Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Add courage to your everyday

I have mentioned already that one of my favorite things about even just the word, courage is that the root of the word is the Latin word for heart. Courage is my favorite virtue, and I thank Maya Angelou for addressing why. She stated, “One isn’t born with courage. One develops it. And you develop it by doing small, courageous things, in the same way that one wouldn’t set out to pick up 100 pound bag of rice. If that was one’s aim, the person would be advised to pick up a five pound bag, and then a ten pound, and then a 20 pound and so forth, until one builds up enough muscle to actually pick up 100 pounds. And that’s the same way with courage. You develop courage by doing courageous things, small things, but things that cost you some exertion- mental and I suppose spiritual exertion.”

I agree with Dr. Angelou in terms of working on the muscle of courage. I also like her, believe that courage is the primal virtue because it needs to take place so the other virtues can become alive. Kindness takes courage, faith takes courage, hope takes courage, justice takes courage and love takes courage, do they not? Courage offers so much to all of us. My first step in flexing the courage muscle has been to utter the vulnerability prayer by Brene Brown, “Give me the courage to show up and let myself be seen.” Other affirmations and positive statements work just the same!

Here are some other ways to add courage to your everyday:
• Courage to listen to your intuition
Everyday make an effort to go with good feelings that come up for you. Feelings of confidence and safety allow us to make good decisions and give us the courage to make decisions that sometimes may go against the status quo.
• Courage to be kind to yourself
Saying no to others and yes to yourself, takes tremendous courage. Learning to say no is a process. Setting boundaries is also a process. Remember to be the center of your own life.
• Courage to dream
The highest level of courage is to be yourself. Courage gives you the freedom to be yourself. In order to do this, we must connect with our purpose and passion. Actively look for things/people/places that inspire you and keep you connected to your dreams.

Every time we step outside our doors we embrace courage whether we are aware of it or not. In this world of uncertainty, nothing is guaranteed. Courage is about mustering up the feeling of intention, purpose and determination. It is about going full force, fully forward even when you may feel afraid. Like Nelson Mandela describes it, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Moment of silence in the movement

Actions like from the photo below where a Howard University staged the photo to show their support for the Ferguson community opens me up to hopeful thoughts. Although this generation is more distant from the civil rights movement than older generations, history seems to repeat itself. Sadly, we come together after tragic circumstances and have to implode for justice and attention particularly to the issue of racism in this country.

The movement of taking a moment of silence that occurred recently across the country in the name of Michael Brown and naturally for so many other brother and sisters who have tragically lost their lives under unthinkable circumstances was touching, inspiring and uplifting to know that so many people are taking action to make black lives count. I came up with so many men of color who never thought they would live past 21 and now they have fear and fear for their sons who are carrying the same burden. The tolerance for ignorance and racism has reached a breaking point, again. And again, our justice system and government continue to fail us.

Unfortunately, the frequencies of these tragedies are rising. Why are situations like what is going on in the Ferguson, MO community becoming so familiar? If you have never experienced racism, this situation clearly illustrates how much racism is alive and well today. It is not only about holding bias views of people based on skin color, it is also about how institutions like the justice system and state government hold up and act in accordance with these bias views. The fear and criminalization of black men and boys has been going on since the beginning of America as a country, when will it end?

I salute all of the people who are speaking out against the militarization of the American police department, the reversal of protection (protecting police as opposed to police protecting its citizens), and the pattern of police action and police murder that has been bestowed on black men. The voices are all inclusive and that is what we need to make lasting change. We need to continue to have these hard conversations about the realities of racism. We need all hands on deck just like during the civil rights movement. We also need to look at what structural changes can happen to bring police officers back to the community as peace officers as opposed to near terrorists.

As Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Like Fannie Lou Hamer shared, “Nobody’s free until everyone is free.” My hope is that these moments of silence remind you as it did for me that we need to contribute to the struggle. It inspires me to continue to partake in the “hard” conversations to begin to dismantle racism. Take a moment of silence with your community and honor those like Michael Brown with intentional and purposeful actions.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

I like a photo


It has been a long time since I liked a photo. I don’t usually like to be photographed either. As a former professional ballerina, I now have grown attached to the art of writing but why should we indulge in just one art form at a time? After exploring photography with a photojournalist during the August Academy at the CUNY School of Journalism, I liked a couple of photos! The photo below was my favorite from the experience.

The photography assignment we received during class was to go out and capture a portrait, light and/or shadow and/or an emotion. I am grateful that the class renewed my attraction to photography. I have more confidence in my photo taking and also am taking more photos than ever before. I have always thought of photography as an innate art form. I notice those around me who have an eye for it and never thought of myself in this way. I still don’t think I have a natural eye for it and I will continue to enjoy the better photos that I take.

We all have the capacity to be creative and we use our creativity in many ways. Some start with just ideas and others nurture particular art forms. I believe all problem solving activities engage creativity. Just because I have always sensed that photography does not come to me as natural as I would like, does not mean I should not nurture the skill. Are you holding yourself back from creative outlets because you do not fit into the beliefs you have about them?

Nowadays, it is so easy to google what you don’t know and try something new. You can YouTube instructional videos anytime you want. You would think that coming out of our comfort zones would be so much easier. A great way to start is to know how you get inspired. I am inspired by reading, researching and testing, like taking hands on classes like the one I have described above. This helps with the confidence to branch out. We need to press the refresh button in our lives every once in awhile. How do you take time away from entrenched routines? How do you get away when you can’t really take a getaway?

Finding inspiration keeps me motivated, interested and empowers me to explore new things. I continue to be committed to the parts of myself that are student and teacher. I am grateful and feel fortunate that I breathe in inspiration from the simplest things, places, persons and stories. Creativity is a way of being. I hope that my picture can inspire you to explore creative outlets that you have always wanted to try. As the great quote goes, “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.”- Jack Canfield.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Who's your coach?

“Understanding is like water flowing in a stream.. In Buddhism, knowledge is regarded as an obstacle for understanding, if we take something to be the truth, we may cling to it so much that even if the truth comes and knocks at our door, we won’t want to let it in… We must learn to transcend our own views.”- Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of Understanding.

This is why coaching is such an effective tool. We need it! There is always room for growth. We need to be constantly updating our beliefs and values. I believe there are always opportunities to introduce new habits and ways of being into our lives. Coaching is about exploring our fullest potential and making long lasting changes. It is also about opening ourselves up to all possibilities. In this knowledge based economy that we live in, our best assets are ourselves. This means learning is a non stop process and one that we can always partake in.

Coaching is a way to engage another active team member on your team that is helping you reach your goals. It has become an effective and popular professional development strategy for individuals and larger organizations. It has emerged as one of the most promising practices to eliminate self defeating attitudes and limiting behaviors. Have you considered coaching? Has your company offered the service to you?

My approach
I am deeply embedded in the principals of the book, the Four Agreements; keep your word, don’t make assumptions, don’t take things personally and do your best. Simply living is my standard practice. I also explore the four pillars of what I talk about to be holistic leadership; mind, body, heart and roots. Our work will include developing the mind, body, emotional and cultural realms of our lives though merging of emotional intelligence, spiritual practice, being mindful of language and engaging the physical body. I write specifically about holistic leadership in the book, The Empowered Woman: Purpose, Passion & Possibilities.

How coaching works?
The coach and coachee will create a path for moving forward in redesigning your personal and professional life by clarifying your vision and putting in place the desired actions to fulfill it though regularly scheduled meetings usually entirely by phone.

To get the most out of coaching, ask yourself if you are ready?, willing? And open?

So to answer the title of this blog, I am. For more information on making an appointment, DM me on twitter @coachclari or fb coachclarissa.

Thank you for spreading the word!
Coachclari.blogspot.com
@coachclari