The Gift

I heard a great line from a song on the radio this morning.
“We are all one phone call away from our knees.”
What a powerful reminder to us all that life can and does change at a drop of the hat and all of our plans, dreams and goals will not change that fact. My life is now different than it was a week ago. I lost a good companion this morning when one of our cats transition to Spirit. A week ago I would not have even considered that as a possibility. Today I am missing a friend.

We often forget, I know that I do, that things change constantly. Our lives appear the same day in and day out. We do the same things everyday, we see the same people, we hear the same songs on the radio, we have our regular routines. So our lives appear to be the same. However, our days are not the same. Each day is a new one and can not ever be recaptured once gone. We forget, I forget, that each day is not a “given right” (a line from another song) but a gift to be cherished and embraced. A blessing that may not be here tomorrow.

Today say “I love you” extra time to those you love. Kiss and hug your furry friends a couple extra time. Smile to those you see on the street. Say “Thank you” to those around you for the service they render you. Better yet say “Thank you” to people just because they are in your life. Each day remember that you are only one phone call away from your knees. Remember that those people who are in your lives now will be there someday. Most of all, remember that today is a blessing and a gift. Embrace it. Cherish it. Don’t let it pass without acknowledging that fact.

You will be missed my little one.

Yukonne Yuki McMahon

Life Coaching is a Bridge

What is a bridge? Something that connects to points. I am a bridge. I have been for a while but didn’t really understand what that means.

I remember a conversation I had with one of my cousins years ago. He was confused about the actions of many of the woman in his life and had called me to talk about it. He would tell me what was bothering him and why and I would explain to him some of the things that could have gone in the mind of the woman he was talking about. Toward the end of the conversation he told me “You have one of the most hybrid minds I’ve ever met”. He meant between male and female. I can usually explain to each gender what the other is thinking and feeling. I love comics and gaming, things that were considered “male”. I grew up hunting and fishing and shooting. I love the martial arts and have taken karate. I know have to apply make up, although I don’t wear it. I love looking at fancy ball gowns and enjoy redecorating my home. Although I still don’t get or can’t explain the appeal of football. Nope, just can’t do it. Hybrid – a bridge between one gender and another.

I am an artist. When I see something that captures my attention, how the light plays on a wall or the angles of a building, I want to capture in on paper. I majored in art in college. I love the exploration and process of working with images. I love the feeling of knowing a painting is complete and whole and beautiful. The play of colors against one another fascinates me. I am an artist and I also minored in math in collage. I love math, especially algebra. I love the stark simplicity of it, where it isn’t any thing but what it is. I love the process of changing equations to get the answers you are looking for. I love the balance of it. I love the logic of the math and the chaos of creating a painting. Hybrid – a bridge between logic and inspiration.

In case in wasn’t apart I have very logical, rational mind. I like to see, touch and understand the world is around me. I’m not a scientist and yet, the scientific process of exploration, questioning and logical progression appeals greatly to me. Still I believe in magic. I have seen elves. I have talked to and travel with Bear Spirit. I play in the realms of the what many would consider the fantastical. I am studying to become a Modern Day Priestess. Both worlds are real to me and if you ask I can give you a very logical explanation for magic.

Life coaching is just another bridge – a bridge between where you see yourself  in your life and where you desire to go. It a bridge between the beliefs that are not supporting you and the beliefs that will. It is a that which spans the crevasse that has your dreams on the other side. A bridge. That is what life coaching means to me – being a bridge. Considering how many other bridges there are within me this is not at all surprising that I have chosen to become a life coaching.

Spiritual Alchemy is an entirely other matter!

Why connection?

