Emerging Brilliance

Athletes and Purpose

nancy.montier — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:26:36 +0000

I’ve been loving the Olympics. I see dedicated men and women pouring their hearts, love, time, energy, and bodies into their chosen events. They are ice dancing, speed skating, bob-sledding, ski jumping, cross-country skiing, solo skating…. Their bodies and purposes are all different, yet they share the common purpose of excellence and athleticism. The bodies of speed skaters are slim, short with strong legs; the bodies of hockey players are bulkier, and larger. Ski jumpers are lean and long; and bob-sled teams have strong legs. Their training regimens are all different. Their athletic purposes are expressed differently – grace, rhythm, creativity for the ice dancers; forward speed for the speed skaters; strategy, speed, skill, aggressiveness for hockey players; flight and landing for the ski jumpers.

Like the athletes, many people have the same purpose that can be expressed in different ways. The purpose might be to be peace, and the expressions might be teaching, leading a march, meditating, or practicing Buddhism. So, for those of you who thought you loved the work you chose but you are not happy with it, you may need to find another expression of your purpose, one that you are uniquely designed to do. You don’t necessarily have to change everything.

For example, both my mentor, Tim Kelley and I help people find their purpose. I’m 5′1″ tall, round, and earthy . I work with individuals, entrepreneurs, seekers, and life changers to find their purpose and start something new. Tim is 6′ tall, distinguished, spent decades in the navy as a commander and was a director at Oracle. He works with businesses and societies to find their purpose. He’s got the presence and background to express his purpose that way. I just don’t nor do I feel called to do so.

What is purposeful for you and what other ways might you express it? Are you an ice dancer who’s playing hockey? A peacemaker programming computers with little chance of using your gifts? Time to step closer into what you’re uniquely designed to do and be.

Be Your Own Valentine

nancy.montier — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:07:18 +0000

“If it is a virtue to love my neighbor as a human being, it must be a virtue – and not a vice – to love myself, since I am a human being, too.“
Eric Fromm

Love - Purpose - Presence - Choice

Self Love is the inner blooming flower from which radiates the most exquisite, delightful, fresh aroma and the gentlest, most powerful, brightest energy. Self love is the gateway to all love. It is present in order to receive love from others, otherwise we do not recognize it. It is present in order to give love to others, otherwise we do no know what to give; It is present when we love God or Life or Source, or whatever it is that is all of everything for you, for it allows for the existence of such a relationship.

Self love – if you believe you do not have it, then check and see if you have a pulse and a breath. Yes? Good, then you do. You need to allow it to blossom in you, and move into a leading role in your play, your experiment as Nancy or Joyce or Sam or George. How? Here’s an idea – see what happens.

Let’s suppose your self love, that blossom of warm bright energy and exquisite aroma that you offer to yourself is merely covered up with garbage thoughts and beliefs. They are garbage because they are not needed, they serve no purpose. They might have at one time, to protect you and help you sort out your world, but when they keep the blossom of self love buried, they are garbage. Refuse the refuse. Some fairly common garbage that could be burying your self love are:

I can hurt people. I’m bad
If I wasn’t around, others would be happier. I cause pain
I hate my body, it is so not OK this fat or thin or sick or male or female.
I’m scared I’m scared I’m scared I’m scared
If my parent’s didn’t love me, I must be worthless

If I were a good parent I’d spend more time with my children. If I were a good employee, I’d spend more time at the office

Action:

Pick up one piece of garbage thought. Before you throw it out, hold it in your hands. Know that thought was useful once. Thank it for its use, for how it helped you sort out pain or fear or lack. Send kind thoughts to the you who made it up at whatever age you were. When you’re ready, imagine your way to release the energy of that thought from its negative hold on you – perhaps it goes in the compost pile, is buried in the earth to decompose, or is burned in a bright fire (what color is it?) Or….?

Now, be willing to fall in love with yourself. Begin with one area that you can love with no problem and where no thoughts hold you back. What do you love about your body? Maybe your ankles or calves? Can you love the you that got that degree or held down that job or took on that physical challenge? List five areas you can love.

Good. Now nourish that little blossom of self love. Go to it every day. Take a moment and treasure, cherish, and savor that part. Just the statement, I am willing to love, or I am willing to learn to love, is nurturing. Go out and buy a Valentine’s card that says just what you want to say to yourself. Celebrate you.

Great! Now pour your Valentine love out on everyone else.

Reply to this blog - what is your list of what you love about you?

Haiti and Peace

nancy.montier — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:54:35 +0000

Last week the people of Port Au Prince, Haiti were tossed, buried, injured, killed, left homeless, and left in grief by a 7.0 earthquake. The world has rushed to their aid, to do the best we can with what we’ve got. It is like our own bodies – when a body part is injured our whole repair and protection system bursts into action and rushes to the injury to heal it.

The world’s response of food, water, medical supplies, skilled rescue teams, prayers, energy, and hope is a statement of our unity, our compassion, and our connection to every person in Port Au Prince and every single life form on the Earth.

