Thursday, November 12, 2009

Nothing Ventured - Nothing Gained

"No guts - no glory"

Have you noticed we have a few very familar sayings which all imply courage and action are needed in order to achieve something positive; to succeed?

When you think about it, it really makes sense because more often than not, what stops us from making changes in our life is not that it's too hard to do, it's because we don't know what will happen.  In other words, it's not the level of difficulty that stops us, it's the fear of the unknown.

How often do we wish our lives were different in some way, yet when given the opportunity to make a change, we shy away rather than reach out with both hands to take hold of it?  If it's something we want, if we know it's something that will make us happy or healthy or improve our life, why are we so reluctant to take action?  Have we become so accepting of 'the way things are' that we no longer believe they can be any other way? 

It seems we want a promise, a guarantee; if we take this opportunity, this risk, it will all work out the way we envision.  Often the vision we hold of the opportunities presented to us is much smaller than what we actually experience.  We tend to play down opportunities, making them appear small and inconsequential so they are either easily dismissed and forgotten; or we play them down so they become easier to act upon.  If it's 'no big deal' then we don't get our hopes up and we also don't tap into that fear of the unknown.

Life holds few guarantees, yet one thing is for certain, nothing improves or changes unless you are willing to take that leap of faith and take action on opportunities presented to you.  It takes courage and confidence to take a leap of faith and while each and every one of us is capable of it, not all of us choose to do it which brings us back to my grandmother's favourite saying "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" and my brother's favourite "No guts - No glory".

Take a leap of faith and believe it will all work out beautifully for you.  What you focus on is what you create in your world, so focus on succeeding whenever you seize an opportunity.

Blessings



Sunday, October 11, 2009

Thanksgiving

I always have mixed feelings about Thanksgiving.  While I have much to be thankful for, Thanksgiving also marks the death of both my grandfather and my great aunt.  So it's with a sense of appreciation for what I have been blessed with along with a sense of loss that I approach this holiday.  Yet I wonder, if I'm the only one who feels this way on this particular holiday?

So often we take for granted all that we have, including the people in our lives.  We become so used to them always being there for us, that we don't really give it much thought.  Mentally we know at some point loved ones will die, yet part of us doesn't really believe there will come a day when they won't be here celebrating the holidays with us.

Thanksgiving is meant to be about spending time together with those you love and giving thanks for all the blessings in your life ~ including the family and friends who share your life.  For it is the people in your life that make life worthwhile ~ the people who share your laughter and love, who are there in your time of need & sorrow; the people who touch and colour your life in a myriad of ways that you don't even realize, until they are gone.

Our biggest blessing is the people who share our lives ~ and for that we should give thanks ~ daily.

May your days be blessed ~ now and always.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Lazy Tree - Or Simply Efficient?

After feeling so awful, it's surprising how quickly I have rebounded and how good I now feel.  Taking the time to stop (or literally being made to stop) while not a ideal way to rest, did have it's up side.   Taking a break and just stopping all the craziness of running around and doing things gave me the opportunity to just BE.   My attention turned inwards, to my own well being, to my own thoughts, dreams, goals.  What I was doing with my time and my life, as well as what I wanted to do but haven't gotten around to ~ yet.  

It's not quite October, yet the tree outside my office window is already showing signs of leaves changing colour and dropping.  Mind you, I refer to this particular tree as our Lazy Tree, as it is the last one to grow leaves in the Spring and the first to drop leaves in the Autumn. Yet,  it does still manage to do all it is supposed to do even though it seems to spend as little time as possible actually doing it.  I wonder, does that make it Lazy...or Efficient?!

As I head into the new week, I am beginning to consider what I need to accomplish this week and what on the list is really a priority.  I'm very conscious of the now and am making sure I'm scheduling my time in the most efficient way without feeling like I'm burning the candle at both ends.  I have both short term and long term projects I'm working on, and while I'm intrigued and excited about all of them, I also know that in order to do what I want to do, I need to pace myself.

As I gaze out my window at the Lazy Tree, I wonder if, perhaps it has the right idea after all.  Perhaps what I should consider is doing things in a way that works for me regardless of what everyone else is doing.  Like my Lazy Tree who is always last to start growing leaves in the Spring, it begins on it's own schedule and to suit it's own energy and growth.  It may be wise for me to work on my own schedule, with my own energy levels, rather than conform to what's expected.  I know I have the choice of how quickly or how slowly things get done, so it makes sense to choose the way that will bring me the most happiness along the way. 

I think I'll ponder a while longer today ~ and see what choices present themselves when I look at my list through the eyes of choice rather than 'things to do'.

