What Do You Want To Be Known For?
Filed under: Conscious Creation, Inspired Action, Law of Attraction, Passion, Spirituality, happiness, love
“What is it that you want to be ‘known’ for?
What idea do you want to represent?
The next 24 hours bring insights, signs and sudden revelation!”
Kim Falconer asked this question yesterday.
I let it sit with me.
At first my mind ran through all the things my social self wants to be known for, things like:
- Making a big difference in this world
- Inspiring thousands of people to live their best lives ever
- Making the most of my life & opportunities
- Being a successful coach
- Helping tons of people get clarity in their lives
- And so on
I let it sit some more.
It was about 10 hours later, that by pure synchronicity, Carol posted this Abe video on Living With Passion on the Good Vibe U forum.
And as I was watching it, it suddenly struck me.
JOY!
Yes, I want to accomplish a lot and make my time here on Earth “worthwhile”.
Yes, I want to inspire people to follow their dreams.
Yes, I want all this and much, much more and still do.
But above all, I want most of all to Further Joy!
To be known for being a JoyGiver, JoySpreader, JoyMonger & ALL things JOY.
It was so ridiculously simple that I had to catch my breath.
Could it be THIS simple? THIS easy!?
As I sat there wondering, I realised my essential self, the part of me that wants to give and share without wanting anything in return was speaking to me loud and clear.
The part of me that knows living my purpose is more about Being than about Doing.
Have you asked yourself questions like:
- What’s my purpose, my mission in life?
- Why am I here?
- What am I meant to do with my life?
- How can I best use my talents to help people?
- How can I be happy?
- What fulfills me?
Yeah, me too. In a quest to answer these questions I read a lot.
From Wayne Dyer to Steve Pavlina to Don Miguel Ruiz to Lynn Grabhorn to Eckart Tolle to Abraham-Hicks, you name it, I’ve read their books.
I also discovered coaching, got myself a coach, attended coach training, became a coach, kept attending workshops (and still do), listened to hundreds of audios and watched countless videos.
With each passing month, I had a better idea of what I wanted to accomplish with my time here.
And yet, it felt like I was trying too hard.
I’d decide what I want and then change my mind as though the “thing” I’d settled on – like inspiring thousands of people to live their best lives ever – somehow seemed hollow and vacuous.
What the heck does that mean anyways? Inspire people to live into their potential?
And who was *I* to take on this mission? Something about it just didn’t sit right. Could my life purpose really be about other people instead of about me?
Got me thinking about Mother Teresa – what was hers? Was it to provide support and help the poor? Or was it to love? Seems to me that everything she did came from Love. She was BEING love, not just giving love.
Too often we make ours about “doing something for others”.
When you realise it’s about being who you were meant to be, the doing comes naturally.
It’s not important to know what to do before you know what or who to be.
So last night when it came to me with intense clarity that I needed to let the answer come to me rather than go chasing to it, it sure surprised me when it did.
Cos joy is something I take for granted, not something I thought could actually be my purpose.
I’d thought my purpose was something bigger…. grander….. on a larger scale that would make me feel like I’d REALLY made a difference.
A little thing like Joy? Really?
Yes, really.
I haven’t stopped smiling since this revelation. I’m not sure how exactly I’ll do this but I have an idea – to start with, I’m bringing joy into what I do, how I engage with people, my thoughts, my actions. I already practice this, and with this new awareness, it seems a lot more delicious.
Fancy my purpose being something I can live each day, every day!
Fancy it being something I’m already being and doing
(No co-incidences there, hey!)
Now, I’ve got a little exercise for you.
First, write down what comes to mind when I ask “what do you want to be known for”?
- Leave a comment & let me know.
Second, take this question with you into your day.
- Let it sit with you as you go about your routine.
- Every now and then ask yourself the question again and write down what comes to mind.
- Don’t try to force it, or write what you think you should write.
- Let it flow.
- At the end of the day, revisit your list and see what pops out at you.
I have a feeling whatever you think it is right now, it’s probably simpler and more basic than that
It’s something you are ALREADY being and doing, and just haven’t fully realised yet. Or maybe you have? Can’t wait to hear it!
