What I learned when I gave a speech online: An ‘Aha’ for A webinar newbie

I’ve always wanted to work on television. Still hold that vision. Still set that intention.

The true intention sounds more like “spread my message to as many people as whom want to receive it; where it will be of the highest good”,

but the ‘human’, ‘ego’ side of me would TOTALLY love that to be expressed in my life as, well…me being on TV.

Anyway…

Sitting in front of my computer, wearing pyjama bottoms… I did a speaking gig online tonight.

Now I know what you might be thinking…”yesterday’s news”, but SERIOUSLY, in 4 1/2 years of working as a speaker, I have never delivered a speech via the internet before. (I’ve talked in to my webcam before & recorded it, but this was different.)

The whole thing was an eyeopener for me.

When it was all done, we were signed off & the last tweet was tweeted, I sat back and had an AHA moment. I got a strong message. It was something like this…

“Heather, you can do what you already do (Speaker/Teacher), online and guess what…:

You don’t have to leave your house.

You can wear pyjama bottoms and still maintain your ‘street cred’.

Some people actually see more value & would be willing to pay more to come to a webinar & hear what you have to say, then to have to come in from out of town to get to a live event. 

You’d be able to share real time information (website links, supporting documents, suggested reads etc.) INSTANTLY with your audience.

You can be available to ANY market that has access to an internet connection or telephone  & wants to hear you speak. 

*Um…..let’s just pause here, HEATHER, did you hear that last one?? 

Yep, u-huh I got it. Aha moment had. Totally get it got it. Thank you Life! (LessonsInF$=**%Everything).

Growth feels good.

Full steam ahead.

#Yay2012

Lots of Love,

Heather

Huge gratitude and love to Christine Pilkington & @EMomNowVan for being the angel on earth who delivered this opportunity for growth to me. 

Productivity is equal to Planting

Gardeners do not plant and harvest carrots on the same day.

And productivity does not exist in a vacuum.

Days of rejuvenation, imagination and musings, followed by planting and tending to seeds, all important steps in a product emerging.

Gestation does not have to be long, but it does indeed take place.

Breathe, surrender, and sink in to the energy that is faith.

Not everyday produces.

But everyday matters.

2012 – is it YOUR year?

There’s no question that a New Year feels like a new beginning. It’s another chance to change. So what’s with that…why do we so desire to change? The simple answer is that we’re not happy and furthermore we’ve developed a deep belief that if we changed x,y,z, and had different results, well then we’d be happy. True?

What I’ve discovered is that happiness in fact is a feeling that is not a result of outside circumstances, but instead a result of your inner vibration – a feeling generated from within you. We’ve been sold a bill of goods in thinking that if we could just lose 10 lbs, make an extra $10K, move our home, change jobs, break up with our mate, get together with a mate – you name it, if we change the outside world – we’ll feel better – we’ll be happy.

But let’s get real – this doesn’t work. Every year you make changes, your outside world looks different – but let me ask you – are you content and happy??? Or do you still long for something, some thing ‘out there’ that is the holy grail of happiness? Do you still wish and dream and imagine a life that is in some way ‘better’, more fulfilling, more exciting?

I bet you do.

We live in a dynamic universe where change is constant. The world is constantly changing and within it, we are constantly changing. The key is to keep moving, to keep progressing. We are always going to want to further expand ourselves and our lives. But the little nugget of truth that you might not know is that feeling content and happy is not dependent totally on growing, and changing with the way of the world. Instead, it’s reverse. Your ability to grow and change is directly affected by the way you feel.

When you feel small, powerless, frustrated, angry, sad – it’s like having a kink in the hose – you lack the power of the flow. When you feel expansive and powerful, it’s like working with a fire hose of energy – it’s abundant.

The way you feel directly affects the power, or lack of power in your ‘hose’ and your hose is the life force energy you will draw on to make change in your life. If all you’ve got is a little dribble, here and there, your life changes and growth will be representative of that – small, sporadic, seemingly insignificant. However, if your access to the life force energy within you, is abundant force, flowing at an incredible pace – your life changes and growth will be BIG, bold and bountiful.

