Angels and Spirits…

This is not being written necessarily for the believer or the non believer.  It is written for those who are curious, who are unsure and who want to believe.  It is not written to convince anyone of anything, but is merely my personal experience which I am choosing to share.  This is the foundation of my personal belief system, It is not religious per say but is rooted in the ultimate belief that there is something…an unknown “being” in existence.  I do not care what you call that being…it is irrelevant in the context of this blog.

“What this power is, I cannot say.All I know is that it exists” – Alexander Graham Bell

The manifestation of this power, for me, is in the power of the angels and spirits I feel around me.  Let me begin with a couple of stories.  They are true and told to you here, honestly and fully, although perhaps briefly.

When i was about three years old, I began nursery school.  This was back in the early 1960s so seatbelts and other safety norms of today, were very optional.  The school bus was a red station wagon, the driver was “Uncle” Jack.  Kids were piled into the “bus”.  I was painfully shy and did not want to get into this crowded strange vehicle.  I cried.  The next pickup was Wendy.  She too was in tears.  We clung to each other, instant best friends, brought together by tears.  It was hard to separate us after that.  skip ahead to the last day of school,June 1970.  Wendy and i always walked home from our local elementary school via my house.  She was going on a family vacation and was so excited.  She hugged me and said she would call as soon as she got back.  Wendy, her mom and one of her sisters died in a plane crash on July 5, 1970.  Her father and other sister were travelling separately, so although everyone on the plane died, her dad and oldest sister Lynda survived.  (I strongly recommend that you read Lynda’s book, Repairing Rainbows as it talks about surviving and living after tragedy).  I was 9 and Wendy was 8 years old…it was just prior to her 9th birthday.  My child’s mind could not fathom the devastation so as I grew up, Wendy came to me in my dreams.  We chatted and hung out.  As I grew older, so did Wendy, but always looking the same as when i saw her last, just older.  She guided me through troubling times and was with me always.  Now some may say she was only in my mind, but she was in my heart, my mind and my thought processes.  She was tangible.  I could touch her and was hugged by her often.  When i cried, she was with me.  She was my spirit guide, my guardian angel and my friend.  I saw her and felt her and heard her.

When my dad died, three years ago, I felt the loss as any child does when a parent passes.  However my father had had Alzheimer’s for several years so I had actually felt the loss begin long before he passed.   I did not feel his presence and I did not wonder if he was with me.  My childhood had been difficult, not because of him, at least not wholly, but related to him.  I will come back to my dad in a minute.

A couple of months ago, a dear friend of mine spent a few weeks on life support, then he passed away. It was sudden and devastating to many people. While he was on life support, he came to visit me.  I did not want to acknowledge what that meant, but in my heart, I knew he was not coming back as a man I could call or hang out with.  He told me he was happy, he was fine and not to worry.  He held me as I cried.  He came back several times after passing and always told me not to worry, not to cry, then he would hold me and dance with me, slowly and lovingly.  The last time he came, that I could tangibly feel him, he told me not to question things that were coming for me.  I was not to wonder where they came from, how they happened or why.  “Just accept them” he said to me.  No questions.  Five things.

In the past month, I feel like my dad and my friend have come together for me.  Four things have happened for me that I want to question but I dare not.  They are good things that have changed my life around.  I do not feel the need to ask one question…I know where they come from.  For the first time in three years, I feel my father’s presence.  I feel that he and my friend are collaborating to support me, love me and guide me.  I can now talk to my dad and feel like he is with me when I call or cry for him.  I feel his fatherly embrace.  He has found a peace that he never had in life and is choosing to share it with me.  He found a friendship with my friend as two men who both love me and want me to be joyful.  they had a lot in common in life but never met.  They are collaborating and are my guardian angels.  Wendy’s sister is a mom and now a grandmother.  Her family needs her and she is with them.  She no longer visits me but is still in my heart.