Happy, happy is what I want to be ~ now. :o )

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Stop Signs & Other Things To Pay Attention To

The past week had been unexpectedly challenging. It started off well enough, but by Wednesday morning I found I was beyond exhausted and actually spent most of the day in bed.

After sleeping for the better part of Wednesday, when I got up Thursday morning I was feeling better, so I planned out my day. It included an hour's drive north to see a friend and dropping by a colleague's home to pick up some hand-made specialty bath products. At the time it didn't seem like a very strenuous or taxing way to spend the day. However, by the time I got home, I was once again exhausted.

Fortunately I didn't have much scheduled on Friday, so I did very little other than rest. What I realized is my energy has been low for a long time but I have continued to push forward and do things because I felt I "had" to, rather than to just Stop and rest and rejuvenate. Instead, I kept on working and believing that I could keep up the pace for an extended period of time without any repercussions.

More often than not, we know when we are run down, when we are burning the candle at both ends, and when we really need to take a break. The signs are always there, yet, how often do we continue to push the limits and attempt to keep pace when everything in us is telling us to just STOP! Then we seem surprised when we seem to just collapse ~ mentally, physically or emotionally and we are shocked by just how exhausted we feel once we do stop.

I know I need a few more days of rest and rejuvenation before I will even begin to feel better. I also realize that had I taken some time to rest when I knew I needed to, I wouldn't have experienced this level exhaustion.

When all signs point to STOP...it's best to STOP before something happens that will make you stop.

Blessings.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Hello...Hello....?!

My Blackberry phone stopped working the other day. I tried numerous things to get it to work and I even talked to one of those techie type people who are paid to help those of us who are less technically inclined work through our cyber troubles and the end result was the same... it's broken. While I did some initial research into what my options are - do I get it fixed? or do I just replace it? - I didn't actually do either simply because it was Friday of the Labor Day week-end and I just didn't want to spend the time or energy on it. After all, it's only a cell phone, it could wait until Tuesday....couldn't it?

Now, I'm not one of those people who is always on their cell phone. Nor do I constantly check my e-mail on it. That being said, I will admit I have become very accustomed to having a working cell phone since I've been carrying one around for about 15 years now. So, I figured since I'm not a cell phone addict, I didn't need to replace it immediately, I could easily make it through the holiday week-end without a phone. So I thought.

I was travelling over the Labor Day week-end and ended up running late AND I made a wrong turn and had troubles figuring out where I was supposed to be. Normally I would have just called and asked for directions, but alas, no phone...so on I drove backtracking and trying to figure out where I was and where/how I missed the street I was supposed to turn on to. Now, it's not often that I get lost as I always map out directions on how to get where I'm going, yet on this trip street signs were missing and I ended up in unfamiliar territory and no one around to ask. What was even stranger, the street I was on had the same name as the street I was supposed to be on...but it wasn't the right street...it was in the wrong neighbourhood.

I did eventually reach my destination, almost an hour later than expected, but at least I did find it. What I also found out was how much I have come to rely on having a cell phone when I travelled and how I have come to just take it for granted that it's there when and if I need it. It was a strange and slightly unsettling feeling not to be able to call a friend for help or directions when there was no one around on the street to ask. Even a phone booth (if I could find one) would have been of no help because I had failed to write down my friend's new phone number because I keep all my phone numbers in my Blackberry.

So, tomorrow morning I'm off to get a new cell phone because while I may not be a cell phone addict, I have realized that having one provides me with a sense of comfort/security that I didn't realize until now.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

The Mystery of Life

It's strange, we never question why we are blessed, we never want an explanation for it, we willingly accept it as a part of life. When we are challenged by life, we need an explanation. It's as if by understanding the reason for it, it will somehow make it easier to accept. Yet it really doesn't matter the reason 'why' because even knowing the answer still leaves you in the same place; you have to deal with the challenge.

If you think about it, it is the challenges, the heartaches, the sorrows in life that present us with our greatest opportunities to learn and grow. In them we find the strength to carry on; the courage to begin anew; the understanding and compassion to walk a mile in someone else's shoes; and sometimes the realization that we are far more blessed than we ever thought. Often it is in the darkest moments of others that we see our own capacity to give selflessly - our time, our support, our love, our compassion, not giving thought to 'what do I get from doing this' merely giving because from the deepest part of our being we want to be able to help in some small way to ease their burden. Perhaps in the back of our mind is the old saying "There but for the Grace of God, go I".

Things happen in life that seem senseless, random, cruel. Things we wish we could explain, understand, fix. Is there a higher purpose to these things that we just don't see? Perhaps. That, however, is for wiser minds than mine to contemplate and answer. For me, these challenges are an opportunity to allow random acts of love, kindness and compassion to flow out into a world that sometimes gets so caught up in the 'things' of life that it forgets the 'heart and soul' of life.

