Doesn't this look absolutely Divine? Doesn't it just invite you in to take a rest and stare at the trees and water and whatever wildlife are around while you just veg out? It does to me. Too often in our culture we have to schedule the downtime. Think of the last vacation you took, did you vacate or did you run everywhere trying to cram as much into the time as possible and then needed a vacation from your vacation. Maybe you haven't taken a vacation and that could be the one thing you DO get done today, scheduling it!

I decided this summer I was not going to look back and have no quality of life and I also wasn't going to move through the warm months here in New England without enjoyment. The vacationing I like to do is a four day non scheduled, go with the flow kind of vacation. So, I scheduled one every month for the months of  May, June and July There were the typical critic head messages saying, you have to work, you have bills to pay and the what will you DOOOOOO? They were there, but I didn't have to listen to them. I decided that I was going to mix it up. So in May Howard and I went to Virginia to see family and friends as well as Washington D.C. In June I planned to go camping with some friends and July I planned on attending a wedding in California. I'm glad I had the go with the flow mentality because the camping trip was a washout! The wedding in California will be wonderful I am sure but I won't be attending as responsibilities will be creating a staycation for me, which I probably need more anyway. I didn't plan anything in August but the universe put one together for me in September combining work and play, which is the perfect scenario if you ask me!

What will  you do to relax this summer? To just lie around and not be on the go? I personally believe that we should have this every day, a little vacation in every single day, be it  meditation, a walk, listening to calming music or laughing with loved ones. Something in every day to allow us to shut off the mind chatter and to create a break in the noise and the rushing. I will admit that it takes practice to create this because it took practice to create the madness, but I know you can do it. Howard recently built a porch on the front of our house. I have been enjoying the being out and not running so much, I've fallen a bit behind in my writing but that is ok, because the break will create genius....I hope.

So, here is to longer days where we have more time to practice this time of checking in with self, breathing and perhaps an iced coffee or two! I wish you the best of summer seasons whenever it happens in your world and I wish you the relaxation of a summer day all year round.

Viewing life from my porch, wave if you drive by,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

Energy, Energy, it is all Energy and boy is it flying lately!

 

Isn't it? Are you feeling like something wound you up and is creating havoc in your electrical field? Are you crankier than usual, yet hopeful at the same time? Yup, we call that energy and I call it an energy upgrade. So, hang on to your shorts, or long pants and rain coat, if you are in the Northeast, as it is getting better and better and better.

 

I waited until today to mention this as I wanted people to not wind it up any further. It is all about me you know and the energy I perceive. HA!  So, the really cool thing about June 10th, besides my niece's birthday, is it is an opening or energy boost. We have these several times a year and they are getting closer and closer together. You can feel the momentum building if you are willing to step out of the perception that it is all about you. :) It will last for another few days and then balance out at this higher frequency. Cool huh?

 

Whenever there is an energy surge or opening, it amplifies what we are already looking at or working through, BUT, it also helps us to move forward. It is up to us if we use the energy in our greatest interest or if we use it to go further into our stuff. It is always a choice how we respond. We all have old tapes in our heads and they can be quite effective but eventually realizing the technology has moved us to digital and a faster medium is amazing and very freeing.

 

This energy is also bringing a great deal of change to people's lives. There are houses selling galore, people moving, businesses changing, relationships moving to new levels, getting clean, spiritual changes to the max and an amazing amount of letting go happening. GO YOU!

 

Take these next few days to be especially aware of your words and your mood. If it isn't forward moving or positive, please don't share it. If you have a hard time getting to a higher vibration of energy, take a walk, look at nature and it's amazing ability to be flexible and malleable. The energy will be intense for the next two days especially but your words will live on beyond that and so will anything you create in this time.

 

Also take these few days to really get clear about what you would like in life, or maybe your are like myself and would like to create a life! Get creative, get moving and allow the gift of possibility to be in your life.

 

With you on the roller coaster of energy life with my hands high in the air,

Vicki

 



Ever have one of those experiences presented to you that you KNOW is in your best interest but your gut tells you that it is going to be BIG and maybe a little scary to show up to? Kind of like a root canal or committing to a degree program, yeah that is what this week had felt like to me so far. Actually the degree program would probably be less stressful and I would get to buy school supplies, who doesn't love that?

