This post was written for a blog series put together by Molly Mahar of Stratejoy.  The ABC’s of Fierce Love is a blog crawl + Treasure Hunt where 26 writers are blogging in an alphabetical sort of way about self-love.  I wonder what X is for …

It’s February, the month o’ love.

(Cue songbirds and Marvin Gaye).  In addition to the love you give and receive this month, I want to invite you to do something revolutionary.  Something you may find a bit, shall we say, more challenging.  I want you to direct some of the juiciest love you’ve got where it matters most : right back at yourself.

I know.  Despite all the work you’ve been doing, there’s a big hunk of resistance in the way of your own self-love.  And as much as you crave it and hunger for it, finding a way around the resistance is really hard. Your resistance is the thing that throws itself in front of the door to loving yourself just when you’ve got your hand on the doorknob.

What’s it made of, this persistent creature? It’s the deep doubt that we are Enough.

And how do we convince it to back away from the door? Believe it or not, it disappears when we realize we are the only thing keeping it there. When we clear a path through the years and years of heaped-on mis-truths we have layered upon ourselves, and get a good look at our shiny goodness. Which is, of course, supremely lovable.

The resistance to loving ourselves disappears when we know, really know, that we are enough.

The realization I am enough is precious and game-changing. It’s the beginning of truth telling, of settling into our skin. It’s the self-love that mirrors the way we love others, yet have kept from ourselves.

For me, I am enough is a long exhale. A full-body relax. The hint of a smile and a slight nod. A different way of living into the outlines of my life.

My enoughness story

My story is probably similar to yours. I spent many years striving and perfecting and rehearsing and anxiously peeking over my shoulder to see if I got the nod of approval. Looking for proof of my enoughness in the grades on my report card, the shape of my body, the words spoken by my parents. Then the diplomas, the stamps in my passport, the performance reviews.

(Sound familiar?  Thought so.)

I was constantly on the move to gather proof that I was enough. I figured I’d know it when I found my soulmate. Nope. When I fit into those great jeans. No again. Got the plum job. Definitely not. Okay, then, finally I’ll be enough when I’m living my childhood dream: husband, kids, house, career – the whole package.

Still, no. Even when I hustled and achieved and put the pieces in place, I still didn’t feel I was enough. Not down deep.

Then something happened while my children were very young. Enoughness came crashing down on me. I felt clueless about how to be a mama, and the books seemed all wrong. So I gave the babes the things I instinctively summoned to love them : my attention, my body, my adoration. I was not a perfect mother. No, far from it.

And it occurred to me that I was enough.

I realized that in the times of not knowing what to do, when I didn’t rehearse or strive or prepare, I was enough. And when I failed to find proof of this enoughness in the world around me, I found it by looking inside – where it was intact, eager, fresh, and alive.

I fell in love with this new knowledge.

Once the floodgates were opened, I found I could reclaim enoughness again and again. As a recovering perfectionist, enoughness is a balm for my old wounds. I discovered a new delight in messiness and imperfection. Amazingly, I found I am enough even when things go sideways. When I underestimate, or overcompensate. When I misstep, or say something awkward, or embarrass my kids. Or myself. Once I let myself off the hook, I could relax and appreciate the pieces of my life in a whole new way.

I wish I could say it’s a permanent change, but it’s not. Knowing enoughness is a practice for me, and I still have moments of profound disappointment, self-doubt and shame. The balance between doing things well and being enough is a delicate one, and I am always aware of it.

I know I am not alone in my struggle to know enoughness. What about you? Do you hear yourself in my story? What holds you back from knowing that you are enough?

PS – You are. Oh yes, you are.

Want more self-love goodness?  Follow The Blog Crawl of Self-Love hosted by Molly Mahar of Stratejoy. Molly believes in the transformational power of truly adoring ourselves and so do I. Find out more about loving yourself and The ABC’s of Self Love Blog Crawl + Treasure Hunt here.  

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“Oh THIS is what being a woman feels like.”

Painful.   Ecstastic.   Overflowing with LOVE.

She’s sassy, she’s kind, she’s sharp as a tack, and she’s connected with all the fabulous badass leading ladies of a certain online space.  She’s also a self-proclaimed Canadian geek who rocks code and loves herself a good bit of gaming.