The secret is not to change so that you will be happy, the secret is to be happy so that you will change. And change isn’t even the right word. The true idea is to attain and maintain an inner state of vibration (a feeling) that allows you to rise up to the truth of your life, to connect with your birthright – abundant living with a heart wide open.

If you’re ready for BIG changes in 2012, you’ve got some inner work to do. And inner work is the name of my game. If you want to dig in, feel good, rise up and live your life with an open heart – let’s connect. It’s time, you’re ready.

Drop me a note: heather@heatherwhite.ca and let’s get started TODAY!

Happy New Year!

xo

Dropping Deadlines & Digging Deeper

I’ve been ‘writing a book’ for four years. And when I say ‘writing’ I’m not kidding around. I have 3 different outlines, notebooks FULL of pros, chapters complete, ideas mapped out – literally tens of thousands of words ready to go…. (and that’s not including the 300 blog posts, or 20+articles I’ve written for online & print magazines).

And I could go to the place where this is a negative result, as in I haven’t been ‘disciplined’ enough to bring it to fruition, to finish the book, shop for an agent, make the decision between self publishing or traditional.

However, I believe there’s a divine order to everything in life and as much as we’d love to ‘know’ or be in ‘control’ of that order, I just don’t think we are. Sometimes we have to surrender, let go, trust and see what happens.

I think our primary job is to feel good, to channel good vibrations through our minds and bodies and most importantly, to CREATE.

Julia Cameron has been one of my greatest mentors when it comes to creating and writing. It was Julia who first introduced me to the idea that I would be far better served to write, simply for the love of writing, than to write with the end goal of a published book in mind. And though this may sound frivolous to some, let me assure you that to the creative process, this attitude opens a door to a deeper, more enriched experience. In fact, I write a lot of the time knowing that no one will ever see the work. (I go as far as destroying these pages.) For me, writing is sacred, it’s a meeting with the divine, a conversation with the wisest part of myself, a connection with my soul.

There’s no question that I will have a published book sometime in this lifetime. But for now, I’ve let go of the timeline; I have no deadline. This new sense of freedom I’ve offered myself seems to have opened yet another layer for me and I’m writing now more than I ever have.

If you’re feeling trapped by trying to control the timeline of your life, if you’ve promised yourself that you’re going to ‘get it done’ by a certain date, ask yourself: is it the end result that matters most to you, or the feeling you generate by way of creating as you go?

What I’ve found is that by letting go, I FEEL more grounded, more connected and more creative than ever – and I’m curious to see where this new way takes me.

In the meantime, to keep the disciplined part of myself appeased, I’m working through Danielle Laporte & Linda Siversten’s Your Big Beautiful Book Plan. This is an absolute STELLAR read with practical action steps, not to mention it’s chalk full of valuable, real life examples of others who have gone before, blazing the trail for us to follow. Did I mention, it includes REAL book proposals that landed REAL publishing deals!!!

Happy Writing! Happy Creating! Happy Feeling!

p.s. If you want to get your haute little hands on a copy of Your Big Beautiful Book Plan – click on the banner link down below on the sidebar to be taken to their page. And YES I am getting paid to recommend and spread the love of these two writing goddesses. xo

Chattin it up with Spirit Junkie Gabrielle Bernstein

Gabrielle Bernstein stopped by to chat with me on her recent visit to Vancouver. Her and I share a passion for spirituality, and tapping in to our inner guidance, remembering that we are not alone to make all the tough decisions in our life. We have access to the voice of our intuition and we have choice, in every moment. Thanks again Gabby for your wisdom, grace and kindness!!! xoxo

A HUGE thank you to Alice Mathieson & Life and Times for the filming & producing of this video!!!

Self-Partnership Trumps Self-Discipline

That book you’re writing….

