Each of us has it … that leading edge in our life that calls us forth … that image and feel of our ‘A’ life beckoning us into Becoming Our Next Self.

It’s Different for Everyone:
What I love about the ‘A’ Life is that it’s different for everyone. Each of us gets to define what ‘A’ means for us. Might be buffing up your personal life – so you have more closeness, love and harmony in your relationships. Or, might mean adding more creativity, zest and spontaneity to your work life. Or kicking back and relaxing more (sometimes manifestation is about less not more!). Whatever ‘A’ is for you … it’s compelling and kind of nagging at you to emerge.

Your Whispers or Shouts:
In one of my SHIFT-IT maps … called the S.E.L.F. Inventory … I have my clients list out their ‘evolutionary whispers’. The things that evolution is whispering or shouting into their ear about what is next for them – what they really want to be doing (even if they don’t yet know how to go about it or the information is somehow confusing or perhaps nerve wracking to them). Sometimes evolution has built up quite a voice so the whispers have progressed into shouts. The question is … are you listening? Do you have the guts to follow your gentle yet increasingly insistent impulses?

Questions to Ask Yourself:
It’s easy to identify these evolutionary whispers – every one of my hundreds of clients has been able to do it, in a matter of minutes. I’m always blown away by the elegance of how evolution works through us, when we are brave enough to take note.

To uncover your own evolutionary whispers ask yourself these quick questions … and allow your answers to come forth easily (have pen and paper ready to jot your wisdom down!):

• What Am I Here To Do?
• What’s Next For Me?
• What Do I Really, Really Want to Do?
• If Time, Money or Ability Were No Barrier (because they aren’t!), What Would I Pursue?
• Who Is My Next Self?
• What Does My Soul or Higher Self Want Me To Be, Do or Have?
• What Feels Joyful to Me?
• What Must I Do, Be, Have So My Song is Sung This Lifetime?

Make Space and Room:

Gone, gone, gone.

Ahhhhh,Good Riddance!

One of the signs I personally have when I’m in ‘up-level’ mode is that I start chucking out stuff … my surefire sign that a new level of my self is on her way.

I am a naturally organized person and tend to fall on the sparse or minimalist side. I like to be surrounded by things that make me feel good, so if something doesn’t ‘cut it’ … it’s gone. (just went through a purge last week … couldn’t believe the pile of stuff that got chucked or relocated out of my office). Made room for my new painting easel (and the life that comes along with it!).

When my clients tell me that they just did a big purge or that they are spring cleaning … then I know our coaching work is having an effect at a deep, somatic level. In order to create your ‘A’ level life, ya gotta get rid of B, C, D or F stuff! That old stuff is just no longer a vibrational match to the person you are in the process of becoming.

If you understand the power of creating space and room for your next life … and find organizing or letting go of stuff a challenge, I recommend the ‘From Clutter to Order’ work of Alison Marks (she’s another of my old grad school friends doing cool work in the world).

For more on clutter and making room, see previous blog post.

Listen For Your Next Impulses (and act on them!)
After clearing room, you will have calm and space in which to listen for your ‘marching orders’. Your Higher Self knows what she or he is doing. It’s beaming directions to you all the time however you have had so much noise interference (your old stuff manifestations) that the lines of communication have been clogged.

Now that you have a sparser space, what are you able to hear, sense or feel in it? Back to those impulses that you listed out. After you clear some space, you will get intuitions and senses about what is next for you (or things will start showing up!). Is there something you want to get? Something you want to do? Somewhere you want to go? People you want to meet? Experiences you want to have?

An ‘A’ life is built by listening and acting on those impulses … one after the other in a calm and faith-filled way. Unlike the clutter that gets built up, our intuitive wisdom comes in easy, doable steps — when we create the proper conditions for it. Impulses come one at a time. They are easy and doable (not overwhelming … that is another side of you talking!).

The trick is to act on the impulse you are getting. When you do your next impulse (the next clue or guidance) will reveal itself … kind of like breadcrumbs (or gold nuggets!) along the murky forest path. Your job is to follow your guidance one step at a time. To trust it and to trust yourself and know, even if it might now always seem evident, that your steps are leading you to your ‘A’ level … to the life of your Next Self! It’s a fun and magical process that I take much delight in, in myself and in my SHIFT-IT clients.