Amanda Farough is the genius behind violetminded.com; she creates beautiful online spaces that do justice to the work of her clientele of world changers.  I always scroll down to the bottom of the page when I like the feel of a particular website, and I recently found that most of the sites I wanted to stay on were designed by Amanda and her team.  It’s not just the layout and the colors and the look, though she does an amaaaaazing job at that.  I think that Amanda’s genius is in her ability to love her clients’ work out into the open and onto the screen.  As she says, she creates beautiful design for beautiful people.

Lucky clients.

She’s also a wee young thing who has recently become a mama.  Amanda’s unfurling is so poignant — it’s around embracing her joys and responsibilities, coming of age, and recognizing what is truly meant by being a woman.  Read on, and cherish the deliciousness of this precious moment for her.

:: ———————————– ::

What’s unfurling in you right now?

I’m on the cusp of a great rEvolution, both internally and externally. For the first time in my life, I’m paying attention to my desires and needs in a very mindful way. I used to believe that thinking about myself would make me selfish and entirely self-centered. I’ve discovered that taking care of myself helps me to take care of my incredibly A-list clientele. And by taking care of them, I’m taking care of my family.

I’m not doing what other designers are doing. I’m not interested in one-dimensional, “Here’s your website, ma’am.” I’m taking it three (hundred) steps beyond that. Creating online spaces for my clients is a sacred, spiritually charged process. As I help my People step into who they were meant to be, my own unfurling (into a better designer, business owner, mother, and wife) can truly take shape.

As with anything in my life: family — biological, chosen, and professional. (I use the term professional rather loosely, of course!) As I close in on the latter half of my twenties, I know I’m going to be facing challenges that I simply couldn’t face alone.

“How can I serve my people in a more wonderful way?”

“How can I be the best _______ (mother, wife, sister, daughter, designer, friend) I can be?”

“How can I make a difference and leave my mark on the world in a positive, beautiful way?”

Moving forward, I also draw strength from knowledge and learning. I read. A lot. I read anything from flufftastic bits of genre fiction to architectural digests to academic papers on psychology and design. Keeps my mind sharp and slakes my incessant thirst for growth. (And, to a lesser extent, my high-strung ambitions.)

It’s hard. I get in my own way ALL THE TIME. I think that’s mainly because I’m impatient and simply don’t want to wait for things to happen in their own time. I like to think I’m peaceful and calm and genuinely around for the journey. In actuality, I’m more of a “get a move on, damn it” kind of person.

When I was pregnant with my son, I was constantly cooing at him to, you know, GET OUT ALREADY. I wanted to meet him so badly! (And get my body back. Pregnancy felt very odd to me.)

Because I err on the side of impatience, I have to force myself to take two steps back from my situation — to analyze, meditate, or just plain ENJOY. When I tell myself to slow down and remember how far I’ve come in twenty-five years, I can take more joy in the moment. In the now.

Lykke Li – Melodies & Desire (Reminding me to love.)

Little Jackie – 28 Butts (Kick my vices.)

Owl City – Fireflies (Embrace creativity.)

Pink – So What (I’m a rock star.)

Portishead – Glory Box (Growing into womanhood.)

Lady Gaga – Edge of Glory (Yes. Yes, I am.)

Stephanie Nilles – Ode to Tequila (“I am not what I do. I am only what I hear or see.”)

Anjulie – Colombia (Escape. Travel.) & Brand New Chick (I’m not that girl anymore.)

<I’m a music junkie. I could probably just keep going.>

Who are you becoming?

A woman. For so long, I was just a girl. I would often refer to myself like. “I’m just this girl, you know?” I still have problems identifying as a woman. I rarely say, “I’m a woman.” I say, “I’m a chick.” I’m starting to become more comfortable with my womanhood. It’s been a struggle and it wasn’t until I gave birth that I realized, “Oh THIS is what being a woman feels like.”

Painful. Ecstastic. Overflowing with LOVE.

I’ve been applying pieces of my journey to womanhood to my Great Work — helping my clients find their visually-charged voice with a lovingly ruthless vision and a gentle touch.

