Moments Matter Most

“The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

Although the response to the Coronavirus has left people fearful, it is probably safe to say that many of you have had to re-evaluate how you live. 

For many it has meant a loss of income, especially those self-employed and/or service based industries as well as taking on new roles such as teacher for your children or working from home instead of an office and even having to change your entire job duties.

While these are huge challenges that even cause new problems, you can stop and reflect and decide if you are going to be defeated or if you are going to use this experience to make your life far better than it was before.

It is in times like this that you figure out what matters most. Your time, your money, your health (mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual all matter), your career, your home, your hobbies and passions, and your children all need you to pay attention.

This is a lot to manage! So…take a moment. Just a moment and pay attention to that moment, to that one email, to that one child, to that one task at home. One at a time, one moment at a time. These little moments are all that matter.

You can’t stop this virus or the other thousands of ways you can become sick or die. But you can choose how you live in each moment. 

Remember to ask for help if you need it and to offer help where you can.

Message me to learn more about trainings and coaching. Your health and wellbeing matter!

Below you will find next week’s FREE, online, quick and simple, no experience needed meditation links. Just download Zoom and click the link. 

Sending many blessings, perfect healing, and peace of mind.

Amy McCae
http://www.amymccae.com

Mindful Monday Meditation
Liquid Sunshine Body Scan
Time: Apr 20, 2020 12:30 PM Central Time
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/4955763850
 
Thankful Thursday Meditation
Creating Space for Freedom
Time: Apr 23, 2020 12:30 PM Central Time
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/4955763850
 

 

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Be the CHANGE! Raise Consciousness!

Why is it when you buy a car you “suddenly” notice so many other people driving the same car?

Believe it or not this is no accident, it’s science. The reticular formation is a part of your brain that helps determine what gets through to your conscious attention. Once you buy a car your brain automatically adjust and allows this new information in. So now you see your car, the same car, even the same color everywhere. There was not a sale on cars where you and countless others bought the same car. You just have the capacity to notice that particular car now. This is often referred to as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon or frequency illusion.

Do you really think it only works for cars buying?

What if you consciously decided to think about and allow some other ideas to come into your mind? What if you became more conscious and noticed things you never even thought possible and never knew existed before? How different would your life be then? How different would this world be?

Right now we are sitting at a turning point in evolution. We have a global pandemic that is going to alter all of our lives forever. In this moment people are at home stating they are in “lock down,” schools are closed, businesses lost, domestic violence rates rising, and people are walking around terrified of germs and hoarding toilet paper and hand sanitizer

Is this the direction you want the world to go?

It is time to wake up and pay attention. Pay attention to your intention. What you think about you bring about. Mindfulness of your thoughts, feelings, and actions matters more now than ever before.

Choose wisely.

To help you see your potential power I invite you to read the following essay by Charles Einstein. I have followed him for years… I have thought all of the things he mentions but have not been able to put my thoughts and feelings into words. It is a bit lengthy but worth every single second you spend reading it.  AND it will raise your awareness allowing you an opportunity to see more than just a lot of cars like yours.https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/the-coronation/

Now that you understand the power of your mind, use it for good. There are a number of meditation groups that are inviting people to take 20 minutes this Saturday, April 4 at 9:45 p.m. Central Time to imagine a better world. If your one mind can show you your new car seemingly accidentally, what do you think 1000s of minds intentionally together can do? You can do this for just a few minutes if that is all you have but… please pause and give thanks, send love, see the earth and all of its habitants happy, healthy, and peaceful, remember your freedom, see and feel the world as you intend it to be. AND share this!

Energy healing is something I strongly recommend right now as it will help with overcoming fear, building immunity, and so much more. Again, this may not have been in your awareness but once it is it can be life changing. Healing is actually vibrational. I’ll fill you in on that another time.

If you would like to learn more about coaching, online trainings, and energy work please send me a message at creativewellness@cox.net

Sending you many blessings, perfect healing, and peace of mind.

