Vortex Vibe Shifters

I've had some glorious days this week - full of sunshine, peace, baby chicks, lunch time runs with magnificent views. I was firmly in the Vortex of feel-good.

And then whammo! I  got knocked out. I woke a little uninspired, a little unmotivated, a little ho-hum. Still feeling good, but not great. And then I got news my friend had her first baby! Yay! Great news! I felt delighted for them.

And then I felt miserable for me and Rob. "It's not fair we don't get to have a baby." Tears, the whole lot.

Sheesh. I kind of thought I was over this story!

And all the while I was thinking, "Are you really going to let stories and circumstances dictate how you feel? You should be grateful just to be alive - remember you had cancer! Arren't you grateful for your life - I mean, it's pretty awesome isn't it?"

Beating myself up for feeling bad - good one! And so I just cried a little more, great rivers of mascara dripping over my white skirt.

So what do you do when you feel rotten, and you don't want to feel rotten anymore? You want to get back to feeling awesome?

Here's what I did:

1. I cleaned something. Nothing like the sight of a sparkly bathroom tap to shift in to 'satisfaction' (so much better than self-pity!)

2. I gave myself permission to do whatever I wanted, not what I 'should' be doing. And right then it was surfing facebook.

3. Hung out with the chooks. Life is pretty simple as a chicken: scratch, peck, preen, repeat. It's pretty basic and it reminds me that 'this too shall pass' and being alive is enough gift in itself.

4. All is well. Really, all is well. I am breathing, I have a roof over my head, loving husband, health, friends, great computer, ... And then I was back in the Vortex.

We can all get so attached to our old stories of 'woe is me' and 'ain't it awful', and all they do is make us feel crappy. They serve no purpose whatsoever, except to point out how much better it is to feel good and appreciative.

Some stories are easier to let go of than others, but with practise it gets easier.

I'd love to hear your tips for changing stories and getting back into the Vortex. Please share in the comments :)

Magnetic Leader: How to let go of worry

The Magnetic Leader Ezine, Vol 1.12

Hello!

I've just spent a fantastic week in the Barossa with the Wine Industry Future Leaders Group. They are fabulous - and they are starting to unwind the tangle of issues the industry is struggling with: over-production, poor exchange rate, and competitive imports. So much great wine, so few throats to savour it.

With such a crisis situation, it's easy to get worried and gnaw your fingers to the quick with one catastrophe fantasy after another. As I discovered last week, there is an easier, feel-better way to manage the unknown on the knife-edge. Read on, dear friends.

Zoe

WEBCASTS

"People Who Drive You Nuts (and what to do about it)"

Re-scheduled for Friday 9 July 10am Canberra, that's 8 July, 8pm edt (New York) 

We all know them - the guy who talks too loudly on his mobile, the manager that barges in like a bull in a china shop, the corner desk guy with the nasty personal hygiene... Join us on this fun call where we look at the pragmatic and the magnetic way to handle those people who get right under your skin like a nasty rash.

Call in details on a new service - TalkShoe:

MAIN ARTICLE: "How To Let Go Of Worry"

I read in the Good Vibe University recently that when you pray for courage, what the Universe gives you is a situation where you get the opportunity to be courageous. Likewise if you pray for strength, you'll be thrust into situations that require strength.

It's better to skip all that and go for the good stuff: pray peace, love and harmony. Not pray for, but pray it. That means be it, feel it, do it, embody it. You don't need circumstances to give you that experience - you choose it, and then you feel the heck out of it.

It's a handy little tip anytime we get hung up on needing circumstances to give us what we crave. Circumstances don't give us anything - we do that. We get to make up the meaning of whatever happens. I think it was good ole Bill Shakespeare who said, "There is nothing either good or bad that thinking makes it so."

So there.

Except when we are confronted by things that feel BIG. Like, really BIG.

Like the wine dudes whose businesses face bankruptcy if something doesn't shift. That feels pretty big. The consequences are pretty yucky.

Aren't they?

It turns out we can castrophise about anything - big and small - and it all ends up in the same pile of useless emotions that don't deliver anyway.

