"Yikes! I See My Opportunity. Now What?"

In my post from May 26, 2013, I discussed how to prepare for an opportunity,even when you don't know what it is yet...or where it is...or when it's coming.  That's a pretty tall order, but it's worth your investment of time.

So, this post is the answer the next question: "I found it!  Now what do I do? First, I congratulate you on your preparations and your ability to observe! 

"Opportunity is often difficult to recognize; we usually expect it to beckon us with beepers and billboards."  ~~William Arthur Ward

Well, Mr. Ward was right; there are no beepers and billboards.  We just have to believe it's there somewhere, in some form. In the post from 5/26/13, I gave you suggestions for growing your roots in preparation for your success when it's time to spread your wings!

Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/schuddel 

Turn your awareness level up to "high," because opportunities are waiting quietly in lots of different places.  The best one for you could be surrounded by other opportunities....

          Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/hidesy 

Or you may find your opportunity lurking under a problem....

Photo (c) iStockphotos.com/nobiggie       

Your opportunity may be in broad terms, and you'll need to narrow it down....

Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/zimmytws

Or maybe it'll show up in a dream....

              Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/frentusha 

You may be confused; "O.K., now how do I know the opportunity I'm going with is the real deal?"  

There are two keys that need to be present together, and together they usually indicate that you have chosen well.  They are:

excitement and fear.

                                                                             

   Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/AlexKalina      

To say that's a bit unnerving is an understatement, I know.  But I think Anais Nin was right when she said, "It's less painful to bloom than to try to stay in a bud." 

Now, if I may mix in one more metaphor, I will quote the songwriters, Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers:

"Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance...."

I hope you will, too....

Susan

The Great-Life Advocate (TM)

Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/marekuliasz 


Would you like to explore coaching with me in a complimentary session?

Being coached is a "real time," personalized experience!

Please email me to set up your tele-session where we can decide if we'd work well together.

No string attached...no pressure.  That's just not the way I do things!

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Curious Minds Want to Know....

We all love finding creative answers to our questions, but if you've been mulling over the same issues for a long time, here's something to try!

Coach Dave Buck, CEO of CoachVille (which is where I turn for professional development), has a simple formula to help you with these.  He says to ask yourself, "What would be a better question?"

If you give it a try, you'll see how it gives you a whole new perspective on the issue when you ask the new question. And I think it's fun!

Please play with this idea, and post a comment about your experience with it.

We can all learn so much from each other as a more interactive community here at creative4life. Thank you, dear readers!

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Here are Two Opportunities to Watch Me in Action on the "Crazy Coaching Friday" Show!

This show, which is produced by CoachVille, via Google+ Hangout, features a panel of coaches.  It's live and unscripted, fun, and provocative!
And you don't have to be a coach to enjoy it and learn from it.

Here's the link for You Tube from the first time I was on the show...Episode #013 on June 7, 2013:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvyo7UNU_s0&feature=c4-feed-u 


On this Friday, August 2, I'll be on the panel again, and you'll be able to find it on the same You Tube channel.

If you'd like to watch it live or recorded later on CoachVille, please see the time and instructions on my previous post from 6/6/13.

Come laugh and learn with us!

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**All of Susan's creative4life posts are (c) Susan Cleaver.**

**Member of the TriCounty Community Network, at www.tcnetwork.org**

Shedding Some Light on Enlightenment

The other week, I asked myself a thought-provoking question: "What are the characteristics of an enlightened person?"  Then I wrote 12 pages of answers to it in my journal.  I'll share a few of them here today, and I hope you'll add your own ideas in the comments section.  Questions and anecdotes about enlightened people you know are welcome, also!

I don't claim to be an expert on this topic by any means.  I do have some colleagues, friends, and mentors that qualify, at least to my amateur eye.  I also enjoy studying the topic of enlightenment.  So, the ideas about it that flowed out of my pen have been collecting in my head after getting in there by osmosis.

Here we go....

Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/Marek Uliasz

Enlightened folks are not afraid to show their vulnerability.  They don't have all the answers, and they will admit that right up front.

In my experience, though, these mentors have often asked me just the right question that would help me find an answer that neither of us could have even guessed about before.  It's a very special type of team effort that brings about an interdevelopmental experience for both parties.

These enlightened people ask themselves a lot of questions about the nature of life and their role in it.  Observing the enlightened ones I have studied or known, their answers seem to come from a combination of four factors: 

• listening
• intuition
• accumulated knowledge
• personal experience

If the answers are not forthcoming, they chalk it up to Divine Timing.  Those who are enlightened accept that if and when they are to know the answers, they will be provided.

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Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/Steven Robertson

Can you see the radiant glow on the woman's face in the photo above?  I notice this glow on the faces of the people whom I consider to be enlightened.  Does it remind you of anything?  It reminds me of the glow in the faces of babies and young children, who, of course, have a special kind of wisdom all their own!  It has even  become a cliche to say, "...out of the mouths of babes...."  I would add to that their eyes, expressions, and actions!

