Inspiration and Motivation

I have worked in a corporate setting for 25 years. I have always been involved in studying spirituality or metaphysics since my mother introduced me to it as a child. While it may not have always been a formal study, learning through classes, books, and workshops gave me a sense that something was beyond our everyday 3D world. I didn't always incorporate the more balanced beliefs and practices I learned because, like everyone, I could be knocked off my center during stressful professional and personal situations. One of the most profound lessons is that we have the ability to create our realities despite what is going on or what someone else is doing. Straightforward concept but often difficult to achieve. Authors like Deepak Chopra, Rhonda Byrne, and Neville Goddard are renowned for their work on mindfulness and visualization.

I have been lucky enough to have wonderful friends my whole life; some seemed to benefit from whatever wisdom I had learned and integrated. It has been part of my mission or calling, and indeed, an honor to be considered a friend someone could count on to lend an ear. This mission has become my sole mission: to help people navigate life and, more importantly, discover and tap into their unique gifts and strengths.

I was in sales and marketing for media and then data and analytic SaaS solutions. One thing I could always do was to develop client relationships. I found a lot of satisfaction in building relationships and helping people solve challenges, just like when I helped friends and colleagues. So, earning my coaching certification and rounding out my education in organization, behavioral communications, and metaphysics was a natural transition. I was often trusted with personal information and seemed to provide helpful insight and tools. One friend once said, "Little broken baby birds seem to flock to you." As an empath, that is flattering, but I had to learn boundaries (that's for another blog post).

As mentioned, I have studied and read some fantastic global spiritual thought leaders and traditions, which have taught me simple yet effective ways to deal with my stresses. Because I have worked in the Western corporate world, where achievement is measured in revenue and how much work is being accomplished, salaries, titles, etc.

When I was invited to contribute a chapter to The Intuitive Entrepreneur with 21 other gifted healers and coaches, I immediately knew what I wanted to write about and what tool to share. We are much more effective teachers if we have walked challenging paths, and oh boy, have I had challenges with setting aside competing external expectations and opinions to understand what I wanted. Part of that is learning to center and connect with yourself. Doing that seemingly simple thing amid chaos and dueling priorities and expectations can be almost impossible. I was a people pleaser and very insecure when I was younger (like many people), so I was often on a seesaw of what I wanted vs. other opinions, societal expectations, etc. You get it.

There is no sugarcoating the stress people are feeling: a tightening economy, higher everyday expenses, layoffs, fewer jobs, back-to-office orders, and increased competition. If you’re managing a team, then you are probably also dealing with their anxieties as well as your own. It’s important to have access to tools you can use when you may not have the privacy or time you need. People need support and a break to reconnect with themselves and get perspective, so having an exercise they can do in 15 minutes is essential.

My mother taught me a technique that helped me put aside all my worries, false expectations, and confusion and connect with my heart to understand what I truly wanted. It’s short, and I learned it over time, but it has been an essential tool to help guide me, especially in confusing times when I really wanted to buck societal expectations or opinions and take my own uncharted path that aligned with my heart. Thank God I had a mother who was my coach and guide and often provided a supporting voice. This technique includes a short meditation and breath exercise called extended exhale breathwork. This breathwork is designed to activate your parasympathetic (the rest and reset) nervous system to activate your vagus nerve) which helps you calm nervousness, fear, and the ole monkey mind's racing thoughts.

I have recorded the technique and included a link to access it.