I acknowledge our unity. May it grow as a worldview out of Haiti’s injury.

SuccessFlow

nancy.montier — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:14:26 +0000

Success is an inside job – it begins in the heart with what matters to you, what you love, and what brings you joy. Maybe it’s numbers, or music, or cooking, or inspiring, or teaching. This you knew when you were a child – it is what attracted your attention and was joyful. Unfortunately, we often choose to ignore our heart in favor of shoulds, opinions, fears. It can be a long journey back to the heart.

Once you find your way back to your heart, the head does the implementation. It works out the details, gets the help, designs, and plans in service of the heart.

Finally, success is an outside job. The body gets into action with speaking, writing, building, selling,dealing and doing whatever it takes to bring to reality the heart’s passions and purpose. This is the most challenging step – to go from the mental, emotional and spiritual energy of the heart and head to the slower, denser, physical energy of the body and of making an idea real. Just know that it is normal to have bumps and setbacks bringing your brilliance to reality.

And, when actions and goals are aligned with the heart’s purpose, those goals flow, things work better, and the transition to the physical has more grace and synchronicity.

Moving gracefully from inside to outside, may your success flow in 2010.

Peace, Love, Hope, and Healing for Haiti

nancy.montier — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:15:05 +0000

Sun and Earth

The wolrld is ours to heal or wound.

Every penny given in care and love to the people of Haiti is a penny of peace, love, hope and healing for Haiti and our world.

Every hand yanking away rubble … Read More

Abolish New Year’s Resolutions

nancy.montier — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:20:16 +0000

Friends, I beg of you to make no resolutions this year. Most resolutions are “shoulddy” and are empty of joy and purpose. “I resolve to get in shape” is usually driven by the voice in our heads that is run by guilt and fear: “If I don’t get in shape, my health will break down; my wife will leave me; my energy will be in the tank – I should get in shape and if I don’t I’m a failure. I will make myself do this.” This voice is not empowering.

Experiment with New Year’s Evolutions. The definition of evolution is “a process of change in a certain direction: unfolding; a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler or worse to a higher, more complex or better state: growth.” The human condition is to change slowly, in most cases. Set an intention that is compelling based on your values and passions and then write a reasonable plan of small steps that evolve from simple or easy to more complex or harder. For example: “I intend to be fit, slim, and vibrant where my energy is tripled and my weight is 130 pounds. I can enjoy my life even more than I already do! My evolution plan is to

Go to the gym twice a week for at least 1/2 hour
Wear a pedometer once a week and increase my steps to 5,000 a day;
For the first week of Jan, cut bread out of my diet
When I’m successful at these steps, I design two more steps. If I’m not successful at these, I design simpler steps until I can or will do these.”

For example if I’m not successful at #1, my new, simpler step is to put on my workout clothes and drive to the gym. That’s it. If I don’t feel like exercising, I don’t have to. Chances are good that I’ll go into the gym anyway. The plan can always be changed, but it’s always moving in the direction of the intention.

This New Year’s evolution statement is not running from guilt and fear but running to a vision for life, values and joys. With the plan tied to your vision, values and joys, the journey is compelling, motivating and, in the end, it is what matters!

Enjoy writing your own, and consider the Rapid Breakthrough Success Program and use it to design your New Year’s Evolutions.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” Ursula K. Leguin

10-Year Anniversary – Turning Point as a Coach

nancy.montier — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:46:57 +0000

Coaching Mode!

Ten years ago I hung up the phone and cried tears of gratitude after my first completion call as a coach. I’ll call him Roy. He had achieved his goal in about 5 or 6 sessions, and our final call was to acknowledge and celebrate and clean up anything left undone or unsaid. He had trusted me with his life and heart; and allowed me to journey with him for a while as he created courage and stepped into a new, bigger experience in his life. That moment marked a turning point in my years of seeking fulfilling work, training, certifying, letting go of the old work, starting a business, marketing, and finally coaching. It’s been many clients and sacred journeys since and I am filled with gratitude for all the people who have allowed me to serve their emerging brilliance.

Creative Freedom

nancy.montier — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:41:34 +0000

This is it! You’re on stage, in your life, and your storyline is unfolding. You have creative freedom in every aspect of your story. You say yes or no, you love or you withdraw, you take the risk or not, you win and learn or you “lose” and learn. Lose is just a label for an unexpected or undesired result. No big deal. Puff out your chest! Breathe deeply and fill every cell with fresh air. Yes, you have built in “restrictions” like a short body or blind eyes or being male or female, or you name one of thousands of props, costumes that you have to work with. Oh, but what a story you can write around and because of the props and costumes and body you have to work with.

Wake up every day with a new chapter to write, and let your imagination romp ahead of you into the day – to set the stage. Is it a gloomy scene? Then really have at it. Is it sentimental? Who are you being in your story? Who do you admire? Then be them today. Experiment – what scenes bring you the most joy? What scenes do you avoid or have fear around scripting? If there is something in them for you then find the coach to work with you.!

