Tag: womens empowerment

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So I have to just be real…

Vulnerability

I’ve wanted to post but kept procrastinating trying to think of clever things to write about.

The truth is, that while I’ve had an increase in clients (women I love and am so proud of), my kids have had a great summer, my husband and I are celebrating our 21st anniversary… I’VE BEEN ON AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER! There is a lot of transition happening in our lives; among other things, we’re both worried about our parents’ health and the violence happening in our city.

In a few of my coaching sessions, my clients have expressed the craziness of trying to keep it together when life is good yet there are also things (happening internally and externally) threatening to take you under!

I have a daily spiritual practice of prayer and gratitude and although it keeps me centered, lately I’ve needed more! I decided to keep it real in this email and share my 3 keys to “keeping it together” while in the midst:

  • I allow myself to be emotional & vulnerable. Whew, let me tell you this does not come easy for me (and most powerhouse women)! Society has poisoned the link between powerful – and – emotional. Supposedly, one cancels the other out. I have found exactly the opposite. There is sooo much power & courage in being able to access and FEEL instead of run from your emotions. Being vulnerable means letting your defenses down. This happens when you are strong enough to believe that leaving yourself open doesn’t mean defeat, it means opening to love, support and witnessing.
  • I go on a negativity diet. Basically, I restrict my intake of anything that will lower my mood, vibration or attitude. I consciously avoid the channels, platforms & people that carry sadness, gossip, drama, things that will anger me or just general downers. Now some things you can’t avoid, like people lol, random conversations, news headlines, etc. When I come across these things, I refuse to click into articles or read comments (a definite no-no), engage people down their rabbit-holes and overall try my best to be aware, send blessings AND slowly back away.
  • I go deep into my calling! Out of these 3, this lifts my spirit the most. My calling to guide and empower women through coaching and community experiences helps me remember the truth, beauty & purpose of my life. It challenges me out of my ego and into my heart, it brings me joy, keeps me grateful and lets me know that no matter what else is going on, I am making an impact! Whether your calling is writing, dancing, cooking, a business, art… make some time to immerse yourself in it, even for 30 minutes.

What can you go deep into that brings you joy amidst chaos and change?

I’ve been pouring myself into creating a life-changing experience this September 8th & 9th for my annual workshop-retreat Activate Your Calling.

This year’s 2 day event will be held right in the middle of the San Francisco Bay on Treasure Island! I picked this secluded, beautiful, century-old mansion with catered lunches so that you can truly use this weekend for claiming and creating the next chapter of your life. We will get you unstuck, re-inspired and motivated by integrating the 3 C’s into your reality.

Clarity. Courage. Confidence.

Registration is open and space is limited! For a limited time, this inner circle link will get you a free ticket ($75 commitment fee required). This is YOUR weekend, I would love to have you in the house♥

In Spirit,

www.ElevateyourNOW.com

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How I managed my own “Girl’s Trip”

One of the best weeks of my life was spent crying every day.

Seriously, whether I cried from:

  • laughing so hard I could barely breathe (like on that 4-person raft above in the photo) or
  • from a conversation with our Dominican driver that showed us the reality of being Haitian in the DR or
  • from watching a man in pure bliss on the dance floor, only moments later crumple into what may have been his death (the resort wouldn’t tell us if he lived or died).

It was a beautiful trip for so many reasons. My friends and I were treated like royalty, challenged ourselves with different adventures and felt like true sisters. The only regret I have is waiting so damn long to go on a international trip with my girls! Why hadn’t we done this before now?? But come on, you know how it is:

“Who’s going to go with me?”
“I don’t have the time”
“I don’t have the money”

And a million more excuses and negative thoughts. We were presented with an opportunity and even with these thoughts and many more swirling through our heads we said, YES! Guess what? The thoughts didn’t go away. If anything, they got stronger:

“What the hell was I thinking?”
“What about my family & job?”
“I’m not going to be able to make the payments”

How did we make it happen? With a plan and accountability.

A good friend of mine set up a great plan with a travel agent that we committed to. Then we set up a chat on Facebook and posted EVERY time we made a payment, missed a payment, considered backing out, got excited, bought a new dress or needed support. We even made a pinky promise to have a 6 pack of abs for the trip! Between the 4 of us that is. 1-2 abs each. LOL

What would you like start, restart, or get some momentum behind before the summer hits? A girl’s trip like mine, a creative project, work deadline, losing 10 lbs, redecorating? Create a plan that includes small, manageable steps and a timeline that fits into YOUR reality. Be held accountable. This can happen with a friend, coworker, social media posts or… a coach☺

I am retiring my “do it yourself” coaching program and have decided to offer it at a crazy price before it goes away on May 15th. I’ve listened to you at my Meetups, your emails and online. I know you want this first half of 2018 to MEAN something in your life. Sometimes all it takes is a roadmap and a guide. Check it out here

In Spirit,

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Courage, The Wiz & Supersuits

I know. Usually the photos at the top of my post make sense. Yeah, this is weird. Don’t worry, I’ll explain.