That weight you’re losing….

That marathon you’re training for….

That business you’re building…..

Put the whip away.

Circle back.

Partner with yourself.

After all, it is YOU who will do all the hard work, the long hours, the late nights. Show yourself support, compassion, love and nurture as you embark on these valiant journeys.

Because at the end of the road, when you’ve reached the goal, when it’s time to celebrate, you wanna be happy right?

“If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama

Courage is not Fearlessness

I’ve been watching Shania Twain’s “Why Not” documentary  on OWN, that follows her as she works through her fears and attempts to regain her voice. It’s been a fascinating show and I commend her in so many ways for not only being brave within her own life but also for being willing to share this story with all of us – the ultimate connection and learning experience.

She forms a strong bond with Dr. Livingston, a Psycho-therapist specializing in grief counselling (I balled when I heard his personal story) who counsels her a few times on the show. It is him who says something to the effect that courage is not fearlessness, but instead it’s moving forward, taking actions, EVEN when you’re scared. This comment resonated with me on so many levels.

As many of you know I recently did a video series with my pal Natalie Sisson (The Suitcase Entrepreneur) called the Fearless Factor – and although the messages are totally in line with Livingston’s point – we did after all use the word Fearless. And I think on some level we all wish and hope for the day where fear won’t be present in our life – but yet on another level we know it simply will be part of the journey, if we’re living a life of conscious development.

Emotions/ feelings are not something we have a tremendous amount of control over. Sure it would be nice to think we did, but really, why is it so important to be in control? After all, our feelings are not WHO we are – they are simply an expression of energy that our system releases based on it’s reaction to real and sometimes only perceived circumstances. Isn’t it more powerful to simply notice them, accept them, embrace them, welcome them, and ultimately learn from them…? I hope so, because that’s the route I’ve chosen.

Have you moved forward in your life, even when you’ve been afraid? I bet you have!

And although I too have linked arms with my fear and moved forward in my life many times, it’s been the observation of 2 other amazing individuals that are the true inspiration for my moments of courage.

My Step-Dad Alvin – dying in his hospital bed, he continued to pursue his passion of shopping, albeit online, and his gifts arrived via fedex long after his passing. In fact on Christmas Eve almost a year after his death, my Mum received a package in the mail – it was a camera, a gift from Alvin that he had bought for her – he had kept moving EVEN though he was scared – he had displayed the ultimate act of courage (and love and compassion – I might add).

My Mum – facing life as the widowed mother of 4, alone, she sold her dream home, moved her entire life from one city to another, started back to work full time, made new friends, did life differently – she kept moving EVEN though she was scared – she had courage.

I’m sure we all know someone or have ourselves faced circumstances that would scare the bejesus out of the toughest of men (whether or not they freely expressed their emotions). And what I was reminded when I watched Shania’s documentary was that every human experiences the feeling of fear. It’s ok to be scared. We’re all scared. But by MOVING forward EVEN when we’re scared we are courageous and it is our courage that ultimately inspires others.

Thank you Shania, thank you Alvin, thank you Mum and thank you all of YOU, my readers. May you all feel the unconditional love and support of the human journey as you experience your fears, and move forward EVEN when you’re scared.

Creating The Space

I’m reading Julia Cameron’s memoir ‘floor sample’ and although I’m an avid reader, rarely do I burn through pages in the way I have this time. I just can’t seem to put it down and although I haven’t turned totally crazy and not left my house in favour of her words, I come home with anticipation of jumping in to bed and delving in to the next leg of her journey. I have a 100 pages to go and now I’m getting to the point of ‘slow play’ because I just don’t want it to end.