Why have I shared these stories with you?  What message am I trying to convey?  I want everyone reading this to know that, whether we feel them or not, we have guardian angels, spirit guides, an immortal presence.  If you do not believe in them, they are still with you.  They do not have the power to bring as much change in your life as those changes start in your heart.  They are present though.  Angels and spirits are one of the ways our loved ones come back to us.  I also believe in re incarnation.  My experience with angels has made me ask why some come to us in that form and some are reborn in other bodies but the same spirits.  I believe that my daughter has my grandmother’s spirit, back to spend the time with me we did not have enough of when she was alive.  Perhaps that is why some are reborn and some are not.  Some spirits still have important things to do which requires a mortal body.  I believe that I have had at least two previous lives.  I am also of the belief that those fears which we have which seem insurmountable and very powerful, are the result of events in those past lives.

I am not trying to convince anyone of anything.  I do ask, however, that you give the energy inside you a minute to meditate.  Feel the presence of the energy around you and allow yourself to hold it in your heart and mind.  Angels and spirits are yours to receive and love.

I am a Master Certified Life Coach.  I do not claim to have any ability to communicate with those who have passed beyond those directly connected to me.  I can help you find your joy and your spirits that are within you.  Contact me at andrea@unleashtheknow.com

Tomorrow Will Arrive……Eventually. Be Ready.

Don’t do today what you can put off until tomorrow….That is the procrastinator’s creed.   Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today …….the creed of Strong Type A personalities. What about you and I…the average man or woman who is a Sometimes Type A, sometimes child, sometimes teenager?

No matter what, you KNOW that tomorrow is going to arrive, eventually.   Some things can be put off, but not avoided altogether.  Some things cannot be avoided or put off, no matter how much we try to not acknowlege them.  The harder we try, the harder they will hit us.  Taxes, health problems and our children becoming teenagers are the top three things we like to avoid but just cannot.  Those of us who are self employed, need to put aside money for our taxes.  it is hard…so very hard.  It is there, it would pay bills and maybe cover a much needed holiday away too.  So how do you not spend it?  It is calling your name.  But save it we must.  Or pay a much higher  price later on.

Health problems can often be eliminated when you go to the doctor early, when symptoms appear and for your annual check up.  As for teenagers, well the harder we fight our children’s independence, the harder the struggle will be.  We raise our children so that they will become adults, but so many parents want to skip that middle step….the years between 12 and 25.  Why 25 and not 18? I raised three children and at no time did a magical leprechaun come to my house on their birthdays and transform them literally overnight.  Age 18 has been deemed by bureaucracies as adulthood, but if I am the only one who never was visited by that leprechaun, I feel pretty hurt.   So I will assume I am not alone.  The teenage brain does not really develop good reason until it reaches age 25, and it truly only begins there.  That is not to say that some teens and young adults are not mature.  Some are far more responsible and mature than some twice their age.  These are the exception.  Some people NEVER grow up, never take responsibilities and accountability as a part of life. Some women will laugh now and start listing men who have not grown up, in their opinion.   To be fair, why do we expect anyone….man or woman…..to grow up if they are not taught how or if it is expected too young.  Yet that is what we want them to do….skip  that step of the process and wake up magically touched  on their eighteenth birthday……….and eliminating the 12 to 18, skipping right to the maturity of 25 years of age.

Back to the topic….if you will excuse my having gone off on a tangent.  Being ready for the tomorrow that will inevitably arrive.

I have already mentioned that you need to stay on top of your health issues.  A minor cyst today, when dealt with immediately, will always have been just a minor cyst.    Ignored, it may be a pre cancer or malignant growth.

