Tag: overcoming fear

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Oct01

Get Back Up Again! You Can Do It!

by Cheryl Brewster

Do you need an attitude adjustment? I know I often do. Despite all the times I’ve triumphantly faced fear in the past, an alarm bell still rudely announces a comfort zone.

You too?!

Doesn’t it feel good to know that you’re not alone? As you face your fears, take comfort because you’ve been willing to grow. Growth is more important than fear, and yet if there’s an upside to fear, it’s good at making us review our choices. In the War of Art, Steven Pressfield inspires us from his experience: “Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do… the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.”

I’ve come to recognize that the fear and pain in confronting a comfort zone is most often the pain of “not” doing it. When I channel that pain, I bust through. It’s hard, gritty work, this busting through… as Carl Jung said, “there’s no coming to consciousness without pain.” As I continue to grow, exciting things happen – the more I accept what I don’t like, the more power I have to move through it… it’s ironic how all that fear really isn’t the evil monster it appears to be… fear is simply energy with the impurity of judgement being pulled out of it so it can be used productively.

What’s the One Thing You Can Control?
This one thing I’ve learned is that it doesn’t really matter how much fear I’m experiencing… what’s more important in determining an effective outcome, is my “attitude” about the fear.  Sometimes I feel the fear and do it anyway, and sometimes I don’t… it can feel bigger than me. But my attitude? Absolutely, that’s totally in my control and it’s a good wake-up call to review it regularly.

So take heart… some days we are brilliant at life. In others, we feel like we’re in a bad movie and can’t get out. It’s okay! We’re growing! The world can feel a bit (or a lot) surreal in the depth of these changes. Just remember this one thing…. as overstated and simplistic as it sounds, I don’t think we should ever get tired of appreciating that… attitude truly is everything! Attitude can be seen as an oracle; it will predict our future. Accurately. Every time. Hence, the importance of “deep listening to Source, and the courage to take time out, to pause, reflect and give ourselves the time and space to think. That’s part of “attitudinal healing.”

Attitude is defined as “a feeling or way of thinking that affects a person’s behavior.” When I judge fear I shutdown, I close my heart. And when I close my heart, I stop creating, and when I stop creating, I lose my joy. And life is just way too precious to do that! So that’s where forgiveness comes in; recognizing where my attitude needs to change. Forgiveness breaks the cycle.  It brings light to the darkness and dispels the shadow that can become so thick, it dams the joy of life. I’ve come to call this harmful aspect of ego the “inner KGB” – an acronym for “Killer Gremlin Brutality”  gone overboard. If not caught, it becomes devastating.

As Michael Singer so aptly describes in his book The Untethered Soul, “right now, many fragmented parts of your psyche are held within you. If you want to be free, it all has to be equally exposed to your awareness and released.”  He describes how when a blockage gets hit, “it’s a good thing – it’s time to open up internally and release the blocked energy.”

What’s the One Thing You Can Do?
“If you fall along the way, just get up and forget it. Use the lesson to strengthen your resolve. Let go right then. Do not rationalize, blame or try to figure it out. Don’t do anything. Just let go immediately and allow the energy to go back to the highest centre of consciousness it can achieve. If you feel shame, let it go. If you feel fear, let it go. All of these are the remnants of the blocked energy that is finally being purified…. the whole process is very exciting, and you will have good times and bad times. All sorts of things will happen. That’s the fun of the journey.”

Where are you on your journey of life and business? Prosperity has many forms, but its key common denominator, is peace of mind. May you continue to grow, be brave, get back up again when it’s hard and celebrate your successes even in the lean times. Gratitude, like attitude is everything. Keep on keeping on… your intuition will always show you the way.

  • An entrepreneur’s forgiveness prayer…. for all the things that I should’ve, could’ve done, I forgive myself, so I can get up and do what I need to do and not feel bad about it… but instead, be excited about it!
  • A mother’s forgiveness prayer…. for not being able to do the impossible, I forgive myself, and resolve to be clear on what I can do and let that be enough
  • A creative’s forgiveness prayer… for how hard I’ve worked to suppress my talent, I forgive myself
  • A world prayer… for how I judged and didn’t see, the beauty that was inside of me…. may I be at peace and be happy, may all beings be at peace and be happy

If you enjoyed this blog, please share! Cheryl Brewster is a contributing author to pursuit:365,  a business intuitive, coach and speaker, supporting entrepreneurs and organizations with big vision to define, create and deliver the greatest value in the marketplace, as effortlessly as possible. Check her website for upcoming events or to book a complimentary 15 min discovery call/intuitive session, book here.

Apr11

The Antidote to Stuckness

by Cheryl Brewster

How do you feel about your stuckness?

