Values by definition:

  • The regard something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.
  • A person’s principles or standards of behaviour; one’s judgment of what is important in life.

The things we hold as “valuable” in our lives are the things that mean the most to us. D’uh! As humans, our Core Values are the Guiding Light or the North Star by which we navigate through the twists and turns of life. What we value becomes the way we make decisions, in all areas of our lives.

But, if we aren’t clear on what we value most in life, we aren’t connected to what is important to us, and we aren’t aligned to what feels like the truth for us as individuals. This can cause issues such as confusion as to what we actually want for ourselves, an inability to make decisions for ourselves, the habit of making hasty decisions without thought or intention, or to look outside of ourselves for the answers of what to do. Life happens, and somewhere along the way, our Guiding Light dims, the North Star is nowhere to be found, and we feel lost and disconnected. In other words, we feel STUCK.

One of the first things I do with my 1:1 Coaching Clients is to help them to get crystal clear on their core values. When what we value most in life is clear, from there we can begin to create the vision of what we would like our life to look and feel like, every single day.

The power of change comes from the clarity of what we value most, followed then by the courage to act towards your vision of the life you dream of + deserve. From courage comes the commitment to yourself to keep acting, in small consistent steps forward. The 4 C’s of change require heaps of vulnerability and allowing yourself to get real, raw and honest about what you want in your life. And this begins with aligning with your values.

Freedom Finder

My core value is FREEDOM. In order for me to find MY freedom, I first needed to establish that freedom is, in fact, what I value most in life. From there I had to get clear on what it looked like in all areas of my life. What freedom means to me in my Health, Wealth, Career, Relationships, Spirituality, Creativity and Leisure time will be so different from what it might mean for you.

We’re talking about OUR OWN lives here, not someone else’s. Finding out what you value the most and then defining what that looks and feels like for YOU in all areas, is the foundation of creating the vision of a life fulfilled.

In this space, you can then begin to make all of your decisions based on your values, which makes it so much easier. If you ask yourself the question, “does this feel like (Your Values)”, when faced with a decision in any area of your life, you will immediately know the answer. Your intuition will tell you if it’s a “Hell Yes!” or a “No”. But without the clarity of what you value and what that looks like for YOU, the answers aren’t as easy to come by, so you need to start looking outside of yourself for them. Nobody knows what is best for you better than YOU!

My wish is to empower you to get clear on your values and align with the vision of the life you dream of, and then to move confidently in the direction of your dreams. To make this super easy for you, I’ve created a cool tool for you to easily discover what your core values are, and then to begin creating the vision of the life you want. Click here for your free Values Assessment Worksheet and stop dreaming of the life you want and start living it!

love + freedom,

Shari xo

The calendar has just turned over into October, and as much as I truly consider myself a ‘Summer Girl’, October has a place in my soul that can’t be denied. I was born in October and am a true-to-the-core Libra, so something in my DNA forces me to feel at home in October. I’m not going to bore you lamenting all things pumpkin spice, cozy sweaters, boots, crisp fall air, and falling leaves, but, I HAVE to shine some light on my favourite parts of October.

From homemade soups and stews with fresh bread, turkey dinner with the family (all the noms!) and a birthday cake shared by me and my mother in law (our birthdays are two days apart) October reminds me of ‘home’. And, if I close my eyes and quiet myself, I can still smell all the familiar scents that connect me to October in Northern Ontario. It feels like a warm, fuzzy blanket by a crackling fire (maybe drinking a pumpkin spice something-or-other).

Birthday Traditions

Every year since I turned 20, my dad would send me a birthday card with a cheque for exactly $10 for every year I was alive, and I absolutely adored this Birthday Tradition. I decided a few years ago to create my own Birthday Tradition to share with the world, which usually includes a special list of things exactly the number of years I have been blessed to be here on planet earth. So, here is some fun and insight into who I am.