Taxes are also something you need to stay on top of.  More than any single topic, it is likely that this will give you more heart palpitations than anything else.  Get to know a good accountant.  And find yourself a trustworthy and reliable financial planner.  Someone who can show you legitimate and accessible  tax shelters. Someone who understands tax implications for you and your family should something happen to you and who is equipped with the knowledge to ensure your secure future.  At this time of year, many programs are advertised which tout themselves as being your tax solution, as if one glove will fit all.  Leveraging, RRSPs, TFSAs, etc etc are on signs everywhere.  Are they all right for you?  Is life insurance an alternative to RRSPs (Canada) /  401K (USA) or the other way around?  Only when you talk to a qualified financial planner will you really know. Take  advantage of this time of year to start building a relationship with your financial planner. If you already have one, but are not sure he or she is doing all they can for you, talk to another one.  A meeting should not cost you anything except some time and it is time well spent, a solid investment in your tomorrow.  Be ready for tomorrow….and  be grateful that it arrives.  The alternative is deadly….

Contact me at myfuture@unleashtheknow.com for your financial future

FINDING PEACE IN YOUR LIFE

FINDING PEACE IN YOUR LIFE
As summer 2014 is now in the past and holiday seasons are upon us, for Jews, Christians and Muslims, we often find ourselves evaluating our lives and our success…and failures. What did I do right? What did I do wrong? Who do I owe apologies to and how can I create a better life for myself? We assess all of the things that have gone wrong and some of the most outstanding things that went well.
They say confession is good for the soul. Making apologies is an integral part of most or all 7 step programs. So here are my confessions and my apologies. Mostly though, these are the lessons I want to pass on for those who still have the opportunity to fix the wrongs before it is too late.
Within the past three years, I have lost three people who meant a great deal to me. They were my parents and an aunt. None of them were young. In fact they were age 92,95 and 101 years of age. I loved them all and they all taught me important lessons about life. They each gave me experiences that I now cherish and wish I had taken greater joy in those experiences. I never actually thought my parents would die. Logically, of course, I knew they would. I didn’t consciously recognize it though…their mortality and inevitable passing. I do not live in the same city as they did, but I was not so far that I could not have visited more often. I was always busy with my grown children, grandchildren, work, school, friends, relaxing…something. Always something. I promised myself they didn’t realize how far it was between visits and that they would be there for the next visit. I had not always had the best relationship with my parents and I also used that to justify my actions…or lack of actions. The days came though that they were not there anymore. My father died in December of 2011 and my mother died in March of 2013. My tears have not ended yet. I think it is unlikely that they ever will.
Mummy and Daddy…I owed you so much. I owed you more respect than I gave you. I owed you compassion and appreciation every day of your lives. I owed you the love I know you felt for me. I owed you time. If I could talk to you one more time, face to face, I would say thank you and I love you. I would say I am sorry for not hugging you enough and for not making you a bigger priority in my life. I miss you far more than I could ever imagine I would. It took losing you to understand fully this lesson in life and loss.
The last time I saw my mom, I did hold her hand as she slept. I even cried as I did so. Her skin was so soft and so was her hair. But when she woke up, I said my good bye and I left, promising to be back in a few weeks. A few weeks was too late. I wonder if she knew….
I hope that someone reading this will think about their own parents. He or she will call their mom and dad and say “I love you. I just want you to know that”. If I can save one person the heartache I feel, it will help me find inner peace. At least I hope it does. We each only have one mom and one dad. They may not always be the people we want them to be. But then again, we are not always the children (of any age) that they want us to be. Yet, somehow, in those mixed up relationships and tumultuous moments, they are closer to us than anyone will ever be except out own children. If they did the best they could to raise you, given what they knew at the time, given all of the circumstances they had to deal with, given the era they raised you, then please call them. We do not always know or understand what they went through in their lives. Maybe they hid some things from you to protect you. Perhaps some things were too painful for them to talk about. But they did the best they could…. Now, go see them. Hold their hand as you say thank you. Do not be afraid of looking silly. Do not live with the illusion that they will always be there. Life is fragile and we are not immortal. Make that call or visit and please let me know…

ARE YOUR INVESTMENTS KEEPING UP WITH INFLATION?

ARE YOUR INVESTMENTS KEEPING UP WITH INFLATION?

