How we are being, determines our success.

February 15, 2016 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Cloud Smileys Success depends on us. Not so much what we do but how we are being. If you want to know how things will turn out today, tomorrow or next year, stop and notice how you are being. Notice how you are feeling about it. Notice what you think, fear or believe. Seeing yourself, you are watching how you create or don’t create. We can change how we are being and thus change the result.

Notice how things are different when we are acting in ways that are successful. When we are being successful, we can be guaranteed a better outcome.

The energy of creating is not a complicated concept though it may not be logical. When we are excited by the possibilities, see our vision, are running our creative energy, we are creating success. The creative energy of the planet manifests around what we imagine and gives it form.

On the other hand, when we are down for some reason, our creative energy drops and, as a result, everything seems to stop or fade away. That is what happens exactly. The image we had of our success is no longer energized by us and so it, in fact, disappears.

Our thinking can get in the way as well. Say you know the success that you want. You begin to imagine your idea of being successful then you start to have doubts. Your thoughts jump to the forefront, saying you will not be successful for one reason or another. Your attention moves from your vision of success to a fear of failure. Once again the creative energy drops, the mental image picture of success starts to fade.

There are many examples of how our creative energy can lower. It happens all the time. The measure of success is how we react to these situations. Do we stay at the lower vibration and maybe go even lower, allowing our vision to fade completely? Yikes!

Some recognize the thoughts, energy or experiences that just brought them down and they turn it around. With great determination, they take their attention off the negative thoughts or energy and refocus on their vision of success. It is an exercise in self-discipline, disciplining our energy, directing it in ways that support our success.

We have control of our creative energy even what something impacts our energy in the moment. Being self-aware allows us to notice these energy changes and adjust rather than dwell in the lower energy levels.

How do you change your energy when it drops? One business owner gets in his car and goes for a drive; another spends time in meditation reconnecting to his enthusiasm for his vision, and yet another goes to the beach, to find himself. All three of these people know that solving the problem is not the answer. They know the answer is in finding themselves, their passion and enthusiasm for what they are creating. They move to get their energy back to creating and reconnect with themselves, knowing that anything is possible.

The answer lies in noticing how we are being in the moment. To create, we have to be at a creative vibration. To stop creating, simply drop your energy. We have free will. We can choose.

Leadership – A Journey in Self-Awareness

August 20, 2015August 20, 2015 ~ Kay Robinson ~ 2 Comments

Leadership from an intuitive perspective is a journey in personal awareness. To have this journey we have to create challenges to the things as they are. Working with a client who has a successful company showed how leadership is an evolving ability.

Karen has a successful company and she has a vision for growth that moves her away from doing the work of the company, growing leaders and doubling her revenue. Ambitious goals and very achievable.

Karen began the process of change by creating a new organizational chart needed to reach her goals. Then she plugged in her current staff not based on what they are doing but in positions aligned to their strengths, not just holes they were filling. Finally, she created a hiring plan to fill in new positions. Karen was excited by the vision and her plan to get there.

What blindsided her was staff’s reaction to change. While her organizational plan incorporated changes, they have said they wanted when the plan was in place they reacted to the changes in their roles.

The biggest changes were in leadership. Though successful her company is small ($700k), and she have been the only manager with staff acting as leads in specific areas of the business. For Karen to grow her company, she needed to step back from managing the day-to-day work of the business and hire leaders.

Chaos ensued. For the first time, Karen was having a leadership crisis. One lead and the staff that worked in this division were in resistance to having a new boss. The lead liked the way she had things and did not want a change so engaged the agreement of others in resistance to the plan.

Karen was in a leadership crisis and so her journey in self-awareness began. She realized she wanted everyone to like her, and that got in the way. She realized that the changes were long overdue. Her wish to stop managing the day-to-day began a while ago with her abdicating her role as manager. The result is her staff controlled the company. She found her leadership style was command and control using her 3rh chakra to overpower and control it which worked, in the before small agreeable group. She did not really know how to lead in a way that would produce the results she wanted.

The staff takes cues from their leaders about what is an acceptable way of being. Since Karen used control and command, her staff reacted in the same way. It became a confrontational and uncomfortable situation. Karen realized she had created a void in leadership making everyone feel insecure.

