Tag: effectiveness

Sep20

Embrace Your Inner Pirate!

by Cheryl Brewster

Who’s your most powerful muse?

We have “invisible support”  to call on, especially when life seems challenging. One of my favorite invisible muses is my “Inner Pirate.”  Its adventurous spirit embodies both courage and integrity to do the right thing, especially in uncertainty or difficulty. As a result, life is far more fulfilling, because daring leads to greater rewards.

The archetype of the pirate represents the transformation from the egoic, push at all costs to get what you need. As such, it’s stressful approach is replaced with one that is more discerning, empowered and effective. Like the midas touch, it transforms what is common to pure gold; the mundane of conformity becomes infused with creativity and innovation.

The Good Pirate, like a gold miner, digs down inside to create FROM its inner treasure chest of creativity and innovation. There’s something special that emerges… that authenticity that feels so good for you, and is so compelling to others. It’s what defines your uniqueness, and makes you stand out as the go to, or expert in your field.

Embracing our Inner Playful Pirate is FUN and engaging! It helps us take ourselves less seriously, to trust that even mistakes can work to our benefit and reminds us that us that life even with all of its ups and downs is still a place where IMAGINATION creates instant thriving… where life can become enjoyable again even when things are hard.

Are you being a Good Pirate today?

Are you standing up for what’s right and good in your life and having the courage to reclaim the “Sovereignty of Your Soul from mediocrity or past harmful conditioning? The Joy of Life encompasses both happiness and sorrow. The power of the Good Pirate ensures that sorrow is treated with respect, so that we learn from it, to create strength from sadness and grace from grief. The Good Pirate reclaims the treasure inside and reminds us that we can trust ourselves, and that we can trust life.  Let us stand together in re-committing today and everyday to what’s most important… valuing the treasures of learning inside ourselves and expanding them.

Here’s a good example of being a good pirate in business:
The Steve Jobs speech that made Silicon Valley obsessed with pirates!
“It’s better to be a pirate than join the navy.” – Steve Jobs. For Apple, this wasn’t about treasure maps and eyepatches. “Being a pirate meant moving fast, unencumbered by bureaucracy and politics,” said software engineer Andy Hertzfeld. “It meant being audacious and courageous, willing to take considerable risks for greater rewards.” Read more here.

Your Inner Pirate will always invoke courage:

  • Take time to play! Use your imagination to expand your ability to enjoy life more
  • The more relaxed your are, the less stress can play havoc –
  • Contemplate what inspires you, gives you joy, makes you feel good inside
  • Recall past happy memories and peak states and breathe them into your core
  • Confront conformity and expand capability
  • Practice the power of the pause, take time out to rest, reflect and recharge
  • Practice essentialism: ONLY do what brings true value to your life and drop the rest
  • Break some rules! Big or small, you know what you’ve been avoiding and REALLY wanting to do
  • Embody the best possible outcome in building revenue BEFORE you make those sales calls!
  • The same goes with communication and planning – be willing to do things DIFFERENTLY

Set sail on new adventures in your life where simplicity replaces complicated and patience for the journey replaces the pressure of “have to” rather than want to.

 

 

 

 

 

Apr27

Getting Things Done: Heaven or Hell?

by Cheryl Brewster

Are you creating heaven or hell in your daily duties, projects and priorities?
Wouldn’t it be great to “have fun to get more done?”
We’re usually taught the opposite… that we can’t have fun, “until” it is done.

Rumi’s wisdom reminds us of the power of choice we have:
The world exists as you perceive it.
It is not what you see, it is how you see it.
It is not what you hear, but how you hear it.
It is not what you feel, but how you feel it.

  • If the world exists as I perceive it,  then “having” to get things done, can take on its own form of hell
  • Yet we do this to ourselves all the time through over and under commitment
  • However as Carl Jung says, “no tree, it is said can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell,” which means that we live in a world of paradox and it’s important to make peace with that paradox and find its sweet spot.

One way of doing that is to realize, that we have an inner stillness inside, that has never been disturbed and never can be. This inner  success mechanism is our essence… even when it “appears” not  to be.  Daily calibrating to this higher frequency inside of us, along with daily clearing of old limiting beliefs are essential to our well-being and our productivity.

  1. It’s not what you see but how you see it.
    Take a look at your “to do list” today. How you see it can be from a place of:
    …worry; I’ll never get things done (aka, stress!)
    …confusion; I don’t even know what to do/what to start first (aka, panic which leads to paralysis which leads to procrastination.)
    …frustration; how can I get anything done when I’m  not well and don’t have the energy? (aka, helplessness which leads to despair.)