Thank you,

Amy McCae

Certified Life Coach, Corporate Wellness Trainer, Holistic Wellness Expert, Mindfulness Meditation Teacher

http://www.amymccae.com

The Art of Mindful Communication

” The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Benard Shaw

Can you hear me now?

I have often joked that monk on a mountain may have an easier time as he isn’t stuck dealing with people. We all have had a family member, boss, or colleague that we felt challenged by and needed to have a conversation to resolve the issues. Since you likely can’t retreat from the world you might as well learn how to communicate effectively.

A mindful conversation includes three parts; listening, looping, and dipping. For the details on how to practice scroll down…I find it considerably easier to practice with clients or just to practice than I do in “real” life or with certain people and relationships. Be easy on yourself and just practice. Remember kindness and curiosity go a long way.

AND so does perspective…

Being the oldest of four children I am always amazed at how differently we each view the same event. I can sit with my siblings discussing a prior holiday and some how we each have our own version as well as our own feelings. Same event, same people, completely different experience for each one of us. Remember this when dealing with others; your perception of what is occurring is different from the person you are communicating with.

Imagine an optical illusion you have seen in the past. Were you able to see it different ways or did it take a while? It is always interesting to me that we see things one way and may not even notice other ways unless someone points other options out to us. Suddenly we then have new options for our perception. Our awareness has broadened and we are now more open-minded and receptive. Remember this in your conversations. You want people to understand your perspective so be open to theirs as well. Passing judgement will only hurt you and them. Being compassionate for yourself and others will assist you greatly.

Mindful listening is the practice of giving your attention to another person moment to moment. Let’s be honest and think how often our minds wander to other things when we are with other people.  When your mind gets away and your attention wanders you simply notice and gently bring it back to the person. Being present with another person and listing to them feels like an act of compassion and kindness. You can even do it with strangers!

Looping is a process that looks like this: One person is speaking and then the other repeats back what they believe they heard.  The speaker then gives feedback and the listener again repeats until the the speaker feels understood. Your perception and awareness expand.

What is referred to as “dipping” is checking in with yourself. We are often distracted by our own thoughts, sensations, and experiences. This is useful for both the speaker and the listener. When you get distracted just notice without judgement. Name the emotion, notice the sensation, acknowledge the thought.

To practice formally you can get a partner and explore the following. Speaker one will speak for four minutes and speaker two will listen. Then, speaker two will repeat what speaker one said in an attempt to understand for four to six minutes. When one is speaking the other must be silent. You also must not try to “fix” the speaker’s problem. You aren’t listening to reply either. You are listening for them to feel heard and validated.

Remember also that you are continually checking in with yourself, perhaps sensing your body or noticing your breath, acknowledging your feelings. This insures you are present, consciously choosing your response, being kind and curious, and that you resolve problems.

Mindful Breathing, Mindful Emotions (Affect Labeling), and a Body Scan are a few core practices in mindfulness based practices so… if you practice these on your own then when you are having a conversation!!

If you would like to learn more about how mindfulness and mindful communication can help you or your organization please set up a phone consultation https://amymccae.as.me/focussession

Thank you,

Amy McCae

Corporate Wellness Trainer, Life Coach, and Mindfulness Meditation Teacher

www.amymccae.com

Insight and Perspective=Empowerment

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” Albert Einstein

Meditate.

No, it won’t solve every problem, but you will gain insight and perspective and with that comes a new level of consciousness. 

(SCROLL DOWN FOR SALES)

Psychologists suggest that 80% of the time you are emotionally reacting to people and experiences based off situations and experiences of your past. If you wish to consciously choose your response from a more ideal level of consciousness for better outcomes you must first develop self-awareness.

Self-awareness gives you insight into your thoughts, your emotional processes, your relationships, your history, your values, your beliefs, your stress level, your well-being, your dreams and passions, your skill set, and so much more.