A couple of months ago I had agreed to speak at an event where I would be challenged to encourage change, teamwork and a can do attitude. I thought, oh that's easy, I can do that, I do that every day in my work and LOVE it. So I readily agreed. Did I mention that this would be at the place where I had spent a lot of time and did a ton of growing, not always in a loving way and sometimes in a contortionist ouch that hurts way? No? Well, yes it was. I still thought, oh good, full circle, this is good too Vicki, just do it, kind of like Nike!  Get in there, do your talk, we all know I can talk, and be grateful for the experience. So I did.

Let me preface this by saying I am VERY grateful for the experience and truly believe in the place still. So, here come the hard part...IT WAS HARD! It was difficult to go in and not be a part of the organization but as my former favorite roommate at this place would say, the red headed step child. I never really got that statement until this week. I have had times, like all of us, where I didn't feel like I fit and most of the time I can just roll with it and ask what am I supposed to learn here and be done with it, yeah, a little harder here. It was harder because the rules had changed. I wasn't an employee, I was the hired help (well, technically the not hired help as I waived my fee because if you are going to be in pain, you may as well do it for free, right? Oy.). I was the one that was questioned when I first got there what service could I possibly provide (yes, this was said out loud to me and not an ego thing, although it could become one if I let it, I didn't.) and they hoped my talk was interesting. No pressure right?

So, long story short, I did my talk and I didn't like it. You know why I didn't like what I said, which was the same things I had written out and loved? I didn't like it because I bailed on me. I conformed to what they wanted. I gave the talk some did not want to hear, as was evident by some hand gestures in the audience. Here is a clue to those of you attending talks, WE CAN SEE YOU doing those faces and gestures and I can only assume the subject made them uncomfortable and send compassion. Later I could have a melt down but in front of people, no way.

I allowed a situation to dictate who I was and pull me out of the alignment I work so hard to maintain. I allowed someone to say to me, it is ok you are an intuitive but don't use any of that here. Deja vu I gotta tell ya, daja vu. So in that very moment when I was driving away from the venue I made a commitment to myself that I would only do events that were in alignment with who and what I am and the others can hire those that will give speeches that align with their desire to repeat past patterns. I was not the chick for the job. That was so clarifying and freeing because if I'm not me, no one else will be so I gotta rock this intuitive Vicki thing.

The reason I share this besides the fact I am an open book, is that you may have had similar situations and not known what to do with the emotions or the reactions that come up. Well, you look at them, you examine your part and you let it go if someone else doesn't like what you have to say. You show up for YOU and you embrace all your wonderful qualities and allow those that want to point fingers to do so, but don't agree to be on the firing range.

As the quote says, your vision will become clear when you look inside of you. I'm here to ask you to do that BEFORE you walk into a situation no matter how much you want to believe people change and are accepting. Some just aren't, bottom line. How you feel about you is the most important and perceptions of others, well, they just aren't that important. Should you find yourself in the situation, don't panic, just take a breathe and line back up with what you know to be true.

I will take this experience and still be grateful for it for I truly believe there is a message in any situation. Then I will be thankful to myself that I have been willing to change and am excited for any opportunity that can help me do it some more. I know I will be less likely to do the contortionist thing again because I will see it so much quicker next time. The beauty of life experience.

Here is to learning how to navigate this spiritual experience in a human body one glorious lesson at a time.

Viewing life with just a little bit more awe,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

....You never know what life is going to present you. Sure you can prepare by being attentive, clarifying what you would like and sure, seeing an intuitive that has the ability to see your path, but even then, you really don't know for sure. It isn't that said intuitive isn't accurate, it is that there are so many variables and how you shift on a moment to moment basis can effect so much.

The reason I bring this probably not news to you is that there is great fun in not knowing but most people are uncomfortable with the unknown. I would like to help them be so comfortable with themselves that whatever is going to happen is a non issue because they know they've got it!
 It is one of the reasons I became a certified life coach, to be able to offer that service in addition to my movie screen of information. Does that give me an edge as a coach? Perhaps, but it is the genuine desire to help people feel their value that is really most important, don't you feel? To be able to trust in themselves so much that they embrace what is still unknown to them.

When people trust in themselves they are tapped into the energy more too. Have you felt the energy this week? Whoa baby it has been moving, moving, moving. If there is an unfinished project on your list, I would suggest you dig out the list and see what you need to move the project forward. Energy is always moving but when we get these surges it can help the productivity along. Think of it as rocket fuel!

