Many tennis players have what is called their “sweet spot” which refers to the place on the racket at the center where the ball will rebound with the most velocity. This reference transcends into life as well; when you find your sweet spot, you just know it.
Our “sweet spot” really shines when it comes to our spiritual gifts. There are some areas in which we will serve (no pun intended) that will have greater “bounce” than others. It is amazing once discover your unique combination of gifts and abilities that the universe has given you.
My clients often express the longing to uncover what that sweet spot may be. Often, they aren’t sure what their particular gifts are. Finding your sweet spot happens the moment when you feel connected, validated, acknowledged and honored for exactly who you are. Everyone has a different sweet spot because we all have different goals and dreams.
What can you do to discover and develop it? Here are three things you can do to find your spiritual gift “sweet spot.”
Feeling spiritually alive and connected to some kind of higher power immediately brings us to our spiritual sweet spot. There are many fantastic ways to find your sweet spot from practicing mindfulness to expressing gratitude to the things and people you have in your life. Meditating is also a great way to find that sweet spot because it allows you to be alone with your thoughts as you connect to a higher power. You awaken to the truth that your purpose is greater than your possessions or your career.
There are many ways to look within, and it’s important to find the best way for you.
A great place to discover your bliss and follow it is to approach the journey with curiosity and playfulness. You may need to try many different things, to see what resonates best with you.You’re naturally adept to giving when you are in your place of bliss. When your heart feels “full” that self-love emanates into everyone around you; there is unique quality present in what you do and how you do it when it comes from the space of infinite love.
Develop a growth mindset and be a student of life. Remain open to the world around you, as every relationship, challenge, setback and accomplishment serves as your teacher. When we can see things from a wider perspective, we can better navigate life and see each moment as an opportunity to learn something about ourselves that in turn, contributes to our personal growth.
Finding your sweet spot spiritually is a life-long journey because there is no time limit. You will know you have found it when everything just seems to “flow” and you feel happy, content and in sync with everything unfolding around you. You feel connected to a higher and much greater consciousness. You know the universe has got your back and that no matter what happens, you are going to be all right. Your spiritual sweet spot feels like home because YOU ARE HOME. And wherever you go, there you are in all your magnificence.
Dorothy Knight is a Reiki Master Teacher, Yoga Instructor and wholehearted writer. She currently practices and teaches Reiki in Mississauga. She is a certified Reiki Master in the Usui Method of Natural Healing. Her passion is to empower people to reach their greatest potential of health and wellness through Reiki healing methods. Healing starts from within.
You can reach Dorothy at dorothyknightreiki.ca
You can follow Dorothy on Instagram@dorothy_knight_reiki
Can we really live and lead authentically?
Okay. This is one of my favorite words, however it’s also a word that is overused in the corporate (and non corp) world, thus being tagged as a current ‘buzz word’.
But here’s the deal with Authenticity, it is not easy to embrace. In fact, it’s tough.
The world is probably in the most unauthentic era ever.
We are bogged down with social media pressure and expectations, false imagery, massive shifts in the employment landscape, generational shifts on leadership ideals and these are just to name a few. This makes practising authenticity tough.
Currently, millennials make up the majority of the workforce and by 2020, they will make up 70%. Gen Z’s are also entering the work force in a big way and Baby Boomers are re-joining the work force as consultants, temp workers and advisors.
There is a lot of confusion out there. Living and leading authentically is certainly a challenge.
In some corporations, there can be up to 5 generations within a company.
Confusing right? This means that leadership must be highly adaptable. Flexibility is crucial in order to accommodate the different needs, ideas and perspectives.
Let’s take a look at what authenticity truly means. But first, let’s move past the buzz word. I believe, more than anything, the greatest thing we can do as leaders, parents, employers, employees and volunteers, is lead and live as authentically as possible for ourselves and as our contribution to our communities and our country.
Here’s the Webster Dictionary definition of Authentic: true to one's own personality, spirit, or character
Pretty solid right?
Here’s Brené Brown’s (my favorte author and speaker) definition:
‘Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.’
I love this.
So, in our pursuit to live and lead more authentic lives, to cultivate and live with more joy and perhaps ease, here are a few ways we can begin to make those positive strides together.
Allow yourself to be wonderfully imperfect and know you are enough. Even more important, your neighbour is enough. Save the judging and comparison.
Set boundaries for yourself. Let go of the ‘Yes Woman’ syndrome. We can say no, or ‘not right now’.
Practice empathy. Lean in, and really listen to your children, your partner, your employee’s, your friends. Ask questions.
Know that everyone is struggling, and it’s okay.
Dance your a** off even if people are watching.
I’m Katy, join me in living your true self. It feels frigginawesome.
xoxo
Katy Loewen Co.
