Author Archives

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The Importance of Closure

So quickly another year has passed! On the horizon another year ahead! Endless possibilities lie ahead…..

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At this time of year, we begin to look ahead with a fresh outlook to the shiny empty pages of our future.  We begin to write down resolutions and goals that we want to take on for the year ahead. This is a fabulous time for planning and projecting our desires for the year to come.

I stumbled upon an incredible tool several nights ago. ( 2014 Amazing Life Workbook | http://www.LeonieDawson.com)  I purchased the combination of Life and Business Workbooks.  Trust me when I say, I have already witnessed some powerful things by putting into action one of the concepts that Leonie shared. Rather than put it into my own words I will quote from the workbook the concept that I put into action. This was empowering!

Taken from the Life Workbook

“We set our NEW resolutions, our NEW goals, our NEW dreams… without ever taking stock, coming to terms with and clearing all the days and months that have gone before us. It is so deeply important for us to find the gifts, medicine, lessons, challenges and blessings from the year that has been. Only in doing this celebration and release of the year will we find peace and clarity.
During the closing ceremony,  you will begin to see your life with clear, bright eyes. You will find the understanding you’ve been seeking. From the tangled ball of threads, a rich tapestry will emerge. And it will be more beautiful,deep and profound than you could possibly imagine. You’ve been sent here on a mission. To discover every part of yourself. To grow wiser than you ever thought possible. To find the light even in the darkest cave. 2013 happened to you the way it did for a reason. Sometimes they are reasons you cannot possibly begin to know right now. At other times the reason + the blessing is
easy to see. Even when it’s hard, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t meant to happen. It’s all taking you to where you need to go. You are getting braver, deeper, wiser,more beautiful by the moment, by the day, by the year.
Let’s celebrate + release 2013. And clear the pathway for the miracles to come.”

And so I did!  I contacted another fellow entrepreneur friend of mine; we met and held a Closing Ceremony for 2013!  Our Ceremony consisted of an afternoon of wine, chocolate, food, music, tears and laughter{those are just some of my favorite elements}.

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Quite honestly, I had never thought of having a “Closing Ceremony” prior to reading this. The timing was perfect for me to stumble across this Workbook!  The more I send my intentions out into the Universe, the more I find myself walking in perfect harmony for all that I desire for my life. Although I love to write and express my feelings in words, I must say I am  speechless over the transformation I felt within my soul yesterday. I had emotions and experiences * good, bad and all levels in between* that spilled out of me,  like cascading waterfalls.

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My suggestion to you, would be to have your own ceremony! Make it your OWN….either with a friend or alone, incorporate the elements that you would find useful. The best way to experience the depth of  this ceremony is to set aside a time and place that you can be free from distractions and take your time!  This is not something that should be rushed through. Take the necessary steps to insure that you receive the benefit of having the closing ceremony!  Be creative!  Use various forms of activity. My friend and I  spent hours participating in our ceremony. We created booklets and wrote things down in response to questions that are listed in the workbook.  It truly was an amazing day!

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*please feel free to share feedback with me if you do decide to have a closing ceremony!  I would LOVE to hear the variations and the experiences had by all.

I am wishing you all a magnificent ending to this year 2013 and I am looking forward to so much more interaction in 2014!

Love, Peace and Blessings to you,

Charlene Tops

http://about.me/topsspot

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Stop Thinking so much and JUST DO IT

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Good Morning,

Happy Monday…yes, it’s Monday, yet again.  Like so many others, I really didn’t want Monday, but perhaps another Sunday? Another day to relax and recharge, to slow down and contemplate, to rest and reassure myself that I am on the right path.  Have you ever felt like that?  Ever feel like you just need a little more time to stop the madness of day to day activity, to relish the calm, slower pace and regroup?  Yet, the calendar flips over and there stands Monday staring you in the face.  I sincerely struggled with Monday,today.  As I rolled into this day, full of deadlines and commitments, I began to realize how powerful Mondays are though.  Without even realizing it, we have the potential to begin a fresh week and orchestrate it the direction we want it to go.  Instead of moaning and complaining, dragging myself by my ears, I could actually turn this whole train of thought around.  I chose to make this week meaningful, chock-full of joyfully tending to each thing on my “to do” list.  I chose to stop “thinking” so much and actually DO the things I desire to do. Seriously, this is liberating.  When I allow myself to wallow in the feelings of “overwhelmedness ” or become “duty” minded, it really takes the joy and the freedom from me.  Whereas, when I begin to tweak my thoughts and make them align to my purpose and desire, immediately there is a shift deep inside of me!  Instead of dreading the day, I begin to work tirelessly on my tasks at hand.  Creativity is freed and my mind opens to the immense possibilities of what I can accomplish in this day, this week.

