Adding Value and Giving Thanks
November 24, 2009 by Coach Margie
Filed under Life Coaching, celebrations, personal growth, relationships, retreat
(This is a re-post from another blog I had. I share it with you today as I scurry off to the mountains and cold of Colorado to spend Thanksgiving with dear friends. May you have a marvelously abundant and joyful Thanksgiving holiday! Thanks for being a reader. )
Lately I have been pondering, and sitting with, the question of “How can I add value to your life?”. Your being the collective your; all those around me, all those I touch, have contact with, and intersect with in various ways.
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, a time when we naturally take stock of all the things we have to be joyfully grateful for, it’s a bit of an interesting twist. As I list my mountains of abundance that I am so thankful for, I also get to consider all the ways that I might be able to positively impact another’s life.
How can I add value to your life? Depending on who I ask will certainly influence the answer. Actually, it is not even imperative that I really ask the other person, it is a question I can ask of myself about another person. “How can I add value to so&so’s life?”.
It occurs to me, that unless those I am asking really know who I am, they may not be aware of how I may add value to their life. If, for instance, the person I asked did not know that I am a Life Coach, they wouldn’t know that I might support them in gaining clarity or in creating balance in their lives. If they know I am a Life Coach, they may not understand that my focus is on Whole Health and Wellness, especially within relationships, and that my passion is in helping others to gain a sense of complete healthiness in all aspects of their life. If they are needing respite and renewal, and didn’t know I facilitate custom designed retreats for individuals and groups, they wouldn’t know I could help them step out of their usual lives and into a safe place of stillness where their authentic voice could really be heard. Likewise, if one was unaware of my community building experience, or organizational skills, networking prowess, or love for collaborative ventures, how would they know to ask?
As we consider the possibility of adding value to lives of others, in ways that they will be thankful for, while we count our own blessings, it seems important that we let others know who we are!!
But first, we must ask ourselves…how do I value myself? In what ways can I add value to my own life? What aspects of myself do I believe adds value to the lives of others? Believing in ourselves and trusting that we have something of value to contribute to the world at large, and knowing what that is, is as important as wanting to make a positive impact.
Sometimes we are not always able to connect to our intrinsic value and positive contribution to the world. Hopefully, this is when our friends and loved ones take notice, and ask us how they can add value to our lives! And then, we get to count our blessings and have give thanks and the circle continues.
Today, I am grateful for many, many things, and I ask: how can I add value to your life?
The Power of Hugging
September 28, 2009 by Coach Margie
Filed under Health & Wellness, Self Development, celebrations, personal growth, relationships
Who knew the power of hugging? Well, quite honestly, I’ve always been a huge hugger. I hug people when I first see them, when I say goodbye,even if I just saw them yesterday and will see them in a couple hours. In my mind, I imagine there is the slight possibility that I may not see them again and I don’t want to regret that I didn’t hug them with all my love, affection, admiration and respect that one last time. I’ve learned to open my arms with an invitation of a hug, rather than assume everyone wants to hug just because I do. After awhile, you just know who the fellow huge huggers are, and who tends to shy away from hugging. Respecting everyone where they are, you jump into the arms of those who love to hug and you hug the others in your mind and heart. This is all the practice of engaging bliss into your life-loving others as they are, and being all of who you are without quieting that which deeply moves you.
In my community there is one burly, gregarious, happy hugger of a man, who every time I see him my body goes into a little happy dance, because it knows we’re going to get not only a fabulous hug, but a very sweet little spinal adjustment as well. It’s marvelous, and limits my need to visit the chiropractor, thereby keeping precious dollars in my pocket (always a plus these days!) So, when I saw him last week my receptivity to his hug invitation was no different. Unfortunately, his hug was! Somehow, someway, something went very wrong, and in the process of our hugging one of my ribs got cracked!! As I said, who knew the power of hugging. Ouch!
One thing I have definitely been continuously reminded of this Summer, is that pain brings awareness. Suddenly, in the days that followed, I was so focused on my core-how I moved it, the ways I stretch it, where it’s weak, and how much I depend on it. This was the power of the hug-bringing me back to my core, to my center, and into the awareness of her necessary healing, and I don’t just mean on a physical level. Wow!
In no way will this experience stop me from hugging! For me hugging is a simple, easy, harmless (well, most of the time!) way of counteracting the touch deprivation so prevalent in our culture these days. Touch is healing. Touch connects us. Hugging let’s us know we are loved.
How do you hug? Are you a tent hugger, keeping the lower half of your body extended away from the other person? A one sided hugger, where your hips are touching rather than a full frontal connection? A one arm hugger, never fully committing to the hug? A back slapping hugger? Do you relax into the hug, or stiffen and feel tense? Do you hug with clean, clear intent, or attempt to cop a feel? Is there a hidden agenda, or just the desire to embrace this being before you with love and yummy-ness?
Check out this great video, if you haven’t seen it yet, about how one man took to the streets with a “free hug” campaign. It’s a great example of how hugging can change the world. (Watch for all different types of hugs!)