Are you like me? Where I feel stuck is in how I judge my stuckness. Intellectually I know that stuckness is an inevitable part of life. But oh, if I’m not paying attention, how I can get caught up in hating it! I hate it because of how it makes me feel; ineffective, weak, lacking, ridiculous, hypercritical – ugh – it just feels awful! How many of us are feeling stuck with the changes that the Covid-19 virus has precipitated?

Asking productive questions to catch the blind spots of habit is a powerful antidote. If I could develop ways of catching myself when I start sinking down into the depths of despair, think of the freedom that could take place! If I used how I judged myself as a path to greater awareness, I would be practicing transcendence, the art of spiritual awakening and just plain common sense. I would be mastering the ABCs of Intuition as a form of energy management and accomplish what my heart really, truly desires, no matter what the circumstances around me.

To use pain as a productive tool of transformation defies the conditioning, apathy, stupor, even the stupidity of mankind – it calls out the deprivation that would seek to harm and vanquish the very real battle we each face in determining, will my life stand for something meaningful or will I just “surface-live” because it’s more convenient? The ultimate question, really is, will I live my life for good or for evil? Evil is a lack of love, a diminishing of life, an ignorance that demands power and control at the expense of anyone and anything else. So here we are, over the past few weeks, facing the harsh reality of a species on the brink of possible cataclysmic failure if we do not wake up, and drop our individual and collective apathy on one side and need for control on the other.

Every single one of us needs to wake up. Many of us are, yet this one thing remains… the call to drop the judgment that keeps us prisoner to suppression of our personal authentic power.

Evil is the word “Live” spelled backwards. Judging our stuckness sends us straight to experiencing hell on earth – to the irrational acronym of G-U-I-L-T: Gut-wrenching, Useless, Insidious, Lies (and) Torment.

I refuse to contribute one second longer to the virus eating away at the sanctity of mankind. Yes, I will wash my hands; and just as importantly; I will wash my mind and my emotions of disempowering, harmful voices. I will take my stand and re-frame stuckness as the Law of Opposites at play; part of the natural rhythm of life. Instead of labeling stuckness as some horrible, terrible thing, I will choose to see it as the very important impasse or right of passage that creates and grooms a new way of thinking and being in this world. Stuckness is a part of the evolutionary phase that begs the question, will I react with judgment and condemnation or will I use it to rise into a higher consciousness? What could happen if stuckness was showing me something new that I hadn’t seen before? What if stuckness is nature’s way of saying there’s a better way? And isn’t that what’s facing us on rebuilding our lives and economy during and post corona virus? Isn’t the whole message one of coming back to what’s most important? And doesn’t that point us back to values that stand the test of time and a connecting back into community; that authentic sense of self and togetherness that ensures innovation, creativity and cooperation for a healthier planet and world?

Oh! The relief that comes with the release of the need to fight, to struggle, to continually feel defeated by inner and outer challenge!

In contemplating this in mediation, I had a vision of St. Francis of Assisi who reminded me that all great leaders have learned this one very important thing – to use stuckness as a catalyst for powerful, important change. Judgment and self-condemnation leading to “less than” thinking, is the virus that has been bred into us for centuries. It is the need for power and control, manipulation and economics that twist moral values, where consumerism has replaced the God of our hearts.

Let us rip away the twin masks of blame and shame and mirror instead, the possibilities of life, healing, innovation and progress that exist through challenges and obstacles. We live in a world that so desperately needs to come back to sanity. By choosing love as a commitment and principle to live by, no matter what, we can then practice the very important Stoic philosophy of “Amor Fati,” which means to embrace fate, to accept the reality of what is and productively use all adversity and obstacles as fuel for the fire of our potential!

So how you do you feel about your stuckness? Will it feed your potential rather than smother it? Will you join me in blessing it and practicing the message of the Easter Story; the message of forgiveness, death to apathy on one side and ego-control on the other? Will you join me in the most courageous act possible; the one of self-forgiveness that leads to loving the self as much as the Divine within? If not now, when? How much longer do we need to wait?

“Your Intention to Love, no matter what, is the absolute Key to Happiness” – Robert Holden

It’s so important that we use stuckness as the opportunity that it provides; to become aware of our negativity in judging it and therefore make the switch back to sanity; to positive reinforcement and the invitation to overcome through the transcendent power of love.

Negative self-accusations and questions lead us straight to creating Hell as our personal reality. As author Robert Holden pointed out in his book Happiness “Now, in H.E.L.L., all the letters stand alone: (the) Horrific Effect (of not enough) Love (and) Laughter, (waiting to be undone). In H.E.A.V.E.N. all the letters stand together: Happiness (next to) Eternity; Abundance, Vision, (and) Ease (joined to) Now (as one).”