I find it helpful to work with “The Law of Opposites” to come back to a more balanced perspective. As Neal Donald Walsh, author of Conversations with God notes: As soon as you decide who and what you are, everything unlike it will come into the space… you may choose to see this “opposite” as a gift bearer, bringing you a chance to experience and express peace or as a thief, stealing your peace from you.

Rather than judge ourselves for not getting enough done, or missing something, we can remember to declare our “Stand” for what we do want, so that when the opposite shows up, we see it as a gift of growth through self-inquiry. Using Rumi’s wisdom and asking, how am I really seeing this situation can now change the entire experience! Joe Dispenza teaches in his “Create Your Day” philosophy:  “The reason nothing changes is because you have not mastered self-observation.” The more we follow that self-observation, the more we can appreciate how our innate wisdom, our intuition, is guiding us into greater states of flow.

If you are finding yourself trying to be super effective only to find yourself losing ground, then take heart! Self-observation is key, and when the Law of Opposites shows up in your life, remember that it is here to HELP you! Apply Rumi’s timeless wisdom and ask your own reflective questions; here are some samples;

The world exists as you perceive it.  (Is this the world I really want to keep creating?)
It is not what you see, it is how you see it.  (Am I looking through the eyes of heaven or hell, through love or fear?)
It is not what you hear, but how you hear it.  (Am I hearing this objectively or taking it personally?)
It is not what you feel, but how you feel it.  (Am I feeling this with compassion or with loathing)?

  • Take Your Stand for what inspires you.
  • Use that inspiration when the law opposites show up
  • See the law of opposites as the gift-bearer of choice: will you see it as a way to express peace or as a thief that steals peace from you?

Our perceptions do create our realty. In each moment, we have the opportunity to take personal responsibility for more empowered living.  We begin to see where we are not victims of our circumstances… in fact, the opposite is true… we are dynamic and victorious when we use the Law of Opposites for what it’s meant for. As Neale Donald Walsch so eloquently writes: “you will rejoice because you will see “opposition” as a sure and certain sign – that you are on the journey of transformation; the road to glory; the higher path.” He echoes Rumi’s timeless wisdom with his own:

“If, at any given moment, you are being afraid, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being joyful, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being annoyed, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being harassed it is because you choose to be.

If you are being loved, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being ignored it is because you choose to be.

If you are being helped, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being hurt, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being wise, it is because you choose to be.

If you are feeling wronged, it is because you choose to be.

This list could go on forever. Indeed… it actually does.”

Call to Action: How will you use the Law of Opposites in getting things done? Email me, I’d love to hear about your experience!

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About Cheryl Brewster, B.Msc., Transformational Speaker, Intuitive Consultant and Life Coach: Under every difficulty is a greater inner potential that our intuition accesses. My expertise is inspiring my clients, whether individuals or organizations to re-frame difficulty as a path to tangible, measurable, powerful results and solutions in the areas of life and business that matter most.  If you’d like to learn how my intuitive consults, coaching programs or speaking services, can support your success, please contact me for a complimentary exploratory call.   As an interfaith ordained minister,  I also offer spiritual counselling and officiate ceremonies for life’s most meaningful moments.

Jun30

Self Love – The Courageous Choice for Results in Life and Business

by Cheryl Brewster

What builds or destroys your relationships at home and in business?
What totally transforms how you “do” life, especially behind the scenes where no one sees you or knows what you’re really thinking?
What is your foundation, touchstone or immovable center point during times of intense challenge, emotional “spin cycles” and piercing disappointment or grief?

The answer of self love is obvious… but it takes outrageous courage to truly practice it. Today’s message is that we can do it and we must do it! Yes, ongoing improvement strategies at home and in business are important, but the first one is self love…. without self love, it doesn’t matter how educated, talented or skilled we are, we’re not going to enjoy our experiences and it’s guaranteed, that those around us won’t either. Self love takes the whole idea of  prosperity to a whole new level. (How many super stars have bottomed out at the peak of their careers? Too many to mention…. without self love we can easily fall prey to influences that don’t have our best self interests at heart).

So what can we do to build awareness of this primary component of emotional intelligence?

1. Think of someone that is super important to you, someone you love… what are your greatest hopes and wishes for them? Are you allowing yourself those very things in your own life? If not, are you willing to slow things down to make room for this new mindset and follow-through with persistent, ” thought diligence”?

