One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

Whether he meant them to be or not, when my father-in-law threw these items into the box at the back of his closet they took on new meaning. Did he ever think that one day I would go through the box and wonder?

For I did wonder at these treasures. Why had he kept them? What meaning did they hold? What did they tell me about this man I loved and admired?

And so I examined Malcolm’s treasures.

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.” – Paulo Coelho

They spoke to me of a life of curiousity and passion, a life of many and varied interests. They spoke to me of values.

(more…)

How will you live today to the fullest?

Tell me in the comments, I’d love to support you.

When you look in the mirror what do you see?

Some days it’s not easy.

You look at your reflection in the mirror and feel an onslaught of thoughts, many of them negative as the lizard brain sings its song of seduction.

Maybe you barely look, glancing just long enough to comb your hair, brush your teeth or apply make-up.

Or maybe you use one of those scary magnifying mirrors so that all you can see are your parts.

eyes. . .brows. . .nose. . .ears. . .lips. . .teeth. . .skin. . . limbs

“If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?” – Rumi

And you are irritated by those parts; the ones you judge and assess, or compare against others.

Do you ever really see YOU?

Some days it’s not easy.

I know. I get it. But I have a different view.

(more…)

Once upon a time you were comfortable in your skin. 

It may have been a long time ago, but you were.

You were born that way – fully, completely at home in your skin.

And then something happened.

Someone did something, someone said something. Self-consciousness was born and with it discomfort, as if your skin had become too tight.

What if you could go back to that time and remember the glorious feeling of “bien dans sa peau”?

Bien dans sa peau – literally translated means feeling well in your skin, at ease with yourself.

Well in your skin. 

I want that, don’t you?

“As if you were on fire from within. The moon lives in the lining of your skin.” – Pablo Neruda

Well in my skin. . .I’m not sure I know what it means.

My curiousity aroused, I want to find out.

“it ain’t no sin, to take off your skin and dance around in your bones” – Tom Waits

If you’ve resolved to become more fully yourself, this is an invitation to explore and rewrite the story of who you are in your skin. For what gets in the way is most definitely a story you’ve listened to and repeated far too long.

Now is the time for a new story to emerge - a story of wholeness and being in your skin exactly the way you are.

And exactly the way you’re not.

You.

Fully yourself.

In your skin, on fire from within.

“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” – Brene Brown

Over to you:

• Feel how your old story shows up in your body.
• Now imagine wellness in your skin.

Which do you want more of?

I want to hear from you.

Tell me your thoughts in the comments below. 

Prompted by Week 3 of A Year With Myself, a year-long adventure in empowerment.

{Today is the last day to get the Full Adventure Kit at the launch price of $97. Join me in this year-long adventure and let’s begin writing stories that empower.}

It’s time for another damn wake-up call!

Do you really need to have a health crisis or extreme emergency before pursuing what you want in life?

Really?

Many people live that way, but you?

Is it really that important to stay safe, look good, and maintain the status quo? None of those things are making you happy or fulfilling your dreams so why are they still getting so much air time?

If I could reach through the screen and give you a shake I would.

And no, I’m not a violent person. I’m just really passionate about living without regrets! I admit this may seem a bit of a rant, but I’m committed to something over here and I want to make sure you know it.

I’m committed to living out loud, as fully and as authentically as I can and sometimes that gets messy.

But I’m OK with messy, and I’ll admit I even like to stir things up! Occasionally someone will suggest I tone it down a bit (“Do you really need to say those things, Sandi?”) and sure, I could. But I don’t want to live that way.

I don’t want to live a toned down life. Do you?

Life gets messy. It’ll never be perfect. You’ll never get it all handled.

And so fucking what.

I’m not saying it’s easy. God knows, some days I want to throw in the towel and take the easy path just as much if not more so than you do. But the truth is the easy path bores me to tears.

It’s not why we’re here.

I’m talking to you. . .the one who’s wasting your genius in that life-sucking job.

And you. . .the one oozing creativity in everything you do except for your work.