I invite you to explore the power of hugging. To begin opening up to the receiving of magnificent hugs from others, and engaging in the practice of inviting others to be hugged. See where your edges are. Observe how you hug. Explore yourself and your thoughts about hugging. Most of all, don’t forget to hug yourself-lovingly, gently, and often! Drop into the bliss of it all.
Then go out and start your own Free Hugs campaign and see how your world changes.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
June 23, 2009 by Coach Margie
Filed under Health & Wellness, celebrations, personal growth, relationships, retreat, travel
Class of 1979 trips down memory lane
I just returned from a 10 day excursion down memory lane. What a trip that has been, on many levels! It’s amazing how returning to the scene of our past can set into motion a whole score of things.
Engaging in such activity could be trauma inducing, or it could provide us with some new insights, understandings, and appreciations. Being able to see the experiences of the past as gifts that support our growth and personal evolution, rather than a list of regrets, is key.
A high school reunion is probably the epitome of reminisce-ville. Especially when it’s anywhere past the 25yr mark! This was my 30th, and we returned to the school campus of our co-ed, college prep, boarding school, Wasatch Academy. A particularly great school, Wasatch prides itself on student body diversity and making a difference in students lives. It is where I first got exposed to a wide variety of cultures and the people who lived in them. It also became my first experience in community living, something that would have a positive impact and influence on my future life. My favorite part was getting to see all the natural wonders in Utah which was nothing like I had ever seen as a Nor-Easter!
I drove in my car from Arizona to Mt Pleasant, Utah for the reunion. I traveled along the Vermillion Cliffs In AZ before crossing the border into Utah, a spectacularly beautiful drive that loosened the baggage of my mind and allowed for the memories to begin. Along the way I stopped at Red Canyon, Bryce Canyon and many other beautiful spots. I recalled how my mom and sister drove me out to school from CT and who I was in that time. A naive, messed up kid for sure!!
Arriving at the reunion, I was struck by how instantly at home I felt, despite the many changes and advancements over the years. Connecting with friends, I saw myself mirrored in their eyes, all of us asking the question-how did I get here? I facilitated a sharing circle that allowed for participants to share their hearts truth regarding anything that needed clearing from long ago, any part of their life over the last 30yrs, or what is alive for them right now. The shared theme I heard in this circle was the awareness that life rarely turns out as we plan, that who we thought we were going to be is nowhere to be found, and that the influence of life at Wasatch Academy was a positive force for all.
How lucky we all were to have attended this institution that molded and shaped us, educated and informed us, supported and encouraged us, and set each of us on a path of discovery that 30 yrs later brings us all back together again. While not the same people by any stretch of the imagination, I could see the essence of everyone as I knew them in their smiling eyes, shining spirits and searching hearts.
Zion-spectacular beauty, land of memories
My journey home allowed for lots of reflection as I took myself to quiet and beautiful nature spots for soul rejuvenation and personal retreat. While making certain to visit key locations, I thought about the circles of time, who I was and who I have become, and how at each stop along the way there was a flood of memories that connected me to my past and looped around to connect to my life experience of today. My favorite place was Zion, an astoundingly beautiful spot on this Earth, that reminded me of my own greatness and how far I have come since I last visited there.
Ultimately, the journey to our past often informs our future, and this trip has been all that and more for me. While at Zion I received some information that indicated some very big changes in my life were on the horizon. It was exactly the same way in 1979 as I traveled home after my graduation from Wasatch.
Circles in time. The bliss of memory lane is that we know how to do it different this time.
The Bliss of Great Travel Preparation
June 8, 2009 by Coach Margie
Filed under Health & Wellness, emotional energy, retreat, self empowerment, travel
This week I am getting ready to leave for vacation. I’m packing my bags, getting my ducks all in a row, defining my intentions and emotionally preparing for a couple weeks on the road.
Preparation is an important part of any journey, whether it is an actual physical journey, or a journey of the heart. How we prepare for something sets the tone for how the experience will be for us.
Sometimes it’s OK not to prepare, to just be spontaneous and on the fly. But even that requires a certain level of preparation to be open to the flow of the experience.
How do you prepare for journey’s? Are you methodical or chaotic? Are you a list maker, or can you keep it all in your head? Do you ask for help, or try to do it all yourself?
Noticing how we engage in certain situations provides clues for how we might best show up in other circumstances. The area of preparation is ripe with possible insights.
Take a moment to consider how you might prepare for your next journey; whether it is traveling home to see the folks, embarking on a new exercise lifestyle, embracing the brilliance of your soul, building your business or learning how to slow down. What are the essentials you need to pack? Is there a new way to prepare that will support you better in arriving at your destination?
Me? I’m a list maker. And I lay out all my clothes on the bed, seeing how many I can mix and match to create numerous outfits with the least amount of clothing. I’ve learned over the years that I tend to wear the same favorite things the whole trip, so there is no need to bring my whole wardrobe. Books on the other hand…..well, let’s just say I always bring a few!
“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” - Cesare Pavese
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber
“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J. R. R. Tolkien
(This post originally appeared in July 08, at gaiagirlmargie.gaia.com-since it applies so well to this week, I decided to take the easy road and not write a whole new article. Another trick for great travel preparation-decide what is really important and make it easy on yourself!)