2. Again, thinking of this person that you love… what would make it easier for this person to live a happy life? Again, are you making those same choices for yourself? What old thoughts would you need to drop and what new thoughts would you need to employ?

3. In knowing what you need to do in your life… can you accept, allow and forgive yourself for the times you don’t do those things? Can you see how self love can be a strategy to free up the energy, to do the things you’ve been avoiding and make them more palatable? Can you begin with noticing current bad habits and understand the need they are trying to fill? Would you be willing to let them be filled in more productive/destructive ways?

4. What authentic leader most inspires you? How would they handle a current challenge you’re having? What self talk would they be giving to themselves?

Healthy Self Love is the ultimate effective business tool; you can “feel” the vibe when someone really loves themselves and what they do… you can also feel it when they don’t. Self loving individuals are the leaders that people love to work for, the parents that truly get what’s most important and come from those priorities. Self loving men and women are brave enough to make their happiness the priority; they’re grounded, strong, integrity-based visionaries. They help others see what they cannot see for themselves.

Self Love is the ultimate relationship tool; it heals the wounded parts in ourselves and others by making good use of the triggers that set us off so we can re-frame to evolve them.

Self Love says that no matter what’s going on, we’ll be able to handle it.
Self Love takes baby steps… it reminds us that Rome wasn’t build in a day and asks us why we insist that it was, when our adrenaline junkie takes over.
Self Love has the courage to face conflict, set healthy boundaries, speak up when it’s important, and stand down when it’s appropriate.

Self Love forgives the past and puts its attention on what’s most important… an empowered awareness of NOW.

See what you don’t like about your life… and love yourself anyway… it’s the only way to create the change you’ve longed for. Will you?

If you enjoyed this blog post, you’ll enjoy learning more about Cheryl Brewster and her coaching program “Spa for the Soul” that takes empowered thinking to a whole new level. For your complimentary overview of how this can apply to current challenges in your life… contact us and quote “Self Love”

Mar31

Mindset – the Domino Effect- be Careful What You Think!

by Cheryl Brewster

As any business person will attest, our intuition is a highly attuned success mechanism. Napoleon Hill of Think and Grow Rich stressed its importance as a natural ability that’s right 100% of the time. However, have you noticed what happens  if you don’t  tend to your mindset? The weeds of distraction, overwhelm, worry and stress can skew your intuitive discernment, gut instincts, emotional guidance system, ability to think clearly and plan effectively.  The effects of unconscious thinking or emotional overwhelm can be devastating to business and personal life.

We all know that we can tap in deeper into our Inner Genius to create greater prosperity on all of life’s levels, so why don’t we? In one word…. mindset… especially when it’s charged with negative emotion.

Emotions are vibrational indicators as to how much we’re “allowing” our Inner Genius to lead. This same power is what Napoleon Hill of Think and Grow Rich, refers to as “Infinite Intelligence,”  the incredible force that holds vast galaxies in space, holds the solution to every problem there is, and is the source to all prosperity, available to us 24/7.  However, if we’re not feeling that great about ourselves, if we’ve gotten caught up in a cycle of worry, fear, or anger, we’re greatly restricting our access to the wisdom and guidance of this Master Mind. We’ve forgotten to turn the tap of our Inner Genius “on,” and we’ve certainly lost track of how to “keep it on.”

Hill describes this beautifully with a universal principle call Cosmic Habitforce:
Cosmic Habitforce is the law which makes every living creature, every particle of matter subject to the influence of its environment – it can work for you or against you. The choice is yours….  If your dominating mental habits are thoughts of poverty, then cosmic habitforce will bring about poverty in your life. If your dominating mental habits are of prosperity and peace, Cosmic Habitforce will bring them about. There is an endless cycle here…your thoughts are the only thing you can completely control if you decide to do so. You must control your thoughts to control your habits.”

So how do we get better at having our Cosmic Habitforce work “for us” and not against us?

  • Intentionally choose a better feeling thought… tiny, better feeling thoughts built on top of one another, creative a huge cascade effect in shifting our vibration from the negative to the positive. The domino effect of small consistent change is huge!
  • Here’s a great metaphor:
    In this video of the power of physics, the first domino is so small, that tweezers must be used to put it in place…. With the domino effect, this tiny, tiny domino in 13 short moves, topples over a domino that is 3 feet tall weighing one hundred pounds! (By the way, if there were 15 more dominoes here, you’d be looking at something the size of the Eiffel tower!)

