Hello friends. I am on vacation this week and life is good. Today was a pretty spectacular day. Funny thing is, nothing really all that glamorous happened. I actually got up early to head over to my sister’s house for a garage sale, as they are moving. I had hauled a bunch of my stuff over the night before. Walked with 80 big ones!

The cool part of the day was just being. I got to hang out with my niece, Alyssa and just BE. I watched her get really excited when she’d hear a bird fly by and she’d look all over for it, confused when she couldn’t see it. She loves the feel of the wind on her skin, so as the breeze blew by her from time to time I’d catch her just stop and close her eyes and revel in the feel of it with a HUGE smile on her face. We spread out a blanket on the lawn and plopped down on some pillows and looked up at the clouds and the tree limbs hanging over us. We ate goldfishes and left-over chicken fingers and I kissed her knees when she fell on the driveway and instantly made her boo-boo’s better with the power of my love and a quick kiss.

How freakin cool is that? I had a great day chatting with their neighbors that came out to “shop” in all of our old things that don’t serve us anymore, but might serve them. These 3 old-timers rolled up and parked their mo-peds right in front of the house and hopped off like they were the kings of the neighborhood. Saw a little too much plumber-butt when one lady squatted down to pick out some cd’s from a box. What was cool too, is that everyone stopped and watched Ms. Alyss. Everyone smiled at her or waved at her or simply stopped and watched her.

She is the perfect reminder to BE present and to live life from moment to moment. She wasn’t thinking about naptime, she wasn’t aware of what time mommy would be home from work, she wasn’t worried about how she was going to get dinner that night. She just WAS her. From moment to moment, she just lived. And we had too much fun!

So I am sharing Ms. Alyss with you, as an example of the spirit of the present. Take her soon-to-be 2 yr. old wisdom and nourish your thirsty souls. Dive in and revel in the moments of your life today. Wash the dishes and BE. Feed the dogs and BE. Take a walk and BE. Tidy the house and BE. Have conversations and BE present. Read a book instead of zone out to TV. Feel the grass under your feet and notice the twinkle of the stars in the sky. Be like Alyss and know that those stars shine just for you!

What can you do to BE more present today?

Peace and easy breezy summer days,
Kam

I am officially on vacation! I’ve had summer fever so bad lately. Not in the mood to work. Procrastinating like crazy and all I want to do is play. The funny thing is, as my vacation drew closer, I had a sore throat that got worse, and then some flu like symptoms crept in too. Bummer. Since my green tea and Vitamin C remedies weren’t working, I decided to go to the doctor. Seems that I had strep throat! Yeoowwza!

What I love most about this recent scenario is that I can get all high and mighty and think I’m running the show, and then my body can just put me in check in a matter of hours! I’ve been going 90 to nothing for about the last year. Been better about taking time out for myself and incorporating me time into the beginning of my day, but in general, I’ve still been burning it too hard.

Getting sick is the most beautiful demonstration that we are whole beings. My mind kept saying “Go Kammie go”, my spirit was telling me to slow down, “It’ll all fall into place girl - just chill”, but my body had enough and slammed on the brakes! It’s like it said, “You think you’re sooo smart. OK, take this. How’s a lil’ strep throat, body aches and chills sound?” Ummm, not so good.

After a two-day hibernation in the condo, a little dog therapy with Chance and Trix and a Z-pak, I’m feeling pretty much back to normal. And what’s the first thing I want to do? Jump right back into super-Kam mode.

What can I do to honor my whole self? How can I live more authentically in my mind, body, and spirit connection? What can I tweak in my life that let’s ALL of me know that one part of me won’t let another part of me down? That we’re a team and it takes all of us, to support each other for the best of us.

I commit to really listening to my spirit when it’s revealing symptoms such as; lack of creativity, procrastination, the funks, general blahs and blues, and not so Kam-like displays of disinterest in the magical universe around me.

I commit to trusting that it’s OK to incorporate down time into my schedule and that down time also supports my creativity, flow, intuition and nurtures my spirit, thus nurtures my relationships. I commit to enjoying each day, with its ups and downs and to letting go of the expectation of my life to be anything other than what it already is…DIVINE!

