Indelible Moments…

February 25, 2012 By 8 Comments

“We all have indelible moments, memorable occasions that live like video clips in our inner vision for a lifetime and become imprinted into our Being. These memories are enormously important to the warmth and camaraderie we show each other along the journey.” ~ Dr. Marilyn Atkinson from Flow: The Core of Coaching

On Wednesday of this week, I graduated from the University of Guelph with a Master of Arts in Leadership. This was indeed an “indelible moment.” The parchment is pretty awesome and it looks fabulous hanging in my office. But, the parchment is exactly that. It is a symbol that we can achieve what we set out to if we focus and believe in what is possible. The human spirit is truly remarkable with such energy and potential. It is there for the asking…waiting to give us purpose.

This photo of me shaking hands with Alastair Summerlee, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guelph with well known scholar Peter Senge smiling in the background was a moment to be remembered. The memories and waves of emotion  that come with that “indelible moment” however, are far more than a symbol. The memories created are beyond words and so, I’m not sure I will even do them justice but will try. They span across years past and a new understanding of years to come. They include building meaningful relationships with people who offer kindness and encouragement as a source of support. Being part of a community of like minded individuals who have a zest for learning…and for laughing! Learning that it is ok not to know the answer but rather just to trust the process. Learning as well, that often times “it depends” really is the answer. Having a firm belief that being a leader is not reserved for the few at the top but rather it is a choice available to each and every one of us if we so choose.

A heartfelt thank you to the faculty and staff at the University of Guelph and my M.A. Leadership classmates for this incredible journey and “indelible moment.”

If you have an interest in learning more about this life changing program designed for working professionals, I invite you to click on this link. It will change your life!

Glowing with pride and joy, Glo

(C) 2012 – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

Filed Under: Goals, Leadership, Life Tagged With: , , , ,

Planting Seeds

January 20, 2012 By 2 Comments
the wise gardener plants seeds of opportunity even when there is snow on the ground

Photo Source

In life and in business, opportunities and possibilities are abundant. Laying the foundation for opportunity however, requires vision, discipline, commitment and often forgotten but very important, patience. A clear vision of what we want. A disciplined mind to keep us focused on achieving what we want. A commitment to strike a balance between taking action and pausing. And this is where patience comes into play. Often times when we are planting seeds for new possibilities, we need to take a pause.  The pause can be as important as the action. The pause is a time of reflection. It is a time for questions. It is a time for learning. The pause requires patience. And patience, as we’ve often heard, is a virtue. 

We are all gardeners. Gardeners in life and or in business. And as gardeners, we need to find that healthy balance so that we are planting seeds throughout the year rather than making it an annual event. If we have a vision for what we want to accomplish, we need only to plant the seeds. Take the time to create a plan, to determine the resources we have as well as the resources we need to acquire. We need to be open to questioning our plan and our motives as we continue. This only creates further clarity. Take a pause when needed. Take stock of the seeds. Do they align with our vision? How might they be even better aligned to support our overall goals?

And then watch. I invite you to sit in the bigscreen theatre of life. To believe. To watch as our seeds sprout. Our “ideas” and “hopes” and “dreams” come to fruition but first we must plant the seeds.

Best wishes for healthy sprouts!

Glo

(C) 2012 – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

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2012 Growth. Learning. Opportunities. Diversifying.

December 31, 2011 By 4 Comments

For some strange reason, WordPress is not allowing me to post the photo for this blog at the top of the page as I “usually” do. I’ve always used this format because I am a visual person and so I like the visual right up front. This has never happened in two years of having a blog. My initial reaction was frustration but it’s New Years Eve and my main goal for 2012 is to diversify in many key areas of my life. So, now I’m thinking there is a reason for this new look in my last blog post of the year.

Many seeds have been planted during 2011 and many major milestones have been achieved. It has been a great year! There is much to celebrate and so much to look forward to!

Growth. Learning. Opportunities. Diversifying.

Photo Source

Often times it seems as though it is far too easy to be linear in our thoughts and actions. We use our existing skills and talents and map out our lives according to a straight line. But I must ask you, has your life to date represented a straight line?  What might happen if we learn to diversify a little more? Branch out. True growth and learning happens when we learn new skills and challenge our existing patterns. Uh oh! This may cause our straight line to get kind of curvy with twists and turns. There is risk involved in this because we may fail. But there is always reward too, no matter the outcome. The reward is that just like this plant above, we are growing and with growth comes new opportunities.

2012 is the year to diversify and broaden my reach. I will coach and teach. I will be a student and a teacher. I will enjoy my existing relationships and develop new ones. I will read for fun and for knowledge. Most importantly, rather than choosing between either/or, I will be open to both/and.

