Passionate Theme of the Day: Awareness

NOTE** (This was intended to be published Sunday morning, due to technical difficulties, it is now.)

The morning after. Spent. Satiated. Tapped out. That’s me after the past 4 days of ICF conference keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops and networking. My brain feels like a zit that’s about to pop. It actually hurts. Taken pain relievers and nothing is working. Can’t sleep either. I’m exhausted, and Mr. Sandman has been an elusive tease. I’ve been picking this up and putting it down all day, applying gentle pressure…so here goes.

Reported that I got to know several of my coaching mentors (Andrea Lee, Elyse Killoran and Lynne Klippel). Talk about surreal! But by the end of the conference I’m calling them friends. Dare I say they feel like sisters? I have more confidence now, knowing that these wise and wonderful women are supporting me in spirit. Should I need advice, counsel or just an ear to bend, they are there for me. THANK YOU ladies.

The keynotes were ridiculous! Dan Pink – author of A Whole New Mind, Lynn Twist – author of The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life, and the always energetic Guy Kawasaki – author of The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries and Selling the Dream – these presentations alone were worth the cost of the conference. I walked away fired up, inspired, humbled and more passionate than ever. THANK YOU Dan, Lynn & Guy.

Attended some cool breakouts on everything from spirituality, language, coaching small businesses and even a “play session” with acting coaches who walked us through exercises to get us out of thinking mode and back into our bodies and to nourish our spirits. SIDEBAR**It’s no wonder actors are making out on the set all the time. These exercises were pretty intimate breathing, voice and touch exercises, among about 50 strangers!

I met some amazing people as I let intuition guide me from one conversation to the next. I’m a butterfly in social settings. Flitting around from place to place. The danger in that is that I can lose my grounding. Can become “out of body” and disconnected. Which is where I am now. Processing and chewing on ALL the information, awareness, new concepts and messages I received.

Messages came from unexpected places. Had an aura photo and reading with James Townsend who passed along his wisdom. I expected my aura to be reds and oranges, (being that I’m Ms. Passion and all), yet it was cool blues and greens, with hints of white around my head and gray under my chin and mouth.  James told me that the green was healing energy.

He said I’m a natural healer and asked if I do Reiki. Being highly intuitive, when I do that work I can pick up images or phrases from people, so that freaks me out a little. I’m more comfortable healing with words and holding the space for people to share their thoughts with me. He explained that’s what blue is. Blue represents holding a sacred space, allowing people to open their hearts and souls. He asked if random strangers feel inclined to share their deepest, darkest secrets with me. I laughed and said, “All my life!”

The white color above my head was an indication of the breakdown of ego and increased connection to spirit (a constant evolution!) and the gray around my mouth indicates that sometimes words or phrases come out of me and they come from some higher source. They are not “from me”. I laughed again and shared that I often sit down to type and stuff just rolls out! There were little floating “balls”, floating above my head and James told me those were my ancestral, spirit guides and angels. I had to smile, as I often feel surrounded, guided and protected by an unseen source. THANK YOU James.

It was “random” conversations that also helped to move me forward and got me thinking bigger than I had before the conference. Anna, Allen, Glenda and Peggy all kept crossing my path. Each conversation placed another brick in the path before me.

Robert from Coach Web, has amazing energy, ideas and insights about the future of coaching and online networking that excites and intrigues me. He also was able to help me “uncover” my source of frustration about which way to go next with my business, with his powerful questions on Sat. afternoon.

“How do you feel about silence?” He asked, noting that I speak fast, and get swept up in my energy and enthusiasm. He asked me to consider the runner who takes off without tying their shoes. Or that dashes out of the starting block but hasn’t properly stretched. Sure, you’re running…but at what cost to your long-term success?

I am still chewing on that conversation. I need to purge that which doesn’t serve me, personally and business wise. I’m going to streamline, simplify and get quiet. I’m going within, because my higher self KNOWS what the next step is, even if I can’t yet see thru the fog. The fog is now lifting. THANK YOU all.

Have to give a shout out to the adorable Aussie. Daryl’s energy is warm and infectious and his enthusiasm for coaching and life matches mine. Our conversations about the future of the coaching industry, life, passion and purpose are still rolling through my airwaves! THANK YOU for “stumbling” upon me in the language session (or should I say thanks to Lynn?). We’ll see what evolves…

And I am grateful for the opportunity to meet Pam in person. It was so good to put a smiling face with that always, accepting voice. THANK YOU Pam for your sincere support and encouragement.

The last “epiphany” I had came last night as I was flipping through the TV and “happened” across the final scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Holly had issues with vulnerability and expanding her heart – hard to admit, but I can relate. Here’s how the closing dialogue goes:

You Know
What’s Wrong With You?

Miss Whoever-You-Are?

You’re Chicken.

You Got No Guts.

You’re Afraid To Say,
“O.K., Life’s A Fact.”

People Do Fall In Love.

People Do Belong
To Each Other,

Because That’s The Only
Chance Anybody’s Got

For Real Happiness.

You Call Yourself
A Free Spirit,

A Wild Thing.

You’re Terrified
Somebody’s Going To

Stick You In A Cage.

Well, Baby, You’re
Already In That Cage.

You Built It Yourself.

And It’s Not Bounded
By Tulip, Texas,

Or Somaliland.

It’s Wherever You Go.

Because No Matter
Where You Run,

You Just End Up
Running Into Yourself.

Let’s just say, that struck a nerve and I bawled my eyes out! I’m ready to open the door and let myself out of my cage. What happens when a self-proclaimed wild thing is set free? She flys…

How high might you soar if you’d only set yourself free? What gifts, messages or new awareness are you grateful for today?

Awestruck,
Kam