Julia Cameron is the author of two of my most favourite books The Artist’s Way & The Right to Write and in reading her memoir I’ve had many insights and moments of inspiration. Hearing her description of transforming from an ego driven ‘writer’ to a spirit channeling artist reminds me of similar moments of reflection I’ve had in my own journey with words. There are days I stare at my blank screen knowing I have to churn out a 1000 word article for a magazine deadline, and then other days when I can’t grab my notebook fast enough to simply document what I’m hearing (in my mind) – pure genius words that are certainly not mine, nor are they me – those days when I’m the scribe are the most profound and moving. I often go back and read  my writing only to be inspired and to learn from the words that illusively appeared on the page. These moments are pure magic.

I do feel, even in my writing assignments for the magazines I write for, that I’ve dropped the ‘ego’ part of it. I ask my higher self, my guides – what do people need to hear, how can I be a vehicle for their learning, their growth, their awakening? But compared to free form, and channeled writing days – it pales in comparison as I’m still doing a lot of ‘thinking’.

In reflection of reading this most recent work of Julia’s I am having yet another moment of vulnerability as I admit, if only to myself, an artist is who I am at my core – I think it’s who we all are. So what is stopping the flow? Why does it still seem like there is something to ‘do’, somewhere to ‘go’, something to ‘learn’ before I can truly embrace and channel this genius mind of infinite wisdom and intelligence that we all have access to??

Last night I had a dream (it felt like a nightmare at the time) where I think I received my answer. I won’t go in to the details of the dream, since in the end, it’s only the message that’s truly relevant.

The answer: creative space.

For years, I’ve kept my home (incredibly clean & organized – I’m a neat freak), sparse – more hotel room like, only the functional stuff present. Somewhere to sit, somewhere to sleep, somewhere to eat – but I have denied myself any specialness or beauty within my space. A space created for creativity – a space to channel the infinite beauty and wisdom of the collective mind. Aha! In my dream I was shown 2 contrasting realities. One dark, dismal, almost scary like space and one bright, joy filled, music filled space of levity, play and fun. Hmm….

So despite my fear and anxiety in declaring myself an artist (does that mean I must produce beautiful work?? or be compared to those who are great in exemplifying this title?? – ego trip!) I’m going for it. I acknowledge that this is where I feel the most expansive, the most enthusiastic, the most present, the most alive. In the being-ness of creativity is where I want to spend my time – this feels good.

So my next move is creation. Creation of a space which allows for the flow, the levity, the moments of pure channeling – channeling the presence of genius. Not of me, but through me.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress and let you know if the creation of a creative space is truly the missing link I’ve been longing for….until then…H/

30 Years 30 Books & a few Nuggets I’ve Picked up Along the Way

1. Psychocybernetics by Maxwell Maltx
2. The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles
3. Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
4. You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor
5. As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
6. The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
7. The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
8. Law of Attraction by Michael Losier
9. The 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss
10. The Portable Coach by Thomas Leonard
11. Purple Cow by Seth Godin
12. The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist
13. Women Food and God by Geneen Roth
14. The EMyth by Michael Gerber
15. Strengths Finder by Tom Rath
16. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
17. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
18. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
19. The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle
20. A New Earth by Eckart Tolle
21. The One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen & Robert G. Allen
22. Walk the Talk by Erick Harvey and Steve Ventura
23. Loyalty to Your Soul by H. Ronald Hulnick & Mary R. Hulnick
24. The Unmistakable Touch of Grace by Cheryl Richardson
25. Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr
26. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
27. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
28. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
29. Ask Your Guides by Sonia Choquette
30. The Right to Write by Julia Cameron

The Nuggets

• Tell the truth

Every time you change or alter the truth, you send a strong message to yourself that says something like “I’m not good enough”. It’s a misconception most of us humans are walking around with. The funny thing is, when you start telling the blunt, honest truth – you’ll notice that people don’t actually blow up in front of you (like you thought they might), in fact there is rarely much of a reaction at all. Try it – you’ll probably surprise yourself. Don’t add a zero or take off a stone to make whatever you’re saying sound better. YOU are amazing just the way you are.