More about Amanda

In her own gorgeous words:

I help creative entrepreneurs find their visually-charged voice with a lovingly ruthless vision and a gentle touch. We write love letters to their People and bask in brilliance. Beautiful design for beautiful people.

A certified, card-carrying code monkey from the trenches of computer science, I bootstrapped my way into business ownership with fifty bucks on my credit card and a head full of dreams.

Since launching violetminded Design in 2009, I’ve helped over a hundred gorgeoustacular people take a step towards their Big Dream through Bold Design that truly captures the essence of who they are, what they do, and why they do it.

I ruthlessly (and lovingly) get to the root of “why” in order to get to the very visual “what”. The violetminded process is a combination of psychology, science, and good ol’ intuition. Each step is designed to delight and dazzle as we dance our way into the history books.

If you’ve got the sassy, I’ll bring the sizzle.

(dontcha want to call her TODAY for site redesign???  Get in line!)

Find her here.

Others in the Unfurling Series

Dyana Valentine

Andrea Olson

Julie Daley

Ronna Detrick

Jennifer Louden

Kate Courageous

Do you know what’s unfurling in you?  Sign up for my free eGuide Reclaiming Your Brilliance to be sure you don’t miss the early signs of your own unfurling.

 I’m not intimidated by your greatness.

 Are you?

Dyana Valentine has been referred to as an oracle, a seer and an urban priestess.  She identifies herself as an instigator.  Whatever you want to call her gift, it’s something you want if you’re in that vanilla zone and you’re desperate to get out.  She offers her clients “a firehose of clarity, pointed directly at your seemingly-unresolvable creative questions.”  And she won’t tolerate mediocrity.

Sign me up.

What I love most about Dyana is her intensity.  She brings it to each conversation, either on stage or one on one.  We get the sense that she’s a cosmic mouthpiece, transmitting important messages we all need to hear. Watch the video she made at 4am (in her bathrobe) to see what I mean.   And then watch the video below to get the scoop on the Woke Up Knowing experience, the fabulous new thing that’s unfurling for her right now.

Maybe she’ll wake up knowing in your town.

Unfurling with Dyana Valentine

More about Dyana

Dyana Valentine is a speaker, group wrangler and functional muse.  She is not for the faint of heart. She’s spent the past 12 years instigating entrepreneurs and teams to complete seemingly impossible projects – major brand overhauls, six-figure product launches, full-fledged manuscripts.  She also offers the Woke Up Knowing experience via telephone or, soon, LIVE!

Others in the Unfurling Series

Andrea Olson

Julie Daley

Ronna Detrick

Jennifer Louden

Kate Courageous

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We are told that being interested in many things means we are flighty or irresponsible — so we beat down our “likes” until they all but disappear and we wouldn’t recognize one if it tapped us on the shoulder.

Andrea Olson is a cultivator of dreams and passions.  And she has the courage and conviction to allow her passion to lead her where it will, in and out of careers and along the contours of her life.

What I love about Andrea is that she doesn’t believe she’s here to do one specific thing.  She doesn’t buy into the notion that there’s one calling available to her, one that comes with it a well-defined path for her to follow.  Instead, she is here to explore a multitude of things, as in exploring what it is to be a lawyer, a realtor, a consultant and an administrator.  Oh, and an adventurer, a parent, and an entrepreneur.  For starters.  As in writing and connecting and encouraging us to find inspiration in our everyday worlds.  As in exploring what resonates, and using it to craft a life of meaning and beauty. 

Andrea knows that her “true path” has many branches, trails, lanes, and corridors.  

The key to life-long fulfillment and success for her was not to choose one thing and stick with it; for to do so, meant ignoring her essential self – the self that loved exploring the possibilities, acting on new ideas, learning what she came to learn, doing what she came to do, and moving on to the next thing. The self that knew a well-lived life was more than a job or an important title.

:: ———————————– ::

What is unfurling in you right now?

Unfurling is such a lovely word. It speaks to the slow, tender emergence of something fresh, wonderful, and new. It is an apt word for the space I am in right now. But, if you ask me specifically what is unfurling, I can’t give you an answer.