In this new stage of her business, Karen is at a loss on how to lead her company past this crisis. From an intuitive perspective, Karen is on a journey of self-discovery. She is beginning to realize how much she controlled her company not lead it. Leadership comes in many forms but for Karen this meant to change to leading from her upper chakras: 4th for affinity for others, 5th for clear communication, 6th for clear seeing and reading the energy then the 7th to show leadership and vision.

The first step was for everyone to get out of each other’s space, release energy and focus on themselves and their goals within the company. Leadership begins with each person taking ownership of their position and producing results. Karen decided that she will meet with each person and agree on expected results, giving them ownership of their position.

Next Karen had to change and change begins within. She needed to see herself as a leader in a new way for herself, her company, and her staff. Staff wants leadership. Leadership makes everyone feel confident and gives him or her space to be successful. Clients want to experience leadership at every level of the company and from every experience they have with any staff.

Karen is not comfortable now. Change is uncomfortable. Her vision is strong. She is strong and knows the journey begins within to discover how she is as a leader in this cycle of her company. One thing she knows for sure, this is just the next stage of her growth as a leader. There are surely others to come. She is grateful for the challenge to get to know herself within and decide how to be in the world in a new way.

Self-Worth & Business Success

May 29, 2015May 29, 2015 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Sometimes we cannot see the possibilities because of fear and uncertainty. Sarah is starting a training company for workforce development. She has worked in HR and volunteered in her community around workforce development for decades. Six years ago Sarah realized that she had a unique perspective on how to support challenged workers to become and stay employed. While she started her business at that time, she made little progress. Sarah had a unique perspective, a service to offer and was an expert in her field, but she did not know how to start and run a business.

When Sarah decided to commit to her idea, we began working to build a business around her vision. We worked on her vision, brand, product and service design, target market and more. With the foundational work completed, it was time for Sarah to begin to talk about her business with the world of workforce development. While Sarah is passionate and confident about her training model, she is not confident that others will see the value. This is not the case, but it is how she feels.

How we feel about our business and the value we offer impacts our ability to create clients. Sarah feels uncertain because selling is new to her. She thinks others will not see the value of her services but intuitively I see that Sarah is feeling uncertainty about her self-worth and value. This is not uncommon for new business owners.

When we own a business, it is not just about our products and services, our business is a reflection of who we are at our core and the concepts we hold in our space. In many ways, owning a business is a journey of self-discovery. When we are aware of our thoughts and feelings, then we make better decisions. When we are not self-aware, then we look at our business as a problem.

Sarah has worked as an employee up to this point. She is familiar with working hard, doing a good job and producing results. As a business owner, she is still working hard developing this business and is now ready to sell. Feeling uncertain about her value almost stopped her from continuing. Her business is new. It does not have results. She is relying on her passion for the work, her trademarked approach to workforce development and how she can work with an underserved group. Her success begins with how effectively she presents herself. From my perspective, Sarah is very impressive but my perspective does not matter. What matters is how others perceive her.

Everyone is intuitive. Our prospective clients pick up on us. Sarah needs to find the certainty and confidence she wants others to perceive in her. She has it in her though because selling is a new experience she feels uncertain. Every time she speaks on the phone, goes to an event or meets with someone about workforce development she becomes more comfortable though may not be where she wants to just yet. She is getting there as she grows in her confidence in herself.

Sarah will succeed because she is determined. Her business is her passion, and it aligns with who she is at her core. Sarah now realizes that her business is more than the services she provides. With this insight, she is in a great place to be successful as a business and grow in her feelings of self-worth.

Anger and Success

May 5, 2015May 5, 2015 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

It happened several times this week that clients got angry. My clients getting angry is not unfamiliar to me and not my intention though it is part of being an intuitive business coach.

Their stories are similar. We are working on their business. They have ambitious goals to achieve. We assess progress and how strategies need to change. The success of a business is always so clear to me, but that is because I am not working in the business. My perspective is neutral and clear. The owner, however, holds all the energy; pictures and emotions of their lives and their business in their space and from here try to create success. Creating success with these energies in their space is challenging. The perspective of a coach helps the owner to get out of the energy, the pictures, and the emotions to see more clearly and to re-gain perspective.

Change sounds simple, but it is not easy. In each situation this week I either stimulated a painful picture in the space of the owner or pushed them a bit too far out of their comfort zone. Being a successful business owner is always a journey in self-awareness.

