Tag Archives: Law of Attraction
Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus … You!
I’m in the midst of fulfilling our fall programs here at SHIFT-IT Coach, Inc. Have completed SHIFT-IT Online Group, and am in the middle of Thrive in the Time of Awakening & The Fundamentals of Interactive-Visuals … plus am navigating interesting curriculum and biz expansions for 2013 and beyond.
There is a bit of a theme happening these last weeks that comes to the fore when I sit down to write this ezine. It’s a theme about manifestation and what it takes to create a fulfilling life. And it’s a theme about the balance of magic, wonder and awe with the pragmatics of good old-fashioned hard work, discipline and follow-through.
With Fundamentals of Interactive-Visuals I’m guiding process professionals through the ins and outs of learning and implementing visual skills into their own practices. With THRIVE, we’re doing deep inner work (called Soul Integration) to identify and heal fragmented aspects of ourselves that are interfering with our ability to live full Soul-Centered lives.
Procrastination and Other Resistance:
Certified Visual Coach® Alison Crow developing her viz skills.
Banner for THRIVE Class
In both classes the intent is to empower people to take responsibility for their own development. We give them the skills but it’s really up to them to use them and go through the process of integrating them into their own experience. Like learning any new skillset its takes commitment, persistence and lots of application to reap the rewards — to go from being ‘consciously incompetent’ at something to being ‘unconsciously competent’ … on the route to mastery.
The Resistance Wall
At around the half way mark of both programs what I call ‘The Resistance Wall’ starts to predictable show up. The early glamour wears off for some folks, when they realize that visual work and spirituality work … well, they are ‘work’. That a magic wand doesn’t magically anoint them with new skills or a new state in life just by signing up … they have to commit to their development process to reap the rewards. If they do, they get awesome results. If they don’t … they won’t.
Doing and Being:
The development process is not only an outward one of taking action, but also an inner one of softening resistance, frustration and negative self-talk. The learner follows instruction and completes recommended exercises and processes but also has to concurrently manage their emotional landscape. Learning how to ‘allow’ their process as it is … to not demand instant results but make their natural unfoldment ok, good and perfect. The ‘being’ is just as important as the ‘doing’ … in fact without more relaxed being the doing can often get stopped in its tracks. This is where folks start falling of the radar screen … getting busy in other things, deciding they don’t want it after all, or my personal favorite … blaming the teaching or container and other forms of acting out.
You Are Your Own Santa Claus:
I love magic and wonder … and I love creativity, flow and synchronicity.
And I also love things being ‘easy’. And am a big believer that when there is passion there is easiness or at least pleasure and enjoyment.
All the fabulous right brain stuff!
You are probably aware of the famous “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” New York Sun editorial. It’s a lovely sentiment that continues to stand the test of time. However, I would put a twist on it: Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus … and it’s an energy that resides in you! Magic is not some outside force that grants good stuff to some people and not to others. It’s the natural effect of lining up your internal energy in such a matter that you become a Vibrational Match to the things that you say
Alignment is An Inside Job:
A good teacher, coach or mentor can certainly help you in reframing your thoughts into more productive patterns. But they can’t be there with you 24/7. Eventually you need to take more and more of that job on yourself. And, it’s not really about thoughts at the deeper level anyway. It’s about the feelings that those thoughts activate in your physical and emotional bodies.
Soothing Thoughts for your Development Path
So, if you are an Interactive-Visuals or THRIVE student, or anyone who is in the process of becoming your Next Self, here are some soothing statements to reassure the negative beast within … and hopefully bring some stabilization and calm to your development path:
- Any new skillset takes investment in time and resources to develop, that is normal and ok.
- Nobody is perfect to begin with (in fact what is perfection anyway … its more about ‘good enough is good enough for now’).
- Anyone who is good at something went through an awkward growth stage at some point in their development, so why should I be an exception?
- I’m good at lots of things, its just going to be a process to over time get good at this too.
- Most people aren’t savants … they don’t magically wake up being exceptional at something – like Malcolm Gladwell writes about in Outliers,
the research shows that it takes 10,000 hours to reach mastery.
- Thankfully I don’t have to reach mastery in order for my new skill to be of good use.
- Comparison is only useful to a certain level, if its not making me feel good to look at other people’s output, then I can stop doing that and focus on, accept and love my own unique journey.
- There are learning curves for everything. Training wheels are normal to start with. Eventually I’ll move through my mimic stage to develop my own signature style. For now the mimic stage is fine granted I give credit where credit is due and respect intellectual property boundaries.
- My teacher’s responsibility is to provide a useful and well organized curriculum, its my responsibility to implement it.
- I’m doing great. I’m proud of myself. This is a journey that I can relax into. I don’t have to have it all figured out and implemented this red-hot minute!
- I trust my process. I trust life. Life is good. I’m fortunate to live in this time and space and have the access that I do.
