What’s the Buzz?

The mystery and meaning of life was unceremoniously revealed to me one Saturday afternoon in the fall of 1999.  What began as an ordinary weekend of classes at the Institute of Healing Arts and Sciences, ended up being extraordinary. The powerful discovery has had a profound impact on my life and in turn, the lives of others. This post is Part 1 (of 2).

The founder of the Institute informed us of a Saturday schedule change – she added a special session to enhance and expand our growth. We learned that Richard, a third year student skilled at shamanic work, had been selected to take us (first year students) on a shamanic journey.  This was all new to me and I wasn’t sure I wanted to travel on this shamanic journey to the “invisible worlds” beyond ordinary reality.  Sure, I had meditated before, but this journey was to “Lower World” to meet and receive a gift from our “power animal.” My classmates were totally excited.  To be honest, I was intrigued about meeting my power animal, and began to wonder about the gift. Who doesn’t like gifts, right?

Yet, the thought of going to “Lower World” was unappealing to me. Maybe it was my Catholic upbringing or perhaps my logical linear mind that was holding me back.  I felt apprehensive about moving forward with this journey, until I heard a familiar inner voice whisper, “You’ll be fine.  Trust the process and your inner guidance.”

Richard, explained “Lower World” as earthly – filled with mountains, desserts, dense jungles, and forests. To get there you go through an opening that appears in the ground (sort of like Alice in Wonderland) that takes you through a “magical tunnel” to Lower World.  Eventually you come out of the tunnel and into a lighted area where your surroundings become clear.  Richard said he would beat a drum during the journey and stated that when we saw an animal, we could ask it if it was our power animal and if the animal said “yes” remember to ask for the gift.

Join me . . .the  journey  continues in part 2 .

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MaryAnn D’Ambrosio’s passion is to work with individuals and groups who are ready to “leap” and experience a vibrant, dynamic on-purpose life.  MaryAnn helps corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals connect with the powerful energy of G-Force: Grace and Gratitude, the rocket fuel for success! If you’ve been merely surviving instead of thriving be sure to pick-up your F*R*E*E Overcome Overwhelm Toolkit at:  LeapWithoutLimits.com

Love Creates Miracle

Earlier this month, my heart was lifted by a story I read in a daily guide for spiritual living that I subscribe to.  In these unsettling times of Federal and State budget crises and neighbors being laid off, this beautiful story reminds me of two things I firmly believe in:

1. Miracles do happen every day!

2. The human spirit is unstoppable.

Enjoy the story . . .

An Australian couple, Kate and David Ogg, were given the devastating news that one of their premature twins, a son, was unable to be revived and had been pronounced “dead.”  Before the couple released their newborn son to the staff, they wanted to celebrate his brief life, love him and then say good-bye.  They practiced “kangaroo care,” an Australian technique of placing a newborn on the bare chest.  After a few minutes the baby began to move. The doctor dismissed the movements as reflexes and insisted that their son was not alive.  For two hours, Kate continued to hold their son and love him.  Soon he opened his eyes.  The doctor refused to come back to the room to witness the miracle and had to be lured back to listen to his chest.  Upon hearing the baby’s heartbeat, the doctor responded, “I don’t believe it.”

Believe it. What amazes me most about this story is the ability of the couple to “let go” of the devastating news and be in the moment.  Instead of reacting with anger and resentment to their loss, they simply responded to the present moment by surrounding the baby with love and warmth as they said their good-byes.  This beautiful testament of love and the human spirit – lifts my spirit and reminds me that miracles do happen every day!

To witness this miraculous story through video watch below or click here.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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MaryAnn D’Ambrosio’s passion is to work with individuals and groups who are ready to “leap” and experience a vibrant, dynamic on-purpose life.  MaryAnn helps corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals connect with the powerful energy of G-Force: Grace and Gratitude, the rocket fuel for success! If you’ve been merely surviving instead of thriving be sure to pick-up your F*R*E*E Overcome Overwhelm Toolkit at:  LeapWithoutLimits.com

On the Shoulders of Giants!

If you’re serious about growing your business and thinking about selecting a business coach who’s more of a mentor – check out the following tips from my friend, colleague, and today’s guest blogger Chris Makell.    Chris is an authentic leader, a “walk the talk” mentor and someone who’s extraordinary at coaching individuals who are ready to “Think Big . . . Play Bigger!” (She knows what she’s talking about.  Thanks to Chris’ coaching and mentoring,  I was able to tune-up my coaching program and approach, to successfully attract high-level clients within days of our coaching session.) It’s an absolute honor to share Chris Makell’s wisdom with you.

“For the past 5 years, I’ve invested in classroom training, personal coaching and home study programs to grow my skills and expertise as a coach. I’ve also worked with personal coaches to guide me in pursuing excellence as a coach and to develop the “business owner” skills rarely taught in coaching schools. I can count the number of coaches I’ve worked with on one hand and I’m proud to say that each time I’ve “grown up” just a little bit more.

