The Coaching Toys Blog

Sparker - Announce with Inspiration

A great Creative Sparker from Humble Beginnings by Melanie Keveles
How DID they start? Big success can come from amazingly humble beginnings. May their evolution to success inspire you to start your special dream
now!

Announce with Inspiration
By Melanie Keveles

When Cara O'Callaghan, Santa Barbara, CA, founded www.preggersnproud.com, she wanted to announce her approaching motherhood.

By the time she saw actress Kate Hudson wearing one of her new designer maternity T-shirts, she knew she had arrived.

"Back then there were no maternity slogan T-shirts," recalled O'Callaghan, who started her company in July 2003 while three months pregnant with her son Zaeden, now 2.

"I was playing with the idea of announcing it in a fashionable way," she explained.

Starting with an investment of just $4,000, a "dinosaur e-commerce site" with a simple PayPal account and four prototypes created by her graphic designer husband, O'Callaghan set out to exploit a niche in the new mommy market. Today her site offers t-shirts for mommy, daddy and baby.

What do you have to announce to the world and how can that announcement inspire your business?

Sparkers - Humble Beginnings© 2007 Melanie Keveles for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers, all rights reserved.

Friday Spark - Reframe the View

This weeks Sparker is from Reframe the View by Christie Latona
Using the power of metaphor to reframe what's limiting you and to discover what's possible.

New Beginnings

School is back in session and with it comes a host of crisp metaphors. It is about new beginnings (a favorite new outfit, a box of new crayons, a new backpack, a new teacher, and sometimes a new school). In our school system, the kids are encouraged to set intentions about the quality of work they intend to do. In our home, the structures get modified and re-implemented in the hopes of making getting out the door in the morning and getting homework done at night less stressful and more productive.

Somehow these new beginnings and setting of intentions are much more positive than my experience of the New Year’s Resolution. Perhaps it is because we EXPECT the crayons to break, the backpack to get torn. We EXPECT to have to constantly evolve the systems we put in place to make routines more manageable.

Look at those places in your life that need a new beginning, a fresh start. Ask yourself:

• What are my crayons and my backpack? What new supplies do I need? (No guilt over your current ones being no longer useful. We understand that supplies become worn out from use.)

• What subjects am I taking? Choose things you love and/or have a strength in. No more than 4 please!

• What intentions do I have around my performance in these subjects? Straight “A”s is an outcome. The intention behind that is about effort, commitment and doing your homework.

• What systems do I need to put in place to support those intentions? For example, in our house we have a family homework center that has all the supplies for doing homework (which we all do together). Before bed we make sure backpacks are packed and clothes are laid out to make the morning go more smoothly.

Expect to have to modify the systems and to replenish the supplies. Most everything that gets used a lot needs replacing or refreshing.

Read more creative Sparkers by Christie at www.coachingtoys.com/reframetheview.html

Sparkers - Reframe the View © 2006 Christie Latona for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers, all rights reserved.

We would love to hear your comments and experience with this Sparker.

Friday Spark - Practicing Oneness

This week's Creative Spark is from Practicing Oneness, Gentle encouragement and inspiration for choosing love instead of fear and connection instead of separation . . .  by Ann Strong

Calm Your Cynic

Our inner cynical voice will not help us create our ideal life, and yet, we often let it run the show.  You know the voice – the one that says, “it will never work, you tried before and couldn’t do it, you aren’t good enough, you don’t know how, you’ll just get hurt.”  And then asks, “who do you think you are, why bother, when would you ever find the time?”  The cynic stops us before we ever take our first step.

Next time you hear the cynic, try something new.  Give it a voice.  Allow it to run its course and write down all of its comments.  Get it out of you and onto the paper.  Write until the voice is finally silent. 

Then review your notes and begin a new list – one that declares all the self-limiting concepts you want to dump.  You may want to release fear, skepticism, anger, apathy, worry, indifference and/or hopelessness.  Imagine yourself putting these concepts in a mental dumpster or actually tear up the list and throw it away. 

Then make a third list – one that delegates to the highest part of yourself (whatever you believe that to be – God, Spirit, Higher Power, Source, All That Is) whatever you’d like to happen.  For example, if you’re working on getting more clients, you might delegate something like:  getting an abundance of clients easily and effortlessly, releasing whatever stands in the way of getting new clients, having fun getting new clients.