Although I am a fan of self-discovery through Enneagram tests, Gallup Strength Finder, and others, sometimes what you need to do is be still and be silent, if even for a few moments. We as society spend too much time “doing” and not enough time allowing for the space where the answers come naturally.

“Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?” Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?” Lao Tzu

My experience has been that formal meditations practices make it easier for me to be naturally more mindful and self-aware throughout the day (science says this is so…). I have also found that consciously choosing mini moments to mindfully notice my breath, sense my body, name my feelings, notice the sounds, or notice my thoughts helps me to make more conscious decisions. These practices give me clear insight and I gain perspective even in the worst of scenarios. 

Both of these styles of practices lead me to silence, stillness, and knowing. This quiet knowing allows me to make conscious decisions that improve my health, relationships, and success in positive and empowering ways. YOU CAN TOO!

“The real meditation practice is how we live our lives from moment to moment.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

If you are interested in learning more please set up a free FOCUS SESSION 
https://amymccae.as.me/focussession

DECEMBER DEALS:
*By multiple requests, NEW OFFER: Mindfulness Training and Energy Work/2 hour session
*Invite me to speak next year and get this year’s price. January 1st the investment cost goes up.
*20% OFF Mindfulness Matters 6 Month Coaching Package 
*Buy one Intuitive Energy Work session and get one half off
Some exclusions apply
GET the details NOW https://amymccae.as.me/focussession

Wishing you an amazing and peaceful day,

Amy McCae
Certified Life and Executive Coach. Mindfulness Meditation Teacher. Intuitive Energy Coach.
http://www.amymccae.com

Do you emotionally react or consciously choose? Tips to develop emotional intelligence, resiliency, and compassion.

“Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles, and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving until the right action arises by itself?” Lao Tzu

Through mindfulness based practices you learn to cultivate curiosity and kindness through non-judgmental awareness of your thoughts, feelings, experiences, and even other people. This does not mean that you sit around feeling happy all of the time or that everything goes exactly as you wish and certainly not that other people do what you think they should. It means you have enough self-awareness to make a conscious decision even when things aren’t as ideal you would like.

The one thing you have control of is your reaction.

Have you ever walked into a room and felt the “anger” in the room or a heaviness or it just felt off? Have you ever been in a conversation that you began as happy and ended feeling sad? Have you ever read an email or text and got frustrated despite the words being clear?

Emotion Contagion is essentially “catching” another’s feelings. You can even unconsciously begin to mimic gestures and behaviors of the people you are around. Mirror neurons are brain cells that react both when you perform a task as well as observe someone performing the same task and are the reason you have the ability to feel someone’s feelings.

Empathy is the ability to share and understand the feelings of others. Compassion is what moves you to want to reduce another’s suffering. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand other people’s feelings as well as your own, discern between the two, and instead of emotionally reacting, choose consciously your response.

There are some things you can do to help you “let the mud settle” and get into the frame of mind where you are less likely to regret your decisions and more likely to reduce stress and anxiety. The following practices will help you cultivate emotional intelligence, resiliency, empathy, compassion, and even improve your communication.

*You always have the right to say you need a minute. 60 seconds can change your life.

*Take a few mindful breaths-Science proves this activates your parasympathetic nervous system which means it will help you relax, science says so…

*Put your feet on the ground, sense your toes, sense your hands, or sense your core area- Be grounded, you will feel more confident and centered.

*Name what you are feeling, sense where it is in your body, get to know it- Affect labeling has been proven to rewire the brain by calming the amygdala and allowing you access to higher levels of thinking via the pre-frontal cortex.

*Listen to understand, not reply.

*Remember everyone is fighting a battle you may know nothing about.

*Remember you don’t fight for peace you peace for peace.

*AND LAST but certainly not least practice a Loving Kindness Meditation- This can look as simple as saying to yourself “May I be at ease, May I be at peace, May I be loved, May I be well. Then, saying it to another as May you…. Get into those feelings of compassion, revel in them for you and send it to others.