Each coach brought me to a new level of learning about my talents and abilities to focus my coaching business and myself. All were pretty solid in their own talents and abilities – or I wouldn’t have worked with them. Well, except for one – there’s always one. And by the way, that one was absolutely necessary. They teach you what to look out for in the future. So it was a good learning experience, even though it wasn’t as joyful…

And now, I’m looking at my other hand, counting my new coach, who is more of a mentor. This was a very thoughtful decision, on both our parts, made primarily based on following this mentor/coach for about a year before attending one of his workshops. There I got to see and experience him “up close and personal”. And I have to say this is different – for a lot of reasons, but mostly because I am now “grown up” enough to better select “the giant on whose shoulders I want to stand!”

Based on this experience, I want to share a few tips with you, so that you can save time and money when searching for and selecting the mentor/coach who can help you grow and create a more successful life and/or business!

Tip #1 – Follow them around

Now, I don’t mean stalk them that could get you some legal coaching. What I mean is, subscribe to their newsletter, if they have one – and if they don’t you may want to question how they stay in touch with you, so that you can learn more from them. You want to have or hear a consistent “ping” from a coach or mentor so that you can assess their style, where they stand and how they think. Then you can decide if they can deliver what you need. Also, if they offer free teleseminars or teleclasses, join in and listen, then you’ll hear them in action and decide if you like what you hear.

Tip #2 – Try them out and see how they fit

You know those really comfortable shoes you just love to wear when you’re in for a long day? You just know you’re going to wear these shoes when you are traveling, racing through the airport, or in that all day meeting that leads to dinner, etc. Well, you should try out the coach/mentor’s products, workshops, and offerings to see if they’re comfortable for the long journey you’re on, in building your business. I have purchased home study programs and referred back to them years later for tips – that’s comfort.  You want to know if they can help you increase your business by going deeper and investing in an entry level program or product, that gives you a better experience than just the free “goodies”.

Tip #3 – Does it feels right, for where you want to go?

Investing in yourself by working with a mentor/coach is serious business and you want to feel it’s right for you. So use tips 1 & 2 to help you get a good feel for this person.

Ask yourself:

–       Are they consistent?

–       Do they say things that make sense to you?

–       Are they clear and give you action you can ACTUALLY take?

–       And most important, are they where you WANT to go?

You see that last question is probably the biggest question you have to answer for yourself and your business. Are THEY where you want to go? Because you want someone to pull you forward to the lifestyle and business you want to lead. Otherwise, you’ll likely move forward, but at a much slower pace and with a little more pain.

Once you’ve decided where you want to go in your life or business, why not take advantage of those who have gone before you. Why not, stand on the shoulders of giants and get yourself there faster?”

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As the business mentor/coach to the service professional who is ready to thrive and experience abundance, Chris Makell is particularly skilled at showing her clients a different way to ”Think Big…Play Bigger™” so that they create profitable 6 & 7-figure businesses.

Claim your free special report “5 Critical Steps to Get High Paying Clients, Today” at http://ChrisMakell.com/specialreport/

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MaryAnn D’Ambrosio’s passion is to work with individuals and groups who are ready to “leap” and experience a more vibrant on-purpose life.  MaryAnn teaches corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals how to access the language of creation by tuning into inner wisdom and lining up the energy to create their heart’s desire.  If you’ve been merely surviving instead of thriving be sure to pick-up your F*R*E*E Overcome Overwhelm Toolkit at:  LeapWithoutLimits.com

The Number 5 Makes an Appearance

On day 5 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge it happened quickly and unexpectedly – writer’s block set in.  What a change; I wanted freedom from this challenge. On the previous 4 days, ideas flowed freely cascading from the mind, spilling into the heart, sparking inspiration and easily navigating through the fingertips to produce copy onto the computer screen.

Where did the brilliant ideas and writing enthusiasm disappear to?  Sure the blog challenge hosts provide plenty of fabulous suggestions, yet none of the ideas felt right today.  My analytical side kicked-in and wondered “what’s holding up the writing?”  Then it dawned on me – it was the 5th day of the month and the 5th day of the blog challenge.  Oh, there it is . . . the number “5” showing up several times.

I love numbers (must be from my financial days) and find numerology fascinating.  Numerology is the science of vibrations and a tool that can be used to gain a clearer understanding of ourselves and our world.  Numerology is as ancient as the recorded history of mankind.  Pythagoras is considered to be the father of Numerology and his work dates back 2,500 years.

In numerology, every number carries a vibrational energy or essence that represents certain qualities and attributes.  The number “5” represents “freedom” and “change.”  That’s what’s significant about today . . . the qualities of freedom and change have shown-up the day after the 4th of July.  Our Founding Fathers can rest assured that the energy of – freedom and change – set in motion almost 250 years, can still be felt today.

A favorite comprehensive numerology book:  Numerology – Spiritual Light Vibrations by Jeanne.

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MaryAnn D’Ambrosio’s passion is to work with individuals and groups who are ready to “leap” and experience a more vibrant on-purpose life.  MaryAnn teaches heart-based entrepreneurs and professionals how to access the language of creation by tuning into inner wisdom and lining up the energy to create their heart’s desire.  If you’ve been merely surviving instead of thriving be sure to pick-up your F*R*E*E Overcome Overwhelm Toolkit at:  LeapWithoutLimits.com