Last weekend I walked head on into the fear and look, I am still here, breathing, living and working on….imagine that. All the demons of my ego were wrong. I did not fail miserably and look like an idiot, I did not cause others to look like idiots, I did not catch fire and burn to my soul. No, none of the scary, ridiculous things my ego conjured up to try and have me walk away from an opportunity happened.
Instead I told my ego where to go while I got on with the business of making a wonderful event happen. Get Inspired 2009 was the inaugural event of a new company I am forming called Get Inspired- Speakers and Corporate Entertainment. From those who attended, all feedback was positive. The show ran very smoothly and the audience was delighted with each of the 7 wonderful speakers who gave us their most inspiring 45 minutes. Ticket sales were less than desirable but as a learning experience it was priceless.
So, let’s get clear about this because it is well worth repeating. When you push on through the fear you get to accomplish what you set out to do and more often than not all of the ego crap never happens anyway! It’s like worrying; if you really look at the stuff we worry about you will see that 99% of it never happens!
The conversation of the ego, the endless stream of reasons that keep us from taking a leap straight into the life of our dreams is an illusion; a fairytale, complete with a big bad wolves, wicked witches and fire breathing dragons. So, ask yourself this question as you ponder your next big move, your next decision that has you walk into the face of your fear and come out with amazing accomplishments – who is going to win? You or an illusion?
Much Love and Huge Admiration
Alison
p.s. share your own stories of walking through fear in the comments section!

things that make me go hmmmm....

2009-05-01T09:07:00.002-02:30

For some, the last few months have been very difficult. There have been mass layoffs, housing foreclosures tons of money lost in investments and numerous other issues pertaining to the dreaded ‘recession’. So, first of all if you are one of those who finds themselves suffering due to this situation, I hope you do not take offence to what I am about to write. I am in no way minimizing your pain; I am simply offering my take on events.

It seems that from a big picture point of view, what has happened has been a necessary ‘course correction’. Think about it, almost overnight the financial and automobile industries have been transformed. Everyone has an opinion about how it was handled, but no one can deny that these two industries are now being held more accountable than ever before and in my eyes, that’s a good thing. With only money driving them, the bubble was bound to burst and now that it has, there is hope for change. Hope for these industries to serve their CLIENTS, you and me. To give us the best deals and the bonuses, to create products that we want, not just the products that have the highest profit margin.

The other side of this is that, as a society who is completely responsible for what we create it to be, we did this. Somewhere inside us we knew that this idea of getting rich by false means, by building earth killing products and by creating hardship for others was a plan that was headed for the crapper and so we attracted conditions that would create this necessary ‘course correction’. This will be a much more efficient, effective, earth- friendly and sustainable society because of what has occurred in these past few months, mark my words.

Now, it is time for us to do it again; with food. Take a minute over the coming weekend as you are running your errands, getting your groceries, socializing, to notice how many fat and obese people there are. It used to be that being overweight made you stick out from a crowd, not anymore. Today the entire crowd is overweight and the slim person stands out. What’s up with that?

I am not inspired by diet and exercise. Being considerably overweight and being uninspired to use the accepted norm of pushing against the condition with calorie restriction and prolonged aerobic activity can be rather depressing. And I was, depressed. In the last few months I have been exploring what might be the deeper issues and along the way I have discovered that one of my greatest motivators is education.

I am learning about the food industry and man, am I getting pissed! I am learning that North America’s food companies have manipulated our governments and our citizens into believing that they are concerned with our health and nothing could be further from the truth. As you are watching the tons of people (pun intended) waddle through our fast food, convenience oriented world this weekend, ask yourself this question: Why, if the food industry, the supplier of our sustenance, is primarily concerned with our health, are we not healthy?

Stay tuned….

Much Love

Alison

don't miss this event!

2009-04-18T09:15:00.002-02:30

Early Bird tickets on sale now at The Holy Heart of Mary Box Office
Full details and Speaker information at
www.getinspired2009.com
If you have ever wanted to be completely inspired right here at home you won't want to miss this event!
See you There!

A question for you dear readers....

2009-04-18T00:07:00.004-02:30

Have you ever done what you thought you could never do?
Please provide details in the comment section so that we may all be inspired by your actions and by your motivation. I am very interested in the internal conversation that plays out between deciding to go for something that scares the heck out of you and deciding to go back to comfortable, maybe damaging behaviour.
Much Love,
Alison

my apology and other stuff..

2009-04-13T10:25:00.003-02:30

I apologize for taking this space for granted.