Connection. This word has become a goal, an aspiration for me in this coming year. The definition from Webster’s that I think applies most for this is: a political, social, professional, or commercial relationship. That is what I want this year to be about: developing relationships and,developing meaningful connections. There are many connections that come up when I think about what meaningful connections I want to develop. The first one I thought of was the connection to my Spirituality and my spiritual practices. What does that connection mean in that regard? It means to really be a part of the rituals and ceremonies I create in my life, and to really feel Spirit within all I do and in all my life. I want that connection to deepen and expand, and I want to share that with those around me. Another connection is the connection to the social world around me. A deepening and expanding of this connection means meeting new people, deepening my friendships, connecting to those friends that I lost communication with yet I still want in my life, coaching as many people as I can in a year, creating solid business relationships, and becoming part of different communities. This is such a large list of things I wish to do to expand my social connection. I want to create a connection to nature. This mean to be much more aware of the natural world around me, to spend time outside among the forests, to spend time observing and honoring the natural flow and cycles of life, to grow green things and work to reduce my environmental impact on this world.

Why connection? I believe we are all one being, one Spirit. We and all of nature are part of one unified field of consciousness. So as I deepen these connections in my life, I will deepen my connection to myself and Spirit.

“What I Believe…” Support Community

Why the community came about

As a child growing up, I was exposed to the religious beliefs of my family. Although my parents were not devoted in their religious practices, they wanted to “do right by their children” and so they indoctrinated me into their faith. I learned my lessons and did all the things I was told. Somewhere along the way I took a slight detour and explored some slightly different beliefs. My parents completely supported me in this and I dove into these new beliefs head on.

In my teen years I began to question some of those beliefs. They didn’t sit well with me. I couldn’t resolve how some of those beliefs made me feel with who I was as a person. When these conflicts found no resolution in my mind and heart – I walked away from my religious practices and my spirituality. It was my experience that I had to accept all of the beliefs as absolute Truth or I was not being true to that belief system. Since I could not accept all these beliefs as true, I decided that must mean I was not part of that religion any more.

Twenty plus years later I began to explore again, only this time I was willing to trust how these beliefs made me feel. I looked to whether these new spiritual explorations supported me. I discovered what empowered me and what disempowered me AND I learned that I could take into myself as my “Truth” bits and pieces of what I was learning. I realized that I did not have to accept the sum total of someone else’s beliefs into my belief system and that I could still honor that other person and their beliefs. This realization for myself started me thinking about how different our world would be if we could hold our own Spiritual Truths with our being and still honor, respect and accept someone else’s Spiritual Truth as Truth for them, even if that Truth was drastically different than ours. Agree to disagree, so to speak. Thus, for me, Spiritual Alchemy was born and from that this community.

This is a place of exploration, of discovery, of being able to try different beliefs on and see how they fit. There are no wrong answers, only beliefs that empower or disempower, only practices that support you or do not support you. In this arena you can learn what it is you believe and what it is you do not believe. You can feel your own way through all of the many belief systems you have been exposed to and see which feel like Truth to you. You have all the answers within you. Your heart knows and understands exactly what those beliefs are and how they support you in your life. This is the place to listen to what your heart is telling you.

Be welcome into my cathedral.

The first conference call is January 6th at 8 pm EST. If interested in the community or if you have any questions, please contact me by e-mail at celinamcm@yahoo.com.

Where did the bricks go?

So it has been a while since I posted on my blog about my bricks. Well, someone (me) came along and dumped all my bricks in a pile and then came along (me again) and added even more bricks to the pile. The last few weeks (or months) have been about me sorting those bricks and then laying out the ones that were the most important and time sensitive. That being said, all my ICA requirements have been completes, submitted and marked as competent and complete. WHOOHOO!!!!! I am scheduled to graduate as a certified professional coach on Dec 7, 2009. That also happens to be my 13 wedding anniversary.

Now that those ICA bricks, which had been a priority for me for the last few months, are laid and well mortared it is time to chose what I will be focusing on next. Actually, I already know. I attended the first weekend of a 3 weekend training course, 9 months all together, in being a Modern Day Priestess. Since I began my business, I have been calling myself a spiritual alchemist. A spiritual alchemist, to me, is someone who turns people into gold by supporting them in creating their own spiritual practice. This training will support me in better defining for me what my spiritual practice looks and feels like. It will help support me in defining that for me business as well. That is what new bricks will be about – laying a foundation to support my spirituality.