When has worry ever delivered a better result? Nope - never. It just gave you a bad night's sleep.

So how the heck do you ditch worry?

Here's how I do it. Or rather, did it last week.

Rob and I have been in Melbourne doing our latest - and last - round of IVF. We're both fairly emotionally engaged in the outcome. We would like the opportunity to be parents.

But between the procedures and waiting for the test results there is plenty of time for 'what ifs' to sneak up and strangle you with worry, doubt, and all sorts of nasties.

Hanging in the never-never land of waiting, I turned to the only technique I knew to let go of the worry - one that I learned when I was going through cancer treatment.

Faced with chemo and surgery with no prognosis to really give any comfort, I was left with two options: live in fear or live in faith.

Living in fear seems to be the default setting for most. Living in faith however requires one critical acknowledgment:

This is to know that no matter what happens, even death, that you are truly ok.

To experience this as knowledge in your every cell brings great peace. It means that anything can happen - bankruptcy, disease, miscarriage, and even death - and that at the end of it, you will be completely, and utterly ok. You can handle it. This knowledge comes from the awareness of your true essence as energy - when you break down all your atoms you are just energy. And energy is not created or destroyed it simply changes form and vibration.

Knowing this gives you the freedom to dream and anticipate what you desire. You can let go of worry.

When I was going through chemo the closest I got to this sense of peace (because I admit it was extremely challenging to get there) was to focus in the here and now, to appreciate every little last element of beauty and gorgeousness around me - because this was evidence to me that I was ok - I was completely fine, right here, right now.

So last week when I swung to imagining 'what if' the IVF process didn't work and what that meant - to live a life without kids - I dropped the worry and anxiety and came back to where I was. In the Barossa, with fabulous people, gorgeous food, in a stunning location. Life is good. Right here, right now, just as it is. And I felt some peace.

Your can never really predict how things are going to turn out - often they turn out much better than you imagined, if you let them. Disappointment doesn't figure in this world if you believe that everything that happens is serving your highest good; even the stuff that feels soul bitingly painful at the time.

As it turns out, it looks like our IVF attempt was unsuccessful. And through the gut-wrenching grief that has had me sobbing so hard that I ached all over, I can sense the peace too. I know I'll be ok, that we'll be ok, that a life so spectacular is happening right here for us right now, and I can really feel that. When I'm done being sad, then I'll be asking questions with my coach as to how to make some good-feeling sense of this experience. How to learn and grow from it, how to invite miracles into my life once again.

Right now, I'm not worrying, I'm feeling my feelings fully, and I know that whatever is happening is for my highest good.

And that feels so much better than worry.

Coach's challenge:

What do you worry about? Could you let go of that worry and focus on the present? and do you have any advice for me on this particular manifestation? I invite you to share your wisdom, insight, and advice.

With love and appreciation,

Zoe

RESOURCES

1. Law of Attraction Superhighway

What a fabulous collection of interviews with some leading Law of Attraction coaches. It's awesome. There are some terrific bonus resources as well. 

I can't believe I am offering all this for just $47.

Sheesh. You can get in on the offer here: www.loaforcoaches.com

2. The Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations That Matter
It's happening this month! 

28-31 July 2010. International co-hort of practitioners invites you to the Australian South Coast to learn how to host new conversations for a better future.

Read more here.

The Dalai Lama and another groover - Steve Fletcher

It seems the Dalai Lama really gets around! Here he is with my buddy Steve.

Obviously, it's true that like attracts like. I first met Steve in the summer of 1990 I think it was. He was a totally gun canoeist and he was teaching us advanced canoeing skills. He was very gung-ho with early mornings and late nights. Also a marathon paddler, we were dumbfounded by his boundless energy.

Later that year he was in a car accident on a lonely road in northern Manitoba in the middle of winter. He hit a moose and was unconscious for a long time.

Steve survived, minus the use of his limbs.

How do you go from a life of intense sporting activity to one of physical paralysis?

We were all devastated for Steve.