In this pandemic we have the opportunity and responsibility to stop creating hell on earth and literally create a new earth. It will come by our individual and collective willingness to be live in deeper alignment with the laws of nature and spirituality – the law of love in action. As WW2 concentration camp survivor Victor Frankl noted, “the last of human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Choose well. Choose to use your own personal stuckness not as a stopping place, but a stepping stone into an attitude of grace, faith, fortitude and victory. Take Your Stand for what Inspires you and do it. Take Your Stand for what Empowers you and do it. Take Your Stand for values born out of compassion rather than consumerism. Forgive your past mistakes, embrace the wisdom they birthed, and step into a future with a fortified sense of commitment, compassion and vision. In the words of Albert Camus, find that invincible summer within yourself, that has the strength to hold the winter. Take Your Stand. There is a power inside of you that can and will handle anything thrown its way. Aware, Breathe, Connect to the Heart. We were born for these times, let us navigate them as nature intended. Let us transcend and live from this place of inner freedom that defies any and all attempts to vanquish it. Like the Easter Story, let us rise again… yes, let us rise! Intuition leads the way…. follow it.

Call to Action: Make the switch from the inner hyper-critical judge to the observer mind that sees the bigger picture. Observe your life like a movie…. what could happen in this moment by committing to love rather than fear? Notice the options that surface and choose that better feeling thought to make a new choice that empowers. This is your fork in the road. It’s in the tiniest of decisions and attitude adjustments that show us the way back home.

Inspiration: Canadian Choir of Women Physicians sings RISE AGAIN (virtually)

Rev. Cheryl Brewster, B.Msc.
I empower individuals and organizations to stay inspired and keep moving forward in positive, productive ways, no matter what changes, challenges or adversities they may face.

Personal and Business Intuitive, Consultant/Training/Keynotes/ specializing in:
Intuition in Business, Radical Joy through Conflict Resolution/Communication/
Resiliency Skills, Ordained Minister/Wedding Officiant and Life Celebrant

Mar24

In Times of Crisis, Step Up Into Grace

by Cheryl Brewster

You can and are making a difference by paying attention to your intuition, and practicing self-care. Your intuition is destiny calling. We were made for this times, let’s use our uncertainty and vulnerability to step up into Grace to support the birth of this new earth.

I’m writing this blog shortly after global states of emergency have been called… my heart breaks. Our world is being held hostage by the ravages of a virus that kills on so many levels. This can go two ways;  we can step up – contribute, connect and create necessary change, or we can get distracted and remain powerless. Historically, we are surrounded in a world gone mad with consumerism on one side and manipulation and control on the other. Both are steeped in ignorance and a refusal to support ethical living based on the simplicity of prosperity for all, kindness, community and compassion.

No more!

No longer can we afford the luxury of pretending and postponing reality. It’s here. And it hurts. Time therefore for individual and collective reflection and course-correction. It’s obvious that that at this critical time in history, we have the opportunity and obligation to bring about massive and necessary change. But that change will only be possible and sustainable by us each taking personal responsibility for how we choose to respond

We are connected as individuals to mass consciousness, which means that metaphorically,  each one of us has and continues to, create our own heaven or hell on earth by the assumptions and conclusions that determine our life experience. What if…

  1. Ethically: What if I am on the planet at this particular time to usher in a new wave of consciousness?
  2. Economically: As fear comes up, what if I am here to release my own fears “on behalf” of my loved ones? What if I am here to give to myself, the comfort I want them to have… innovation, creativity and confidence to establish a prosperity consciousness.
  3. Intellectually: What if I really “got” that trusting my intuition is the voice of reason, here to source practical solutions?
  4. Emotionally: What if rather than shutting down or going into panic, I give my feelings safe passage, I bless them as they move through me, to find the comfort and acknowledgment they need.
  5. Spiritually:What if, I’m here to embrace my own struggle with kindness and compassion and “step up into Grace” so that I can effectively support others in healthy ways without losing myself or draining my own cup dry?”
  6. Practically: What if I practiced consistency with the Mindful Minute and the ABCs of Intuition to keep me resilient in the “new normal” so that I can still live confidently, creatively and peacefully?
  7. In Community:  What if, I am here to use prayer and intention circles, to  share the power of healing and encouragement that we all need. (Check this website and resource page for audio recordings, online workshops and free inspirational talks).

This is a time of great spiritual awakening and as we each do our part in “stepping up into Grace” – we turn challenges into opportunities. We must be diligent in what we “choose” to create and how we wish to respond to inevitable crisis and uncertainty. We must come together in community to support each other as we adapt physically, psychologically and emotionally to strengthen our immune systems on all levels. Take good care, practice physical, spiritual and emotional hygiene  and continue to open your heart for the Grace that supports you managing the waves of change by creating your own that bless and serve.

