Embrace Your Gifts and Soar!

Connecting, Creating and Celebrating

Whew! What a week! Traveled to Atlanta to visit with friends/colleagues and walked away with a brand new vision board for the upcoming year. Very exciting! Speaking of vision boards, I finally got to check out The Vision Board book by Joyce Schwarz. Very pleased to see that a photo of my Soar Vision Board was included in the book! Yea!

Received a call from a friend who told me she had finally walked away from a job that was no longer satisfying. Boy, was she happy! Amazing how energizing a LEAP can be. Also, received an unexpected gift from a colleague/client that made my heart smile big time! I added it to my vision board. Can you guess what it is?

Did some great work with clients who continue to inspire me with their courage and determination to live authentically. I adore supporting those who are blooming so brightly. It is an incredible honor.

The energy of visioning is so strong for me right now that I am in the process of designing a series of vision board classes. Not only will we be making vision boards, we will take the process a step further by participating in activities and discussions that will keep your connection to your vision board alive and strong. More to come on this soon.

As we approach the holidays, it’s tempting to put dreams on hold while we shop, eat and play. I normally cut back on classes and the coaching that I offer in November and December because there is low interest and I like giving myself a break too. However, I was speaking with the winner of the I Am Soaring! contest, Tunja Smith and she told me she wanted to schedule her last three coaching sessions in December. Why? She wants to end the year with a BANG! I love Tunja’s perspective on squeezing all she can out of these last two months of 2009. What a great way to set a firm and solid foundation for 2009!

How are you planning to end this year during the next two months? Going out with a bang, whimper, sigh, shout or something else?

Happy Visioning!

Beverly

PS: Wanted to send out a big, special hug to Karin at Creative Chaos. Karin had surgery for breast cancer this week. If you read Karin's blog, you know this lady is talented, funny and full of life. Lots of prayers for healing being sent to you Karin!

"I'm Made Of Money!"

Our wonderful yard guy, Chris, cuts our grass every two weeks. He leaves a bill when he feels like it. I don’t know if this is the best way to do business, but Chris knows that I’ll pay him whenever he gets around to leaving me a bill.

Today, as he was finishing up with our yard, I walked outside and asked him, "Are you going to leave me a bill today?" He replied, "Well, no, I wasn’t planning on it but I can." Being in no hurry to receive the bill, I said, "Whatever works for you, works for me!" Next he yelled out something that surprised me. "I’ll leave you a bill next time. You know, I don’t need money! I’m made of money!"

Actually, this was news to me. I’m pretty sure that Chris is not a billionaire and my guess is that he does indeed need money. I knew he was being playful and yet I wondered if he realized that he was also being powerful in that moment. I couldn’t help but notice the way he smiled as he proclaimed his wealth. He looked bigger and lighter too. It must have been freeing and fun to say "I'm made of money!" and act as if it that was his reality.

I loved hearing Chris shout out such an empowering perspective on money. Personally, I'd veer away from saying, "I don't need money." as that statement does not carry much magnetic energy. However saying or thinking, "I'm made of money." feels pretty darn good! Chris inadvertently reminded me how powerful it can be to try on an empowering belief about money. 

What's your perspective about money? Do you have magnetic energy sprinkled into your perspective about money?

For more on perspectives about money, read Let's Talk About Money.

Blessings and Abundance to all!

Beverly

photo of Buddy in the money by Beverly Keaton Smith 9-5-2008

A Butterfly or a Bra (or a ........)

The sand hugs my toes as I walk along the shore of the beach. I notice a young boy playing in the surf. He is full of aliveness and spunk, unlike the grandfatherly man who is with him. The boy gives his head a sharp turn to shake stringy, wet hair from his eyes as he holds a small open shell up in the air so his grandfather can see it. "When shells are open like this, they look like a butterfly or a bra."

