JOANNE STEIN -- success coach
Live joyfully!
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Wish Lists

On my desk, to the left of my computer, I have my 2010 Wish List of what I intend to manifest in my personal and professional lives so that my life will be easier, happier and more satisfying. It includes such specific things as: getting a sofa for my home office as well as a new laptop before my existing one no longer functions; hiring a virtual assistant to do sales and marketing for me in addition to editing and ... << MORE >>

Will there ever be an era of gender-equal politics and corporate leadership?

I've been interested in politics and leadership for over 2 decades and the role of women doesn't seem to have changed very much.
Currently l'm pondering lots of ideas presented in Anne Kornblut's book, "Notes from the Cracked Ceiling...Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and what it will take for a woman to win."
 
To quote the dust jacket of the book:

Kornblut identifies the surprising realities of gender politics, such as the harsh treatment female candidates often receive from women voters, the gap between the United States and other ... << MORE >>

My Two New Teachers: Two Dogs

I've been on the spiritual path for decades. I'm always reading the latest book, attending the newest workshop, listening to the most current CDs and working with wonderfully wise mentors, therapists, light workers. As part of my journey, I've learned that you never know who your next teacher will be nor how your paths will cross. Case in point.

My two newest teachers don't talk to me, don't judge me, don't make my life choices for me, don't try to get me to accept their point of view and they love me unconditionally. They are two dogs...one male and one female...and they belong to the wonderful woman in whose home I'm currently living. I moved here about 2 months ago when my coaching practice wasn't generating the same amount of money that it had in the past and I was forced to downsize. I was distressed and felt like a failure. Little did I know that everything was in Divine Right Order. If I hadn't moved, I wouldn't have gained insights that help me to experience more joy.

My two teachers, Allie and Addy, arrived about a month before I did so they'd gotten the lay of the land and could share their insights with me. All I had to do was to quiet my mind, get my ego out of the way, and "just be" in the presence of these wise creatures. They truly know how to life a satisfying life.

Here are ten of the important life lessons I've learned from my four-legged teachers.

1. You will be provided for. One way or another you will always have food to eat. It may not be the cuisine you're prefer, but you won't go hungry. You'll always have a place to sleep. It may not be as luxuious as you want, but you'll always find a place to sleep.

2. Make your own rules. Eat when you're hungry not when the clock strikes noon. Listen to your body. It knows what it needs and when it wants. Run because you want to run, not because "exercise is good for you."  Give from your heart, not because it will make you look good in somebody else's eyes or to get something in return.

3. Allow others to love you. Just be your authentic self and be open to receiving love. You don't have to do anything to earn that love. All you need do is accept it when you feel like it and, if you want more a bit more loving,  just ask for it. 

4. Make basic choices and don't over think the outcome. What do you want to do in the moment? What do you know is intuitively right for you? Follow your innate wisedom.

5. Be willing to change.  If you don't like what you find in one spot, just change directions and explore something new. You don't have to stay with a choice if it's no longer producing enjoyable results. And you don't have to justify your choices to anybody.

6. Diversity is a good thing. Men and women are innately different; they were designed that way. We each have aspects of the other gender within us and have the abililty to access those aspects when situations require them. Men can be nurturing and women can be leaders. Our environment helps to determine which characteristics we develop and which stay dormant, waiting to be activated. How boring life would be if every tree was exactly the same size, shape, color and species.

7. Let go of the struggle. After a tug-of-war over a desired treat, don't harbor ill-will towards the victor. Know that holding a grudge or being jealous doesn't feel good. Just move on and have a new adventure without carrying any feelings from the past into the new situation.

8. Show your enthusiasm. It's so much more fun to hang out with somebody whose positive and uplifting than someone who is non-demonstrative or, even worse, negative and judgmental. Life is meant to be enjoyed.

9. Live your life, don't just read about it. Move from living in your head to your heart to be fully present in the now and to have the most fun possible from moment to moment to moment. Allow your intuition to determine the right trail for you to follow and allow your mind to read the map or use the compass so your journey will be easy. Reading about how to run is far different from actually running.

10. Don't over do. Create balance between being and doing, between leading and following, and between alone and with others. Don't burn yourself out so you're too tired to do the fun things that you enjoy.

I am a perpetual student of life and look forward to learning many more lessons from my canine teachers. I'll be happy to pass along any new insights that I learn in the hopes that they inspire you to live your most joy-filled life.

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Effort versus Intention






I've been studying and practicing spiritual principles for over 20 years. I've read every book and article I could get my hands on. I've attended workshops, channeling sessions, and received healing therapy that ranged from accupunture to energy clearings and everything in between. I've done yoga, affirmations and journaling.
 
The more I've learned and experienced, the more questions I have. And I know, since I'm committed to continuous learning, there will be more to come. It's part of my evolutionary journey.

Currently I'm been ...<< MORE >>

It's not about the money!


Yesterday I did some "free" energy work for an artist whose work I admire — I even have a print of one of his earliest works hanging in my office and I use it for inspiration. It was all part of a magical day, divinely orchestrated and filled with wonderful "accidents".