Support to Manifest Your ‘A’. Life:
To aid you in creating your ‘A’ life I’ve crafted two new programs. SHIFT-IT Central, a new weekly support forum open to everyone on Monday, August 2nd, – seasoned SHIFT-IT clients and newbies alike. And, the new 9-month (like a baby!) Biz and Life Accelerator launches soon with invite only application process to my previous clients and mentees – watch your mailbox!). Both great ways to be in wonderful community as you Become Your Next Self.

Summer was off to a slow start here in beautiful British Columbia … but it’s pretty consistent now. With the surge in sunshine, I figured it was about time I got a big, beautiful BBQ for my deck finally. Being delivered tomorrow. I was finding the choice kind of overwhelming … so was glad to manifest an uber knowledgeable sales guy at Capital Iron to help me out. Made it so easy and fun … hard to wait the week to get it delivered though, but there’s no way I can haul it up the stairs to my tree fort on my own.

My Big, Beautiful New Easel

Got another big, beautiful thing delivered this week – my new painting easel! Had my eye on this monster since before my San Diego trip … so it’s wonderful to have it physically manifested in my place now.

Brazilian wood (smells so good), a crank system for easy angle and height adjustments, and can handle canvasses up to 200 lbs or something ridiculous like that! I figure it’s something I can grow into as big, big canvasses (think graphic recording mural size) are definitely in my future … I can FEEL them so much that my hands tingle with the thought.

I admired it in its new nook for a few days then finally had a chunk of time to create in … out popped Painting Number Four below. Spontaneous sketches of ’spiral people’ keep poring out of me. I’m collecting them into a file. Then I select one to have a go at. This is last Sunday’s effort. For now, I’m just going to name them. I have a feeling there is going to be a long series of them in all sorts of configurations and colors.

XinaMerk Painting Number Four

I took it to the framing shop and hope to have it back and hanging in my hall to my bedroom by next week. Goes really well with the colors of my carpet in there and replaces some store bought boring prints I never really liked.

My forays into painting go with this issue’s article “Go For Your ‘A’ Life”. Each of us has things that if we do them, bring us joy and put us ‘in the vortex’. Painting does that for me and I’m so glad I listened to the evolutionary whispers in me and began doing it. What is whispering (or perhaps shouting) inside of you to do? As your SHIFT-IT Coach, I say … go for it! Life wants to be expressed through you in your own unique way so follow your impulse!

P.S. Help us manifest our new Client Care Assistant. Check out the detailed job listing here in case you or someone you know is a vibrational match for our growing company – we are on the lookout for the right person … preference for local Victoria B.C. candidate. Interviews conducted next week so totally fine to get your materials in by Monday.

Coming This Fall:

SHIFT-IT Online Group
7 Weeks: Saturdays, 10-11:30 a.m. Pacific, August 21 – October 2
Are you feeling the pull to SHIFT your life? Ready to finally Become Your Next Self?! You aren’t alone – there is a massive shift happening on our planet and this profound 7-week online program helps you expertly navigate your own change. Get crystal clear about how evolution is working through you. Free yourself from the limiting beliefs, self-sabotage and blocks that have kept you playing safe or small until now. Join like-minded people from across the globe. All in innovative ‘graphic coaching style’ … via my 7 stage SHIFT-IT System® with 17 visual maps. Prerequisite for all advanced programs, including Living LOA and SHIFT-IT Certification. Register Now

Level 2: Living the Law of Attraction (online course)
12 Weeks, Sundays, Oct. 3 – December 19th
Now that you have the SHIFT-IT foundation under you – you are ready for the advanced principles and practices. Move your understanding of Law of Attraction from your head to your heart/body … for full impact and maximum results. Plus advanced ‘Trouble at the Border’ processes to heal, self-parent and erase those inner blocks, resistances and old garbage that currently block or slow you. Additional Merkley Maps, including hot-off-the-press Soul Integration templates (the latest developments in my work with clients and myself). Register Now