There are many ways to be a successful. Some barrel through the energy in their space and override self-awareness to create what they want. Barreling through is one way but when that success is achieved, they often find they are not where they want to be. They created success by ignoring and overriding what was going on within them. Their success was external with no change within them.

These three business owners got angry for different reasons. They are men and women focused on their successful businesses and are self-aware. When these owners got angry, it was an opportunity to stop and find what was in them that is painful, that they resist or puts them into fear. These energies, pictures, emotions or programming are not only in them; they are in their business or more accurately, in the way of their business.

One owner who got angry has a strong ego and feels the need to know everything about being a business owner. I asked to see his financials. He has been in business nine years, has gross sales of $6 mil. It was embarrassing to him that he does not know his business financials as well as he should. His lending partners expect better financials from him so now he has to admit what he does not know. We are working together to get his financials to the level his funders need and that he expects.

Another is a new business owner who got angry when we were creating strategies for her sales process. She preferred using strategies she felt comfortable doing. When I showed her how new strategies would create better results, she got angry. These ideas were too far outside her comfort zone. She knows these steps are needed to succeed so we are creating a new sales process with new a new approach. She is ready to step outside her comfort zone.

The third client has owned her successful business for years. Currently, she does a great deal of the work of the business herself though she has a staff of eight. When I challenged her to become a better manager and leader in her business, learning how to mentor staff to do the work, she became angry. It is easier for her to do the work herself than to develop staff. We are now working to develop systems for staff development and to change her relationship to her business.

These are three great examples of how the limits inside us can get in the way of our success. All three of these clients, released their anger to see where they were in their own way then decided steps they could take. Making these changes was not and is not easy for them. It will take work to create the personal changes that support their success, but they are not afraid to be self-aware and to create change.

Our challenge every day is to be aware of how we are in our own way. What do we resist? What do we not know? What steps are we afraid to take? Often we cannot see this because we are so IN it. Ask someone. Ask a neutral observer to help you see where you are stuck. It will make all the difference.

Lost A Client to His Passion

February 9, 2015February 6, 2015 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

A fellow business coach lost a client after their first session, and it was wonderful! Sam told the story of his first meeting with Fred. Sam felt Fred’s natural warmth and experienced his transparency refreshing. Sam found he had to ask Fred often to speak up, due to his softly spoken manner. Sam could feel Fred’s pain and anxiety when he opened up about his frustrations, based on his crippling fear of expressing himself with his team. Fred has built two profitable businesses. Fred’s been offered the worldwide rights to the brand to one of his businesses and wanted to franchise. Fred admitted he had no idea how to become bigger than his fear, step out of his softly spoken shadow, and grow into an inspirational and respected leader.

Sam and I begin coaching our clients, in the same way. We want to know what they value, what is important to them and how they view their purpose. It is a challenging exercise for everyone and essential for coaching to begin. Who they are at their core shows up in their business and their life.

After this exercise, Fred decided to stop running his business. His passion was to support the teachers in his company. He decided to take paid position allowing him to pass the running of the business over to someone else as an outright sale or a management arrangement. Fred’s first coaching session with Sam allowed him to find what he wanted and what he did not want–“I do not want to be stuck in front of endless Excel spreadsheets.”

Fred is no longer Sam’s client as he stepped out of being a business owner. From Sam’s perspective, his one coaching session with Fred was a complete success. Fred found his passion. Fred took the time to stop and look at where he was and if that aligned with who he was. Fred found himself in the midst of all of that and decided to follow his passion. This is his version of success.

Don’t think. Meditate.

February 7, 2015February 6, 2015 ~ Kay Robinson ~ 2 Comments

To meditate is trendy. Parade Magazine’s recent cover story states “Everyone is doing it” then mentioned the rich and famous that claim meditation is part of their daily routine. I hope that is the case because I agree. I cannot imagine not meditating, taking time to spot, set quiet, clear my thinking and get back on track. Meditation can be a life saver.

As a business coach and consultant, I urge all my clients to meditate and most do. I teach meditation, a style evolved from many forms of meditation, to business owners and professionals with success in mind. It does not matter what form of meditation you use as long as you take the time to stop, get quiet, go within and stop thinking!

Stand. Sit. Walk.