- I’m really appreciative of this experience I have drawn to myself. Its fascinating, I’m learning a lot. I’ll figure out how to apply it all as I go along.
- For now, I can enjoy my process. It’s uniquely mine. Nobody else in the multiverse is me. I’m contributing to the whole by just being authentically me.
©2012 Christina L. Merkley
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this blurb and a functional link to my site:
Author’s Bio: Christina Merkley, “The SHIFT-IT Coach” and creator of the SHIFT-IT System®, is a Visioning and Strategic Planning Expert specializing in Visual Thinking and Law of Attraction techniques. Based in charming Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she works deeply with individuals, partners and conscious businesses to define and manifest what they truly want. And, trains other helping professionals in her innovative ways of working. For more information visit: www.shift-it-coach.com and www.visualcoaches.com
The Positive Role of Angst and Discomfort
This article has been brewing for a while, as I’ve been learning more about this topic myself — the natural role of angst and discomfort as part of the creative or evolutionary process.
Cartoon Via Brands of the World on Facebook
Bad Stuff is Not Necessarily Bad:
One thing that I find very interesting in my LOA work and as a visual facilitator and coach … is the role of tension, angst, discomfort — in short, the so-called ‘bad stuff’. People new to the Law of Attraction and new facilitators and other process leads, naively think that they are doing something wrong if ‘bad’ things happen in their life or events.
While experiencing challenging, hard or even brutal stuff in your life … or in your facilitated sessions (see cartoon!) is often not fun in the moment … it can be a huge cathartic gift that opens things up, gets stale energy moving and results in a creative breakthrough. That could never have happened without the so-called ‘bad’ stuff being expressed.
Abraham-Hicks & THEO’s Shared Message:
In following both Abraham & THEO for years, in my opinion they are advising the same thing about so-called negative events, but in different ways.
Abraham’s Take:
Abraham uses the word ‘contrast‘ to describe the so-called bad stuff in life. That there is an opportunity embedded in the shitty stuff. That we have an opportunity to use the contrast in our lives to get clear about what we next prefer. Lately they have been calling it ‘taking the bounce‘. As in bouncing off the crappy stuff in order to get clear about and orient towards the good stuff. Another wonderful term that they use for this is the ‘rocket of desire‘. Our contrast helps us define our rockets of desires like nothing else does. That in fact, they explain, our dualistic world is set up this way and this is how the leading edge continues to expand and advance.
THEO’s Take:
Integration is the Game!
Ultimately their message is about using your present day triggers to heal yourself, grow up and ultimately create emotional mastery or soul integration.
* For a full explanation of THEO’S Soul Integration Process® and to experience for yourself (aided by visuals maps and direct interaction with THEO) see Thrive in the Time of Awakening that starts October 2nd).
A Martial Arts / Bodybuilding Analogy:
Esoteric stuff like this is challenging to write about. Another way to think about it, is by using a physical analogy, like weight training …
And, as my wonderful integrated movement trainer Blaise Eagleheart reminds me … the best reps in the gym are the ones where it seems like you aren’t making it … where you hit your ceiling. But its those tough reps that are actually requiring your system to recalibrate at a level. Those last few challenging reps are where all the growth happens. That is how we expand into previously unobtainable territory and move down the rack into higher and higher weights (or in the case of life or work, move on into our next level of development and expansion). It seems like we are breaking down but we are actually moving through and up and our body comes back differently as a result next time we do it.
In Closing:
So, the next time something happens in your life or work experiences (especially for the process professionals who are reading this) … something that hurts, stings, or seems bad at the surface. Remember that there is inherently an opportunity embedded in that seeming negativity if you can use it skillfully. I just went through one of these a few weeks ago! There is the opportunity to milk it, use it, work it, SHIFT-IT … to change things to a higher level of order. To get focused on what this tells us about what we DO want (and put our focus, thoughts and actions there) rather than staying on what we don’t want. When we have the discipline to do this new ideas, inklings and actions unfold. And step by step we emerge into our Next Selves (and so do the people we work with in our process work).
©2012 Christina L. Merkley
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb and a functional link to my site:
Author’s Bio: Christina Merkley, “The SHIFT-IT Coach” and creator of the SHIFT-IT System®, is a Visioning and Strategic Planning Expert specializing in Visual Thinking and Law of Attraction techniques. Based in charming Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she works deeply with individuals, partners and conscious businesses to define and manifest what they truly want. And, trains other helping professionals in her innovative ways of working. For more information visit: www.shift-it-coach.com and www.visualcoaches.com
[Thrive in Time of Awakening] MP3 Recording from Ask THEO Radio Show
Last week I was a guest on Sheila and Marcus Gillette’s “Ask THEO Live” Radio Show — on the Voice America7th Wave Network … where their show is ranked #1.
The topic for the episode was “THRIVE IN THE TIME OF AWAKENING” … the title of our upcoming collaborative series that begins Tuesday, Feb. 21st.
