I'd rather be a whale!

As much as I love the colour pink, (oh yes all who know me know I love pink), I have decided I would never want to be a salmon - pink or otherwise!  In fact I would rather be a whale!  ( I can just hear Simon and Garfunkel singing - "Not a salmon but a whale")

Let me explain.  I have spent my entire life acting like a salmon.  Swimming upstream.  Working myself to death - just like salmon do.  Swimming against the current, fighting the rush of water over the falls and jumping uphill to reach my destination.  All along the banks people are pointing - "look at her go!"  "Wow she has so much energy!"  What they did not realize is that I was headed (with much energy and exertion) in the wrong direction!

It has taken me 50 years to realize that swimming with the current is much easier - and will get me to my destination before I am worn out.  As they say - go with the flow.  (for once 'THEY' are right).

I was reading a great article by Dr. Robert Anthony about swimming upstream.  This is not a great idea - especially when your destination is really downstream!  The problem is that we have been taught all our lives that 'life is hard'.  "Nothing good comes easy".  "You have to work hard to get ahead".  Recognize any of these?

Reflecting back on my life - everything that I have received or achieved came very easily to me!  In fact, I felt like I was cheating.  I too thought life should be hard.  When I won awards - I thought "Wow , they must have made a mistake - I never worked hard for that!"

How silly.

Yes, I have given up being a salmon.  I am gonna be a whale.  Whales swim to warmer waters in the winter and cooler waters in the summer.  (how smart!)

This does not mean we should look for the easy way out of things - but means that when we go with the 'flow' - the universe will support us and speed us on our journey.

So you might say I have decided to have a 'whale' of a time in life.  My only job is to know the direction - and then go with the flow!  How easy is that?

Ready, set..... stuck?

There I stood - not budging.  I pushed harder and harder.   Leaning forward on a 20 degree slope downhill, two boards strapped to my boots and the most awesome powdery conditions - and I was stuck.  

Other skiers breezed by me, screaming "yahooooo" - and rejoicing in the abundance of powder below and the huge flakes falling from above.  But I just stood still.

I lifted my one foot then the other and began walking down the hill.  Every once in a while I stopped, banged the skis on the ground and attempted to push one foot forward in a sliding motion. No go.

A a ski instructor I was baffled.  OK - I am on a hill, leaning forward what was going on?  My understanding of physics told me I should be moving forward and down the hill.

It took me 10 minutes to walk down to the bottom of the hill from the chalet - and when I was on more solid snow, I took off my skis. (actually, it was my ski partner who thought he knew what the problem might be)

I had already decided of course that my skis needed a tune up - or waxing.  He knew differently.  Turning the skis over he showed me the problem. There was a four inch section on each ski bottom covered in bumpy, snowy ice, right under where I would have centered my balance.  I scraped the ice off - and was away sliding easily to the chair lift and then riding up up to the top of the mountain to begin my skiing day.

On the chair lift I began to think about how skiing could be much like business.  Once you push off, downhill momentum could make the skiing very enjoyable.  But when you all of a sudden become 'stuck' or stopped for no apparent reason - things can become very frustrating.

In fact when I looked at the surface of the problem with my skis - nothing appeared to be wrong.  I was on a slope, I had skis on and the snow conditions were perfect.  Had I taken off my skis earlier - I could have identified the problem, scraped off the ice and skied down to the chairlift.  But instead I pushed on in the most inefficient way possible - determined to get to the bottom of the hill - even if I had to walk!  (I wonder what would have happened had I asked for help?)

How many of us do the same in business?  We may be experts. (after all I was a ski instructor)  We may have a lot of knowledge about business, but when we become stuck instead of stopping for a moment to investigate the reason for the slowdown or 'stuckedness', we push harder and harder, determined to not let ANYTHING stand in our way.  

Interestingly enough I wonder how often a quick 'check in and check up' on our business would afford us the information we need to get over the 'hump' and regain momentum.  Further to that - I wonder how much more easily we might grow our businesses if we stopped every once in a while to ask for help in assessing what is really going on.

This is one of the reasons we have a business assessment available on the Roaring Women web site.  (yes it is available and free to everyone.)

So the next time all things seem to be in order - and you appear to be doing everything right but you just can't budge - take a minute to examine what is really going on.  And if it isn't readily apparent - ask for help.  Sometimes just a small tweak can get you moving forward again with little effort at all.

We have many great resources available for members of Roaring Women.  We are North America's largest business resource!  Why not try us out for free here - and get some valuable gifts!

A roaring woman - coming clean...

Ok so as I near fifty - maybe the time has arrived to come clean.  I always thought I said it like it was - but there were some things I just did not dare talk about - for fear of unleashing the tiger - or shall I say lioness within.