Most people sit for meditation. Some do a walking meditation. While I mostly sit, feet on the floor, when particularly energized and I cannot quiet my body enough to sit, I will do a Tai Chi standing meditation called wuji.

Tried to Meditate

The most common response I hear to my suggestion to meditate is “I’ve tried that.” Meditation takes practice. We are busy and always doing something. We think all the time. It is hard to stop. When we learn to stop, calm and quiet the body and clear our thinking, we finally begin to listen to ourselves.

Listening

We almost never listen to ourselves, which causes us to make poor decisions, head in the wrong direction or not change directions when we need to. Meditation helps us in body, mind and spirit. It clears our mind, connects us with ourselves and promotes wellness. Who does not want that?

Be Determined

Meditation takes practice, persistence and determination to get started. We have to change old patterns, routines and habits just to create the time to stop, sit down, close our eyes, take a deep breath and get quiet. It is an effort that is well worth it.

You Decide When & Where

The known benefits of meditation mean nothing compared to each person’s experience when they established a meditation practice whether it is five minutes, half-hour or hour each day. It does not matter if you do it in the morning, at lunch break or in the evening. You can find where meditation fits in your life and why you are doing it. I prefer the morning so that I start my day clear. Others prefer evening so that they can clear from their day. Some do both. I meditate before each client appointment so that I am clear and present.

I read about a successful entrepreneur who stopped every hour for one minute to meditate to make sure his thinking was clear. Everyone in his office knew this routine and honored it.

Start

Once you start your practice, you will find how you want to use meditation to achieve your goals, personally and professionally. If I were to say one important thing about meditation, it would be to stop thinking. Do not think during meditation. Just be present with yourself. Clear your thinking. Your next experience will be remarkable.

Let me know how I can help you establish your meditation practice. Meditation changes everything.

Best wishes, Kay

About Meditation

Be Bigger. Be Successful Today.

February 5, 2015 ~ Kay Robinson ~ 2 Comments

Having a clear vision of success is essential for that success to manifest. This concept is well-known and accepted. It is logical, practical and intuitive, but there is more. Having a clear vision of itself does not cause it to manifest. It takes action, using your life force energy to make space for your vision.

Does that sound a bit obscure? Another way of saying this is to take actions every day to manifest that vision. More importantly be bigger in your life. Completely fill your space. Feel bigger, take bigger actions, more impactful actions. Make every day a successful day.

When we want something we do not now have then, we have to change. The change does not start outside of us. It starts within us.

I am working with a new company owned by a husband and wife. Their business started nine years ago, and they did well. The business has been a struggle for the past 3-4 years, so they started coaching. They are great people and passionate about their business. Their challenge is they see the problem outside themselves. It is their competition, customers price shopping, not finding good staff, not having working capital and so on. From a coaching perspective, the change needs to start with them. They do not agree on the vision of the company, do not spend their time on the highest value tasks, are unwilling to change and have a failure perspective.

When we want something other than what we have, then we have to change. The change begins within us. Simple and powerful steps beginning with having a clear vision then every action you take and decision you make based on achieving that vision. Finally, spend each day being successful, seeing yourself as successful and be successful in taking steps toward your vision.

So often, we spend our day being busy, doing what is at hand or what is easy as if being busy was productive. Being productive is not the goal. The goal is to achieve our vision of success. That means to start each day being bigger. If we stay as we are then nothing changes. Being bigger means changing your space to the energy level of your success. Feel successful. Act in successful ways even if uncomfortable. Each day determine the high-value steps you can take that will make that day successful in moving toward your vision. Those steps might be challenging, or they may be easy, but they are important for achieving your vision of success. Have your vision in mind as you take steps.

Start today. Fill the space with being bigger, feeling successful. Fill your space more fully. The energy you are being is the result you will experience. Be successful today, tomorrow and onward until this current vision manifests then you can create again.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

The energy level of success. Are you there?

January 23, 2015January 23, 2015 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Success comes from a high creative vibration matched with a high creative energy within us. Working hard for success is fine. The energy level you are being when you are creating determines your success. If your energy is low, depressed or if you are in anger, effort or resistance, all your efforts will not create success. You are just working hard. Success needs a high creative energy.

