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5 Keys to Heart-Centered Business Success

by Nicole's Blog

I’ve developed 5 keys to heart-centered business success. As a spiritually based entrepreneur, it goes without saying that being authentically you is the foundation of your success. You need to be YOU. You need to know your “why”, who you are here on earth to serve, and what your solution is for your ideal client. These tools below will support your heart-centered path.

1. Devotional Intention

The word devotion is defined as “love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.” These words create a feeling of passion, desire and heart-centered awareness. It says that whatever you are committing to you have deep feelings and emotions for which creates a strong desire to stay the course.

As an example, if you are trying to quit a bad habit being committed can be difficult. Yet, what if you focus on a devotional intention to love yourself instead of focusing on the bad habit you are trying to change?

What if you focus with enthusiasm on treating yourself with love and loyalty and with heart-centered awareness? This could shift your perspective and help you commit to change.

Set your next intentions and commitments for what you want to achieve with devotional energy.

2. Non-Judgmental Accountability

If you want people in your life to take ownership, then as a leader in your community you have to be seen taking ownership of yourself. When you make commitments you need to meet them. You must walk the talk and be responsible for your actions.

As an empowerment coach, the best way for me to have my clients accept accountability is to set them up to be successful and to support them in ownership of their own narratives. I need to help my clients see that their narratives have impact not only on them, but all those around them too.

You must practice with as much neutrality and non-judgment as possible to see other people’s perspectives so you can make mental and emotional shifts.

This requires the practice non-judgment so you don’t end up in guilt, shame or doubt when challenges arise. You need to see challenges as opportunities for devotional intention and commitment.

3. Embodied Learning

If you wish to create heart-centered and sustainable change in your life and work, you need to use all your senses. Yoga talks of our sensory mind, manas, as a very powerful part of our intellect.

To create real tangible and embodied change you need to engage with all of your senses to access your stuck emotions, old patterns, and blocks that prevent you from your confidence and power.

As a human, you learn through your ears, eyes, smell, taste, and movement. Somatic sensing helps to elicit buried emotions that are trapped in the body. By experiencing the sensations of a particular memory you can process the energy and emotions that have not yet been fully addressed.

By engaging with tools like guided meditations, breathwork, movement, journaling, mirror work and more, you can re-enact the experiences of the past, clear them, and create new narratives in their place.

This helps you to be more present in your body and your heart.

4. Discipline

Discipline is a consistent routine done with devotional intention.

I learned this from the Yoga Sutras. It is taught in these sacred texts that to gain results one must be consistent and practice with enthusiasm for a long period of time. To be consistent is to create a routine that feels in alignment with your body, mind and soul.

Discipline does not have to feel scary and be filled with resistance. Create routines in your life and business that feel good and then challenge them to be a bit outside your comfort zone. It doesn’t mean you will always want to do your practice, but you do not have to commit to things that aren’t bringing you fulfillment.

Find ways to make changes in your life and business that bring you joy.

5. Take Action with Smart Goals

As human beings we love to talk about our problems and what we are going to do about them in the future.

I find this fascinating as a coach. I often here the phrase, “yes I’m going to do that.” And I always say, “Great. When?” Then all the excuses about why it can’t happen now appear. Humans are great at procrastinating for all sorts of reasons.

Let me tell you. Absolutely nothing happens if you don’t take action steps.

This is why I love SMART goals. These are specific, measurable, achievable and timely goals that are created in the present. Take anything you wish to see happen in the future and start to reverse engineer it to the NOW. You will be able create and manifest what you desire by taking small, achievable actionable steps. No more excuses.

As mentioned earlier, the key to your success is your authenticity. As a soulpreneur, remember that supporting YOUR talent is paramount to your success. The more you support your gifts (treat them like the ‘star’ of the show), the more you will flourish. Practice self-love and self-care and watch your life magnetize what you desire.

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Money Excuses. Aren’t You Done Blaming Money?

by Nicole's Blog

I don’t like to blame money for my challenges.

