Lessons from the Blackhawks Stanley Cup Win

June 9, 2010 by Tia · 7 Comments
Filed under: Conscious Creation, Inspired Action, Intention, Law of Attraction, Passion, courage 

Source: Reuters.com: NHL Stanley Cup 2010 Winners - Chicago Blackhawks

I just finished watching the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup Finals.

For those of you who aren’t hockey crazed (or Canadian), the Stanley Cup is the Holy Grail of Hockey, the National Hockey League’s most salivated after prize in the Hockey world. Ever. Not counting the Olympics.

Ok, WHAT am I doing talking about Hockey on this blog?

Bear with me just a minute.

(Apart from the fact that 5 of the team players from the Hawks are British Columbia boys and more than half the team is Canadian) – It’s something I heard Rocky Wirtz, the owner of the team, say.

When asked whether he knew that the Hawks were going to win or how he knew that, he said something like:

“If we had set the bar low, we would have met it. So we set the bar high. And we met it.“

(Creative liberties may have been taken with the wordage.)

That’s 49 years of a winless drought, leading to a spectacular, hard fought win. Summed up in these 2 sentences.

It reminded me of a post where fellow coach Jeannette talked about Sean McHugh being laid off by the Detroit Lions & being picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He said there was an expectation when you become a Pittsburgh Steeler that you’re going to win. Something he hadn’t felt in his old team.

Which was evident in how those two teams became the worst and the best in the Football World Cup NFL series in 2009.

Ever heard the saying “reach for the moon, for if you do you might reach the stars”? You can see where I’m going with this, right?

You see, you get what you expect.

When you set an intention to be the best, to go for Gold, to win, you are setting yourself up for success.

People often rise (or fall) to the expectations we have of them.

If you’re a parent who tells your child he’ll never be good at math just like his mama or hasn’t a creative bone in her body, guess what’s going to happen?

On the flip side, if you look for the best in someone, you’re going to find the best in them.

How many times have you looked at your partner / boss / friend / employee and wished there was something they’d say or do differently? And the more you focused on what you didn’t like about them, the more they seemed to perpetrate that action.

Till the day you decide to stop noticing what you don’t like and start paying attention to what you Do like. And lo, presto! It’s reflected in their behaviour, almost overnight, af if by magic?

Now, let’s turn this inwards to YOU.

What do you expect to have happen in your life? What about on a daily basis?

I’m not talking about being the best or winning or being hard on yourself with “unrealistic” expectations to be perfect.

This goes beyond “just winning” (although I’m sure the Blackhawks feel differently about that and I sure was over the moon when Canada won Olympic Hockey Gold in February this year!).

This is about awareness.

About setting intentions.

About believing in yourself.

In your worth, your ability, your deserving-ness to live the life you want..

Being daring enough to think big, not letting the yeah, buts & fears stop you.

If you don’t dream big, what chance do you ever have of making those dreams come true? If you want a no holds barred life and you’re busy focused on the ways in which you’re tied down, how do you expect to fly?

A good test to see whether you’ve been dreaming powerfully is to look at your life right now.

  • What about it do you love?
  • What do you wish was different?
  • What do you believe you can have?
  • Is there a limit ie, have you got a set point where you stop dreaming?
  • What have you done about it?

If you want more than you’ve allowed yourself to dream or have, whose permission are you waiting to get? You need no one to tell you you can have it all. No one but you.

If you’ve allowed other people to tell you what you can or cannot achieve, if you’ve been playing small, squishing your dreams and resigning yourself to never having everything that you want, I want you to stop right now!

STOP it, stop it, stop it.

Stop setting the bar so low. What makes an NHL or Olympic winning team so very different from you?

Natural talent and physical prowess aside, none of these teams would have gotten to where they are if they didn’t DREAM big, intend & visualise their dreams coming true and take Inspired Action to make them happen.

Action without Intention is a misguided missile.

Start creating the life of freedom, happiness, abundance, love, travel, connection, joy and clarity that you want and deserve.

Start by setting the bar high, to what that means for you.

Not what someone else wants for you, but what YOU want for you. No one’s laughing, no one’s judging.

Reach for the moon, the stars, the top of the trees, reach for what your heart truly desires!

You have permission.

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One year Review & Rebranding Survey

May 28, 2010 by Tia · 8 Comments
Filed under: Business, Conscious Creation, Inspired Action, Intention, Passion, courage 

Hey you!

I really appreciate you.

For being here, for reading, commenting, letting me into your world.

You are very, very awesome and I’m honoured by your presence, THANK YOU!