These Are a Few of My Favourite Things:

1-    Coffee in bed with my loves. (watching Caribbean Life + dreaming)

2-    Kitties (beyond obsessed)

3-    Real books with real pages (Amazon is my boyfriend)

4-    Turkey dinners with all the fixings (stufffffffinnnnngggggg)

5-    Beaches (sand or pebble, I’m in love)

6-    The ocean (she heals me)

7-    Fresh from the salon hair (srsly, tho)

8-    Brand new white kicks

9-    An all-black outfit (pretty much my life’s uniform since High School)

10-    Red lipstick (Mac Ruby Woo for the win)

11-    Poppies (le sigh)

12-    Lemon curd anything (extra points for French meringue)

13-    French Onion Soup (best hangover cure EVER!)

14-    Cold pizza for breakfast (or just pizza)

15-    Plants, plants, everywhere!

16-    Road trips with my man (the longer the better)

17-    Crackling fire (inside or out, you had me at fire)

18-    My mom’s pierogis (she was a master)

19-    Pickled anything (my Ukranian roots)

20-    Sheets dried on a clothesline (fresh)

21-    Freshly cleaned floors

22-    The smell of a new country as I step off the plane (magical)

23-    The Roaring 20’s (in a past life I was a flapper)

24-    A really dirty gin martini (three olives, please!)

25-    The end piece of a fresh baguette (I’ll fight you for it!)

26-    The colour turquoise (all shades will do)

27-    The smell of sandalwood

28-    Rock n roll (Led Zep + Queen are tops)

29-    Storytelling with friends + family (my heart explodes for these moments)

30-    Laughing till I can’t breathe (even if I pee a little)

31-    Television (sorry-not-sorry)

32-    My Chanel handbag (that I bought myself, thank-you-very-much)

33-    My free spirit and unwillingness to accept “good enough”.

34-    My sensitive soul (thanks Mom)

35-    The way my cats’ paws smell (sweaty + sweet)

36-    Triangles and arrows (obsessed with Viking Culture)

37-    Planning my next tattoo (can’t stop, won’t stop)

38-    A drive amongst farmland (I secretly love the smell of manure!)

39-    The crackling of an LP (records for life!)

40-    A good make-out session (dreamy)

41-    Daydreaming (I have a Ph.D. in it)

42-    Watching people begin to rise from the ashes to thrive (it’s never too late)

43-    Juicy conversation (even heated, always better than small talk)

44-    Being a student again and again (unapologetically nerdy)

45-    Having my hands-on people’s faces (like a moth to a flame)

46-    Seeing how long I can go without washing my hair + still looking human (borderline obsessed)

47-    The courage to share myself with the world. (like me or leave me, I’m here!)

I invite you all to find a Birthday Tradition of your own as a way to celebrate the unique gifts that make you the best version of you. Share them with the world in a way that feels like freedom and see what magic you discover. Happy Birthday October!

Love + freedom,

Shari xo

As my social media feed is bombarded with back-to-school photos of every kid on the planet, I can’t help but think that there is a “welcome back” in there for all of us.

September is New Year’s Eve’s little sister (and is secretly-not-so-secretly my favourite month) and no matter what age or chapter of life you are in, there’s the feeling of a fresh start, a shift, a “welcome back”.

Wait, for me too?

Yes, YOU! For those of you who don’t have kids but took some much-needed time this summer to chill, to have fun and to re-connect to all the good things that bring you joy, you are now ready to get back to some routine. For my fellow entrepreneurs who chose businesses that allowed you to slow things down when the weather is warmer, you are now gearing up to hit the ground running for a strong final quarter. And for those of us who needed the space and time this summer to work on ourselves, to heal, to realign and to find freedom where we felt stuck – welcome back.

Shift Into Glide

It’s not always easy to shift from that feeling of FREEDOM in the summer months to gliding back into your regular work groove, however, what I know to be true is that routines and rituals help. As a freedom finder and Life Coach, many of my clients struggle with anxiety and stickiness during this transition, so here’s a simple list of things that have helped them (and me) to Shift into Glide:

  1. Re-visit your goals and map out what you want to accomplish for yourself in the next four months. Write them down. Find out what support do you need to help you get there. Invest in it.
  2. Take some time to look at your weekly and monthly calendars. Set up work routines and tasks that are consistent and aligned with your goals. Block them in and begin to follow through like a boss. If the follow-through isn’t your jam, get an accountability partner/coach.
  3. Get back to into a regular sleep schedule that will consistently have you getting your eight hours a night, and have you feeling in control of your days. Pick a time that works for your life and stick to it.
  4. Get back to create morning and evening rituals that bookend your days with intention. Link them to how you want to feel, how you want to show up and how you want your days/weeks/months to look. For example, set daily intentions, give gratitude, create mantras, meditate, read, listen to podcasts, journal – find your own rituals and make them a habit by practicing them.
  5. Block-in time for consistent movement, mindfulness and self-care and COMMIT to it. Put these things into your calendar as non-negotiable. Taking care of yourself is a habit that is built by process, not event. It takes time. Don’t think you’ll follow through? Pair up with a friend and commit to each other.

Easing yourself back into simple, fun and meaningful routines and rituals can help you to shift into glide. It will help you cruise right into this new chapter, this new season, this new opportunity to show up and live your best life. If you’ve been feeling lost, disconnected and stuck with this transition, you’re not alone.

Meet yourself exactly where you are, with love, compassion, and patience, and take one step forward. Begin to create your own routines and rituals that get you out of bed, fire you up and inspire you to take steps forward in the direction of your dreams. I’m here if you need a loving and supportive stretch. WELCOME BACK.

Love and Freedom always,

Shari xo

 

 

finish the year strong heal with shari aurora

Hmmm kaaaayyyy, we’ve all heard this statement a few hundred times + it seems that everywhere we turn someone is telling us how ‘finishing the year strong’ is key for setting ourselves up for success in the new year. Whether you’re an entrepreneur hustling for a killer Q4; or someone who has put health as a priority + isn’t willing to let the Holiday Season Food Frenzy kill your groove, finishing the year strong is a way of finding completeness with the year. It’s about closure, the ultimate in Follow-Through, and about giving yourself something to REALLY celebrate on New Year’s Eve. I am not here to argue this perspective, but I am here to offer some perspective, because, well… LIFE.

As a relatively new solo-preneur, I have put much blood, sweat + tears into setting goals; employing strategies, re-visiting what worked + what didn’t + working hard at doing what I have to in order to ‘finish strong’ from quarter to quarter, month to month, week to week + day to day. I take workshops + courses, listen to podcasts, read books, engage in challenges, hire coaches + participate in support groups to keep my biz flowing in the direction of growth + to keep me in the game of finishing strong in all that I do.

I was on track to finish strong. I had the plans + the inspired motivation to execute a strong finish in 2018. I saw this as an awesome segue to a strong 2019. And then Life lifed.

When Life Throws You A Curve

My mom died + in the weeks I spent by her side during her graceful transition to her Spirit + Soul Life, I lost track of my goals + my plans + what I needed to do to achieve a strong finish to the year. My goal was to help my dying mother feel loved + feel safe + feel ready to let go. My goal was also to step up my mindful presence when it was most needed. To give myself permission to fully just Be where I wanted + needed to. I would never have the luxury of a do-over of this experience.

I detached from all things biz in the most responsible ways I could. I didn’t abandon my business, but my attention + energies did go in a different direction. One that I CHOSE for myself. I stepped away from my plan to finish strong in the final quarter of the business year + instead chose to SHOW UP strong for my mom in her final days of LIFE. And it taught me that we can plan + plan + plan our lives, but LIFE is gonna life + that is where the lessons lie.

A New Kind of Finishing Strong

You see, Beautiful Dreamers, in the re-jigging of my focus, my plans to finish the year strong took on a new look + my focus shifted in the most beautiful + self-honouring way.

  • instead of trying to be more visible in my biz, I gave myself permission to get quiet + to look inward to see what I truly needed to heal.
  • instead of filling my days with tasks, I gave myself space to lean into the grief + not try to bypass the healing process.
  • instead of telling those who asked how I was doing that I was ‘fine,’ I told them the truth. Sometimes it was, “I’m okay,” sometimes it was, “I’m really sad” + other times it was, “I’m pissed off at the world.” But I chose to NEVER say I was fine when I wasn’t, just for others’ sake.
  • instead of being the one to be there to support everyone + help them to rise, I allowed myself to lean on others, to ask for support + to practice the art of receiving, which is never an easy task for me, but I did it.
  • instead of ‘muscling through’ in true superhero fashion, I let myself feel ALL the feels associated with such a great loss. I did some deep inner work to release myself of the pain + guilt + old stories from my past. It got ugly but it felt like freedom.