On the show we explained what the new expanded series is about, what THEO’s Soul Integration Process is … and how Visual Coaching helps you ground THEO’s big picture perspective into your own individual life.
We also discussed how learning to master your emotional triggers (via Soul Integration) changes your core beliefs and hence your vibrational set point … enabling you to attract more of what you do want and less of what you don’t!
To include you in dialogue, here is a link to the show — loaded with useful guidance from THEO on how to thrive during the accelerated shifts that are happening:
[Note: The above link should instantly open in your computer's audio program. If it doesn't, cut and paste this link into your browser] www.asktheo.com/download.php?f=asktheoRADIO02072012.mp3
Christina with Sheila & Marcus Gillette
If you have been around my community for a while – you know that THEO is a source of information that I have repeatedly used over the years to help me create my own soul-directed life.
I regularly recommend them to clients — most recently bringing Sheila and Marcus into my Biz and Life Accelerator to assist with the Inner Work portion of that dynamic program.
Now we are uniting forces to an even greater extent in our upcoming THRIVE IN THE TIME OF AWAKENING webinar series. The Time of Awakening that THEO has predicted for 40 years is upon us. The acceleration is occurring – right now! It’s the perfect time to go for what you truly want in life and orient your life according.
This unique learning community begins next week on Tuesday, Feb. 21 and runs for 12 consecutive weeks (all webinars recorded). A special opportunity to connect directly with THEO, your cohort mates from around the globe, and Marcus, Sheila and myself — to help you gracefully handle these times of change.
More Info and Online Registration:
Just 12 spots left!
http://www.asktheo.com/thrive2012
Enjoy the audio gift from THEO’s radio show. And for those who are a vibrational match, I look forward to you joining us for the expanded THRIVE IN THE TIME OF AWAKENING series. It’s going to be a fascinating co-created experience!
Yours in Thriving,
P.S.
Spots are limited and down to just 12 at time of writing. Act fast to avoid missing this one-of-a-kind experience.
P.P.S.
Not into the meta-physical / inner growth side of my work? More into the Interactive-Visuals? No problem, for information on upcoming Interactive-Visuals programs, including Fundamentals of Interactive-Visuals and The Magic Marker Mastermind, click here.
Visual Tools to Map Your New Year
Whether you’ve been doing personal visioning and planning work for a while, or are new to it, we can all benefit from doing a Mini SHIFT-IT Retreat every once in a while: checking in on how our life is going and what mid-course corrections we might want to make.
Ideal times to conduct a mini retreat are late December / early January when a brand new year is upon you, when you have some vacation time to step out of your usual existence, or the anniversary date of a particular event or coaching alliance (for example, clients will often do a review session like this on the anniversary date of their initial SHIFT-IT retreat with me to freshen things up).
The Benefits of the Mini SHIFT-IT Retreat:
These quick little retreats help you quickly appreciate what you have accomplished (what you’ve already manifested and attracted) – as well as identify what’s next brewing on your horizon — and the outer and inner shifts you will need to make to get there. They put your life into perspective. Giving you relief, satisfaction and an organized feeling –knowing you have taken a step to deliberately create what you want (not what you don’t want).
How To Do a Mini SHIFT-IT Retreat:
Set aside about 90 minutes where you can be alone and relaxed. Have paper and pen handy (and print off my Mini SHIFT-IT Retreat Tools … link below). Relax. Put your feet up. Some good music on. Kick back.
1. Gratefully Acknowledge What You Have Received:
The key to receiving is ‘having’. Before you embark on new visioning work, think back on what you have already received. Look back on your previous year. What have you received? What has come your way? What did you get? What was once a dream or desire that has now materialized? We can SO quickly forget what we have received and just move onto what we next want. Instead, write down your answers. SEE what you have indeed received. Gratefully acknowledge that you do receive (and plenty!). When you do this you tap into the energy and vibration of ‘having’. That attitude of gratitude vibe goes out into the world and transmits a special kind of message. Attracts more ‘having’ back to you.
2. Make Peace With Your Present State:
A lot of people who do visioning work get themselves bent out of shape – I’ve been guilty of this many times myself. We get so focused on our desired future that our present circumstances frustrate us. The more we can accept and make peace with our present state the better. By accepting I don’t mean that you give up or stop desiring improvements. Just that you soften your energy around your now. Go into where you are. Accept it. Like it. Appreciate the role it is playing (as a necessary transitional bridge). Manifestation and change can take time, depending on what you are starting with and what you desire. Make the process easier by being ok with your present while you take steps to ensure a more satisfying future.
List out where you are now. How do you feel about your now? What is most up or down for you? What crossroads are you standing on now? What issues are stirring you up the most? What areas of life are doing well? Not doing well?
3. Focus on What You Now Desire:
Our wants and desires are alive and fluid and always changing. Take a moment to reflect on what you now desire. Given what you have already accomplished and where you currently are, what do you want for yourself now? As my favorite Law of Attraction teachers Jerry and Esther Hicks say “What rockets of desire have now been launched?” What do you want the year ahead to hold for you?
