Archive for January, 2009
Look at Me, I am Going to Be on TV
Posted by: | CommentsLocal Job and Life Coach Attracts Media Attention for Unique Perspective
A local life and career coach is taking her message to the airwaves as she points out ways to thrive and succeed in the midst of the ongoing global financial troubles.
Leah Shapiro, a graduate of Coach U who has helped scores of metro-Boston residents during her six years of private practice, said it’s important to avoid hitting the “panic button” even as news of record layoffs and corporate failures dominate the news. Shapiro, who is also the founder of Defythebox.com online community, will be a guest speaker discussing on job layoffs on the Saturday morning ConversIONS program hosted by Rod Morrison.
Although much of the conversation on the nationwide layoffs has focused on the hardships faced by the unemployed, Shapiro said the unexpected change of workplace can actually be an opportunity in disguise.
“Lay offs happen and the economy is in a down turn, that seems unavoidable right now,” she said. “But getting caught up in the fear around it is totally your own choice. If you do get laid off, accept it and move on. Spend your time doing things that you enjoy and connecting with friends and family and yourself.”
Shapiro said job loss can actually be a trigger in helping someone discover the career they would rather have been pursuing, and focusing on that “dream job” will give one a better perspective than trying to replace lost income with the mindset that “any job will do.”
“The last thing you want to be doing is looking for a job out of desperation,“ she warned. “If that is what you are focusing on — how desperate to get a job you are — you will create more desperate feelings. Instead, find some happiness and joy. Think what kind of work you really enjoy doing, what type of people you want to work with and in what kind of environment. Create a vision of what you want your work life to look like. That is the best place to be looking to start anything new from.”
Program host Morrison said he chose Shapiro from among the many other Boston-area coaches because of the unique and refreshing perspective that she brings to the process of creating a career that brings both meaning and security into one’s life. The program will be broadcast on Channel 68 at 6 a.m. on Jan. 31.
For more information about Shapiro and her own career as the Boston Wisdom Coach, visit online at defythebox.com and www.defythebox.ning.com.
Are you the Historian or the Screen Play Writer for your Life?
Posted by: | CommentsWhen you think and talk about your life, do you tell the story of what has been, or do you tell the story of what you want to create and experience?
If you are the historian of your life, you look at your life and tell the story of what has been, and all the things that have happened that have resulted in you being where you are now. Maybe you tell this story to justify where you are at now, and explain how you ended up stuck or struggling. I have a friend who is a fantastic historian. He tells the story of his bad marriage, his wife walking out and leaving him with their young daughter, being a single dad, and working in a dying industry. He feels anxiety about where his life is going and what is going to happen next. He referrers to this story often when he talks about his life.
And you know what, he continuously gets to experience more disappointment, conflict and struggle. The more he stays connected to his story, the more he lives it out.
You see when you are a historian of your life, you are continually amplifying the energy of your past.As you examine these painful places, and you focus your attention there, and you tell the story, you are amplifying that energy and asking the Universe for more of that.
Now, when you are the screen play writer for your life, you tell the story of what you want to experience. You create scenarios that describe how you want to feel and who you desire to be. You tell the story of the wonderful fulfilling job that you enjoy and are get paid big money to do. You tell the story of the satisfying relationships that you thrive in. As the screen play writer, you create the life that you want and that will feel good to you. the more you focus your attention on this story, the more you amplify the energy of what you want. You ask the Universe to give you some of that.
What ever you focus on and give energy to is what you create in your life. I say, focus on what you want and leave the rest behind!
So what are you? A historian or a screen play writer?
This Stuff Works!
Posted by: | CommentsMy January Miracle
Beginning of last week, I was at the gym doing cardio, listening to Abraham-Hicks, and feeling good. I happened to glance up at one of the TV monitors and noticed that a local talk show was just ending. I had the thought: “Wouldn’t it be cool to be on TV.. that would be fun!” I played around in this thought for a few minutes and then let it go.
Three days later, a dude from a local TV station sent me a message thru my web site asking me if I would come do a 20 minute interview segment on his show. He said that he had been researching job coaches and found my website and thought I had a unique perspective. He wanted me to come talk about what I do and share my interesting approach.
At first I hemmed and hawed about it…got caught up in a bit of fear…..the decided to allow my desire to unfold.After all, I asked for it, and it was given right away, I better accept it.
So..today I went to the TV station and taped the 20 minute segment.It was effortless and fun. As I sat in my chair waiting to roll tape, I experienced a big energetic expansion and was filled with joy. I allowed myself to bask in that energy. It felt wonderful. I want more of that please!
What is A Vision for My Life and Why Do I Need One?
Posted by: | CommentsCreating a vision is an essential step in manifesting a fabulous and meaningful life. It is the process of connecting to the things you want in life. How you want your life to look and to feel. You can have a vision for every aspect of your life, such as relationships, work, home, financial, and health. It is a conscious act of choosing what would feel good to you.
A vision also gives you a positive place to aim yourself at as you move through your life. I think that many people are wondering aimlessly, going from one thing to the next, following a path that was laid out by other people, or what they think they are supposed to do. What brings success to one person does not necessarily work for another, and more importantly, it may not feel good to you.
A vision is a means of telling the universe what you want to experience. It is all about what you want more of. To me, this is one of the biggest problems facing most people. They do not spend time focusing their energy on what they want to have in life. Much of their time is spent focusing on what they do not want, and they continue to get more of that. What you focus on expands into your reality, so it best serves you to shift your attention to the things that feel good, are working for you and you say “YES I want more of that” to. This seems to be the opposite of what a majority of people do.
A vision draws you towards it. When you think of it you can tune into how good it feels. Doing so amplifies the energy of your desire and sends a clear message to the Universe, saying more of this pleases, and the Universe always gives you what you energetically ask for.
I find that creating a vision is extremely helpful when you are feeling stuck and are not sure what the next steps are for you. Taking some time to relax and think about what you want to experience is a powerful thing. It gives you a new direction to head in. Once you are clear on what you want it is surprising how easily things begin to open up and flow.
I wonder what your vision for your life is? Do you even have one?
Next I will talk about HOW to create your Vision for your Life and how to amplify it and stay connected
Vision vs. Plan
Posted by: | CommentsI hate when I am filling out a questionnaire and I am faced with the question: What is your 1 year, 5 year and 10 year plan for your life. I never know what to put. Time frames and plans just don’t work for me. They seem limiting.
What I would rather do is connect to my vision for my life. I think having a vision is a powerful thing. It gives you a destination to aim at, but the freedom to get there anyway you like.
For example, let’s say you are planning a cross country trip. What is more appealing to you: having everything panned out day by day with a specific route to follow, with each stop timed and laid out in advance? Since you have not been on this journey before you are basically guessing what you want to see based on the travel guides and what other people say. Keep in mind there is no time for dilly-dallying because your time frame is limited. You follow your itinerary and hope that you made the right choices when you laid everything out.
Or do you prefer to have a looser schedule, with plenty of time for exploring and following your interests. Since you have never been on this journey, you have some ideas about what you want to see and do, but you want to leave plenty of room for exploration and experiencing the journey. Maybe you are over come with the beauty of the Grand Canyon and decide to stay there for a few days, or you meet some interesting people and they invite you to come to their place in New Mexico for a week or so. You take your time rambling along until you arrive at your destination after experiencing everything that came along and caught your fancy.
Do you get the appeal of having a vision instead of a plan?
Do you know how to create and connect to your vision for your life?
I will be exploring this topic in my blog and in the Defy the Box community over the next two weeks. Come join the conversation.