When I went to see him in hospital, I was dumbfounded yet again. Here was a man who was never going to paddle again, his lifelong passion, and yet already he had a philosophical attitude about it all. He was even watching the videos from that summer - of himself dancing around and pulling off some crazy canoe stunts.

Above all, Steve said he was grateful - grateful for being alive.

And this is what distinguishes Steve from many: he had a choice to focus on what he'd lost, or focus on what he had in front of him. One felt terrible, the other was a blissed out space of gratitude.

I can't imagine for one second it was easy, or that it has been all beer and skittles for him. Steve however was not one to wallow in self-pity. This is his official bi-line from his Facebook page:

"Steven Fletcher was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004 and re-elected in 2006. He served as the Official Opposition Critic for Health and was a member of the Standing Committee on Health. Prior to his election, Mr. Fletcher worked as an engineer in the Mining Industry until an automobile collision with a moose, left him a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down. He returned to University where he obtained a Master's in Business Administration (MBA). He was elected for two terms as the president of the student body at the University of Manitoba (UMSU). He also served two terms on the University of Manitoba Board of Governors and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA). Mr. Fletcher was twice elected the President of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba and has played a leading role in many community organizations."

Did Steve 'attract' his accident? What were his thoughts prior to the event? How do you explain something like that?

What's more important for me, from a Law of Attraction perspective, is the energy Steve has radiated since. He inspires. He lives a full and engaging life. He has a sharp wit and a massive heart. He is peaceful and loving. He focuses on his intentions, not his past. He celebrates life and living.

Just like the good ole Dalai Lama.

Good on ya Steve. And the Dalai Lama too.

Manifestation fun time

Some time ago I had a client who defaulted on her account. She avoided any contact with me, did not respond to emails or phone calls. She also had a copy of one my favourite videos, the Secret.

I spent a good deal of energy getting wound up and irritated over the whole affair. A client had never not paid me before - the nerve! And she had my copy of the Secret, one of the original editions with Esther Hicks. Double irritation. Plus the irony of missing the video that talks about deliberate manifestation only irritated me more! I found myself really peeved, thinking not-so-generous thoughts about my client, and then feeling guilty for lacking compassion and understanding.

It was an ugly cycle of bad vibes.

Needless to day, neither the money nor the video materialised as I continued with the negative diatribe.

Finally I decided what was really important in the situation. It was definitely to get the DVD back. The money was not needed, but the DVD was missed. I visualised the safe return of the movie, felt excited about the prospect of it being back in my hands, and sent one more text message conveying my good wishes and a request to return the video.

The video was returned, without a note, and its casing crushed.

I was happy to get it back and my silent good wishes for the client felt good. But there was still an underlying yucky vibe - why had she not paid me? It was like a festering sore.

To make things worse, each month my husband asked me if the client had paid me. Each month I would say 'no' with a guilty and uncomfortable flinch. He said, "do you want me to sue her?" He's a lawyer; they litigate.

No - absolutely not! As frustrated as I was about the non-payment, the thought of going to court in what felt like for me a malicious pursuit was even worse. It was better to suffer the bad debt than invite that kind of anger and animosity in to my life. After all, I did not need the money, and there were probably extenuating circumstances.

This is where compassion crept in. Who knows why the client defaulted? I knew she was going through a marriage break-up and a job loss. These are distracting and challenging events for anyone. She probably had a lot on her plate and an unpaid bill was the least of her worries. So I decided to keep a place in my heart for her and sent her loving thoughts. I wished her strength in handling the personal crisis.

Ultimately I decided that I just did not want to feel bad about the situation. It had really been eating me up inside. My peace of mind was not worth the outstanding account. I let go of needing her to pay the bill and decided to write off the debt.

I also decided the whole situation was really about my own old issues with money still surfacing. Some old vibrational patterns run deep, and situations like this press old buttons. Being free of the buttons was more important to me than anything else. I wanted to be free of the emotional charge of worry around money once and for all, so letting go of the account felt good. It felt really good.

It also allowed me to set up systems that would prevent this issue from occurring in the future with any other client. that way there was never any apprehension around billing time. It was all automatic. It felt good for me, and easy for both me and my clients.