I have a very active mind.  I have gazillions of ideas and thoughts swimming through my head on a daily basis.  Sometimes, it becomes overwhelming because I just have so much I want to do.  Time and resources may limit my actions. Yet I find that if I sort through the list of ideas and begin to focus on a direction, I am able to set a plan of action and fulfill the desired outcome.  The problem lies in the focus and direction.  Often times, it is helpful to list out all the ideas and tasks you wish to accomplish, and begin to group them into action plans.  Time management can be your best friend.  If you just “think and think” and never apply an action plan, you end up in a state of becoming overwrought.  Make your lists, set your action plan and focus until you complete the task.  There is so much to gain by doing this.  You begin to have a list of some of your most creative ideas and you also begin to actually complete them, giving you a sense of accomplishment rather than defeat.  You will be able to stroke things off your list as you finish the task, filling you with a greater sense of pride on how much you have produced.

I don’t know why we sometimes “fight” the systems that are effective. I guess it’s human nature to sometimes drag your feet in the process. Today, although the weather is getting cold here in Ontario, strengthen yourself and make an action plan. Begin to work toward finishing a task and move forward creating the lifestyle you deserve to have.  I encourage you, today, to turn your day around. Grant yourself permission to rise above the negativity that floats through your mind.  Become intentional with your time and your life. This life is your expression; don’t waste anymore precious time floundering around.Stop thinking so much and just DO IT!

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The Battle of the Sheets

Happy Monday,

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Yes, Monday..that day of the week that can be so difficult. This morning particularly I did NOT want to get up.  The beginning of Fall I find difficult because it’s still dark out in the early hours of the morning and it gets dark earlier in the evening.  I really miss the sunlight.  I have to be honest, it’s so much easier getting up when it’s bright and sunny.  Today on the other hand, is dark, overcast and rainy. A mixture of the worse combination of weather, for a Monday morning. So i had a what I call “the battle of the sheets.”  You know how that is, when you want so desperately to stay in bed and sleep “just a bit longer.”  It was a struggle, a massive struggle this morning!  I am here to tell you, I won!  I forced myself out of the comfort cocoon of warmth and set my feet on the floor.  Once I took charge of myself and set my feet on the floor, something transpired inside of me.  I felt the victory; I realized I had won.  My mind began to fill up with words, things to say, and messages to write.

I began to understand how this small triumph really is part of a much bigger picture.  Okay, so I sleep in a little bit, no harm done…but what about the time I would rather surf the net than write an article, or the time I would rather stay at home instead of going to businesses to promote my business, or the time I would rather get “take out” because I am too lazy to cook a well balanced meal?  Can you understand the concept here?  All of our little actions begin to be part of our larger actions.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying we can never sleep in  or grab “take out” occasionally, what I am expressing is that we need to practice habits that build good qualities inside of us.  When we begin to let our desires overpower us and control our actions, we are practicing poor management skills. What you don’t master begins to master you! Small, seemingly benign, actions grow into large monsters if we aren’t careful.

Today, was a powerful example to me.  If I had just turned over and said, oh well, I don’t feel like getting up; I would have missed this revelation of the importance of controlling myself and enforcing healthy behavior patterns.  My mind is alert, pregnant with possibility this morning.  I feel as though a river of inspiration is running through my brain.  This doesn’t happen everyday (unfortunately) and to think I would have missed the opportunity to experience this if I let my desire to stay in my cozy bed overtake me.

We all have missed opportunities.  We all slack at times.  Personally, I am going to begin to use the term “battle of the sheets” as a guideline to monitor those times I allow myself to become complacent.  I will acknowledge, this is a “battle of the sheets”  who is going to win?  I know that I will begin to be even more productive by seeing that I have a choice.  I can allow the “sheets” to keep me wrapped up, OR I can put my feet on the floor and carry on in strength and victory. I want to be the winner!

Today, let’s be motivated to be the very best we can be!  Let’s master our desires and impulses. As we do, we will be in such a better place to receive the rewards of our harvest.

Have a tremendous Monday!