Click here for the audio file “Mindful Minutes Even in States of Emergency”

I hope this blog has supported you at this particular time and look forward to supporting you further in the online talks and programs. Check my calendar here to stay updated and be sure to sign up for Daily Inspiration and my newsletter to stay connected.

 

Rev. Cheryl Brewster, B.Msc.
I empower individuals and organizations to stay inspired and keep moving forward in positive, productive ways, no matter what changes, challenges or adversities they may face.

Personal and Business Intuitive, Consultant/Training/Keynotes/ specializing in:
Intuition in Business, Radical Joy through Conflict Resolution/Communication/
Resiliency Skills, Ordained Minister/Wedding Officiant and Life Celebrant

 

 

Oct29

Stay Alive All Your Life! – Part 2

by Cheryl Brewster

What makes you come alive and stay that way, even when it’s hard; when you feel yourself shutting down and it takes pure grit to stay true to your integrity and dreams? How do you keep growing to improve personal effectiveness? Author and expert on world mythology, Joseph Campbell knew this one well:

“Suddenly you’re ripped into being alive. And life is pain, and life is suffering, and life is horror, but my god you’re alive and it’s spectacular!”

I love this!  Are you like me? I don’t particularly feel spectacular in the middle of the pain, suffering and horror that’s part of life. But I have been through it enough times, to know that indeed, there is always an equal or greater benefit; something spectacular that occurs through the process, onto the other side. It takes great courage and tenacity to live this way. The results are priceless: Mind mastery and learning how to hold our ground in the face of uncertainty. With an eye to our personal and spiritual development, instead of feeling overwhelmed and beaten, we begin to emerge with skills and mindsets that turn great suffering into great victory.

It takes time, great self-compassion, guts, and the willingness to trust and develop our intuition, to feed our resilience, and to keep the faith, even when it appears counter-intuitive.

As Campbell emphasized:
“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive. That’s what it’s all finally about…”

Ahhh, what it’s really all about… the rapture of being alive! Business and spiritual leader, Marsha Sinetar, agrees: “It’s the “burning desire to be or do something that gives us staying power – a reason to get up every morning or to pick ourselves up and start in again after a disappointment.”

The rapture of life can only occur with a burning desire for it. How do we keep the fire stoked when it’s hard?

  1. Science proves it: “high vibe” thinking feeds the flame
    Our brains are hard-wired with a “negative memory basis” to notice potential threats and protect us from harm. Studies done by John Cacioppo, Ph.D., (Ohio State University, and University of Chicago), demonstrate that the brain reacts more strongly to stimuli it deems negative. There is a greater surge in electrical activity, meaning our attitudes are more heavily influenced by negative rather than good news. Research has also shown that a specific ratio of five (five “high-vibe” thoughts to balance out the “one low-vibe thought”) is the magic formula to balance out this negative memory bias.  Worth remembering!  Working “with” our physiology rather than judging ourselves for habitual negative thinking is empowering. It course-corrects us into the extra energy of inspired action that we need for true change and growth to occur over the long-haul. As ancient wisdom reminds us, it is our continued commitment to choose “higher vibration” thoughts to feed the flame of desire that feeds our intent, which in turn feeds our will, which feeds our behavior, and ultimately, feeds our destiny. This leveraging of our negative emotions/memory-bias into holistic, focused, resilient, “alive,” possibility thinking becomes automatic over time. And that’s huge. Now there’s hope, encouragement and something to look forward to, even when life is very hard and hasn’t turned out the way we thought it would.
  2. Give yourself credit and re-energize past successes
    What are some of the toughest times you have been through?
    What helped pull you through? What belief, inspiration or process did you use?
    How did you become a better person through this difficulty? How can you apply that to current circumstances?

    3. Have enthusiasm and clear intent moving forward
    Begin and end each day with vision, re-charge throughout and end it in reflection: spend time in the morning in visualization, prayer or meditation to re-stoke that burning desire and pre-plan how you will “Create Your Day.” It takes just one minute of mindfulness several times throughout the day to keep coming back, to build focus and follow-through. In the evening do a review; celebrate wins and also identify where you can improve. Apply the 5-to-1 ratio to rehearse how you will do things differently tomorrow…. by getting excited about our improvements, now course-correcting becomes more positive, more enjoyable. We have something to look forward to, feel more resilient and capable. Now true change is happening, so that even in the midst of our hardest challenges, we have something to hang onto, a reason to keep going, a grit, tenacity and energy that feeds us, that feeds the rapture of being alive!