Allow your inner cynic to help you create whatever you desire.  By using the critical voice as a signal to become more present and consciously choose what you’d like, you have created a most unlikely ally!

Sparkers - Practicing Oneness © 2007 Ann Strong for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers & the Coaching Toys Blog, all rights reserved. 

Read more about Practicing Oneness by Ann Strong

The Friday Spark - Sink into your senses

This weeks Sparker is one of the Musical Musings by Linda Dessau
Drawing on the power of music to transform, heal, enlighten and soothe                   

Sink into your senses            

"For the maestro, music was sensory, spiritual nourishment" – Michael Gelb, "How to think like Leonardo da Vinci"       

The beauty of music is that it crosses boundaries in its capacity to nourish.

Music crosses the boundaries between the senses. When listening to music we use more than just our sense of hearing. Inside the mind we're often creating images and colours, reliving memories and scenes from past experiences or sometimes simply picturing the artist, instrument, music video or concert stage that we associate with the piece.            

Music crosses the boundaries of the brain. When listening to music both the right- and left-brain are working, engaged and attentive. The left-brain is analyzing and trying to make sense of this language it's hearing, while the right-brain is receiving the aesthetic qualities of the music and creating emotional responses.

Music crosses cultural boundaries. When listening to music it doesn't matter what language it's in, we can hear and understand the deeper meaning and the soul of the performer coming through.            

Music crosses the boundaries of health and ability. In my work as a music therapist I see this every day. When I meet my clients in the music, the veil of disability is completely lifted, and I'm blessed with a connection to a whole and healthy spirit. And as I sing and give myself musically, my whole and healthy spirit shines on through. And in that giving, I receive and I am nourished.

Music nourishes us in body, mind, soul, spirit and love. All of the elements of our being are fed and blessed.            

So for 5-15 minutes today, tune out the rest of the world and tune in to one of your favourite recordings. Sink into your senses, your extraordinary cognitive processes, your ability to transcend spoken language and your whole, beautiful spirit. Read more Sparkers by Linda Dessau at www.coachingtoys.com/musicalmusings.html

Sparkers - Musical Musings © 2006 Linda Dessau for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers, all rights reserved.

We would love to hear your comments and experience with this Sparker. Did you experiment with it yourself? Did you share it with a client?

Friday's Spark - Filling the Well

This week's creative spark is from Filling The Well, Spirited Nourishment for Creative Trailblazers, Simple Ways to Sprinkle a Little Soul Into Your Daily Life by Suzanne Vadnais Monson

Your Wild and Precious Life

Imagine you are walking through a quiet woodland. It is easy to move around. A high canopy of majestic trees dot the landscape and you can see clearly in all directions. Well groomed trails lead you through the forest. You stroll along the path feeling calm and at peace, listening to the songs of birds and enjoying the earthy aromas of the deep woods. The sound of moving water draws you toward a small stream.

Follow the stream until you find a place that invites you to stop and rest. Take a sip of the fresh, bubbling spring water and look closely into the moss and ferns lining the bank. Something catches your eye. Moving into the stream you enjoy the fresh sensation of moving water splashing on your legs. Crossing to the bank beyond, you discover an exquisite garden. Entering the garden you find a lovely patch of earth holding a project you are currently working on. Imagine the project has reached full completion and now rests before you in its best possible state. Notice the details; see its perfection, realizing in an instant what you need to do to move forward with your plan for this undertaking.

Enjoy the feelings of contentment that fill you as you bask in the glow of this project brought to completion. Feel the delicious sensation of pride building in your body. Fully absorb the reason this project has appeared in your life right now. Visualize this energy having the power to dissolve any blocks, applying it to any area of your life currently in need of transformation. Imagine you have the magic ingredients needed to create the perfect business, develop the next big trend, write a best-selling adventure story or… Fill in the blank with one of your wildest dream ideas and play with it in this happy setting.

Open your eyes when you are ready to return. Wear the glow you're feeling now for the rest of the day. This is your one wild and precious life. Come back any time you need a fresh shot of inspiration

We would love to here from you - What project did you apply this meditation to? What did you get from it?