Until yesterday - I always believed in the kinder gentler way.  In fact in a recent conversation with my husband I remarked that perhaps he did not know me well - and that I believed in moving forward in life that I had an attitude of 'no harm to anyone' - and that love was the motivating factor for all that I did. Deep inside however is also the fierce protector - the advocate for those who dare not speak.

Interestingly enough - these values and beliefs were outwardly expressed for others - but never inwardly expressed on my own behalf.  I have spent many years in relationships peppered with abuse of all kinds.  Outwardly fighting for the rights and safety of other - inwardly - denying my own situations and needs.

How very sad.  The woman who needed to be loved and protected the most - curled up in a fetal and protective position - praying for a hero.  So yesterday - on behalf of that woman - the kinder gentler way got tossed out the window.   The time has come to speak up on behalf of women all over the world - who fight for others and neglect their own needs.

It all started with a conversation of personal responsibility with someone I love dearly.  I was accused of "chasing money" - running after the almighty dollar.  In this conversation I was indicating I was going to apply for a prestigious position with a large paycheck.  I was dreaming - and thinking of what life might be like - the benefits of the position - and also the love for the duties the position provided.

I was astounded by the accusation.  I immediately went inside myself to test out if the accusation rang true.  Immediately my higher self reminded me of all I had contributed to the world - without regard to pay or personal consequences.  I knew that my motivation in the world was not to only 'make money'.  I knew however I have financial responsibilities that require me to step up to the plate and make some changes.

Upset by the conversation I called his mother - just for some wisdom from another strong woman.  Her words cut me to the core.  "Maybe it's time you just found your real place in the world and stop trying so hard.  Just be normal like the rest of us.  Maybe it's time to live more within your means - you are thinking too big for your britches young lady.  You are just too smart and ambitious - it's time to just let those silly ambitions go and get a regular job - stop chasing the brass ring so to speak".

OMG.  Between the tears and disbelief I could feel a fire rising inside.  I wonder if anyone ever uttered words like that to Martin Luther King who had  'a dream'. What would happen if every one who had a dream in this world was told "oh just sit down and shut up -  will you?". 

So I called my mother.  

Despite our disagreements and misunderstandings over the years - she has given me many, many gifts.  And yesterday - she gave me the greatest gift of all.  

I do not remember the words she spoke - but I did note the fire in my chest that began to burn brightly.  She told me through a series of stories about my strength.  She reminded me of all the women that have gone before me - who sacrificed so that I could speak out.  And for me - at this time in my life - the 'kinder gentler way' went right out the freakin window.  My idea of a kinder gentler way to do things had brought me to a point where I was now a 'kinder gentler doormat', almost willing to accept the advice of a woman trying to put me in my place.  (too big for your britches young lady)

Then I talked to my dear friend and fabulous counselor Heidi Cowie.  She reminded me that the advice I had been given to 'slow down and not think so big' was not advice for special girls like us.  Yes Heidi - we are special women. We are amazing - and I thank God for the community of Roaring Women who like my mother and the other women in my family understand.

I do have dreams. I do have something I want to give the world.  And I do deserve to have a partner who will support me in that - or I will do it alone.  I deserve to be paid well and acknowledged for my contributions - if not for me - for all the women who have gone before and fought the fight for equality and appreciation.

Am I angry - yes.  But it is a righteous and positive anger, by George.  And God help the man (or misguided woman) who will stand in my way to get the job done. 

What is the job?  To help women understand their value, worth and potential. To raise them to their rightful place in the universe.  To support them in following their dreams - wherever it takes them. To honour the community of women that has gone before. To let every woman know that not only has she a right to her dreams - she has the right to live without fear of violence - or death - that no one has the right to abuse her verbally or degrade her or cut down her ideas and dreams.

My job is to help her steer in the right direction and channel all that wonderful courage and ambition in the direction she really wants to go.

And I am starting right here - in my own back yard.  Care to join me?

Mandie Crawford
Calgary Business Woman of the Year 2010

The lottery of limiting beliefs

The scene was of a woman woman waking up to a brilliant sunshine.  She rolls out of bed and wanders up a set of stairs with a brass hand rail - and steps out onto the deck of a beautiful sailboat.   You know how the scene plays out after that.  And of course the commercial is a promotion for a lottery. She was living her dream after winning a lottery!

At first I was intrigued at the scene - wondering what the commercial was about.  Then, when I realized it was for a lottery,  I shook my head and involuntarily the thought popped into my head "I don't want to win a lottery".

How interesting I muttered, as I realized that it was likely a message that had surfaced from my subconscious.