Call to action: on those tough days; dig deep – bridge the gap of where you are to where you want to be by applying the 5 -to-1 ratio to this very moment… right here, right now. From this viewpoint you actually are where you want to be, only now you get to enjoy the ongoing journey as a way of life, not just sporadically. To paraphrase Campbell…. my god, you’re alive to your innermost being and reality…. and that’s spectacular… that’s what it’s really all about! Draw on the power of intuition to keep feeding the sacred flame within you – that’s its job and you can trust it to help you come alive and stay alive all your life.

 

May31

Resilience: The Tension of Opposites

by Cheryl Brewster

Resiliency is the ability to bounce back and stay more centered through life’s difficult events. It is our capacity to manage change, using it to feed our souls, even after it feels like we’ve been drained dry.  Remembering this, especially when it’s hard, helps us make sense of our worlds when they feel chaotic.

Your personal resilience (or lack of it) reveals where you are taking an honest look at your  reality.  Challenge will create a tension of opposites. and this tension is designed to support you being true to you. This intuitive resilience is built in to all of us and is tied to the magnificence of your Soul. Its job is to ensure that you honestly, actively identify and honour your own needs as you take care of others and life’s responsibilities.

What’s important to remember about resilience, and the “tension of opposites?” Our commitment to personal resilience will always help us grow from challenge or adversity. Just as “need is the mother of invention,” challenge is the mother of resilience. Making peace with these apparent opposites is where our power to excel gains quantum fuel. What makes a magnet so powerful is the opposing forces that result in a powerful magnetic energy field. The same is true of resilience:

  • Confusion leads to clarity
  • Boredom creates innovation
  • Pain can feed productive purpose
  • Anger reveals where change needs to happen
  • A lack of energy can reveal the need for more creativity
  • Challenge can feed enthusiasm
  • Creativity transforms resistance
  • Difficulty can reveal easier ways of doing things
  • Struggle births flow

So the next time, you go through something difficult, and start experiencing the “opposite of resilience,” which would be a lack of energy, or not feeling creative or capable, try a “One-Minute Resiliency Recharge.”  Your true desires are being revealed; you need to find out what they are! Set a timer for one minute and:

  • Be Curious: How could this current challenge compliment, rather than oppose or contradict what you’re trying to do?
  • Be Aware: Where are you losing energy? What will help you gain it back?
  • Be Wise: If the tension of opposites supports resilience, what is the new insight or action that is being revealed here?
  • Be Creative: How is this showing you to think, be and act in more empowered ways?
  • One of my all-time favourite “Mindful Minutes”  is to ask myself…. “what would happen if…”
    I chose to be ____________________ about what’s happening (and drawing from my favourite list of words, like: enthusiastic, creative, bold, daring, smart, cheeky, happy, peaceful, confident, successful, enlightened), etc.Robert Fritz echoes this in his book The Path of Least Resistance:

“From this choice the meaning of the word desire changes for you, from “idle wishes and hopes” to “true vision of that which is the highest in human aspiration and vision… as you learn to master your own creative process, you develop a capacity for truth. Good, bad, or indifferent, you will still want to know accurately what is going on.”

The more accurately we can “read” our own lives, complete with strengths and shadow, the more we grow our awareness, intuition and confidence to act.

Call to Action: How will you use the Tension of Opposites to recharge resilience? Email me, I’d love to hear about your experience!
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 results.  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.

Mar15

How to Live Your “Calling”

by Cheryl Brewster

Do you have a “calling“? That deep sense of purpose or urge within you that “must” be explored.

Are you:

  • Feeling a shift coming; a hint of something new that hasn’t quite arrived yet?
  • Already working on your passion with great enthusiasm but results are taking longer than expected leaving you with a feeling of stagnation?
  • Feeling that your life is in the doldrums… not much is happening and you’re not sure what to do?

These occasions can be very unsettling and we can begin to:

  • Doubt ourselves and the bigger picture of our lives.
  • Give up hope and slip into confusion or despair.
  • Romanticize about the good old days before we followed our passion.
  • Feel anxiety about our future, regret decisions and condemn mistakes from the past.

In short, when things get difficult or seem to have run their course, we get scared and shut down. But we need to do the opposite; we must keep our hearts open.

Gregg Levoy in his book entitled “Callings” describes this ebb and flow beautifully:
“We love to quote the philosopher and poet Goethe who said that “whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. But we forget that he also said, “To put your ideas into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”

And from poet Stanley Kuntiz: “The poem in the head is always perfect. The challenge comes when we try to convert it into language. This is especially so when we discover, as we often do that saying yes to a calling requires not just one act of heroism and risk-taking, but a prolonged period of action that can stretch into years.”

We must remember this when things get hard. We must continue to “take our stand” for our callings. Our callings have two fundamental features to them; they give great meaning to our lives… and they always come with a way through. But we must listen to that intuitive heart centre to find our way!  So how do we stay open to our callings and the new directions they take us in?

