Category: My Journey

I’ve been looking at this whole “business” thing the wrong way!

My intention and decision to study as a coach was never about making money, it was so much more than that. It was about making a difference in someone’s life.  It was about changing the world, one person at a time if I had to.

After completing and earning my Coaching Certification, then going further and achieving Master Coach status, I did private individual coaching. I guided my clients through a 16hr Personal Breakthrough Experience.  Although I loved what I did, there was something missing.

It’s been difficult to get established, and build up a reputation as a coach since leaving South Africa and arriving in Canada 2 and half years ago. I really didn’t know which way to go, so I tried numerous, different things. None of them worked, and I found myself floundering. I was searching for clarity and signs of what my next step would be.

What did I really want to do with all this knowledge I had acquired? How could I share it most effectively?

I decided to sign up for a Master in Business Abundance Course, and I’m working on my presentation for the last lesson. The course is about attracting more clients, generating more income, and building a solid foundation for your business. A solid step-by-step plan for success.

Whilst working, I started feeling a bit overwhelmed, so I decided to take a break and go out to the shops . On the way back home, I was practicing present moment awareness and marveling at the wonderful world we live in. There was snow all around.  Every branch on the trees had collected about 2 inches of snow. It looked like they were holding the purity of the snow in their arms for as long as they could, before it fell to the ground.

Then it hit me!

Once again, the strong feeling of gratitude opened me up to hearing the answers I’ve been looking for.   It’s not about making money, it’s about making a difference!! It’s not a business, it’s a calling! Referring to it as a business confused me and sent out the wrong message to the universe. This journey started after I had my own Personal Breakthrough Experience. The personal growth and the insights I received were so profound, I knew I had to pay it forward. Somewhere along the way, I’d lost sight of that.  My objective and goal is to inspire people to be the best they can be. To live in balance with others and their environment.  I want someone to look at me and say, “Because of you, I changed my life…….”

 I’d found the clarity I was looking for, and I’ve changed my whole perspective on how I’m putting my business plan together………

Stay tuned!

With love and light,

Doris

I have always been a very methodical and structured person. That isn’t always a bad thing, but it does limit you from expanding your knowledge and experiencing variety.

As a life coach, I’ve always used a set format during my sessions with clients. This has worked well, and my clients have achieved much success and personal growth. Everything was all packaged nice and neatly in a box, until I met Kim and Casey!!

Kim and Casey are on the total opposite spectrum of “structured and methodical”.

I’ll go back to when I first met Kim and Casey…..

Kim came highly recommended when I was looking for a hairdresser, so I phoned and made an appointment. That phone call became a pivotal moment in my life!  I actually wondered if I’d come to the right place when I rang the door bell and Casey opened the door, because there stood a man covered in tattoos!

I grew up in very protected environment in South Africa, in a small town called East London. The only people who had tattoos were criminals and ducktails. Do any of you even remember that word?? If I were to describe a ducktail, I would compare him to John Travolta in Grease. As much as I’d like to pride myself, and have worked hard at  not judging people, I found myself always avoiding people with a lot of tattoos, which in itself is a judgment! One or two were acceptable in my mind, but I struggled when a body was covered in them.

When I walked into the salon, Sue (who has also become a good friend) was in the process of adding another tattoo to her collection. She took the time to explain, that far from being random, each of her tattoos told a story about her life. She has a beautiful angel on her back (done by Casey) as a reminder of the presence of her guardian angel, who saved hers and her husband’s life after a terrible motorbike accident.

To cut a long story short, my appointment was for 10:00 am, and I ended up leaving the salon at bout 2:00 pm!! All I had was a cut and colour! We had so much to talk about that Kim had to turn my chair around so I could face Casey and Sue.

I left there with a strong sense of knowing that there was a profound reason the universe steered me there that day….. and it had nothing to do with finding a good hairdresser!!

Casey and Kim have not only become clients of mine, they have become good friends, as well as my teachers. They have taught me not only to think “out of the box”, but that there is no box!

I arrived there on Wednesday and was presented with an absolutely beautiful piece of art that they had created for me. It describes how they see me through their eyes! I was blown away!! It was one of the nicest and most beautiful things that anyone has ever done for me, and I will always treasure it! I wish I knew how to post it here, and as soon as I work it out I will share it for all to see. You can view it on my Face Book page though.