SHIFT-IT Central (weekly drop in and special guests)

Mondays, 5 pm Pacific, Starts August 2nd
With the SHIFT-IT community growing in leaps and bounds a regular, ongoing place to learn, receive support and mingle has become a new reality. Starting this summer, I’ll be offering “SHIFT-IT Central” a weekly opportunity for drop-in coaching, SHIFT-IT related guests and educational sharing. A place for you to regularly feed your SHIFT-IT soul and connect with like-minded others who are doing the same. Connection. Support. Education. For SHIFT-IT graduates and newbies alike – first month is F.R.E.E.! Register Now

Fundamentals of Interactive-Graphics (both online and in-person) Professional Skills Training (details soon)
Mondays, 5pm Pacific, Starts August 2nd (details soon)

87% of your facilitation, coaching, training and consulting clients are visual thinkers – learn powerful skills to more effectively engage them, differentiate yourself from your local competition, and have more fun too! This 9-week online or 3 day in-person professional skills training thoroughly covers custom chart work, graphic recording, graphic facilitation and graphic coaching (the four main applications of working visually with groups and individuals) so you can add these powerful tools to your own consulting, facilitation, coaching and training offerings. Details and Early Bird Registration Next Issue

The Biz and Life Accelerator
9-Month Elite Mastermind, Oct.-June (invites coming soon!)
Very excited about this new elite coaching program. For serious SHIFTers, this 9-month guided mastermind is for solo practices and small businesses with goals in the $50-$500K range. Take a quantum leap in your personal and biz development, not to mention your bottom line! Internet marketing instruction coupled with deep inner manifestation work (the unique one-two combo that has resulted in my own success). Plus great new like-minded friends and collaborators. Launch begins with advance student invite-only application process – watch your home mailbox for more details in a few weeks!

Jerry & Esther Hicks and
The Teachings of Abraham

If you are a new e-Zine reader, you may not know of my deep appreciation of The Teachings of Abraham — ala Abraham-Hicks.

Jerry and Esther are the inspirational husband and wife team who have faithfully been bringing this information through and sharing it for the last 20+ years. I’ve attended many of their workshops and cruises and am on the master program for their workshop downloads – their work is an underpinning of mine as The SHIFT-IT Coach.

This weekend I made my annual pilgrimage over to Seattle to attend their Vortex of Creation workshop (the closest they come to me in Victoria B.C. … not counting being a block away when their Alaska cruise comes into port).

Here are a couple of observations and takeaways from the workshop:

1. Esther Is Lookin’ Good

In the workshop recordings of the last few months there have been several references and comments to how good Esther Hicks is looking. Esther has always been a lovely woman however from what I could gather she must have lost weight or something. So it was great to see her in person – she indeed looks fantastic … slim and feminine … and has traded her kind of severe blue suit for a more flowing outfit. She is learning and implementing The Teachings of Abraham just like the rest of us — so I found it very inspirational to see the SHIFT in her physical appearance, as it’s been a bone of contention for her for a while. She’s found a different way to relate to the subject and it shows! Way to go Esther! (for a related blog post, click here).

2. Most of Us Suffer from “Whatis-itis”

At the workshop, Abraham teased that most of us suffer from a bad case of “whatisitis” … the dreaded disease of focusing too much on what currently is. That we get too fixated on what has manifested (symptom of our old focus) and not enough on what is in the process of manifesting (soon to be symptoms of our new focus).

3. Be a ‘Vibrational Realist’

Along the same vein, most people call themselves ‘realists’. Abraham offered that what we want to become are ‘vibrational realists’. To be realists but at the vibrational level of what is coming rather than what has been. Just because things haven’t popped into the physical plane yet doesn’t mean that they don’t exist or aren’t real. They just aren’t physically visible yet. But a vibrational realist knows this — and keeps the faith in terms of what is in the process of becoming.