6 Simple Steps to Feed the Calling of Your Soul

1. Know Thyself!
Philosopher J. Krishnamurti reminds us that “the mind is the result of the known; it is the result of the past.” This past includes the limitations of a conditioned mind. In order to free ourselves from those limitations, we must be willing to see what’s ineffective in our thinking and release it. Observe yourself – watch how consciously or unconsciously you do things… as awareness and self acceptance increase, so does authentic personal power. These “aha” moments of, “oh, that’s what I really do” are life-changing when we follow through on them.

2. Practice Silence
An occupied mind is a busy mind, too full for anything new, original or creative. Mindfulness steeped in self-compassion keeps the heart and mind open to receive insight. Receiving equals energy – this is critical for those prolonged periods of action that our callings require. Practice silence by moving attention away from a busy, consumed mind, and instead, into the quiet, the stillness.

3. Practice “one-minute comfort breathing”
Risk taking and heroism arise from your bigger sense of self  – your “little I” will be challenged… expect that and be prepared for it.  A breathing exercise that brings immense comfort is “breathing in, I see the me that is uncertain.  Breathing out, I smile a hug into it.”

4. Use fear to your advantage
As Thich Nhat Hanh encourages, “we have the power to look deeply at our fears, and then fear cannot control us. Fearlessness is not only possible, it is the ultimate joy. When you touch nonfear, you are free.”  How do we touch nonfear? Accept yourself as you are now, while simultaneously dropping self-defeating thoughts. We tend to think we’d be free if we didn’t experience fear, but that’s just not the case! If you can be free even though you have uncomfortable feelings, then you really are free! Let’s face it, there’s always going to be something that challenges us, but when you’re not overcome by those uncomfortable feelings, you really are free. So now, we are giving birth to impertability – we begin to cultivate a mind that is beyond disturbance.

5. Practice “what if”
What’s that one thing you’ve been really wanting to do but you’ve been putting off? What will you feel like when it’s done? Just a few minutes visualizing that can free up the energy to take that one first step… and then another, and another.

6. Be strategic with intuition
What does your soul need to replenish itself? If you took just one mindful minute right now to ask that question… you would be tapping into the energy of your calling… you’d be cultivating the wisdom and strength required to do the most difficult thing possible… put your ideas into the world. And that is the joy of living your calling – Take Your Stand!

Call to Action:
Rather than judge your emotions as good or bad…. see them all as equally important. Enjoy experimenting with the steps above and share your experience with me… I’d love to hear from you. Or better yet, if you are new to my work, let’s book a complimentary 15 minute exploratory session. And if you are an existing client and it’s been a while since we’ve connected, let’s get you in for that one-on-one session or workshop to explore and rejuvenate your stand with complimentary 15 minute post session follow-up!

If you enjoyed this article, let us know! Individuals and organizations find Cheryl Brewster’s expertise as a Professional Intuitive, Transformational Speaker and Coach refreshing and timely. Her private clients experience greater clarity and confidence in taking action during transition. In her corporate workshops, Cheryl inspires focus and follow-through. To explore her work further, visit TheIntuitiveLife.com or email cheryl@theintuitivelife.com.

 

 

 

Sep30

Decision Making with Ease

by Cheryl Brewster

At some point in time, we all hit the wall.  And it’s not pretty. It hurts. No matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to make a decision with ease. We wonder, worry and second-guess ourselves to death. Our fear of making a mistake can become a pattern of denial, delay and despair.

The upside to hitting a wall is that it always points to the doorway of new understanding. And when it comes to decision making with more ease, that doorway is mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the ability to notice what’s happening in your head so you can make better decisions. It frees you from past conditioning, fuzzy thinking, overwhelm and unconscious patterns that keep you in doubt and procrastination.

Mindfulness is a hugely important ability to foster and has gained massive respect around the world and particularly, in business. Over 22% of major business organizations include some sort of mindfulness training in their human resource offerings to staff. It reduces stress, promotes clear thinking and focus, improves health and reignites creativity.

Given the critical number of decisions we need to make each day, mindfulness is no longer an option… it’s a necessity.

Mindfulness helps with the decision making process, using the ABCs of Intuition: Aware, Breathe, Connect.

1. Aware – Be the observer.
What’s happening to you as you consider the decision you need to make?
Watch yourself.
What are you thinking, feeling, sensing?
Notice your body sensations.
Developing the habit of observing yourself can pop you out of the unconscious knee-jerk reactions that occur, especially when you feel worried about someone in your care.