I considered it for a long time to be a place for sharing positive thoughts and intentions and for helping others recognize their self worth. The trouble with that is it leaves no space here to share the challenges in my life, of which there are many.

I used to think that talking about my struggles made me weak. I now think that there is an enormous strength that springs from vulnerability, one I have yet to truly explore. So from now on this space will reflect all that is happening in my life as I realize that all my experience is valuable and in actuality I stand to learn way more from the struggles than the cake-walks anyway!

Last week I spoke with Dr.Robin on Oprah's XM Satellite radio channel. The subject was addiction. We spoke about transferring addiction from one substance to another and how, in my case, being clean from a substance does not mean I am addiction free. She advised me to look further into my background for the answers with a therapist so that is my project for today, contact and make an appointment with a therapist.

I am looking forward to getting to the bottom of this thing however I have to be honest and say that looking back is a slightly depressing thought. Probably because my ego thinks that I should have this pesky addiction thingy figured out by now and wants me to carry on moving forward without any answers, taking my addictive behaviour with me!

In any case, I have made the commitment and now I am doing it, no matter what. I promise to keep you abreast of my progess during this process, in hopes that you might also have something to learn from it .... as I surely do.

Much Love
Alison

Personal Inauguration...

2009-01-20T15:21:00.006-03:30

What a day, what a day!
As I sit in my living room watching the television, I can't help but feel the weight of these moments; the precise moment when a black man was sworn in as President of the United States...wow.
I am reminded as I watch this of how easily I judge, because if you had asked me during the election if I thought this would happen I would have said no. I honestly did not believe that the American people were ready for this kind of change. I was wrong....again.
I forgot, that America is not the media and the garbage spewed at the world from that vantage point. I forgot that America is me. America is us. We are all one.
Forgetting that has cost me some profound connections, because I know that a connection cannot exist to its full potential with judgment in the mix.
Try it for yourself. Try to reach out to someone who you believe is doing something wrong. Try to connect with someone who you believe is living their life in a way that hurts themselves or others. Try to connect with someone you don't like.
How does that feel?
Now, what if the person you want to connect with is someone you DO like? Someone you LOVE even?
If you judge, as I do at times, you will sacrifice the ability to fully connect with the people in your life. Period.
In these days of historical changes for the better, why not make today your own inauguration day and resolve to be aware of toxic behaviours and what they cost us.
It may be an addiction that needs to be revealed, a forgiveness that it is time to seek, a thank you that needs to be expressed or a conversation of healing that needs to take place. Whatever you need, give yourself the gift today of taking the first step and bring more self-love, awareness and compassion to your life through passionate action.
Thank you Barack and America for this day of incredible inspiration, mindfulness and compassion and thank you for reminding me of what really matters, that my connections with people are up to me and what I bring to the table. From now on I plan on bringing less judgement and see how that works ....
Alison

Happy New Year!!

2008-12-30T10:54:00.002-03:30

Ahhhhhhh there it is, feel it? The unmistakable tingling of pure possibility; It’s hanging in the air like the banner over the door to the New Year. 2009, almost doesn’t seem real, yet here it is, 2 days away.
This year I am not going to make a resolution to lose weight or to de-clutter or to get up earlier, or any of that practical stuff. Instead I am going to resolve to be kinder to myself, to deepen my relationship with my friends and family, to work on non-judgment and to be more authentic in everything I do.
Of all of those I think authenticity is the most important. Carolyn Myss says she is “in love with the truth” and more and more I am really getting that. Without the truth there is nothing; nothing to work on, nothing real to offer others, nothing to learn, nothing to share, nothing.
Hiding who we truly are and how we truly feel does not accomplish our goals. And get this, if you think people don’t know who you really are…..you are fooling yourself. If nothing else, your people know they are not getting the true you.
Not being authentic costs us big time. We don’t get the love we deserve, we don’t get the growth we are entitled to, we don’t get the sense of accomplishment we thrive on, isn’t coming clean worth that bounty?
No doubt about it, being truthful is my most important promise this year, to you, to myself and to my world. Won’t you join me? Love to have you along for this crazy, yummy ride called 2009!
Wooo hooooo, bring it on!
Love and Happiness for the New Year,
Alison

Ready ?