What is your soul calling you to be or do?
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I’d love to hear if the answer changed or remained the same after a while. Enjoy the process and thanks for sharing your thoughts, as always, you inspire me!
Digging the Now – Guest Post by Col
Filed under: Conscious Creation, Guest Posts, Inspired Action, Law of Attraction
Guest Post” Digging the Now, By Col McGunnigle, Life by Muse
“I’m pissed off at my dreamboard!”
I remember saying that two years ago. I had this gorgeous creation, with the exact guy and the exact house and the exact scenario all mapped out … and it was just *not* happening.
So I would walk by and give my dreamboard a little gesture along with the squinty-eyed look of death.
Not exactly the ideal place to create from!
At the time I completely misunderstood Law of Attraction and in this moment, I’ve found a better way of moving into the emotion of what you desire.
Futurization
If you like, you can envision your future reality and make it big and bright and juicy and if that works for you, great! At times I can get into it and those times are powerful … but in other moments, there is this blaring knowledge that my present is something different and apart.
Pastification
Remembering a past event when you did live your dream grounds you in the knowledge and understanding that it is very clearly possible. This is moving in the right direction. But still there may be that separation, that knowledge that this is not my reality NOW.
What do you do when you find yourself wading in a sea of counterproductive feelings? What about the times when where you are at feels like quicksand?
What works for *me* is getting into the now.
Look at what you want things to be like. Then ask, “Ok, where can I find a tiny little piece of that right here and now?”
Embrace it. Take it in, appreciate it, hug it and kiss it and savor its presence. Expand on it and make it big and bright and beautiful.
You want to be prosperous? Look around you. Do you have a TV? Do you have food to eat? A roof over your head? A phone? We’re ahead of the game. Many people in this world do not have these things. We are truly truly prosperous.
Or at least embrace the concept that you have a tiny little taste of prosperity and look around you in every direction to find proof that this is so. Gather as much evidence as you can, big or small. Best to start small.
You are crafting a line to pull yourself out of the quicksand. So..
- You want to be in a loving relationship? Who loves you now? Your mother, your father, your best friend, your cat? Collect all of your proof and roll around in it. Be grateful that you are so very loved.
- You want your brother to be more positive? He has said ten unpleasant things … has he said one decent thing? Even just one? Thank him for the one, either directly or to yourself. Focus on what you appreciate.
What you focus on expands.
Build yourself a little story, a little bridge out of the muck. The beginnings can be so-so. They can be tiny proof, little itty bitty so-so proof. Give thanks for the tiny proof. Then be on the lookout for one step bigger proof. You will find it. I know you will.
Begin crafting your story and adding and adding until you find your way out.
This is the strongest form of visualization, at least for me … one which begins with a grounded seed of truth and is built up little by little until the vision is full and rich. Then you can grab hold of it.
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Colleen McGunnigle is a designer specializing in the art of attraction. She creates imagery which sings to the soul and radiates the spirit of your work, so your logo and web site attract people who are a perfect match to you.
Her design clients are life coaches and healers so she is in a continual state of discovery, inspired by the wealth of wonderful tools available at our fingertips to create a rich and delicious life.
At Life by Muse, she shares discoveries along her journey … insights, tips and tricks … with YOU!
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Man this girl GETS it. Thanks Col, for this brilliant post! Be sure to leave a comment for her and let her know if you enjoyed this post. I just had a lightbulb moment reading it so I’ll pop down below and write about it. WOW!
Revolutionary Idea That Will Blow Your Mind!
Ok, not true.
It’s the simplest idea and it’s quite an unsparkly one.
But what you do with it, has potential to blow your mind.
It all started when I realised with a shock that I’ve pretty much lost the ability to do one thing at a time.
At any time (including when I’m asleep, I bet).
Case in point, as of now I have:
- 10 browser windows open at once, 8 of them stuff I want to read and take action on, 2 are FB and twitter
- An audio recording playing in the background
- Thoughts swirling what to do next
- Flipped to twitter and facebook twice
- Been writing this for a minute
I also just noticed that each time I get distracted my foot starts shaking, my toes wiggle, my stomach clenches and I feel a little agitated.