So surprise, surprise when I received a text message from the client with the delinquent account that read: "so sorry to have taken so long to get back to you. Here is my address - please send the invoice here." The client and the account had slipped from my attention when I decided to release the need to get paid. And here she was, a few months later, asking for the invoice!

I smiled. Of course. When you let go of the need to have your desires fulfilled, then that is when you allow them in to your life. No struggle, no pain, no anxiety. Boy that feels good!

This is the lesson in manifesting for me: it's never really about getting the goods. It's always about the peacefulness and feel good place you experience when you set an intention, and then focus on living a good life now.

Blessings and mucho fun manifestation to you!

Waiting for babies

I hardly know how to begin.

My husband and I have been trying for babies since January. We started before the official ok was given by my surgeon following cancer treatment in 2005, but I have since proven to be fine and healthy. So far though, no sign of bambinos.

We're doing all the right things: we eat well, we exercise, we take vitamins, and we are under supervision at a fertility clinic and being told when to 'go for it' (thank goodness they leave the 'how' up to us!). We know that getting pregnant is not without its complexities, especially given my age (37), and my medical history of cervical cancer which involved the removal of the cervix and three months of chemotherapy. The doctor still rates my chances as pretty good as everything else is in good working order.

I have also been doing all of my law of attraction 'stuff' too: vision board with photos of babies, doing EFT, visualisation, and other clearing exercises.

Nothing.

This is definitely a case of trying to force an outcome. I am definitely attached to the outcome! I want to have a baby and I feel time is not on my side. I am invested heavily in all ways in the outcome.

This, of course, is not helping much. Expectations are raised and then dashed every few weeks.

I know where I need to get to: I need to find that place of surrender, of acceptance, of letting go. This is incredibly difficult when I just want to be a mummy. It is a vicious biological and emotional surge.

And yet, this is the only option: finding a place of peace deep inside me. It is the only way if I am going to let go of torment, anxiety, stress, and despair.

So in the smallest of moments I open myself up to peace: in the sunshine splashing the frosty hills, the gentle jingle of the wind chimes, the warm hug of my loving husband. Life is still good. Life is still beautiful. And I can still find delight in all of its incredible wonders.

I know now how hard it is to find this quiet place of acceptance, this place of stillness. It is but a simple choice, but you've got to step over all your ego to get there.

So if you're struggling with disappointments - like maybe your business did not make the sales you wanted, or your grades at university fell short, or your life partner still hasn't shown up, just give yourself a break. Life is lived only in moments, so give yourself a chance to feel good in some of them now. Everything else will unfold as it will.

Best to all of you,
Zoe

Do you feel the change blowing?

* Excerpted from Compass Bearings

What do you do on your birthday?

For me, my birthday brings a period of reflection. It’s July 1st: first day of the new financial year and half way through the whole calendar year. The clock ticks over and it is time to adjust to a new age. It’s much pulling on a new skin, kind of awkward and tight at first. 37. Feels more serious than 36. Late thirties. Almost 40. Ageing. I even found more silver hair I’m sure were not there the day before.

These thoughts become ponderous and a little heavy with self-assessment: it is a karmic chalking up of things accomplished, things yet to accomplish, and an evaluation of who and where I am now.

All in all it feels like a type of doldrums. I’m stuck in a boat waiting for winds to set my sails against. Sailors must have gone crazy waiting for any movement, any sign of change, to shift the constant sameness on a silent sea. Even a squall would have been a welcome respite – any energy to give them direction and purpose.

Such is July in Canberra: a quiet and static time of the year, cold with snow dusting the mountains, and cool rains freshening the parched countryside. Leaves are gone from the deciduous trees, the days are short, and people scurry on the streets buried under scarves and heavy coats. Hibernation and retreat characterises the city residents.

My learning in the Law of Attraction tells me this is all part of the process, part of the natural rhythms of the seasons, the world, of me, of you. Inspiration and energy waxes and wanes like the tides. The winds will come again, eventually. I’m ok with all this. Finally.