So here we go…
Journal every day
Prayer every day
Meditate every day
Speak my sutra, mastermind requests and the Tao verse of the week everyday
Last one – finish reading the book Bringers of the Dawn

These bricks will be the foundation I build my house upon. They will be well and thoroughly mortared into my life before I place weight and stress upon them. I desire to have this be a very solid foundation indeed. I look forward to seeing where this path leads me

Who’s life is it anyways?

Have you ever been going along in your life, it being a perfectly ordinary day, and suddenly felt overwhelming sadness, anger, or a feeling of being upset for no apparent reason? These unexplained moments of extreme emotions are our mind and body telling us something. Are you listening?

How often do you take the time to stop and see if your life is going the way you want? I know for most of my life I only stopped and looked when I ran smack into a brick wall made of what I didn’t want in my life. I can tell you from experience those are not the times to be looking at your life and seeing if you are on track. In those times, you almost always have a skewed view of where you are and where you want to go. How many of us look at our lives regularly and think about what we want and where we want to go? Mostly we think in terms of what we want to own or how much money we want to earn. How often does anyone look at what makes them happy, sad, excited, mad or emotional?

When we do stop and look at where we want to go and what we want from life, do we ever consider that maybe what we “think” we want is not even what we truly want? So often we are told when growing up what we should do, how much money we should earn, and even what will make us happy. Rarely do we stop and think “Is this what I really want?” It is only after we have gotten all that we were told will make us happy, comfortable, and secure that we stop and look. Usually we are looking because we have gotten all those things and we are still not content. We are restless, stressed, miserable, and plain disgusted with what is going on inside of us and around us. Then we look. Again, not the best time to look.

So I challenge you this week. Take some time when you are relaxed and unstressed, to look around you and see if you are where you want to be. Then examine if it is really something that you wanted or something that you were told you should want. Did you put aside a dream, vision or passion to get where you are? Is there something missing and you don’t know what? Here are some questions to help you on your way.

1. What do I dream about, or have a passion for?
2. When in my life have I been the happiest?
3. How often do I take time to relax and just be?
4. What do I think will make me happy and why?
5. How is what I think will make me happy tied into my passion or dreams?

In love and light

Celina

Brick by brick – recommitting.

What happen when you lost track of where you’re at and where you want to go? What do you do when you are so caught up in the doing that you have forgotten why you are doing things?

I have been so focused on getting things done and fulfilling the commitments that I forgot why I am doing this stuff. I want to coach people and I want to make a living at it. I love coaching! All the other stuff I am doing, blogs, ICA, marketing, seminars and tele-seminars, all of these are so I can coach as many people as possible. So I can work with them to make permanent lasting changes in their lives. AND so that when I do that I can afford the lifestyle I want.

With all the learning and scrambling to fulfill graduation requirements, I lost sight of what it is I want to do: coach. So I will recommit to that – to doing what I love and making good money at it. So as you are doing your brick, building a solid foundation and filling in the cracks, make sure to check in with yourself and recommit to the thing that got you passionate in the first place. Don’t lose track of the “Why” you are doing what you are doing.

Check in for last week

Created a structure sessions and not the ten week coaching intensive. Listed ten week intensive on craig’s list. Created outline for creativity lectures. Checked into the learning leader labs.

Aug 10, 2009

Formalize structure for session and implement. Fleshed out outline and send out letters of “intent.” Get a handle on overwhelm by write down commitments and “to do’s.”

In love and light

Celina

Ooops! Losing focus and direction.

So as I was reading my bricks for last week, I realized that I totally lost track of most of the bricks I had committed to last week. I know I did many things, some them actually for my business. I’m just not sure what and why most of them weren’t the bricks I had committed too. So instead of using this as an opportunity to beat myself for all I didn’t get done, I’m going to use this to look at what was I most committed to instead.