If you would like to dig a little deeper into these ideas or if you are struggling please click and set up a FREE PHONE CONSULT

Sending blessings, well wishes, compassion, and joy,

Amy McCae

Life and Executive Coach. Mindfulness Meditation Teacher. Intuitive Energy Coach.

www.amymccae.com

ANXIETY?!?! 3 tips to gain perspective and peace of mind.

Anxiety is the result of not being in the present moment. General feelings of being anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed often occur when your mind is occupied by feelings of past regrets and/or concerns for the future. If you can bring your attention to the present moment you will gain perspective and peace of mind.  From my experience there are three traits that people feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and stressed exhibit: *Troubled Thinking- Your thinking needs rethought. You are unaware of the subconscious beliefs that may hold you back. You try to control people, places, and events. You blame time, other people, or circumstances. ***Stop. Breath. Recharge. Gain Clarity. *** *Questionable E.Q.- You have forgotten who you are and pay little attention to how you feel. Your ability to make conscious decisions that impact your health, relationships, your success, and even your level of confidence are directly related to your level of emotional intelligence. ***Learn Mindful Emotions (Affect Labeling)*** *Shaky Self-Worth- Imposter Syndrome is term used to describe people that struggle with self-doubt, perfectionism, lack of self-worth and more despite success. Men suffer as well, it just takes longer to get them to admit it.  *** Do something KIND for YOU. Daily. *** If you would like to learn more please set up a free Focus Session here https://amymccae.as.me/focussession I also offer fantastic corporate training on a variety of topics related to mindfulness, wellness. stress management, communication, and emotional intelligence.  A special thank you to these lovely ladies below:)!! They periodically call me to speak at the college and I always have such a nice time. Have an amazing day! Thank you, Amy McCae Certified Life Coach and Executive Coach and Mindfulness Meditation Teacher www.amymccae.com

Train Your Brain: Name it to Tame it

Want a quick tip to help rewire your brain to not be so stressed and anxious? Want to be more of a visionary?

Tell me how do you feel right now?

Here is the deal, when you are stressed your Amygdala is activated. This is keeping you stuck in fight, flight, or freeze mode. One way to begin to shift is to simply name the emotion you are feeling. (AKA Affect Labeling or Mindful Emotions)

When you name what you are feeling the Amygdala begins to deactivate which allows you access to your Pre-frontal cortex so that you utilize higher levels of executive type thinking.

THIS IS A GAME CHANGER if you seek to be a visionary. BUT… so many people are out of touch with what they are feeling and are only focused on doing and on achieving results. If you really want to make an impact you need to use the part of your brain designed for it.

Pause, breath, notice your body, name the emotion you are feeling. Simply acknowledging without judgement and without trying to fix anything insures your emotions don’t control you. In time your practice will deepen but for today just try it out.

If you would like to learn more please set up a free phone consultation https://amymccae.me.focussession

Many Blessings to you,

Amy McCae

Amy McCae is a Life and Executive Coach as well as Mindfulness Meditation Teacher who helps leaders gain clarity, confidence, and satisfaction. She is passionate about wellness and raising consciousness. Amy offers coaching, mindfulness meditation, and energy work. You can read Amy’s story and view her credentials at http://www.creativewellnessomaha.com

Stress Less Now; Five Steps to Self-Empowerment and Peace of Mind

Over the years I taught these steps and practices to numerous people and countless organizations. The practices are Awareness, Acceptance, Attitude, Action, and Acknowledgement. Each one of these has a skill set for you to practice.

The guide was created with the intention of helping you in reducing stress and overwhelm, gaining clarity and confidence, and developing compassion and emotional intelligence. If you practice the skills you have the capacity to transform your health, relationships, and success.