2008-12-14T10:43:00.004-03:30

Ready for the holidays? Ready for the New Year? Ready to change? Ready to stay the same? Ready to get real with yourself? Ready to be inspired? Ready to express yourself? Ready to hide your true self from the world?
What exactly are you ready for? What a great question!
I got to thinking about this great question because I have asked, and been asked, about 3 million times this week am I ready for the holidays, well, I am. Not because I have the shopping, cooking and entertaining all well in hand, but because I am ready to take a good honest look at my life once again. I guess that is something that will never stop for me if I want to continue to grow, the building on each brick of self-awareness.
This used to feel ominous and almost depressing but now these self-examinations feel exciting, full of possibility. No doubt this is due to my strengthening willingness, my desire to be more real, to honour who I really am and because I am able to enjoy the results of each look more and more.
I no longer get caught up in the stress of the holidays, I do however get seriously caught up in the emotion. I miss loved ones who are away more than any other time of year, I appreciate loved one who are here more than any other time and I am more gentle with myself as I am reminded constantly what is really important.
Please take a moment and hug yourself over the holidays, give yourself the gift of a glimpse of reality, an authentic self moment, if you will. Nothing you give will feel more loving and fill the coming year with happiness and possibility than the gift of stripping away your justifications, denial, and the stories that keep you from living a truly wonderful life.
Promise yourself that the gift of self- love will become a priority over the coming year and get ready for that, because loving yourself will create results that will blow your mind!
And whose not ready for a good healthy mind blowing??
Happy, Joyous and Loving Holidays to All!
Alison

weeeeeeeeeeee

2008-11-22T23:46:00.001-03:30

I have described myself lately as feeling like I have been flung by the arm like a Raggedy Anne doll into the air and have yet to land. And I think this is a good feeling. Uncomfortable.
I feel as though I have let go of another aspect of my inner victim that has been holding me back and the feeling of being pregnant with possibility ( and definitely nothing else!) is foreign ground.
I had carefully constructed a life that supported being a victim. It was easier, or so I thought. It was easy to be comfortable, to have something to complain about, to covertly or even overtly elicit sympathy and to believe that there is nothing I can do about it.
It was easy, but it was gross too. It was destructive, stressful, chaotic, and lonely. It created the perfect environment for self-loathing, self-judgment, and self-pity. But….it was easy.
This uncomfortable feeling is not easy. But it is exhilarating, fulfilling, inspiring, delicious, and adventurous. It is not boring; it is a constant reminder that I am alive, that I have options, that I am capable, confident and worthy.
That I am on the right track……..yippppeeee! I think……
Love ya,
Alison
p.s. if you see me sailing over head, wave.

checking in....

2008-10-27T10:54:00.001-02:30

I must apologize for my neglect of this space for the past few weeks. I have been feeling less focused and sometimes completely uninspired and I am not sure how to convey those feelings. I am not used to expressing the negative. I am an expert at smoothing things over, finding the positive in any situation or making it appear that everything is alright but the truth is that most of the time that is like icing over a big bowl of…well, you know.

I am sure that this is yet another period of transformation for me. Those are never easy. I am not sure who I will be when I make it back, or if ‘back’ is an illusion because there is only forward, but nevertheless, something is about to break. Hope it’s not my back.

I had an amazing talk with my Dad and Mom last week and the consensus was that I do not feel worthy. My ego wants to argue, because he is the one who would ice over that, but that is the truth. The reason I have been drawn to the area of Self-Worth is because I need some.

I read a column the next day that Oprah wrote about what she knows for sure about body image and in it was a quote from a letter that Marianne Williamson wrote to her sixteen years ago. I knew it was what I needed to hear because tears sprang to my eyes. Here is the quote:

"Until you accept the magnitude of your function, your unconscious mind will sabotage any attempt to show your full magnificence. In fact, if you diet and lose weight, your mind will either put the weight back on or trip up in some other area. In order to lose weight on a permanent basis, you want a shift in your belief about who and what you are. This is the miracle you seek."

You can read the entire column here: http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200806_omag_mission

So my mission is to accept the magnitude of my function. I am looking for opportunities to do that and for new ways that my spirit is speaking me. If anyone has any suggestions or comments, bring em on!

I am starting with a course on Connecting with My Higher Self that begins tomorrow night. If you are in the St.John’s area and would like more info go to www.lifeonfire.ca

I will keep you posted on every twist and turn of this journey so wish me enlightenment, luck has nothing to do with it!

