What Makes This a Good Life for You?

Recently, I noticed something that might seem obvious.

When we get to be ourselves, we tend to be happy.

This struck me after I coached two clients back-to-back. The first client is doing work she loves that really engage all of her strengths doing work she is passionate about. The second client is doing too much of the back office work in his business instead of the creative work he loves.

Both at work and at home, the more all of our strengths and interests are engaged, the more life feels good to us. When our strengths are frustrated, overused or underused, well, we just aren’t very happy.

What Makes this a Good Life for You?

The simple act of taking this photo makes my own top strengths super happy.  Maximizer loves the symmetry I captured.  Empathy feels the artist.  Connectedness feels the connection of art, artist, nature and art appreciator.  Activator just had to take the picture.  Individualization chose to photograph only two pieces and this was one of them.

What about you? If you know your StrengthsFinder strengths, please do share your ideas and insights below.

If you’d like more direction for your good life, take the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment. And, if you’d like some strengths coaching, I’d be happy to help!

Join the conversation – comment below.

Strong You, Strong Work

In the past few weeks, I’ve needed more support than usual from my own coach. And, most of my clients have needed more support from me. One day last week, I received two frantic emails in one day. The subject line of one of them was: Help!

In the 20 years I’ve been coaching, I’d never received a “Help!” email before that. I’ve been wondering what’s in the air.

And then I realized what might be more productive: let you know a bit about how I can help.

AStrong-Buffalo

Buffalo medicine includes abundance, manifestation, generosity, protection and courage.
Artist Karen Windchild. In Eldorado, New Mexico.

 

Whenever you’re ready, here are 4 ways I can help you:


StrengthsFinder

1. Strong Work:
I can’t believe I get paid to do this! audio program

Imagine spending more of your work time fully engaged and feeling fulfilled . . .
When you focus and leverage your strengths, you’ll advance your career or get clients to hire you! Click to learn more.

2. Strong Couple
StrengthsFinder Coaching with me

What would it be like to enjoy more peace, love and understanding in your romantic relationship? When you each know and honor your own and each others’ strengths, that’s exactly what happens. Click to learn more.


Coaching

3. Strong from Within Transformation Forum, group program
How would your life be different if your strongest relationship was the one with yourself? When you focus on yourself, all areas of your life and business improve. Give yourself and the world the gift of more of you! Click to learn more.

4. Work with me one-on-one.
(For established coaches and business owners.)

I have a limited number of coaching opportunities available for established coaches and business owners who want to make more of an impact. When you commit to your greatest contribution, miracles happen. If this sounds like you, email me at Ann@AnnStrong.com, put One-on-One in the subject line and tell me about your Big Dream. I’ll reply to schedule a Coaching Conversation for us to determine if we’d be a good fit.

What about you? Have you needed more support? Been supporting more? What are you noticing?

As always, post your comments, experiences and insights below …

The Amazingly Simple Way to Gain Clarity

Over and over again, clients come to coaching with me to gain clarity. Their number one desire, by far, involves experiencing clarity – both big picture clarity and day-to-day decision-making clarity. In all areas of their lives.

For all of us, clarity naturally occurs when we allow our minds to settle down and we are present in the moment. Take a couple of deep breaths into that. Ahhhh . . .

No multi-tasking, no screens, no running to the next thing. Without resisting what is. Simple quiet mind, present in the moment.

Recently, one of my new clients told me she wanted to experience un-jumbled-ness. What a wonderful way to put it. I could see and feel the jumbledness and I could see and feel it dissolving.

We all have access to clarity in any moment. And we may not have much experience in getting there because we first must override some habitual patterns that lead to jumbledness.

One of my favorite ways to invite clarity involves letting go until the morning. Almost always my mind is more settled and I am more present for the first few hours of the day.

Oh, the clarity that comes as the day settles into night . . .
Oh, the clarity that comes as the day settles into night . . .

One of my clients finds that clarity often comes to her while she’s walking her dog. Another client frequently experiences clarity while showering after a run.

If I’d like clarity around a small decision, like what to eat for lunch, I take a couple of deep breaths and tune into what my body wants.

If I don’t feel super clear and I need to make a decision, I make it with self-compassion and remind myself I’m doing the best I can in the moment. No need to shovel self-judgment into the jumble!

What about you? What allows your mind to settle? What allows you to become present in the moment? I would love to hear from you . . .

Why Might We Like to Perceive in this New Way?

I have been aware of and studying the principles of Thought, Consciousness and Mind for years.* And, I am just beginning to understand the transformative power of not taking regurgitated thought seriously.

When I remember regurgitated thinking is not reality, but rather just regurgitated thinking, then I’ve allowed an opening in my world for fresh, new thinking. With fresh, new thinking comes opportunities I have only dreamed of. With fresh new thinking comes opportunities I have never dreamed of!

When I remember regurgitated thinking is not reality, I don’t take it seriously and my whole world lightens up. Maybe things aren’t as bad as I think. Maybe I don’t need to worry so much. I might notice that things do truly always work out.

When I remember regurgitated thinking is not reality, it gives me the opportunity to remember that my entire experience of life comes from my thinking and feeling, not from ANY external circumstances.

The landscape of my wonderful life.  Focusing on this beauty rather than  getting bogged down in the mud - the literal mud and the mud in my mind!

The landscape of my wonderful life. Focusing on this beauty
rather than getting bogged down in the mud – the literal mud
and the mud in my mind!

