Opportunity in the Financial Collapse

I was on a call this week that really inspired me to share an experience I had. It started with hearing a conference that Gina Ratliff's held on the financial collapse our economy and where it has taken her business. What she shared is how the collapse has presented a unique opportunity for wealth to be created in a new way- a way that is more balanced between the masculine and feminine than in the past.

So the way I see it, (barring the gross over-generalization) the masculine way of operating in the business world is to be more direct, action oriented, logical and linear. The feminine way of being includes honoring the intuitive, creative, introspective and non-linear ways of doing things.

Finding ways of working and living that include both of these sides of ourselves is transformative in my experience. Over the past 2 years I have been immersed in this lesson as I've left the corporate and financial world which was very masculine and embarked on building a new career that has been my own to entirely define.

The funny thing was that after that call, I did something that was overly masculine in nature in making a decision. I pushed through a decision even though I didn't feel entirely comfortable with it. The next day, with the help of my good friend Debbie, I realized that I needed a more balanced approach with myself. Parts of me that needed to be heard had been overrun and ignored. I stopped and did something that is more feminine in nature. I meditated and took some time to look inside.

What I discovered was a treasure trove of insights and reminders about what this new way looks like for me.

Here it is:

• My life includes space and time for me - time for self-care, time to breathe
  
• There is no urgency when I get new direction from inside (urgency is from the ego). I simply take the necessary time to get clear and then act from that place
  
• The smallest parts of myself are being cared for and attended to
• My children and husband feel cherished and know they are important to me, they know I have time for them
  
• My life is lived more slowly and is sensuous in nature
• I take time to cultivate my own health, beauty, creativity - whatever is important to me
  
• Rest and Relaxation are planned into my life and utilized
• Rather than forcing/rushing things, I live deliberately and thoughtfully
• I remember that there are always options, choices and many ways of getting to a goal in all circumstances
• I take time to integrate after a big growth spurt (there is space, a pause between things)
• I take time to vision regularly to maintain my connect to my deepest intentions
  
• I speak consciously
  
• I can laugh at myself and my human mistakes
  

I'm sure the list could go on and on, but it felt so great to me to 'see' this new way of living in detail in my life. I also want to acknowledge that I use some very masculine structures to support myself in creating this. I have a tracking sheet with my self-care goals on it, to see if I am following through on my commitments to exercise, meditate, etc. I set time on my calendar to vision, plan and organize each week. Our family has a new schedule of one-on-one dates with our children to help them feel valued and heard in our home. The list could go on, but the point is that the blend of masculine and feminine ways of doing things has a lot to offer.

I celebrate knowing both ways of doing things and embrace the challenge to bring them into my work and personal life in a more grounded way!

PS
Gina is a thriving entreprenuer that works with women to execute their businesses in a suceessful that balances both the masculine and feminine ways of doing things. (You can find out more about her at estherexperience.com). She is fantastic!

Releasing the Past

Do you have times when you feel stuck, overwhelmed, angry or sad in the present due to the past? I certainly have, so let me share two ways that have worked for me to clear myself, move on and enjoy my life again.

The first is is simply to allow your emotional expression. Our culture is one that typically asks us to shut down what we feel. Sometimes our self-talk looks like this: "I should be over this by now." "I'm a nice person, how can I feel so angry?" "Others would judge what I'm feeling." "Its not ok to feel this." This self-denial only serves to fuel those feelings to become stronger so that they can be heard. So rather than push them down, distract ourselves and avoid them, try this simple way of allowing them to have their say:
Take a few moments of quiet time and just sit still
If your feelings are already present, take the position of an observer and just sit and watch them
If you are having trouble feeling anything, notice what your body feels like (i.e. do you detect any physical sensations such as numbness, tenseness, tingling, etc.)
Once you are in touch with your emotions, let them flow through you or grow to be as big as they want to be
Do your very best to just feel them without any judgment
Simply let them run through you whether it is anger, tears, overwhelm or whatever

If there is so much you feel you cannot release them this way, try this as an alternative:
Set aside at least 10 minutes of time alone.
Set an intention to release your feelings simply and gracefully (or however you want it to occur).
Write out your feelings as fast as you can, without care for spelling, readability, or neatness.
Don't think about it; just write as fast as you can giving voice to anything that surfaces.
Remember there is no need for it to make coherent sense. Do not go back and read it again.
When you are done, make sure to burn or shred the paper in a symbolic act to release it.
Then move on as best you can.
Remember that healing is simply finding ways of bringing love to the inside. These small practices are ways to invite love and acceptance in. With that environment, we are able to move through all feelings like a child onto the next one