Alison

listening

2008-10-03T08:51:00.001-02:30

Watching my father take on a triple bypass has changed me. I am not sure exactly how but I do know that nothing is the same. My endless ability to put things off is not working anymore; my lack of solid commitment in certain areas is not working anymore and the fantasy idea that I have all the time in the world to get myself sorted is most definitely not working anymore. But honestly, I feel a tad overwhelmed. Where does one start when they want to make huge changes? Where does one find peace, courage, commitment, perseverance? As I write this I know it is within. I know I must get silent and I know I must push past the voice of the ego and listen for the voice of inspiration. Sshhhhh……

The universe is reaching out to me in mysterious ways and trying to figure out what I need to do is driving me a little crazy. That is part of the reason for the delay in writing here. Not really knowing what to say. It seems that circumstances are presenting themselves that will enable me to concentrate on myself, something I find very hard to do. Give me your problem and I will help you solve it, give me your pain and I will help soothe it, give me your fear and I will help you gather courage but faced with my own life I become paralyzed as if expressing what I need to will kill me. Man, that damn ego is one powerful piece of work.

I am praying for guidance, if you have some, let me know.

Love

Alison

Ch ch ch ch changes……..

2008-08-27T13:05:00.002-02:30

I don’t know about you but for me this time of year is one of the most motivating. Something about the kids going back to school, the temps cooling down and the feeling of getting ready for something (not sure what??) that spurns me to action.

Maybe I am getting ready to live a healthier life, maybe I am getting ready to make the perfect amount of money, maybe I am getting ready to greet the partner that is making his way to me. ….or maybe all of those.

The important thing for me to remember and maybe you too, is that getting ready does not mean standing still. It means preparing. It means taking advantage of opportunities. It means being present in each moment so that I can see the opportunities as they arise…it means taking action, and most of the time taking action produces change. In the areas I mentioned above, change is most welcome!

If you are reading this and you feel like you too are getting ready then I have some opportunities that you might be interested in. First, The WORTH Program is starting again on September 17 with some revised content that promises to be incredibly inspiring! This year we are looking more closely at how our beliefs affect our reality and how we can change the ones that don’t serve us. We will also be tackling procrastination, cultivating self-discipline and learning how to identify the ego, as well as other great topics that are designed to have you realize a high sense of self-worth. For more info or to register email me or visit www.lifeonfire.ca

Second, Life on Fire is offering many courses that help you put the Law of Attraction to work in your life. The topics and discussion allow a greater understanding of how we are creating our lives and how to deliberately create what we want. Some courses are ongoing and work on a drop-in basis, the next Law of Attraction Workshop is September 13^th, details and registration info is on their website mentioned above.

If you are looking for a way to start your week powerfully then tune into The Self WORTH Show at www.blogtalkradio.com/AlisonS every Monday at 8pm NL time, that’s 6:30 eastern(NY ) time. We discuss many inspirational topics of interest with like minded people and it’s a call in show so listen for the number and give me a ring to take part. This Monday: How to Recognize and Change Our Disempowering Beliefs.

Lastly, the Gaining Health Group is back in September after a few weeks of down time. Meetings resume on the 16^th and if you would like to join the group simply drop me an email to register. This is an incredible opportunity to see how support and a plan can positively impact your health

I am sure these are not the only opportunities that will fall into your lap while you are getting ready for some changes of your own, but they are an excellent way to get into action and create something wonderful for your life this fall. Drop me a line or comment on any of my posts and let me know what opportunities you are creating and taking advantage of, I would love to hear from you!

Alison

Strength.....

2008-08-17T09:39:00.001-02:30

I watched a dear friend watch her Mom pass away this week and marveled at her strength. It didn’t appear as hard or tough or stoic or convicted, it appeared as grace. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
Speaking with her the day her Mom passed away she said that her spiritual practice and journey had been preparing her for this moment. So true.
I have often said when coaching or presenting that ‘life is easy when it is easy’. Most of what I teach has nothing to do with easy. It is about finding out what you are made of in the challenging times.
Watching my friend’s remarkable ability to simple ‘be with’ her Mom as she passed from this life to the next was a gift. Most of us are very uncomfortable with death; we need to constantly distract ourselves from what is really going on. What I witnessed this week was the payoff of becoming self-aware, letting go of judgment, being accepting, and truly connecting with the people you love.
Creating a life based on spiritual principal’s means we get to be present to everything that is happening; we get to ‘be with’ people on a level that is rarely seen, even when they are healthy and available. These ways of being ultimately enhance our life experience by enabling us to take part fully in every moment, by providing us comfort when we grieve and like my friend, being able to be a part of your Mom’s passing and “have no regrets”.