2. Breathe for “one mindful minute”
It sounds too good to be true, but one “mindful minute” can save the day, let alone your sanity. Once you’ve established yourself in observer mode, stay there for one minute… don’t try to figure anything out…just be present in watching yourself. Allow the mind to settle into the breath, not carried away by thoughts, sensations or emotions, just focused on even, regular breaths. Breathing for just one minute helps you find your centre again. From here, knee-jerk reactions or emotions can be identified and set aside. Mindful breathing unhooks you from the flight/fright/freeze that is the natural consequence when feeling uncertain or threatened.

3. Connect – by asking yourself what is the next right thing?
The clarity you will receive from this very short process is astounding. It creates a laser-like beacon for you to follow. You can only ever do one thing at a time so mindfulness reminds you of the choice and power you have to do that one right thing.

This does take courage. Why? Because this process promotes change. And sometimes (or should I say often), we don’t want to change! But when change has the capacity to instantly take us out of worry, frustration, fear or guilt and back to peace and personal effectiveness, then we need to ask ourselves…

What price am I willing to pay to return to peace?

Often times, most times, it’s simply the decision to let go of past regret. Without awareness and over time, overwhelm can become a habit so we must remain diligent in paying attention to our decision making process. Are we in ease or do we keep “hitting the wall?” The doorway of mindfulness remains ever ready to show us the way. In walking through it, we overcome fear and are able to course correct much sooner.

If you’d like to learn more about Mindfulness and Intuition as a path to self development which includes making decisions with more ease, email us for your complimentary Mindfulness Report or introductory coaching session. We’d be happy to hear from you! Stay updated by signing up on the website for daily inspiration, and check out our calendar for upcoming events.

Jun14

Mindfulness – the Super Power You Cannot Afford to Overlook!

by Cheryl Brewster

How does Mindfulness work, how can it help you improve your life and build resiliency? Whether it’s big, little, voluntary, crisis, opportunity or adversity, change is a part of your Hero’s Journey.  When we understand how our “Reptilian Brain” works, embracing mindfulness becomes a “no-brainer” (excuse the pun) because of how it frees us from irrational fears, thoughts and habits!

Things you must know about your Reptilian Brain
(from Shawn Smith’s book The User’s Guide to the Human Mind…. amazing book….. a “must have”:
1. In its effort to solve problems, the human mind can create the very thing we fear – like an over zealous body guard/worry machine, it never stops looking for problems!
2. An anxious mind does not defer to logic and tends to remember events with a lot of emotion attached to them, making us respond as if the past is about to reoccur.
3. Emotions have a way of sneaking under our radar and driving our behavior without our awareness so we train ourselves to avoid what we “think” is coming.
4. The mind creates a “false dilemma” – either I can have the thoughts and feelings OR I can live my life (example: I must get rid of these self-critical thoughts before I can…”)
5. We attach emotional content to thoughts, symbols and memories… sometimes the memory of a painful event (or fear of something we’ve never done) evokes more distress than the actual event.
6. The primitive mind’s response to pain and fear is: avoid, avoid, avoid… it persuades us to avoid things by giving us the pain of anxiety and sadness. (geez, thanks)
7. When we approach something dangerous, the mind tries to smack us with one form of pain or the other – systems like the amygdalae are regularly dishing out punishment to keep us safe!
8. Our limbic (emotional) system and flawless recall can keep us focused on that one single fender-bender, ignoring thousands of times we’ve driven without a problem.
9. The mind’s only job is to protect us and if we’re not careful, we can start to believe what it says…. the more we allow the mind to control our behavior, the more entrenched we become in the kind of thoughts that are dominated by fear, anxiety and depression.  We can begin to see all of this like a frantic dog barking at squirrels… all of these thoughts, feelings and sensations are not threats!

So here’s the juicy part! Once we understand the reptilian brain is just trying to do its job, we can free ourselves from the death grip it has on our ideas, creativity, dreams, goals, communications, desire for authenticity and greater success and happiness in life. In understanding how and why it does what it does, we build awareness…. in that awareness we stop limiting ourselves and free ourselves from irrational fears and unhealthy, reactive outbursts. Through Mindfulness we “pop ourselves out” and even if it’s just for a few moments, done over time, even just 10 minutes a day, the effects of mindfulness are profound!

Definitions of Mindfulness:
1. Mindfulness is the ability to know what’s in your head without getting carried away by it! (Dan Harris, author of 10% Happier)
2. Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, non-judgmentally (Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Full Catastrophe Living)
3. Mindfulness is me living an authentic life, being present and okay in the transition of uncertainty and shadow as I evolve and grow (Me… Cheryl Brewster)

Benefits of Mindfulness:
1. It’s simple, can be done anywhere and is scientifically validated to improve cognitive functioning, emotional intelligence, health and wellness, decision making and a whole lot more!
2. Mindfulness is breaking a lifetime habit of unconscious repetitive thoughts and fears – it brings us to choice and the ability to take necessary action
3. It drops regret, guilt, perfectionism, self-sabotage and stress and builds up self-awareness, self-esteem making us better communicators and healthier members of society
4. Measurable on brain-scans, mindfulness helps to create new neuro-pathways which means you are evolving your actual physical brain, let alone your ability to enjoy life more!