Sparkers - Filling The Well © 2007 Suzanne Vadnais Monson for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers, all rights reserved.

Sparkers by Suzanne

Friday's Spark - Better Ideas

A Humble Beginnings Sparker by Melanie Keveles

How DID they start? Big success can come from amazingly humble beginnings. May their evolution to success inspire you to start your special dream … now!

Better Ideas

In 1967, Skip Yowell's cousin Murray had an idea for a better backpack. It would be built around a lightweight, adjustable aluminum frame. Cousin Murray formed a company. The woman he was dating at the time just happened to be a wiz on the sewing machine. Murray promised that if she would marry him, he'd name the company after her. "She did, and he did," Yowell writes in his book, The Hippie Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder & Other Mountains" and JanSport was born."

The JanSport team was just "three hippies...no business plan...even less money...All we had was Murray's innovative design, Jan's skill, my creative instincts and a shared affinity for Dylan music and beer."

Yet, the JanSport pack was an improvement over the standard backpacks of their day, and the entrepreneurial trio had providence on their side. Nature and outdoor adventure were popular. Their first big break came with an order of 300 backpacks.

Today the brand is truly recognizable and the company's signature product - a little pack is now worn by students in every part of the world.

What better ideas do you have that your friends will band with you to realize?

Sparkers - Humble Beginnings © 2006 Melanie Keveles for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers & the Coaching Toys Blog, all rights reserved. 

Read more Humble Beginnings Sparkers by Melanie

Friday's Spark - Every Picture Tells A Story, Don't It?

This weeks Friday Spark is from Journaling the Journey - Meeting Yourself on the Page with a Writing Practice by Deb Cooperman

Every Picture Tells A Story, Don't It?

If you write, you've probably experienced times when it’s hard to get going. Even if you've read all my Friday Spark offerings, you might still get stuck. (not that i can relate to such a thing.) (alright, ok ... i confess: this column is inspired by my own recent experience of being in a stuck-rut ...)

              During my recent rut, I spent time with a friend who had just returned from a vacation, and while showing off her photos, she’d stop at each one to say what was happening when it was taken ... and remembered that old Rod Stewart song: Every Picture Tells a Story               ...

              And it does.

              So here's what you do to get some photo inspiration:

              Open a photo album ... or just imagine a photo ... it could be of  you; it could be of family or a friend. It could be from a magazine... a photo of someone you don't even know. Just take a deep breath  and see what images float to the surface - don't try too hard - and once you've got a picture in your head, use this line to start and just see where it takes you: In this picture ...

              (trust me, it'll tell a story ...)

              ... and enjoy revealing yourself on the page.

              Deb

             

Note: I’m going to post one of my “picture stories” in the comments section below (just click on the word “comments” at the bottom of this post to see it) and I invite interested writers to play along too. Post your efforts in the comments section, or on your own blog and then link to this post.

Find more Sparkers by Deb at www.coachingtoys.com/journalingthejourney.html
Visit Debs blog at www.debcooperman.blogs.com/entertaininginfinity

Sparkers - Journaling the Journey © 2006 Deb Cooperman for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers, all rights reserved.

We'd love to hear your response to this Sparker - What role does writing serve in your personal journey?

The Friday Spark - Fresh Starts

This week's creative spark is from Filling The Well, Spirited Nourishment for Creative Trailblazers, Simple Ways to Sprinkle a Little Soul Into Your Daily Life by Suzanne Vadnais Monson

Fresh Starts

In our normal everyday lives things happen that help us step back and see with fresh perspective. We are given a gazillion chances to begin again. Let this Sparker be a catalyst, a lively reminder to notice the mysterious synchronicities happening in your world.

What amazing thing happened to you when you locked your keys in the car and had to ask for help, or stopped to pick up the piece of paper blowing along the sidewalk that turned out to be a thought-provoking page torn from someone’s journal, or turned on the radio just in time to hear a song so loaded with significance it brought tears to your eyes?

The amazing truth is that every moment noticed is an opportunity to start fresh. Seeing, pausing long enough to actually take something in completely, is the recipe for fully engaging in our lives.