Take a look here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VODblJW0RA7DjCXCo7OYBgHlUedmcBpZ/view?usp=sharing

Thank you,

Amy McCae

Certified Life Coach, Executive Coach and Trainer, Mindfulness Meditation Teacher

www.amymccae.com

Don’t Manage, Monitor Your Mind. MIND HACK.

MIND HACK TOOL AT THE END!
About thirteen years ago I took my first “meditation” class, The Silva Life System. The course was originally called “Silva Mind Training.” During the initial weekend I kept having thoughts. I expressed my frustration to Father Justin, the instructor. He replied; “Well, Amy, I have been teaching this for forty years and I still have thoughts. It is not that you have thoughts that is the problem, it is what you do with them.”

Over the years since that initial class I have returned to retake the class, participated in the advanced courses, taken other courses related to the mind, and developed a deep a passion for mindfulness and am now certified to teach.

The simple observation of your thoughts without judgement loosens the hold you think they have on you. The practice of noticing without getting attached to your thoughts brings peace. The understanding that you are not your thoughts is eye opening. You do not have to manage or control your mind, you just need nonjudgemental awareness. You need to practice mindfulness. 

Here is your mind hack tool:
I spent quite a few hours in a sales class last week. Day four was on Mindset. I had to journal about my negative feelings and thoughts on sales and where those ideas came from. Then, I had to come up with a transition statement for when I was having those thoughts. I have done this before but never for sales. WOW… 

Try it out for yourself. Choose an area in your life that you are not happy with or something you avoid. What is the story your mind tells you? Why? What is  phrase you can use that help you switch gears just enough to believe something else?

If you would like to learn more please set up a free consultation https://amymccae.as.me/focussession

I am currently offering a six month coaching program as well as a six hour comprehensive (2 three hours sessions).

Have a fantastic weekend!

Thank you,

Amy McCae
Life and Executive Coach and Trainer
Mindfulness Meditation Teacher (and more)
http://www.amymccae.com

Get the Monkey off Your Back

Last weekend I was sorting through old files and getting rid of crap. In one of those files I found a list of “Monkey Mind Symptoms” that came from the first life coach I ever hired over twelve years ago.

Monkey Mind is a term coined by Buddhists referring to the self-limiting beliefs that run rampant in your brain. It refers to the thoughts you have that cause you to feel anxious or worried. Monkey Mind tells you that you are not good enough, it helps you make excuses, it keeps you a victim or a martyr, it allows you to place blame or be judgmental and countless other distractions from the present moment and your peace of mind.

Mindfulness helps you become aware of the thoughts you think. When you practice mindfulness and meditation you begin to see the truth, you are not your thoughts. Thoughts are just ideas created by your brain based off experiences you have had. When you understand this you reach a new level of empowerment. You can choose a new thought. You can make friends with your thoughts. You can choose to see Monkey Mind for what it really is, made up BS that doesn’t serve you.

When you realize you and your thinking are the root of your problems you may for moment feel frustrated and question how great self-awareness is. Even after all these years of meditating and now teaching mindfulness passionately, I still realize new things about my thinking that challenge me. For example last night I realized I had a fear of being “too much.” All the time I spent doubting my worth and now I realize “too much” exists within my thinking.

Do you experience Monkey Mind? Sometime today take five minutes to yourself to just be still. This is the only way you can find out what is really going on upstairs. Your mind will tell you that you need to do this and that and lead you to countless other things. Your job is to lead it back to your breath each time and to do so for five minutes. Notice the thoughts you think. Notice how you feel about them. Take a few minutes to journal about this experience.

If you would like to dig a little deeper into your thinking please set up a free Focus Session https://amymccae.as.me/focussession

This month I have been offering a 40 minute Zoom session to do a personalized meditation. YOU GET THE AUDIO TOO!

Many Blessings to you,

Amy McCae

Executive Trainer and Coach, Mindfulness Meditation Teacher

http://www.amymccae.com