… Eliminating the Obstacles to Success!

As this month comes to a close, I am reminiscing about the journey.  I began November with Big Plans to complete the Soul Coaching (R) Oracle Card Reader Online Professional Certification Course, write a novel, and manage/survive David changing jobs and Josh finishing Year 12.  To support those commitments I ‘decluttered’ – it helped that one of the earliest tasks set for homework by Denise Linn was to do some Space Clearing!    I love decluttering and cleansing my space so this was no real challenge for me but it did cause a few ‘difficult’ moments when I realised that I needed to simplify commitments, too.

The Soul Coaching (R) Oracle Card Medicine Wheel One Year Journey theme for November has been EMBRACING and I really have been working on connecting my ‘light’ and ‘shadow’ sides – not an easy process!  The affirmation, from the Soul Coaching Oracle Cards Guide Book, is “I embrace and love all of my life”.  This combined with beginning reading Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles book, it made sense to really commit to Taking 100% Responsibility for My Life.

What have I learned during this month’s journey?

I have learned that:

~ it is possible to be ‘over-committed’

~ I am ABSOLUTELY passionate about Oracle Card Readings

~ attending Personal Training sessions 3 times a week, no matter what, means I feel healthier and better in myself

~ there are some AMAZING people in my life, travelling the path, with me … probably the most important (at the moment) is Lovely Sharon who is teaching me about Challenging my thoughts/attitudes/programming and setting immovable “lines”, telling me that the ‘buck stops here’

~ as one door closes another opens (and another, and another, and another …)

~ it is time to Move On from living life from the viewpoint of my damaged childhood ~ Celebrating Who I Am NOW

~ it’s really hard to Do What’s Right for my well-being, especially when another person seems to ‘suffer’ as a result of my decision and choices

~ friendships move on

~ to be All That I Can Be means I need to make some Hard Decisions … who/what is supporting me on that path?  Who/What isn’t?

My approach to life has been fine-tuned a little more.  I am a member of the most amazing Oracle Family (Hello, Soul Coaching (R) Oracle Card Family!).  I am aware of the energy I bring to a situation or experience and how others can rely on me providing that energy, sometimes to my detriment.  I know that friendships take effort, consistency, commitment and care.  I am on a journey to Be All That I Can Be … I am happy to travel this path in a solitary manner or to share the journey with those who are also interested in the same goal.  I am cultivating ‘wholeness’ – in myself, in those around me.

I am EMBRACING the New and Eliminating the Obstacles.  A wonderful place to begin the journey of December’s theme: BELIEVE.

Preparing for Christmas!

~ piles of tinsel in each room, ready for decorating … gold and purple in one room, red and silver in another

~ new rope lights looped across the front of the house – Ooh La La!

~  cellophane wrapped Christmas Mugs filled with Tea Light Candles

~  making Christmas Tags out of coloured cardstock and festive inks

~ creating a Christmas Care Package to send to family interstate

~ planning, planning, planning … gifts, menus, coffee catchups

~ decluttering the house in preparation for all the decorating and New Energy of the coming year

~ creating a list of things to share during the countdown to Christmas

~ sending out Christmas Greetings

~  sharing Festive JOY in The JOYful Warrior newsletter, Edition 4

~ reaching out to people I haven’t had a chance to speak with much, this year, and hoping that they will take the time to ‘reach out’ in return

~ Smiling … at Everyone … after all, it’s nearly Christmas!

That’s what life is about, in my world, at the moment.

I am re-training my sleep patterns and attempting to stay in bed until at least 5am!

I am re-training my body so that I eat food when I am hungry rather than when I am tired.

I am re-training my thoughts so my mental chatter is challenging the negative thoughts rather than embracing them.

I am re-training my mindset to ‘pace myself’.

I am re-training my awareness to more consistently focus on my cup being ‘half-full’ rather than random elements of ‘full’ followed by times of ‘half-empty’.

And, I am decluttering the old, the tired, the over-used, the non-genuiune, the negative, the extra baggage … those things/attitudes/relationships/programming which no longer serve me.

My month of EMBRACING is moving on to the theme BELIEVE … it’s time to BELIEVE that I Can Be ALL That I Want to Be, that I Can OVERCOME those things which have been holding me back, and that I Can Take 100% Responsibility for My Life.

Bring It On!

(even when it’s hard)

Here’s to Being Authentic and Magnificent!

Our Christmas Decorating colours for the house are Red and Silver; the colours I have chosen for the Stampin’ Kids workshop are Real Red and Lucky Limeade … it’s becoming Very Festive at our house!

As you would know, having read my previous Stampin’ posts, I am definitely having a love affair with the Fancy Favour Die for the Big Shot.  I have fallen in love with most of the Big Shot dies, truth be told.  I am even thinking about how to Share My JOY of these tools in a Summer Workshop!

I’ve experimented with my cardstock colours, switching them around, using Textured Impressions Embossing Folders (in the Big Shot), and adding a little depth of colour with Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke and Old Olive cardstock and inks.