It is easy to get lost in the details of our days and become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks and responsibilities. To gain some fresh perspective, try this exercise for seven days. Write the following affirmation on a slip of paper: I carry fresh awareness everywhere I go.  Post it somewhere you will notice it a couple of times a day. Go about your day as usual with this one change: stop whatever you are doing at three different predetermined times and look around. What do you see? What do you hear? Is there anything that piques your curiosity? Check it out!

At the end of the day take note of three things you noticed in a journal. Simply jot down what happened when you paused. At the end of the week review your notes. What strikes you when you review your notes? The gift of fresh perspective is often easy to see after some time has passed. You may notice that pausing helps you move through a challenge or pulls you out of a rut. Or maybe you notice how much a little break helps you energize and refocus. Give it a try and see what’s waiting for you to discover.

Sparkers - Filling The Well © 2006 Suzanne Vadnais Monson for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers, all rights reserved.

Let us know how you like this Sparker. Tell us about your rituals for managing change. To read more Sparkers by Suzanne

Friday's Spark - Fallen Leaves

This weeks Sparker is from Reframe the View by Christie Latona
Using the power of metaphor to reframe what's limiting you and to discover what's possible.

Fallen Leaves

Fallen leaves of many colors are blanketing the ground after floating down from previously lofty positions.  Some leaves let go only after completely being drained of all color while others let go at their most glorious time.  Some are forced to detach by strong winds, while others seem to start the journey based on some internal sense.  The transition from autumn to winter always happens regardless of how the leaves fall.

What is season of transition are you in the midst of?

How can you make the transition feel more natural?

What, if anything, is causing you to hang on?

The idea of seasons can help you look for the gift in the present situation. Make your own seasonal reminder by dividing paper into four quadrants and labeling them: WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN. Into each of these quadrants, write/collage/draw all of the gifts you associate with that season. That spring always follows winter can help remind us that death of one career can lead to life in another. Remembering that rain makes the flowers grow can help reframe a character-building hardship.

Read more creative Sparkers by Christie at www.coachingtoys.com/reframetheview.html

Sparkers - Reframe the View © 2006 Christie Latona for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers, all rights reserved.

We would love to hear your comments and experience with this Sparker.

The Friday Spark

This week's creative spark is from Filling The Well, Spirited Nourishment for Creative Trailblazers, Simple Ways to Sprinkle a Little Soul Into Your Daily Life by Suzanne Vadnais Monson

Go With The Flow

How do you handle change? Think back to a time when you were in a new situation, changed jobs, moved, started a relationship, or took those often-awkward first steps toward an important goal. What comes to mind as you relive these squirmy moments?

For many of us, change brings out our biggest fears. Something about not knowing what is happening triggers our deepest insecurities. We lose our ability to focus on the present moment because we are convinced the sky is falling. We forget to breathe, lose faith, and imagine the worst.

During times of transition we are given the opportunity to learn more about who we are and the world we live in. What simple steps can you take to help ease yourself through change? Pay attention to activities that help ground you, little rituals that fill you with comfort and a sense that you can trust the flow of your life. When you catch yourself going off the deep end, remind yourself to choose curiosity over fear, and give this simple ceremony a try.

Visit a stream or river and sit quietly at its side. Meditate for a moment on how the moving water isn't worried about the constant state of flux that is the life of a stream. It simply drifts by on its journey to the oceans. Ride the current, swim with the possibilities, wash away your worries and ride the waves. If there is a particular situation you are having difficulty with, offer it to the stream. Find a leaf or feather to symbolize your issue. Place it on the surface of the stream, while repeating these words aloud: Let this gift symbolize my desire to flow with the changes in my life. If you don't have access to a real live stream, use your imagination to visualize completing this powerful exercise.

Though it is uncomfortable not having the answers or a sense of what the next step is, it is in the process of exploring new opportunities that we grow. Change. It's a given. Visualize yourself moving gently down the stream of your life.

Sparkers - Filling The Well © 2006 Suzanne Vadnais Monson for Coaching Toys Inc - Sparkers, all rights reserved.

Let us know how you like this Sparker. Tell us about your rituals for managing change. To read more Sparkers by Suzanne