What do you want to manifest? What changes do you want to occur? Write out your answers. See what evolutionary nudges you are getting. List the whispers you are receiving about what is next for you. Get it down on paper! Even if it somewhat scares you because of its boldness or chutzpah! Don’t censor. Give it it’s first breathe of life by putting it in writing.
4. Flip Your Negative Thoughts:
Negative companions usually follow quickly on the heels of visionary thoughts —- as soon as our rockets of desire are launched, bazookas get pulled out to shoot them down. Write down your instantaneous reactions to your list of wants. Notice your instant positive reactions and welcome them. Then, notice what negative thoughts come up when you write out what you want? What contradictory thoughts do you hear – doubts, uncertainties and self sabotage?
Capture in writing all of these negative reactions and then do the work of finding a better feeling thought to counter them – FLIP IT – FLIP IT GOOD!. Make the effort to change your internal programming – even just cleaning up one little degree of resistance can have a huge impact on your overall trajectory.
5. Identify and Take Your Next Steps:
When you get aligned with what you really, really want (your Personal Vision) certain things, people, places and steps will naturally start to emerge. Pay attention to the thoughts that swiftly follow FLIP IT work – the ideas, inklings and intuitions about what to do next.
What ideas do you get about easy, natural next steps? Given where you are and where you want to go, what little things can you begin to do to close the gap? What will make movement towards your goals that you can begin today? Write down your next steps and put accountability dates to them. Put them into your calendar and schedule. Find a support buddy, mastermind group or private coach to support and guide you.
Access to Mini SHIFT-IT Retreat Instructions and Maps
I’ve created several maps plus a detailed instruction booklet to guide you in doing the steps outlined above (I’m sharing them with you, my loyal SHIFT-IT e-Zine readers, as a holiday gift!).
 |
 |
 |
 |
DOWNLOAD MAPS AND INSTRUCTION BOOKLET HERE Happy SHIFTing everyone and keep telling your new 2011 story until it becomes your norm and your new vibration!
Transformations Via the Tube
I’ve had an ‘interesting’ fall with lots of changes. Good change … but even positive change requires some integration time.
While not a big T.V. watcher generally … I’ve found myself cocooned in front of the tube (or more accurately my laptop screen) as the days have grown shorter and darker … being a voyeur on other people’s transformation experiences.
Yes, T.V. is still on one level a ‘vast wasteland’ … lots of brainwashing stuffed with drama, materialism, narcissism and tons of pretty bad behavior (kids, don’t try this at home!). However, in the reality programming genre, there is some surprising good information to be had for those on a transformation or ‘SHIFT’ journey. You just need to become a ‘selective sifter’ to find it.
Below are some of my top picks for “Transformation Via the Tube” and why …
This show follows mother / daughter singing sensations Naomi and Wynonna Judd on their reunion tour … as they navigate old hurts, differentiate their identities and put on a great show. They travel with their life coach / therapist who facilitates their communication and keeps them respectful to one another. A courageous look at inner work that shows it’s not glamorous, even for a glamour duo like these two.
Note: See previous post about Ashley Judd’s powerful bio / travel memoirs.
Ryan & Tatum: The O’NealsTatum O’Neal made waves with the release of her bio A Paper Life … both publicly and personally. This show charts this famous father and daughter’s attempt to mend very painful fences – right into the rooms of their therapy sessions! Shows the ups and downs of relational recovery work with the peaks of narcissism and the lows of toxic shame. Season one ends as a realistic ‘work-in-progress’.
I commented on Ms Twain’s recently released bio in a previous post (feeling that she had laid out her issues but had not resolved them). Her courageous journey of recovering from betrayal (with roots in a traumatic past) is continued on this inside look via Oprah Winfrey’s OWN channel. Of particular note is the singer’s struggle to ‘revitalize her voice’. Something that many of us metaphorically struggle with too. She learns that the problem lies not in her vocal chords but in claiming her greater power and dignity. Powerful stuff (loved the sessions with Lionel Ritchie and David Foster).
Bethenny Frankel is no stranger to reality t.v. having appeared in Martha Steward’s Apprentice and Housewives of New York. In Housewives we saw her eureka moment with her ‘Skinnygirl’ brand. In ‘Ever After’ we see her capitalize on her margarita idea, in the process giving a much needed kick in the butt to the male dominated spirits industry — and causing Hollywood executives to re-write their talent contracts. Whatever you think about her personality or her drink (I like it!), she’s a force to be reckoned with … and gifts us in seeing the hard outer and inner work that preceded her remarkable success.
Cesar Milan: The Dog Whisperer
I first wrote about my fascination and appreciation of Cesar Milan’s work back in this article in 2006. His salt and pepper is more salt these days (and whew … does he ever wear it well!) AND his wisdom about inner energy and how it affects outer results is as perceptive as ever. As he says ‘he’s in the biz of rehabilitating dogs and TRAINING people’ — to step into their calm and assertive leadership energy. That same SHIFT is so applicable to all areas of life, not just pets!