I do not like to use money as an excuse to not get my needs met.

I especially am aware of my money excuse when I get an opportunity that launches me outside of my comfort zone.

How do you know if you are using money as an excuse to tap out of shining your light.

“I remember saying to my mentor, ‘If I had more money, I would have a better plan.’ He quickly responded, ‘I would suggest that if you had a better plan, you would have more money.’ You see, it’s not the amount that counts; it’s the plan that counts.” – Jim Rohn

You may recognize you are in a money story when your subconscious says things like:

“I’m not good enough to deserve that.”
“That scares the sh*t out of me.”
“No one will want my service.”
“I can’t do that, I don’t have enough skills or certifications.”
“Everyone else is better than I am. I am not good enough.”
“I’m in service to others, I don’t need money.”
“Money is bad.”

Money is an exchange of energy.

You place the charge and the narratives on it. Good or bad.

Your relationship with money is related to your shadow stories as much as anything else.

Money can be an excuse to not commit to your own healing.

Money is an excuse to not step into your power.

Your economic security does not lie in your job; it lies in your own power to produce – to think, to learn, to create, to adapt. That’s true financial independence. It’s not having wealth; it’s having the power to produce wealth. – Stephen Covey

Do you know that money will go up, down, left, right, and completely sideways? Like all energy it is mutable and ephemeral.

Money is a great exercise in learning to trust yourself and life. It’s an opportunity to surrender.

Money represents how much you value yourself, what you believe you deserve, and what your priorities are in life.

So the next time you go to say, “I don’t have the money.” be honest with yourself and your voice! Is that really true?

Might you rather say, “I don’t value this”, or “this is not important to me right now”, or “Actually I realize I don’t believe in myself.”

Don’t blame money.

BEING IN YOUR PERSONAL POWER + TRUTH BRINGS YOU PROSPERITY.

If you are ready to change your money mindset and bring about true inner wealth, feel free to ping me.

BEWARE, you need to be ready for immediate shifts in your prosperity! Book your Priestess Power Session now.

 

 

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3 Signs Your Slipping Into Fear

by Nicole's Blog

We all have fear. I’m not talking about fear of death. We have that in order to ensure our survival –  to do our good work here on this Earth.

I’m talking about our daily living.   I coach many women around this topic because it’s hard to recognize the signs that you are slipping into fear-based living. Fear is a slippery energy. 

Do you know if you lean in with trust and surrender, or do you lean in with fear? 

Here are 3 Signs you could be slipping into fear-based living:

1 – CONTROL

If you like to control your environment and your relationships you may want to look at why you are doing that. If you are operating from a place of fear, you may want to control your surroundings to feel safe or to project that others need to be. Being in control offers more predictability to your mind, and less variability and vulnerability. This could be perceived as strength and efficiency, yet is it really? This leads me to the second topic.

2- TRUST

I have found that when you don’t trust others, you slip into more control. You may not trust because of past fears of being hurt or let down, so its easier for you to control your environment.  I know for me, when someone breaks my trust, its hard to forgive and hard to imagine that person will ever be trustworthy. Yet it is my job to forgive and open the doorway to trust once again. In the meantime, that may look like being in more control and not allowing others to have another shot.

Trust also means trusting yourself and your own decisions as well. If in the past you made decisions that didn’t work out, you may internally judge yourself and not trust you can make a better decision next time or that the outcome could be different. This is living in a limited perception. This doesn’t allow you to fail, or grow, or find a new opportunity. It’s staying in the past fear.

3 – PRESENCE

If you are suffering you are not living in the present. Fear doesn’t live in the present moment.

Here is a great quote one of my clients forwarded to me that I love from Eckhart Tolle:

“All negativity is caused by the accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress and worry – all forms of fear – are cause by too much future and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.”

Now that you see some examples of how it may show up, can you lean into observing your desires to be in control or remain in the past?