The world needs you to be as big as you can be and to write the biggest life story your heart will hold and to love it all as it unfolds. It needs your brilliance. Thank you for being on stage!

NOW, What Am I Going to Do?

nancy.montier — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:59:04 +0000

My parent’s and brother’s home burned down in March – here’s a photograph of their new home. They lost much, but much was salvaged. My dad mailed me a thick envelope of papers of mine he’d saved – a Christmas story I’d written at age 6; a history paper from junior high (with a picture of Snoopy on it!), report cards, and letters I’d written from camp (thinly disguised cries for rescue!). I did not know he’d kept those – it was touching that he’d filed those for 50 years. So that is one blessing that came out of the ashes. Other blessings – their new home has things they want like a screened porch and a front door like my mom had in her childhood home. They’ll be moving in soon, hopefully before Christmas. It’s been a long journey of red tape and decsions! Their good health and help from their children and church has been a blessing.

I’m celebrating 10 years as a coach for the rest of this year. See below how you can celebrate with me.

Peace, Joy,

Now, What Am I Going to Do?

This is what a relative said as she was going through a divorce, had no job, few possessions, and the bad economy to make it just a little more precarious. How many of you are asking that question about finances, your home, real estate, savings, job, relationship? I am. How do we all get out of the mess?

Together. We work together. I was telling you about my parent’s and brother’s home – they sure didn’t build it themselves – it was a team. So how do we get out of our silos and help each other? Here are some ideas.

* I sent out a call for help to colleagues and friends to hang in there with me to increase business this quarter and help me keep up my energy and spirits-yes, the one who writes so optimistically every month. Nice to have a team!
* On Facebook and Twitter I promote people I know, and they promote me.
* I’ve traded, which is great, but it doesn’t pay the bills.
* I heard of a neighborhood that got together and pooled their money to buy and share the equipment they all needed to maintain their woodsy yards – mower, clipper, chipper, trimmer, etc.
* People are giving away a LOT of valuable information on the internet. I am listening to one of dozens on growing my business.
* Find a need that matches your passion and fill it. There is so much opportunity in this market – keep open. Partner with your customers.

What ideas do you have for Now, What Are We Going to Do? Please add a comment.

Emerging Brilliance is 10 Years Old! Celebrate with Me!

Why hire a coach in these challenging times?

1. Clarify your goals and direction and save time and money by not wandering around in the wrong direction

2. Clarify where you are – because when you know where you stand, and you know where you’re going, you can draw a line between them and know what needs to be done to get there.

3. Eliminate obstacles that are keeping you from your goals. Face it, you’d be there already if the obstacles were gone, right? This is like greasing the skids – moving forward fast.

In celebration of 10 years of exploring, learning, coaching, leading, and moving through peaks and valleys, I am offering people who work with me by November 30 a special 30% discount off the program.they choose.

I invite you to a complementary session so you can get to know me better and see if this is for you. Just email me or call 510-886-7374.

Gather the Fruits, Clear Out the Vines

nancy.montier — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:56:12 +0000

We are deep into autumn here in the U.S. and the energy has softened and cooled from the brilliant summer days. This reduction in energy and light affects us. While the West does not pay much attention to the change, the Chinese, for example, recognize the seasons and their influence on the earth and our bodies. Nature displays the change very clearly – it brings forth vegetables and fruits – the result of the sunshine, nutrients and water building all spring and summer. The end of a project. Leaves go to work one last day to produce food for the tree; they give a last brilliant signature color, then let go. The end of a project. The animals that hibernate or travel south begin to shut down or shove off. The end of a project. As the light changes, so do we. Our bodies start to pull in, its energy shifts to our core away from the extremities as we prepare for less heat and light. The end of a project, or many projects. The bright, fast energy of summer is giving way to the softer, slower light of autumn. There is a pause, even a sadness in the air as we say goodbye to the sun. And it is good. The rest is good. It is time to gather the vegetables and fruits and clear out the vines that produced it.

Action-

If we would take on the peace of autumn, we might clear our office, put away files, and allow ourselves to take on fewer or no new things except those we love, love, love. If you cannot do this because of obligations, look to other ways to slow down. We might complete as many open items as we can, while the light is still around, and be done with them. We might do some planning for the busy holiday season. With a little forethought, many special, fun times can be created with the resources we have. We might celebrate a relationship with a letter of appreciation or acknowledgment. We might clear our minds of shoulds and regrets from the year.

What resonates for you?

Thank you.

Peace,
Nancy

Emerging Brilliance is 10 Years Old! Celebrate with Me!

I have been on a journey! I reinvented myself – I took the unhappy computer programmer and developed the coach – eager, loving people instead of data, passionate that others, like me, find their purpose and bring it to the world.

In celebration of 10 years, I am offering people who choose to coach with me by November 13 a special 30% discount off the program.they choose. I invite you to a complementary session so you can get to know me better and see if this is for you. Just email me or call 510-886-7374.