How it works:
1. It’s simple, can be done anywhere – – just sit straight, notice the feeling of your breath coming in and going out and focus your full attention on the feeling of the breath – that’s it!
2. Notice when thoughts come in and just keep starting over when they do
3. By withdrawing just minutes a day from the chatter of the mind and the incessant worry machine of the reptilian brain, we “harmonize” to the greater wisdom within
4. This “super power” frees us from past conditioning and can bring clarity and focus even in the transition of uncertainty by helping us stay “in the present” not the past or the future which is where the reptilian brain is accustomed to taking us.

The “empowerment” muscles that are formed are priceless…. imagine the possibilities of your Hero’s Life!   It’s as simple as ABC – Aware, Breathe, Connect to the solutions, peace and prosperity that are always present. The reptilian brain may not feel that way, but the truth is, our greatest potential can only be accessed through mindfulness. While this “sounds” easy, it takes commitment, courage and grit to ride the waves of emotion that may come up in befriending that reptilian brain and making it our ally, but it’s so worth the effort…. If you enjoyed this blog, let us know! Cheryl Brewster’s mission with TheIntuitiveLife.com is to support Conscious Changemakers in their Hero’s Journey to clarity, peace, empowerment and confidence through the ABCs of Intuition and Mindfulness. To book your intuitive consultation, coaching mindfulness training for you or your organization, contact us!

Sep30

Fearless Action to Master Change

by Cheryl Brewster

Take Action!

What wants to move through you? That idea or project that is relentless in its pursuit of your attention and call to action. The one that keeps tapping at your shoulder, yelling in your ear and tugging at your heart… the one that says if you don’t slow down and really look at this, you’ll continue down the slippery slope of unachieved goals, regret and unexpressed creativity.

In her seminal book “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway,” Susan Jeffers provides a powerful, clear strategy for turning pain into power. Her bottom line is that the only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it! So why don’t we? I love her two-fold answer… the first is education (you didn’t learn the facts about fear); the second is the reminder that every time you feel afraid, that it’s simply because you are not feeling good enough about yourself.

The  interplay here between intuition and self esteem makes sense.  Intuition is the driving need for self expression; it’s also the path through fear that takes us from pain to power.  The heart knows the way…the heart always feels good about itself… in fact it can never not feel good about itself because it’s the very essence of life,  limitless in its power. Intuition then, uses the power of the heart to shore up where we don’t feel so great about ourselves so we can move forward into action!

So how do we overcome fear and take action to follow the heart, and honour those intuitive impulses? As Jeffers brilliantly counsels:

  1. Reframe fear
    Remind yourself that when you feel fear, it’s because you’re not feeling good about yourself….Fear then, can be seen as a useful marker, pointing the need and path to higher self esteem.
  1. Decide that “I’ll handle it” is your new (and only) life perspective.
    When fear becomes a habit, we’ve allowed “less than” beliefs or helplessness to feel stronger than the reality of our capability and  infinitely powerful essence . When you decide that no matter what happens, “I’ll handle it,” fear dissolves!
  1. Take Action
    Feeling good follows action – too often we reverse the process thinking that when we feel better, then we will act.  The opposite actually is true. Whether it’s massive action, or one tiny step, the truth is, that nothing will change without taking action.
  1. Measure results with a pain to power chart.
    Check-in daily  to see if you’re moving on the chart from pain to power. If you’re not, it’s because you’re not taking responsibility for that area of your life.
  1. Practice the ABCs of Intuition.
    Aware, Breathe, Connect – this simple 3-step process is the link between self esteem and action.  AWARE of the power within that’s stronger than any obstacle; BREATHE that power in and CONNECT to the heart – it knows the way…. we can trust ourselves and the process of life…. we can drop self doubt and take action from an inspired, empowered place. Self love steps out into action, no problem!

If you have a calling or intuition that you know you’re not following through on as completely as you could, ask yourself why you’re resisting or delaying. You’ll get an immediate answer. Now what is one small thing that you can do to move yourself from the pain to power chart?  Do that thing… the highest form of integrity is the noble task of honoring what wants to move through you.

If you enjoyed this blog or would like to share the results of what you learned and applied, email us! We’d love to hear from you and celebrate the success you are creating! If you are not already a subscriber to our daily quote of inspiration, be sure to sign up.

Cheryl Brewster of The Intuitive Life is a personal and business intuitive, specializing in self development through mastering change.