Wow… there’s only 13 dominoes in this demonstration, yet two billion more times force is created! Imagine this as a metaphor for your thoughts and feelings and how they create Cosmic Habitforce! The tiniest negative thought can create two billion more times force (no wonder you feel stuck in your negative thinking)!!!! But on the same hand, a tiny, tiny, better feeling thought triggers another better feeling thought that can totally change the results in your life because of how GOOD you feel in this one tiny little moment!

Thoughts and feelings are energy – they comprise Cosmic Habitforce! The question is… if they’re such a powerful force… doesn’t it make sense to focus them in positive ways for GREAT results? 

Intellectually we know these things but if we’re not applying the Power of Intention, then:
a) we don’t really believe in the power of accessing our our Inner Genius, the Master Mind
b) we haven’t decided to yet
c) we haven’t practiced it enough to work effectively with Cosmic Habitforce to create powerful, meaningful results.

focusPractice makes Perfect! Here’s an experiment to try this week:
Pick an important project in your life… identify your desire…what’s a tiny, tiny, good feeling thought you can bring to it… and the next, and the next…. you’ll find that from this great vibe state, ideas or inspirations will arise and suddenly you’ll be taking an inspired action, that leads to another, and another, until your project is completed and you’ve developed positive habits to keep building on.

The power of this type of mindset and the willingness to practice it results in two very important things:
a) not only does the goal reach completion, but the process is more creative, dynamic, exciting, compelling and enjoyable
b) ineffective habits are replaced with more productive, healthier ones.

Intuition is a highly attuned success mechanism, but it like anything else, its application gets better with practice… and so too does the power of personal self mastery through emotional intelligence.  Self Awareness and Intention to strengthen that Cosmic Habitforce are key. Now what affects can this have in your personal life and in your business? Practice, practice, practice!

If you enjoyed this blog, please share it! To stay inspired and support in these practice tips, be sure to sign up for our newsletter and inspiring quote of the day at TheIntuitiveLife.com

 

 

Oct16

Patience – 7 Power Tips

by Cheryl Brewster

Could you benefit from a little more patience, a little more acceptance of what is currently happening in your life? Patience is something most of us wish we had more of. We can get a bit snarly with delay, inconvenience and disappointment.. Snarly, unfortunately only builds frustration, rather than solution. So as Conscious Changemakers what are we to do with these big visions and dreams that may be taking longer than we anticipated? How do we  catch our impatience when things go wrong, get delayed or seem thwarted at every turn?

Let’s start with the definition of patience:

  • the quality of  bearing provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper and  irritation.
  • an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.
  • quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence

To bear misfortune and pain without complaint, loss of temper and irritation… wow, that’s a tall order; no wonder patience is a virtue. But it’s something more – it’s the invitation to harness any frustration, anger and other charged emotions  into feeding a productive purpose.

Purpose and patience tie into the whole concept of mindfulness: paying attention in a particular way without judgment. They also tie into synchronicity, self-respect and the radical decision to “be happy now,” before our goals are achieved, problems solved, and that big dream landed.  It might sound weird, but it makes sense to choose happiness now; otherwise we’re missing the point…. pursuing goals without a happiness mindset is a life without patience. A life without patience is a life without peace and is doomed to perpetual conflict and suffering.

Our productive purpose then, becomes an immediate choice, that no matter what, we keep going… we keep the faith… we maintain a positive mental attitude at all costs and stay true to our purpose finding the good, the benefit in the challenge, no matter what. .

Patience  is a discipline that remembers the bigger picture.
Why? Every challenge or obstacle feeds a productive purpose.
Patience remembers that purpose; it values it.
Patience is fierce determination – it’s the decision made again and again, to drop doubt, disbelief and negative self judgment.
Here’s 7 Tips to harness the power of patience:

  1. The next time you feel impatience coming on, ask yourself… “would I rather have this, or peace?” Choose peace!.
  2. Happiness is a decision – when you decide to be happy all manner of patience, creativity, new ideas, inspiration and possibilities abound
  3. Use emotional triggers as reminders to  feed your productive purpose, to choose peace, happiness, effectiveness, whatever your key word is that lights your fire
  4. Be kind! Think of Patience as a new habit – it takes time to develop, but step by step it does
  5. Decide right now on the ideas and mindsets that no longer benefit you – say NO to them! Make them final and irrevocable They’re not allowed!
  6. Get physical – change your physiology – celebrate success with a physical YES! Cheer to anchor in the new habit
  7. Understand that when your perspective changes – EVERYTHING changes! Imprint the subconscious with constant pictures of the joy you are creating and feel it.

