Why is inspiration sometimes so illusive?

SPRING 2009

As I strolled out of my windowless office for a much needed afternoon shot of caffeine, a warm Spring breeze greeted me and reminded me that this is a time to feel good.
It is a time to be cheerful and not fearful.

We all know that there is a great deal of fear permeating in what seems to be everything and everyone right now.  If you know me at all, you know I don’t like the fear so I propose that you don’t buy the hype.

Use this Spring equinox as an opportunity to reinvent yourself as a happy, competent, courageous, and highly functioning human being (call me if you need help with this!).

Change your attitude & your life changes.

Here are some coaching tips to help you along your path.

1. STOP watching the news.
(I stopped over a month ago and I am amazed at how much better I feel)

2. Be of service to something outside of yourself.

3. Refuse to discuss your problems over and over again.
This only strengthens said problem.
Put it on paper and seek solutions.

4. Practice letting go of judgment & gossip.

5. Use only solution-based thinking & language.

Larry Flynt’s wife Liz brought this to my attention, I know it’s last minute but not to late to jump in and be a part of the solution…

YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTE

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.

http://www.earthhour.org/home/

Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm.

APRIL – LOVE YOUR MONEY AND LET YOUR MONEY LOVE YOU BACK

April 6^th — You are In A Relationship with Your Money.

April 13^th – Poverty Consciousness.

Scarcity.

April 20^th – Poverty Consciousness. Step into gratitude.

April 27^th – Operating from abundance.

Enough.

More than deserve.

Reserve = choice.

Create reserve in ten areas.

time

space

money

energy

oppor

love

info

wisdom

self integrity

Simplying your life.

Once we have identified and prioritized our needs and desires we gain clarity. And from a place of clarity a desire for simplicity arises, freeing our selves of clutter and illusion.

Upgrade your daily routine (10 daily habits)

Now that your personal foundation is in place and you’ve let go of the old patterns, the old thinking and past judgements that no longer have a place in your life, learn the ten daily habits that can create the road map for your new best life.

Anything could happen at any moment

A few years back this was one of my favorite sayings, my friend Eve Berlin  and I used to say it all of the time but we meant it in a fun rock & roll way.  You know, expect the unexpected.

These days it seems to apply in a more practical way.

When I started my coach training I was asked to make a life long commitment to learning. This is an easy commitment for me to make because I believe that staying plugged in and learning new things keeps us fresh, it’s one of the mainstays to being vibrant and young.

Every now and again I will be out somewhere and I see a flyer or a poster for a class that speaks to me. Once the flyer was for hand-to-hand combat training, I couldn’t resist the photo of the guy on the ground with the other guy standing on his neck (it spoke to me).

Recently while I was down at City hall sorting out the parking passes for my Oscar party I grabbed the flyer for disaster preparedness training, CERT  www.citizencorps.gov/cert/  being a native Californian and living in the end days (joke) I figure sooner or later some kind of shit is going to hit the fan. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when and I like to be the guy who makes it out alive. CERT Training spoke to me.

When I mentioned to my girlfriends what I was up too they made fun of me for being such a paranoid dork until they heard that the class was being taught by 4 firemen, all of the sudden it’s not such a bad idea, what time does that class start again?

Well, 8:00 am arrived a bit early this Saturday morning and I did NOT want to get out of bed but I am soooo happy I did because disaster training is fun and when you really think about it, it’s kinda sexy.

I really really like the way that CERT training ties in with life coaching; much of it is based on common sense and self-responsibility. Unlike coaching, where most of the sayings are a snooze, some of the CERT sayings are really great like my new trance band Walking Wounded (amazing).
I still have two more Saturdays to go and a test to pass if I want to certify but here is what I have learned so far, please note that I am a preparation freak who obsesses on earthquakes so I knew a lot of the first two hours already.

Be prepared, of course. Emergencies are unexpected but the more you can look down the road and anticipate what may occur the better you can prep. If you don’t know what to expect, take a look at the past and whatever has happened is likely to happen again.
If Katrina taught us nothing, it taught us that no one is coming for you so you need to be able to take care of your own shit. The time to prepare is now.

We practiced the handling and proper use of a fire extinguisher.  