This is the process of allowing and releasing resistance. This probably sounds a little hokey and new agey, but the words don’t do justice to what is essentially an experiential process. Allowing and a lack of resistance simply feel good. It means not making excuses or trying to find a reason for anything. It means simply accepting things as they are, rather than what you think they should be or desperately want them to be. It is basking in the ‘ok’ness of the present moment (yes I know that word is made up!)

It means making peace with myself: the grey hairs, the dimpled thighs, the to-do list left undone, the done-list that can’t be undone. It is forgiveness and peace I long for.

There is no other way to feel peace except to be peaceful.

The easiest way I know to reach a peaceful state is to get outside in the sunshine. Yesterday I went for a run in the nature reserve across the road. Golden sun speckled across the long grass, tall stately trees quiet, still, alive, vibrant. It felt good. I was filled with the energy of the forest, the air, and the vista of the mountains in the distance. Life is good. Being alive is good. Two years ago during my cancer treatment I would walk up on the ridge every day, dreaming of when I would be able to run again. Here I am now: fit, healthy, and alive. Everything else pales in comparison.

Being outside brings the beauty of the current moment front and center. Breathe it in. Breathe it out. That’s it, that’s all.

I know the winds of change will come just as I settle in to peaceful acceptance of the quiet times.

Much love to you all,

Zoë

When bad things happen to good people

Bob Doyle has published another great video that outlines his response to various tough questions around the Law of Attraction.

It is definitely worth a listen, especially if you are troubled with these kinds of questions around the Law of Attraction.

Check it out here:
http://wealthbeyondreason.com/bobresponds.html

Zoe

A little piece of peace

On Friday I got a call from my sister. My Mum is in hospital with chest pains.

I am in Australia; she is in Prince Edward Island, which is literally on the other side of the planet. It is at least 4 flights and 40 hours of travel to get there.

All those who have left family behind in another country understand the powerlessness and fear you feel when news like this occurs. It is your worst fear realised.

What could I do? Nothing.

My Mum is receiving good medical treatment, my Dad is with her, and it is likely she will be fine after an angioplasty and prescription for cholesterol medication.

After almost a week, I finally got to talk to her on the phone today, before she undergoes the procedure that will fit a shunt in her heart valve. She is scared. I love her. I know that whatever happens, she will be ok. She is a great and beautiful spirit that will overcome whatever physical adversity occurs for her. She will always be with me, and I will always love her. That is all.

Am I worried? It’s not quite the right emotion. I suppose I am beyond worry and feel compassion and love more than anything else. I have been in many hospitals and had many procedures, and know that none are easy. They are a stark reminder of your vulnerability and fragility. It is also a good reminder of the temporary nature of life, and the eternal nature of the spirit.

I am not fighting anything; I am not praying for anything, I am simply sending love to my Mum. I am ok with what is. It does not mean I like it, it just means that I remind myself to feel love rather than fear, to feel trust rather anger. The sun is still shining and the blue sky is still achingly beautiful and endless.

And this is the greatest gift in learning the Law of Attraction: being ok with what is while holding the desire for something more. It is a place of peace.

Whatever your troubles, I wish for you too the gift of peace.

The Secret is for those who 'want'

I told my husband the other day he was the happiest person I know. And he is! He hums in the shower, he is never angry or anxious, or worried about anything. He is never grumpy. I, on the other hand, am a bit more volatile with my emotions. This is why we are a good match: he teaches me going with the flow and the simple approach to life, and I teach him about passion and playing all out.

"Why are you always happy?" I asked him. He said, "why would I not be happy? I have everything I need and want. My big decisions are about which toy I'll buy next! The "Secret" [meaning the Secret DVD and its ideas of practical manifestation] are for those who 'want', for those who lack something in their life."

The Simplicity Coach strikes again. The Secret DVD does emphasise how to get what you don't currently have. It is weighted heavily on how to manifest 'stuff', and to its detriment misses the feeling of prosperity, gratitude, and fulfilment my husband knows to be the 'real' secret.

Feeling good, and feeling in the flow, and feeling connected - this is what we all truly desire at the core. The ironic thing is that these things are all there for the choosing. You do not need to attract or manifest anything in order to feel these things now. You simply need to choose and to allow these feelings in to your life.