Forgot to get your free ticket to Activate Your Calling before they’re all gone? I got you. Click here

When I’m in conversation with people about the specific magazine cutout on their vision board that keeps calling to them, I can count on one consistency: Fear and what it takes to push through it. The truth is, there are many tools and strategies but you’ll need courage to utilize any of them.

I’m super visual, so when I hear Courage, I instantly see a superhero. Some muscular savior that has the courage to stop a thundering train or confront a huge monster in order to save someone. This my friends, is how we procrastinate and sabotage ourselves. By picturing (or thinking about) the very thing we need as unachievable! If courage is something only superheros have, how can little ole me hope to amass any for my dream?

Another strong visual for the word courage is the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz or if you’re like me, the curly-haired, Mean-Ole-Lion from The Wiz. Does this image feel more in line with reality? You’re a powerhouse, of course you have courage! But behind the bravado, there are certain things (like expanding into a new more authentic you) that have you clutching your tail and hiding behind friends.

The origin of the word courage comes from the French word ‘corage’ – which means innermost feelings.
This was derived from the Latin word ‘cor’ which literally means heart.

OH LAWD YES! Lol. Just the simple etymology of a word can give you hope! To think, this huge trait that we need for doing the scary things in life (like bringing our big dreams into reality) doesn’t require money, muscles or a supersuit! It already lives in the innermost part of ourselves, our heart. Let’s give a loud thanks and start excavating ☺

“You develop courage by doing courageous things, small things, but things that cost you some exertion
– mental and, I suppose, spiritual exertion.” Maya Angelou

I listen to my mentor Dr. Maya and I think the Mean-ole-Lion did too. At the end of movie, The Wiz, we learned that the lion had what he sought all along. He found courage when he needed it and cultivated it throughout the journey. Now that’s cool and all but I don’t want this to come as a shock to you. Be proactive about developing the courage you need for your life purpose. What small courageous things can you build upon on a daily or weekly basis?

This is something I’ve done in my life for a long time without giving a name to it. Now I call them Elevation Practices. During day 2 of Activate Your Calling, you’re going to create individual Elevation Practices and dig into how these help keep you on your path. Whew so good, it’s going to be sooo good y’all! Pull up the courage required and grab your ticket here:

And because I love Halloween and really any excuse to dress up and teach at the same time, This Sunday evening we are going to Unleash Our Inner Superhero! Success tools for using your superpowers, wine, snacks and awesome women together at a beautiful Bay Area spa. Join us ♥

In Spirit,

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Life transitions – Find bliss in community

Step off

There are usually 3 ways we find ourselves at the edge of a cliff.

 

Martha Beck explains it like this:

One is shock, which would be your car accident or losing your job or whatever it is. The next one is opportunity. Say, you fall in love and you get a chance to marry your soul mate, but it means changing everything. And the third is growth; you simply wake up one morning and what satisfied you yesterday is starting to feel empty.

Each of these sparks for rewriting the next chapter of your life, comes with its own story, healing & potential. But like many things that appear as if they are custom-made for your own crazy-beautiful life, the process is the same.

There is an energy flow right now that seems to be throwing off sparks everywhere! Many are on this precipice teetering toward what could be bliss and NO ONE should be doing it alone. Step off in community.

I miss seeing my folks live and would like to try something new. If you are interested in Free monthly Meetups (in the Bay Area or online) with Elevate your NOW, click here to let me know!

Remember #youthrivewethrive
In Spirit,

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It is time for you to shine #POTUSdenial or not

Womens march

My daughter & I at the Oakland Women’s March on Jan 21st

Well, here we are. Fully into 2017 with a new president (you can’t make me say his name),

a country of disparate interests, the decision of millions of women to step up & speak out and of course… LIFE. Because in between the news reports, marching and pissed off Facebook posts, you still have dinner to make, people to love and Hidden Figures to go see.

So where do your goals fit in and around all this LIFE that we find ourselves in?  Losing 10 pounds, going back to school or saving money may seem insignificant in the face of executive orders slamming down like anvils. But now more than ever, is the world in need of powerful women (& men) doing what it takes to shine bright. Hear me now…

Having a bright light doesn’t mean shouting from the rooftops, it means

  • loving yourself enough to commit to you
  • being honest about wanting more & knowing you deserve it
  • allowing love to pour into the empty spaces
  • grieving loss, wrongdoing & pain and being grateful that you can FEEL
  • not just reading about & praising but DOing God.. as a verb

I am writing because I feel the overwhelm and I-just-cant-even energy weighing us down like wool blankets. I’m all for being comfy but look, nothing is changing under all those covers! We have to throw the covers to the side, get up and brave the cold. It’s time to create the energy we need to thrive.

And it’s time to do it the right way.

Step #1 to BE instead of become your best self: Take some time to think about how you’ve grown over the past year. Acknowledge the aspects of your life that have changed for the better and write them down.

Please share your thoughts below. I’ll be in my community and email inboxes frequently this month with more steps.  I AM MY RESOLUTION! is my mantra, I hope it will soon echo in your mind as well ♡

In Spirit,

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