Love, Freedom, Fasting, Winning and the Tiger!


What a powerful line-up!

It’s always fascinating to see how certain things coincide. I’m reflecting on the past 3 weeks: Valentines Day, Presidents Day, the start of Lent, Chinese New Year, AND the Olympics all falling in the same time frame. As I reflect on each of these events, I’m reminded of the things that make us uniquely human. I feel my energy rising for 2010, and with it, growing optimism, insight, and gratitude!

The weeks kicked off with Valentines Day, the day expressly about showing love. How wonderful! Let’s carry that forward by loving ourselves, warts and all. That’s when we can truly love others, with their warts and all.

Presidents Day. When I was in school, we had two Presidential birthdays in February–and a day off for each…Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12, and Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22. The two Presidents that worked powerfully for freedom…and not just freedom for themselves. They fought for freedom for others very unlike themselves. I believe that their efforts were born of love and integrity. What can we do to uphold or create more freedom, bring more love and integrity into OUR world?

Lent, traditionally a time of fasting. The idea of fasting has always fascinated me, but, truthfully, it’s not something I aspire to practice. I love to eat too much! But, I’ve chosen to use the 40 days as a time to consider what I can give up and sacrifice in order to grow myself into what God created me to be. I CAN give up old habits, old ways of thinking that hold me back. I can leave behind people who try to hold me back. I can release mistakes, “not-done’s”, “shouldn’t have done’s” , etc. I can give up trying to do it all myself, and hand off some work to others. I can give up trying to project a certain image to others, and allow them to see my “warts and all”. What a concept! Seems like that would give me more freedom to be who I am!

Next came the start of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger…another new beginning. The motto of the Tiger? “I win.” What a great motto to embrace for the year! And when you think of it, EVERY day is a beginning of a new year, of a new 365 day cycle.

The Chinese calendar, as well as economic predictions, forecast that it’s not going to be an ordinary year by any means. Things are likely going to be stirred up and bit, things will continue to shift. I already feel it, as I know others do as well.
Of course there are lovely things about the tiger year as well. As things get shaken up, it’s a great time to get very clear about what is really important to you. It’s a good time to go deep spiritually. Dig down into whatever personal spiritual path you choose.

Finally, the Olympics. From my non-calloused viewpoint it’s all about love, freedom, making sacrifices, and, of course, winning. I think that Olympic athletes are the ultimate models for what’s required to be fully who you are…and it’s not about just living on the surface. It’s about digging deep, staying inspired, working hard, getting support, and not giving up. We need to require the same for ourselves.

So as we continue to evolve, let’s move forward with the energy of these four events! Lead with love, work for freedom, give up what doesn’t work for you, and commit to win! Mostly, live with integrity, be considerate of others, keep a low profile, and it’s likely you’ll get through the year unscathed.

So, go get ’em tiger!!

Time is running out for the Business Builders Alaska Cruise!

Time’s running out to grab spots for the Chamber’s incredible Business Builders Cruise to Alaska .

The deadline is 3/15/10! www.businessbuilderscruise.com

I am helping to get workshop leaders from around the country to participate. It’s a great way to merge business and pleasure.

* Departing July 1, 2010 from San Francisco , we’ll spend 10 incredible days of scenery, entertainment, fun,… AND:

food, camaraderie, nightly mixers, plus nearly a dozen valuable, expert-led workshops, 1:1 sessions with experts, plus guest speaker, CJ Hayden of “Get Clients NOW!”!

The destination– Alaska !–including the incredible Tracy Arm Fjord.

* Total value for the workshops alone is over $5000.!–So this trip is a huge value

* What a fabulous way to mix business & pleasure…business cruise = tax deduction+ fun! Oh, and there’s wi-fi in each cabin if you MUST do business, too….

Sponsored by the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce–but open to everyone!

http://www.businessbuilderscruise.com

Peace, and Who We Are

“Peace is not a gender thing or a race thing, it’s a love thing.”

“You could say that ‘love’ is who you are on a deeper level, everything else is a distraction. Follow your feelings, and your heart–and it will guide you.”

“Love seems so divine because as we find the Universe in another, we are actually finding it in ourselves.”

“New love is a sense of discovery and exploration and of new things. Actually, isn’t there always something new to explore? Isn’t that the freshness in life? Isn’t that what breathes life into us?”
–Hemal Radia

Lead Yourself FIRST–Plan and Prepare!