I know that as much as I have to teach Casey and Kim as a life coach, they have as much, if not more, to teach me about life! I also know that they will both feature more than once in my blogs, because they will be amongst my biggest teachers…..

Thank you Casey and Kim for being a part of my life!

If I had allowed my preconceived ideas about people with tattoos, and passed judgement based on that perception, I wouldn’t have had the privilege of getting to know these two beautiful people.

Makes you think, doesn’t it!

Until next time….. shine your light with love.

Had a WOW moment today….!

We’ll start at 5.00 am this morning when the alarm signalled the start of a brand new day. I got up, like I do every weekday morning, to meditate. For some reason week ends don’t seem to count. It’s kind of like I’m giving myself a break. I’m still working on that one, lol!).

Before I digress too much……

A part of my Qabalah homework this week is to meditate whilst reflecting on a window, and the mantra is “I AM”.

I lit all my candles and started my meditation. Nothing was happening. I decided to meditate again once the family had left to start their day, and use music this time. Although it was relaxing and I really enjoyed it, still nothing seemed happen. I immediately started to doubt myself and wondered why I wasn’t “getting It”? I took a break and checked face book, and  “I am my path” and “I am my journey” stood out on the screen. I wrote it down, and continued with my day……

I had made arrangements to visit some friends, who had asked me change the energy in their home using my Tibetan bells. It was also a reason to get together for a cup of coffee, and exchange perceptions and beliefs, to just enjoy each others company!

We opened windows and doors before we began, not only to bring in fresh air, but also to create a path for the energy to flow.  I started in the basement and hit the bells against each other,  at the same time moving around the room. Those of you who know what it sounds like will understand when I say this; the sound they make is clear and pure. As I moved upstairs, I could actually feel the energy start to lift.  I instinctively started smiling, I was actually beaming, and so was everyone else. It was beautiful!

As I was leaving, one of my friends mentioned that he had frequently  dreamed about windows over the last few nights.  I interpreted that to mean it was a sign for him to open up to new energy and new possibilities.

I decided to take the scenic route home again, and once again it played a part in a major shift for me! That drive helped me realize that “I am the window”, the conduit to the light for people who are looking for it, are inspired to switch it on, and who will teach and inspire me. That is what my intuition is telling me!

A truly joyous moment!!

Life is good!!

Until next time…….

With love, light and peace,

Doris

How does it get any better than this?

It’s only the first week in October and it has been an awesome start to the month!

I need to back track to 21 September……

I participated in the Fall Equinox Labyrinth Walk, at Tigh Shee (Celtic for House of Peace), in Lancaster Heights in Ontario, which also happened to be the United Nations International Day of Peace. Betty, our hostess always starts off with a prayer, and of course, this time the prayer was for world peace. As most of us know by now, any change we wish for has to always start with us, from within. She requested that we greet each other with the words, “peace be with me…… peace be with you”. The energy we generated and shared in that room was amazing! A few days later, the leader of Iran phoned the leader of the USA to begin talks to bring about peace between the 2 countries!! People all over the world were praying for peace that day….. It just goes to show what collective consciousness can do!

I started a Qabalah course on 26 September, and I know it has been a huge contributing factor to the shift I am experiencing in my life right now.

Part of our assignment for the week was to practice present moment awareness. These were mine……..

Monday:

I had to travel to Ottawa on my own and it wasn’t a journey I was particularly looking forward to. In hindsight, it was the perfect opportunity for me to experience a few ah-ha moments. I had my car radio on and the station played 3 very uplifting songs in a row. One was by Natasha Bedingfield, called “Unwritten”, and the second one was by Katy Perry called “Roar”. I pumped up the volume and sang along at the top of my voice!! It was during this time I began taking in my surroundings and REALLY noticing the beauty of nature and the stunning autumn colours. I was filled with so much joy and gratitude that my eyes filled with tears. The radio started losing reception, so I changed it to another station….. They replayed the same 3 songs I had just heard!! Strangely, I can’t remember the 3^rd song…..

Tuesday:

I had a client come for her first coaching session and she presented me with a poem written by George Bernard Shaw……..

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances; complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me; it is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”

I’ve always believed I’m here to serve and I know we have so much to learn from each other!