 

I have been watching with fascination, the recent run of ads on Canadian radio and television for various banks.  They run the gamut from Canada’s chartered banks to banking co-ops.  What are the new ads talking about?  Something that is limited in time, special and amazing and something we should all be running to these institutions for…..HIGHER INTEREST RATES THAN WE HAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME!  Yes indeed….holy lucky us!!!  From 1.75 to an entire 2% interest rate!!!!   SERIOUSLY?????

Let’s begin with a few facts.  The average rate of inflation in Canada, is 3%.  It has been this for many years and is likely the minimum rate of inflation for the foreseeable future.  Any bank account or investment account where the interest rate is less than 3% is, in fact, negative interest.  Given common bank fees $5.00 – $30.00 MONTHLY), you are in fact, technically at least, better off keeping your money in your mattress.  When you deposit money into the bank or purchase common investments (also paying between .5 and 2.5 % interest), the bank borrows that money and re invests it to help THEIR bottom line…..at rates of 7 – 12% interest.  You get your 2% but they make an extra 10% on YOUR money and, on top of that, charge you service fees unless you keep a minimum of $5000.00 (on average) in your account.  Is it any wonder bank profits are in the multi billions quarterly?

I am not advocating using your mattress as your savings account.  It is an exaggeration (if only a small one). I am however, advocating ensuring that you ask questions and get informed.  A free financial checkup, where you can see all of the facts of your personal financial situation, is an investment of time which you will never regret.  Know and understand what your FIN# is (financial independence number), understand how what you are doing now is getting you towards that number and what you can do in the immediate future to get you there faster.   Many people I talk to these days, respond to the question “at what age do you plan to retire?” with a quick chuckle then say maybe age 70…or 80….or never will be able to.  Their investments, whether they be RRSPs or GICs or savings accounts, are simply being depleted by inflation, faster than they can grow.

So you only have $100.00 per month to invest.  You are paying $150.00 per month into mortgage insurance (by the way, do you know the facts about that “investment”?) and you do not have any way of coming up with more money than that to invest.  With so little money, 5% or more is just a dream as a rate of return on any investment or account.  It is just a dream…right?  If only you could save taxes, you could invest more…but Canada Revenue Agency doesn’t make that possible so $100 / month it is. UNLESS……….naw…..or maybe…….is it possible?

Contact me for your financial check up.  I will teach you about everything from mortgage insurance to life insurance how to grow your investments beyond the rate of inflation.  There is no cost for this service and you may be surprised at what you can learn.  I am available to do this whether you live in Ontario or Quebec or elsewhere including the USA.  Book your appointment soon.

myfuture@unleashtheknow.com

 

This is the second article in the series, WISH I KNEW THAT 30 YEARS AGO.  Part one was published on July 6^th.

STAYING POSITIVE

Times can be hard…..good careers and jobs becoming scarcer, single parenthood, divorce, cost of living rising and wages staying where they were five years ago.  With pressures increasing and relief systems harder and harder to access, how do you stay positive?

There is no pat answer for all.  Some principles can be applied in most situations but please remember that if you feel that depression is overwhelming and you have suicidal feelings at all, see your doctor, talk to a professional or confide in someone close to you at the very least.  Another important note for you to make to yourself, is that feeling down sometimes, is normal.  There is a tremendous difference between feeling down for a day or even two, and being clinically depressed.  I generally give myself a day to cry, be angry and feel down, when things are overwhelming me.  It is cathartic and gives me vision of what I really want, through the tears.

Wake up in the morning praying / thinking / knowing good things will happen.  Do not let one bad thing like stubbing your toe or spilling your coffee, set the pace for your day.  If you are late, perhaps it is so that you are not in accident or stuck in an elevator.  We do not know what we are saved from,  as we cannot know what has not happened.  You do not need to be religious to believe in SOMETHING…the universe, Law of Attraction, God or Karma.   Most of all, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!  Give yourself permission to dream, to be happy and to not let the opinions of others matter enough to break your happiness.