I thought about this interesting turn of events for me.  If I had decided or had buried in my subconscious that I did not want to win a lottery - why then had I bought a lottery ticket for the Friday draw?  Surely if this is what I believed deep down inside - I was likely sending energy out letting the universe know that I did not want to win.

The great creator was likely chuckling at my actions - even questioning the wisdom of the purchase.  Me, I began thinking about why I would even think that way.

Then I remembered an experience I had in the past - where I was given a large sum of money as a result my father's death.  Not only was I sad that my father had died - there was a lot of family fighting about the money that caused me great pain.  Not surprisingly,  my brain wanting to keep me safe from more emotional pain,  planted the thought deep in my subconscious that I did not want to win or receive large sums of money.

Luckily for me - lottery tickets had never been on my 'must buy' list and I had only purchased 3 in the last 10 years - but it made me wonder what energy I was sending out all the way around.  

So I decided it was time to deal with my limiting belief - because that is what it really was - a limiting belief.

PSYCH-K is a great tool to use to not only identify but to change our limiting beliefs we carry in the subconscious.  It is a tool I had recently added to my coaching tool chest - to help me assist clients in eliminating their limiting beliefs.  Now was the time to test how well it worked.

I took some time to go through the process I needed to connect subconscious to conscious brain and made sure the message that I replaced the limiting belief with was "It s safe to win, acquire and make large sums of money".  The process seemed easy enough - and I felt a shift inside that I could not describe.

Monday, I brought the lottery ticket I had purchased several days earlier into the kitchen - and looked up the winning numbers. It was a $20 winning ticket!  Now I realize that may not be a large sum of money - but for me it was an interesting turn of events.

We do create everything that happens to us by what we think and how we feel.  Our job is to find out the stories that are buried deep within us and change them to fit the videos, pictures and vision boards we create consciously.  When there is a match - we can begin taking an active roll in our future!

If you would like more information on defeating your own limiting beliefs - please contact Mandie for a free 20 minute session!

Can we really change the 'mood' of mother earth and her children?

With great curiosity I have watched what I call the ‘global mood’ over the last year – wondering at the feelings and moods of one person and the effect it has on the world at large. We have all heard the saying “when momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” But it is interesting how this can be a principle that is far more powerful than we realize.

Sure, I could use this moment (and am tempted to!) to advocate on behalf of all women – reminding husbands and children to make sure that the matriarch is cared for and happy – but there is much bigger picture to consider.

I recently finished reading “Fractal Time”, and incredible insight into the patterns of the universe by Greg Braden. In this book he explains the patterns of the universe, the end of the Mayan calendar and what it signifies and the great shift in thinking and consciousness.

One thing he touches on is on how connected we are to mother earth – that we are all part of a whole – something we have long forgotten about ourselves. ( A concept the Native Americans still understand) And collective thought and consciousness affects not just our local surroundings but also has an incredible effect on the world at large. Let me explain.

In the last twenty years scientists have been able to measure the magnetic and energetic fields. In fact they can even measure the frequency of a thought. The more positive the thought – the higher the frequency – the lower the thought the lower the frequency.

In addition they have also developed technology to measure the magnetic field of the planet earth and the vibrations that it is giving off. Recently they observed something very interesting.

There were specific dates and times where there was a spike in the earth’s magnetic fields and energetic frequency. It was not related to sunspots or other activity in the universe – but instead seemed to be as a result of collective actions of the people on planet earth herself.

Just after hurricane Katrina and the World Trade Centre Attack were two of the times the spike was apparent. Studies have shown that just after both these events more people collectively gathered to pray and meditate than at any other time in history. The people of the earth, gathering together to pray and support each other affected the magnetic field of the planet. (And, I am sure of the Universe)

This started me to thinking about collective actions. What if we began to see ourselves as one instead of lonely individuals – separate from others – and began to gather together to raise the vibrations and attract positive things to our plane, our species and ourselves?

What if we took time at least once a week to meditate or pray for the good of all? How could we begin to change our success rate, our crime rate, our unemployment rate? Could we really end poverty through connection, meditation and prayer. Is this the piece that is missing?

For years I have participated in movements – assisting where I could financially and physically to help those less fortunate than myself. I was so busy doing – that I burned out. What I was missing – I think – was the prayer, meditation and connectedness to others. I was doing and disregarding the being. Is this what is missing in all our lives? Is this what our Universe longs for to heal itself – to make a better place for all of us? I for one think it is!

Where will we all be - five years from now?

I remember a mentor once telling me to look around at the people I was spending time with – because that is where I would be in five years time. 