For instance, I was a vibrational realist with the current life I am leading – long before it became a true-blue physical reality. Years ago I had a vision of working from a beautiful location, doing deeply transformational and creative work, and using technology to connect with people from around the world. This life had a gestational process just like anything that comes into manifestation does – but it all began with the vibrational reality in that original vision and the care and tending I gave it along the way. I had faith that it would happen and it did, I didn’t need physical reality to come first. I trusted that it would pop into being in its own right timing and I continued to put one foot after the other – little by little (following my guidance about what to do next).

4. Stop Trying So Hard

This message was gently emphasized again and again — to let go of effort if it slips into being a problem. Too much pushing and trying to force something can change our energy from light and fun to more complicated and serious. When we really, really want something it can be easy to screw up our energy about it and hence delay or even push it away. Walk away. Drop it. Chill out. Find something else to do that makes you feel good – even if completely unrelated. That is a better approach than trying to force something into being.

5. Don’t Let the One Not in the Vortex Call the Shots

Jerry and Esther have been a close couple for many years and spend their lives working and living together – often on the road traveling in their monster bus (or at least they did … newsflash – they just sold the monster bus!). At the workshop they told a funny story about driving their bus on its last 100 miles with them, before they turned it over to a new owner. They had their first breakdown that required them getting towed!

This story became a teachable moment – about who you let call the shots on decision making. That you want to make sure that it’s the person who is ‘in the vortex’ … their term for being vibrational aligned.

They had a warning light flash on their dashboard prior to the breakdown. Jerry had the intuition to swing into a service operation that wasn’t too far away (that could take minutes or days – as the shop gives priority to long-haul trucks over recreational vehicles). Esther was worried about their tight travel schedule so pushed to get to another shop instead that was further away – to chance it. In hindsight, they learned that Jerry was in the vortex (they would have been fit in easily) and Esther was out – but it was she who called the shots in that scenario. As a result of this learning experience they made a pact to always let the one IN the vortex call the shots.

Attend Your Own Workshop:

Each workshop is different and each person at a workshop hears what they personally need to hear – it’s amazing how that happens. If you are interested to attend an Abraham-Hicks workshop or cruise, check out their workshop schedule for one near you (or at a fun spot that you like to go to … I like California or Mexico during winter time!). If you are new to Abraham, check out my previous post on attending your first Abraham-Hicks workshop. Let me know how it goes for you!

At Seattle Museum of Art

Did a quick trip over to Seattle last weekend. Caught the annual Abraham-Hicks workshop (my favorite source of good, quality Law of Attraction information), shopped and had girl-time with my cousin Carla — plus checked out SAM (Seattle Museum of Art).

Great Kurt Cobain and Andy Warhol exhibits but my favorites were the early Jackson Pollack as well as great Aboriginal Art from Australia and Canada. Just something about those iconic images, bold colors and links/dots that grabs me on a visceral level. Filing away for my own painting inspirations.

Haida Weaving from British Columbia

Australian Line/Dot Aboriginal Art

My team and I have a busy summer planned … preparing for upcoming programs, including a few brand new offerings this Fall (see events section for info and emerging registration details). As part of our prep we’re taking on new team members, including a Client Care Assistant. Check out the detailed job listing here in case you or someone you know is a vibrational match for our growing company– we are on the lookout for the right gal or guy … preference for local Victoria B.C. candidate but may expand for skilled virtual professional.

As I was just at the Abraham-Hicks workshop, this issue’s article sums up my main takeaways from their great event.

Coming This Fall:

SHIFT-IT Online Group (Transform Your Work and Life via SHIFT-IT System®)

7 Weeks: Saturdays, 10-11:30 a.m. Pacific, Aug. 21 – Oct. 2

Are you feeling the pull to SHIFT your life? Ready to finally Become Your Next Self?! You aren’t alone – there is a massive shift happening on our planet and this profound 7-week online program helps you expertly navigate your own change. Get crystal clear about how evolution is working through you. Free yourself from the limiting beliefs, self-sabotage and blocks that have kept you playing safe or small until now. Learn practical universal principles with supportive and like-minded people from across the globe. All in innovative ‘graphic coaching style’ … via my 7 stage SHIFT-IT System® with 17 visual maps. Prerequisite for all advanced programs, including SHIFT-IT Certification. More Info and Online Registration

The Biz and Life Accelerator

10-Month Elite Mastermind, Sept.-June (invites coming soon!)

