True Balance

About a year ago I began writing a book about extraordinary entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who live on their own terms. These are people who likely have achieved extraordinary results… leading to the creation of personal freedom.

They are interesting, eccentric, bold, creative, unfiltered creatures of the universe who want to share their story with others to inspire them to follow their dreams.

Recently,  I interviewed Jim Blaha and was taken by his courage, honesty and introspection.

After 25 years climbing the corporate ladder with Westinghouse including cyclical bouts with mental illness,  Jim woke up one day and asked him self the question “Who am I and what do I want to do with the rest of my life.” With a wife to support and 3 boys in college at the time,  he answered his question and resigned.  Jim made a complete career change that led him to becoming an investment banker and  business valuation expert with an entrepreneurial state of mind.

As the years passed buy Jim identified that wealth and finances were no longer as important to him as they once were. In his experience the best legacy is to be satisfied with your own FULL life.  Jim recommends that you get to know yourself and share your talents and gifts with the world and suggests journaling as a way to begin the journey within.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”  - Socrates

Jim is currently finishing a book about his life story that will be published later this year.

Jim Blaha is another fine example of the incredibly talented individuals I have the honor of interviewing along the path of this fun and inspirational project.

Learn more about Jim Blaha at Linkedin.

If you would enjoy being interviewed for my book, please respond to me here or call me via Skype at:  Shannolann  or email me at shann ( at )  truebalancelifecoaching ( dot ) com

Wondering …

How you will ever get to the summit?

A friend and coaching client was laying our her plans for 2009 and found herself paralyzed with overwhelm. Crazy self talk turned her well thought our plans into the mighty Mount Everest.

A little back story:

We closed out 2008 with a coaching session dedicated to the usual suspects:

2009 goals, time lines and strategies etc.

The next time we met, she was 100% freaked out and frozen stiff. The emotion of sheer terror had taken over before she made the first step toward her new and well orchestrated life. Visualizing avalanches, deep caverns and tricky ledges - She made everything a MONUMENTAL climb.

Her moment of clarity occurred when I asked,

“How can you get out of your own way and move forward with your plans”?

We discovered that getting out of your own way and allowing for success, might just look like this:

Delegate

Whether you ask for help from a friend, family member or assistant. Begin asking … Doing everything yourself is highly over rated. The art of delegation can mean the difference between success and complete insanity.

Elimination

What tasks or engagements are sucking up your time? Are you spinning your wheels trying to be all things in your business or community? If you are over extended, what can you back away from? Just because you have always done X, does not mean you have to continue. Change is …

Lighten Up

Laugh at your particular brand of madness. You don’t have to be so frigging serious. When you start to feel full-on-crazy, take a breath and witness your spin. You really are a comical critter. Humor is lovely medicine to tame your “I must be serious” hee bee jee bee’s.

Allow for small victories

My coaching clients love the fact that we celebrate small victories together. Learning to be grateful for the tiniest improvement allows for more success. For example, this morning I began my morning cardio workout after a holiday filled with, well, excessive holiday fare … It’s no secret that I need to get moving again. I began with 10 minutes on the elliptical and 10 minutes wailing on a heavy bag. YES! I did it. Small victories rule.

Engage a mentor, coach

Reach out and talk with a person who has already reached the summit. Is there anyone on the planet who has already achieved what you want to achieve? YES, ofcourse there is. Engage, hire, or buy coffee for someone that can inspire you to continue on your path to success.

If you find this post useful, please share it with a friend.

The standard definition of selfish goes something like this …

Limited to or caring only about yourself and your own needs or lacking regard for the rights or feelings of others; “shockingly inconsiderate behavior”.

Yet, we observe the world through our eyes, ears, tastes, emotions and personal experiences.

How can we not be selfish?

In the book, The Astonishing Power of Emotions by Jerry and Esther Hicks, being selfish is considered a fundamental principle of life. Chapter Three “You cannot be other than selfish, for you cannot observe, perceive, or be other than from your perspective of self. All points of consciousness, even one celled organisms perceive. And they do so from the ever-changing selfish perspective that they currently hold.”

Frankly, without individual personal awareness and extreme self care, AKA selfishness, we render ourselves empty and emotionally malnourished. If we we neglect ourselves, how can we be of service to others? Is it possible that our learned aversion to being selfish has created millions of martyred - masochistic human beings?

OUCH!

My definition of selfishness is … Loving myself enough to create time for daily activities that honor who I am. Practicing this sort of extreme self care or self nurturing allows me to be a better wife, mother, life coach, mentor, and friend.

The first step to embarking on a journey of self care is to make one small change and see what kind of impact it has upon your life.

The following ideas are designed to help you become more kind and loving to yourself. How can this be a BAD thing?

Here goes …

• Create some ‘YOU’ time. Everyone needs time alone to meditate and recharge. Start with 2-5 minutes for silent reflection. Read a few pages in a book, take a walk, make a yummy new recipe. It really doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it’s all about YOU.

• What do you truly want? Are you living your life according to your dreams and desires? Take time to figure out what makes you tick. If you want to explore this idea further, check out the True Balance Life Coaching Life Balance E-Course.

• Record your ideas . It doesn’t matter how far fetched they may be. Have fun letting your ideas fly! I use a large white board and lots of colored markers to boldly state my unconventional intentions as a creative outlet.

• Journal. Self Expression by journaling is a marvelous tool for clearing your mind. One of the best lessons in the book, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, is creating morning pages. Morning pages consist of three handwritten pages of free thinking - psychobabble journaling daily. It’s a blast to witness and record your thoughts as they hop around the page like a juiced up water bug on the river.

• Log all of your “happy moments.” Each day has potential for many small moments that bring joy and happiness. My family shares five “happy moments” each night at the dinner table. We’ve found this is an excellent way to stay positive and learn more about each other.

• Move your body every day. When we are caught up in crossing items off our to-do lists, we tend to neglect all the opportunities there are to enjoy our bodies in the process of living. Whether you dance, walk, run or ride, your body and spirit will thank you for the gift. Get up and move your butt!

Should you need inspiration in your exploration of extreme self care, a professional life coach can help you discover your dreams, set big goals, and assist you in moving forward with deliciously selfish and satisfying life.