• You’re on your own but you’re not alone

This may seem like kind of a contradiction, but let me explain. First of all – you’re on your own – what I mean is that your life is really up to you. Shitty childhoods, abuse, poor treatment – nothing to be taken lightly – it DID shape who you are, but the real question you need to ask yourself is ‘what am I going to do about it now?’. No one is going to make your decisions, heal your heart, train your body, feed your mind or take the steps – it’s up to you. If you want it, don’t want it, need it, desire it – get busy missy (or mister) because no one can live your life for you. BUT, you’re not alone. Reach out – many have gone before us for the purpose to blaze the trail, speak from experience, provide guidance and wisdom and insight for the taking- and as for your inner world – you are never alone there either. You have an amazing inner guidance system, angels helping you navigate your path, a guardian angel and many many more spirit guides who are there simply waiting for you to call on them for support, wisdom, reassurance, love and light as you walk down the journey of your life.

• Take Responsibility for YOUR life

If you are willing to take 100% responsibility for every single moment of your life – even the ones that you don’t understand, weren’t your fault and that you perceivably had no control over – your life will dramatically change for the better. There are nuggets of gold even in the darkest of moments and even being a victim of the most horrific of treatments gives you an opportunity to experience grace at the deepest level.

• Have Faith

I’m not religious but my spiritual faith is stronger now than it’s ever been. I have experienced moments of profound insight and awareness by opening myself up to the infinite power of faith. With faith all things are possible and purposeful. Faith gives you courage when you’re scared and light when you’re lost.

• Your mind is a powerful tool

Do not take your mind for granted – it is powerful beyond measure. (60,000 thoughts a day – and this is a ‘scientific guess’ at best.) And your mind is not just your brain, not just your thoughts, not just your emotions, not just your cells – it is all of that combined and more. It’s nothing to be taken lightly, and nor should it be taken for granted or left to run itself. You must concede to it’s power, be humbled by it’s abilities and do your best to work with it and it’s great power to support you in reaching your highest potential in this lifetime.

• Beliefs are the root of your manifestations

Ever wonder what’s really creating your reality – look no further than your deep seeded beliefs. What you believe is what you see, whether it’s really there or not. The trick is to learn about how and when beliefs are impregnated in to your system, how to identify when a belief is limiting your development and no longer serving you, how to let go of old beliefs and upload new and improved beliefs in order to continue to advance and grow in your life. (Check out Bruce Lipton’s book & website: The Biology of Belief for more info).

• Thoughts do become things

I can remember a time when my ego driven cynical thoughts balked at this simple, yet profound statement, however, I can assure you – these words are real. Don’t take the words you use or the thoughts you choose lightly or for granted. You are manifesting your own destiny every moment of your life – make certain you are choosing wisely.

• You won’t always know how

It would be nice to see a well laid out blueprint for your life, equipped with perfectly timed rest stops, moments of glorious celebration, when the challenges were to come and the knowing that you will get through them and come out the other side. However, this is simply not LIFE. You won’t always know how things are going to unfold or how you are going to pay rent this month, or how you will reach your goals. But in the end, the how is the least relevant of all of the parts. Instead I suggest you stay focussed on WHAT and WHY – the HOW shows up each and every time.

• Be 100% the authentic YOU

Lord knows I learned this the hard way – and this lesson alone had a lot to do with my 29th year and why it was such a struggle. My whole life, I’ve made decisions based on how it would impact those around me. I did things to achieve others approval, acceptance and love. I didn’t really know what I wanted – because I’d never really asked that question. The question I’d really been asking was- what can I do that will please everyone? WRONG question. You are not doing yourself or anyone else any favours by living to please others. You’re never happy and therefore they’re never really happy either. Take a stand, put yourself first, find the TRUE, the REAL you – polish off that beautiful gemstone and let it shine out for the world to see. NO ONE could ever be you, so I suggest you be.

