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Transition Coaching & Event Planning, LLC Newsletter
The Power of the Pink Pajamas
Mid-February 2005
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in this issue
-- Act 1: The "To Be" List
-- Intermission: Help Spread the Word
-- Act 2: The Power of the Pink Pajamas
-- Act 3: Happy February 14th
"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So it is."
"And freezing."
"It is?"
"Yes," said Eeyore.
- from the Winnie the Pooh series
Act 1: The "To Be" List
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You can KNOW yourself as a kind person, but until you perform an act of kindness, it's all speculation. It is only through BEING kind that kindness it is experienced.
I read that somewhere, and it stuck..the distinction between KNOWING and BEING. (Note: The words "kind" and "kindness" can be replaced with any other words, and the statement will still be true.)
I once went on a date with a man who was highly intellectual and extraordinarily well read. While we were walking to a restaurant, he commented that the area reminded him of Paris. I said, "Oh, you've been to Paris?" "No" he replied enthusiastically, "but I've read about it." He wasn't kidding.
I made a mental note of it as an example that beautifully illustrates the distinction between Knowing and Being. For those of you who are familiar with the Federal Hill area of Providence, that's where we were. Maybe it "reminded" him of the Italian section of Paris. Ha!
While KNOWING is wonderful, it is through the experience of BEING that we become known.
Exercise (Part 1):
1. Review your current "To Do" list, then set it aside.
2. Create a "To Be" list stating how you want to BE or continue to BE.
3. Then, make a "To Do" list of only those actions that will create the EXPERIENCE of your aspired Ways of Being.
4. Now, look again at your original "To Do" list. You may feel inspired to make some adjustments.
Act 2: The Power of the Pink Pajamas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mid-February is a generally agreed time when, with the exception of maybe devout skiers, most New Englanders are feeling restless and could use a boost. I would like to share what one of my clients did to create a better situation out of what she calls "the cruelest month".
(On a side note, to rub salt on the wounds, those who find themselves Valentine-less tend to identify February as especially cruel. Who in the world decided that the isolationist month of February would be a good time to throw in a Valentine's Day?!? Anyone who shares my objection to this and wants to join me in starting a revolution to move Valentine's Day to the blossoming, socially-energized end of April, please let me know.)
For the benefit of those who live where winters are warm, I hope you won't disregard this opportunity. Take a moment to consider your "metaphorical winter." What part of your life is colder than you wish it was? When do you find yourself opting to hibernate instead of dance in the sun?
Here are the two small efforts that one Rhode Island resident made, resulting in "the cruelest month" feeling less cruel:
#1. She bought herself a special pair of striped pink pajamas that apparently have powerful, mood enhancing properties.
#2. She sent out a mass invite to friends and colleagues for a standing event, every Monday evening for the month of February, at a local restaurant/bar for food, drinks, and to play pool. Her initiative proved to be just enough incentive for not only herself, but also for others, to come out of hibernation.
In response to the invite, people wrote and called to share their sheer excitement and untamed gratitude for her simple, but none-the-less tremendous, act of community. Based on reports from the first of these Monday gatherings, it had all the makings of the perfect party.
Exercise (Part 2):
What does this story inspire YOU to do? What small creative action can you take to brighten your (metaphorical) winter, and the winter of those around you? How would doing so bring to fruition something on your "To Be" list?
Act 3: Happy February 14th
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To those of you who will be celebrating Valentine's Day, I wish you a day of genuine celebration of all the wonders of Love's greatness.
To those of you who will be celebrating International Quirkyalone Day (an underground holiday that is building momentum with each passing year), I wish you a day of genuine celebration of all the wonders of Love's greatness.
Copyright © Transition Coaching & Event Planning, LLC, 2005.
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: tara@transitioncoachinginc.com
phone: 401.569.7017
web: http://www.transitioncoachinginc.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 15, 2005
February 01, 2005
Point Positive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Transition Coaching & Event Planning, LLC Newsletter
Point Positive
February 2005
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in this issue
-- Article 1: Point Positive
-- Article 2: How Does the Teacher Know When to Arrive?
"When you follow your bliss... doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors, and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else." Joseph Campbell
Article 1: Point Positive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recently, I read a book called "Creative Visualization" by Shakti Gawain, which discusses ways to apply the concept that the Universe responds by giving you more of whatever it is you are putting your energy into...that the Universe does not differentiate between whether you're saying Yes or No, only that you've invested energy there. She suggests ways to intentionally streamline this force as a means of creating what you DO want, rather than haphazardly creating what you don't. I recommend this book for anyone interested in exploring this topic further.
One way to apply this, (and something I often encourage my clients to do), is to make a practice of rephrasing complaints you may have about your life. In other words, rather than voice a complaint, state a requirement about what you want. Consistently making this subtle shift will reap surprisingly positive results!
Courtesy of my dear and fabulous friend Susan, the following is a paragraph from an email she sent to me a few months back. It displays, with perfect simplicity, an example of this concept:
"I am reminded of a time when I went river rafting up in Alaska and the rafting guide, this uber-athletic sister, was giving us the safety orientation speech, and she's warning us about the 34 degree glacier water that is not only a recipe for instant hypothermia but is also full of glacial silt, which will weigh you down and pull you under. In other words, not a place to be careless about safety--and she says, "If we get into danger, look to me and I will point positive. I'll tell you where to go, where it's safe. I'm not going to point at the jagged rocks or the whirlpools, but at the smooth waters, ok? So go where I point." I'll always remember that as an "all I need to know about life I learned river rafting"--just focus on what you DO want, don't waste your energy worrying about the rocks and whirlpools."