With the recent spate of earthquakes in northern California and Haiti, a lot of folks are thinking about emergency preparedness for themselves and their family. Don’t believe that you are in an “earthquake-free” zone (earthquakes happen everywhere–the largest in the US was in Missouri) or that other events can’t happen. The list below is useful for fire, flood and other disasters.

Here’s a list from a local emergency prep expert. Please forward it to family and friends.

Blessings,

Lynnea Hagen, M.S.

Generally, to be prepared for an emergency, whether it is an earthquake, flood, fire or other event that requires immediate evacuation, are the following:

1. Family plan: Primary and secondary points to meet, especially if scattered at work and school; for us it is the House and secondary is Station 8.

2. Mobilization kit: Important family documents – copies of driver’s license, SSAN, passports, photos of family members, birth certificates; cash; ready to grab and run.

3. First Aid kit: Include family member prescription meds. Include water treatment tablets (MicroPur); Benedryl, Ibuprofen, Immodium, and sterile eyewash.

4. Supplies: Think camping equipment: tent; sleeping bags, tarps; portable stove; nonperishable food items; water treatment; Foul weather gear – raincoat, boots.

5. Cleanup Gear: For staying in the House, you’ll need gloves, including chemical resistant type; shoes; duct tape; plastic tarps (cover windows, roof, etc.), eye protection; and access to tools.

6. Food, Water, Etc.: Don’t go overboard; in an urban setting, food and water will generally be available in short order; but if you have allergies, (i.e., peanut), store some of your favorites; don’t forget treats for the kids and pet food for the animals.

7. Outside Area Phone contact: land lines will be useless and restricted; text messaging will probably work. If possible arrange for an outside area relative to contact since intra-area phone service may be disrupted.

Working in the Red Cross Shelter in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina, I noticed that the single most critical item that people failed to have was Item No. 2 – and it’s the only thing on the list that cannot be provided to you once you are evacuated.

Lead Yourself FIRST–Plan and Prepare!

With the recent spate of earthquakes in northern California and Haiti, a lot of folks are thinking about emergency preparedness for themselves and their family. Don’t believe that you are in an “earthquake-free” zone (earthquakes happen everywhere–the largest in the US was in Missouri) or that other events can’t happen. The list below is useful for fire, flood and other disasters.

Here’s a list from a local emergency prep expert. Please forward it to family and friends.

Blessings,

Lynnea Hagen, M.S.

Generally, to be prepared for an emergency, whether it is an earthquake, flood, fire or other event that requires immediate evacuation, are the following:

1. Family plan: Primary and secondary points to meet, especially if scattered at work and school; for us it is the House and secondary is Station 8.

2. Mobilization kit: Important family documents – copies of driver’s license, SSAN, passports, photos of family members, birth certificates; cash; ready to grab and run.

3. First Aid kit: Include family member prescription meds. Include water treatment tablets (MicroPur); Benedryl, Ibuprofen, Immodium, and sterile eyewash.

4. Supplies: Think camping equipment: tent; sleeping bags, tarps; portable stove; nonperishable food items; water treatment; Foul weather gear – raincoat, boots.

5. Cleanup Gear: For staying in the House, you’ll need gloves, including chemical resistant type; shoes; duct tape; plastic tarps (cover windows, roof, etc.), eye protection; and access to tools.

6. Food, Water, Etc.: Don’t go overboard; in an urban setting, food and water will generally be available in short order; but if you have allergies, (i.e., peanut), store some of your favorites; don’t forget treats for the kids and pet food for the animals.

7. Outside Area Phone contact: land lines will be useless and restricted; text messaging will probably work. If possible arrange for an outside area relative to contact since intra-area phone service may be disrupted.

Working in the Red Cross Shelter in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina, I noticed that the single most critical item that people failed to have was Item No. 2 – and it’s the only thing on the list that cannot be provided to you once you are evacuated.

Join Me & Grow Your Business on a Cruise!

Hello Wonderful Fellow Business Owners!

The S.J. Silicon Valley Chamber is having another Business Builders Cruise “launch event” this Monday, Jan. 11th, at 6:30, at the Chamber headquarters. Please attend! The Princess Cruise Lines rep will be presenting ship and cruise details, and will answering questions as well. Please send the info to your clients, friends, associates…not just for the event, but for the cruise. It’s on the Chamber website, and there’s on-going info. being posted on the cruise website (www.businessbuilderscruise.com).