When I think about where I am in the process, an origami figure springs to mind. Intricate folds have created a beautiful shape but it is a shape that no longer suits me. I am now “folding out” to see what my sheet of paper looks like – to discover the possibilities and potential new shapes it holds. As I flatten the paper, the lines clearly show me the places and paths I have followed. Each crease is dear to me because those creases have made me who I am. At the same time, I know that it is time to refold the paper and create a stunning new shape. What that shape is, I don’t know yet but that is the beauty of the journey. Perhaps the best I can say is that I myself am unfurling.

Who or what are your allies on this journey?

In any space of re-making, I think it is so important to have support. I get my support from the most amazing friends who encourage me, listen to me think (even if I’m saying the same thing a thousand times), and remind me of my strengths. I also believe in having access to a fabulous coach. Friends are great but having someone in my corner who sits outside my normal round adds tremendous depth and insight to the journey.

How do you stay out of our own way during this unfurling?

Getting out of my own way is one of my biggest obstacles! I tend to be fairly impatient. I always want to push things and to know the right answer, right now. That approach, as you might guess, is fairly unproductive. When I find myself getting to that place, I have to take a mental time out – either by walking along the beach, talking with a friend, writing in my journal, or even re-arranging the furniture! The older I’ve gotten the more I realize that what I need to know or do will show up in its own good time as long as I keep doing what I need to do to prepare for the possibilities.

If there were a soundtrack accompanying your unfurling, what would be on it?

The first thing that pops into my mind is ACDC’s It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Want to Rock and Roll). The particular refrain that stands out for me is, “I tell you folks, it’s harder than it looks.” Transformation or unfurling, although tender and beautiful, is not accomplished without a lot of focused energy. Sometimes we see people who have reinvented themselves or opened the door to a new chapter in their lives and we automatically think, “wow, how lucky are they?” when the reality is that getting there probably wasn’t easy or without effort. They made wrong turns. Had to start again. Discovered that where they ended up wasn’t where they wanted to go. It takes effort and courage to persevere. To unfurl.

Who are you becoming?

I am becoming more of myself. For many years, I tended to compartmentalize or disown the interesting parts of myself. I thought I was a bit wackadoo because I couldn’t decide on a particular career and was interested in a multitude of things (and wanted to try them all!). Owning that I am an interesting, complex person who will likely be on a journey of exploration – or becoming – for the rest of my life gives me permission to enjoy the ride. And, I really, really like that.

:: ———————————– ::

More about Andrea

Andrea Olson is the creator of amutltitudeofthings.com, a community of individuals dedicated to embracing their possibilities and crafting lives they love. Andrea recently launched Possible to Probable where she works with individuals and groups as a personal dream manager, drawing on her background in law and a multitude of things in between.

Others in the Unfurling Series

Julie Daley

Ronna Detrick

Jennifer Louden

Kate Courageous

Want fresh blog posts delivered straight to your inbox?  Sign up here.

Do you know what’s unfurling in you?  Sign up for my free eGuide Reclaiming Your Brilliance to be sure you don’t miss the early signs of your own unfurling.

Your playing big isn’t defined on the world’s terms. It isn’t necessarily owning an empire or making millions.   You know what playing big means for you. It is your voice, your vision, your unique contribution flowing forth, no longer shrunken down, stopped up inside you, or compromised.

The brilliant Tara Sophia Mohr

I found Tara Mohr online.  Of course.  And I immediately resonated with who she is and what she’s doing.  I followed her closely for a year or so, loving her voice, her message, the way she comes across as professor and feminist activist and spiritual guide and cherished friend.  Never preachy, never abstract.  Always spot-on in her analysis and willing to share her own vulnerability and humanity in service to advancing our collective understanding of ourselves as women. 

Brilliant women.  Women whose time has come to share our brilliance with the world.

Tara’s writing feels like a handwritten letter to me.

I’m still marveling at my audacity a few years ago, in reaching out to her to ask her for some feedback on what was up for me.  The connection was solid, the resonance clear, and our friendship blossomed from that first conversation.  From there we have become colleagues and friends who collaborate on projects and share ideas in real life as well as online.   Now Tara’s who I call for coaching and insight, and she does the same.