You've all heard of travellers who have visited some 'poor' country and were struck by the seemingly disparate states of poverty (in the material sense) and the overwhelming happiness of the people who lived these simple lives. They wanted nothing - they had it all - happiness, pure and simple. They loved themselves and their life. They did not need to attract a car park, a mansion, a car, or anything else in order to feel fulfilled. They could if they so desired, but were happy, in that moment. How golden is that?! They 'want' for nothing.

This must be hard-to-get lesson for folks because we hear it again and again and again. Choose to be happy. That's it. Why complicate life with strange equations of, "when..then" or "if...then". These only delay the feel good stuff that is there right now, today if you choose it.

So I add my voice to the long list of 'gurus' who say the same thing: happiness, life, love are what you make them - today, now.

Maybe if we keep saying it over enough and loud enough, people will stop resisting the easy path and start to feel good.

How about you?

I felt the tears well up and my throat tighten

Gutsy, glamorous, and absolutely fabulous is how I would describe Robyn Moore.

I went to the Chamber of women in Business function where she was the guest speaker out of curiosity, prepared to network and meet some cool folks. Robyn came out with flare blazing and sparks flying. As a voice over artist she had us rolling in the aisles with hilarious take-offs of the local politicians.

Robyn's message is simple: words count - make them good. Her vision is for a world where families work and each child is loved, cherished, and cared for. She advises to deal with C.R.A.P. Attacks quickly (cynicism, resentment, anger, procrastination) because this is the crud that saps who we are.

And then she hit the soul button. She asked us to turn to the person next to us and say, "you are extraordinary" and then share whose life we have changed. Wow. Whose life we have changed. Something inside of me welled up as I thought about the people whose lives I have touched, and who have touched mine. I struggled to speak it as I realised how much I undervalue who I am. I am extraordinary. And so are the wonderful people around me. Each of us affects the other - we are all changing each others' lives all the time and yet we forget so often the truth of our magnificence.

A warm rush of love and new awareness flooded through me. I looked around at the wonderful women in the room and for the first time ever at a networking function had a real sense of appreciation for all those there. It felt good.

Your turn: go to the mirror and say, "I am extraordinary and I have changed the life of..." Feel the sound of that person's voice come up through your throat and sing out the truth of your love and magnificence to the world. Feel good - you are extraordinary.

Fluffy Cat and the flow of acceptance

Fluffy Cat (real name Ziggy) is not well. She is dying of a cancer in her mouth. Last week she sat on my lap for a cuddle and coughed up blood. Not good.

I love this cat. She visits me every day and keeps me company in the garden. She sleeps most of the time, but lets out an insistent and demanding meow when she catches sight of me. Then it is all purring and demands for patting.

I am deeply upset by her illness and impending death. Even though I know she has lived a lovely long life (16 years), I am still going to miss my friend.

I sat patting her and she purred as the afternoon sunlight streamed through the autumn leaves. The contrast of emotions was intense, bittersweet really. The garden and sunlight was so beautiful and peaceful, and Ziggy so calm and accepting even though I am sure she knows she is dying. She just simply accepts her fate, the state of her health, and still seems to enjoy the beauty and pleasure of the moment. This was a tremendous moment for me: Ziggy had always modelled the best way to enjoy the moment - to simply be in it, enjoying it to the fullest, without worry or fretting about anything. She simply exists in the now.

I wish for such peace too in the face of circumstances I cannot change, whether it is an illness, a dying friend, or the endless march of time. This is one of the things that the Law of Attraction shows so clearly: resistance only interferes with our desires. What we resist, persists. Real freedom in following the Law of Attraction comes in finding peace and joy in each moment, regardless of circumstances, even ones we truly do not desire. This kind of acceptance, or lack of resistance, is a kind of faith that brings an abiding sense of peace.

For now, I look forward to seeing Ziggy each morning and relish whatever time we have together. Each moment is lovely. Each moment such as this as a delightful surprise to be savoured. In this I find a quiet kind of acceptance. Peace, at last.