The boy's conclusion seems to fall upon deaf ears so he adds more enthusiasm into his voice as he repeats himself. "WHEN SHELLS ARE OPEN LIKE THIS, THEY LOOK LIKE A BUTTERFLY OR A BRA!" His words are still ignored so he turns toward the ocean, tosses the shell into the water and looks at the horizon as if it is speaking to him.

I resist my temptation to run up to the boy and scream out,"What else does your imagination call forth? You've thought of two great possibilities! Now, what else does an open shell look like?"  But, the moment is lost and the window of opportunity closes as I decide to quietly continue my solitary walk along the shore.

As the boy and his grandfather disappear from my view, I enter a contemplative mood around the subject of imagination and options. It is empowering to search for several possibilities in any given situation. Limited thinking and smaller outcomes are often generated from the "either/or" and the "this or that" approach. Who wants that? There's always at least three or more options in any situation. The best way to make a well-informed choice or to get the most desirable result is to explore as many possibilities as possible. Instead of getting stuck in "black or white" thinking, search for other colors too.

So, what do you see in the photo above....besides a butterfly or a bra? (there are no wrong answers!)

 Blessings!

Beverly

Sacred Kitchen

If the kitchen is truly the heart of the house, my house was slowing moving toward a heart attack.

Okay, sounds dramatic, I know, but I really hated my kitchen until last week. It felt small and cluttered and it needed a good spring cleaning. My answer? Avoidance! Since my husband does most of our cooking, I had a good excuse to stay away from the kitchen.

While visiting friend and colleague, Susan Freeman, in Boulder, Colorado, I walked into her immaculate, inviting kitchen and got a good dose of inspiration to give my kitchen a mini make-over. Thank you Susan!

My husband and I cleaned out the kitchen cabinets and let go of many items we did not use. This created a lot more space in the cabinets so nothing is stored on the counter tops anymore. Now, our kitchen feels bigger and healthier! Next, we cleaned out the pantry and tossed out food that was expired or unwanted. Then, I pulled out the rubber gloves and cleaned under the sink, in the cabinets, the pantry and the appliances. 

To top all of this off, on sacred Sunday we went to Linen's N Things and purchased a new set of pots and pans along with a few other odds and ends. I've also decided to wash more of the dishes instead of relying solely on the dishwasher so I picked up a dish rack too.

Since I plan to learn to cook, I knew the first step was to make the kitchen as inviting and functional as possible. Yes, really! I am going to learn to cook. As someone who grew up haunted by eating disorders and body image problems, I spent many years seeing food as an enemy instead of my friend. However, there was something about visiting Susan that made me want to step into a new perspective with food preparation, the kitchen and making healthier choices. While the eating disorders of long ago have been healed, I guess a little residual dysfunction was still hanging on and separated me from the joy of cooking.

Here's to happy kitchens, delicious healthy meals and strong beating hearts that pump aliveness into bodies and homes!

If you'd like to recommend good cookbooks or share healthy, easy recipes with me, I'd be grateful! You can post them in the comments so others can enjoy them too or send them to Bev @  EmbraceYourGifts.com

Blessings!

Beverly

No Show, Rocky Flow, No Woe

The final performance of "Tuesdays with Morrie" was presented at New Stage Theatre yesterday and I really wanted to see it. Greg was not available to go with me and I didn't know of anyone who would be free at the last minute, so I decided to enjoy the performance alone and call it an artist's date.

I learned about the concept of an artist's date years ago after reading The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. The idea is to have a date with yourself once a week in order to feed your connection to your creativity.

I have noticed that since I've been working on a few creative projects, I have felt the need for a creative connection to something outside of my own stuff. Perhaps the concept of an artist's date not only feeds creativity but brings inspiration and a break to those who are already in a creative mode.

After driving into a very full parking lot, I got a little intimidated. I am a little rusty at going to these kinds of events alone. Now that I've been married for almost seven years, I usually have a companion. Nonetheless, I got out of my car and walked into the theatre. Apparently many others had the same idea because several other hopeful people were waiting to get tickets. I decided to wait it out and assume that I would get to see the show. When they told those of us who didn't make it into the coveted seating area that the show was sold out, I was so disappointed that I almost cried. I walked back to my car feeling as if I'd lost my best friend.