Intervention and Relapse
On a serious note, the work of recovery shows Intervention and Relapse are remarkable in their mission of educating about addiction recovery. Not only for the addicted individual but also for the family system that has been so impacted. See Sober Coaches and their clients in action. A heroic journey of righting one’s life, for one’s self. Gorgeous but not pretty.
From histories in Home Improvement shows, best friends Tracy Hutson & Tanya McQueen pair up for this light-hearted transformation romp. Are you tired of our throw away culture? Yearn to transform the old into the new without tossing it all away. These two travel far and wide to transform one person’s junk into another person’s treasure. A great metaphor for appreciation of the past and personal reinvention. Fun!
©2011 Christina L. Merkley
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this blurb and a functional link to my site:
Author’s Bio: Christina Merkley “The SHIFT-IT Coach” and creator of the SHIFT-IT System® is a Visioning and Strategic Planning Expert specializing in Visual Thinking and Law of Attraction techniques. Based in charming Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she works deeply with individuals, partners and conscious businesses to define and manifest what they truly want. And, trains other helping professionals in her innovative ways of working. For more information visit: www.shift-it-coach.com
IN APPRECIATION OF JERRY HICKS: WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF …
IN APPRECIATION OF JERRY HICKS: WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF …
Last week I heard the news on the passing of Jerry Hicks from Abraham-Hicks – a man who through his wonderful work has influenced me deeply.
Esther & Jerry Hicks
I only met Jerry in person once (briefly on one of the Abraham-Hicks cruises). But I, like so many from around the world, feel a strong affinity with him and his mission via The Abraham-Hicks teachings.
The husband of Esther Hicks … his loving and gifted partner — it was Jerry’s strong quest for life’s answers that created not only a remarkable life for himself but generously so for the rest of us who benefit from the wisdom of their work.
Esther sent out a beautiful note … that captures so well the spirit of Jerry and their relationship and how it (and their work) will continue via Jerry’s new vantage place. There is also a link where appreciations for Jerry can be posted online.
Esther’s Email: Click Here to View
Appreciation Posts for Jerry: Click Here to View
In honor of Jerry, I’m reposting an article from a few years’ back containing The Wouldn’t It Be Nice If process. A wonderfully simple focus tool to get your mind (and heart) focused on what you do want (rather than what you don’t). A practical example of their Law of Attraction expertise.
“THE WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF” PROCESS:
A Helpful Focus Tool
Whether you are a seasoned SHIFTer or new to the journey, here is a helpful exercise you can do regularly to aid in the manifestation of your desired outcomes. Called the “Wouldn’t It Be Nice If” process – from one of my favorite sources of Law of Attraction and Deliberate Creation information (Jerry and Esther Hicks and The Teachings of Abraham — see their book “Ask and It Is Given”). I’ve taken the liberty of creating a visual tool to help you do it.
Download “Wouldn’t It Be Nice If” Map Here
Directions:
1. Identify Your Focus Area:
Take a moment to identify the focus of what you want to apply your map to … perhaps you’d like to apply it to the topic of ‘right livelihood’ given the examples of my clients and students that I’ve been sharing with you (FYI: you can focus this map on any area of your work and life – whatever you want to bring more positive energy and focus to).
2. Answer This Simple Question:
Now that you have the topic you wish to focus your map on … gentle ask yourself this simple question: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice If … ” and let answers pop into your mind. Record your answers on the map.
3. Suspend Your Inner Critic:
Write whatever comes into your mind – do not censor! The first step in manifesting what you want is to begin to articulate and FEEL what you truly desire. This process subtly helps you poke into the energy of what you desire – even if you still have resistance in the way (disbelief, doubt, guilt, embarrassment, uncertainty, etc). You are not making a locked-in-stone commitment — you are merely playing the ‘wouldn’t it be nice if’ game.
4. Notice the “Hot Spots”:
If this is the first time you have poked into what you truly want and/or if you have a lot of resistance on the subject, be aware that it might feel a bit awkward to begin with. Keep going. Don’t give up. Notice how as you stick with it (like after the 5th or 6th answer) your energy begins to ‘warm up’ a little. That is normal. Pay attention to the ‘hot spots’ … those answers that ‘light you up’ (even if just a little bit) when you contemplate them. That my friends is ENERGY (what successful Law of Attraction is about). Big SHIFTs can begin with little sparks.
An Example:
FYI, your right livelihood (or whatever you are in the process of manifesting) will be an unfolding, evolving journey— its not like you will ‘get it’ and all will be perfect and set. Even with the accomplishment of big SHIFTs in your life … your desires will continue to morph and change … that’s evolution alive and kickin’ in you.
I’ve been doing ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice If’ maps for years now … and my answers continue to morph and shift as my next chapters gather clarity and momentum within me. Here’s one I’ve just done to give you an example.