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called “Opportunity” and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Best wishes to you for an AMAZING 2012!  When we openly share our goals, there is more liklihood to reach them because publicly sharing establishes a sense of accountability. It also provides us with the opportunity to receive support and encouragement from others, and to stay motivated to achieve. Care to share some of your goals?  I’m very interested…please leave me a comment!

Glo

(c) 2011 – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

Filed Under: Goals, Life, Making Changes Tagged With: , , , , ,

“Back to school” has new meaning…

September 25, 2011 By 4 Comments

The term back to school has different meanings for a few of my family members this year.  My niece Jenna (left) is a second year student at The University of Western Ontario commonly known as Western. (Can you tell I just copied the uni name directly from her facebook profile?) Jenna is doing a B.Sc. honours with a specialization in biology also known as she is a science brainiac. I will never forget how excited she was in high school to report dissecting some strange rodent. Gross! What is new for Jenna this year is that she is no longer in residence making university life a completely different experience for her. She is sharing a house with 4 other girls and lovin’ it. Now don’t get me wrong.  Jenna isn’t exactly “slumming” it in London! She and her roomies have created a pretty cool haven for living the good life with a little bit of room for studying. Jenna has been a continuous source of encouragement and inspiration for me during my academic journey. When I was taking Research Methods (insert I failed Grade 9 math), it was Jenna that I reached out to for support.

Next up is my niece Katie (right). Katie is a 30 something first year film loving student at York University in Toronto. She is enrolled in the four year honours program for film studies which also means she watches all of those movies that the general population has never heard of! This has been a big year of change for Katie and the changes aren’t finished. She went to New York and to Europe for the first time, moved in with her boyfriend and most recently gave up her job as an admin to go back to school and pursue her love of film. I secretly wonder if this photo of her looking up at the statue of Napolean in sheer awe is simply a precursor to her new journey with university life!  She too, has been an amazing sense of encouragement and support.  In fact, I believe Katie was the first one to say “you should do a PhD!”

Soooo…speaking of PhD…this is something that is on my mind these days. I must admit that it comes and goes though. Presently I’m doing a research paper towards completion of an M.A. Leadership degree at the University of Guelph. Yup! Even though I was scared to death and I REALLY was, I went back to school in my mid 40′s to pursue a university degree and to enhance my learning as an executive coach. I have never looked back. It has been a very challenging yet rewarding experience. 

Back to the flip flop…Because I am so passionate about my research topic (using executive coaching to increase employee engagement), there are days and fleeting moments when I don’t want it to end. I want to be able to take my topic and the “coaching for engagement” model that I have developed and take it to the next level. But hello! We’re talking about four years here and there are SO many things to consider! Fortunately for me, my amazing husband Marc, is 100% behind me.

While I am contemplating this massive decision and researching what it “truly” means, I also have a new view of back to school. I am a Teaching Assistant to the new cohort in my program for Leadership of Organizational Change. Teaching and the education system seem to run through the veins in my family.  My Mom was our elementary school secretary.  My Dad completed his university degree while working full-time in the military. My sister Anne, is a teacher who completed her teaching degree with two young children in tow.  My sister Deborah, is a teacher who has just experienced her last back to school and is retiring in June 2012 to pursue her love of travel and LEGO (not necessarily in that order!).  And my sister Linda is pursuing her Chefs diploma while juggling a very busy career and family life. 

Along with my sincere love for coaching and genuine desire to see people do what they love, I would be honoured to teach someday and to live a life of continuous learning. I have no idea if I will go further in my studies or if there is a doctor in this house but I do know this. If you have ever thought you might like to go back to school or try anything new for that matter, but were scared for fear of failure. You CAN do it!

If you think your life can’t change in the blink of an eye…think again. We, as humans, are powerful creatures filled with potential and possibilities. We just need to believe it!

Cheers to you and your journey whatever that means to you.

 Glo

Photo credit: Miles Bossons

2011 (C) – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

Filed Under: Goals, Life Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Is it Palm Tree Time Yet?

January 31, 2011 By 4 Comments

According to the Weather Network it’s -23C today in Ottawa, Canada but it feels like -33C with the windchill.  Geez, that really makes me want to get up and get going!  Get going to the beach that is!  One of my life goals is to be in a position where I can spend my winters somewhere warm.  I love the warmth of the sun on my skin.  I love the smells of being down south, coconut and tropical oils.  The beautifully colored fruits.  The slower pace of life.  The mix of the calm and yet at times very powerful ocean waves.  Beauty…at it’s absolute finest…

You have to admit, this winter wonderland photo is pretty appealing too!   I have friends who love to ski and skate and all of those wonderful things.  I’m not a major fan of Winter and yet I live in a city that has extreme seasons.  I prefer to use Winter as an opportunity to curl  up in front of the fire and read or watch movies.  I have to admit that I do think the snow is very pretty, when I’m on the inside looking out that is!  Freshly fallen snow almost has an innocence about it.  I’m talking before there are foot prints in it of course.  We’ve had quite a bit of snow in the last few days so I’m going to use my imagination to visualize the snow as if it were soft white sand under my feet.  It’s going to take a lot of energy to master that one but I’m up for the challenge.  I’d better run, there is a fruity drink calling my name!