Coach Beverly came out to give me a little pep talk. "Everything is how it is meant to be. Everything happens for a reason. What did you learn from this? How do you turn lemons into lemonade?" Before I knew it, my car was heading toward a women's clothing store and I found some great, fun tops that suit me perfectly. I topped off the afternoon by going shoe shopping and even though I didn't find any that I liked, it sure was fun trying on shoes and being selective about all of my purchases.

Big lesson here? Go with the flow. When the music changes, find a new way to dance. Everything does happen for a reason and everything is how it is meant to be. I really believe that.

I'm still feeling inspired to schedule weekly artist's dates with myself. Now that we have entered the the glorious season of spring, the juices are really flowing. I want to do everything I can to support the ever expanding right side of my brain. If you have any fun, suggestions for a solitary artist's date, I'd love to hear about them. Just leave a comment and share if and how you nurture your creativity.

Happy belated Sacred Sunday!

Beverly

PS: Photo of Rainbow Falls in Hilo, Hawaii taken by Greg Smith in April 2007.

Let's Talk About Money

Please credit to Beverly Keaton Smith if you use these money photos or reprint this article.  

 "It's so hot, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk!"

One hot summer day, my young hands reached into the refrigerator and sneaked a few eggs into my pocket. With great expectations, I cracked the shells open over a sidewalk and waited for them to start cooking. Through the sting of disappointment, I learned that expressions are not always meant to be taken literally.

My neighbor saw me playing with the eggs and mentioned it to my father. Our neighbor thought my experiment was funny. My father did not! Dad casually asked me, "how much do you think those eggs that you took from the refrigerator cost?" I replied that I didn't know. Together, we calculated how much money I had wasted by ruining perfectly good eggs. The small amount was deducted from my allowance and I learned that next time I should be more secretive with my experiments. Okay, the bigger lesson I took away was that money is hard to come by and should never be wasted. I guess this is just one of the episodes from my childhood that shaped me into a "saver." 

Many times, I coach clients around the issue of money. Usually, there is a core limiting belief that gets in a person's way of accumulating money. Often, the core belief is something along the lines of

Love of money is the root of all evil.

I'll get my rewards in heaven, not now.

Money is scarce and hard to come by.

These perspectives are core limiting beliefs which are very effective at keeping money away from your bank account. Here are examples of positive perspectives around money.

Money is freedom and I deserve freedom.

I love money and money loves me.

I am a money magnet. I have the Midas touch!

Since we choose our perspective around money, wny not choose a belief that is positive and affirming? You can reinforce your money magnetism by creating a structure that reminds you of your positive perspective on money. I recently moved into a new office and the window shade that was hanging on the window broke and fell to the floor. Instead of buying a new shade, I hung my money boa across the top of my window to serve as my reminder that money is abundant and constantly flowing to me. I love looking at it and being reminded that money is always within my reach. Also, my money boa sparkles with joyful memories and energy because it was a gift from friend and colleague, Laura Howard West who owns the Center for Joyful Business.   

With a crazy stock market and fears of a recession floating around, it is even more tempting to fall into a negative perspective around money. Why not reflect on your core beliefs about money and see how they are working for you? If you find you are operating out of a limiting belief, try updating your belief and see what happens. There's not much to lose and everything to gain!

I'd love to hear about your core belief around money. If you'd like to share, leave a comment. We can all inspire each other to generate even more empowering beliefs around money.

Blessings!

Beverly

Shirley is out of the closet....for good!

My Shirley Temple doll came into my life after I pointed her out to Mom as we walked around a flea market. I said something like, "Oh, she is so pretty. I love Shirley Temple!" and Mom turned her into a Christmas present for me about twenty years ago.