A Shift in Thought

I think about my plans to finish strong this year + whatever that meant to me before my mom passed away has shape-shifted into something even more empowering + healing than numbers + dollars. I am finishing the year strong in a different way now. A way that feels much more powerful, much more in flow + much more aligned to how I want to feel in my life, always. As I set my intentions for 2019, I have the reminder that Life happens FOR US, not TO US + sometimes we have to re-define what that means for ourselves. But, regardless of the twists and turns life hands us, when we are true to what really matters to us, we will always finish strong.

With light, love + empowered action always,

Shari xo

It's September Time to Start Again Healing With Shari Health Coach York Region

Those are BIG words: ‘Start Again.’ They can evoke a sense of failure or of wrong-doing. Of falling off the wagon of ‘Life-ing.’ But I am here to change ALL of those feelings for you. You see, for me, a true ‘Start-Againer,’ those words never carry a low-vibe feeling. In fact, they excite me to no end! Starting Again means you get a chance to do something new + awesome. Or something better than what you might have done before. The sentiment has a freshness to it that sings to my soul + my biggest wish for all of you, My Healing Dreamers, is to FEEL into the words Start Again + to believe that nothing but amazingness can come from a fresh start.

September has always been my favourite Start Again time. I LOVE the New Year, but there’s something about the ease + flow of summer’s end that inspires us to get off our butts, get organized, get back into routine + get sh*t done. As an entrepreneur it’s that golden opportunity to set some serious BIZ goals + finish the year strong. As a human being, it’s that golden opportunity to set some serious LIFE goals + commit to yourself. Deciding to Start Again, in any area of your life is an opportunity to see the possibilities for something new, something different, something better + to CHOOSE to go there. And, yeahhhh Girl to START AGAIN!

The Queen of Start Again

I am known as The Queen of Fresh Starts, do-overs, jump-in-with-both-feet-before-I’m-ready life changes. It’s kinda my thang + it can be yours too. If you open yourself up to it + surrender to the process of adopting The Beginner’s Mind in all you do. When you think about it, our entire lives are a series of Start Agains. We learn to crawl, then we start again when it’s time to walk. We go through grade school making our way to the top in grade eight + then we start again at the bottom in our first year of high school. I’m sure you can see where I am going with this, but I want to nail it down for you so you can see just how many times you’ve actually started again and survived.

Maybe you went to college, beginning as a freshman, scared as hell + in a few years you graduated with confidence + got a job + had to start again at entry level. You were single + then got married. You were childless + then had a baby. You got fired + had to hit the pavement to find a new job. You ended a bad relationship + started a new life of independence. You went back to school as an adult after being in the workforce + had to readjust to a new schedule. You lost someone you loved dearly + had to keep on living without them. You cut off all your hair + then decided to grow it back out. You moved to a new city/country + had to figure out the groove of your new community. You had a full house + are now an empty nester. You quit the job you’ve had forever + now what?

Let’s say it together: you START AGAIN!!!

You Have, You Can + You Will Again

We’ve all started again so many more times in our lives than we can count, so why do we tell ourselves it’s too hard THIS TIME? Why do we let the narrative in our heads tell us we aren’t brave enough, or courageous enough, or daring enough to do it again when it really counts? As a Holistic Lifestyle + Mindset Coach, my work is all about empowering women to believe that they can begin a new chapter in their lives. No matter who they are + where they are in their lives. My goal is to pull out of them the belief that they can start over. Because they have done it before, they can + they will Start Over again. But this time it will be more out of inspiration than obligation. I want that for you too!

Here Are Five Ways to Shift Into a Start Again Vibe:

  1. Cut out something in your diet that isn’t making you feel your best.
  2. Make each day a Gratitude Sandwich by giving gratitudes upon waking + right before bed
  3. Get outside + move for at least 30 minutes a day.
  4. Limit your time on Social Media to 1 hour in the am + 1 hour in the pm only.
  5. Find something that you love doing but stopped for some reason + START AGAIN!

With light, love + empowered action always,

Shari xo