Wouldn’t It Be Mice Map
Please Note: do not let my answers influence you unless you truly resonate with them … what you want for yourself may be radically different … this is just where I was at in my journey a few years ago and I offer it by way of example of how to do the map … not what or how to think/feel! Your own guidance will direct you as to what the right answers are for you!
©2011 Christina L. Merkley
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this blurb and a functional link to my site:
Author’s Bio: Christina Merkley “The SHIFT-IT Coach” and creator of the SHIFT-IT System® is a Visioning and Strategic Planning Expert specializing in Visual Thinking and Law of Attraction techniques. Based in charming Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she works deeply with individuals, partners and conscious businesses to define and manifest what they truly want. And, trains other helping professionals in her innovative ways of working. For more information visit: www.shift-it-coach.com
My Journey with Graphic Coaching
Click Above to Watch Video
I was interviewed about my Graphic Coaching niche for an American T.V. show earlier in the year … called Meet the Experts (see video to right)
While Arielle Ford and I didn’t have time to go into it, many people ask me how I came to have such an unusual profession … so this article outlines the evolution of Graphic Coaching and the path I took to create this my unique work and how I now teach others to do it too.
Early Background:
For many years I worked in both the United States and Canada as a ‘graphic recorder’ and a ‘graphic facilitator’, in corporate, governmental and not-for-profit settings. In a nutshell, both these roles use visuals to help groups understand each other and make collaborative decisions.
Always interested in personal growth, in 2000 I enrolled in coach training via The Coaches Training Institute and also became an Alchemical Hypnotherapist. While I enjoyed my facilitation work with companies, it required me to travel extensively (leaving little time for anything else) and to sometimes work with organizational mandates I wasn’t fully aligned with. So I was on the lookout for an entrepreneurial venture that I could be morally congruent with and hopefully not travel as much (where people could come to me or we could work online).
Doing Focus Wheel Work With a Client
In coaching and hypnotherapy school I discovered that I was very popular with the other students … they wanted to work with me because of the cool visual notes I took of their sessions instead of just the verbal way that the other coaches worked (as a professional doodler I just couldn’t help but create visual summaries of the insights, ahhas and results that my clients came to).
Spotting a market opportunity, I tried for a while to convince other visual colleagues that they should develop “Graphic Coaching” … as I was too busy to explore it more seriously. However that all changed on the morning of September 11th in 2001 as I awoke in my San Francisco home to the trauma of that infamous day. I was supposed to be in New York that week but a series of synchronicities had kept me away.
Watching lives being forever changed … I made a vow that day to reorganize my life around the things that really mattered to me. To pursue what I was most attracted to, even if it seemed unusual or strange … as life can be short.
Within a year I had moved back to my beautiful hometown of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada … and set about creating a new life and livelihood.
I continued to do graphic recording and graphic facilitation work and concurrently developed Graphic Coaching — developing my signature process and suite of 17 visual tools: The SHIFT-IT Graphic Coaching Process®.
There are so many ways that one can work visually with individuals, biz partners and couples — using different processes and formats. In the early days I mostly did strategic planning hybrids … helping people literally SEE where they had been (Life Maps), where they wanted to go (Personal Visions) and how to organize their steps to get there (Action Plans). Later my specialty honed into the area of resistance — what I call “Trouble at the Border”. Pinpointing and flipping the inner blocks, self-sabotage and wonky energy that prevents people from having what they desire.
Me in Front of my SHIFT-IT Templates
Today Graphic Coaching is growing nicely, aided by the growing ranks of Certified Graphic Coaches. They work in a diversity of environments and specialty areas including: executive coaching, small biz & solopreneurs development, military, grief & bereavement, first nations, autism, eating disorders, relationships, social justice & youth, human trafficking, mind/body and weight loss, abundance, health and wellness, etc.
Each cohort brings a new group of fascinating professionals who are doing great work in the world … and doing it even better by learning how to effectively use visuals to help their clients SHIFT.
While it hasn’t always been easy, I’m proud that I pursued my dream and have successfully SHIFTed my own work. And that I get to help others do the same. Its exciting to see the ripple effect as the work expands internationally.
How You Can Learn More:
If you’d like to learn more about Graphic Coaching and how to add its client-pleasing effects to your own practice, please check out Graphic Coach Certification … the next cohort is now forming. Or, if you are client looking to be coached in the visual way … check out my coaching options and the Directory of Graphic Coaches for a qualified coach near you.
Smartly Use Your Summer for Strategic Growth
I’m an independent professional — and most of the people I coach are too (or they want to be). As such, the summertime presents an interesting opportunity for those of us who are consultants, facilitators, trainers, coaches and the like. With over a decade of being self-employed, I’d like to offer a few suggestions for those who might be newer to the terrain … so you can truly enjoy this special time of year.
