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

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

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: , , , , ,

Sounds and looks like it…it must be leadership!

June 30, 2011 By 8 Comments

Photo Credit

Leadership, leaders, leading…the big buzzwords on the street these days.

There is certainly no shortage of literature on leadership.  It seems that everywhere we turn someone is talking or writing about leadership.  Schools, organizations, communities, hospitals, governments…the list goes on and on.  There are as many definitions of what leadership is as there are of what it isn’t.  The media promotes some pretty high flying leaders and often times society buys into it.  Some people view these leaders as extraordinary people working all alone ”at the top” to instigate change.  I don’t really buy that view, sorry.  I’d like to share with you what leadership sounds and looks like to me. 

It looks like this photo of my classmates. We’re not leaders because we’re in a program called M.A. Leadership nor are we leaders because of our professional titles. We are leaders because we’ve created a community to support and encourage one another to grow,  change and stretch a million ways til Sunday. To help one another to look at the big picture when we’re drowning in the details of the moment. To lend an ear and close our mouths. To open our hearts as much when one of us has experienced personal losses as when we’ve experienced personal wins. We’re sounding boards. We set goals. We inspire one another. We’re forward thinking.  We’re all in different places and stages in our lives and our careers.  We create change and we move mountains but we don’t do it alone.  We’re like a flock of geese.  We take turns leading and following.  We are, with all due respect, average Joes… 

You see, leadership is not reserved for a few at the top with the best parking spot.  Leadership is bottom up, top down and everything in between.  Leadership isn’t some mystery.  It’s available to all of us…all of us who want it and are willing to go for it!

What does leadership mean to you?  I’d love to hear from you.

Cheers,  Glo

(c) 2011 – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

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

Putting Your Best Foot Forward?

March 18, 2011 By 3 Comments

How often do you find yourself doing things without putting your best effort into it?  You’re tired, you’re busy, you and or someone you are close to may have health issues, you’re disinterested, you’ve got fear of failure, fear of success or you may even need to learn something new!  Obstacles in life, no real shortage of them it seems… 

It’s only once we begin to understand why we’re feeling a certain way, that we can actually deal with it.  Clearly, some things are within our span of control and some are not.  Feeling tired all the time?  What might you do to drive your energy levels up?  Got too much on your plate?  How much of it, if any, is self inflicted?  Health related issues?  Although not always enough, are you getting proper medical attention?  If someone you are close to has health issues, what do you need to do to ensure that you are in good health in order to support them in the best possible way?  Bored or disengaged?  What might you do to spice things up a little?  Got the failure or success jitters?  What new skills might you learn that will help to alleviate some of those nasty gremlins?        

You’re not alone!  At one time or another, it’s likely that we have all experienced variations of these and other obstacles.  It’s what you do about it that matters.  If you want to enjoy what you do and how you live your life, take a look at the things that prevent you from moving forward.  If they are within your control, start with small steps, but do start.  Create some goals for yourself.  Enlist the support of those close to you or perhaps even a Coach.  You can’t put your best foot forward if you’re not even sure which one that is.  Remember, you can’t control how others react or behave but you are in full control of both your attitude and yours actions.  According to Google, a wise but unknown soul coined the phrase “If you believe it, you will achieve it!”   

The best thing is that energy and positive emotions are contagious.  Not only will your move forward inspire you to go further but you may just inspire others along the way!

Which one will it be?  Right foot or left?

Cheers, Glo

(C) 2010 – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

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On a Mission…Look out World

January 10, 2011 By 2 Comments

One of the things that I used to do regularly and I’ve made a commitment to starting again is yoga and meditation.  I love the way I feel when I’m doing yoga and the greater level of flexibility I experience in general once I’m into a regular routine.  The state of mindfulness that meditation brings, stays with me long afterward as well, helping to reduce stress and making it easier to be fully present.  As for this picture on the beach, I could certainly handle some of that as well!  Maybe that is up next…

Remember those things that used to bring you such joy?  Perhaps it is a sport, a hobby or maybe it’s learning a new language or cooking better meals.  Perhaps it is looking for that new passion, something that you want to do and that is just for you and your pure pleasure.  Whatever it is, make the time.  You owe it to yourself and others to carve out that little piece of time that’s just for you.  If it seems too much, chunk it down but don’t chunk it out of your life.  Create a workable plan that includes “you” time.

When those things that you derive so much pleasure from seem to fall off your radar, it makes you wonder why.  How could something that makes you feel so good in the moment and long after, get left behind?  Fairly simple I guess.  Other things take priority…some are within our control and others are not.  There are so many demands on our time and energy that somedays it seems difficult to imagine cramming anything else into the schedule.  But as the saying goes if there is a will, there is a way!  My 2011 mission is to believe and to pave the way!   

An interesting exercise is to write down how you spend your time throughout an entire day for a full week and then have a look.  If you are truly honest with yourself, you may find that there are pockets of time which could be better spent on doing something you derive pleasure from.  Everything and everyone around you benefits when you’re making time for yourself and the things you love to do.

Want to join me on my mission?  I’m starting today so look out world…Namaste

Cheers,  Glo

(c) 2011 – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

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What’s On Your Bucket List?

May 16, 2010 By 4 Comments

About 10 days ago now I started a Master of Arts in Leadership at the University of Guelph.  During the in residence portion of the program, we had to complete information for a personal profile to share with our classmates and the faculty.  One of the topics was to list what your goals are.  I tend to break goals down and look at them on a few different levels.  Because I’m self employed I don’t tend to lump things as personal or business any longer.  Business is personal to me.  It’s not something I do just to earn a living or to pass the time, it’s who I am.  I do however, always categorize my goals based on timing so short term, medium term and long term.

As a Coach, it was an interesting exercise in that my goals are so clearly ingrained I didn’t miss a beat.  My role is to support others in defining and achieving their goals so being able to do the same is only appropriate.  The zinger for me is always the long term goal.  It never changes.  I mean it looks slightly different year to year in how I will reach it but overall, the vision is as crystal clear as the blue sky on a sunny day.  I want to write and publish a book. There, I’ve said it.  It’s the number one thing on my bucket list and has been for a few years.  Did you see that 2007 movie with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholas called The Bucket List?  They meet in a cancer ward when they’re both terminally ill and they work together at fulfilling items on their bucket lists.  Those things that you want to make sure you do before you kick the bucket. 

Fortunately I’m not terminally ill but I am doing small things which contribute to obtaining my long term goal and writing this blog post is just one thing.  First step is that I’ve defined it.  To some, it may seem a little lofty but it has a face and a name and it is fully aligned with my core values.  Now that I’m openly sharing this with you and I’ve put it on paper, I know with certainty that I will continue to take the necessary steps to get there.  It may take me many years and in fact I fully expect that it will.  As part of the process there is likely to be blood, sweat and tears of rejection from publishers but I’m determined.  I am inspired to write by the water like Diane Keaton in Somethings Gotta Give.  Ironically, another Jack Nicholson movie! 

I’ve recently made a connection with the Author of an amazing book on career change called Now Is The Time To Do What You Love, Nancy Whitney-Reiter.  This connection is what I consider to be a bonus step.  Bonus steps are the ones you aren’t expecting but the ones that may move you closer to where you want to be.

I’ve put my long term goal out there and I double dare anyone that tries to stop me!   So what about you?  What is number one on your bucket list?  What’s that one thing you dream about?  What would make you feel completely fulfilled and why is it so important to you?  Who would you be if you had this?  What steps are you taking to get there?

Cheers,

Glo

(c) 2010 – True Bliss Coach Gloria Higdon

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