I couldn't have said it better. Thanks Susan!
Exercise: How would applying the "Point Positive" philosophy benefit your life? What requirements do you have for your future...be it a relationship, new job, creative community, financial goals...?
Empowerment practice: Make the commitment to rephrase any complaints you may have into a proclamation displaying a new standard you've set for the future. Experience the shift in energy that results!
Warning: Unpredictable amounts of joy and inspiration may result with little or no notice, and this may create a domino effect of exciting, positive changes in your life. Consider yourself warned.
Article 2: How Does the Teacher Know When to Arrive?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While traveling last week, I had a powerful conversation with a woman I met along the way. She and I were exchanging experiences we've each had that seem to support the idea: "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." We asked ourselves, how does the teacher know when to show up?
In awe, we considered the metaphysical factors way beyond our comprehension that might be in play...searching for some level of understanding associated with the uncanny coincidences that have occurred in each of our lives...how just when we've decided we were ready to learn something, the perfect opportunity has presented itself, almost simultaneously.
Our conversation concluded when we realized that there may be another possibility altogether. MAYBE it's not that the teacher magically hears our call, packs his/her bags, and sets out to make the trek to our doorstep; but instead, that the teacher is ALWAYS there.
Maybe, by the very act of deciding it's time to learn something, we acquire the ability to recognize the teacher's presence. Hmm... Upon realizing this profound possibility, there was no denying the irony that she and I had become one another's teacher.
We smiled in silence.
If you knew the teacher was already "in the room," what would you ask to be taught?
Copyright © Transition Coaching & Event Planning, LLC, 2005.
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: tara@transitioncoachinginc.com
phone: 401.569.7017
web: http://www.transitioncoachinginc.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Transition Coaching & Event Planning, LLC Newsletter
Point Positive
February 2005
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in this issue
-- Article 1: Point Positive
-- Article 2: How Does the Teacher Know When to Arrive?
"When you follow your bliss... doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors, and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else." Joseph Campbell
Article 1: Point Positive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recently, I read a book called "Creative Visualization" by Shakti Gawain, which discusses ways to apply the concept that the Universe responds by giving you more of whatever it is you are putting your energy into...that the Universe does not differentiate between whether you're saying Yes or No, only that you've invested energy there. She suggests ways to intentionally streamline this force as a means of creating what you DO want, rather than haphazardly creating what you don't. I recommend this book for anyone interested in exploring this topic further.
One way to apply this, (and something I often encourage my clients to do), is to make a practice of rephrasing complaints you may have about your life. In other words, rather than voice a complaint, state a requirement about what you want. Consistently making this subtle shift will reap surprisingly positive results!
Courtesy of my dear and fabulous friend Susan, the following is a paragraph from an email she sent to me a few months back. It displays, with perfect simplicity, an example of this concept:
"I am reminded of a time when I went river rafting up in Alaska and the rafting guide, this uber-athletic sister, was giving us the safety orientation speech, and she's warning us about the 34 degree glacier water that is not only a recipe for instant hypothermia but is also full of glacial silt, which will weigh you down and pull you under. In other words, not a place to be careless about safety--and she says, "If we get into danger, look to me and I will point positive. I'll tell you where to go, where it's safe. I'm not going to point at the jagged rocks or the whirlpools, but at the smooth waters, ok? So go where I point." I'll always remember that as an "all I need to know about life I learned river rafting"--just focus on what you DO want, don't waste your energy worrying about the rocks and whirlpools."
I couldn't have said it better. Thanks Susan!
Exercise: How would applying the "Point Positive" philosophy benefit your life? What requirements do you have for your future...be it a relationship, new job, creative community, financial goals...?
Empowerment practice: Make the commitment to rephrase any complaints you may have into a proclamation displaying a new standard you've set for the future. Experience the shift in energy that results!
Warning: Unpredictable amounts of joy and inspiration may result with little or no notice, and this may create a domino effect of exciting, positive changes in your life. Consider yourself warned.
Article 2: How Does the Teacher Know When to Arrive?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While traveling last week, I had a powerful conversation with a woman I met along the way. She and I were exchanging experiences we've each had that seem to support the idea: "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." We asked ourselves, how does the teacher know when to show up?
In awe, we considered the metaphysical factors way beyond our comprehension that might be in play...searching for some level of understanding associated with the uncanny coincidences that have occurred in each of our lives...how just when we've decided we were ready to learn something, the perfect opportunity has presented itself, almost simultaneously.
Our conversation concluded when we realized that there may be another possibility altogether. MAYBE it's not that the teacher magically hears our call, packs his/her bags, and sets out to make the trek to our doorstep; but instead, that the teacher is ALWAYS there.
Maybe, by the very act of deciding it's time to learn something, we acquire the ability to recognize the teacher's presence. Hmm... Upon realizing this profound possibility, there was no denying the irony that she and I had become one another's teacher.
We smiled in silence.
If you knew the teacher was already "in the room," what would you ask to be taught?
Copyright © Transition Coaching & Event Planning, LLC, 2005.
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: tara@transitioncoachinginc.com
phone: 401.569.7017
web: http://www.transitioncoachinginc.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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