The benefits of more patience are incalculable; instant relief and peace, worry reduced to a minimum, and a sweet acceptance rather than a resistance to what is. Your mental and emotional energy  focus on solutions, not problems;  intuition, creativity and innovation are heightened. Live flourishes with more contentment and satisfaction.   Too often we ignore the present for the future, and like the caterpillar that becomes a butterfly, we need to enjoy the caterpillar stage… it’s just as important and needed as its next level of evolution. In terms of self discovery and self development, patience is a key factor we cannot ignore.

Cheryl Ann Brewster is highly regarded in her skills as a Business Intuitive, Coach and Speaker. She specializes in supporting  those  keen to expand personal and professional effectiveness through the power of intuition and soul-centred business practices. To join her mailing list and/or daily inspiration  or to learn more, contact her at: TheIntuitiveLife.com.

Jul02

Keep it Simple – 5 steps to effectiveness in a frenzied get-it-done-world

by Cheryl Brewster

Stress may not seem like a  decision, but over time, we begin to see where it is. Fight, flight or freeze responses are immediate, but when we take a step back,  we do see that we have choice in changing our responses…. do that enough times and we have improved our lifestyles for the better. It all begins with baby steps and being more mindful…. paying attention on purpose without judgment in the present moment. In a world gone mad with deadlines and getting things done at all costs, we must be vigilant in honoring our values. We must ensure they are not being eroded by inner and outer forces that at first glance appear noble, but over time, diminish our quality of life.

Peace of mind = effectiveness. But all too often, our definition of effectiveness can get skewed if we focus on results at the expense of our values.

In his book “A Life of  Being , Doing and Having Enough,” author Wayne Muller starts out with these comments:  “we have forgotten what enough feels like…. So we work and add and never stop, never back away, never feel complete, and we despair of ever finding comfort, relief, or sanctuary.”

Sound familiar?

Step #1 – Evaluate Be truthful, honest and brave… If you keep your same daily routine, where will you be in the next 5 years?  Is that a YIKES! or a YES! response? What one small thing can you begin to do in your daily routine?

Step#2 – Choose Peace When we dig deep into our core, we find the strength to identify and drop old ineffective patterns.  When we focus on cleaning up on the inside, we find the strength to clean up on the outside too.

Muller’s take on this is profound:: “Here is the final thing we must know. We carry within us a fierce grace that will not be extinguished, does not break and cannot ever leave us comfortless. It lives in us. This life force, whatever it is that allows a blade of grass to push up, up through concrete to reach for sun and warmth. It lives in us. This is what we are made up of. If we trust in this impossibly resilient capacity to bear all we are given, and re-calibrate  our speed….”

Step #3 – Re-calibrate Your Speed Harness that “fierce grace within you,” it’s the booming voice that says “You can DO this!”  Fierce grace wins over the internal critic every time… it does require that you slow down to hear it, however…. it is always there…. it’s your noticing it and inviting it to lead that changes the trajectory of your life. It’s your willpower to Take You Stand for lasting change.

Step #4 – Use the power of Imagination! Imagination is the bridge from the unconscious to the conscious… it holds the secret solutions beyond the rational mind. It’s fun, refreshing and very effective… get relaxed, imagine what ease, effortlessness or flow would do in any given situation and notice the ideas or mental images that flash across your internal screen!

Step #5 – Breathe! If you kept a “breath log,” you’d be amazed at how little you maximize this incredible energy booster! In order  to access clear thinking and relieve anxiety and tension—like a plant needs water—your brain needs oxygen. Remembering to breathe helps take the edge off,  so you can respond from a more centered place which over time, creates a habit of calm and mastery in effective and accurate decision making.

Stress actually serves a purpose other than survival; it lets us know where we need to loosen up, let go, and enjoy the process of life and business rather than feel bound by them. Every challenge is an opportunity, every dilemma holds a a creative solution and every heartache over time can be healed… the freedom to choose is our greatest gift, willpower our greatest tool, and “fierce grace” our greatest birthright. Self discovery and self development are the twin flames of personal effectiveness; they hold the keys to what is sacred to us. They help us create a legacy rather than just get by. They are fed by the flames of fierce grace – that intrinsic desire to express our creative genius.

Cheryl 2009Interested in learning more on how Mindfulness contributes to your career, business or company?