Very excited about this new elite coaching program. For serious SHIFTers, this 10-month guided mastermind is for solo practices and small businesses in the $50-$500K range. Take a quantum leap in your personal and biz development, not to mention your bottom line! Plus great new friends and collaborators. Launch begins with advance student invite-only application process – watch your home mailbox for more details this summer!

Fundamentals of Interactive-Graphics (new online delivery!)

Online Professional Skills Training (Oct – December, details soon)

87% of your facilitation, coaching, training and consulting clients are visual thinkers – learn powerful skills to more effectively engage them, differentiate yourself from your local competition, and have more fun too! This 9-week professional skills training thoroughly covers custom chart work, graphic recording, graphic facilitation and graphic coaching (the four main applications of working visually with groups and individuals) so you can add these powerful tools to your own offerings. For the first time, this crowd-pleasing course is being offered via online delivery. Stay tuned for more details!

SHIFT-IT Central
(weekly drop in and special guests)

Mondays, 5pm Pacific, Starts August 2nd (details soon)

Heads up. With the SHIFT-IT community growing in leaps and bounds a regular, ongoing place to learn, receive support and mingle is coming! Starting this summer, I’ll be offering “SHIFT-IT Central” a weekly opportunity for drop-in coaching, SHIFT-IT related guests and educational sharing. A place for you to regularly feed your SHIFT-IT soul and connect with like-minded others who are doing the same. Connection. Support. Education. More Details Coming Soon.

I’m in Southern California this week, in the La Jolla and Del Mar area. Julie (my biz manager) and I attended a training conference and I added on a few days afterwards – to check out the area and have some peaceful thinking and writing time.

In the mornings I’ve been exploring the beaches and cool canyons of the Torrey Pines park area. Getting a physical workout for my body but also a ‘mind workout’ too, as I listen to the latest Abraham-Hicks downloads on my iPod.

Jerry and Esther Hicks and
The Teachings of Abraham

If you are a new e-Zine reader, you may not know of my addiction to The Teachings of Abraham — a.k.a. Abraham-Hicks. This material is my favorite source for good, cutting-edge ‘Law of Attraction’ and manifestation information.

Jerry and Esther are the inspirational husband and wife team who have faithfully been bringing this information through and sharing it for the last 20+ years. I’ve attended many of their workshops and cruises and am on the master program for their workshop downloads (anyone going to the upcoming Seattle workshop – I’ll be there!).

Focus is Paramount:
To boil their wisdom down to a core nugget — “you get what you habitually focus on”. And Abraham (the non-physical, universal intelligence that Esther translates for) tricks, cajoles and guides us on becoming more conscious creators with our focus. As it’s the emotions that flow from what we focus on (our ‘vibration’ in Law of Attraction speak) that impacts what is drawn to us … like attracts like.

The Alphabet Game:
The most recent process that Abraham has gifted us to hone our focus is called The Alphabet Game. May sound a little juvenile but what it is making us do is nothing less than true maturity — it’s making us become much more aware of our focus and trains us to use it choicefully. The game is simple, but it’s not that easy to do. It really requires developing precision focus muscles.

Instructions:
To play the game we work our way through the alphabet – finding words that begin with each letter, in order, that make us FEEL GOOD. You can play it by focusing on things overall that make you feel good, or lately I’ve been playing it in the middle or the end of a day and focusing on what occurred during that day that felt particularly good (kind of like their book of Positive Aspects process).