It feels as if we will have a full week of momentum, so it is up to you whether you use it for your own benefit or you allow it to freak you out. For instance, if you know your business needs to shift and calling a marketing person has been on your list, take a deep breath and do it. (Call me, I know a good company.) Or perhaps you have been putting off taking a class, call the college, dance studio, library or private tutor, do it! Maybe there is a relationship that is stagnating and you've had ideas of how to help it but have been hesitant to say anything, say it! Believe in your ability to carry it through, whatever that it is. You can do it!

Last week I accomplished more in one day than I had in weeks. Recognizing the flow of energy I got on that puppy like a surfer catching a great wave for when we are in alignment with the flow it will take us great lengths. I used it again today to clean the house to usher in the energy and the dirt out!

 There will always be things on the to do list but boy it feels good to cross off the ones that take up so much energy just thinking about. Do you have a pile of papers that need going through, do you have to make an eye doctor appointment, do you have to call the IRS? If you do, ask for agent 10748526, she was a sweetie! Regardless of what you would like to accomplish, allow the tail wind to propel you forward this week and enjoy the ride!

The adventure of life is why we choose to come here as a soul, to learn, to play and to grow but mostly to have fun. So put that on your list and do it!

Arms out in balance, riding the wave,
Vicki

                   HAPPY EVERY DAY THAT YOU ARE ON THE EARTH!

Saying Happy Mother's Day has always been a challenge for me. Oh, I can say it, I just don't understand why we have to make a day to celebrate motherhood when a daily intention makes more sense. I also have a challenge with the narrow perspective of the definition of a mother, at least in our culture. I for one, have many titles, mom, step-mother, grandmother and I am sure a mother of another type when I have annoyed people. I have also been an honorary mother to friends of the kids, partners to my kids, younger clients that look to me for guidance and to a few furry kids as well as some amphibious charges. 

I have in my experience had a mother, grandmothers, mother in law (although the jury is still out as to whether I am in the family or not. :)), honorary mothers, mentors I recognized as filling a mother role for me as well as a child of Mother Earth. Did I mention I have four older sisters? The mother energy is everywhere. Just because the birth process is defined in the dictionary as creating that role, it is not accurate in my estimation. A mother to me, is someone who loves the people in their lives and offers compassion as well as guidance when asked. A person who allows and can see the young ones in her life as having their own journey and honoring their spirit. A person who does the hard things and doesn't look for a reward for it, but rather sees her own strength and growth as a result of the process. 

So, where ever you may see these qualities or hold these qualities, honor that this Sunday and every day from there and see just how filled up you can become with the wonder of a life process.

This weekend I will celebrate with my kids and grandkids and I will have a wonderful time. Just as wonderful as when we get together on a non mother holiday and I get hugs and get to see them growing in their lives. Rumor has it there is grilling involved too. yum!

I wish you the best of all weekends and beyond, 

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

One word expresses the pathway to greatness: voice. Those on this path find their voice and inspire others to find theirs. The rest never do.”               Steven Covey

The voice is an amazing thing. It conveys content of our brains and emotions. It can carry a tune and can generate great joy with humor, inflection and inspiration. It can also be very missed when it isn't working to what has become accustomed to being "normal". I have found this out this week. What I thought was a few allergies last week has blown into a full on cold with laryngitis and a cough that would impress the keepers of any tuberculosis ward.  During this time I have been perplexed, as anyone who knows me can tell you, I am a talker. I can talk to ANYONE and often have a great time doing it. I have a pretty good vocabulary and can carry my part of the conversation quite well.....but not without a voice. The only one who understands my flailing hand signals seems to be the dog! Mostly because he's just hoping there is a treat associated with the flailing.

I have tapped into what this could be about, what am I not saying in my world and because the throat chakra is about listening too, I asked what am I not hearing? I have both been relieved that I didn't have to talk if I didn't want to and frustrated that people find it funny to point out my recent silent retreat like they've been waiting forty three years for this silence....and perhaps they have....I am a good talker as stated before. :)

Stick around any philosopher or self awareness class long enough and you will hear someone say where are you not using your voice? Where do you feel you are not expressing yourself? I have asked these questions of others myself and obviously of myself this week. They are fantastic questions to ask and I would suggest doing so before creating a health issue for self!

When we aren't using our voices to express what works and what doesn't work in our lives, the energy gets all backed up and can create everything from a tickle in the throat, ear issues to thyroid issues and other glandular challenges.