Learn more about Katy at : www.katyloewen.com
1. Understand their development.
This will inform your interaction and communcation with them. It will let you meet them where they are at and allow you to be more compassionate and present with them.
Not many parents know that children under 7 live predominantly in the theta brain wave state and learn by imitation and by doing. They think in pictures and are physical. Modelling what you want them to do speaks louder than explanations. When you do explain pair the words with actions.
Their brain is not developed to include the higher executive functions and abstract thought yet so talking to them about things will not foster the close connection we desire. Storytelling that brings in their picture consciousness does.
2. Love them the way they want to be loved.
Take time to figure out what their love language is and schedule something regular – even just once/month - where you are especially conscious about honoring that. My 15 year old’s love language is quality time & words of appreciation (and food lol!) so I take him out to dinner once a month – just me and him and in our time I am mindful of letting him know what I appreciate about him.
3. Be well yourself.
Self-care and self-love is getting lots of air-time these days! (-: Let it not turn into a ‘have to’ on the to do list. Self-love can take time. Find little ways in your day to nourish you and be curious as to what truly sparks joy and uplifts you. I have a lift list that helps . A hot cuppa chaga tea to support my adrenals, a walk in nature, time with girlfriends.
Nurture a relationship of warmth and with yourself.Children love to see their parents thriving. If you think about your own parents you’ll notice this might be true even still for you! As moms we teach by how we are and when a mom is well she teaches wellness.
Our adrenal health affects our mood, weight, energyand all our relationships.
One of my favourite, yummy ways to support women’s wellness in my office is through the restorative practices of Yoga Nidra and Yoga Therapy. 30 minutes of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to 4 hours of sleep! Yoga Therapy is really about releasing tightness and softening.
Out of all the practices I do Yoga Therapy is the one that clients tell me helps them truly feel love for themselves. Any practice that supports someone to hold loving presence for the unmet parts of their self seems to do this.
There is a Yoga Nidra meditation in the blog link below for you. It’s an easy, ‘can’t-do-it-wrong’ lying down guided mindfulness meditation that is key in healing adrenal unwellness
Getting away for a retreat and reconnecting to You is a powerful gift to give yourself (and everyone in your life!).
Consider our November 23-30, 2019 retreat where we will be heading south and sunny for a week of replenishment at Xinalani. The theme of the retreat is of coming home to ourselves (in love, calm, clarity, confidence, simplicity, beauty and joy). Yoga Nidraand Yoga Therapy sessions will be part of our time together.
To learn more about She Shines 2019: Eat. Play. Love. Connect. ..:
Early bird prices until June 21st!
Be well, (-: xo,
Dr. Monika Herwig ND is a mother of 2, and a Trailblazer with Happy Healthy Women in Canmore, Alberta. She practices Mind-Body Medicine especially around Adrenal, Gut and Mental Health in her clinic and leads Wellness Workshops and Retreats locally and internationally. Dr. Monika supports conscious women shine their light and share their gifts with the world without burning out. She is especially passionate about supporting moms and runs yearly Fairy Nature Camps for her clients’ children (and herself!).
You’re the glue that holds everyone together.
You’re the Oprah of your circle of friends.
Everyone comes to you for advice, information, motivation, and celebration.
Your team, sister, friends, and even your boss look to you for the answers, to give advice that makes sense, and to always know what you’re doing.
You're doing it all for everyone. All the time.
The truth is you love doing it. And honestly, you’re really good at it too.
It feels good to help people with what you know and see their light bulb turn on with just a few simple words from you. What they should do next is so obvious. You see it clearly, so might as well tell them what you think. Right?
Why, then, is it so hard to see what YOU should be doing next?
Why are you so good at helping & motivating others but can’t seem to do it for yourself?
Your career feels stalled.
You watch everyone that you’ve helped soar while your own life is frozen in time.
You crave someone to be as invested in your success as you are in theirs.
You wish friends would check in on you ‘just because’, instead of you always being the checker.
You wish your boss would be the mentor you need right now.
Here’s what’s going on…
It’s always easier to help others chase their dreams because there’s no risk for you. They own the ups and the downs too. When it comes to your life, now that’s a different story. It’s dripping in risk of failure, judgment, going broke, and losing it all.
With those kinds of odds, why would you take a step forward?
So, how do you get out of this pattern?
You follow their lead.
People come to you because they realize they need help and they’re going to the person who always gives it to them, sees things clearly, and helps crush the blocks.
It’s time for you to decide that you need guidance too.
Facing your own dreams & desires is scary. It means being drop-dead honest with yourself about what you want, why you want it, what it will take to make it happen, and why you think you may never get it.