An Example:
By way of example, I’m going to play the game focusing on the trip I am just wrapping up. Here goes …
A: Alaska Air, Aletta, Assarat, art, Abraham, avocados
B: Beaches, bed, beauty, buffet, bikes, bellboys
C: Cactus, Cuervo, canyons, Carlsbad, chocolate chip cookies, chai
D: Desk, Del Mar, dollars, diamonds
E. Elegance, environment
F. Free ticket, food, flowers, flattening iron
G. GPS, galleries, grilled chicken, Glenlivet, gold, gas
H. Hertz, housekeeping, heels, hummus, highlights
I. iPod, imagination, inspiration
J. James, Julie, JJ, Jerry & Esther
K. Koenig, knowledge, know how
L. La Jolla, Lisa, laptop, lounge, The Living Room
M. Mexican plate, mp3, margarita, Michele, masterminds, mist, male models
N. Nodding, nice
O. Oceanside, organic
P. Palm trees, parking, paths, pool, phone card
Q. Quaint, quicksilver
R. Red Carpet, re-calculating
S. Soothing Saturday call, seafood restaurant, salsa, scotch, sunshine, smoked salmon, surfers, Salk, Scripps
T. Torrey Pines, Trader Joe’s
U. U-turns allowed!
V. voluptuous, valid, vortex
W. Wifi, wandering, walks
X.
Y. yachts, yummy
Z. zeal

Hmmmm, the ‘x’ still has me stumped … those are hard. When you are done with your list … go back and review it a few times and really savor the good feelings you get (remember – you can play Abraham-Hicks’ Alphabet Game using any words that feel good to you … not just focused on a trip or a particular period of time).

My list might not do it for you (we are different people with our own idiosyncrasies and the meaning/stories behind some of my words won’t make sense to you) but your own list will. It’s not about the words anyway… it’s about the somatic FEELINGS (in the body) that the words elicit in the writer. Yes, there are plenty of other words that are true from my trip … but if they don’t feel good they don’t go on the list! After doing this I’ve got such a good vibe built up that I can’t even remember those other things right now (and that is the point!).

The Point of the Exercise:
When you do it, you’ll see that it’s not as easy as it seems – it requires some effort. Some letters come really easy, but other letters you really have to poke around for. It’s the underlying emotions and feelings that count — so don’t just go with any old word that starts with that letter … the point is to find a word that authentically evokes good feelings in you. You can’t fake vibration!

If you notice you have been on a negative roll, this is a GREAT exercise to interrupt and break your negativity and replace with a better feeling focus. If you personally know me, you know I’m not a Pollyanna. I can slip into bad habits just as easily as anyone — so I’m always on the lookout for quick and easy things that I can do anywhere and anytime to get my vibe (and my manifestations) back on track.

Our focus may fall off the rails but Law of Attraction doesn’t … it’s always listening (or feeling) the vibration of what we are putting off and boomerangs back to us forms that match the vibrational equivalent of what we are emitting. This seemingly simple Alphabet Game forces us to find and focus on things that feel better to us – in the process changing the vibration we are emitting. The boomerang effect gets shifted too. Better feeling things are attracted to us instead of worse feeling things. Now, isn’t that worth a little effort … pays off hugely in what we attract!

So, the next time you find yourself grumbling or feeling bad … or when you are in a good mood and really want to milk it – then give the Alphabet Game a go. Your vibration (and manifestations) will thank you for it! I look forward to hearing how this game plays out for you.

By the time you read this I’ll be back home in British Columbia … but right now I’m enjoying a few post-conference days in Southern California. Wish I could say it’s sunny California … but it’s actually ‘June Gloom’ here when the marine layer rolls in.

Regardless, I have been enjoying myself. After a few days in a training with my business manager Julie … I took a few days for myself in the pretty ocean side town of Del Mar. Been walking the beaches and twisty cliff paths, getting caught up on my Abraham-Hicks audio downloads and envisioning the next chapter of my life … have three new programs coming out in the Fall so have been ‘finding the feeling place’ of these new offerings, the folks who are a vibrational match for them, and the team and infrastructure we’re putting in place to support. Plus some stuff in my personal life. Am very excited about my next level that is emerging.

Coastal Canyons and Cliffs

The Roaring Surf and Beach

 
Abraham has a new process they have been doing in their Law of Attraction workshops … called the ‘Alphabet Game’. Julie and I were playing the game on our drive to the conference each morning, and I have been playing it on my own these last few days too. It’s a way to focus your mind (and feelings) on things that feel particularly good. A really great way to develop and hone your ‘focus muscles’ and tune your vibration– as what we focus on is what we get. Soooooo, this issue’s article is on the Alphabet Game … use it to hone your own vibration!