And you. . .the one who daydreams of living a life you love.

Someday. Maybe. Can you hear the death bell toll?

Replace your fear.

(more…)

The Vagabondage Series:  Wherein Elana Baxter hits the road on the next phase of her adventure!

The time has come to tell you of my travels as I move from this space to another on the continued path of living, loving and learning in the most authentic way possible.

I have said this in previous posts, but it bears repeating: coaching has opened up my world in ways I had never imagined.

When my fingers hovered nervously over the keyboard and I finally sent an email to arrange coaching with the diva of Deva Coaching, I was pining for guidance, perspective, and a kick in the pants.

I got all three and more.

I gained a friend and trusted mentor, as well as a welcome place to share the details of clarifying what I want and how to get there. Along the way, there have been tears (lots of’em!), grins, mind-splitting revelation, 180 degree perspective shifts, greasy lizard brain wrestling and – best of all – laughter.

I am so incredibly thankful.

So, what did I learn?

(more…)

The good news is

what you can be, you must be.

The bad news is

you can not change your roots.

An acorn must become an oak tree, 

and you must become you.

Set aside your resolutions,

unleash your resolve and rest.

The space in between is patient,

the outcome is assured.

Then repeat after me. . .

“I resolve to become more fully myself.”

Prompted by A Year With Myself, a year-long adventure in empowerment.

Space. 

Vast and immeasurable, but not out there.

A space unlike any other.

A space not yet clear.

Not like the space that shows up reliably every January; a space that compels you to think of what you want for your life.

And not like the space of completion; an invitation to look back, reviewing and learning from what’s been.

This is the space in between – the unexamined field.

As often happens when I begin to explore an idea that’s been niggling at me, it seems to show up everywhere.

First, in my research on lightning, I learned there’s a word for the space between the moment you see lightning and when you hear the thunder -svaha – a word of mysterious origin, some say Native American, I say intriguing.

Then the space of anticipation, waiting for the first prompt of the year-long adventure A Year with Myself, and a question from Patti Digh that took me by surprise:

What spaces are you standing between?

When was the last time you thought about the space in between?

I let the question sink in until the hair on the back of my neck stood up, the magic of the prompt working its way through my consciousness.

The space in between.

Think of the times you’ve been uncertain or the moments of discomfort as you stretched way beyond what you know.

In between.

Did you rush to step into a more familiar, tried and true space or or pull back paralyzed by fear?

What is so terrifying about the space in between?

(more…)

Did you know that a lightning bolt has up to one billion volts of electricity? And that it’s caused by an imbalance between positive and negative charges?

That got me thinking about the lizard brain and how much of our thinking is negative. Here are some numbers that show how much of an imbalance there is:

• You have about 60,000 thoughts per day.
• 95% of those 60,000 thoughts are the same thoughts you had yesterday.
• On average, 80% of those same thoughts are negative!

Are you doing the math with me? 

That means every day you have more than 45,000 negative thoughts!

Makes it very clear why it takes such effort to interrupt this pattern.

It’s said that “lightning never strikes twice”, but that’s a myth, and it can actually strike the same site many times. Kind of like your lizard brain working hard to dissuade you from taking action on your dreams! It’s a sneaky lil bastard, knowing just the right things to say to stop you from moving forward, and like lightning, it is dangerous.

Dangerous because it has the ability to kill off possibility. . .kill off your dreams.

“Like a flash of lightning between the clouds, we live in the flicker.” – Joseph Campbell

The ancient Greeks believed that when a lightning strike hit the sea a new pearl appeared. Well, I can’t guarantee a pearl but in my experience, there are always a few gems!

More facts about lightning (and why you should care):

• A lightning flash is no more than one inch wide.
• ==> You don’t have to be big to be powerful!
• A lightning strike is 15,000 to 60,000 degrees Fahrenheit (hotter than the surface of the sun, 9,000 degrees).
• ==> Can you stand the heat? If yes, keep reading!
• Lightning bolts travel at speeds of up to 60,000 miles per second.
• ==> When you’re willing to go deep, you’ll cover a lot of ground!
• A flash of lightning is brighter than 10,000,000 100-watt light bulbs.
• ==> Which is how bright you’ll shine when you stop listening to your lizard brain and start taking action on your dreams!

