November 24, 2007 (Premier issue)
This time of year can be brutal on our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. There is so much that we all need and want to accomplish before the end of the year. Rarely do we actually take the time to appreciate the beauty and significance of this season of miracles.
As we come out of November and the month of Gratitude, take a moment to breathe in the miracle that is the month of December. Take a breath and slow down for a moment. Allow yourself to appreciate the beauty that is within you as you decorate your lives and homes for the holidays. Know that it is the beauty that you are that is made manifes in the world at this time. Much as our colored lights shine both inside and outside our homes, allow your light to shine brightly for all the world to see. You are the gift. Be the light. Sing with Joy, from your heart.
It is not the presents that you give, but rather the presence that you are that is the miracle of this season.
December 23, 2007
One of the things I love best about this time of year is that the weather starts to cool down, and wonder of wonders, in some places it actually snows. For me, snow is very special. Since it rarely snows in Phoenix, I have to travel to see it and play in it. For me snow means play, and beauty. I love the way snow covers the trees and the ground, and the way it crunches under your feet. It is magical. My inner child has such fun with the snow.
For those who live in areas where it snows a lot, snow becomes something to be shoveled, perhaps even dreaded or feared if you have to drive in it or the power goes out. Instead of magic, there is work, or frustration. Where there is the possibility of play, folks turn it into work.
As I pondered this difference in perspectives, I thought about the times that I choose to make things I do 'work' instead of 'play'. How often I miss the magic and beauty of something because I choose to focus on the j-o-b in front of me.
During this Holiday Season, I would ask that you take a moment each day and look at the things in your life that feel like work. Is there some way that you can turn the work into play- or at the very least, take some time to play each day.
Take a trip to the snow and remember the magic that snow can create- snow balls, snow angels, sleigh rides...If you can't physically get to the snow, take a few minutes and imagine what it would be like to play in the snow...
IMAGINE...
January 19, 2008
New Beginnings
Every year we start off the year creating new resolutions or talking about the changes we would like to make in our lives. It is a new year, and therefore time for creating changes in our lives.
Some of us would like to take off a few pounds, others would like to quit smoking, others would like to create new relationships in our lives. Some of use would like to face each day without fear. Each of us is different, with different thoughts, beliefs, desires and needs. And yet, we are often motivated to create change because of the beliefs of others. For example, those of you who might want to quit smoking, are you doing it because you truly want to quit, or because someone said you should? Are you wanting to lose weight because you want to look and feel differently than you do now, or because other people say that you should be a certain size or weight? Are you ready to let go of your fears, or are they serving you in some way?
As I pondered my past resolutions, I realized that in most cases, I was trying to take on more than I could possibly handle. I was asking God to help me make big changes in my life, and yet I was forgetting about all the little changes that needed to be made first, before the big change could happen.
It's like trying to build a house without first laying the foundation. The house can be built, and yet it would not last, because it was not set on a firm base.
So, my dear friends, I would ask each of you to take a look at the resolutions that you made this year, and perhaps allow for the possiblity that in order to make big changes, you need to start with small ones. Look at the changes you seek to make,and ask yourself if you are doing it for yourself, or someone else. If you are trying to make changes for someone else, ask yourself why. Then go back and ask yourself if what you really want is to please someone else, or learn what it is that truly pleases you. How can you honor and cherish yourself this year? Are you wanting to start a weight loss program, or are you wanting to simply walk a little bit every day? Do you want to quit smoking or do you want to be accepted for who you are? Do you really want to face all your fears, or can you accept them and love yourself and your fears?
Once you have defined your motivations, you can begin to create small changes in your life that will be the foundation for the transformation you would truly like in your life.
As you begin this process, and you would like a bit of help, reach out and ask for it. Perhaps you find a friend that you work with, or perhaps you hire a coach. I am here and willing to help you.
I also recognize that I am not the perfect coach for everyone. Ask yourself who can best serve you. You will be drawn to those that can help. I also have a list of recommendations for others in this newsletter. And if these do not suit your needs, send me an e-mail and I will seek out someone who can help you.
I believe that you deserve the best that life has to offer you, including the best coach for you. Don't you? Mary
Planting Seeds
Last year was a busy year for me. I was working full time, going to school full time and trying to be all things to all people at the same time. Something had to give and it did. I gave up on keeping up with my back yard. I quit watering the grass, and let it die because I simply didn't have the time to take care of it. This year, I am working at growing new grass, after pulling all the weeds that grew in place of my grass. I hired someone to fix the sprinkler system, then my daughter and her friend prepared the ground and planted grass seed. We have been waiting ever since for the grass to grow in. We are watering it, and caring for it, fertilizing it, and waiting. Slowly, the grass is beginning to grow. It is growing much slower than it took to die out from neglect.
During this process, I had one of those AHA moments that coaches live for in others...(actually, I had several...) The seeds we plant today, or yesterday, will germinate in their own time, no matter how much we want to rush the process. As a spiritual coach, I know this. I know that growth is a process. Still, I wait impatiently for the grass to grow. Then I took a look at the seeds that I have been planting in my own life, and recognized that ideas that I began to work with in 2000 are just now beginning to become reality for me. Plans I dreamed about in 2001, have become my reality this year. When I simply stopped waiting, the seeds began to grow.
As I look at my window and see the grass beginning to come up in the back yard, I invite you to look back on your life, and recognize that the seeds you planted earlier are now growing. I also invite you to look at what seeds you are currently planting that will be coming up in your future. Are you holding on to hope or fear? As I was reminded a few weeks ago, a mustard seed of faith can grow into an indestructible plant, if you allow it do so.
(C) Mary Cornell 2008
Winds of Change
The world is an ever changing environment in which we live. At times the change seems to sweep across the planet like the winds of a monsoon, destroying all within its path, making room for new growth, while providing the fertilizer to nurture the new growth. Sometimes the change is gentle, like unto the new growth that occurs in the wake of the spring rains; new growth unfolding like the petals of the flower. Seasons come and seasons go and nothing stays the same. Change is the constant.
As I pondered all the changes I have seen these last few years, it seems like life is moving faster and faster. The winds of change becoming swifter and more powerful. In watching the winds, my eyes are drawn upward to the skies. And in the sky, I have often watched the birds as they fly through the air, rising and falling with the wind. If you have ever watched a hawk, you will see them search for just the perfect wind current, and then they spread their wings and let the wind do the flying for them. They simply glide along using the wind to fuel their flight. Instinctively they know that to fight the wind is useless. If the wind becomes too strong, they find a strong perch and wait for it to calm. If the wind is calm, they know it will take more of their own effort to remain airborne. And then, when the wind is perfect, they soar and glide, allowing the wind to carry them where it will. Surrendering to the air currents, knowing that with a flick of a feather or a wing, they can move to a new current and change to a new direction.
I have often found myself struggling against change. I go into it kicking and screaming, only to realize that my struggles have been in vain. I cannot stop change. And when I surrender to the change, allowing myself the opportunity to grow, I find myself soaring with the current, instead of struggling against it. The growth becomes filled with the joy of flight. I learn to soar to new heights.
For the next month, I encourage all of you to take a moment to stop and take notice of how the winds of change affect you. Do you struggle against the current, or use the opportunity for change as fuel for your own growth. Does change threaten you, or encourage you. In learning this one small thing about yourself, you can begin to learn to use change for your benefit. Use the winds of change to create your ability to soar.
And should you desire a little help in learning to ride the winds of change, give me a call or send me an e-mail.
(c) 2008 Mary Cornell