Even the worst times pass.  the moment is just that…the MOMENT.  I have been through some terrible times that I thought would never end.  I have questioned God, my own strength and my ability to survive what seemed to be everything going wrong at once.  I have asked why me?  I hate when people turn it around and ask why not me….I can list a thousand reasons why not me.   I do not have all of the answers but I can tell you these simple truths.

Tomorrow is another day.   Somebody, somewhere cares about you and would miss you if you were not there.  There are solutions to every problem.  They may take what seems like a long time and they may be scary, but they are there waiting for you.  There is something in this world that makes you smile so find it and keep it close.  It may be a piece of music, a picture, a pet or a distant memory.  Use your sadness, frustration, fear or anger to propel yourself forward.  Never let yourself stay in the moment.  Even though it does not fee like it at the time, you are not alone.  You are not the only person to have gone through the situation and chances are,   someone close to you in going through it at the same time you are.  Find resources, get creative and do not be shy.  We tend to want to keep our burdens to yourself but if no one knows, no one can help you.  most bad situations did not happen overnight and they will not disappear overnight.

A Life Coach can be your ear and help you find your motivation.  A program designed specifically for you, will teach you to find your joy, your energy and your future.  Write to me at andrea@unleashtheknow.com to start your get started now.  What is waiting for you on the other side of now?

What Can a Life Coach Do For Me??

Do you ever watch Dr. Phil and say to yourself “I could have figured that out”?  I think that most people do, at least most of the time.  What you cannot offer however, is the resources that he has at hand.  I am not always sure that what he offers is the best solution but it is at least a beginning.  The real problem is that, in order to get those resources from him, you need to go on his internationally seen show and put all of your business out there for the world to see.

Fighting between family members happens in every family.  It can lead to estrangement, divorce and deep resentment and regrets.  Causes can appear to be money, lack of communication, or disagreements between parents and children.

Why do I say that these causes can “appear to be”?  How many questions do you ask yourself before getting into a fight between you and your family member?  I am not referring to questions such as “how dare he” or “what is her problem” .  The solutions often lie in the questions that you should be asking.  It is so difficult to ask the right questions when in the heat of anger.  How do you know what the right questions are?

The role of a Life Coach is to help you find the right questions, how to ask them and when to ask them.  At times, it is also about who to ask the questions to.  Relationships always have their good times and their bad times.  Whether you can move past the bad times with the love that lies beneath the surface or not, may depend on these questions.  Estrangement between a parent and child, is the saddest of all.   No one wins in that situation.  There are certain specific skills which seem obvious but which are not often innate.  Your private family business should remain between you and the person who can guide you towards resolution.  A Life Coach will ensure privacy and confidentiality.  A Life Coach will show you how to find solutions.  A Life Coach will not hold your hand in a kumbya way but will show you how to move forward in a positive way.

If you have a relationship in your life that is going through rough times but which is too important to you to let go without trying, contact me at http://www.unleashtheknow.com  or write to me at  andrea@unleashtheknow.com  The solutions are within reach.  Invest in them now to save yourself the pain and cost of the alternatives.

Love of family and friends is the single most valuable thing we have in our lives.  I agree with Dr. Phil on one thing.  Awareness without action is worthless.  Act today….I look forward to hearing from you.

http://www.unleashtheknow.com     andrea@unleashtheknow.com

Self Awareness and Coaching

Self Awareness; The Value of Early Discovery

Self awareness is where our dreams come from, how we know what we feel, where our intuition resides and where opportunity lies. My clients must develop their sense of self awareness early on in the coaching process so that the direction and desire to succeed can be articulated and the path laid out to make the dreams reality.

Once self awareness is developed and the client has begun to “tune in” to him or herself, the realization that there are no limits, sets in.  We begin to recognize our strengths.  We can acknowledge all that we have already accomplished and therefore, all that can be accomplished.   Self awareness is the key that opens the door to the future.  Recognizing our strengths and our own power means that we can change the direction we are heading in and redirect our energy into positive outcomes and a greater quality of life.