Charlene

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How to deal with the death of a loved one

Hey everyone,

Here is my latest publication.  Thought I would share it with you. I promise I will spend more time on my blog than I have been.  I feel badly that I haven’t blogged more frequently.  But stay tuned….it’s coming!

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-deal-with-the-death-loved-one.html

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The Changing of the Guards..um, I Mean Seasons

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Hello everyone,

I don’t know about you, but as for me, it always seems that I am just beginning to relax and enjoy the summer when BANG, it’s fall! Seriously though, I do love the changing seasons. ( I don’t think I could live in an area that was relatively the same all year-long.) There is so much beauty to enjoy in each and every season. I am totally mesmerized by the magnificent display of colors in the Autumn. Every day shows more and more variety of hues. I have been blessed to be able to witness this each year. I enjoy the fresh brisk air that Autumn brings. The chilliness in the air makes me feel so alive and charged. The kid inside me, really enjoys running through the leaves and hearing them crunch!  Then afterwards, I long to go into my kitchen and bake warm homemade pumpkin bread. Hot cups of coffee mixed with homemade goodness, shared with family or friends, is the perfect blend to enjoy an Autumn day.

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I get so excited about decorating my home with the onset of each new season. Fall is one of my favorite decorating times. I just love the look and feel of the autumn colors. I have to admit I am a candle lover as well.  I thoroughly enjoy the scents that come out at this time of year. The smell of cinnamon, cloves and apple are among my very favorite. Due to the fact that it gets dark so much earlier now, I routinely add some ambiance in our home by the lighting of candles.

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Our lives are very much like the seasons. Seasons provide the Earth with what is needed in the next season.  Again, our lives are like this. When we’re young, time seems to stand still, and we can’t wait to grow up. When we’re old, time passes at a whirlwind speed, and we look back longingly at the earlier years. In between is the fullness of our life—the longest and most important season. It has been said that the spring of life consists of the time from infancy until approximately twenty years old. This is the time that it takes to go through the process of becoming an adult. Before you know it, spring is over and summer is upon us. Are those young men and women in their caps and gowns our kids? It can’t be! Why, it was only yesterday that …

And so it is, that our children begin the next season. The summer season in our life span is the longest, covering the period from about twenty years of age to the average retirement age of sixty-five. In early summer, young adults are busy raising their children—concentrating on the present. Lives are blossoming and charging full speed. But the finger of time moves on. The nest becomes empty, after our children have ventured out on their own and have started raising their own families. Late summer finds us focusing more of our energies toward slowing down and enjoying the fruit of our labors. This is generally a wonderful season. As wine mellows with age—so have we. We seem to draw closer to our loved ones, and we now have the time to pursue hobbies and to travel.

Then we stumble upon the last season of our glorious existence, the winter. In the old age of winter, you will find us in our rocking chairs reminiscing over the years we have experienced. Poring through our memories of the important days, life time events,  and all the things in between that have made us into who we are. This isn’t a time of sadness and defeat, although we know that the call of death is imminent, we can look to our children and grandchildren and rest assured that the circle of life will continue long after we are gone.

Seasons come and go. It’s important that we take the time to fully enjoy each one before it passes!

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 I have included a few interesting quotes on the Seasons of life that I enjoyed.  Talk to you soon…off to have a cup of yummy hot chocolate!

You have noticed that everything as Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything
tries to be round….. The Sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is
round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power,
whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. . . .
Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always
come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle
from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.

Black Elk 

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There was an Indian Chief who had four sons and he wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly.  So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer and the youngest son in the autumn.

A year later, when they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the pear tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no, the pear tree was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said the pear tree was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said the pear tree was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The Indian Chief then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life.

He then told them that they cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy and Love that come from life can only be measured in the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it’s winter, you will no doubt miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer and the fulfillment of your autumn.

Author Unknown

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The question, “Which is the happiest season of life?” was asked of an aged man.
And he replied: “When spring comes, and in the soft air the buds are breaking
on the trees, and they are covered with blossoms, I think, ‘How beautiful is spring’;
and when summer comes and covers the trees with its heavy foliage, and singing birds
are among the branches, I think, ‘How beautiful is summer.’  When autumn loads them
with golden fruit, and their leaves bear the gorgeous tint of frost, I think, ‘How
beautiful is autumn.’  And when it is severe winter, and there is neither foliage nor
fruit, then I look up through the leafless branches as I never could
until now, and see the stars shine in God’s home.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               unattributed

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