intention

Gentle intentions–meditation without meditating

~ nicole
Setting intentions means to set a goal that is in alignment with our consciousness. To live intentionally and mindfully we start with a positive intention. – Dr. Romie Mushtaq

Intentions have been on my mind and in my heart ever since I found myself guiding clients to go deep with theirs. If you recall, I shared my experience with intention setting in a previous blog post along with some tips on how to create a positive intention. Here’s a link to the post if you’d like to revisit it.

I was so inspired by setting expansive positive intentions for who my clients are and how I want to be in my work, that I decided to set gentle intentions for myself each day and see what unfolded. And, to make sure I actually followed through, I challenged myself to post an intention each day on my Soulscape Facebook page. So I did….

Each morning over tea, I sat quietly and just allowed an intention to emerge. Each day’s intention was different based on how I was feeling, how I wanted to be or what I wanted to show up that day. After setting my intention for the day, I wrote it down and released it into the world. Sometimes, I would feel as though I was gently carrying a baby bird egg with me all day; and other days, I didn’t think about my intention for the rest of the day.

Setting these gentle intentions each morning was so clarifying for me in so many ways: my mind felt clear and uncluttered, my energy was calm and centered, and my heart was open and spacious. It was if I had meditated without meditating at all!

Having to revisit my intention from the day before as I added my new intention to Facebook each morning was both illuminating and gratifying. It allowed me to see what had shown up for me that day, and what was so amazing is that what and who showed up fully supported my intention for the day. My week was positively full of beautiful synchronicity.

Here are the 7 gentle intentions I set for the week:

Monday: “I set gentle intentions for myself each day that guide my soul.”

Tuesday: “I am grateful for what I have and what is yet to come.”

Wednesday: “I reach out and share my soul gifts in joy and with love.”

Thursday: “I nourish myself with friends, healthy food, walks in nature and meditation each day, so I thrive.

Friday: “I reflect the radiant light and energy of my sister (and fellow) soul-workers by creating, collaborating with, and contributing to our supportive community.”

Saturday: “I trust, listen to, and am guided by my intuition.”

Sunday: “I let go of and release my pain by opening to the wonder and mystery of life.”

And now I’m hooked! I can’t start my day without setting a gentle, positive intention. On the days that I try to convince myself I don’t have time or I don’t really need one, I find I can’t not write one…. I’m pulled towards it as if it has an energetic force or attraction of its own.

What becomes possible for us each day when we set a gentle intention? A more calm, centered,  and openhearted presence. Clarity of mind and intention. Supportive connections and synchronicity. What more lays on this path? That’s the path I want to walk, one where possibility opens up in front of me welcoming and supporting me each step of the way….

So, if you’re up for the challenge, set gentle intentions each day for one week, and let me know how it goes for you. I’d love to hear all about what shows up for you.

Copyright ©2017 Soulscape Coaching LLC

The warrior way–the path from fear to possibility

~ nicole

Sometimes I forget I’m a warrior on my own path of self-realization. So, when I come up against a formidable foe like fear, I have to force myself to look deeply inside and find my courage.

Fear is a gargantuan roiling force feeding on its own energy, a many headed dragon that keeps growing new heads when you chop one off. It takes fierce strength and self awareness to defeat it.

I have my own dragon–a fear of failure–that has been an ever present fear for me since childhood when being perfect was very valued.  It’s been a constant companion, stalking and sabotaging me, holding me back from doing the things I most need to do. And just when I believe I’ve conquered it, it comes back in another form.

Recently I launched a marketing campaign for my first online course. I procrastinated, I perfected, I despaired at the technology, I lost belief in myself–all self-sabotaging behaviors. When I felt such deep sadness about my loss of belief, it was only then that I was able to push the button and send out the campaign. I knew then that the many headed dragon of fear was rearing another of its ugly heads and was destroying me from the inside out. And that I had to stop it. I had to find the source of my fear.

So what lay under my fear? I was afraid that if I sent my offering out into the world, no one would want it, and that somehow that would be a rejection of me, of who I am at my core. That’s the fear of annihilation. Yup, it’s heavy stuff, but very real at an unconscious level.

Now I know that nothing and no one can touch my soul, my essence, who I am at my core (I’ve done a lot of work on this), but I have to remind myself of that over and over again….

Nothing can touch my soul

But there was something even more to my fear…. I was creating an apocalyptic what-if scenario. What if I put all this effort into creating something that no one wanted? What if no one signed up for my course? That’s devastating on so many levels, including financially. Annihilation all over the place. Very messy.

And then I realized that my mind was fabricating my own mess. I was so attached to a particular outcome, to people signing up, that if it didn’t happen, it would be catastrophic. But what if there were other possible outcomes I couldn’t even imagine? Aha.

So I looked at what was showing up for me: the very first day, I received beautiful well wishes and intentions to forward my offer to friends; thumbs up and hearts for sharing my feelings and fears; and heartfelt gratitude for inspiring people to face their own fears and put something of theirs out there too. Maybe, just maybe the outcome I so desired–of having people take my course–was not be the point of it after all….

  • What if my offering was to inspire others to share their gifts with the world?
  • What if other opportunities would show up for me that would allow me to share my gifts in other ways?
  • What if something else was waiting for me that I wouldn’t see or be open to unless my desired outcome didn’t happen?

Letting go opens up possibility

What I know deeply now is that it’s in the letting go of the outcome that the dragon of fear is neutralized. I can’t possibly know what Spirit (or the Universe) has in mind for me. Only She knows what I most need to learn or experience or how best to share my gifts. And that’s why we’re really here, isn’t it? To evolve into our wholeness, into our highest potential, and to live into our soul gifts.

Of course, I very much want people to take my course. Psst, click here if you’re curious. That is the intention I am putting out into the world and to Spirit. But I am not holding onto it in fear. I am letting it go and allowing other possible, amazing outcomes to show up. When I do this, I am fearless, open to possibility. That’s the warrior way.

How are you living into the warrior way? What becomes possible for you when you do?