Are you a winter person or a summer person or do you see the beauty in both?  Care to share some of your secrets for making the most of the different seasons? 

Cheers,  Glo

(C) 2011 - True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

Filed Under: Goals, Life

How Clear Is Your Vision for 2011?

December 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Well here we are…it’s the last day of the year and also the day when many people set and declare goals for the New Year!  Whether they are big or small, short or long term, personal, professional and or spiritual, what will you be doing to ensure that you are committed to achieving yours? It’s been my experience that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.  We are unique and we all have different values systems and perspectives.  Learn what works for you and be like Nike and Just Do It!

One thing which I have done and I find works well for me especially if I’m setting significant goals is that I break them down into small steps which are more manageagable.  Another thing I find helps is to celebrate at every milestone or step by setting up a reward system.  Presently I’m at year 2 of a 3 year plan making this goal of a career change a fairly substancial one however when I chunk it down, it’s really just a series of smaller actions which are of benefit to my life in general and also to the big picture.  To help stay on track I created a map broken down by year and then month.  Pretty simple to follow and as you can see green is complete and red is yet to come…the rewards are also built right in!

The important thing to remember is not what it looks, feels or sounds like to me.  The important thing is what it means to you!  The goals that are truly yours should come from within, they should be on your agenda and not what someone else expects of you.  Be a part of creating your future and you will own it!  I encourage you to celebrate at every step you reach, big or small celebrate them all.  Hey, that rhymes!

And lastly stay the course…make sure your vision is crystal clear.  If times get tough or if circumstances beyond your control become obstacles, do whatever works for you to keep your vision in your mind, in your heart or wherever it means the most to you.  I’m a visual person so I have this picture of Arizona with me heart, mind and soul.  I love the big blue sky in Arizona and the magnificent red rock against it.  This particular photo with the reflection in the water is a reminder of my vision.  A change in careers for me has been truly life altering and yet, there is nothing special about what I’ve done.  I’ve created a long term goal and broken it down into small and manageable steps.  This is something we all have the ability to do.  Coaching is one of those professions where people ask all the time, what does a Coach do?  Coaching is about you, not me.  If you’re looking for advice, ask a family member or a friend.  They love giving advice!  If you’re looking for someone to challenge you to come up with your own reality and your own agenda from deep within, ask a Coach!

Wishing you a wonderful New Year filled with love and light and all things bright!

Cheers,  Glo

(c) 2010 – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

Filed Under: Coaching Services, Goals, Life, Making Changes Tagged With: , , , ,

Resistance to Change

November 2, 2010 By 2 Comments

In my M.A. Leadership program we are learning all about resistance to change this week.  There are two types of resistance, active and passive.  In active resistance we may find fault in the change and therefore be critical of it and we may experience fear of the unknown or have a low tolerance for uncertainty.  In passive resistance we may say that we’re going to change so we agree verbally however we don’t follow through with the steps required.  Instead we may drag our feet or procrastinate.  In order to accept change, we must be truly motivated to learn and grow.  Even more simplistically, we must really want it.

“Resistance may stem from a single fact, belief, feeling or value.  But that is the exception.  Facts, beliefs, feelings and values are usually linked together in sequences or patterns.  The most effective way to find missing pieces in a pattern is to ask nonthreatening questions relevant to the specific situation” (K. Hultman, Scaling The Wall of Resistance)

Coaching is a creative process or dance whereby the coach and client respectively seek to ask and answer these underlying questions.  Supporting the value and principles of mutual respect and trust is of paramount importance in this relationship.  This dance stimulates the cerebral cortex allowing capacity for future visioning and the bigger picture.  This in turn allows us to mentally experience or try on the desired change, to see ourselves in it and yet be disassociated from it at the same time thus reducing resistance to change.     

Whatever your resistance may be initially, you have the ultimate power to believe in yourself and to experience the magnificent kaleidoscope of color that comes with desired change.

Cheers,  Glo

(C) 2010 – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

Filed Under: Goals, Making Changes, Professional Coaching Services Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Time to Put A Bullet in Sugar…

October 27, 2010 By 2 Comments

…at least temporarily.  Perhaps permanently, who knows! 

