Month: February 2011

Retreating and Advancing in Good Company

30 Amazing Women-Seattle October 2010

It’s miraculous, what becomes possible when like minded female leaders gather in conversation about things that really matter.  Success is always accelerated by good company.  I’m often asked, How do I choose amazing women to bring into my circle? Here are the selection criteria I use to gather 30 Amazing Women here in Seattle for my quarterly events:

-Does she have wisdom and compassion, a sense of humor, a great laugh, spirit and soul?

-Is she outraged at injustice and indifference?

-Does she want to make a difference and does her leadership have a profound impact?

-Does she have a sense of community, faith that it matters what we do?

-Does she care about the well-being of others beyond her own, for values that are being lost?

-Has she grown through her difficult times?

-Can you count on her?

-Will the circle be a sanctuary for her?

(Inspired by the writings of Jean Shinoda Bolen)

What would you add?

P.S. Are you a big YES to all of the above?  Please know that you are warmly invited to attend my upcoming “30 Amazing Women in BLISS” Event in Seattle?  Click here to register:  30 Amazing Women Event on March 7

P.S.S. Registration closes on February 28 and the seats are going fast.

Retreating Inward to the Bliss of the Heart

Step 1– Digging out the roots of suffering: We’ve all got a few limiting root beliefs that arose from wounds we may have long ago forgotten.  These pesky “bliss thieves” keep affecting repeating scenarios over and over in our lives.  Unfortunately, we can’t easily discover our own root wounds and without the catalyst of suffering we don’t often even try.  It’s like operating on our own head. Not so easy.

When with the help of an insightful executive coach or teacher, we identify one of our root wounds and its resulting limiting belief, it’s stunning to look back and see the circular pattern of behavior that repeatedly yielded results that strengthened the belief.  We can see how this pattern unfolded over and over causing progressively more intense suffering and shaping our lives with predictable precision.  Once identified and healed we shift toward creating fresh new beliefs that have us literally, rewriting our script.  So, first agenda item:  Identify and shift limiting root beliefs that are causing repeated suffering.    Time well spent?   Absolutely.

Step 2–The journey inward: Get established in BLISS!  From where does bliss arise?  For me it emerges from the joyous ease that arises when I’m at my best.   Bliss springs easily from a state of contentment.  It flows from knowing that I am safe and protected.  Bliss arises from knowing that I have the courage to face whatever challenges are before me and that I am equal to these challenges.   We attain mastery as we move beyond occasional, accidental visits to the land of BLISS and really plant our flag in this treasured territory.

In the yogic philosophy of Vedanta, bliss is the 5th Kosha or sheath at the heart of our being.  To arrive at bliss, we move progressively inward through the onion-like skins of our physical body, breath, mind, intellect and then at the very heart of who we are…we arrive at bliss.

May we each find our way inward and become established in the bliss at the Heart of our being.

May we become fearless in the center of this joy and happy not only in happiness but in difficulties as well.

This Valentine’s Day, I wish you the bliss of the Heart.

 

Flickr photo courtesy of qthomasbower under the Creative Commons License