My wise and wonderful friend found it interesting that each person took her Mom’s death and made it mean what they needed it to. I guess we are all looking for meaning in life and ironically death can provide huge meaning.
For me, I am making this mean that life is incredibly precious, that death is natural and can be graceful and beautiful and that every opportunity to connect with friends and family is a gift and an honour, things that as I grow and witness more frequently the cycle of life and death, I take less and less lightly.
Much Love,
Alison

such a tiny word, such a huge impact....

2008-07-23T17:15:00.001-02:30

Sample Employment Contract

Want an empowering way to take care of yourself? Would you like something that commands respect, staves off intimidation, enables time for your passions, makes resentment disappear, nurtures your self-worth, your body, your time, your health, your life and your soul?

It is the word “no”. Inside this tiny little word lay a million possibilities.

When I use this word too little something remarkable happens. I enter a cycle of self-destruction. See if you recognize this cycle: First I will agree to something that takes away from my time, my peace of mind, my money or my health, then I realize, by doing the agreed upon task, that I have put myself in jeopardy. Then I resent the person or people involved, usually the one who asked in the first place. Then I engage in some form of self-destructive behaviour because I am not really mad at them at all. I am really mad at me, and instead of facing that fact, I act it out. While I am acting, my ego is having a field day telling me how wrong they are and how they should be able to see what I need without me telling them and that they are inconsiderate and that I would never do that to them….sounds like a whiny, crying, baby, victim doesn’t it?

Because it is.

We teach people how to treat us and every time we say ‘yes’ when we really mean ‘no’ we teach them that their time, energy, talent, peace of mind etc, is more important than ours. When my actions and thoughts are out of alignment with my spirit I feel bad. And living with the consequences of too many yeses and not enough no’s definitely feels bad.

Now, the good news. Yesterday when I was knee deep in that cycle I saw it. As I searched for something unhealthy to eat, I found instead the insight to see what I had created. The cravings went away, the inner anger started to dissipate and I remembered that my happiness depends on me, not on what anyone else does or doesn’t do, just me.

Awesome!

Alison

the magic in the mountain...

2008-07-14T13:16:00.002-02:30

On Friday past myself and two other amazing women set out to conquer the Signal Hill Hiking Trail and after hundreds of steps, tons of catch-our-breath breaks and an untold amount of empowering self-talk whispers, we did it. Not only did we conquer the mountain but we conquered all the crap in our heads about not being able to do it, talk about a wicked payback!

The hike itself took almost 2 hours, but the effects have lasted ever since. The feeling of accomplishment from taking something on, even and maybe especially, when you have no idea if you can do it, is incredible!

What if we lived our lives from there? Grasping each opportunity as if it were possible even when we didn't have a clue...what kind of life would that create?
I am pretty sure that when the Wright Bros. took to the air the first time they had no idea how it was going to play out, and what about Bill Gates, do you think he had any idea what he was creating when he started Microsoft?

Sure, like anything you do that feeds your soul, it will feel amazing, you will be empowered and you may possibly know that something incredible is being created but you probably will not know what.

Just like my mountain...conquering it inspires the hell out of me, makes me want to go back and do it again and leaves me with the taste of possibility and what it feels like to be limitless on my lips...a taste I can't get enough of these days.

That's the real magic in the mountain, that in each step I can hear the walls falling, the call of my best life, the idea that I can do ANYTHING.

And I can...

with much Love,
Alison

What do you really, really, really want?

2008-07-08T15:48:00.001-02:30

Think carefully before you answer that question. Think carefully because what you say can be your reality, if you get it that simply wanting it is not enough.

In order to get what you REALLY want you have to be able to voice what you are willing to do to get it. Then you have to be able to do that in the face of the fear, the excuses, the ego conversation, the naysayers and anything else that might get in the way.

So often I see in my work people who say they want change, but they really don’t. I know they don’t because of what they are willing to do, or not do, to achieve change. In the case of getting healthy, one MUST put them self first or the commitments they make will always find a way to crack under the circumstances of their lives.

When it comes to breaking out of destructive patterns in whatever area of your life, one must be willing to look at how they have created them, because blame will simply keep you in the pattern. Again, most people do not want to change bad enough to take this brutally honest look at their behavior, and so they stay stuck.

Stuck in the waiting, wishing and wanting place I call HELL on earth. The truth is that we are limitless, we are able to accomplish more than we can even fathom, and our living a lesser life simply because it is comfortable is not serving us, our families, our communities, our spirit…..etc.

I have a gift for you, it is the next 24 hours. That is all you get. Once that is up you can look back and wish and want or you can see concrete accomplishment created by you with nothing more than what you already are, which is perfect, capable, limitless and love in action.