Topped off with some of the stunning NEW ribbons (pages 138-9) Stampin’ Up! has provided for us to purchase and my craft shelf is gradually filling with cute variations of this box, ready for Christmas Chocolates.  I loved being able to gift one to my gorgeous Partylite Consultant, yesterday, when she delivered my Christmas Order!  What a JOY!

I also had a play with the Mini Milk Carton Die so I could explore which projects are going to be most suitable and most fun for the girls in the workshop.  The “Tags til Christmas” stamp set is getting a great workout!  One of the Stampin’ Kids’ mums was telling me that she was going to drop shortbread into the neighbours and I had the thought that Christmas goodies would look wonderful packaged in cellophane bags with tags like this one!

Each year, I make a bunch of small gifts for the Gym Coaches and this year, Kels requested something a little different from what I had in mind.  This fabulous design is by Becky Roberts and I am LOVING making such wonderful chocolate bags!  I have experiemented with shapes of chocolate and how many will fit nicely into the package ~ I’ve discovered that three of the flat, square Lindt chocolates look lovely as do several chocolate ‘coins’.  So much Fun!

Now it’s time to work out the projects for next weekend’s Stampin’ Kids Workshop, our final one for the year.  And, it’s an excuse to make some MORE ideas and projects up for me!  YIPPEE!

All product is from Stampin’ Up!

I love that so many readers are still visiting my blog even though I haven’t written anything for a couple of days.  Thank You!

I am frustrated by some processes/happenings around me which are NOT authentic ~ friendships which have obviously had their time, especially ~ and the ‘cleansing/clearing’ process I am working through.  It’s much harder to live with than I recalled.

I am Tired.  I have had the MOST AMAZING week filled with AWESOME Soul Coaching (R) Oracle Card Readings with the most WONDERFUL people I could ever have in my life.  It’s been So Incredible that I can feel my heart is filled with JOY.  Thank You.

We have farewelled High School for the second of our children, and greeted a New Dimension of High School for our third.

We are moving forward with Integrity and Honesty and Courage and Accountability.

It’s a BIG path I am walking, at present.

And, apart from some distressing realisations about people who have played significant roles in my life, and the frustration of noticing that my ‘cup’ is half-empty,  I am happy.

In that peaceful-all is well with my universe-kind of way.

Once I catch up on proper rest, my JOY button will feel renewed, as will my sense of peace.

THEN … I can do some more READINGS (4-card and 5-card layouts) and write up my NEW COURSES and WORKSHOPS!  Woo Hoo!

Change is challenging.  I love it and I hate it.  However, the understanding that I really am taking 100% responsibility for my life is Inspiring.

Yes!

What I have learned from Jack Canfield, so far …

“To be more successful, all you have to do is act in ways that produce more of what you want.”

“If you don’t like your outcomes, change your responses.”  (I think that was what my parents attempted to instill in me when I was young although it wasn’t ever communicated to me in such a non-judgemental fashion.  Thank goodness for Jack’s wisdom!)

“Replace complaining with making requests.”

And, the final message in Chapter One …

“BE RUTHLESSLY HONEST WITH YOURSELF.”

So, Jack recommends ‘taking your own inventory’ and I am asking myself: Where Am I, Now?  Where do I want to be? And, How do I get there?

Thanks, Jack!

The Success Principles ~ How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

Sometimes, I wake up and feel a little flat (like this morning).  My morning coffee seems a bit dull and a little bit bitter and just doesn’t ‘do it’ for me.

This morning, I was fortunate enough to have all my papers and cardstock spread across the craft table and I ‘remembered’ how much better I feel when I am being creative.  Ahh.  That’s what I need to ‘boost the energies’.  I have an email reading to do for a dear friend, before breakfast, then I’m meeting another gorgeous friend for coffee and another reading.  I could NOT go about this JOYful process in the state of mind & energy I woke up with.

Then, I noticed there was an update in my You Tube subscriptions ~ Sonia Choquette had something to share ~ and as I listened, I realised how just hearing her voice and tuning into the mornings I have spent with her online courses gave me that lift I was missing, today.

Lesson 4 of the Soul Coaching (R) Oracle Card Reader Professional Certification Online Course is all about the different types of readings we can do … this week begins the journey of working through three card and seven card readings I need to do for my certification homework.  All the lessons are recorded and I had a little ‘aha’ moment of realising that making Christmas Projects while listening to the fabulous Denise Linn sharing about oracle card readings, again, was the perfect recipe for Morning Motivation.

In turn, I was made aware – in the synchronistic way of the Universe – of how much easier it is to live life with Spirit when I feel motivated … many people in my Gentle Warriors groups feel the same way.  I take my role as ‘chief motivator’ very seriously!  We had a Motivational Oracle Card message, yesterday, for the week, and a bunch of Fellow Travellers have ‘booked in’ for another reading, next Monday.  Our Motivational Facebook group share their JOYs and their Challenges and we all support and nurture each other.