(Oooops, I mean, distract myself – nothing outside of ME is doing this to me, right?)
This is not good.
For productivity or health, happiness or peace of mind. I mean, random body parts going into convulsions in tandem? Not good, unless it’s on the receiving end of the Black Eyed Peas!
You know how Jan’s theme for me was Love?
This included taking time off from writing on the blog to focus on processing the progress in my life, ie, doing what I was inspired to do in the face of fears like “I’ll lose my readers if I don’t keep writing” and “Isn’t that irresponsible” etc.
Psst: I originally wrote “changes” in my life and changed it to “progress” instead cos of a new way of thinking which I am excited to blog about soon – it’s on my list of topics!
Well, Feb was a tossup between Yoga 3 X a week or 10 minutes of intentional meditation or silence in the morning before I turn the computer on. Notice how specific I am with my actions? This is good.
As of this second, I’ve decided to go with something infinitely more challenging.
For all of Feb (thank goodness it’s only 28 days instead of 31!) I am going to do one thing at a time.
Yes we’ve all said that many times before but how often do you follow it? Over the past 2 years I have listened to 100’s or interviews, talk shows and seminars.
Each one of them starts with “stop doing everything you’re doing right now, I know you know it’s important but REALLY, stop everything else, eliminate all distractions and let’s get started”.
And I go “yeah yeah I know” and promptly get up to get some water or food, check my phone, look to see who’s online, make a to-do list etc.
One thing at a time means – ONE browser window open at a time. If I want to tweet, I have to close Facebook. If I want to watch a TEDtalk, I have to close the FB window. And if I want to write a blog post, you get the drift.
Now, I’m imagining all sorts of benefits that could come from this:
- Focusing on what’s important
- Less time wastage
- More productivity
- Focus
- Health (losing the foot convulsions – this is good)
- De-addiction to inconsistency and scatteredness
- Heaps more t… sorry, had to go check the other windows!
Yes, I am really going to do this starting in about 12 hours.
You know what would be SO cool? If YOU took up this challenge with me and did it for a day. Just so I won’t suffer from the withdrawal symptoms alone..
Btw, this isn’t restricted to the Internet, it has to do with everything you do from cooking to cleaning to talking on the phone to working. Uh.. I think they call it “mindfulness” or “being present”.
I call it - one thing at a time.
You will? YES! So glad you’re on board. Ok, here’s what we do now.
- Feb 1st, or for the next 24 hours if you’re reading this mid day, commit to doing ONE thing at any given time (not incl music or your thoughts har har – we have about 20,000 of them a day!).
- Then, come back a day later and write about your experience.
Whether you managed it for 10 minutes, all day or none at all. Some awareness will come up for you, for sure.
You’ll know where and how you disconnect with what’s going on and maybe even learn to predict the times or circumstances that bring up ineffective multi-doing.
Or you may find that sometimes, multi-tasking actually helped and worked better than doing one thing – I don’t know what you’ll find but I sure would love you to share that with us. I’ll comment on Feb 2 to talk about mine.
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In the meantime, I have some question for you:
- What makes you try to do it all at once? Society? Pressure? The Jones?
- Why do you get distracted so easily when you KNOW you could do it faster and better one at a time?
- Do we really think that by dividing our attention, we can rule or is it an uncomfortable comfort zone?
Man, I can’t wait to hear from you! Thanks for playing!
Old Stories vs New Stories: How to Bridge the Gap?
Filed under: Conscious Creation, Inspired Action, Intention, Law of Attraction, Visualisation, love
Speaking of telling new stories in the new year, you know well that to let in a new story, you’ve got to stop holding onto the old one, right?
Let’s get clear about this:
To tell a new story, let go of the old one.
But sometimes it’s easier said than done.
You wonder if the old story really is old or just needs a fresh look at it. Maybe you’re not sure if you need a new story or just patience while the old one unfolds into the new one.
Of course, most times, you’re just ready for a new one!
Here’s the deal, kids.