Release the need to know 'why'. Instead, look within and ask "What can I do now to help improve this situation?" Actions speak louder than words; whether it's for yourself or someone else, any positive action anchored in positive intent, is only going to make things better.

Count the blessings in your life - may they always far outweigh the sorrows

Friday, June 19, 2009

More & More Writing

We're more than half way through June and I'm still writing. It's a little hard for me to believe that I have spent the better part of June writing seminars and workshops. What amazes me even more is that I have been able to write so much in such a short time.

I'm excited by what I am creating and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to present these materials in front of an audience. I am sometimes amazed by the direction my life has taken and the work I do. Part of me has always known I would some day be helping others create the lives they have always dreamed of, but it is still a little astounding to me that I am living my dream. Each morning I awaken with a sense of excitement and curiosity about what the day will hold for me and that's a wonderful feeling.

So while it's been a busy month, it's been fun and exciting. I'm doing more of what I love and I'm enjoying myself. I even did an hour long interview this month which you can listen to online or download here.

http://welcomechangesradio.com/2009/06/16/bren-comacchio-download/

Really, when you love what you do and have fun doing it, does it get much better than this? :o )

Sunday, May 31, 2009

What Happened To May?

Wow, it's already May 31st and I haven't written a single blog post this month. For someone who loves to write, I must admit I'm surprised I haven't actually posted anything all month. Yet as I look back over the month, I find that I've done a great deal of writing, none of it visible to anyone but me for the moment.

Weather wise May has had it's ups and downs which seemed to more or less mirror my life. There have been some wonderful 'ups' including a week's vacation and some 'downs' where I have felt frustrated with the way things were progressing or actually not progressing in my life.

It was a month of change and transformation for me. Rather than continue to invest time and energy into something that wasn't giving me the results I desired, I stopped and re-evaluated things. It had become obvious to me that I needed to make changes to the way I was doing things if I expected different results.

So I spent time thinking about what I wanted, what I really wanted and what I found was I wanted more.

I wanted more from my relationships; meaning I wanted my relationships to be stronger, happier, healthier, more loving, more committed, more supportive ~ me giving as well as receiving all these things in all my relationships.

I wanted more from my work; meaning I wanted to work more, help others to live the lives they had always dreamed of. I wanted to do more public speaking, more seminars, more workshops.

I wanted more from life in general. More time with family, more time with friends, more love, more laughter, more happiness, more health. I just wanted more in every aspect of my life.

It's not that I was unhappy with my life, it was that I just felt I wasn't living my life to the fullest; that there was more that I could do, give, and experience if I wanted to, if I choose to do something about it now.

So, with deliberate intention, I spent the month working towards creating more in my life. As a Transformation Guide and Coach, I know what it takes to create more. My work is all about transforming what isn't working in your life into what you desire, so I merely had to walk the talk, so to speak. The great thing about transformation is once you have committed to change and have a very clear vision of what you want and begin to move towards it, things begin to happen very fast to get you to where you want to be.

I had a new vision of what I wanted in my life and I created a plan in which to achieve this goal. Part of this included creating a whole new business plan as well as a series of seminars and workshops. This is ambitious plan meant I had to sit down and write the seminars and create the workshops and believe me, that worked out to be a lot of writing!

I only realized today that I still needed to write my monthly newsletter (it's free and you can sign up for it on my website) and that I had not posted anything in my blog all month. So in effect, more writing. I did say I wanted more and with the work I have done in May I expect I will be experiencing more of what I desire in my life ~ simply because I chose to make the changes needed to create the more I desire.

I suspect June is going to be GREAT!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Spring Cleaning...And Then Some

April has been a busy month.

It seemed like shortly after the month began, I felt the urge to pack up and clear out. Spring cleaning took on a whole new meaning as I looked not only in the closets and cupboards for things that were worn out and serving no purpose, but also within my life. Old habits, beliefs, decisions, anything and everything that was slowing me down had to go....and had to go now!

So, as I emptied closets and tossed out clothes that had seen better days, I also packed up clothes I no longer wore and donated them. But I didn't stop there. I also shredded old files and papers that I no longer needed to keep. I donated old appliances, radios and clocks. Basically I made a whole lot of space for 'something new' to enter my life. I'm not exactly sure what that 'something' is, but considering how much space I've made, I'd say it's something BIG!

Once the physical space was cleared, it was time to get clear in my thinking and my life. I find we often get so caught up in our day to day stuff that we don't really give it too much thought, it just becomes a long list of things to do. Yet taking time to stop and consider what we are doing, how we are spending our time and how we feel about it all can really give you both clarity and insight into your life. You see what's not working and needs to be changed, and you also see what is working whichs gives you the opportunity to appreciate it and to realize how blessed you actually are.

