Are you making decisions from your humanness or your divinity? This is a question posed by author, Debbie Ford in her book The Right Questions; Ten Essential Questions to Guide You to an Extraordinary Life.
The book was a present from my good friend, Carol Rozek of Opportunity Barks. Just a few days prior I had been thinking of purchasing the book and presto! I receive a copy for my birthday. Carol had no idea I wanted the book. She said she had a "sense" I would love it. How right she was.
I couldn't have planned receiving the book at a better time. You see, I had a visiting guest at the time Carol gave me the book. My dear friend and colleague, Lorraine Cohen, was staying with me for the weekend. She was here from the East Coast to celebrate the Grand Opening of Opportunity Barks.
Lorraine had her own copy of the book back home. She had been thinking of reading it and after I read one chapter and shared how excited I was to read more, Lorraine said she would definitely read the book when she got home.
Late one evening during Lorraine's weekend visit she and I talked about some things we wanted to change in our life and some things we wanted to accomplish. In a nutshell we both reached a point where we wanted to have more accountability for our health which meant looking at our individual choices around not only our nutrition and exercise, but also our thought processes.
We decided to use the book as the starting place of recognizing those things we wanted to improve on and those things we were ready to let go of.
With both of us being in our mid 50's we acknowledged that behaviors that may have been acceptable a few years ago (okay - decades ago) are no longer acceptable or wise. We have both studied enough about health risks to boomer aged women and are choosing to become much more aware of our choices in order to reach our optimum health levels and live an incredibly high quality of life.
We decided to become accountability buddies in order to achieve our individual outcomes. Debbie Ford's book was actually the catalyst of much of what was to come. Both of us felt as if the book had been written just for us. The conclusion we came to is many people have similar issues around goals, accountability and outcomes. Using the book as a guide allowed us to see more clearing how subtly we sabotage what we say we ultimately want in life. Also, how we so often come from the space of living in our humanness rather than our divinity.
Almost four weeks ago we began our process. What an amazing four weeks it has been. Daily we send our goals to one another via email. We outline those things we are committing to for the day such as what we will and will not eat, level of exercise, and anything that will move us closer to our long term vision. At the end of the day we do a phone check in on how successful we have been in sticking with our commitment.
We have done our check in each and every day since we started. This in and of itself is an interesting process. More often than not a joyful process. At times a painful process.
It was right around the time of beginning our accountability process I also committed to participating in a marathon in Portland, Oregon on October 4, 2009. It is for Team in Training which raises funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The best part of all is by joining in on the 26.2 mile marathon I have the opportunity to get training on nutrition, proper equipment, form and injury prevention all the while raising funds for patient services and research for people with blood cancers.
The decision for both the marathon and the process with Lorraine came at just the right time. Little did either Lorraine or myself know how incredible the process would be nor how much we would be confronting our own personal demons.
Initially it was easy to write out what we would and wouldn't do. For me things like "eliminate processed sugar from my eating." Well! Being one who loves processed sugar (and has been known to overindulge on many occasions) I was able to see how sugar has been a major comfort food for me. It has been known to comfort me during times of stress, fear and boredom. It has been known to be a celebration food for things like a new contract, a new client, cleaning the house, cutting the lawn; you name it, I claimed it!
Until I began the accountability process I had no idea to what degree and how subtly it would show up and how intense the process of holding to my commitment would be.
You see, it is in following through on the little commitments that we accomplish huge outcomes. This holds true for both our personal and professional goals.
What's most amazing about the process is the results are impacting virtually every area of both our lives.
Personally, I am daily improving my quality of life through better health choices which in turn boosts my self image. Professionally, I am more focused and able to give greater attention to the tasks at hand thus allowing me to get more done in a shorter period of time. This
allows me to have improved life balance which again, improves my self image.
Although I have been setting intentions, goals and desired outcomes for decades and have accomplished a great deal as a result, this process has been one of the most eye opening of all. The mere fact that I am holding myself so accountable by way of a daily check-in
with another person shifts the energy in ways I never dreamed possible.
As with anything, we can "skim a bit off the top", but when we do, we skim a little bit of quality from our life experiences resulting in a life that is merely one of getting by rather than one of living with so much passion we are excited to see what more will be revealed.
Everyday I am finding myself excited about sending my daily intentions to Lorraine. She has told me she too is more and more passionate about the process with each passing day.
The changes in just four short weeks are phenomenal. Some changes I have put in the category of "some day I will...."
Someday I will eat better. Someday I will spend more time with my family. Someday I will get back in top physical shape.
Someday is today. Someday only hold powers if we take action on it today.
As a result of the experience Lorraine and I are going through we decided to share the exact process with anyone who is ready to take their life to the next level. Not only will we share this process, but other things we have done in the past around setting and achieving goals. However, this is not for whimps.
I will share some of the processes that took me from a place in my early twenties of living a life of desperation, being broken spiritually, financially, physically and emotionally to now in my mid 50's living a life of passion doing my life's work. Lorraine will share processes she has used that also allow her to live a life of passion doing her life's work.
We are doing this via a teleseminar on Thursday, June 18th at 3 p.m. PST. Our friend and colleague Denise Wakeman is joining us on the call to share her experiences of setting intentions and achieving results based on decisions. Find out how Denise set the intention of doing Team in Training two years ago as well as what goals she set to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in her industry and how this success allows her to give back to others in most amazing ways.
To learn more and register go to http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com/Fundraiser.htm
The question that begs to be asked is, "Are you living in your humanness or your divinity? Are you living a life filled with getting by or a life filled with passion? Are you living the life you desire to leave the legacy you want?"
I'm super excited for you, Kathleen. Your journey is amazing to witness and I'm honored you're including me on your teleseminar so I can share my experience as well.
Posted by: Denise Wakeman | June 12, 2009 at 08:59 AM
Hey Denise. They say if you want to be a winner hang out with the winners. That's why I love you being in my circle of influence. You're a winner!
Posted by: Kathleen Gage | June 12, 2009 at 09:12 AM
I'm so glad you wrote this article Kathleen
Debbie Ford's questions have been so powerfull for me especially, "Are you making choices from your humanity or your Divinity" has stopped me several times when I have been about to do something that will clearly cause me regrets or fodder to beat myself up. What has been amazing is how fast the subtle sabotage begins - within a few days! Without the accountability, tools we are using, commitments throughout the day to ourselves and each other, I would probably have already given in. And the process we are using can be applied to ANY change that folks are struggling with! Whoo-hoo on that!
Can't wait for the teleseminar on Thursday, June 18th!
Blessings,
Lorraine
http://www.isayyesnow.com
Posted by: Lorraine Cohen | June 12, 2009 at 09:37 AM
I loved a comment on this subject in a Facebook discussion Esmaa Self and I had about America's addiction to salt. She said to think of my current high blood pressure as part of the balloon payment for years of eating too much of the wrong stuff. An apt comment, I thought.
With luck and your program, you'll avoid that.
Malcolm
Posted by: Malcolm R. Campbell | June 12, 2009 at 09:48 AM