You get what you really really want deep inside, not what you think or say you want.
If you say you want love, and keep holding onto an old lover in your mind, if you say you want to be healthy and then eat unhealthy food and feel guilty about it, you’re letting the Universe know you’re not serious!
Sending out mixed, unclear signals is a waste of your time.
So what do you do?
Why, you ask with your actions, not merely your words!
When you’re really clear about what you want, you’ll start to notice what behaviours and actions are incongruent with your wants. Then you can start changing them or adopting new ones.
You know the drill by now..
- Decide what you want
- Get clear on it
- State it in the present tense
- ACT like you want it
- Ask for it
- Use manifesting techniques like affirming, afforming, playing make believe, scripting etc
- Get into the energy and FEELING space of having what you want
- Make space in your life for it
- Be conscious of your actions making sure that they reflect your “new” reality.
- Have patience!
Here’s a question (or two) I have for you:
Do you think it’s necessary to let go of old stories before you can REALLY embrace new ones?
Or do you find that it’s easier (or more effective) to state new stories instead of trying to let go of the old first?
Another alternative to changing stories I haven’t thought of?
Curious as to what works best for you. Thanks for sharing your perspectives!
ps: Have you picked a theme for January yet? Mine is Love and I am having SUCH a great time playing with it!
I find myself feeling SO vibrant and alive, which is what being in love with myself, someone else or the world REALLY makes me feel.
Wow, what a GREAT way to start the year!
What’s Your New Story In The New Year?
Just heard about an inventive (and brilliant!) idea from a friend for how to “do” New Year Intentions so of course I’m running right over to share it with you.
This year, instead of (or along with, if that feels better) the usual goals you tend to set by default every year – and break by March – what if you set themes for each month?
Why New Year resolutions usually fail is because you pick too many things to do and change, without any thought as to how you’re going to stick to them.
Or because you don’t have a good enough compelling reason to change, lack a plan or passion for something different. Or a few more reasons.
Which is where Leo’s post on how to stick to your new year resolution comes in real handy as he suggests picking 6 goals / habits for the year and breaking them down into baby action steps to help you really ingrain each one.
This ties in nicely with picking a theme for a month and then playing with it very intentionally for 30 days. For example, I picked LOVE for January and all this month I’m going to act as if and create an alternate reality.
Now the love I’m talking about means romantic love AND I also know it all starts with self love so I’ll start by loving myself, getting massages, whispering sweet nothings to myself, writing love notes.
(If you picked love you could cook a decadent meal for two, play some soft music and act as if you were having an intimate dinner with your lover or whatever is it YOU’D want in a relationship – get the picture?)
The idea is to say, do and be the happy, in love person you think you’ll be when you do meet someone.
I believe 30 days of giving yourself to the theme of the month is enough to get your thoughts, habits and energy in alignment with your heart’s desire.
This is a GREAT way to stay focused on what you want without trying to manifest 100 other things at the same time, then freaking out and wondering why nothing’s happening.
Other themes I’m playing with (months to be decided):
- Fitness
- Writing
- Time-Out / Self Indulgence
- Connecting with friends
- Nature
- Daily Adventures – something new each day!
- What would YOU pick?
Oh and while you’re at it, how about writing a letter to yourself from the future on Dec 31, 2010 talking about all the things that happened this year and how wonderfully your desires came to fruition? Then tuck it away in a nice safe place and re-open it at the end of the year!
(If you’re like me, you’ll probably read it every month or so. Either ways, you’re doing it right!)
I’m off to write mine now and if you’re very good, I might share it here
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Would love to hear how YOU set intentions / resolutions/ goals for the coming year and what processes and resources you’re using to help manifest them. Care to share yours?
Oh and HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!!
I’m speaking from the future and the water’s great so come on in!
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My 2010 Goals List, Inspired by Chris Brogan
It’s here and shooting by fast. I leave on a 5 week trip to Queenstown, New Zealand, my home away from home in less than 42 hours and am beyond excited!
At the same time, I’ve been thinking a lot about the Year of the Tiger and all that I want to accomplish.
This month is all about reviewing and laying foundations for the coming year.
