Ann Strong’s:
Strong You, Strong Biz

Self Improvement: Getting Beyond Habitual Conditioning

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Consciously choosing is one of my core values.  So is loving kindness.  Yet, in some situations, I’d like to respond to someone with loving kindness and I instead hear myself defending my ego or reacting from programmed conditioning.  In these moments, I realize how automatically and ready are my ego and my conditioning.

To go beyond these ingrained habits, I use one or all of my “Choosing” tools:

• As often as I remember, I affirm, “not my will, rather Thy will.”  This reminds me to choose from God/good consciousness.
• In tough situations, before I speak, I take a breath.  This gives me a moment to actually choose a response rather than habitually and automatically reacting.
• If I do react, I apologize and ask for a re-do.  This allows me to consciously respond even after I’ve reacted.
• I actively listen for inspiration and guidance.  And, I follow it, even if I don’t fully and logically understand it.  This accesses the inspired path, rather than the habitual one, because I already know where it leads!
• I remind myself to allow grace and miracles.  This chooses for me far greater outcomes than I ever could have imagined.

If we don’t consciously use choosing tools, we react as we’ve always reacted and get what we’ve always gotten!  Feel free to use my tools liberally and I would love to learn and try your tools, too . . .

Self acceptance: For the love of simplicity

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In the past week, I’ve had two people tell me about business opportunities that excited them.  They wanted me to get involved because both of them involve network marketing.  One involved a coaching product and another a health product.  The products interested me.  And, I’m looking for additional revenue streams that complement coaching to share with Thriving Coaches.   

Yet the complexity and vagueness of the business model turned me off.  If I don’t understand, how can I share it with anyone?

And, then I realized that I needed to just walk away.  

One of my core values involves simplicity.  Maybe others enjoy complexity.  Those business opportunities would be best for them.

And how beautiful is that?  No one has to be wrong.  I gravitate to what is simple and clear.  Someone else gravitates to what is complex and intricate.

I love having my core values guide me . . .

The more I grow personally and the more I support my coaching clients in their growth process, the more I notice that the most powerful thing we can do to creat our most fulfilling life:  unabashedly love and accept ourselves.  The more I live from my strengths, core values and quirky passions, the more I love my life and fill my own cup.  And, then I have more to share with those who's lives I touch.

What a beautiful, clear compass to guide me . . .