Some within my client base suffer from chronic illnesses such as Fibromyalgia.  As I also live with it, I know and understand how it can turn one’s life upside down. I also know, after suffering with it for fifteen years, that self awareness has allowed me to reduce my medication by over 75%.   Self awareness teaches one to focus on specific parts of the heart and mind, redirecting the negative energy into positive energy, even pain can be reduced.   It has changed bad days and good days to good days and great days

Self awareness gives the individual the power to be in charge of their own life.  As stated by Steve Jones in the video “it puts them in the drivers seat”  A client who cannot or will not develop this, will have limited success in any coaching program.  An individual must be conscious of what their options are, what options they are acting on, the results of their actions and the lessons learned from those actions.  Too many people go through life in a fog in terms of conscious decision making, unclear and without learning about themselves.  This leads to repetition of mistakes, poor choices and remaining in the same “stuck” spot throughout their lives (if they are fortunate enough not to slip backwards).  Consciousness or self awareness wakes you up!!!  It makes you say “hold on….if I do this….this is likely to happen whereas if I do that….that is likely to happen.  I have always done things this way and it hasn’t been working well for me.  Now I know that doing it THAT way is more likely to have the results I am looking for”.

Self awareness does not mean letting others make decisions for you.  While there is value in the experiences and paths of loved ones and trusted friends, they are not living your life.  They generally do not have to live with the consequences of your actions and it is nearly impossible that anyone else knows every single thought or feeling you have.  They are often unaware or skeptical of your dreams and truest goals.  Accepting the value of the experience of others may be part of good decisions and moving forward, but without self awareness and consciousness, you end up living their lives and dreams.

Self awareness leads to being your authentic self and living your authentic life.    Your authentic self is who you are under all of the turmoil and stress and fears.  It is your strength and passion and joy. It is who you are under all of the stuff we accumulate from the day of our birth…until that moment….that realization….that we have one life and one self.  The freedom that comes with self awareness is the greatest gift a person can give themselves.  The earlier a client discovers it, the more success he or she will have and the further they will go in their dreams.  My role as a Life Coach is to show the client that who he or she is, that the dreams and goals that they hold deepest in their hearts, are possible and that knowing that and believing in that is the most difficult step in the process.  With self awareness, full consciousness of self, the limits of the client are sky high.  He or she will not give up when obstacles pop up, opinions of others will not break the spirit and the coaching program will become self directed and successful.

Leadership Principles part 2

Part of being a leader, is knowing both your strengths and your weaknesses.   We all have both, however at times we seem to get caught up with knowing what we know, without stretching our boundaries personally as well as professionally.

Acknowledge that self improvement is a never ending challenge and that education must be ongoing.

It is so easy to get comfortable with being who we are.  While being comfortable as a human being is vitally important, it is simply not enough as a contributing human being or as a leader.  Self improvement includes taking an honest look at yourself.  How patient are you?  How easily do you get angry?  How well do you listen to others without having pre-conceived notions of what you will say in response to what has not yet come out of their mouths?

Whether you have a high school diploma or a graduate degree, how far do you stretch your learning opportunities?  Do you make time to read novels or biographies?  What do you know about those whose path you want to follow?  Have you ever analysed all of the skill sets you may need for your career to grow, then followed through with taking a course?  Oprah Winfrey’s success did not come from her talk show.  Her professional and  financial success came from her business knowledge and her ability to open her mind to  understand the politics, the accounting and the marketing of being Oprah.

Whether you take a course, read a book or listen to an audio book as you lay in your bath at night, keep on learning.  Take a few extra minutes to listen fully, breathe in slowly as you sit in traffic and use that time to think positive thoughts and enjoy your own company instead of leaning on your car’s horn.  Every moment that passes without learning and improving, is  a moment lost.  Enjoy it.  Life is amazing when you grab as much of it as it allows.