Playing Big as a gamechanger

And Playing Big.  Well.  Playing Big changed the way I see myself as a woman.  Since I took the course I have shifted the way I run my business and the way I show up in my marriage.  Playing Big gave me what I needed to reclaim forgiven power and to lean into my vulnerability, coming to know that it’s not a barrier but instead is a doorway.  It’s not an exaggeration to say that in incorporating the teachings of Playing Big, I have changed my life.

This program is Tara’s labor of love, her creative-baby. It’s a six month online course in which she shares the tools that have most helped her on her own journey to Playing Bigger, and that have most helped the women she works with.

The program is a blend of inner work and outer work - internal transformation and practical training. You’ll get the best of both sides of Tara – the practical Stanford MBA side, and the coach/personal growth teacher/poet too.

And this year I’m on board with Playing Big in a new way: I’m available as an add-on component of private coaching to the participants who want one on one help integrating the course material more deeply with their lives.  This year the participants will have the option of taking the curriculum a bit further and having the support and accountability of a coach.

Playing Big is an incredible offering.  Check out the interview here, check out the free information call on Thursday, and sign up if you’re ready to play bigger,

More info on Playing Big.

Sign up for the free info call on Thursday, January 19.

Say yes. 

Serendipity is not subtle.

You’ve heard that “…what you teach you most need to learn“, right?  Well, I’m leading a course right now and it just so happens that the same topic I taught in my morning session was served up to me later that day on a call with my fellow participants in Tara Gentile’s group coaching program.  The very same day.

Yeah.  Kindof a strong coincidence.  Kindof a cosmic pow.

I decided to really receive the message being delivered to me.  As in, find another layer here.  Dive a little deeper.  Understand this concept at a cellular level.  And perhaps (gasp!) to do something about it.

Getting to Why

In both cases, we were talking about the Why or the Core Truths that lie at the heart of our endeavors, be they businesses or creative pursuits.  It’s more than the angle that makes my coaching practice different from Sarah’s, or Marian’s artwork stand apart from Lee’s.  And it’s much much more than a marketing tactic you employ to boost sales.

The Why behind the idea is what determines its success – and potentially its ability to change the world.  Your Why is the distillation of your personal manifesto; it’s what you believe.  And it makes for an unbeatable compass, totally reliable even during a major sh*tstorm or other catastrophic inner event.

MLK embodied his Why

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, let’s take a look at his incredible achievement.  He championed a movement that radically shifted the landscape in our country at a pivotal time in our history.  He, quite literally, changed the world.

And it’s not because he had a brilliant mind and a generous heart.  Nor is it because he was a magnificent orator.

The civil rights movement has had the impact it has because of the way Dr King led it.  He was guided by vision.  It’s hard to separate his Why from who he was.  He was crystal clear about what he wanted for this country.  He articulated his Why in his speeches again and again.  And all those people went to the Capitol in August 1963 because they resonated with his Why. 

Dr. King didn’t have to do any convincing; he merely spoke his Truth, his Why, and the nation found itself nodding in agreement.  They understood it, they felt the conviction, they wanted the same.  But not for him; those people wanted what Dr King wanted — for themselves.

They wanted it for themselves.  Because they could literally feel it in their hearts too when they listened to his words.  They experienced what he experienced, thanks to his magnificent speeches.

So in service to deeper diving I’m rewriting the Core Truths that serve as the foundation for what I do, and I’m putting them out there to share.  Deep breath.  Hand on beating heart.

Here goes.

My I Have a Dream list:

• It’s our birthright to be fully self-expressed.  We all want to know and to speak our Truth.
• The world needs more women to unfurl their magnificence.  This will radically change the status quo.  It’s time.
  
• Being heard and seen is a precious gift.
• Bearing witness is a precious opportunity.
• I am capable of much, more more than I’m demonstrating right now.  You are too.
• Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness.
• Self-love can heal all wounds and seed all possibility.  Without it we stay damaged and boxed in.
• We are braver than our fears and more powerful than our limiting beliefs.
• We want the full-body experience of answering our own particular call.

Yes, this is what I believe.  And this is what lies beneath and behind everything I do as a coach, a writer, a speaker and a collaborator.   

