Today I let go
I breathe a breath of peace
For myself and for you
Release and trust that all is divine, all is love

Today I let go
Of forces that did not allow me to be true
True to my being
True to my source

Today I let go
The journey and the lessons I respect
For my wish is that you too someday say
Today I let go

Maureen Hayes
7/31/2009

Leave the campsite better than you found it.

Sometimes while hiking or camping one will notice a sign that states 
"Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures."

Who wants to walk onto a trail or try to find a campsite that has been littered with other people's garbage and trash they left behind? It is extremely inconsiderate to just leave such things behind for others to have to deal with and clean up.

The same principle applies when dealing with people. Don't walk out of a room leaving others feeling less than or not having even acknowledged their existence. Why not leave that person better than you found them?
What do you have to contribute? Share a smile. Pay a compliment. Offer a favor. Give a hug. Do a nice deed. Love them.
Make sure that they are feeling better than you found them.

 If you have to leave your mark, leave your legacy.
If you have to take something away, take away good heartfelt memories
 knowing you left the "campsite" better than you found it.

Do you use feedback as a learning tool to move yourself forward, or do you use it as a defense mechanism; an excuse to hold you back?

Use feedback to your advantage. If someone else is doing what you want to do, or is "where" you want to be in life, ask questions! Ask others how they succeeded? What was their journey like? What obstacles did they have to overcome? What did they learn? And then ask if they would critique how you are currently going about things. Honestly tell them what you are and are not doing. Then - do yourself a huge favor and shut up and listen.

If you want change in your life, don't come up with excuses and stories as to why you CAN'T. Instead after you are done listening, come up with possibilities and solutions as to how you CAN!

Have you ever had a moment in life that seems to completely shift the trajectory of your life? It's like you are cruising along in 3rd gear and all of a sudden you drop down into 2nd and you gain so much more power and start to move at a much faster speed? I had such a moment back in January 2009. I clearly remember the moment and the impact it has had on my life.
 
I had been out running errands for the day and I had just pulled my car over to the curb to get out and get my mail. I sat back down in the drivers’ seat and proceeded to my driveway. I pulled in and pressed the button for the garage door opener and a commercial playing on the radio immediately grabbed my attention. I can’t recall the exact words, but I remember the spokesperson using the words “Life Coach” and I had never heard that term before. What in the world was a Life Coach? It went on to describe the traits and qualities of a Life Coach, what they do, how they help and how you can make it your career. I thought to myself, “Well I have been doing that all my life! You mean I can actually get paid to do that?” I was mesmerized listening to the words, as if they were personally describing me. I was intrigued.
 
I quickly came back to present time, realizing this commercial was about to give me information on how I can become a Life Coach. This commercial was for a school, a place called the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts. I scrambled to locate a pen, knowing they were about to provide a phone number to call and I would never remember it. I fumbled in the bottom of my purse, grabbed a piece of mail and scribbled down the phone number just as the friendly voice recited it. My heart was pounding with excitement as I unloaded my bags from my car. I just had to get to my laptop and pronto! I had to look up whatever this SWIHA thing was – where was it? How far from my home? How much was the course? Could I afford it? How long would it take me to earn this certification? It seemed to be a lifetime away; I just knew this was something I wanted with every fiber of my being!
 
I was in a job I hated, well; to be honest I despised going to work everyday. The only thing that kept me going back day after day was I loved the people I worked with. I connected with them, and, as in all my jobs prior, people always came to me with their personal issues. I was told over and over I was a good listener, I gave good advice and people said they felt they could trust me and always felt better after having spent time talking with me.
 
For the first time in a very long time I had hope! I had such an excitement building within! My laptop seemed to be taking forever to power up. My husband was standing nearby and I wanted to share with him my newfound hope, but knowing he was the type of person who needed all the facts before making a decision, and of course I wanted his support in this, I decided to hold off telling him until I had more information to present to him. I knew it would cost money, and I personally had no savings in the bank. Just one other area of my life that was unfulfilled. If I were to do this it would have to come out of our joint savings or it would go onto a credit card. I could put it on my credit card, but I really had no idea how I would pay it off. Maybe it wouldn’t cost as much as I thought. C’mon laptop – hurry up!
 
I found the SWIHA website and started to do my research. I clicked on this, clicked on that. I even called and spoke to the front desk person who was as excited for me that I found them as I was! She answered my questions and suggested I schedule an appointment to come in for a tour. I declined at the time but told her I was sure I would be coming in very soon. I hung up and got out my calculator and started to do the math. I estimated the cost of the class as well as the required books and recommended reading would all come to just under $2000. $2000! Who has that kind of money? Certainly not me! I felt the air start to deflate out of the balloon that had been lifting me up since the radio ad first came over my car stereo. 
 
There was no way I would be able to convince my husband to go two thousand dollars in debt so I could go to school to become something he had never even heard of. My bubble had burst. That was a short lived dream.
 
