Who Are You Becoming?

Create a New Normal

• Consciously create your one great life •

Weekly message about creating your new normal

This is a weekly message from Judy Panek, MS, CPCC

Certified Professional Co-Active Coach

October 30, 2009

Dear Creators,

Here is a big juicy question to chew on: Who are you becoming? When you think ahead – the next 5...10 years – how do you see yourself? There are some changes you probably expect to occur over this time span – and no doubt there will be some surprises. What is the picture you see of yourself in the future?

It is not always easy to connect where we are now to the future. The notion of creating your new normal is full of paradox. On one hand we say, “Visualize what you want to create.” And, on the other hand we say, “Be present in the now. Now is where you live.” How do we balance being present in the now and creating our future?

I suggest connecting what you want to create with your thoughts and actions here and now. Let what you want to experience in the future provide you with guidance. Recognize the essence of what you want that future to be. What do you want? Then point yourself in that direction starting today. Identify the thoughts, actions, beliefs that are aligned with who you are becoming. Do more of those things that take you in that direction and do less of those that detract, that take you off course. So simple... and yet....it takes awareness....to know what you want; to realize what is congruent with that; and then, to have the discipline to walk that path. Who are you becoming?

Curiously yours,

Judy

Want to talk about who you are becoming? A coach can help.

Choose, choose again, and again

Create a New Normal

• Consciously create your one great life •

Weekly message about creating your new normal

This is a weekly message from Judy Panek, MS, CPCC

Certified Professional Co-Active Coach

October 23, 2009

Dear Creators,

This morning I am thinking about choice – again. This is a recurring theme. What we choose, when, how we choose and being aware that we can choose is a big deal. It is really the gift of consciousness and what we seek in becoming aware. We can grow and develop our ability to recognize the options we face and to make the choice that is life affirming, aligned with who we are – who we are becoming – that will give us the kind of life we want (joyful, purposeful, connected, loving…).

Today, this week think about choosing the attitude you want to have around doing ordinary things – things you do every day. Challenge yourself to be aware of the choice you can make about experiencing the action, the event. Think of this as an exercise to deliberately monitor and stretch your capacity to be present in the moment and to choose the thought, the attitude so that you are really alive, consciously choosing. It could be on the hour, on the half hour when you ask yourself: what am I choosing in this moment, what do I want to choose – what thought – how do I want to experience this?

Notice what shifts when you take this challenge on. Notice the options available to you. Notice the power you have to create your experience.

Choose well,

Judy

Of course having a coach can help too – someone who wants to hear what your learn from this.

Not what I ordered

Create a New Normal

• Consciously create your one great life •

Weekly message about creating your new normal

This is a weekly message from Judy Panek, MS, CPCC

Certified Professional Co-Active Coach

October 16, 2009

Dear Creators,

At the moment I am in a dry, cozy space, but outside it is drizzly, chilly, a bit windy. I wanted this to be a sunny warm-ish fall day, but this is what I got. Now what? What is the perspective I want to hang onto today?

Asking this question reminds me to take the time to be present, to realize I can choose, and to give myself space to do the work of being conscious of different perspectives. It doesn’t help to just jump to a perspective that I think (only using my head) will be better. There is a call for allowing this to be a process, to come from a place of curiosity and openness around what will show up.

So…the first way to be with this contrast of what I wanted (sunny, warm day), and what it is (wet, cold) is to recognize the feelings of disappointment – then to try on other ways of being with this: appreciate the warm comfort of being inside; take on the challenge of dressing for the weather that is; adjust the activity for the day to more inside time; take note to not take for granted beautiful fall days; be open to surprises a drizzly day may bring…..

Get the idea? Allow yourself to recognize the circumstances you are facing this morning and choose how to be with those circumstances. This is also a great exercise for those times you are feeling stuck. The stuck feeling is a perspective. Give yourself time and space to consider other perspectives that may serve you better.

Staying curious,

Judy

Of course having a coach can help too – someone who can be there as you try on perspectives.

Busy and Mindful

Create a New Normal

• Consciously create your one great life •

Weekly message about creating your new normal

This is a weekly message from Judy Panek, MS, CPCC

Certified Professional Co-Active Coach

October 9, 2009

Dear Creators,

How are you doing? Busy? That seems to be such a common response. We are busy people. There is so much we want. There are so many bids for our attention. We work; we maintain a household; we have friends and family we want to spend time with; we want to take care ourselves by exercising, eating right; there are issues to be aware of in our community, in our state, in our country; we want to have some down time to rest; and we want some open time to be creative, to be free to do things just for the fun of it. Whew! It can become overwhelming.

Let’s just take a breath. Breathing is always good. Relax. I am not going to suggest you “do” anything else. I am proposing that you maintain mindfulness as you are doing all that you do.

In other messages you may remember reading about taking aligned action. Aligned action is “doing” that is connected to what you want to create. It may mean that you do something new or different. It can also mean that you approach and experience the usual things you do with greater awareness of the connection those actions have to your values, to what you want to create. Getting into the habit of practicing this conscious connection may help you discern:

What is important to me?

Is this what I want?

Is this how I want to live?

Am I doing this out of habit?

Is this serving me?

Where am I in harmony and where am I not?

Notice what shows up as you practice mindfulness.

Paying attention,

Judy

Smart and Confused

Create A New Normal

Consciously Create Your One Great Life

weekly messages about creating your new normal

~

Judy Panek, MS, CPCC

Certified Professional Co-Active Coach

October 2, 2009

Dear Creators,

No matter how smart we are there are times when we just don't know, times when we don't have a clear path, can't seem to see where we are going, times when we feel overwhelmed by confusion. Smartness has little to do with it. What do you ask for when you don't know what you want?

Ah...but there is a want in there. There is a desire for clarity even if you don't know exactly what form it will take - the how of what is next. There is a longing for inspiration, for guidance. Ask for that.

Ask and let go. Let go of worrying, fretting, going through the litany of regrets, fears, problem, problem, problem, all the reasons why things won't work. Repeating these thoughts, putting your energy here will bring you more of that....worry, problem, things not working.

Consciously, deliberately shift your thoughts. Ask for guidance then go about doing the next thing in front of you. Be present where you are. Allowing spaces to connect with your intuition, your inner guidance. Notice what comes up: ideas....answers....help....inspiration. Ask and then be willing to receive with openness. Often answers come in unexpected ways and we have to pay attention.

One step at a time,

Judy