It frees me up to experience my wonderful life even if I don’t have as much money in the bank as I would like. Or, if I’m tired. Even if I’m cranky. How great is that – to experience my wonderful life even if I’m cranky?!?

Why might we like to perceive in this new way? Maybe because we can stop chasing and immediately access our wonderful life that is always right here. Well, that’s a bit of a new thought . . .

* If you’d like to dive deeper into these principles, I highly recommend Michal Neill’s book, The Inside Out Revolution or Ken Manning, Robin Charbit and Sandra Krot’s book for business, Invisible Power. Better yet, give yourself the gift of reading both.

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for returning to the joy of you”)

Heart Wide Open

Happy Gratitude! On the eve of our US holiday of appreciation, I give you this poem from my forthcoming book …

Heart Wide Open

Heart Wide Open

Warm sun.
Deep breath.
Kitty purr.
Coffee gurgle.

Soft eyes.
Beating heart.
Soft heart.
Armor melted.

Open arms.
Embracing all.
Boundaries melting.

Open mind.
Open heart.
Quiet mind.
Quiet heart.

Recognition.
Realizing.
Beyond the beyond.

Heart wide open.
Mind in awe.
Surrendered.
In awe.

No rush to cover.
Or control.
Or contract.
Heart wide open.

Heart wide open.

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for returning to the joy of you”)

The Best Way to Take a Stand for Your Contributions

Last week, one of my colleagues told me that learning his top 5 StrengthsFinder strengths changed the trajectory of his life.

This after I had encouraged him to take the StrengthsFinder assessment when he had shared some frustrations about his job. Wow, he caught my attention, and I couldn’t wait to find out what he meant.

He told me that all of his life he had tried to bring new ideas and improvements to his jobs only to be told over and over again, “That’s not what we hired you for. Just do your job.”

His strengths indicate that his genius lies in sifting through many big ideas, projecting them into the future, choosing the ones that will make a huge impact and bringing those to fruition. We are talking about ideas on par with iPhone, Facebook or Uber. When his StrengthsFinder report echoed what he already knew about himself, he transformed in that moment.

“I have to start my own company. I am not going to let anyone hold me back anymore. I know I can make this happen.” In an instant, he went from feeling depressed and frustrated about being under-utilized to taking a stand for the huge contribution he is here to bring into reality.

It brought tears to my eyes. How would our experience of life shift if we each took a stand for ourselves and our unique strengths and contributions?!?

I’m on a mission.

Shidoni Sculpture Gardens in Teseque, NM

One of my greatest contributions based on my StrengthsFinder Strengths: seeing and calling forth your brilliance and your contributions. I spotted and captured this incredible contribution at the Shidoni Sculpture Gardens. Tesuque, NM.

If you already know your strengths and contributions, would you be willing to share them here to inspire others?

If you don’t yet know your top 5 StrengthsFinder strengths, would you be willing to love yourself and the world enough to invest $10 and 40 minutes to learn them so you can more confidently make the contributions that are only yours to make?!?

If so, click here to take the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment.

Here’s to more awesome contributions to the planet!

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for returning to the joy of you”)

Post your strengths and contributions below . . .

“Anybody Can Do That.” Or Can They?

When we are most ourselves – radiant and alive – our beingness and what we do comes naturally to us, without self-consciousness or judgment. Often effortlessly. We mistakenly imagine that if it is effortless for us, then it must be effortless for everyone. We also often take that one step further: if it’s effortless, it must be of little value.

Could anybody do this?!?  I don't think so!   As seen in Lamy, NM.  Artist: Jenny Lind of Rainbow Gate in Santa Fe, NM.
Could anybody do this?!? I don’t think so!
As seen in Lamy, NM. Artist: Jenny Lind
of Rainbow Gate in Santa Fe, NM.

Truth: It takes no effort to be you. If you’re struggling, gently look to where you aren’t allowing you.
Truth: It would take great effort and net poor results for others to try to be you.

What might it take for you to release self-judgment and self-consciousness that tends to dim your radiance?

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for returning to the joy of you”)

I would love your thoughts and responses. Post comments and insights below . . .

Our YES to Rebirth

I tend to be a bit slow to embrace change so I’ve been clinging to an old life for more than a year.  It’s been time to leave the romantic relationship I ended a year ago, deepen the nature of my coaching work and move to a quiet, spacious place (with far fewer people) where I could feel home.

So change has embraced me.  Well, maybe more like wrestled me into submission!

Just last week, I shared with you that every time for the past two months that I looked at a wonderful home in New Mexico, it would then vaporize.  So, I loosened my grip on the idea that it had to happen now.  Which, of course, gave some space for it to happen now.

I am SOOOO excited to share with you that I am moving to a beautiful, light-filled casita in Lamy, New Mexico (20 minutes southeast of Santa Fe) in about 17 days. (But who’s counting?!?)

New Mexico

One of the many views from the portal of
my new Zen Casita!

Which gave me the courage to finally face what has been going on with me that wasn’t allowing me to cleanly end the relationship.  And I freed myself. 

Which then gave me the courage to begin birthing an intimate, weekend Next Chapter Women’s Retreat – in gorgeous Lamy, of course!  Stay tuned for details . . .

What about you?  What in your old life is dying in order for you to say “Yes” to rebirth?

Post your comments, insights and progress below.

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