So why this sudden fascination with lightning you ask?

Because I’ve listened to your feedback and been struck by a lightning bolt of my own and. . .it’s time.

The Lightning Strike

A direct hit, guaranteed to set you on fire.

In one intense, 75 minute coaching session we get right to the heart of your challenge. We’ll have you face up to your lizard brain, and you’ll come to grips with the fear that’s been holding you back.

Direct. Intense. High impact. 

You say you want to start the year off strong. Do you really?

“In one lightning session Sandi was able to guide me right to the core of what I needed to take care of. Absolutely brilliant! Highly recommended!” - Jenny B. Bones, UpYourImpactFactor

Click that button below and let’s do this thing!

Investment: $150  $100

To celebrate International Coaching Week I’m offering the Lightning Strike for $100 when you buy before February 11, 2012.

“One day your life will flash before your eyes, make sure it is worth watching.” ~ Anonymous

“One day your life will flash before your eyes, make sure it is worth watching.” – Anonymous

I love it when people I know and respect create work that I’m happy to

a) take part in, and

b) promote.

The Day of Genius fulfills both of these criteria.

Plus it’s an awesome opportunity to create something together in a creative, supportive environment! So without further ado, here are the details:

What: The Day of Genius

When: January 8, 2012

Who: Michelle Nickolaisen & Melissa Dinwiddie & YOU

Why: Can you think of a better way to start the new year than tapping into your genius?

Where: It’s a virtual retreat, so the where is wherever you’ll feel most at home, comfortable and ready to create something new for the coming year!

What. . .you say you’re no Leonardo or Einstein?

Not to worry, Michelle and Melissa have got your back with a day that includes 5 workshops and 5 faciliators that will get your creative juices flowing.

Whenever I want to change anything in my life, I know that the likelihood of success is much greater when I do it in the company of like-minded folks! It’s not even just my thing, there are stats that show this. The American Society for Training and Development offers the stats below.

Let’s say you’re all inspired to make 2012 a great year. You’ve got the right feeling, you’ve created a game plan, you’re ready to go!

Here’s what typically happens to your odds of succeeding: 

If you just hear an idea – 10%
If you consciously decide to adopt an idea – 25%
If you decide when you’ll do it – 40%
If you plan how you’ll do it – 50%
If you commit to someone else that you’ll do it – 65%

AND when you make yourself accountable to the someone you’ve committed to, the odds increase dramatically to 95%!

I know. Pretty clear why you should do this with me, right?

Bonus: Melissa & Michelle have generously offered a $25 discount when you register using the code deva.

This is turning out to be a win/win/win, my favourite kind of scenario!

Need a bit more?

The Day of Genius is a series of inspirational live streaming video workshops, workbooks and individual coaching / “hot-seating” that will bring your focus back to YOU. In this relaxed, supportive environment you’ll gain the clarity and optimism you need to make positive changes in your life.

At the end of the Day of Genius you’ll have discovered the tools you need to create sustainable habits that nurture your body and your soul.

And after the month-long homage to self-care it’s pretty clear how important I think it is both personally and professionally!

If you want to make changes, but aren’t sure where to begin, the Day of Genius could be the best gift you give yourself all year.

Seriously, you’ve got nothing to lose but those pesky resolutions which you just might make if you go about this on your own!

Join me at the Day of Genius and let’s begin an inspirational journey that will make a difference to rest of your year.

p.s. We can even wear our PJ’s in the comfort of our homes!

Ready?

* I am participating in the workshop, but I am not an affiliate. When you register you’ll be receiving Michelle and Melissa’s generous discount as a contribution to my readers. Yup, they’re awesome people and I’m pretty sure they’ll inspire you too!