I often wondered at the logic behind this. I mean – I have never wanted to be a ‘snob’ - and I believe that everyone has value – so why would I stay away from one person because they did not make a lot of money, or they were not ‘brainiacs’!But there is a spiritual principle that clearly supports my mentor’s advice.

It’s about our morphic field.

A morphic field is the field of energy that radiates from us and surrounds us. (It is much more complicated than this but this is simplified  and according to Mandie) 

Our body is merely the place where our spirit has been planted and functions from in this earthly world. And our spirit is infinite – and does not end where our body ends. We really are much bigger that we could ever imagine!

Can this morphic field be measured?  Yes - scientists can measure the energy we give off.  Can it be seen?  By some - yes.  Just as there are those in our world who can sense things we cannot – we also hear of those who can see our ‘aura’. Sometime when we are in a truly grounded state – connected to source – we too can see the auras of those around us.

Auras are a visual representations of the energy that is not contained within our bodies.  This is where we transfer information to each other without touch or speech.  (Read more about this in my last blog - The Connecting Tree) 

In our everyday language we speak of the ‘vibes’ we get from others. These vibrations and the information in those vibrational frequencies are held in our morphic field.

The energy in that field says a lot about who we are, where we are going and what we believe and expect for the future. You could say that our morphic field carries in it the most powerful parts of who we are that just cannot be contained by several layers of skin!

When we are close to another person, animal, plant – or any thing for that matter, we are in their morphic field – and they are in ours as well. This is where a transfer of information between two masses of energy begin. We can absorb energy from another – and they can also absorb from us.

Rupert Sheldrake, a biologist and author writes about this transfer of information and the continuing connection that occurs in several of his scientific papers and books including The Sense of Being Stared At, And Other Aspects of the Extended Mind and Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home, And Other Unexplained Powers of Animals.

His research dating back to the 1980’s is not new – but many of us have failed to show an interest in these magical secrets of our human existence.

More and more, I am beginning to put the pieces together. The wisdom of my mentor's words now begin to make sense. He encouraged me to spend a vast amount of my time with people who had achieved the things I aspired to achieve, to hang around with my ‘heros’. He may not have understood anything about morphic fields – but he did know the principle that was the result of the ‘old world wisdom’ that has existed since the beginning of time.

This changes the way I look at everything. It makes me look deeply at who I am, and what I am about. And when I acknowledge the greatness in myself – I know that I can mentor others who do not yet have my understandings. 

But just as important – in order to grow and become the person I aspire to be – I must find those whom I aspire to be like and ensure that I spend time in their morphic fields as well!

Knowing this, I wonder where I shall be in 5 years time?  

Where will you be?  If you are looking to increase your spirituality in business, and grow as a person, a leader and also as a business owner then spend some time with Mandie.  Mandie won Calgary's Business Woman of the year for 2010 - and coaches and mentors women in business.  To learn more about her coaching contact Mandie here

The connecting tree

Before the great rains ( if you live in Alberta right now you know what I mean) I was out with my husband and the dog walking on some trails at the base of China Man's Peak. We came upon several trees what had the bark rubbed clean and with bits if hair and fur on the bark surrounding the areas rubbed clean. (My first thought was OH NO! BEAR!)

Surprisingly after we returned home I found an article in the local paper that explained this occurrence.

These trees are what the local wildlife have designated as "connecting trees". Many different species of animals visit these trees to get and to leave information. The trees themselves also provide information for the visiting animals about the nutrients available in the plants around the trees and the amount of rainfall etc.

A bear leaving his scent and other information to communicate with the rest of the animal community

When an animal visits the "connecting tree", they learn about which animals have been by, what food is available in the area, the weather, local animal population and much, much more information pertinent to their well-being.

It's easy to look at bears for example as an entity unto themselves - disconnected from other animals. Or wolves and coyotes to be competing for the same resources - and not animals that would communicate with each other. But this is not the case. They communicate inter-species. And even the trees participate!

It seems that it is only humans who think they can live independently of each other!

Regardless of their species, their prey and their territory, animals still share information willingly with each other. They support each other because they know the need each other and that there is enough for everybody. They know they are connected.

When we gather together as women - we do the same thing as the wildlife does - just in our own human way. We do need each other - and that is why it is important to meet together regularly to share information, ideas, support, resources and just to simply connect.

So next time you feel too tired or rushed to get to a Roaring Women Meeting - think about the 'connecting tree' and how much the survival of wildlife depends upon it. The same holds true with meeting together as women. We flourish when we connect!

And if that does not convince you to get to a meeting - studies have shown that 'word of mouth' is the best advertising there is. We all need support, ideas and new information! Join us at one of our meetings. Let Roaring Women be your connecting tree.

PS Have  you taken a look at the ROAR Boards