Coming This Fall:
Online SHIFT-IT Group (The SHIFT-IT System® via online class)
7 Weeks: Saturdays, 10-11:30 a.m. Pacific, August 21 – October 2
Ready to SHIFT?! Become a conscious creator with like-minded and hearted people from across the globe via this powerful 7-week experience. Get clear about your Next Self. Understand and break through your resistance, barriers and self-sabotage. Learn foundational skills to transform work and life for years to come. No travel necessary, participate from the comfort of your own home. This course is pre-requisite for all other coaching programs, including SHIFT-IT Certification. Includes my SHIFT-IT System® —suite of 17 visual tools. More information and registration coming soon!

The Biz and Life Accelerator
10-Month Elite Mastermind, Sept.-June (invites coming soon!)
Very excited about this new elite coaching program. For serious SHIFTers, this 10-month guided mastermind is for solo practices and small businesses in the $50-$500K range – to bust you through to your next level. Take a
quantum leap in your personal and biz development, not to mention your bottom line! Plus great new friends and collaborators. Launch begins with advanced student invite-only application process – watch your home
mailbox for more details this summer!

Fundamentals of Interactive-Graphics (new online delivery!) Online Professional Skills Training (Oct – December, details soon)
87% of your facilitation, coaching, training and consulting clients are visual thinkers – learn powerful skills to more effectively engage them, differentiate yourself from your local competition, and have more fun too! This 9-week professional skills training thoroughly covers custom chart work, graphic recording, graphic facilitation and graphic coaching (the four main applications of working visually with groups and individuals) so you can add these powerful tools to your own offerings. For the first time, this one-of-a-kind course is being offered via online delivery. Stay tuned for more details!

SHIFT-IT Central
(weekly drop in and special guests)
Mondays, 5pm Pacific, Starts August 2nd (details soon)
Heads up. With the SHIFT-IT community growing in leaps and bounds a regular, ongoing place to learn, receive support and mingle is coming! Starting this summer, I’ll be offering “SHIFT-IT Central” a weekly opportunity
for drop-in coaching, SHIFT-IT related guests and educational sharing. A place for you to regularly feed your SHIFT-IT soul and connect with like-minded others who are doing the same. Connection. Support. Education. More Details Coming Soon.

I’ve been surrounded by A LOT of adult learners lately – through the clients I train and coach and through my own learning ventures (I’ve taken up both golf and painting in the last few months).

One thing I notice with my clients (and with myself) is the erroneous belief that they/I are supposed to be immediately good at something. There is a subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) irritation that getting good at a particular skill or function can take some time, practice and just plain old ‘kicking around’ with it.

Mastery of Interactive-Graphics:
In my Fundamentals of Interactive-Graphics training I’m teaching other coaches, consultants, facilitators, trainers etc. how to effectively use pre-prepared and spontaneous visuals in an interactive manner with their clients … so their clients learn quicker, communicate better and make more effective decisions in their work and lives (resulting in more happiness & harmony, saved time, enhanced prosperity, etc.).

Interactive-Graphics Learners

This cutting-edge, three-day training is jam packed with information, drills and integration practices designed to explain the four main ways of working visually and to allow my participants a chance to try each ‘on for size’ … so they can figure out their preferences and aptitudes. And, to start to carve out a plan about how to integrate this way of working into their own practice.

As good as my training is, there is just no way I can download my 17 years worth of experience into my participants over the short time we spend together. Their learning is dependent on what they do in class AND even more so on what they do AFTER class. And on the mindset that they approach their ongoing development.

It has been two weeks since their training and the immediate workshop high has probably worn off. Now they are left with fond memories, a whack of workshop supplies and handouts … and themselves. It will be up to them to utilize the resources at their disposal (me, their learning colleagues, their own ideas about next steps, etc.). Nobody is going to do the work for them … and the only way out is through — hopefully in as much of a self-soothing way as possible.

Mastery of SHIFT-IT Graphic Coaching:

SHIFT-IT Tools: Visual Maps

The same thing is going on for my SHIFT-IT Certification students. For varying reasons they have materialized a chance to learn and use my SHIFT-IT Graphic Coaching Process® (and suite of 17 visual maps) with their own clientele.