Almost every time I'm in Sedona, I stop and get my soul recharged and my spirit refueled by visiting his gallery and just absorbing the beauty and energy that pours forth from each of his works. His art touches me at a soul level and brings joy-filled tears to my ...<< MORE >>

Divine Right Order

I spend a lot of time talking with people, emailing people and just observing people.  I've noticed that many of us are traveling parallel paths dealing with transitions in our lives and many of us are holding fast to the knowledge that everything happens in Divine Right Order.

Sometimes I wish the process of change/transition/growth was faster but that's just the scared kid in me responding out of fear. The adult in me knows that there is no time table for anything and that everything will lead me to where I need to go…or, more accurately, where I need to be. I'm really learning to "just be" fully in all the experiences in my life even when the scared little kid wants to run and hide behind a strong adult. I'm learning that I have to be the strong adult for my little kid and, that each time I take care of myself, my adult gains confidence and my kid calms down. I also am learning that there are at least two gifts in every situation – one for the “giver” and the other for the “receiver.” Each gift comes in Divine Right Order and involves letting God speak through our actions.

 

Sometimes it's a gift that I have to give someone else, and sometimes it's a gift that somebody has to give me, since giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin. Since I'm currently recovering from a “growth opportunity” and haven’t been seeing clients, that means there are still gifts I have to give and gifts I am to receive right here, right now.

 

For my friends, the gift they’ve received from me is my serving as an example of how to have patience and trust God, even as though I have been experiencing many sensations in my body. (I decided I liked the term “sensations” better than “pain” because “pain” has a negative connotation. In actuality, “pain” is not positive or negative; it just is. It’s my mind that chooses to see it as positive, negative or neutral and I’ve chosen to experience it as neutral.)

 

As a professional “worrier,” my calmness and my gratitude has astonished both my friends and me. I’ve completely surrendered the situation over to God and am very peaceful while, at the same time, I’m feeling sensations in many parts of my body simultaneously. I’m actually very proud of the way I am living moment-to-moment-to-moment instead of worrying about the future. Each moment is all there is NOW and it’s in the present where I make decisions about how I want to experience an event. That choice then leads to what I experience in the future. It’s much easier to explain this process then to actually live it. Because to live it means I have to feel ALL emotions and sensations associated with it in “real time.” It took me a long time to get to where I am “now” and I’ve taken the time to pat myself on the back – using my left hand, of course – for my courage. I’m proud of what I am doing.

 

For me, the gifts I’ve received from my friends are the result of their serving as God’s earth angels. For example, a friend came over on Thursday and cleaned my apartment. In so doing, she noticed that my refrigerator was almost empty. So on Friday, she called and said that she would go marketing for me. I was ecstatic. I was astonished and grateful when she refused to let me pay for the groceries. This morning, she and her husband came over. They stocked my refrigerator and then proceeded to do the cleaning that wasn’t completed on Thursday. She felt good about helping me out and I felt good about her listening to her intuition and deciding what else I might need. She was an answer to an unexpressed prayer. And her timing was perfect!

 

I'm open to all the opportunities that God has in store for me and I KNOW all will be revealed to me in Divine Right Order. If I get my ego out of the way, God really is providing for me; it’s just come packaged differently than I imagined. It makes the waiting so much easier when I can be of service to others by documenting my experiences in my blog.

 

It’s my belief that we will succeed by walking the path of change together. I intend to listen to my inner voice so I can be an earth angel for somebody else. I’ve always known how good it feels to give and now I know how good it feels to receive. Without a “receiver, there isn’t a “giver.” You need both a “giver” and a “receiver” for things to happen in Divine Right Order.

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Divine Right Order

I spend a lot of time talking with people, emailing people and just observing people.  I've noticed that many of us are traveling parallel paths dealing with transitions in our lives and many of us are holding fast to the knowledge that everything happens in Divine Right Order.


Sometimes I wish the process of change/transition/growth was faster but that's just the scared kid in me responding out of fear. The adult in me knows that there is no time table for anything and that ...<< MORE >>

What does "Spirituality in the Workplace" mean?

Spirituality in the workplace means going beyond just "doing unto others as you would have them do unto you."  It's about focusing on the quality of our lives and realizing that we're all interconnected.  It's about recognizing that you can reach your goals more easily by serving others as best as you can, and by helping others achieve their goals.  Successful businesses and successful relationships in general, are built upon service to others.


 


For me ...<< MORE >>

CONGRATS: You are a success!

I love to go to my mailbox and get a "real" card. You know — the old fashion kind that comes in a stamped envelope and has a somebody's actual handwritten signature at the bottom, a card that wasn't sent by pressing the enter key on a computer.


I have a habit of saving cards that are especially meaningful for me. Some go into my desk and are filed away for safekeeping. When I need a morale boost or some confidence-building before I try a new task, ...<< MORE >>

Prosperity is only a thought away!

Prosperity is just a thought away. That sounds simple doesn't it? It would be great if, by saying some magical affirmation, rubbing a crystal, reading a spiritual or religious passage, money, in large denominations and in an unending amount, fell from the heavens. We just needed to stand there with a huge basket and collect all the money we wanted, whenever we wanted it.


Ah, if it were that easy. Prosperity, like everything else, starts with our intentions, beliefs and actions.


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