What did I do? I spent time with my husband. I got homework and housework done. I did get approval for my research topic (that was a brick). I coached clients. I listen to some tele-seminars. I took some of the last few classes I need for ICA. I got lots and lots of laundry done! None of these are meant to be excuses. I looked at what I did to see what I was more committed to getting done than the bricks I had planned on. So why was I more committed to these other things? What was it about these things that sent all of the bricks I committed to flying from my focus? I do know that my ICA requirement have been foremost and prominent in my mind. Anything that was outside the focus got shifted to second place.

We are always committed to something. Everything we do during the day, all the actions we do, are because we are committed to something. Whatever actions we are doing show what we are committed to. So whatever you are doing, ask yourself “What am I committed in this moment?” and “Is this commitment going to get me what I want?” Also remember life is about balance, so when you realize that in that moment you are committed to relaxing and having fun, that is perfectly OK! Enjoy it.

So onto this week’s bricks. Some might be familiar.

Aug 3, 2009

Create structure for sessions and ten week coaching intensive. List ten week intensive on craig’s list and other free listing sites. Create outline for creativity lectures. Check into the learning leader labs.

In love and light

Celina

How sturdy is that brick foundation?

What makes a foundation sturdy? The width of it. The wider it is, the more you can build on top of it. If it is only one layer deep then you will only build so high before it collapses. If it is two layers deep than you can go higher. So the higher you want to build, the sturdier and wider you have to make your foundation.

So how do you make your foundation wider? By practice and incorporating your brick into your life. The more times you do your “networking” brick, the wider that foundation becomes. The more time and practice you place into your writing, the deeper and sturdier that foundation becomes. The more you use your “responding to situations and events” brick instead of the “reacting” one, the more solid, deep and complete that foundation will be. Remember, a foundation that will support you for the rest of your life is not thrown together in one day. It is built layer upon layer, one day at a time. One moment at a time. Keep in the work. Keep in practice. Keep in action.

Check in from last week’s brick

I sent out the message for my research paper topic. Waiting for approval or renegotiation. I got as far as I could with my homework and will finish before the graduation requirement. I have taken some classes, those that I needed and were offered last week.

July 27, 2009

This week is all about business. Create structure for sessions and ten week coaching intensive. List ten week intensive on craig’s list and other free listing sites. Create a letter to send out about creaticity lecture to local college. Get ready for supervised coaching starting next week. Yikes!

Who gets to choose?

We all have choice.

Have you ever awakened from a dream and been confused because the dream was so real you didn’t realize you were dreaming? Perhaps you were woken up because your body moved in response to something happening in that dream. To your mind and body, unconsciousness and consciousness were the same. I listened to the great lecture on www.ted.com (Check out this site. Lots of great ideas.) about the human being’s capacity to generate what Dan Gilbert calls synthetic happiness. He describes this phenomenon as what happens to people after some life changing event or missed opportunity. Afterward, these people are as happy as they were before these events. “It worked out for the best,” or “I’m so much better off now than I was before.” Do these statements sound familiar? These are statement of synthetic happiness. Please check out the lecture to get a much better idea of what this encompasses. One of his points was for some reason we believe synthetic happiness is somehow less real than “true” happiness.

OK. What does all this have to do with choice? I’m so very glad you asked! The greatest gift the human species has been given is our intelligence and the ability to weigh options and choose. Even when someone feels like every choice around them is being taken away, you still have the ability to choose how you view that situation. Our capacity for survival and our ability to thrive stem from our ability to view situations and events from different perspectives. That is the choice we make. We can always, always choose to see events in another light, to switch our perspectives, to think outside the box, to ask someone for a different insight. That is our greatest gift.

So why do we choose anything but happiness? The mind does not know the difference between dreaming and reality. So why not dream your happiness? Create the choice of happiness every day. See it every day. Feel it every day. Dwell on it. Daydream on it. Your mind and body will not know the difference and your reality will conform to that belief. We will create our “synthetic” happiness that will feel real and true to us. What we think about, we become. So you get to choose your happiness? You do! Choose wisely.

In love and light

Celina