Again, the message, for me, is that We Cannot Create Alone.  I provide Motivation for my friends and Angel Family.  Denise Linn, the Soul Coaching (R) Oracle Card family, and Sonia Choquette provide Motivation for Me.  All in all, the day which began a little dull and lifeless, is fast approaching vivid and sparkly status!

Motivation.

Sharing JOY.

What motivates You?

Today’s Soul Coaching (R) Oracle Card is PLEASURE … this is the message we are working with/through/on for the day as part of our journey to becoming a Soul Coaching (R) Oracle Card Reader Practitioner.

I was thinking about what PLEASURE means to me … and the first thing which popped into my mind was ‘Christmas Clip Art’.  Funny, huh?   Actually, it’s JOYful because I spent a lot of the weekend working on the upcoming edition of The JOYful Warrior and because it’s the Christmas Edition I used LOTS of festive images.

Even writing and thinking about it, now, brings a SMILE to my face! 

I love Visual PLEASURE!

I notice colour and scenes and images.  I was in the book shop, yesterday, and realised that I choose books by the image/colours on the cover!  Hopefully, the author or title catches my eye, too, otherwise I would miss out on some fabulous reads.

I choose my Stampin’ projects by colour combinations ~ I am always attracted to anything Really BRIGHT (as you probably noticed in yesterday’s post) ~ and when the completed project is displayed on my shelf, my eye always wanders there.

Same with food.  I will always notice the colourful offerings ~ from salads to main courses to desserts ~ anything which has Visual Appeal takes my attention.

That’s why I always notice a SMILE.

A Smile lights up a face.

Someone else’s Smile, lights up my world.

Visual PLEASURE.

What a JOY!

I had a little indulgence, recently, after engaging in a long and enJOYable wander through my Stampin’ Up! Ideas Book & Catalog.  I had a basic idea of what I needed ~ LOTS of Christmas-themed goodies ~ plus a list of fabulous projects I could make using designs from other SU! Demonstrators.   My ‘shopping list’ included the Blossom Party Die …

I had a thought to make a card for a friend who has been unwell and this was the end result ~ square Tangerine Tango card base with a combination of Read Red, Pumpkin Pie, and Daffodil Delight Patterned Paper flowers on a Marina Mist and Brilliant Blue (retired) mat.  I was excited to use my blue Chunky Glitter (retired) for a bit of the WOW factor!  This card does seem as ‘bold’ on here as it does on display in my craft room!  Love it!

SNEAK PEAK!  I also indulged in the NEW Candy Wrapper die, available for purchase in the upcoming Summer Mini Catalog ~ December 1- March 31 ~ because there have been some super-cute projects shared on stampin’ blogs which I really loved.  Again, I used the Brilliant Blue cardstock I found in my stash, and combined it with a little emboss resist embellishment …

Isn’t it cute?!  I could fit 4 little square Lindt chocolates inside …

There is one more Die to use, from my last order, and then I’ll have fulfilled the need/urge/desire to create the inspiring projects I’ve found on the internet.  I love these dies so much that I am planning a Summer Big Shot Indulgence Workshop for January … want to come and create with me?

All product is from Stampin’ Up!

Today’s forecast is for 33 degrees ~ our hot ‘tribute to summer’ day amongst beautiful ‘low-20′s’ days ~ and I have a quiet day planned.  In the last 24 hours I have indulged all my Passions …

Yesterday began with Space Clearing and Cleaning and Decluttering, ready for a day filled with Angels and Soul Coaching Oracle Cards …

We participated in the final lesson for the Soul Coaching Oracle Card Reader Professional Online Certification Course ~ what an AMAZING experience!  Again, I learned So Much, and again, I ‘remembered’ all those incredible ‘oracles’ from times past.  The final meditation was profound …

I indulged in an afternoon of pampering at the hairdresser ~ Jazmin Hair and Makeup Design ~ which was wonderful!  The ladies are friendly and thoughtful and insightful and we talked for the whole time I was there!  In fact, I feel like I have almost adopted them all; they have definitely been ‘gathered’ into the fold …

The day was topped off with a magnificent evening shared with Angel Friends, at our monthly Gathering … we talked about what we believed in, how much we believed in each other, shared experiences from the meditation, talked about our wings ~ Congratulations to all those ‘Angels’ who either FOUND their Wings or unfurled their Wings (for the first time) or finally connected with the MAGNIFICENCE  of their Wings!!! ~ indulged in a Dance Party …

And, today, I am Nurturing Self.  I have been outside in the early morning energy, watered my pots, talked to the Snail crossing my window and the Spider who created her web horizontally, stood barefoot on the grass, and filled the bird feeder.  Life is Absolutely Filled with things I am Passionate about … today’s Soul Coaching Oracle Card is ‘PASSION‘ … How appropriate!