Soak up some summer sun,
Kam

According to Deepak Chopra in, The Book of Secrets, “There is no limit to how far your influence can reach, but to find that out you must engage life with passion. When you do anything with passion, you express every aspect of who you are. Passion releases all the energy you posses. At that moment you put yourself on the line, for if you throw everything you have into a pursuit, weaknesses are also exposed. Passion brings up everything.

This inescapable fact discourages many people, who dislike the negative parts of themselves so much, or are so intimidated by them, that they hold their passion in check in the belief that life will be made safer. Perhaps it will, but at the same time they are greatly limiting their understanding of what life can bring.” “The willingness to reach inside every part of yourself opens the door to total understanding. When you hold some part of yourself in reserve you deny it exposure to life; you repress its energy and keep it from understanding what it needs to know.”

I just shared this quote with my newsletter subscribers and it inspired me to share it with you all as well. The summer months get me revved up! I want to have fun. I want to play. I want action! Hey now…get your mind outta the gutter. The topic this month revolves around the action steps required to move forward into our lives. What action steps are required to fully step into the next best version of ourselves?

So dearest darlings…what action steps will you commit to by the end of June? What are you willing to do to step that much closer to your goals? How might your life look completely different by September 1st if you take action this summer?

Hmmm? Interesting thought, huh? I’d love to hear about it. So hit reply and leave me some comments. I can’t wait to hear what goodness you’ll commit to in order to achieve greatness! What about me? Ok, fair is fair.

I committed to finishing the newsletter tonight (check), submitting 3 articles to the online article databases, writing a proposal for a business venture with my friend Linda W., and the outline for my e-book and audio CD. These are things I’m committing to by the end of June.

Ready to get busy? Ready to live your best life ever? Then you need to act now. No time to waste. Just set those wheels in motion and be the little choo-choo that could. Woo-woo (B that’s just for you).

What action steps will you commit to by July 1?

Peace and get up offa that thang,
Kam-a-lic-ious

“A little less conversation, a little more action please…”
~ Elvis Presley (the King of TCB)

Life is g-double-o-d! What can I say? It’s summer. It’s not as hot and humid in the STL as it usually is in June. Saw an amazing star this morning high in the southern sky. Not sure what it is, but it’s cool as all get out anyway.

Been asking for more peace, love and joy in my days. I wake up and have a bit of dialogue with spirit in the mornings as I walk the dogs. The most amazing gifts have been arriving. All revolving around JOY. And the synchronicities and vibes are almost hitting freakish proportions. Asked for a distraction at work yesterday. It was 4:30, and I was checked out! Then…WHAM…a very attractive man came along in need of my help. Then thought of my friend Linda last night and that I ought to call her today. Well she got to me first – with FREE tickets to Friday night’s Cardinal’s game. Woo-Hoo!! Haven’t seen the new stadium yet, so what a fun treat? Last week’s intuitive hits were a whirlwind too…all leading me to exactly the right people at exactly the right moments.

It feels nice to be in the FLOW. A couple of weeks ago, I fell back into control-freak-Kammie mode. And nothing was flowing. It felt like I was completely disconnected form my gifts and goodies. So I shifted gears, re-focused my energy on the PRESENT moment. Quit holding out for the future and started living here and NOW. What a difference!

So sweet friends, with summer fun in the air and joyful spirits frolicking about…take some time to STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. BE where you are. Or be where you’re at. (The joke is in STL we all end sentences with prepositions!). Whichever you prefer, just BE. Hit the beach, or the pool or a baseball game, or rock climbing like my friend Katie in NC. Get out there and get your feet wet. Dig in the dirt. Go to the zoo. Try a new outdoor café. Say thanks for the season. It’s gonna fly on by.

I’m trying to appreciate this season in my life. To really enjoy the moment. Cuz next year’s gonna look a whole lot different. So grab my hand. And let’s have a seat on the lawn of life. Right here. Right now. I’ll bring the lemonade. You bring the little umbrellas. OK?

What are you enjoying about this season?

Peace and those summer nights,
Kam

Hello Passionate People! Wanted to share that I am linked in over at a fabulous new social networking site Zaadz. Here’s Zaadz mission: “We’re gonna change the world. Our math goes like this: you be the change + you follow your bliss + you give your greatest strengths to the world moment to moment to moment + we do everything in our power to help you succeed + you inspire and empower everyone you know to do the same + we team up with millions like us = we just affected billions = we (together) changed the world.” Pretty cool, huh? Go check it out for yourself!