It’s a relief to put these thoughts down and get them out into the world.  And it clears the way for me to do my work here in the way I’m being called to.

What’s your Why?  What motivates you to put pen to paper, or to create the next product, or to seek a new career?  What are your Core Truths, and how do they show up in what you do/how you live/where you resonate?

Share your Why in the comments.  Put it out there and see how it feels to read it in print.  Own it, so you can experience firsthand the power it provides you.

And if you want to harness the power of your Why to bring your business or creative pursuit to the next level, get on the list for my next round of Burst Into Bloom group coaching in April 2012.  It’s where you’ll gain traction on getting your idea off the back burner and out into the world.  Where it’s wanted and needed.

 Want to be sure you’re getting all my new blog posts?  Sign up here to have ‘em delivered fresh, right to your inbox:

We each have a blessing to give, and as women, a deeply instinctive, creative force that emits power beyond measure.

Julie Daley is unabashedly female.  In the writing she shares online she weaves words in beautifully heartfelt sonnets of aching and longing and becoming.  Danielle LaPorte has described her as “dark rich moist soil, like the kind seeds crave”.  She adorns her website with gorgeously feminine flowers and quotes us the sages and saints.  While a teacher and accomplished coach, she walks the path with us as a fellow seeker.  In conversation she’s like a best friend, totally at ease and able to hear words both spoken and not.

She’s the sacred feminine incarnate.  And her gift is to encourage the rest of us to see it in ourselves.

Lucky, lucky us.

As you’ll hear in this interview, Julie is unfurling in a way that asks her to be vulnerable and exposed; these days she finds herself surrendering to the Divine in deeper and more profound ways.  She describes herself as “vibrantly alive, and waiting” and knows that what is absolutely required in this brave act is a deeper trust in who and what she is.

I hope you’ll make yourself tea and find some quiet space in your day to drink in Julie’s wisdom and elegance.

Enjoy.

Unfurling with Julie Daley

More about Julie

Julie Daley, PCC, CPCC is a business and creativity coach, a writer and a teacher.  Since 2003 she has led hundreds of people from all walks of life to take an inward journey of the creative heart–the source within each of us that guides us to answers, healing, and personal evolution.  Visit her website.

Others in the Unfurling Series

Kate Courageous

Ronna Detrick

Jen Louden

_______________________

Don’t miss out!

There are just a few spots left in Burst Into Bloom group coaching circles beginning next week.  Is one of them yours?  Join us if your Big Idea is burning a hole in your heart and you’re ready to bring it out into the world at last.  You’ll find synergy, support, inspiration, accountability and the motivation to focus on taking aligned action.  Six weeks, eight women, one powerful program. 

Join us!

photo by kaykayblaisdell via Pinterest

Endings and Beginnings

I love the newsletters and blog posts my colleagues and tribeleaders put out this time of year: so many reflections and suggestions on ending one year and beginning another. So many creative and thoughtful ways to process where we’ve been and where we’re headed. And loads of ideas about how to let go of what doesn’t serve us as we consciously create what we want to experience in the year ahead.

For me, the reflection and planning process changes from year to year. Some years I follow someone else’s ideas to the letter. Others I take bits and pieces from several thinker-leaders, doing the parts that make me most uncomfortable (yup) as well as the yummy/juicy exercises that have my fingers itching for my pen even as I read the writing prompts. 

My process definitely involves writing. This stuff I want to record and come back to later in the year, when I’m losing steam or focus. I love the creation of a document that guides me and that marks in ink where I started and what most called out to me in January. In years past I have gifted myself new Moleskines solely for this exercise; this year I’m using an old journal that somehow survived two house moves and is mysteriously blank.

I always turn off the computer to do my year-end processing. There’s something about a crisp new page in my journal and a favorite pen that makes this writing extra special. And the sacred act of writing from my heart seems to demand sprawling in bed or bundled up on my back porch. It doesn’t want to be tapped out on a keyboard.