• Don’t go as often & don’t stay as long

Letting friends go and acknowledging when family is holding you back will likely (if you’re anything like me) be some of the hardest moments of your life. I’m loyal to my core and sometimes I’ve stayed a little too long at the party. I remember voicing this challenge to one of my first coaches, Bob Proctor and he gave me this great nugget of advice. You don’t have to cut people off at the knees (or throw out the baby with the bathwater) but if relationships are no longer serving you – begin the weening process sooner than later. Sometimes they come around, but don’t wait around for that to happen. Instead – don’t go as often & don’t stay as long:)

Turning 30 or Going Crazy???

“NO ONE has their sh** together all the time.
 You don’t.  I don’t.  They don’t.” – Tia Sparkles Singh

Firstly I have to say a big THANK YOU to my pal Tia (quoted above) who recently wrote a blog post about the power of telling it like it is, when it’s like that. I have to admit, I’ve been more the type to experience it, learn from it, then write about it, from the point of view of the expert. Tia brought up a great point – why don’t we talk about things as they are happening, while we’re in the trenches? The obvious answer, in my case, is that I would be vulnerable and exposed.  But the truth is – for the first time in my life – that’s kind of exciting. Because I don’t have my shit together all the time, and I’m finally ready to admit that, and I really am ok with it….so….here I go…a post from the trenches.

This past few…..well….um, I don’t know whether to say 2 years, 2 months or 2 weeks because the truth is – it’s a journey, everyday with its challenges and also moments of joy and grace. However, this latest round of up-levelling sure has been a steep climb.

I feel as though I’ve been forced to face so many illusions that I had been completely unconscious and unaware of. This in and of itself is hard. From there, new decisions and actions are obvious and necessary, especially with my eyes wide open. But yet now I contend with fear, doubt, worry, anxiety and second guessing.

One minute it seems that all my upheaval boils down to a single issue, the next it seems all 50, 000 moving parts in my life are wrong. There are moments of loneliness and despair, followed by those of fierce courage.

I beg for clarity and yet when I see clearly, I fill my vision with fog so as not to have to face the real, raw truth.

I want it to be ‘sorted out’ and yet ultimately know it will be me who has to do the sorting.

I want to be right, and yet want to be wrong, when my rightness misses the mark of my lofty expectations that aren’t being met.

Is this what the coming of age feels like?

I know that transition, change, evolution and ultimately anything NEW has to be preceded by the death of the old. Wouldn’t it be nice to simply morph from one existence to the next, but alas, this glosses over a part of the process.

Bindu Wiles recently wrote a post on endings and beginnings – where she quotes Pat Barker’s book Regeneration:

Quoting from Bindu’s blog:

Barker writes of a doctor who “knew only too well how often the early stages of change or cure may mimic deterioration.

Cut a chrysallis open and you will find a rotting caterpillar.

What you will never find is that mythical creature, half caterpillar, half butterfly, a fit emblem of the human soul, for those cast of mind leads them to seek such emblems.

No, the process of transformation consists almost entirely of decay.”

End Quote

Change is not easy, it’s not a piece of cake and you can’t have your cake and eat it to. Change means letting go of the old way, letting it decay and die and disintegrate. And with death and decay comes mourning as you experience the loss.

Gawd, it sounds so simple when you look at the facts, but throw in some human emotions, deep seeded beliefs, past experiences and you have a whole onion full of layers to peel back as you move forward, process, move forward, process, (repeat) your way through to the other side.

Though in my case the most immediate other side is the ‘age’ in which I identify this human experience with, and yet I know there is much more coming to the end, dying and decaying to make room for the new birth(s) that are to come.

Am I going crazy? Maybe a little, but only when I resist what is.

Letting go, letting flow, accepting death to experience life, all part and parcel of the experience I desire.

As I welcome 30 tomorrow, I recognize and accept that the death of my 20′s is necessary. Letting go of certain ways of being, doing, having etc. so that I can fully experience a NEW way.

Am I scared? Of course!

Am I sure? Not yet.

Am I ready? Almost.

I’m stepping in to the mystery of life – I’ll let you know what I find out.

Happy Birthday to Me!