Last week I received blood test results confirming that I have low blood sugar.  This isn’t surprising because I’ve had this for years.  What was surprising was how low it was even after having just eaten not once but twice!  For me, low blood sugar causes headaches and mood swings amongst other things if I eat too late or miss a meal.  Ask anyone who knows me well, this is no secret.  I always carry some type of food in my purse, most often it is raw almonds.  It isn’t exactly convenient but it is what it is.  So I do my best to avoid skipping meals or eating too late. 

What I haven’t been avoiding is simple sugars themselves.  One would think that if I am diagnosed with low blood sugar, that I need more right?  Wrong.  The sad truth about sugar is that it causes spikes in our blood sugar levels and ideally what we’re looking for is to regulate our blood sugar.  The best way to do this is to either minimize simple sugars or eliminiate them entirely.  I’ve been inspired by a local family who also cut sugar out of their diet for a one week period.  Given that sugar is in so many of the products we eat today, this is no easy task.  But hey, I’m up for the challenge so on November 1st I’m going to start with a commitment to eliminate sugar from my diet for one week. 

I have 5 days to do some research on what I need to eliminate from my diet and what I need to add.  These changes may sound simple (no pun intended!) but given that sugar is in so many of the things we eat and that I am a chocoholic, I don’t expect it will be easy.  I fully expect to feel better though!  I will keep you posted on my progress…and if you want to join me, that would be great. 

Wish me luck! 

Cheers,  Glo

(C) 2010 – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

Filed Under: Goals, Life, Making Changes

The Truth About Competition

September 29, 2010 By 2 Comments

When we think of competition we tend to think about business or sports competitors when in fact, competition is a part of life whether you consider yourself to be a competitive person or not.  We compete with ourselves if not with others to get better grades, to do a better job, to be better citizens, to lose weight/gain weight and the list goes on and on.  We may even conjure up images of individuals and organizations that are doing the same thing as we are.  But are they?  Are they really doing the same thing?  Providing the same value?  Leveraging the same strengths?  Striving for the same goals?  Having the same outcomes?  I doubt it. 

For a variety of reasons we might be programmed to think they are better than us.  They are monopolizing the relationships we share.  They are winning the business.  They are winning the promotions.  They are getting too close to the people in our inner circle.  There is a reason for it.  They are flat out making us insecure. 

What if you had a shift and spent your time and energy viewing competition as a source of value?  If you got to know your perceived competitors up close and personal would you view them as a resource when making important decisions?  If you viewed them as potential partners rather than competitors, would you have the opportunity to serve and help more people?  You may even learn that competitors aren’t actually competing with you.  They are sure to be doing something that is different and that something different may truly help you or those you can’t help at some point. Your greatest source of competition is internal, it is within.        

There is an abundance of opportunity in this world. The world is changing at an incredible pace and we need to change with it.  I invite you to be honest with yourself and embrace competition as a source of value.

(C) 2010  True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

Filed Under: Goals, Life, Professional Coaching Services Tagged With: , , , ,

As The Seasons Change, Do You Change With Them?

August 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Wait a minute…this is starting to sound like the name of a soap opera! 

As I was walking the dog this morning I could feel the air was crisper and that Fall was just around the corner.  I must confess, I’m not a big fan of winter.  Although, I’m a sincere lover of summer with full on sunshine and blue sky, I don’t dread the thought of cooler nights or the leaves turning.  There is something about September (at least where I live) that brings to mind comfort food and warm and fuzzy fleece.   Having the fireplace on to take the chill out of the air.  Watching movies.  Entertaining.  Reading.  Whatever memories you have of Fall, they are likely quite different than that of summer.  How many times have you said to yourself or someone else “Let’s plan to do it after Labour Day” or “I’m going to start after Labour Day” or “Once the kids go back to school” or “Once I go back to school”?   Could it be that a change of seasons also brings with it a change of mindset and focus with new goals and possibly new obstacles?

Leaving a place of comfort to venture out into something new regardless of how big or small that change is, can be exciting and yet scary at the same time.  Work or life, it makes no difference.  Change is change.  Breaking things down into bite size pieces can help to minimize feelings of overwhelm and create change that is more sustainable over time.  Set goals for yourself that are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.  If you need help defining and or achieving them, look for a support system.  As with all goals, it is easier to achieve them when someone is there supporting you.  Someone who believes in your inner power and wisdom.   Someone like a Professional Coach. 

Be inspired, feel empowered and set the world on fire with your passion!    ♥ hope and courage are a powerful force ♥

Labour Day is just around the corner…time to put your thinking cap on and embrace change.  What will it take to light your fire this Fall?     

Cheers,

Glo

(c)  2010 – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

Filed Under: Goals, Life, Making Changes, Professional Coaching Services Tagged With: , , , ,
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