Where could you be using your voice more effectively? Where would it feel good to you to express how you are really feeling? Do you hold back because you are afraid what someone else may think? Perhaps you just need a jump start in expression.

This can be done in any number of ways. You could literally speak or sing your truth , you could do an art project or you could write a letter or a journal entry. Keep in mind if you write a letter, you do not have to send it. You can rip it up or burn it to release whatever had been pent up inside you.

If you are interested in the journal idea, feel free to sign up for a free account at my journal site www.coachingjournal.vickibaird.com. It's a great way to express right at your finger tips and completely private. Another way technology is here to help!

However you find your expression is fantastic and a gift to self and one never knows what is hidden under unexpressed emotions. Sometimes it is our genius just waiting to get out. I certainly hope this is the case with myself and one more good cough is going to release it!

I am certain my voice will be back and stronger than ever (this could be seen as a heads up) and when it is, amazing a ha's for my life along with it. That is the fun part, the a ha. Now if you'll excuse me my doctor is going to assist with the return of my voice so I can go apologize to the woman at the coffee drive thru for having to put up with my squeaky request this morning. Amazing the places we use out voices and don't even think of, isn't it?

Formally known as chatterbox as a child,
Vicki

"If you are trying to find balance in one plate while spinning twenty others, eventually, they will all fall and that will be ok, because then you will truly be able to access the situation at hand." vicki

I heard myself say this to a client last week and thought, well that is pretty good, now do you think you can listen to it Vicki? I have always been someone that does well with a lot going on around me, or so I thought. Once I realized the chaos was causing stress and a feeling of being that proverbial hamster, I knew I had to do something to change how I saw my life. Just because I was busy didn't mean that I was productive or happy about what I was doing and that is what I really wanted, to be happy being busy and being still.

I also realized that the busyness was really a procrastination method of not getting to know myself. If I kept going and putting out fires and making sure everyone else was ok I didn't have to admit I wasn't completely satisfied with myself or my life. Sound familiar?

Now having done this coaching thing for a while now, I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere this way except to more stress and an eventual end of my rope where I hoped there was a knot but a sneaking suspicion, call it intuition if you want, knew there wasn't one. So, I had a meeting with myself and asked just what the heck are you afraid of learning anyway? Once faced I had no real answer, which became my answer. I was afraid of nothing, of there being a nothing, of there being nothing to do, to take care of, that needed my attention or my help. This was where the whole balance conversation came into play. I had to become good with the nothing in order to have something. In order to have that peace I was looking for and that happiness and the space to create the life I really want. I understand energy and know that creating the life I wanted meant there had to be space in the one I had to allow other opportunities to happen.

So, that is what I did, nothing. I did nothing for a whole weekend. A WHOLE WEEKEND! Anyone who knows me well knows this was not easy to accomplish and it wasn't. I chose to use the yin yang symbol as my return point. It represents balance to me so each time my thinking head said "Vicki, there is always laundry to do, blogs to write, classes to create and oh yeah, what about that software you bought to revolutionize your coaching, you could be learning that", my knowing self or soul self or the smarter part of me said, what was your intention? What did you want to create? aahhhh space, aaaaa balance, aaaaaah yin yang.

This is when the picture of the guy trying to balance all the plates came to my minds eye as well and I had a good laugh because if you have all those plates, you do not have focus on any of them. It is not possible. I don't want to be a plate spinner, I want to be a plate connector. I want to know that plate is in my life and that whatever time I had with that plate (you get that the plate is experiences in my life right?) I was present and I was able to connect and enjoy the process without worrying about the potential crashing of another plate next to me.

Now you don't have to drop out of your life and do nothing, although I highly recommend it, but where does your life want to be balanced? Are you even in your life or are you reacting to the current fire and not able to enjoy your experience here on Earth?

What is one thing you could do to bring balance to your day? How about right now you take a deep breath in through your nose, out your mouth with a little sigh at the end. Go ahead, no one is looking. Didn't that feel good? When we breathe like this it aligns the mind, body and spirit, creating balance. Pretty cool, huh? Now in the space that created, what is your spirit asking of you? Do one thing today that will help fill that request and then thank yourself for being a plate connector. :)

The spring Equinox is March 20th for those of us in the northern hemisphere, a perfect time to reflect on balance and to create the support for that balance so you may completely enjoy your spring and summer season.

Happily in a balanced state today,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com
info@vickibaird.com
www.vbairdconnections.com