Because I tend to be so cerebral, it’s important for me to have an additional element: I involve my non-thinking side. I invite creativity to the process, either through artwork (might even be doodling a page in my journal) or movement. Or both.  Music helps me dance with my thoughts as they arise, and sit with as-yet-unformed inklings. I also extend the questions out beyond the time I’m actually sitting down with them; it’s amazing what turns up spontaneously in dance class or while I’m walking the dog.

And this process is spiritual too. I bring questions into my meditation practice, allowing them to swirl around me. I tune in more deeply to what is calling me forth right now. I invite myself to surrender again and again. All this informs what I’m leaving behind and taking ahead into the next year.

Drawing Inspiration from Others

So now you know a little about how I celebrate the passing of the year. I thought it might be helpful to share with you some of the folks I follow, and some of the tools they offer to help others with their own processes.

Susan Piver is a meditation teacher and writer who, along with Patti Digh and 5 other amazing teachers, has created The Week of Inward Looking, a series of questions to guide the process of reflecting on 2011 and creating 2012.  They are on Day 2 today, but you’ll find the whole shebang on this Facebook page.

Many teachers encourage us to choose a word or a theme for the year; this is a super powerful way to retain focus and to come back to what’s calling you most profoundly.  If you haven’t tried it before, consider doing so this year.  Here are some thoughts and guidelines from Liz Lamoreux at RootsofShe.com and Sandra Pawula of alwayswellwithin.com.

For those who love spreadsheets and holding themselves accountable, Chris Guillebeau has a thorough year-end review that starts off asking the big questions, then drills down on the details.

Tara Mohr is suggesting an alternative to the one-word approach this year: she suggests identifying your Core Nutrients and seeing how well you’re doing on fulfilling them.  Cool!

And here are some downloadable Guides to see you through the process.  Get ready for thoughtful questions, creative exercises and action plans:

Molly Mahar, creator of Stratejoy.com just put this out, and it looks amazing: Create Your Magical Year.

Andrea Scher of Mondobeyondo.com offered this quick and easy worksheet.

Goddess Leonie, a delightful Aussie who creates amazing and whimsical products, regularly offers this beloved planner and guide.

Go forth: reflect, acknowledge, release, and invite.  And enjoy the process!

What’s inspiring you this year?

If you have a process for unfurling into the new year, I’d love for you to share it below. 

Happy New Year,

Amy

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Only FOUR DAYS LEFT to get in on Burst Into Bloom group coaching at the Early Bird rate.  If you’ve got a Big Idea that’s been burning a hole in your heart, make 2012 the year you bring it to life.  The program is six weeks of powerful group coaching and synergy that will take you from idea to inspired action.  Join us!  

I love many things about Jennifer Louden, but what I love most is her willingness to be utterly transparent.

In interviews, on stage and in writing she’s upfront and honest, sharing her insight and occasionally her conclusions while also exposing her experience of “living the questions”.  Her quest is of the epic type: to be more awake, to lean into pain so as to find what’s beyond it, to undertake a sheroe’s journey.  She doesn’t pretend to have answers when she doesn’t.  Instead, she quotes the sages, she weaves wonderful stories and she cracks jokes at her own expense.  She’s a profoundly humble teacher.

And as you probably already know, Jen is uber wise, whip smart and deeply rooted in spirituality.  She’s a best-selling author, a sought-after speaker and facilitator, and a successful businesswoman.  (Yes, she’s been on Oprah.)   She recently closed down The Comfort Cafe, a website and online gathering place for women that encouraged self-care and kindness, so that she could immerse herself fully in a year- long experiment called Savor And Serve The World; an open-ended exploration into the intersection of heart’s desire and making a difference.  We might say that this was to prepare the way for her next unfurling.

Jen’s unfurling is about learning to put making art before making money.   She’s recently aware that the business part of her takes precedence over her heart’s desire, and she’s figuring out how to change that.  She wants to listen to her heart, to give it air and some room and some time to grow.  And it scares her.

I find this so beautiful, and so brave.

Kick back and have a listen to our chat.  Notice how comfortable Jen is with her journey.  And don’t miss my favorite line:

I’m metabolizing all that has happened, and I’m using it to evolve.

Unfurling: The Series

with Jennifer Louden

(photo via tinywhitedaisies.com)

“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.”
― Mary Oliver, Wild Geese