Cheryl Brewster is a Business Intuitive, Coach and Speaker. She specializes in supporting  those  keen to expand personal and professional effectiveness through the power of intuition and soul-centred business practices. To join her mailing list, daily inspiration  or to learn more: TheIntuitiveLife.com+

May15

The Healing Power of Imagination – It Works!!!

by Cheryl Brewster

Stress can be deadly. While short-term stress can create anxiousness and overwhelm, we know all too well, that the cumulative affects of stress over time diminishes both the quality and quantity of life. A 2013  report from the  American Psychological Association, American Institute of Stress, in New York reported that:

  • The annual costs to employers in stress related health care and missed work is $300 BILLION!
  • Of people who regularly experience physical symptoms, 77%  are caused by stress
  • 73% Regularly experience psychological symptoms caused by stress
  • 48% Feel their stress has increased over the past five years

What does this mean to you?

  • With 48% of those studied feeling that stress has increased over the past five years, you have a 50/50 chance of being a part of this growing statistic.
  • If you are a person committed to self growth, you are going to experience stress as you challenge your comfort zones
  • Finding tools that are effective, get results and reverse the stress/death connection are imperative
  • The ability to do things differently is paramount
  • One of the fastest, easiest, most effective tools is the healing power of imagination, and it costs us nothing! Except willingness,  a paradigm shift and a bit of time

How imagination heals

In his book Jung and the Alchemical Imagination, author Jeffrey Raff concludes that “disease is never a purely physical event, but includes the spirit as well.” He  says that imagination can be responsible for the onset of disease, and has a great part to play in its healing. Authors Ann and Barry Ulanov of the Healing Imagination concur; they believe  imagination helps us correspond to grace – that’s how it heals.

This is where it gets personal for each of us so using myself as an example: As a business intuitive I teach  big picture thinking,  as a coach I mentor spiritual healing , and as a  mother, to nurture and guide my children,  I rely on the healing power of imagination in::

  • its ability to get my attention
  • using all of my senses
  • waking me up to a bigger picture of life that includes  healing,  solutions and creativity that I couldn’t otherwise see
  • getting me  out of the nonsense of my negative self talk

Simple Strategies to harness the healing power of imagination:

  1. Ask yourself, “what would effortlessness do?” to get   out of the stress habit and into pure imagination
  2. Breathe into your imagination ….  create some space for it
  3. Use Active Imagination (a process that Carl Jung created), as the bridge between the conscious and the subconscious (this includes dream interpretation, visualization, and daydreaming)
  4. Whatever stress or illness may be in your life, view it as a movie…. how did it get there? What will help to heal it? Notice the pictures, images or body sensations that you experience
  5. Commit to take some form of action…. write down what had the most compelling energy from the above  and use discernment… will action on your part take you further into grace or farther away from it?
  6. Do more of what you love… the state changes created from simple things like your favorite song, exercise,  a favorite flavor of chewing gum or fresh flowers take you to a much higher energy frequency which improves corresponding critical thinking and decision making
  7. Pay attention to signs, symbols and synchronicity
  8. Have a check-in or feedback loop to test and measure the results so you can drop what doesn’t work and expand what does

Embrace Simplicity
Stress becomes ugly, rampant and deadly when we lose our capacity to live from our imagination. Just take a look at the results in your life right now: where there’s shortage, lack or illness, there will be one of two things: lack of positive imagination or undisciplined, negative imagination. Until you become aware, nothing will change… the steps outlined here are beautifully simple. Are they so simple however, that you won’t take them? Imagine what would happen if you did?

Cheryl Brewster is a Personal and Business Intuitive who takes clients from Stress to Success through  Consultations, Coaching Programs and Seminars. She lives in Vancouver, Canada and is a dynamic speaker with leading edge material that captivates and inspires her audiences to greater success in life and business..

Testimonial:
Cheryl Brewster is a valuable contributor to the Business Management Course at Rhodes Wellness College. She is a dynamic facilitator, combining entrepreneurial wisdom and strategies for effective results. The students’ experience of Cheryl was amazing. We are thrilled to have Cheryl Brewster as an entrepreneurial/facilitation resource and recommend her services highly. – Lisa Brown, Operations Manager, Rhodes Wellness College

 

 

 

 

 

May05

Clarity through want/don’t want lists

by Cheryl Brewster

Like the ABCs of Intuition that are incredibly simple (Aware, Breathe, Connect) to stay present and focused,  writing out  lists of what you don’t want to clarify what you do want, can appear too simple to bother with.  But the benefits are huge and here’s why it’s important to use them on a regular basis:

Benefits of writing your “Don’t Want” List:

1. Instant clarity on what you do want.
2. Self discovery and self knowledge to reveal ineffective patterns and bad habits.
3. Awareness of just long these ineffective choices or patterns have been playing out in your life.
4. Empowerment by being reminded that you do have choice.
5. Awareness of things you didn’t see before.