Unfortunately, many well-meaning adults don't remember this stage of their own development, leaving them confused when their own children or students display it.  As a result we think it's part of our job to root them in what we see as the "real world."  We give them the "roots," but we often forget to protect their "wings."

I think it is a lucky few of us that don't get their wings battered during the turbulent teen and young adult years.  But as we settle into a calmer, more rhythmic life as we age, many of us begin to feel a nudge toward a more spiritual life.  At that point we start paying attention to the fact that we've been "trying to push the river" instead of going with the flow, and that we're exhausted!

The closer we get to an enlightened state, the better we feel.  Flowing back toward the enlightenment zone is a journey worth exploring!

Please click on the comments section and let us know about your experiences and opinions around this topic of enlightenment!


Thanks,
Susan


Mind Spa Coaching and Reiki
with Susan Cleaver

scleaver@dejazzd.com 

***All of Susan's creative4life posts are (c) Susan Cleaver.***

***Member of the TriCounty Community Network at www.tcnetwork.org.***

From my top ten most popular posts,

check out "Hidden in Plain Sight"!

See the archives for September 26, 2011.

Thanks!

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Sow the seeds of success....

Hire a life coach!

Perfectionism, Procrastination, and Fear

Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/alle12

What a motley crew: Perfectionism, Procrastination, and Fear. While they look very different from the outside, they're all wearing the same neon green long johns underneath! Fear is the leader of this trio of impostors.

When we try something that's outside of our comfort zone, Fear sends Perfectionism and Procrastination out first to force us to stay stuck while Fear hides in the shadows. Fear has been around for a very long time. Fear is desperate to protect us against everything from saber-toothed tigers to jay-walking in Manhattan.

This Fear character can't discern between the first day in court for a new lawyer and his prehistoric counterpart who is hiding from a woolly mammoth! So, fear is working incognito, pushing Perfectionism and Procrastination right in your path.

Fear hopes that we won't even have a clue about the reason for our difficulties. And we end up blaming ourselves!

Let's look at Perfectionism. First it will con us into thinking that perfection is a worthy, even honorable goal. But how can that be true when it keeps us barely crawling toward our goals? (Not to mention that perfection is impossible to attain!)

Procrastination, on the other hand, makes us feel bad about ourselves, and we start looking for ways to "fix" that. And taking time for fixing slows us down even more! Ugh!

Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/Joe Potato Photo


Let's get to the bottom of the Fear. Let's dust it off and take a closer look. Is this Fear from limiting beliefs from the past? A past experience that we don't want to risk repeating? A worst-case scenario that we don't want to manifest? What are the odds for this scary scenario actually happening? How would you cope if it did?

Pick a situation in your own life and apply the questions above to it. Please put your answers in the comments section! Your responses will deepen the meaning of the questions for all of us (including you!) Please answer now, while it's fresh in your mind. In other words, don't procrastinate! :-)

Making mistakes is our only bridge to competency, and of course there is no bridge to Perfection at all. And even if there were, no one would ever make it to the other side, due to Fear and Procrastination!

All my best,

Susan

Upcoming Spring Events, Both Local and Global

Local:

The Boyertown Area Community Wellness Fair is on Saturday, March 26!

Contact me for more information at scleaver@dejazzd.com or 610-385-3766.

The Healthy Lifestyles EXPO will be in Pottstown, PA, on Friday, April 15.

Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com or 610-385-3766.

Both local events mentioned above will be complimentary, and I'll have a table at each!

The Stress-Less Evening will take place on Friday evening, April 29, to wrap up our three months of "The Possible You"!

One of my most popular events...at a recession-friendly fee of $25 prepaid for two hours of pure pampering! Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com or 610-385-3766. I'll need your check by Wednesday, April 20, 2011.

Global:

A complimentary coaching session by phone is available for the first three people who contact me to set up a time by Friday, April 8, 2011! Appointment dates for the actual coaching call will close out after Tuesday, May 10, 2011.
Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com or 610-385-3766.

The Complimentary Dig-In Day via Teleconference Line will be on Tuesday, May 3. This will be the Kick-Off Event for our Second-Quarter Topic for our Year of Audacious Self-Care: "Take a Look Around: Your Immediate Environment." We will be improving our home, office, or studio environments. Here's how:

*We all call in at a specified time.*

*We each declare specifically what we will do in the coming hour to improve our immediate environments.*

*We hang up and do it!*

*We call in again, report our progress, offer support, and declare our task for the next hour.*

*During the last call, we report our progress again, address concerns, and celebrate!*

Again, the Dig-In Date Is May 3. Here is the call schedule:

7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 pm Eastern

Save the Date! In my next post I'll be supplying the phone number and PIN Code.

***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

***Active member of the TriCounty Community Network, based in Pottstown, PA;

http://www.tcnetwork.org/.***

Photo (c) iStockphoto.com/Joe Potato Photo

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