We are 7 webinars into a 10-webinar intensive training program — to be followed by a self-directed period of accumulating client practice hours.

Some participants are flying along – they already have practice clients lined up and are busy using the SHIFT-IT tools with them. Others are just figuring out how to access the online resources page where all the materials for the course are! As there is a yearlong deadline to the program, the slow pokes have plenty of time to bridge the gap if they choose to. For some it is just a matter of freeing up time in their busy schedule. However for others, it is more a matter of their mindset and gremlins getting the best of them as they learn a new skill set (more on that later).

Mastery of Paint:
Then there is the matter of yours truly — The SHIFT-IT Coach. You would think with a self-chosen title like that, that I would be excellent at going through learning and acquiring a new skill right? However, I can safely assure you that this is not the case – at least in my new venture of learning how to paint!

Visualize It:

Painting Supplies Beckoning To Be Used & Experimented With

I have spent over 17 years focusing on my interactive-graphics and SHIFT-IT work … and all the miscellaneous skills that go along with my unique livelihood. As a result, I’m used to being good at my work – a bit of a master if you will (although there is of course still plenty to learn).

Given my expertise in my profession, it is extremely difficult for me (and my ego) to be a beginner again (just like it is for my students who are all very seasoned professionals in their own rights). During and after my painting sessions, I watch my inner dialogue and I laugh (after I get over the reactiveness and shame of how I am being). I notice how I literally expect to be Picasso immediately and get frustrated when I’m not. Like my students who are hard on themselves and suffer from high expectations and self standards – I have to self soothe myself that it is totally ok to be where I am … that learning requires many, many constant little steps … one after another. And that is totally ok.

Top 10 Soothing Thoughts for Adult Learners:
So, perhaps you are one of the learners that I have mentioned in my courses. Or perhaps, like me, you have recently taken on the challenge of making a shift and/or learning a new skill. In thinking about the Top 10 soothing thoughts that seem to work for me and my students, I’ve come up with the following list.

Soothing Thought #10:
Nobody but freaks and protégés are instantly good at something.

Soothing Thought #9:
Some people are gifted (the above named freaks and protégés) … and that is ok. We can marvel at the mystery of how these things happen.

Soothing Thought #8:
Others being gifted doesn’t take away from the rest of us (it’s an abundant universe and there is plenty to go around). It’s a big world. Plenty of room for many people to be good at things in various ways. Just because somebody else is doing it doesn’t mean we can’t too in our own way.

Soothing Thought #7:
If we apply ourselves consistently over time, we can reach mastery (or at least decent, doable functionality) on anything.

Soothing Thought #6:
Supposedly life expectancy is expected to rise to an average of 120 years … so we are going to have a lot more time to get good at stuff!

Soothing Thought #5:
Our worth and value are not intrinsic to what we do … we are human beings not human doings. Our true value exists in us just being us, we don’t have to do things to be deemed worthy or valuable.

Soothing Thought #4:
Despite what our materialistic world says, not everything has to earn money in order for it to be valuable. Pleasure and feeling good is a value in and of itself. It feels good to feel good.

Soothing Thought #3:
Chances are if we resonate with something and we are interested to learn it, then it does hold some sort of clues for us. We can trust our knowing and follow it to see where it leads.

Soothing Thought #2:
If we truly, honest-to-goodness suck at something and don’t like it, we can drop it and move onto something else — no harm, no foul! That is the ‘adult’ in adult learner. It’s good to be the age we are!

Soothing Thought #1:
The next time you catch yourself swearing at yourself and your lack of performance you can take heart that the SHIFT-IT Coach swears like a trucker at herself too! (then self soothes after that!).

Create Your Own Soothing Thoughts:
Ok, a little self indulgence on the last one – but I do try to make you laugh! Just an FYI on the list … different people find different thoughts soothing. I invite you to scan the list and notice which ones make you feel good and which ones don’t. And what kind of soothing thoughts could be added to the list to make it work specifically for you and your circumstances.