A little bit of fear is healthy, don’t get me wrong.  This will help to not always repeat our past. We can use our fear to help us to create and uphold strong healthy boundaries and it also teaches us discernment.

The best way to move the dial into more trust and vulnerability is to continually ask yourself, “Am I acting from a place of love or from a place of fear?”.

P.S. If you need any support with conquering fears in your life, please feel free to reach out for support.  Here’s what Margaret had to say after she went through the “Unleash the Priestess Within” 12-week program to work on her fear/control.

My biggest takeaway in this program with you is that I can make choices out of strength versus operating in fear. I realized through this program and the healing work that I was unable to name and acknowledge what wasn’t working in a few areas of my life.  I was not linking my current inactions with the fear and old belief systems that stemmed from my childhood. For me the healing work,  journaling, mantras and guided visualizations like the womb healing and chord cutting helped me to release stuck emotions, shift my awareness and move me beyond these realizations to take actions based on courage and awareness. I describe this as actionable therapy. This has been a very healing journey for me that will continue to create more changes in my life. Thank you! ~Margaret

 

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

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Answer These 5 Questions to Enhance Your Sleep Without Medications

by Nicole's Blog

Insomnia can make you feel tempted to reach for prescription sleep medications. Those sleep aids can come with some dangerous side effects, though, and the health risks can be greater than the benefits for your sleep. So how can you find relief from insomnia without resorting to pills and sleep aids? You can start with these questions:

Do You Need a New Mattress?

If you’re struggling to fall asleep at night, your old bed may be to blame. While the debate rages on as to when to replace mattresses, most experts recommend investing in a new mattress if your current one is not providing proper support. Understanding support needs is critical when shopping for your new mattress as well, since certain mattress types are better suited for certain sleeping preferences and body types. For instance, back, stomach and combo sleepers may find that opting for a hybrid bed like the DreamCloud will provide the versatile support they need to improve their sleep hygiene. If your prefer to curl up on your side at night, then investing in a softer mattress like Saatva may provide enhanced alignment and support.

Is Your Bedroom Designed for Sleep?

This may seem like a silly question, since bedrooms are traditionally where we sleep at night, but how your bedroom is set up can determine how well you sleep through the night. For example, certain bedroom colors are more soothing than others. Soft shades of purple, green, and blue can help you drift off to dreamland faster, but you can also go with a bold black for better sleep. To maintain that sense of calm throughout your bedroom, stick with soft colors for decor and bedding as well, but feel free to add a pop of color with a random throw pillow. For even better sleep, you can also adjust the light and temperature in your bedroom at night.

Do You Watch TV Right Before Bed?

Falling asleep with the TV on is a common relaxation technique for many people. As it turns out, though, watching TV before bed is actually one of the worst ways to soothe yourself to sleep at night. While you may fall asleep with the TV on, you are less likely to stay asleep and your are less likely to experience the deep sleep needed to feel refreshed in the morning. Your best bet for improved sleep is to turn your TV off and keep it out of your bedroom. If you find yourself unable to sleep without a TV, you can also try dimming the screen and turning off autoplay.

Are You Getting Adequate Exercise?

When you just can’t seem to switch your body and brain off at night, you may need to reevaluate your exercise habits. You see, your body needs sleep to restore and replace energy, so the more energy you burn during the day, the more rest you need to feel recovered in the morning. To maximize this effect, try upping your workout routine to include at least 30 minutes of intense cardio a few times each week. You can always work out a little harder, if good sleep still feels elusive, but limit exercise to the morning hours to minimize negative impacts on your sleep.

Do You Eat Dinner Late at Night?

Having a little protein before bed can help you stay asleep longer, but heavy meals have the potential to ruin your sleep. In fact, many of your diet choices can have an impact on the quality of your sleep. Avoiding those heavy meals a few hours before bedtime can help, but you can also cut back on processed foods to prepare your body for sleep. Another sneaky culprit that could be affecting your sleep is caffeine. You know that drinking coffee before bedtime can make it harder to sleep, but there are some hidden caffeine sources to be aware of, too.