  • Monday’s event AND the cruise are open to anybody…not just SJ Chamber members. I got a call from a man in Jerusalem, Israel who’s interested in going, and a professor/author from Oregon will be presenting a workshop on the cruise.

  • The workshops alone are worth over $5000… plus you’ll get to experience a fantastic guest speaker, have 1:1 times with the workshop presenters & other experts, have 10 nightly business mixers…plus have a GREAT trip!

  • I will be teaching two workshops, plus scheduling 1:1’s with attendees.

Please check to cruise website often for updates…
I hope to see you in July abroad the beautiful Sea Princess!

Take Care of All Your Bodies– New Year Wisdom

A Happy New Year and A Tiny Bit of Wisdom

by Dreama Vance

Co-founder of InfiniteBeing.com

Everyone wants to feel good. In our world of duality, there is nothing like feeling bad to make you appreciate feeling good!

Good physical health allows and enhances good emotional health and supports spiritual practices. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to move into that quiet meditational space when you have a pounding headache?

We are composed of four bodies – spiritual, mental, emotional and physical. Spiritual teachings say that what you do to one of these bodies affects the other bodies. For instance, frequent meditation brings harmony to your other bodies – to your emotional, mental and physical bodies as well as your spiritual body.

When you change your spiritual body it changes your physical, emotional and mental bodies. When you change your physical body it changes your emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. In fact, you cannot change one without changing the others, too.

While we tend to think of this in terms of healing, wholeness and well being, the flip side is also true. When we unconsciously alter our physical body in a detrimental way (e.g. poor food choices, not enough exercise, too much or too little sunshine, the list goes on…) we negatively impact the emotional, mental and spiritual bodies also.

We may not see this side as quickly or as easily; however, now that you know this, you can be aware and observe. Have you ever known someone with chronic pain or chronic physical illness and seen the drain of energy this has on their emotional body? Or, have you noticed how difficult it is to think clearly when you are suddenly frightened or afraid?

Change one body and you change the others.

Knowing this tiny bit of wisdom helps us realize the importance of making wise choices for all four of our bodies:

* Choose a healthy diet and exercise plan for the physical body.

* Choose peace for the emotional body.

* Choose clarity and positive thoughts for the mental body.

* Choose meditation and acts of loving kindness for the spiritual body.

To close with a quote from my favorite Christmas card,“…Peace and truth be in my days” (2 Kings 20:19 )… and in yours.

Love to you–

Lynnea

Get Me For Free.



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A free coaching consultation with Lynnea Hagen,

Founder & CEO of

The Abundance Coaching Company


Contact the office to schedule your appointment: (408) 975-9930. lynnea@abundancecoaching.net

Abundance Coaching Company, “Your Success is My Business” www.abundancecoaching.net

Slow Down to Speed Up

I led a 4-hour workshop last week for a corporate board of directors…each one, especially the CEO, concerned with better time management, how to “save time”.

I don’t believe in saving time…all we can do is take very good care of our very special selves. We need to rid ourselves of “stuff”: stuff that distracts our bodies , minds & spirits from our path, or things that drain our precious physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual energies. And sometimes the best way to recoup our energies is to s-l-o-o-w d-o-w-n. As Loeher and Schwartz demonstrated in their “Energy Project” work with champion athletes, we need to alternately move from the “performance zone”, into the the “recovery zone”….or we’ll feel..and BE..depleted, moving into the “burnout zone”.

We get so buried by “clutter” in our relationships, homes, thoughts, feelings, desks, addictions, bad habits, interruptions at work, phone calls, emails, trying to “do it all” that we don’t let ourselves take time to do the ONE thing that can help us be more effective & productive….and that’s to stop. Stop to think, to plan, to relax, to regroup, to meditate, to pray, to look at the blessings around us; to clear our minds, emotions & spirit.

We need to slow down to speed up. We can’t be in the “performance zone” all the time. We need…we NEED the “recovery zone”. That’s how Olympic champions train to be their best, and that’s what we need, too. We need to lead ourselves first, from within, to be our best on the outside…

The commentary below was written by speaker & coach Stephanie Frank….