Success starts within you. How are you doing? What is on your mind? What energy level are you being at this moment? When we feel inspired, enthusiastic and working with passion we are creating success with these high vibrations.

On those days when you are feeling down, your energy is low and you are out of sorts, take a break, do something to heal yourself, to raise your energy or have fun. When you are back on track, your energy is high and you feel ready go back and take on the challenges with certainty and enthusiasm.

Start with taking a deep breath and placing your attention on yourself. How are you doing? Are you inspired to create success or it is time to stop and renew?

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Failure Is Easy

January 8, 2015January 8, 2015 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

When we have a great idea or something we are good at, it is easy to start a business but then what. So many business owners have a great service or a product, or are an expert at something. Running a business and being a business owner is a different skill set. That does not mean they cannot run a business though doing so takes self-awareness. What are my strengths, weaknesses, what don’t I know and what support do I need to make my good idea a successful business?

Over the years, I have seen many businesses succeed, and many businesses fail. I have learned from both. I am most impressed by those who fail unnecessarily.

Rosa

Rosa owned a restaurant in Detroit. She is a great cook, a smart women and good to her staff, but she was not making money. Rosa did not know how to run a business. She never determined the cost of meals she served so was unsure if she was charging enough. Marketing was a mystery, so she relied on word of mouth and returning customers. She wanted families from the town to frequent her business. In reality, it was the construction workers and laborers that came daily. Speaking with Rosa, she said she was going to figure it out herself. In the end, she could not and closed her business in 2014.

Sara

Sara owns a promotional products company. Sara realized she did not know how to make her business successful. She is smart, capable, and an expert in the creative and technical aspects of her industry. We started coaching with the basics: values, vision and brand. This work inspired Sara and grounded the work she was doing. It gave her a clear perspective to talk to market to potential customers. Her revenue doubled each month for three months then Sara decided she knew what she was doing and took off on her own thinking that the foundation was clearly all she needed. There is so much more to business. I spoke with Sara almost a year from our last coaching session. Her business is failing. She found she did not know as much as she thought about running a business and was ready to learn more.

Frank

Frank has a wonderful new product that he is creating a business around. Everyone, who has tried his product, give it rave reviews. His market research and his passion for this new business are his strengths. He was on a roll, putting in place one aspect of the business then another until he hits a wall. Finances. Frank hates finances. He goes into fear and melts into a puddle of uncertainty. His business is ready to start production once he creates a real budget and determines how he is going to fund this start-up. Fear of finances is a major hurdle for many business owners. Frank’s business is on hold until he takes that step.

Dennis

Dennis owns a company that sells blinds and curtains. He has done this for ten years. Dennis has a great reputation, and his customers love him. He is not making money. Dennis has run his business without a budget, financial reports, and determination of cost of goods sold and more. Dennis is acting as an installer not a business owner though his gross revenue was $1 mil. in 2014. His profit margin is small and has been for years. Dennis fears finances, so he just does what he enjoys which is working with customers and avoids the finances of his business, and it is hurting him.

Each of these owners has created a business around their strengths, are smart and passionate, all of which are essential to being a business owner but a successful business needs all the aspects managed correctly. Business owners that struggle to succeed do the work of the business that they enjoy and are good at doing. They avoid or resist aspects of the business that does not fit their skill set, which they fear or feel uncertain about doing. These fears kill a business. Self-awareness is essential to owning a successful business. What am I good at doing? What do I resist? Admit that I don’t know what I don’t know. We all see through a small lens and can’t see anything that stimulates energy, a picture, a memory or emotion that make us uncomfortable. We put our head in the sand while our business suffers.

I tell these stories as we start the New Year to inspire business owners to take a deep breath, do a self and business assessment. Why do we persist running our business in a way that is not producing the results we want? What do you need to make your business successful this year?

Take the time to stop and meditate. Clear your thinking especially if it has not worked.
Quiet your body so that what you resist or fear does not cloud your awareness. From a space of quiet, go within and meditate on your business. What is working? What is not? What do you resist or fear?

Success is not a mystery. When we open our awareness of how we are getting in the way then we can make the changes needed to grow a successful business. If what you did last year did not produce the results, you want then find out what needs to change within you and in your business so that 2015 is different.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

What Do You Avoid?