So it was perfect timing when I saw this Business Plans and Wishlist for 2010 post by Chris Brogan. I’m upping my goal setting ante and joining the party publicly. Why wait till New Years Eve to ask for what you want?
Get started now, so that when 2010 rolls around, you’ll have a sharp vision and direction for your business and personal life.
Cos, as you know, when you get really clear about what you want and put it in writing, all sorts of synchronistic events and opportunities start happening ‘out of the woodwork’. I for one, am getting the ball rolling now!
Heck, I ain’t stopping at a Biz List, I’m going the whole hog.
(Be sure to write down a few of your goals and intentions after you finish reading this post, writing and committing have magical powers. You and I, we’re gonna get a HEAD start on attracting what we want next year, woohoo!)
2010 Business Plans & Wishlist
- New biz: Launch new top secret social media business and be super successful with it. Kidding, it’s not top secret.
- Re-brand existing Coach T.I.A business and focus on a very small niche market that I’m currently fine tuning
- Products: Create 3 e-books and audio products for a wider audience
- Writing: Write 2 articles a week for examiner.com as Vancouver’s Social Media Examiner
- Productivity: Solid systems and structures in place to sustain my business while I travel for weeks at a time
- Connecting: Get super tight with amazingly inspired entrepreneurs / coaches and work together on JV’s and programs
- Workshops: Host a live in-person workshop in collaboration with a kick ass entrepreneur in Vancouver (if that’s you reading, call me!)
- Blogging: Get very focused and clear in my writing, attract thousands of very engaged and interested readers who form a solid community and love hanging out here
- Income: 6 figure income from multiple streams of income, all of which I love being involved with (yes, I know how grammatically incorrect that is, lol)
2010 Personal Goals & Wishlist
- Home: Move into a gorgeous apartment / house with great lake, mountain and skyline views
- Community: Connect with my tribe, like minded cool peeps at a deeper level than ever before, in person as well as via social media / facebook
- Fitness: Get my triceps back and be fit enough to climb the Grouse Grind in 50 minutes (current time 1.5 hours); this of course = being my best shape ever
- Love: ♥♥ Meet and marry the love of my life ♥♥
- Personal Growth: Face and overcome many fears and self limiting beliefs so I am living a full, alive, passionate, no holds barred, fabulous life!
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Your Turn! Tell me what you want 2010 to bring you / what you plan to invite into your life. If you haven’t thought about it yet, NOW is the time so just start typing – you may discover something new and at the very least, start focusing on your goals once you write them down. Looking forward to reading yours as well
What An Onion Has To Do With Listening To Your Body..
Filed under: Conscious Creation, Inspired Action, Life, Passion, Spirituality
I was afraid she’d know what I had done.
As my mom entered my room, I wondered if she noticed the overpowering smell.
She touched my head and felt the heat burn into her hand.
The onion safely tucked away in my armpit had done its work. I now had a fever and it was enough to get me out of going to school on a day I really didn’t want to go.
(I’ll wait till you’ve stopped laughing at my ingenuity).
Fast forward to present time. The method has changed but the process remains the same.
When there’s something I don’t want to do, or when a major change needs to happen in my life (whether it be thoughts, behaviours, actions), and I ignore it, I get sick or hurt.
When I’m letting life happen to me instead of making life happen, I feel tired, listless, low on energy and totally unmotivated.
Like me, I know many of you have learned the hard way that avoiding a situation that’s not working anymore will just lead to it biting you on the bum.
If you won’t make the change, the Universe will oblige with a kick on the rear.
Have you seen that TV show – I didn’t know I was pregnant? I watched it the other day and was dumbstruck by how out of touch these women were with their bodies. They’re not alone though, it’s a common malaise in our world.
The more unconscious we are about our needs, the more we distract ourselves with wants, desires, possessions and things that don’t have anything to do with nurturing our bodies or souls, the further we are removed from our inner selves.
If you’ve ever woken up in the morning with an anxious feeling in your stomach as you prepare for a job interview, if you’ve ever sweated at the thought of asking a girl out, if you’ve ever taken an exam thinking you were going to fail, or wondered how you were going to make your mortgage payments, well, that’s not what I’m talking about.