Benefits of writing your “DO” Want List:

1. Improved vibe and mindset that increase awareness and determination.
2. Improved results by making full use of both sides of the brain   (Henriette Anne Klauser explains why in her book “Write it down, Make it Happen”)
3. Instant physiology changes that over time,  replace ineffective habits  with healthier ones.
4. Enhanced  mindfulness (staying present by paying attention in a particular way, without judgement)
5. Instant  stress reduction, increased feel good energy and  possibility thinking

The lists don’t take long, and when the “DO Want List” is read daily, with feeling, you begin more and more to engage both willpower and commitment to “Take Your Stand” for your best life.  Soon, wanting is replaced with having and your new, healthier mindset is in the driver’s seat of your life.

What is your “Old Story” and what is the “New Story” you choose to replace it with?
It’s good to write this out too in a couple of sentences or short paragraph; review it regularly and acknowledge your progress… it all starts with baby steps.

Use “in-process” statements like “I am in the process of trusting myself more more and I love it!” to help bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.  Soon, something very beautiful and wonderful begins to happen… empowerment is here immediately. Negative thinking is transformed to  peace and joy here now, because this is an “Inner Experience,” not dependent on what happens “out there.”    No more waiting…. peace, power, effective thinking and inspired, authentic action are here now because you took the time to engage in personal discovery and self development… all with two very simple lists. Again, the benefits of this very simple exercise are huge; internal mastery replaces control or attachment to things needing to be a certain way “out there.”  We become responsible and accountable for our choices. We become more intimate with our true nature and will settle for nothing less than being in integrity with that.

If you enjoyed this blog, we invite you to experiment with your don’t/do want lists and share the results with us.  Email cheryl@theintuitivelife.com and your name will be entered for a complimentary introductory Intuitive Mentoring session with Personal and Business Intuitive and Coach, Cheryl Ann Brewster.

About Cheryl Ann Brewster:
Cheryl left the corporate world to follow a “calling,” that challenged her at every level possible… she knows what it takes to trust the Self amid deep uncertainty and profound change.  She consults with entrepreneurs and business, provides individual coaching and mentoring and is a popular speaker on reducing stress, managing change and personal effectiveness in life and business. To be included in her email updates, sign up for your free bonus report on her homepage,  and also for her “Daily Inspiration” at TheIntuitiveLife.com

Feb06

4 keys to Mindfulness in Business

by Cheryl Brewster

Mindfulness is the act of bringing your awareness to whatever you’re experiencing in the present moment. Mindfulness is critical to successful business practices.  It increases alertness, awareness and effectiveness that comes from a higher plane of wisdom. Without  it, we’re coming from a lesser version of ourselves and our vision. We’re coming from the local mind rather than the nonlocal mind (in other words, coming from our human perceptions of appearances, rather than the expansive, creative power of our inner genius…. a.k.a., our Intuition).

How mindful are you?
Four important questions to ask yourself in regards to your business or career:

1. Am I paying attention in a particular way?
For example, am I paying attention in a particular way that……….(you fill in the blank):
… is coming from the deep wisdom/intelligence/guidance inside of me?
… in a way that is evolving the quality of my experience?
… that is in alignment with my highest ideals?
… that is allowing my highest wisdom to express itself in new ways in my business or career?

2. Am I on purpose with this thought/action?

3. Am I truly present in my business or am I distracted, stuck in the past or worried about the future?

4. Am I non-judgmental?
Example:when I become aware that I need to course correct, how do I respond to challenges or mistakes: do I shut down, react and maintain old patterns that need to be challenged?

Think of it this way; you know what you want from your business or career, but how mindfully are you really allowing and creating it? Are you coming from the local mind (personality) that is pressured by habit or judging appearances? Or are you willing to cross that discomfort threshold of stopping everything, to pause and “really” listen to the nonlocal mind – that vast, calm  guidance and knowing  inside you? This guidance knows and sees the bigger picture beyond the logical mind and always points to peace and solid solutions. When we choose mindfulness, the power of the logical mind with  self awareness and self discipline, can then serve to support – to be the faithful servant rather than the  driven, controlling task master.

We spend so much time at work,
But our level of mindfulness may be sadly lacking, especially if we’re going through a hard or challenging time. Defining what Mindfulness is to you in your business is important. One of the best definitions I’ve seen comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn who says it’s about paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.