My code-name over there is “The Sacred Sensualist”. What exactly is a SS you ask? It’s about a way of life that I am incorporating into my natural way of BEING.

Here’s my daily SS affirmation:
“I am a Sacred Sensualist. I am living a six sensory life using smell, taste, touch, sound, sight & intuition to become fully aware of the magical universe around me.” You see?

As a Life & Career coach, it is my mission to help people fall in love with life. By encouraging others to live as SS, we can all open up our senses, tune in, turn on and really live passionately and on purpose.

My whole life people have joked about the way I always had to TOUCH something. When I shop I touch clothes on the racks as I walk by. I stop in my tracks when I get a whiff of something I really like. It often takes my breath away. Sometimes just looking at something causes my eyes to water as the sheer beauty of the moment washes over me. When I watch really amazing dancers I get emotional from the energy I can feel from the group moving and flowing as one. And live music and concerts? Forget about it! Live music is so powerful for me, it feels like a religious experience.

I didn’t connect the dots until recently that that is how I connect with the Divine. My sacred connection comes through ALL of my senses. Intuition is a special gift I cherish. As a young girl, I was freaked out by the sheer power and easy way I could “tap into” my 6th sense. My mom says it runs in the family. She used to tell me about my grandmother and great grandmother getting the “vibes”. I now feel amazingly blessed to feel a natural flow of my intuitive abilities and no longer try and push it away, nor grasp it too firmly. I have found that as long as I say thank you for it and let it naturally flow through me, that’s when I feel tuned in at the highest frequencies.

So PMPer’s…which senses are you most tapped into and how do you find it connects you to your Divine source?

Be well and live sensually,
Kam

What a weekend. Got some sun, some sleep and some brain food. Sat. I participated in the Entrepreneur Within workshop with Larry DeRusha. Good stuff! Got the last of the details of my business plan together. Writing it down helped me focus.

It’s hard to know where you’re going if you don’t have clear vision. I’ve had so many ideas and creative brainstorms rolling around, but putting them on paper helps make them reality. I’m already manifesting many of the things I’ve been setting my sights on.

The sweetest synchronicities have been falling into place and I know in my heart that I am right where I am supposed to be. I often want to jump ahead to the next “big thing”, but I realize there are still things I need to check off my to-do list before advancing to the next level. This crazy game called life is a whirlwind of a ride, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. My intuition keeps feeding me signals that I am tuned in and turned on to what it is I am here for.

People ask me, “How do you know what your passion and purpose are?” I believe everyone’s purpose is to live passionately. To live out loud and play full out! If you’re not sure why you’re here – be sure of this – you are here to LIVE passionately. Love more deeply, sing louder, laugh harder, work less, play more, smell the roses, take your vacation days, heal your wounds (= get the help of a counselor, coach or minister if you need it), forgive those you’ve not yet forgiven, dance your ass off, BE present, smile more, worry less, speak your mind, trust your gut (that’s really your intuition & the voice of the Divine within), share the wealth, receive your gifts, give from your heart (not cuz you have to), zone out less, tune in more, love yourself first and the rest will follow.

Everyone’s journey is unique. There is no “cookie cutter”, one-size fits all remedy to finding your particular passion in life. It’s about tuning into what FEELS good to you. When you tap into those things in life where your heart feels like it’s about to burst, you start to have more good days than bad, and then more good weeks than bad weeks and over the course of time, you’ve peeled that ol’ onion back to start exposing it’s juicy core.

The heart of the matter is YOU. Your goodness and fire lies within you already. You are whole, complete and perfect just AS you are. Right now. So stop searching for “IT” in the bottle or work or the curvaceous stranger or the charming co-worker or at the mall or the casino or the kids practice schedules or the gossip magazines.

When you hear a voice that shouts, “There HAS to be more than this!” heed its call. That’s just the beginning…it’s like that saying - once you hit the bottom there’s no place to go but up. You’ve got to be willing to do the work. Shine a light on your scary places. Be brave and bold and step up to the plate. No one else is gonna swing that bat for you. It’s your turn now. This is your moment. Shine your light. Be a star.