December 30, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ 2 Comments

Procrastination is a term often used and not taken very seriously. Sure, we all procrastinate. If we look deeper and ask, “What am I avoiding?” that stimulates a different level of energy and avoidance.

What we avoid gets in our way. We can work hard to be successful, experiencing little progress. We can do all the right things and still not meet our goals. The answer may lie in what we avoid.

Before you start the New Year take a moment to get quiet, go within, meditate and reflect on what you avoid?

What decisions do I avoid?
What communications am I avoiding?
What changes am I putting off?
What actions am I avoiding taking?

There may be other questions that will help you uncover what you are avoiding and resisting. Without thinking, trust your intuition and ask why. Why am I avoiding this? Then take a deep breath and release all the energy you have generated in your space in avoidance and resistance. Continue to let go of the energy you feel in your space until the resistance is gone.

Try this simple exercise. It can change everything.

Best wishes on your success in the New Year, Kay

Lost in Anger or Any Other Emotion

November 12, 2014November 12, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ 1 Comment

How can we stay on track, stay healthy, feel clear and focused on creating personally and professionally? Meditation makes us stop and pay attention to how we are doing and how we are at that moment. We are the effect of so much, hold experiences in our space and mostly we don’t realize what we are being and that we can change.

Claire

Claire and I went to a long walk, something we do periodically. From the onset, I could feel Claire’s anger. She had nothing good to say about anything, and we had walked only five minutes. I knew Claire was the effect of some energy in her space, so I intuitively asked, “How is work?” With that the tirade came out, a long story of frustration with a local hospital as she tried desperately to get services for her client. I listened and watched the anger in her space. She was running the anger but not releasing it, which is sometimes the case when people tell the story.

Energy In Her Space

Finally, I said, “So that is all the anger in your space?” Claire stopped. Looked at me surprised. She did not realize that she was running so much anger. When was the last time she meditated? Claire admitted she had gotten out of the habit of meditating. I then asked her when this episode occurred with the hospital. Six weeks ago was her reply. She had held that anger all that time, affecting all her communications with everyone. Claire had no idea. I asked how her husband was, “Oh he is too grumpy these days!” Was he too being the effect of the anger in her space? Whatever energy we hold creates our experiences, impacts our reality. This alone is a great reason to meditate daily, to clear our space of whatever is rubbing us the wrong way before it creates more of what we do not want.

Holding On

I walked with Claire two days later. She was still angry and complaining. I laughed and asked her if she had meditated to clear her anger toward the hospital? No, she had not. Hm. What is even more interesting is Claire was so stuck on her anger at the hospital that it distracted her from her original goal of getting services for her client. She had lost her perspective.

Meditate

This happens to all of us. An experience and the energy it stimulates in us can take over our space. When this happens, we lose our perspective and have a narrow vision. Everything after that is seen through the energy the experience stimulated in us. Meditation is a way to get out of that energy, to see what we are being, to clear and get our space back. Sound familiar?

Take the time to meditate. It makes all the difference.

Kay

Competition for better or worse

November 9, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

There are many forms of competition. One is the desire to succeed or perform at a high level, a level higher than we ever have or higher than someone else. We can be in competition with our self or others. Competition can be healthy, motivating us to push ourselves out of our comfort zone to reach new levels or experience more of who we are.

Competition can also be experienced in a far less productive way. We might feel ourselves in competition with someone, close to the vibration of jealousy, criticism, judgment and other emotional reactions. Notice above I spoke about competition that inspired action. Here it about competition than is less productive, stimulating an emotional reaction. Why does that happen and what is the difference?

We feel a negative sense of competition toward someone when they are expressing an ability we have within us that we are not using. Seeing them perform or express that part of themselves restimulates where we are stuck (stuck energy in us). As a reaction, we blame and judge them for the uncomfortable feeling we have around them. Another perspective would be to thank them for showing us a part of ourselves that is not being expressed.

I always consider people I meet as a messenger as there are no coincidences. What are they showing me that I would otherwise not see? So the sense of competition is not about them. It is about us. If we stay focused on them then our energy changes in unproductive ways that further hide us from ourselves.

When someone makes us resist and feel competition with or from him or her, this is an opportunity to stop, step back and notice what they are showing us. Am I seeing a part of myself that I am not using but know I have within my capabilities?