Put your life in high gear and take on your excuses, your circumstances and your ego, don’t give your precious life to those things that will keep you small. After all, who is in the driver’s seat, you or your circumstances? You or your excuses? You or your ego?

You decide it all!

In health and possibility,

Alison

Fired up!

2008-06-28T14:00:00.001-02:30

Is there a precise moment when our minds change and limits are lifted? Or is it a cumulative thing? Some people say that transformation happens in an instant. I tend to believe that the instant is allowed when the leg work is done.
Most of my major life changes and decisions I can trace a path to and from. Before the change there are unmistakable things that led up to it and everything that comes after is affected by the new approach to life. Although this path may not be so clear until I am a good ways down the road!
Like right now for instance, there have been a number of things that have led to my rock solid commitment to my health, but the actual transformation happened in an instant. : )
A doctor’s visit, an honest look at my future, the perspective and grace of others in the same boat and a quote from a guy on television, and poof, I was completely committed. My goals felt like they were already accomplished. My will was rock solid, my path was crystal clear, my soul was inspired, in that moment and each one since I have been no-holds-barred falling head over heels in love with myself. Cool eh?
What facilitates this kind of transformation in me is my decision to never stop trying. I may get discouraged, I may appear to have given up completely at times, but I always rise up from a different pile of ashes to try yet another approach. It is the same for anyone who never gives up, eventually we get where we are going, we accomplish what we want and we grow incredibly as human beings because we taught ourselves how to create our life….now that is what I call a WORTH while experience!

Keep on keeping on beautiful people!
Alison

much needed purge....

2008-06-22T04:32:00.002-02:30

Maybe it’s getting older, maybe it’s peri-menopause or maybe it’s the Asian meal I had tonight around 9pm, but whatever it is, for the first time in ages, I can’t sleep. The clock is ticking towards 4am and I have a week’s worth of work to do tomorrow to catch up from a terrible cold that had me down for the count this week and I am yawning my damn fool head off, but I can’t seem to get anything going in the bed except frustration. So here I am tapping the keys in hopes that the act of purging myself might bring some peace and some z’s.

No doubt a spring cleaning might just be in order. Not the house though, the head.

I took on a rather scary project last week with the formation of a group designed to create powerful connections, accountability and results in the area of gaining health. This is my way of holding my own feet to the fire. I have probably mentioned somewhere in this blog that the most effective I have ever been is when I am helping others so with that in mind and realizing that I cannot hang onto this extra weight without serious health issues cropping up pretty soon, I started this group.

I am not afraid to speak to a group, I am not afraid to share my work, I am not afraid to assume the leadership role but I am afraid of failure, and that is probably what has me awake this morning. Somewhere in the back of my mind I know this is the best chance I have of making this monumental life change once and for all and I know that my willingness to take it on is not something to take lightly.

So I won’t. Because becoming a person who rigorously honors her commitments to herself means that my life will reflect the very definition of self-worth and from there, anything is possible.

Like the book says “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway” …. isn't that how anything is accomplished? It's all scary. No matter what we take on, it more often than not scares the crap out of us but if we want change bad enough we do it despite the fear.

And I do....want change...bad!

Blessings Beautiful People...I am off to bed.

Alison

The power of me…

2008-06-16T10:30:00.002-02:30

I used to consider falling off the wagon as complete failure now I consider it a discovery. Not that my knee jerk reaction isn’t still to bemoan myself as a failure, it certainly is, but it doesn’t stick like it used to. I am learning to live more in the moment than in the failure because I know, truly know, that I am perfect exactly the way I am…in this moment. That is the power of NOW. As anyone who has struggled with addiction or other forms of self-defeating behavior will tell you, the past and the future are scary places. One is used to keep us in a state of self-hatred and the other to keep us in a state of perpetual fear; fear that we will not be strong enough, creative enough or loving enough to overcome the next challenge.

Not so in the NOW. Here we can relax, breathe; see ourselves as the beautiful, capable, astonishing creatures that we are. And we really are! Our spirits soar when we feed them, regardless of our weight, our height, our scars, or any other outside characteristic. My strength and beauty as a human being is only realized when I stay in the present moment. This is the time that the ego is silenced, in this moment I am in between the thoughts, the judgments, the mindless ego chatter. And it feels like floating, completely supported yet entirely suspended, not fearful of the future, or even aware of the past…just PRESENT. It feels like heaven….maybe it is.

Much Love,

Alison

p.s. the Gaining Health group starts tomorrow, anyone interested in joining should email me immediately to secure a spot.