Empower your future with these key questions

What are your answers to these questions:

• Are you looking for inspiration?

• Do you know what you really want?

• Do you yearn to feel more alive and excited about your life?

• Have you thought about shaping a clear vision of your future — a future that feels satisfying and promising? 

Considerations like these may be front and center for you. Or, like many women pushing through their days, you may not have paused to think about them in some time (if ever).

I believe these are important questions. I believe that we all deserve to be clear, to feel inspired, to be excited, and to envision the lives we want to live — now and in the future.

I also believe that we all can live inspired, fulfilling lives that are built on realizing our deep desires.

So why is it that so many women I speak to find it challenging to answer some or all of these questions?

Most of us play it safe

It’s easy to live each day and not take the time to think seriously. Feeling deserving to set aside time for ourselves, for self-care of any kind — including self-reflection — is a factor that stands in the way for many women.

And many women find questions like these uncomfortable. Some tell me they feel bewildered about how to look inside for answers.

Whatever the reason, it can often feel easier not to consider questions like these. It may seem safer to simply live from day-to-day without intentionally charting a course that is rooted in your heart.

Here’s how to begin stepping into clarity

If you are looking for small first steps you can take to bring answers to light, try some of these approaches.

Here are a few ideas for finding inspiration

Make a quick list of things you really enjoy doing, such as taking leisurely walks with friends, exploring new places, trying exotic foods, collecting something that fascinates you, learning new things. Write quickly and list at least 12 things.

Look at your list, and star the two or three that are most appealing. Then make a date to do them. When you take that action, note the way you feel. See if you can sustain that energy — by doing more of the same things, or engaging in other things on your list.

Here are a few ideas to pinpoint what you want

Sit quietly and think about what you want in the moment. It might be a flavor you want to taste. It might be an experience you long for. Getting in touch with your desires in the moment helps you tune in to your heart and pay attention. Repeat this for a few days and see what shows up.

To build on that, sit with someone close to you and have them ask you what you want — over and over. Give it time, and let yourself go deep. After 5 minutes being asked and answering that question, switch places and ask the other person what they want. Ask again and again. Acknowledge what they share. When you have each taken a turn, reflect on how it felt to have been asked, and to listen to the other person’s answers, and talk about what showed up for each of you.

Here are a few ideas for building energy and feeling more excited each day

Similar to seeking inspiration, think about what makes you feel full of energy and excited. Some people love activities that are fast, to get their blood pumping. Some find they are filled with energy and excitement in quiet places, like in a great museum. Some like to be in crowds at concerts, while others find star-gazing with a great telescope lights them up. Whatever it is for you, (and there may be multiple ways), plan to bring that kind of experience into you life soon — and do it as often as you can.

Here are ideas for starting to shape a vision for the future

Once you have moved through exploring the first 3 ideas, you will be well-positioned to consider your vision for the future — which may be something near-term or longer-term.

Tap into the inspiration, the desires you identified, and the kind of energy and excitement you have started cultivating. Then think about how you can imagine various aspects of your life when all of that energy is part of it.

Start by considering your relationships. Then move on to imagining your work life. How about the environment you surround yourself with? What kind of environment would support you to feel great? Next, think about how you imagine your health and wellbeing, as you live a life that you love.

Imagine what all of that could look. Paint a picture in your mind. You might want to write descriptions, or create a vision board to flesh it out and hold a clear vision. 

Start with one small step today!

If you want to begin activating more energy and finding more clarity in your life, start small.

Commit to one small effort now, and do it soon.

Yup, you will be off and running!

Check in with yourself. If it was great, keep going. If it was not all you expected, try something new. And continue!

As you experiment and make discoveries that feel satisfying and meaningful, extend your efforts.

Know that you are building awareness along with energy, and that your desires will evolve over time. That’s the beauty of actively living with awareness — you get to have new experiences and learn new things, and all of that helps you to shape a vision full of energy to fuel your life in wonderful ways.

Know, too, that while starting is the key, significant change takes consistent awareness and effort. 

If you are curious about having guidance to make each step easy to take, and to accelerate your progress, I’d be happy to tell you about a powerful program that’s only offered one a year and that will be starting soon.

It has helped dozens of great women find their clarity and step into making their fabulous visions their reality.

To see if it’s a fit for you, email me. We can hop on a quick (free) call.

A simple question can change your life

Questions open our thinking. Of course there are many kinds of questions, and asking them can lead to many kinds of outcomes.

Let’s consider a very simple question, and how powerful the impact can be when we use it.

What if...?

“What if?” never fails to be a good question.

It opens your thinking to considering all sorts of possibilities, and it’s wonderful because it does that without making you feel pressured.

Something I especially love is that “What if?” questions also open the door to broad and creative thinking.

Let’s test a great “What if?” question

You can use the “What if?” question in countless ways, and the answers can be revelatory and wide-ranging.

I especially love this particular “What if?” question, and the many ways it can be extended:

What if you trusted?

Ponder that a moment. This is a big question that is worth turning over in your mind.

Next, move on to considering these variations. See what shows up for you.

What if you trusted yourself?

Can you imagine not second-guessing yourself? Can you envision living with trust in yourself and rather than with doubt? What if you could live without fear of making mistakes, or failing?

What if you trusted your heart?

What would your life be like if you connected to the desires in your heart — what you want — and felt deserving of those desires, and honored them? What if you also honored the passions in your heart?