But that commercial was unrelenting; it played over and over in my head. I decided to discuss it with him anyway, who knows? Maybe I could convince him I was serious about this new found hour-old passion! So I told him my story,
and all the research I had done, my phone conversation and dumped it on him hoping he would be just as excited as I was and tell me “Go for it!” and whip out his credit card and my new journey would take flight!
 
It didn’t quite go like that. Let’s just say I ended up more frustrated and felt even further from my dream. It was escaping me. I could see it going up in smoke and the life was draining out of me. Logically, it made sense to not go further into debt at this time, but I knew in my heart of hearts I just had to do this. I could not sleep that night. The desire was undeniable; I was not going to let this dream slip away.
 
The next day I called back, scheduled a tour with an admissions representative and jumped into my car heading to SWIHA. 
 
For those of you who have graced the halls of SWIHA, I don’t even have to explain to you what it’s like the first time you enter the front doors. The energy and excitement was overwhelming as I stepped in. You can only imagine how it felt after my tour and having more knowledge on what becoming a Life Coach was all about. I just had to figure out a way to do this and do it as soon as possible. My mind was made up at that moment that this was going to happen; one way or another.
 
I drove home to try to persuade my husband one more time, but it was of no use. He was not shifting his decision and suggested I just start saving and when I had the money, then sign up. That was simply not going to work for me. I
wanted this and I wanted this now!
 
The next day I made the decision that this is what I wanted, and I was going to make it happen, no matter what. I remember offering up a prayer that the argument my husband and I would more than likely have in the near future would not last too long or be too severe. I grabbed my own personal credit card and drove back to SWIHA and signed up for their Transformational Life Coaching program! My classes started in a few weeks, but I wished it were tomorrow! I came home with a packet of enrollment and class information, nervously wondering how and when I would be able to inform my husband of my decision. I was excited that I would be going back to college! I thought I would just keep my news to myself for a few days. Maybe I could figure out a gentle way to let him know I just put us 2K in debt!
 
Then something amazing happened. I was online paying some bills and had to log into my bank account. I thought I had logged into someone else’s account when I saw the balance in my checking account. I did a double-take at the name
and account number to make sure it was mine. It was. The total in my account was just under $2,000 more than I knew I had! I clicked on the link for my checking account to look at the details and there had been a deposit made to my account
for about $1850. I looked at the transaction log to understand where this money came from. I discovered it was deposited by an organization that I had previously provided my bank account information because a client of theirs owed me money and they, after years, were finally able to collect and disbursed this debt owed to me. I blinked my eyes a number of times and even logged back in and out of my online account, just to make sure this was real! It was, it was mine and having this money would allow me to instantly pay off my debt! I was in shock and speechless when extreme gratitude poured over me. The tears began to stream down my cheeks and I can remember jumping up and doing a happy dance! 
  
Within 48 hours of making the decision I realized the universe had been conspiring to make it happen, to assure that what I was doing was the right thing. It was just waiting for me to catch up with it! In the very moment of making that decision, my life shifted to set me on a course that was more in alignment with the desires of my heart. I had heard of this sort of vibrational event taking place, but had never really fully experienced it like this before.

I was gratefully able to share this news with my husband and he agreed it all happened for a reason and sent me off to my first class with his blessing. I went on to earn my certification, and returned to SWIHA and completed the Advanced Life Coaching program. 
 
I am thrilled to say I no longer work for company I so emphatically despised. I am now a self-employed Life Coach! I formed my own business "Awaken Your Spirit ~ You, Only Better!" and I am a Certified Facilitator and Independent Consultant teaching True Colors; something I learned about in Life Coaching class. True Colors is a simple, accurate, fun and effective
personality assessment and a tool many coaches use with their clients. I discovered what an impact it had on mine and I now hold workshops for clients specializing and teaching about our personalities and how to find a fulfilling career that is right for you. 

It's ok - push in the clutch, drop it down a gear and hit the accelerator!
 
Listen to your intuition, follow your dreams, and trust the process. These are what make up the shifting moments in your life.

Written By Maureen Hayes Nov 30, 2012

Do you look to others to point out the value that you hold? Do you need compliments from your partner or friends in order to feel worthy? Do you feel your work, your efforts, your talents or your looks are never good enough unless you hear verbal praise from other people?

Sure, it is nice to hear words of encouragement and compliments from others, but do you NEED it? What if you never ever again were to hear a compliment from another person, how would that affect you?

If you are placing a NEED you have in others to fulfill you are setting yourself up for failure. You can't count on others to give you what you need. You can only count on yourself. So give yourself what it is you need. 

Do you need a compliment? Go look in the mirror and dish up the biggest compliment you can think! Do you have something you want to celebrate about yourself? Well, reach around and give yourself a pat on the back! Need some
encouragement? Give yourself a pep-talk like no other! 

By giving yourself what you need you increase your feelings of value  and worthiness. Increasing your self-worth raises your self-esteem. After all, self-esteem does not come from others, it comes from within.