It also means staring your fears, doubts, insecurities, and past failures right in the eye. We see chasing our dreams as risky because we tried before and didn’t get there. Or, we don’t have examples of anyone who did it before so we don’t know where to step or how it’ll work out.
And on top of that, we have major blind spots when it comes to seeing ourselves objectively. We’re in the middle of our own lives and can’t see the forest for the trees.
So get a mentor or coach who can help you clear your path, see the objective truth about yourself, and show you the step-by-step way to make your vision real.
Put yourself and your dreams first for a change. Get help. And decide that you deserve to soar too.
Cindy Harvey is a Career Strategy Coach and Founder of Amelia Dee, a career strategy company for women. Cindy’s helps corporate career women learn how to make the next phase of their careers the most fulfilling version they’ve ever had.
Cindy is happy to be a Happy Healthy Women Toronto West, ON Trailblazer.
Learn more & click here to connect with Cindy on LinkedIn
Since becoming a certified coach, specializing in strengths, I’ve been really intrigued with the discussion and practise (yes, practise) of empathy.
Often when I’m coaching clients, if they have Empathy as one of their top 5, they often respond with a ‘Really? I was really thinking I would have Competition, or Command. Enter sad frustrated face.
Let me say this. I get so excited when I can coach an Empath. Why? As a leadership coach, I know for certain that empathy is required to truly lead.
There are a few reasons I get so pumped about Empathy as a strength, two of my favorite writers speak on this topic frequently.
Simon Sinek talks and writes a lot of Empathy. Brene Brown also writes and delivers keynotes about empathy. I believe the world is in desperate need of more empathy. Desperate need.
Here’s what Simon Sinek has to say about empathy.
“Empathy is being concerned about the human being, not just their output.”
Leading with empathy may look something like this; ‘Hey, I’ve noticed there has been some blips in your work lately. Talk to me about what is going on? Is everything in your world ok?
How can I support you to get back to where we all need you to be?’
As opposed to: ‘Hey, I noticed you are not hitting your mark at all. In fact, your numbers are way down, the vibe of your team is low. I’m not sure how long this is going to carry on for, but it’s not going to be good for the company, or you’.
Ouch! The second example creates fear. It’s threatening. It’s aggressive. It’s de-motivating. It sucks.
The first example is a tough conversation for sure, but those tough conversations are a lot easier to have if you are having daily interactions with your teams, with those you lead.
Coming away from the first example will leave that person empowered, cared for, and she knows she is valued by you, and the whole team.
Isn’t that what leadership is all about?
Looking at empathy through a relationship lens, Brene Brown has this to say; ‘Empathy is the thread that connects us to other humans. When empathy is used in everyday life, it makes us feel more connected to one another. And when we feel connected to those around us, we turn into better, more compassionate people’.
Brene and Simon are incredible authors, and I’ve learned so much from them. Their whole vibe is about loving others, adding value and treating people with incredible respect, regardless of race, colour, religion, gender etc.
I’m also a little ‘extra’ about empathy too, as both my adult children share Empathy as their top #1 Strength- which is very cool.
Both are as different as chalk and cheese, which makes this even more fascinating to me. They have different ideas about life, about money, careers, etc. But the one thing they both have in common is their incredible love for children and animals. My son could tame a wild horse, a rabid dog or a chipmunk (I’m being ridiculous, but you get me).
My daughter has the most incredible way with children, all children. She picks up on their emotions very quickly and draws them in with her smile and gentle touch. Watching them both in Africa and Guatemala has been one of my many joys in life. To watch children climb all over them, and squeezing them so tight, is an image I will carry forever in my heart and head.
This is how their empathy shows up.
I will never forget this funny little story. We were in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe in 2010. We were shopping at a market and the kids had some allowance burning holes in their pockets. We also went equipped with extra ball caps, socks, flip flops and granola bars.
We were in a safe place and let the kids roam free to a certain degree. Within a very short time, Mikey came back with his sack of goodies empty. He had great intentions to bargain….but it didn’t happen. I think he paid more than asking price for his carvings, and also threw in socks. In fact, he gave the shirt of his back to a child.
Now, the little one (our daughter) was a master negotiator and was overheard saying ‘Come on, I’m a broke kid from Canada, I don’t even have a job, I need a better price’. You see! Different as chalk and cheese, and both equally amazing.
Their common thread is empathy, and their dad and I are beyond proud.
So, how do we get more empathy? How can we practice empathy in our leadership and in our relationships?
Here are a few tips:
Get outside of your own head
Practice gratitude daily
Stay away from the news
Find a child and an animal to love unconditionally, no strings attached.
Think of your legacy and step (or run!) right into your leadership with both feet.
In Strength,
K
Katy Loewen Co.
Leadership & Success Coach
www.katyloewen.com
katy@katyloewen.com