I know it seems simple but I have never used a fire extinguisher before, I happy to say I have never has the cause to with exception to that one time when Dave and I accidentally caught our house on fire but he grabbed the hose for that one. I kept thinking of that pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger who landed his plane in the Hudson a while back, it was his training and preparation that gave him the chops to save everyone on that flight.

Someone in the class suggested that you change the batteries in you smoke detectors when the clocks change. That was last night, making this a real call to action.

Start where you stand..How great is this?

Start where you stand, of course, where else would you start from it’s so simple and so chic. Start where you stand, I LOVE it.

Assess the situation. Your personal safety comes first. In coaching I call this the oxygen mask theory.   It’s imperative that you place the oxygen mask on yourself first. You can’t give what you don’t have and if you can’t breath, you can’t give anything.  You must take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone else. So simple and yet so misunderstood.

Always have a buddy.   Apparently a fireman never goes it alone, they always work from a buddy system so they know that someone always has their back. I like this; it’s very support system.

The things I learned the most about today is setting up a triage. We learned how to go through an emergency scene where there are mass injuries and asses each person’s condition putting them into one of 4 categories

Deceased

Immediate   

Minor

Delayed

I love this too; think I am going to start doing it with my dating.

This experience was so cool and empowering for me that I wanted to share it with you and encourage you to get out there and get some training for yourself. It’s a great way to plug into your community, it will make you feel connected and happy and you just might save a life.

When you pass the test and  graduate, you get a great emergency kit and you are ready to roll….

March – The Challenge of Change

*March 2^nd – Get Real With Yourself and Eliminate the Drain

What are you tolerating in your life that prevents you from living your best life? What is sucking away all of your energy and creativity? The time has come to step into awareness and choose something better for yourself. You deserve it!

*Standards (part 2)

March 9^th –  Continuing to eliminate the drain. Looking deeper into what is draining your energy and creating clutter in your thoughts and in your life.

March 16^th – Boundaries.

Identifying Boundaries. Now that you’ve upgraded your standards learn how to keep them intact with boundaries. Discover your healthy and unhealthy boundaries and how they impact your life.

March 23^rd – Creating Healthy Boundaries

Healthy boundaries are integral part of your personal foundation and one cannot live their best life without them. Boundaries can feel like prison or they can feel like freedom. Set yourself free tonight by creating and committing to healthy boundaries for yourself.

March 30^th – Take Responsibility for your Life and Simplify

*Needs vs. wants vs. desires.  Do you know the difference? We cannot prioritize what’s important in our lives and make changes until we can identify our needs, wants and desires.

We are all a part of the Evolution Revolution

The news reminds us daily that the economy is on the brink of collapse, unemployment is up, the stock market is down and President Obama keeps using the word catastrophe when he speaks of our current economy. THE VEILS OF ILLUSION HAVE BEEN LIFTED.

Vulnerable & AloneOur old ways of navigating the world are failing and we are left standing in great fear of the unknown. Not quite sure how to now move through life, we are feeling exposed, vulnerable, afraid and alone.

There are no coincidences and if you are reading this, it is for a reason. It is time to take responsibility for your life. We are experiencing a time of great (and very necessary) change. For the first time in over 2,600 years, our fear-based ways of living are over. Each and every person on the planet is being called to open their heart, discover their truth and step into their power. Whether you like it or not, you are part of the EVOLUTION REVOLUTION.

With all great change comes great opportunity. What is so unique about this time is that we cannot be fixed by another person nor can we be handed all the answers. We each have to find the personal courage to look at what it is we have been avoiding, denying, ignoring or pretending isn’t there. In each obstacle we face, there is an opportunity to move past our fear and step into our Greatness. Are you a victim or victorious?

We must each walk our own paths but YOU ARE NOT ALONE. We are shifting from separation and fear-based living into creating our lives from a place of unity, community and One Love. This is not the time to isolate and attempted to figure things out on your own. It is the time to step into community and ask for help and support from those around you who hold your highest good.

Camp Courage (T.C. Conroy, Jennifer Matthews) is here to assist in illuminating your path, to help you bridge the gap between the old and the unknown and to create a safe and supportive community in which you can step into your strength and courage. Now is not the time to panic, NOW IS THE TIME TO COMMIT. Commit to yourself, commit to Self-Mastery, commit to courage, commit to change and most important, commit to strengthening your personal foundation so that it can carry you through this uncertain and scary time of change.