If you’ve been reading a while, you may have noticed that this blog’s growing up. If you’re new here, read on anyways to see what’s happening.

I’ve been thinking of rebranding the Coach T.I.A website since it turned 6 months old in Sept 09 and it’s all coming to a crucial point – Inspired Action is leading to this next step.

(When it started a year ago, we (the blog and I) were both finding our feet and talking about our passions, which included and still do, Law of Attraction, Inspired Action, Personal Development, coaching etc).

As time’s gone by, I’ve also become quite interested in other topics like -

  • Creating relationships using the Power of Social Media
  • Tribes – finding, creating and being a part of something bigger
  • Entrepreneurship & Business building
  • Living a life of courage and authenticity
  • Boldness! Standing out and making a stand for core values
  • Being Intentional – in personal & professional ways

The scope is broader and wider now.

So even as I prepare to launch a new site (on social media for coaches), I’m rebranding this one to reflect the year’s learning that I’ve grown into.

Now, I really need YOUR help to suss out what you want more of, what you need less of, what YOU WANT, period.

Because you are the reason this blog and website exist.

The changes I make, will reflect you as much as they do me. So please, pretty pretty please take 30 seconds of your time now to answer 5 short questions in this survey.

Thanks, SO looking forward to your input on this one. You rock! Tia

Click here: Review & Rebranding Survey 2010

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Entrepreneurship & The Girl + Freelance Camp Vancouver

May 17, 2010 by Tia · 5 Comments
Filed under: Life, Passion, life coaching 

I just realised that Coach T.I.A turned a YEAR old last month and I forgot to celebrate.

The day I started this blog came and went without any fanfare.

Had I remembered, I’d have taken the time to pat myself on the back and congratulate myself on this journey.

You see, I am an Entrepreneur.

I didn’t know that a year ago.

Back when I finished coach training, started this blog, started my business, got certified and immersed myself in social media, I didn’t know that.

I do now.

Back then I thought that once I’d finished my coach training, everything else would just fall into place. Clients would find me, I’d happily write my blog every week, send out my newsletter every 2 weeks, grow my subscribers and readers, create eBooks and start a radio show.

Some of it happened like I imagined, some didn’t.

No one told me about the huge learning curve, or the moments of wanting to run away from it all to a safe cushy job somewhere where I could switch off at 5pm. Granted it’s rare when I feel like that, but it happens sometimes.

Being an entrepreneur is exciting, frustrating, tricky, energising, exhausting, insomnia inducing, gratitude inducing to say the least.

On the one hand there’s all the freedom in the world to wake up when you want, take afternoon naps, go for a walk in the middle of the day, and make your own schedule.

And on the other, there are those sleepless nights when your (ok, ok, my!) mind is full of ideas and plans for your business and sometimes, paralysing fears of doom and dismal failure.

If you’re someone who works from home, here are some tips to keep you sane:

  • have a network of trusted people to lean on
  • talk about your experiences, highs and lows
  • make sure you’re not going it alone!
  • get yourself some coach / mentor support
  • remember the big picture – your why (know your reasons)
  • connect with fellow entrepreneurs & share learnings

That’s just what I’ll be doing next week as I join a bunch of very talented and enterprising professionals Vancouver’s First Freelance Camp for Entrepreneurs on Sat, May 29th, from 9am – 4pm.

What’s that you ask? From the horse’s mouth:

  • An open agenda that participants create on the day of the event
  • All about discussion, interaction & learning
  • Share your freelancing experience & discuss challenges you’re facing
  • Get experience-based answers to your questions
  • Network, meet potential clients and/or partners
  • Explore different approaches to freelancing

Doesn’t this sound so innovative and exciting?

If you live in Vancouver or know someone who does, I highly recommend you bring yourself or send them along to this Unconference of local Creatives and Entrepreneurs.

Lets drink endless coffee, learn, share and connect! Check out the site for more information & see you there.

Oh, and a Belated Happy 1st Birthday to Coach T.I.A! We’ve only just begun… how about you?

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I Can Do ANYTHING!

May 13, 2010 by Tia · 17 Comments
Filed under: Conscious Creation, Inspired Action, Life, Passion, happiness, love 

I am SO inspired by this little girl!

Had to share this video which is quickly going viral on youtube. It’s so awesome!! If she can do it, so can YOU! And me.

I think I’m going to do a 7 day daily affirmation in front of the mirror just like Jessica and see what happens… join me? :D

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What Do You Want To Be Known For?

March 4, 2010 by Tia · 6 Comments
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?

_____________________________________________________________

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!

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