What are you passionate about? And how are you living on purpose?

Ooodles of love,
Kam

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

This quote is from Marianne Williamson’s book, A Return to Love. This quote has always been an inspiration to me. Becoming who we were truly meant to BE is both an exhilarating and challenging process. I find myself hanging out in the “who-do-you-think-you-are” lounge from time to time.

Negative thoughts creep up on us and zap our energy, down play our talents and sabotage our creativity. It’s easy to ask; who DO I think I am? Maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe I couldn’t. What if I fail? What if I succeed? What if my life could be even bigger than I ever imagined? What will I do then? Will my friends and family think I’m too big for my britches? What will it be like when I get there? The unknown can keep us on lockdown.

It’s easier when we release the burden of carrying that weight on our own. When we stop and surrender to the Divine (God/Spirit/Source/Universe…call it what you will) knowing that thy will be done, not my will be done. How free do you feel when you realize you’re merely a vessel - a mere channel for the greatness of the Divine energy to flow through?

Whether you’re an actor, a writer, a parent, a teacher, a coach, a businessperson of high integrity, a dog walker or grocery checker, you serve a Divine purpose on this planet. You have unique talents and gifts that ONLY you can provide in this world. Without your piece of art, your words of inspiration, your constant presence, your witty comeback, and your sweet smile – the world wouldn’t be as colorful a place.

Your purpose here is to help shift the puzzle pieces between you and I and him and her and we and thee…Each step you take, each hand you shake, each smile you share, each laugh, each tear, each experience you encounter with another is a SHARED experience. You can’t move (emotionally or physically) without moving another.

So let’s push through our fears, stop standing still, quit playing small, and really start living! Let’s put ourselves out there, ask for what we want, and make requests for what we believe in. Let’s grab life by the hand and dance our asses off! Let’s create a life with passion and purpose and remember that at our core we are DIVINE.

What if we woke up everyday and just acknowledged that? How differently would we treat ourselves and therefore treat others? When we courageously step forward into our true selves, we become an example and a model for others. As we wake up and light our fire, we help others turn their sparks into flames. Hell, (no pun intended) let’s turn this place into a burning inferno! OK? No more sleepwalking, no more procrastinating, no more waiting till this is ready or that is just so. Let’s just go kick some ass!

What are you waiting for?

Peace and no more hiding (me neither),
Kam

PS...thanks Pam, big hug

In his book The Portable Coach, Thomas Leonard (the God-Father of coaching), states, “Unhook yourself from the future. Attraction works in the present, not in the future.” Could he BE anymore right on or what? I find myself tethered to the future lately and it’s really feeling more like a noose than a necklace!

I am so excited for the evolution of my business and can clearly see so many great opportunities right on the horizon, yet I can’t quite reach out and touch them. This “daydreaming” about the future pulls me out of the present moment and causes anxiety, a false sense of urgency and completely disengages me from the miraculous moments the present has to offer me.

It’s funny because I’ve learned through mentors and in my coach training classes that clients show up with similar issues to what we as coaches are currently dealing with. I have to laugh each time this same subject has been brought up in the last couple of weeks. Even with friends and family. It’s so human to reach for goals and focus on the future.

What’s so cool about re-orienting in the here and now is that the baby steps we do take each day are exactly what get’s us “there”. The other funny thing is that once we arrive “there”, there will be a next version of “there” we will aspire to move toward. That’s why I am consciously trying to focus on BREATHING and BEING. If I stop and just BREATHE, this allows me to just BE. I know the present IS perfect and that the ONLY time we have is NOW. But it’s one thing to intellectually know this and another to consciously BE it.

So my friends, lets’ all try and BREATHE and BE today, shall we? Let’s check in with our six senses and see. What does your present smell like? Do you smell coffee or food or rain in the distance? What does it feel like? Is the wind on your skin or the sun on your face or the air conditioner cooling your skin? What do you hear? Is the phone ringing, the birds chirping or the kids screaming? What do you see? Your client’s faces, your dogs in the yard, your writing on the computer monitor? What do you taste? Are you noshing on some food, chewing some gum, nibbling on some candy? What is your intuition saying to you right now? How are you FEELING? Listen to that voice; it’s the one with the directions on how to BE right where you are, presently perfect indeed.

Much love,
Kam