There's a lot I'm thankful for...and there's stuff that's not working that I'm changing now. It wasn't until I took time to really look at it that I realized it's time to make changes in order to get to where I want to be. So I'm spending the last couple of days of April to plan out those changes and develop a strategy in which to accomplish them. The time is now and I'm excited to begin.

Spring is an inspiring time of year - a time of renewal and growth, so if you are looking to change things in your life ~ now is a perfect time to begin!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

A Tribute

In a post entitled "A Moment to Celebrate" I mentioned a book I had collaborated on was finally published and delivered. It was an awesome moment, one that I was fortunate enough to share with my colleagues, Renate, Kim & Deborah.


Renate was the main author of this book, an amazing, inspiring woman who shared her experiences and knowledge with others. Throughout her life she has worked with people, encouraging them, pushing them when they needed a push, to strive to be the best they could be ~ to reach their full potential, to be great rather than just average.


The book, Dying to Live Well, is about Renate's personal journey through crisis. Rather than giving up, she decided instead to move forward with life. She recognized that no matter what the crisis, there was always an opportunity somewhere in there, and that she had the power to choose what she did, how she felt, and how she was going to live.


It's the story about choice, about finding the opportunity in your crisis, about what you can learn if you choose to pay attention, how to transform the now into something better, how to create healthy self-esteem, and to recognize that sometimes we get so caught up in the details that we fail to see the bigger picture. That life doesn't begin with our first breath nor does it end with our last breath. We are so much more than that.


Sadly, Renate passed away on March 2nd. She touched literally hundreds of lives often inspiring people so much that they transformed their lives into the life they had always dreamed of. She was courageous, funny, smart, wise, encouraging, supportive, brilliant, strong, (stubborn too) in short, she was everything you ever wanted in a friend.


While I miss her, I know she's not too far away ~ I can see and hear her, and she's still pushing me, encouraging me to be the best I can be....and to make a difference in the lives of others.

My thoughts & prayers go to her hubby and her sons as they learn to live without her laughter, smile and love.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Better Days Ahead

I must admit the month of February and the beginning of March have been challenging for me. While I am generally an optimistic person by nature, there have been times over the last 6 weeks that have really tested my optimism and faith, not to mention drained my energy and left me feeling tired and worn out. I think we all have times like this, where it seems like anything that can go wrong does; that the only news we hear from family and friends is 'bad' news. It reminds me of what one of my grandmothers used to say "When trouble comes, open both doors because it never comes alone!"

Yet, it is in these times that we need to look to find the positive because there is always something positive if we look. Sometimes it's a lesson in boundaries; sometimes it's realizing that if you need help you just have to ask; sometimes it's finding out that there are those who love you and are there for you no matter what. In every crisis there is opportunity, but to find it you must first learn to step out of the emotional drama and see what is really going on. It's when you are able to do this that you find choices you never knew existed; and, when you see you have choice, suddenly things take on a whole new perspective.

There are always better days ahead ~ the key is to make 'today' that better day.

Friday, January 30, 2009

A Moment To Celebrate

Last Spring, my friend Renate decided to write a book and she invited 3 friends (Kim, Deborah & I) to each write a chapter. This was the start of an amazing journey for us both as individuals and as a team. Each of us brought a unique perspective to this work and together we created what we believe to be a powerful and inspirational book. It was a long process as we wrote and re-wrote chapters to ensure our words were a true reflection of the message we wanted to share.

Then there was editing and proof-reading; and, just as we were about to go to print, we were joined by an amazing team of creative individuals who gave us a new perspective on both the cover design and the title. Their arrival was timely, their creative vision ~ inspiring. While they re-worked the title and cover we delayed printing, knowing the end result would be a much better reflection of the message within.

We met today to discuss our plans for moving forward with the sale of the book and during our meeting, the first shipment of the finished book arrived from the printers. We were there together, to share that moment. Opening the box and seeing the glossy cover, the crisp clear cover and our work bound together as a book.

It was a moment to celebrate and we did: with laughter and tears and much joy. Words cannot adequately describe the feeling that moment held for us, but I was glad we were all there together when the books arrived so we could celebrate it together.

While this is an ending, it is also a beginning. The book is complete but our work does not stop there. There is still much to do. While we celebrate and revel in having printed copies of the book, we need to look to the future continue to move forward; but first we had to celebrate what we have accomplished thus far.

So, to Renate, Kim and Deborah I say "Ladies you are FABULOUS!" and congratulations!!! I am blessed to call you friends and colleagues and I look forward to continuing our work together. Love you all.

For information about the book, "Dying To Live Well ~ Loving The Journey" click the link below:
http://www.renateweiler.com/author.html