Wednesday:

I went for a walk on the beach with 3 very special friends, and we had to walk through the forest to get there. I remember commenting to one of them about the sound the leaves made as our feet crushed them as we were walking. We took photos of each other when we got to the end. One of the ladies commented that in everyone else in he photo was in the shadows and I was the only one surrounded in sunlight. My first thought was OMW!! My inner light is shining!!!

Thursday:

I attended my second Qabalah lesson…… which I will talk about next time!

Life is good!

With love, light and peace,

Doris

 

 

Where to start……?

It may sound a bit like rambling to start off with, because I’m writing it exactly how I’m thinking, as the inspiration and the journey unfold, from this point onwards. I’m going to share my spiritual journey and pivotal moments with you. The story will go backwards and forwards, because I’m all about the details. Please bear with me, it will start making sense, I promise!

Ok,… I’ll start from when this pivotal moment  began…..

I have the whole day and evening to myself.  Craig has taken Jordan with him to work today, because Craig is making one of Jordan’s dreams come true…… he’s taking him to a Selena Gomez concert at the Bell Centre in Montreal! I know the obvious choice would be that I would take him, but I would rather avoid crowds like that. He loves his son that much, that he is taking his 12 year old to a Selena concert! Got to love the man………

Back to having the day to myself……

I had an appointment at the hairdresser for 11.30, and the plan was to go back home, and start cleaning the house and then later take Bailey for a walk through the forest. When I left the salon, I chose to take the scenic drive home, through Hudson village traveling at 30 kms/hour, instead of 70 on the alternate route. The slower drive home had me absorbing and connecting to the scenery and my surroundings, taking nothing for granted, and I realized just how grateful I was, to be able to experience life in this part of the world that is Montreal, Canada. As soon as I expressed a deep sense of gratitude for that moment and for what I had, the story started to unfold, and my inspiration began….. Interestingly, my spiritual journey began the first time I expressed deep gratitude on my 48th birthday, and another pivotal moment has started the same way!

Taking you back in time now, to when I first started by blog.

The original intention of the blog was to share my journey with you from a Life Coaching point of view. There is a category called “My Journey”, but I wasn’t always clear on what to put there. I always believed that it was my purpose to give you advice on how to live the life you were born to have, to inspire you to create a breakthrough in your own life.  It was my way of paying it forward. The thing is though, I was always thinking about, and researching for content, and I sort of got stuck for ideas. My blog lacked content for a while, and my excuse and justification was that we were settling into a new country, and adjusting took up all my energy. The content slowly dwindled to what it is up to this point.

Craig is always telling me to write a book, and my dilemma has always been not knowing what to write about, what the subject would be……….. and today, it hit me! I had finally let go of my limiting belief……

The housework will have to wait! Sorry Baliey, I will make it up to you!

I will share my spiritual journey with you, in a diary kind of way…..  or perhaps like a spiritual biography. Let’s see where it takes us. I love my life the way it is now, and it keeps getting even better! We can learn life’s lessons from each other. I would love for you to all participate, and share your journeys. We can grow from each other’s experiences, as well as our own. Think about it, our experiences could end up being a part of a book! We can share our journeys.

I thought about announcing it on my Self and Beyond Face Book page, but decided that would be too impersonal. I prefer the intimacy of the members of the blog, because we are all like-minded to start off with!

We’ll go back again to when we first moved to Montreal…..

My focus, and Craig’s, was to set up a home and establish roots, in the shortest possible time. We did that, and then I found myself asking what next?

My intention was always to find a group that I could identify with and who were on the same path. I had that in South Africa, but I had to start all over again.  I thought I’d start by joining a few local community face book pages, and I made some wonderful friends. It was on one of these pages that I experienced the next pivotal moment. A group called Awakening Café advertised their next get together, and the topic was “Mindfulness”. Unbeknown to them, advertising was not allowed on this particular page, and it was quickly removed. However, it was on long enough for me to see it, and take down the details.

I attended their seminar and I loved it! I walked away at the end of the evening feeling like my soul had been fed! It was there that I met the next soul to guide me forward. She introduced me to a group of ladies who get together monthly, to share energy and growth with each other. The topic of discussion was to identify 5 pivotal moments in our lives that brought us to where we were at that moment.

That meeting was one of mine…….

The lady who is the inspiration behind the group bears a striking resemblance to my sister-in-law, who was one of my first pivotal moments. It seemed very fitting that she would be a part of the next one!