Projects Still Happen
If you are new to the free agent lifestyle, let me reassure you that yes, projects still happen during the summer time. This is a conversation I’ve been having with some of the newer graphic recorders and graphic facilitators I mentor (and other solopreneurs who deal with corporate and other types of clients).
While it is normal for contract work to slow during the warmer weather, it still exists. In fact, some types of work can only happen during summertime … as it’s the only chance our clients have to focus on important but not urgent things. My private trainings and retreats actually increase during the summer, as clients have a natural lull in their own workloads and/or use their summer vacation to develop new skills. Or, to sort out what they want the next phase of their business or life to be.
So, if you are new to this kind of lifestyle — rest assured that work still exists in the summer — if you want it to! (and if you keep your mindset and energy in a receptive state).
Have Fun – It’s Good for Your Vibe
In my earlier years in consulting, I was nervous about summer (and Christmas) lulls. However, over the years I’ve come to trust the process … and take advantage of the special energy that these seasons hold. My team is back and forth on vacations (which slows everything down anyways) and it’s a great time for me to take some much needed R&R too. Something us workaholics need to remember the importance of. And, creativity often needs downtime to properly germinate our next round of ideas!
If we can relax into our down time … our energy changes to a lighter place. We breathe differently, we smile more, our body calms … the hyped up state that many of us spend our days in actually mellows. Which is a very good thing from an energy and Law of Attraction point of view. A happy, relaxed person is a much better attractor than someone who is worried, scared or negatively focused. Or on overdrive. In short, mellowing out is good for you and helps your bottom line! And, when work boomerangs back to you (which it will in September) you’ll be refreshed and ready for it!
Take Charge of Your Own CalendarAnother thing that has helped immensely over the years is adding offerings to my sales funnel that I am in charge of – rather than all of my work being dependent on contracting gigs. With my public workshops and trainings, I create a framework for my calendar (sometimes up to 18 months in advance) Through this advanced scheduling, I know what I am doing and when. And my other work falls in around this underlying structure (like many little pebbles falling in amongst bigger boulders as one of my coaches used to say). I strategically schedule my offerings so I leave parts of my work week open for opportunities that are spontaneously attracted. It’s a great system that has worked beautifully for me — gives me a great balance of stability and spontaneity.
Speaking of calendars, my team and I have finalized mine to the end of 2012 (see the events section for details). Taking charge of your calendar and building a proper sales funnel is one of the many techniques I teach in my Biz and Life Accelerator. If you are a new or seasoned solo practitioner or small biz owner in the 50-300k range (or want to be) … I invite you to apply for this one-of-a-kind incubator. So you can enjoy not only summer but every season of your calendar!
Yes, Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch
Listen to this article
Or right click here to download the audio.
___________
A good mentor is worth their weight in gold. Sometimes their advice, wisdom and perspective on a situation can open up a whole new way of being – that shifts the trajectory of one’s life.
I am fortunate to not only be a good mentor but to have wonderful mentors too. One such mentor is a good friend who is a real estate developer … who plays a much larger financial game than I. I really admire his solution-oriented mind and ability to focus on what CAN be done rather than on what can’t.
He spots opportunities where others don’t and has learned to proceed confidently on his intuitions and instincts. And while his life is far from stress-free he understands how important it is to maintain an even keel on attitude and emotion. That remaining in a positive state of mind is essential for success. In short, he lives his life in accordance with Law of Attraction premises … even if he doesn’t spout the entire LOA lingo.
1. The Trance of Limited Thinking
We were brainstorming some financial ideas the other day when he TOTALLY busted me on some insidious thinking. He’s great on reading body language, and, noticing a shift in my state, asked me what I was thinking. Without hesitating I responded, “I just don’t like to count my chickens before they hatch”. And he started laughing. Hard. “Wow, that is the complete opposite of what you preach with Law of Attraction … you SHOULD count your chickens before they hatch.” Darn it. He was completely and absolutely right. I had slipped into the trance of limited thinking and holding back on feelin’ the good stuff!
2. Dare to Hope
In order to create something we first need to at least consider it. Then move into aligning with it more fully. We really do need to “count our chickens before they hatch” to quote my smart and funny friend. But many of us, myself included, have a hard time daring to hope on some subjects. Daring to consider something that we have not yet experienced. But it’s really an insidious catch-22. In order to experience something we first need to positively consider it. As Abraham-Hicks says, we have to take the emotional or vibrational journey first … then physical reality will follow.
3. Find the Positive Feeling
It’s not enough to consider things. We need to consider them in an affirmative or positive light. We need to find the positive ‘feeling place’ of them. Which can be difficult if we have never felt positive feelings about the subject or find it hard to consistently holding a positive attitude about it.
In the instance with my friend, the situation involved receiving support. I am, for good and bad, an independent person. So it’s not an overly familiar experience for me to receive support from others. I am usually the person giving it. Have been like that since childhood – a holdover of eldest daughter syndrome I suppose. Or being a military brat where you learn to be self-sufficient and stoic.