All this is pretty darn normal and you’d have to be made of steel not to be nervous about these ‘milestones’ or important things in life.
I’m pointing to the things you do over and over on a regular basis, which twist your stomach in a knot and has you hating parts of your life or at the least, fill you with unease. Yet, you do them. If that isn’t madness, what is?
Like not wanting to get up and go to that sucky job for one more day and yet, not having the guts to do something else.
Like hating where you live, but not moving just cos you’d have to start over.

I’ve seen it time and again.
- Friends who get sick after months of hating their jobs and being too scared to do anything about it
- The girl at the store who looks like she’s sleep walking and would do well as a zombie
- The kid who’s playing soccer when he really wants to act, cos his folks have high expectations of him
- The wife who puts her dreams on hold to serve her family and is secretly miserable
- The husband who crushes his musical career to provide for his kids
I’ll just bet it’s happened to you too.
The thing is, if you’re lacking energy and motivation, chances are it doesn’t have as much to do with what you’re eating or doing, as much as what you’re thinking or making yourself do.
Your body is merely an expression of your thoughts and feelings. It’s your own personal barometer telling you how aligned you are with your life’s purpose.
It comes down to this: Are you doing what makes you happy? Are you following your passion?
Wayne Dyer talks about his son Sands, in Excuses Be Gone. Sands hates waking up in the morning, is always late to classes, has low energy and is often tired if he wakes up before noon.
And yet, when he goes on surfing trips or visits his dad in Maui, he’s up at the crack of dawn, making sandwiches and hitting the surf all day long. This, inspite of having stayed up late talking to other surfers, studying waves etc.
What a difference passion makes!
Luckily for Sands, his dad knows all about following your bliss and encourages him to follow his dreams.
And how about that Louise Hay?
You’ve probably heard about or read her book “You Can Heal Your Life”. She talks about how illnesses and diseases are psycho-somatic, meaning they arise from dis-ease in your thoughts and feelings.
In her book, she explains how our beliefs and ideas about ourselves are often the cause of our emotional problems and physical maladies and how, by using certain tools, we can change our thinking and our lives for the better.
I’ve seen it in action so many times in my life.
- When I didn’t want to be a massage therapist anymore but instead of quitting, I waited until I injured my wrist and couldn’t work for a year to give it up
- When I was living in the US and was tired of my life there but was too scared to leave and I sprained my ankle rendering me useless till I left
- When I injured myself about 5-6 days in a row before I finally changed something that wasn’t working for me
(In hindsight, I was subconsciously wearing those slippers so I’d have an excuse to create change and my fear wouldn’t be able to stop me!)
Time for a change?
2 weeks ago, when I realised it was time to move on from a couple of projects that I committed to and didn’t, I got sick for 5 days.
That’s when I finally decided I’d had enough. It was time to be more conscious and aware.
So, I listen to my body and am so in tune with it that I can tell right away if I’m aligned with my life, thoughts,words and passion. And I take action right away if I’m not!
So what about you?
Do you take action as SOON as you realise something’s not kosher, or do you ignore it till you’re forced to take action? Do you wait to get sick / unhappy / pushed in a corner before you’ll take a break?
Or do you pick up the message, watch for signs and pay attention to the message your body and circumstances are giving you?
When you start making small changes as soon as you know it’s needed, it’s much easier on you than when you wait till something awful happens. I’ve been lucky and gotten away with minor-ish injuries. And I’m not waiting for a serious shock to happen before I start listening!
Be willing to get in touch with your body today. Let it express your inner desires. A good place to start is with questions like what is your body telling you? What are you ignoring? What does it want you to do?
Starting today, make that a priority.
Get in touch with your body by meditating on it, thanking it for how hard it works for you, spending 5 minutes in complete silences, weekly walks, time alone, monthly massages, etc. It doesn’t matter how much time you spend, it matters how often you do it.
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You with me on this? I’d love to hear what you think. Please share your experiences! What has your body been telling you and what happens when you listen / don’t listen? Thanks!
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