Tag Archive for: York region

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

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

 

 

Freedom. Ahhh. Just the sound of this word feels like a deep belly exhale. It allows your shoulders to drop from your ears just a little. It brings a softened smile to your face. Freedom often reminds us of a time when we were younger and free of the stressors of adulting. The struggle is real, my beautiful dreamers, but you never have to go finding freedom alone. I got you.

Freedom has been my number one value for as long as I can remember, it’s the core of what I help my Life Coaching clients to find in their lives too. But finding freedom can seem so ambiguous, impossible even, which is why it’s so important to define what freedom actually means for YOU, in all areas of your life. I’ve been on the finding freedom train so long I am practically driving the dang thing, so I know a thing or two about what freedom feels like, for me. But I also know what does not feel like freedom and how to re-align myself to get back on the train. You can too!

Clarify, Define, Align

If freedom is what you are longing for, but you aren’t exactly sure what that means for you, it’s probably because you haven’t defined what it actually FEELS like in the different areas of your life. You see, it’s the FEELING that matters most, and what feels like freedom to me, might be completely different from what it feels like for you. Because you need to clarify what freedom looks and feels like in the major areas of your life to be able to decide if what you are doing is in alignment with freedom, or off the rails of the freedom train.

Here is a practice I do with myself and with all of my clients.

1) List out the major areas of your life – I call them The Big 7:

– Health
– Relationships
– Finances
– Career/Purpose
– Creativity
– Connection to Source/God/Spirit
– Leisure/Hobbies.

2) Clarify exactly what your life would look and feel like in each of these areas if freedom was present. Write it out in as much detail as you can. See yourself experiencing freedom in all areas with ease. Who would you be? What would you be doing? How would you show up? What wouldn’t you be doing? Who would you be with? Where would you be? What would you be feeling in every cell of your body?

Becoming crystal clear on what freedom feels like in each of The Big 7 will help you make decisions in your life that align you with what you value most. Because, if it isn’t clear then how on earth will you know if it’s there or if it isn’t?! It’s important that you clarify YOUR definition of freedom, and not your mother’s, your sister’s, your partner’s or societies. YOURS.

3) Now every time you are deciding, in any area of your life, you can ask yourself, “does this feel like freedom?” If the answer is “yes”, then go for it! If the answer is “no”, take a step back and evaluate what is missing or out of alignment for it to feel like freedom and for you to hold your own integrity. Shift gears, course-correct or simply get off that train altogether.

Trusting your inner guide is all you need in order to know if you are in integrity with your values or not. Resistance, anxiety, compensatory strategies and buffering to avoid are all ways your inner guide is trying to tell you something is off. These signals are vital messengers trying to alert you that you are off course in your quest to finding freedom. Remember, these signals are not telling you to quit! They are reminding you of what you value most, which is freedom, they are helping you to re-align with what matters most to you in your life! How awesome is that!

In everything I do, from the foods I eat, to the people I spend time with, to the work I throw myself into, I continue to ask myself if it feels like freedom. It’s an automatic response for me now because I’ve practiced it so much. My soul now knows what freedom looks and feels like. Is it always perfect? Heck no! But, I know to trust the signs and signals when something is off. I am better able to make decisions that align with my values, keep my in integrity with myself, allow me to live the life I know, I want and deserve. Finding freedom isn’t as hard as you think it is. Freedom equals clarity, courage, commitment and consistency. Freedom is yours if you want it. You’ve got this and I’ve got you. xo