Slow down to speed up

Just finished watching the movie Peaceful Warrior. (If you haven’t seen it, go grab a copy at the DVD store. It’s one you’ll want to see more than once).

In the movie, Dan, the main character, has a very busy life. He’s a young college student and athlete, bound for the Olympics, he trains hard, plays hard and gets good grades. A certain feeling of uneasiness comes over him about his life, something he’s never had before. He seeks the counsel of a wise elder who begins to show him the way.

At one point in the movie, they agree to meet at a bridge overlooking a shallow creek at the college for a lesson. Dan, in his hurried world, totally forgets that he also has an athletic tryout at the same time he agreed to meet his mentor. He tells his friend to hold a spot for him at the gym, and sprints to the bridge. He catches up with his mentor Soc (short for Socrates) who is leaning on the bridge railing, quietly observing nature.

“Soc, I’m sorry,” Dan blurts out “I completely forgot I have tryouts in a few minutes. Can we make this quick?”

“Sure,” says Soc.

And he throws Dan over the bridge, into the water.

“WHAAAAAAA!” yells Dan, as he jumps up, soaking wet. “What did you do THAT for?”

“When you were falling, what were you thinking of?” Soc said quietly.

Dan stared blankly, unable to answer.

“NOTHING” said Soc. “You were totally in this moment. You weren’t thinking of the tryout, you weren’t thinking of school you weren’t thinking about anything except what you were experiencing, right here, right now. Slow down. Be present. Look at everything going on around you.”

“There’s nothing going on,” said Dan as he observed the people in the park.

“Look closer” said Soc.

Soon Dan began to notice things. Little things at first. The lovers smiling and kissing. The dog grabbing a ball. Then, as he got into the moment, he began to notice true beauty around him. The leaves on the trees. The sound of the wind blowing. Laughter, insects and even the sound of the water running in the creek.

Slowing down is an important part of speeding up. Do you spend time in observation, totally in silence, or are you racing through life trying to reach a destination?

My plan for this year is to slow down to speed up. Huge things are happening for me that I’ll share in other posts, and in order to receive those huge gifts (and realize my dreams), slowing down must happen.
Happy Holidays and MANY LITTLE BLESSINGS to you–
Lynnea

I am gratitude fanatic…and from what I hear and read, I’m not the only one! When interviewing experts and authors on my “Abundance Leadership” radio program, gratitude was mentioned several times as a powerful force to change one’s attitude, productivity, relationships, and environment.

As a tribute to my favorite holiday, I’m sending along some thoughts on the importance and power of living in a state of gratitude, of thankfulness EVERY day…not just on the fourth Thursday of November.

Gratitude is a huge way to lead ourselves! It makes our lives moreenjoyable, more rich, and makes us happier! …And happier people have better relationships, live longer AND make more money!

“Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It’s a way to live.” ~Jackie Windspear, author.

lynnea 2007 “Sometimes we get so caught up in the future, we forget to take pleasure in what we have. We become so obsessed with ‘I want, I want, I want’, there is no room left to notice that we are already standing neck-deep in grace.” ~ Carolyn Hobbs, therapist, writer, teacher

“Appreciation can make a day, even change your life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” ~ Margaret Cousins, author

“Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.” ~ Jacques Maritain, philosopher

“It’s a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation.” ~ Roberto Benigni, actor & director

“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing, and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.” ~ G.K. Chesterton, writer

There are myriad things for which we can be grateful–and we need to BE grateful before we can be entrusted with more. Look at all you have now…my gosh! Every day I am grateful for the miracle of being able to feed myself, to speak, to read, sing, and walk. I am SO grateful that I can contribute to the Salvation Army or Food Bank.!

Above all, I am deeply grateful for the loving people in my life: for you, for my friends and family, for my sons and their spouses, for my adorable little dog (who can always make me laugh on my worst days!), and for all the unknown people whose efforts and caring make my life so full.

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~Marcel Proust, writer

Book: Grace, by B.C. Aronson, editor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

thanksgiving The quotes that I used in this message came from the book, Grace. It is a compilation of “quotes & passages for heart, mind, and soul.”

Grace is a collection of insights from 250 extraordinary people in all walks of life–spiritual leaders, writers, politicians, entertainers, philosophers, business people. It’s warm little pick-up-and glance through” treasure that will help put you in a happier, more grateful attitude….and when you’re there, you will see your life and business change. I guarantee it.


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