A Dose of My Own Medicine

Well. I had a great session with my coach last week that I wanted to share.

("What?!" you ask, "Coaches have coaches, too?!" You'd better believe it! We're all works in progress, and having a coach who's been in the biz for over a decade keeps me growing and learning constantly, and keeps me in the "client seat" so I always have that perspective fresh in my mind when I'm coaching my own clients.)

Anyway, back to last week. I was all in a tither about money. Yep, the "M" word. What with a new career, fledgling business, life expenses, training/certification debt, new house payment coming, wedding to plan...aaagh! Calgon, take me away! That day, I was seriously considering telling this fabulous coach that I couldn't continue on because of money. And I was seriously considering telling two of my best friends that I couldn't go on a TOTALLY rockin' conference/cruise with them next spring because of money. And I was plaguing myself with trying to figure out how we can cut corners on our wedding because of money. And...and...and...you get the point.

Here's what my wonderful coach pointed out. I was letting my life be run by my fears around money. (And, I will point out that I wasn't taking my own medicine that day!) I was about to make some big decisions from a place of fear, versus from my values, my core, my essential self. Major no-no!

Today, instead, I sat down with my top ten values (things like honesty/integrity, personal growth/spirituality, adventure/risk taking, joy/fun/laughter, deeply connected relationships, etc.), and I asked myself, "What values am I honoring if I decide to complete my coaching with Marla?" I came up with a paltry two out of ten. Next question, "To what extent will I be honoring these two values if I complete with Marla?" Minimal. Then I asked, "If I complete with Marla, will I be moving closer to or farther from living my life in alignment with my values?" The answer: definitely farther from.

Then, I switched it up, asking, "What values am I honoring if I decide to continue my coaching with Marla?" Dingdingding! Nine out of ten! We have a winner! "To what extent?" Wow...8s, 9s and 10s across the board. And, "will I be moving closer to or farther from living my life in alignment with my values?" Well, you can guess the answer to that one.

I posed the same questions regarding the cruise and our wedding, to similar results!

Ultimately, Marla helped me clearly see that when I am trying to make decisions from a place of fear, that I'm not able to connect with who I truly am, what I truly want and need for a thriving life. Nor am I able to call upon my creativity, abundance mentality, excitement about the future, etc.

The coolest thing? Before I even finished the above exercise, ideas for expanding my business started pouring in, my excitement level skyrocketed, and I've already taken steps to act on my ideas. Energy in, energy out! :-D I LOVE THAT!

So, back to you, dear reader:

* Where are you being run by fears in your own life?

* If you chose instead to stand in the place of your highest values, how would you see your choices differently?

* How does making decisions from your values help you access your inner wisdom, your very own deep knowing about your life?

Don't let fulfillment pass you by while you're stuck in the quicksand of your fears. There's a branch being held out to you...it's called "your values," and your highest self is holding that puppy tight, ready to pull you back to terra firma! Sotake a deep breath, and reach out...