Unfortunately, Shirley has spent more time in the closet than she has on display. The truth is I put her away shortly after I got her because I could not bear to look at her. Shirley represented joy, playfulness and femininity. I felt very removed from those traits when Shirley came into my life. I was lonely, depressed, making bad choices on a regular basis and resented being a woman. Somehow, Shirley became a mirror for my despair so I hid her in closet after closet as I moved from apartment to apartment in my twenties and thirties.

Finding this new comforter on a fantastic shopping trip with Mom prompted me to take Shirley out of the closet and reunite with the original love I had for her the moment I first laid eyes on her.

Bringing Shirley out of the darkness caused me to reflect on how far I've come and how objects that once brought me sorrow can now bring me joy. I'm so glad I hung on to Shirley. I knew in my heart that one day there would be a place for her in my life again.

I know this may sound silly to some, but I can't help but believe that God led me to this comforter because He knew this would finally get Shirley out of the closet and into the light where she belongs. Shirley loves reminding me to continuously embrace joy, playfulness and femininity.

What kind of old, treasured objects do you have that hold significant meaning to you?

Blessings!

Beverly

Staying Focused On Possibilities

Rainy weather gave me a perfect excuse for snuggling in a homemade quilt with a little white dog as I nested inside my sacred house today. I watched a movie called "Parasite." I put this 2-1/2 star rated movie in my Netflix Que because Demi Moore stars in the film. Even though it is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, it proves that perseverance leads to success.

Demi Moore turned herself into an accomplished, successful and highly paid actress. (According to imdb.com, Demi earned $2 million dollars for her role in "Charlie's Angels, Full Throttle.") Demi Moore did not start out as a brilliant actress. She evolved into a superstar. What if she had thrown in the towel after watching her flat performance in "Parasite?" It might have been tempting and yet she clung to her vision of success and turned it into a reality. Demi is a great example of someone who replaces failures with possibilities.

Perseverance has rewards.Taking slow and steady steps toward your dream is certain to bring greater success into your life. Don't give up! Your dreams will come true. Keep the faith and BELIEVE.

Blessings,

Beverly

PS: Thank You Mom for taking this wonderful photo of our dream house!

Choosing A Perspective

Perspective: a mental view or outlook

Jingo has chosen the EASY perspective for today.

What perspective are you choosing to operate from...just for today? There are a ton of perspectives out there...Remember, you get to choose the one that best serves you!

Happy Choosing!

Joy In Doing Laundry?

Many years ago, while begging my dad to mow the backyard, my mom said that the tall grass bothered her legs when she walked to the clothesline. So my dad went outside, cranked up the lawn mower and mowed the grass in a way that created a straight, wide path to the clothesline. Next, he turned the mower off, walked into the house, grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, sat down in his Lazy-Boy chair and watched television. Obviously, he didn't feel like mowing the yard that day.

This made quite an impression on me. I sat by my parents' bedroom window so I could watch Mom walk on the freshly cut path that Dad created for her. Slowly, Mom hung our family's clothes on the clothesline with wooden clothespins. I never understood why Mom did this since we had a clothes dryer. She explained that she liked the way clothes smelled after they hung outside. I agreed that they smelled nice but it still seemed like a lot of trouble to me.

It wasn't until after a trip to Taos, New Mexico last year that I decided to make use of the old pull-out clothesline that latches onto a hook outside my office door. Something about watching the brightly colored clothes dance in front of the boutiques in Taos made me want to smell the freshness of sun dried clothes again.

Like a few other participants of the Sacred Living Project, I find laundry time to be a sacred time. I add extra care to hanging up the clothes and I adore the energy of a fresh start that comes when the last of the clean clothes have been put away. I never dreamed that other women might share warm feelings about doing laundry. Perhaps my mom considered doing laundry to be a sacred act too. I'll have to ask her and see what she says.

What's sacred in your life today?

Blessings!

Beverly