Mindfulness helps us stay, present,
And focused, effective, on target and in flow with what builds us up and not on what tears us down It ensures we stay on track with what is best for us and our businesses; it keeps us connected to our inner business genius that we all have, whether we’re trained in business or not . It brings clarity to confusion, resolution to challenge, but most importantly, has a transformative quality that keeps building and fine tuning our intuition and effectiveness.

As Wallace Wattles in the Science of Getting Rich identified, “There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made…. The resources of supply are at the command of the man or woman who will act and think in a certain way… (but)… you must begin to live in harmony with the laws governing the universe.” In my experience, mindfulness keeps me connected to these resources of harmony and supply.. it ensures I align myself to the laws governing the universe.

Mindfulness becomes an important practice.
not always easy to initiate and like any good thing, it takes effort to maintain, however with practice, it becomes a pathway in  life that is extraordinary…. It takes us out of the mundane and into indescribable possibilities that we would have missed otherwise. It truly cultivates innovation, creativity and solutions not accessible by the linear, logical mind. And that’s what’s needed in today’s business economy, our efforts personally and locally, affect our world  globally.

Mindfulness helps us become aware of what we may be overlooking.
It keeps us in our centre… and that’s a powerful place of evolution that moves striving and struggle into doing business with more ease.  In asking the 4 questions listed at the top of this blog, we slow down, we ensure alignment with our core principles and values, we make space for what we don’t know to grow ourselves and our business.

“Mindfulness gives you time. Time gives you choices. Choices, skillfully made, lead to freedom. You don’t have to be swept away by your feeling. You can respond with wisdom and kindness rather than habit and reactivity.”  ~ Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Interested in learning more on how Mindfulness contributes to your career, business or company?
Cheryl Brewster is a Business Intuitive, Mentor/Coach and Speaker. She  specializes in supporting  those  keen to expand personal and professional effectiveness through the power of intuition and soul-centred business practises. To join her mailing list or to learn more: TheIntuitiveLife.com

 

Nov17

3 tips to greater personal effectiveness

by Cheryl Brewster

As we grow in awareness, we become more cognizant of what we most want in life. The willingness to let go of the habits that have created what we “don’t want”, requires huge acceptance. Part of that acceptance is the habit of becoming more kind and compassionate with ourselves. This is not a “one time deal or hit and miss scenario.” This must become a habit, and habits are borne out of one thing… the willingness to repeat, repeat, repeat; to make the achievement of our desires more important than the feelings or habits holding us back.

This is hugely courageous and effective work. The definition of effectiveness is producing or being capable of producing a desired effect, so the question becomes, how important is my own personal effectiveness to me? You must be willing to “Take Your Stand,” to make this the most important objective in your life.  As Joel Osteen said, in his book on living your full potential:

“You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It wont happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ‘I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life.”

Wow… important words to remember. Why? Because in becoming more aware, we are required to meet our ineffectiveness head on. We must be willing to meet our disappointment and not let it get the best of us. The following three tips are key:

  1. You are in training. Every expert started out a beginner. Give yourself a break! Start with where you are and be willing to enjoy the journey; enjoyment allows you to see the possibilities that judgement refuses to see.
  2. Be kind to yourself. It’s your judgments that hold you back… begin an “Awareness Log “of your judgments.
  3. In that log,  include a column for kindness and compassion. Kindness and compassion will  melt the judgement. Judgement is what feeds the fear or procrastination that hold you back from your personal effectiveness and reaching your desires. Expressions to self like “I understand how you could feel this way,” or “of course you would feel this way,” acknowledge the judgement and underlying suppressed feelings. Only when they are acknowledged, can they be released. This is personal effectiveness; the willingness to let go and keep moving on.

Try this:
Notice your judgment of your judgment.
Now bring kindness and compassion to those judgments (e.g., I can understand how you could feel this way).
Breathe.

Consider journaling your experience, or, to receive your complimentary “Awareness Log” click here to request it. The journey of personal effectiveness begins in the extraordinary adventure of self discovery. Where is your intuition leading you? Clues are held in how aware you are of both effective and ineffective habits in your life and how willing you are, to bring kindness and compassion to them. That is the gateway to your powerful knowing  as the Conscious Changemaker in your own life, borne through the fire of trial and error, made easier with the healing effectiveness of kindness and compassion.

As we grow in awareness, we become more effective in achieving what we most want in life. Kindness and Compassion are the Key.

About Cheryl Brewster of The Intuitive Life:
Cheryl’s “calling” to intuition took her from the corporate world into her own consulting business; she mentor-coaches individuals and entrepreneurs wanting to bring deeper levels of self awareness and effectiveness into personal and business life, using their intuition.