So, I need to count my chickens before they hatch. Find the feeling place of receiving. Of being supported. Taken care of. Liked. Assisted. Accepted. Helped. Allow myself to receive. Rather than waiting or putting it off or being a stoic lone ranger. Not easy for an independent gal like me to do. But definitely something I am willing to learn how to do better! And a quality that pays off in many areas of life.
4. The Feminine or Beta Polarity
Part of what is going on for me is finding the feminine or ‘beta’ polarity in life. For quite some time I have been on a masculine or ‘alpha’ trajectory. Focusing on my business, working hard, applying myself and working my way up in the world so to speak. At 42 it’s time to learn how to balance my energies more … to even out the other side of the equation. To marry my masculine qualities with equally powerful, but different, feminine qualities. A lot of professional women in my generation are learning to do the same thing – in order to have more balanced and satisfying lives. It’s a fascinating process.
5. How About You?
Whether you are male or female (or favor a masculine or feminine way of being in the world) … how is your ability to break out of your familiar expression in order to feel the other orientation? If you tend to favor the masculine or alpha way of being (doing, making, controlling) … can you feel into the power of the feminine or beta way of being (receiving, attracting, allowing) … or visa versa?
What areas do you feel scarcity or lack in your life? Where are you leery of imaging good things coming to you? Out of superstition or fear. Or just plain unfamiliarity.
See if you can imagine (even for just a quick moment) being someone who HAS, rather than someone who doesn’t. It can be in any area of life that you want to expand into. See if you can feel how good it feels to live in a different ‘story’. When you are able to hold this feeling for a few moments, work on extending the amount of time you are able to feel it. This is the power of Law of Attraction … as like attracts like. Keep at it and those chickens will be scurrying around your feet in no time!
For the full SHIFT-IT e-Zine Archives: Click Here
For the full SHIFT-IT Audio Library (mp3): Click Here
©2011 Christina L. Merkley
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this blurb and a functional link to my site:
Christina Merkley, “The SHIFT-IT Coach” and creator of the SHIFT-IT System®, is a Visioning and Strategic Planning Expert specializing in Visual Thinking and Law of Attraction techniques. Based in charming Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she works deeply with individuals, partners and conscious businesses to define and manifest what they truly want. And, trains other helping professionals in her innovative ways of working. For more information visit: www.shift-it-coach.com
Events Calendar
CHRISTINA’S CURRICULUM: UPCOMING EVENTS
SHIFT-IT Central®
Mondays, 5pm Pacific (weekly drop-in support … join the community today!)
Join the growing SHIFT-IT Community! Christina’s private coaching schedule is full with Accelerator and VIP clients, however she’s accessible for others who want to make their SHIFTs too. This weekly tele-program offers affordable drop-in coaching and mentoring in an open, community atmosphere. Receive direct SHIFT-IT coaching with Christina and/or listen in on others. Bust through your resistance, release your blocks, enhance your vibration, receive warm-hearted community support. For new and seasoned SHIFTers alike. Join Us Here
The SHIFT-IT Online Group
7-week Webinar Course: Saturdays, Jan. 15-Feb. 26, 2011
Christina’s foundational course — that grounds you in the philosophy of SHIFT-IT! Join like-minded people from around the globe in this leading-edge transformational experience. Heal your past, process your present and create your best-case scenario future. Learn fundamental Law of Attraction principles to shift your professional and/or personal life … now and for years to come. All in her pioneering ‘graphic coaching’ style – using the power of visual tools to Become Your Next Self. Offered Only Twice a Year. Full Details and Online Registration ***registration until 2nd class tomorrow!
The Fundamentals of Interactive Graphics
May 19-21, 2011, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Learn “Interactive-Graphics” to enhance your consulting, facilitation, training or coaching work with groups or individuals. Hands-on, direct mentoring with recognized female teacher in this lucrative niche. This professional skills training equips you with the base skills to do Custom Chart Work, Graphic Recording, Graphic Facilitation and Graphic Coaching — the four main applications of working visually to reduce conflict, misunderstandings and confusion and to enhance strategic thinking, decision-making and performance. FYI: all artistic levels welcome, you DO NOT need to be an artist to effectively employ this client-pleasing method. Full Details and Online Registration ***Early Bird on Now!
Begin Your Shift Now!
GET 3 FREE VISUAL COACHING TOOLS NOW!
• At the Crossroads
• Focus on Me
• Declaration of Intent
Plus, a subscription to my twice-monthly publication: The SHIFT-IT e-Zine.
THE SHIFT-IT Home
Retreat Kit®
SHIFT-IT is a 7-stage system (with 17 custom 'Merkley Maps') that takes you step-by-step through your past, your present and your desired future.
Clarify what you really, really want and pinpoint and bust through the resistance, self-sabotage and negativity that currently stands in your way.
Become Your Next Self … Now! The world needs you to be living your authentic life!