What if you trusted your intuition?

Of course, that begins with hearing intuitive messages. Many of us hear these whispers (and shouts) and push them aside or override them. What would change if you trusted those nuggets of wisdom?

What if you trusted that you can move forward every day, and adjust and course-correct as needed?

This takes us back to the question of trusting yourself, but gets more specific. Can you imagine being focused and intentional, and also flexible and creative when things do not go as you expected, or new obstacles show up?

What if you trusted that you can get the help you need?

Many of us think we need to do everything ourselves. Many of us think that we are the only ones who can do things well enough, or to meet our own high standards. Many of us feel that soldiering on in spite of struggle is noble, or that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Can you imagine trusting yourself to find help, to let go of control, and to allow others to support you?

What if you trusted and believed that you have everything you need inside of you?

Can you believe and trust that you hold the answers you seek, and the ability to learn and grow and expand? Can you believe and trust that you are enough — in fact, that you are already perfect?

You may need some help to trust these ideas, and to believe you have that strength.

Can you imagine how having that trust and belief could be significant for you?

What if you trusted the universe?

I know that for many people this is a harder question, and it may feel a bit far out. I believe that we are all supported by forces much bigger than ourselves. You may call it god, divine spirit, the universe, or any of a number of other terms. Or you may think that the concept is nonsense.

I invite you to consider that we hold energy and there are energetic forces that respond to the positive or negative beliefs we hold energetically. In my experience, we get more back of whatever energy we hold and project.

When we trust that there is a universal energy force supporting us as we trust; supporting us when we believe that we are able to powerfully create in our lives; and supporting us when we believe that we can all bring our gifts and our best selves to approach each moment in our lives with agency, we can experience even greater outcomes and have bigger impacts.

Let’s all choose to trust

The collective power of all of us trusting, of all of us bringing our creative energy into our lives, and all of the good we can bring into the world from this solid foundation, is tremendous.

We can help to make this a better world in remarkable ways.

The first circle of impact we can have is with the people closest to us — our family members, friends, and our coworkers, colleagues and clients.

We also impact our communities — our neighbors and people in organizations we are part of. The impact can expand to our towns and cities and wider circles from there.

We may or may not see tangible evidence of this impact. The ripple effects touch people who touch others, and this is how we are the catalyst for meaningful change.

And that change extends to the broader world.

Goodness knows we need to bring as much positive energy as possible now to being a collective force for good, and for bold action in support of peace and justice and safety for all.

Please join me in the intention to unlock all of our creative power, to trust and tap our inner wisdom, and to bring strength to living our biggest, best lives. Those efforts will have a positive impact on those around us, and the impact will expand exponentially.

I deeply trust the potential of our collective efforts. Thank you for joining me.

Stay safe and well, and create with joy.

Are you stuck in the judgement trap?

Have you ever stopped to think about how often you judge people and things? (I am sorry to confess that I have been a “judger” most of my life!)

I was recently invited to choose an object within view and spend a few minutes judging it — which was easy for me to do!

The next step was to look at the object again, and this time simply observe it.

Wow, what a difference I experienced the second time I looked.

I have been bringing that experience to mind often, and repeating the exercise. It is especially valuable to bring this to mind when interacting with people.

Each time I realize what a gift I give myself when I choose to observe instead of judge.

Try it out for yourself

Let’s say you look across the room and choose to focus on a lamp.

Sit and stare at it and judge it.

Perhaps you will think about a color or shape that you don't care for. Maybe you will judge the design as poor, or think about materials you don’t care for. Maybe you will judge the person who made it or the person who purchased it.

Now, look again. This time simply observe the lamp.

You are likely to notice things such as how the metal reflects ambient light in an interesting way. Or the surface texture of the base. Or how it adds balance to the composition of things sitting near it. Maybe upon closer observation, the material that the shade is made of will fascinate you, or you will be curious about the origin of the overall design.

Pause and think about it the two experiences. You will likely realize that when observing you felt calmer and it was more pleasant, and that it opened your thinking in new ways compared to what it felt like when you judged.

Can you imagine that a shift from judging people to observing them could be even more revelatory?

What happens when we judge other people

When judging others, we often make assumptions about a person’s motives, or ascribe qualities to them that are off base. What follows is often a loss to both you and the person you judged. It can sometimes be tremendously damaging to one or both parties.

We hurt ourselves when we judge, we can cause hurt to those we judge, and we limit what might be a great connection when we judge as a first impulse.

On the other hand, when we choose to observe people rather than judge, we open to deeper and more significant insights.

By choosing to observe and opting to be open and curious, we are inspired to ask good questions. Asking questions bourn from an observer's curiosity and interest in discovery can reveal truths we would never become aware of if we started with judgement.

This small shift can have a huge impact for you

Since my first experience of judging and then observing, I have been bringing the awareness to many encounters in my orbit. I find it to be most meaningful when I think about people — both those I know well, and new people I meet for the first time.

Each time I observe I notice subtleties and find things to appreciate that were not immediately obvious. Questions often come to mind that result in great information or insights. I reap rich gifts when I observe. And I am relieved not to have the kinds of judgmental thoughts I was so accustomed for so much of my past.

I have also shared this suggestion with a number of clients recently. They report finding this practice to be extremely helpful.

And adopting this way of looking at people and things around you is a practice.

Why not give it a try yourself, and see what happens when you practice enough to make it your new way of viewing and engaging with the world?

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.