When you can’t sleep, you can’t fully function. With the tips above, hopefully you can restore your sleep hygiene without reaching for potentially dangerous sleep aids. If these tips don’t work and you are still struggling with insomnia, it may be time to consult your doctor.

Guest Blogger Gabriel Patel | Photo Credit: Rawpixel

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Honoring the Grief of Initiating into Motherhood

by Nicole's Blog

Dear Universe,

Today I’d like to send my full gratitude to You for the Initiation of Motherhood that’s awakened me to the deepest Love I’ve ever known. In accepting this invitation to become a Mother, I wish to acknowledge my grief so I can let go of my single Self.

In my culture, we override grief, yet I know in other cultures its honored and accepted as a transformational and evolutionary phase in personal growth.

I know it’s important for my own healing to do this today with transparency.  I feel as a culture we keep Motherhood’s challenges in the closet. I believe it leads to so much suppression, depression and anxiety. It’s not all rainbows and unicorns (and at the same time it is, LOL!).

Conscious parenting to me is a deep evolution of the soul. It’s been extremely challenging as I heal my lineage. It is so hard having a mirror to my inner work 24/7.  I know this was for my biggest evolutionary leap, at this most critical time in human history.

Thank you for this opportunity Great Spirit! I also say thank you to a great supporter of motherhood, Amirah, who’s offered this process as a tool for mothers to share.

Today, I grieve:

  • My independence and autonomy.
  • The freedom to go wherever I want to go whenever I want to.
  • Hopping on a plane in a moment’s notice.
  • Driving away, even when I was avoiding.
  • My non-committal nature that could ride the waves of impulse and spontaneity (and wish I did even more than I did when I could.)
  • All the late night experiences that wove me into interesting places, deep conversations and friendships.
  • That my son doesn’t have family and grandparents around to take care of him.
  • That I’m single without a committed sexual, loving relationship.
  • What I thought motherhood would be – complete bliss all the time. 😉
  • Not feeling guilty about things that I’m doing sometimes.
  • Not having to watch every word, thought and action (because no one was copying me).
  • Being accepted by society.
  • The sacred pauses in my days.
  • The space in my schedule after yoga class to grab a tea, converse with friends or go into a long meditation.
  • The long hikes.
  • The retreats that brought me into jungles, up on mountain tops, backpacking through anonymous cities and into ones that are so packed you can barely move.
  • The silence.
  • The life that helped me to be of service in a big way because I had the time to deeply connect, travel and not worry so much about anyone else but who was in front of me.
  • That it was just me.
  • Being open to the opportunities to dance with reckless abandon until the wee hours of the morning.
  • Connecting and feeling free to roam.
  • A clean, scratch-free, fingerprint-free house.
  • Spending money on shopping on a whim and knowing there was more for me.
  • The nurturing and love I was feeling for myself and how connected I was to my body.
  • My peace and calm.
  • The long showers, deep plunges, and beach walks along the ocean.
  • The quick errand.
  • Making my own decisions and choices for just me.
  • My body.
  • My energy.
  • My rock solid sleep.

As I acknowledge these things Universe, I am in a place today in my life with awareness that many of these old parts of me have given birth to equally amazing opportunities and other parts of me! Thank You!

I realize how extremely blessed and lucky I am to have these seemingly simple grievances in comparison to what others may grieve.

I see many of these as old stories are now healing or have been completely transformed and healed.

I experience too that many of these are still transitioning or are better left behind.

I feel that after 4 years (I believe that’s the true postpartum), I am coming back into myself.

I am re-committed to this Sovereign being that I love and prioritize.

I am humbly of service.

I am re-integrating into Wholeness + Deeper Love + Service.

Please friends and community, feel free to let me know what you are grieving and how I may be of support.

All love,

Nicole