Now take your attention off them and notice that same ability in you. Ask what that ability is and why you are not using it or not using it at your highest ability? This answer is not easy to find because it is often buried by a lot of energy in our space, which is why we are not expressing it in the first place.

Finding the unexpressed ability in us, and a way to release the controls on it may require meditation. When we have a thought or memory surrounded by a strong emotion, it can be hard to see. Meditation is a way to quiet the body (and the emotions), to clear our thinking (rationalizing) and to see clearly where we are stuck.

When we can see “the why” of something then, we are ready to make a change. We experience competition at a point when we are ready to open to another aspect of ourselves, but we are not or can not. Competition is a sort of energy trigger pointing out to us the very ability we are ready to experience in ourselves.

Try these steps to get out of competition and more importantly to open to an aspect of yourself that you have longed to express.

1. Notice those who stimulate a sense of competition in you.
2. Notice what it is about them that you resist.
3. Now change your attention to yourself and see a similar ability in you.
4. Become aware of why that ability is not being expressed.
a. Go into meditation if needed to see more clearly.
5. Release the energy and pictures in the way of expressing that part of you.
6. Create a plan or next step to open up to using this ability.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

This Moment Creates

August 27, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Don’t blame anyone or anything else. If we step back, pay attention and become conscious of how we are being there is an answer. This has been said many times by many thought leaders.

Working with business owners and professionals focused on success for more than two decades I watch them create what they in front of them. My quick and simple observation, we create our reality. It is not rocket science. Listen to anyone talk about their day, before it begins, and you will hear and see what they have decided to create. They would probably not see themselves as responsible for what is going to happen, but they are. We all are.

Our thoughts about things create. The energy level we bring to our day creates. It is time to be mindful, to be in present time, observe and change it if we do not like where we are at the moment.

Most of us are programmed to create goals, have a vision, create a plan and all of that is fine but more important is how we are being in this moment because it is creative. We can have a vision of the future we desire for our business, our career or ourselves, and that is essential so that you are focused on what you are creating.

That vision stays a vision until we begin to change where we are. Where we are now creates what we have now so if we want something different then we have to change, a lot! When we begin to be conscious and aware of ourselves at the moment and create change starting here, we will experience an impact on everything.

Start each day by asking yourself these questions. The answer is not logical so do not think. Instead tune into yourself and notice how you feel, your thoughts about things and where you are focused.

• What energy level am I right now?
• Is this where I want to be? (If not, change your energy level to enthusiasm or above)
• What do I have my attention on?
• Is this where I want to have my attention? (If not, change your attention to something that serves your vision for yourself today)
• What do I expect from today? (Don’t think just notice where you are. You can change what you expect to align more with who you are and what you value.)
• What is on your mind or in your space? (Other’s stuff probably. Let it go. Clear your mind and clear your space.)

Decide to spend this day being mindful, conscious and aware, deciding in each moment of awareness to adjust and change to how you truly want to be.

Knowing how we truly want to be at the moment is not easy because we are so used to being another way, by habit or routine. This means creating change from within then watching that change manifest in your world.

Have a great day!

Change Will Happen – Gracefully or Not So Gracefully

August 12, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

David started his business ten years ago. Today his gross revenue is close to half-million. David and his wife, Carmen, run this plumbing company with no staff. David does the work – plumbing. Carmen manages the office. David is exhausted, does not charge enough and works on jobs on an average of one-hour from their very rural home. Last year David injured himself, and he can not continue to do all the work himself.

David wants a change. His wife, Carmen, wants change, but they have very different and opposing ideas of how to move forward. Carmen wants out of the business. David wants to stop doing the work of the business, hire staff and grow the business so that it serves his life. In EMyth terms, he wants to stop being the technician and become an entrepreneur.

David started coaching because he was unsure how to make such a big leap. He started with great enthusiasm. David was determined to proceed to define the changes needed to grow this business with him as a leader.

We started with finances and soon found that while they were keeping books the information was not entered correctly and was not available to guide them in their business. First change was to contract with a great bookkeeper. Seemed like a simple solution though David found he could not change his involvement in managing the books.

Next step was to create a budget for the changes planned. David was used to keeping his “budget” in his head and resisted writing it down and planning on paper.

David needed to hire a plumber to take his place as the only technician. He worried that no one could do the work the way he did, as good as he did it and with the care he showed his clients. David found it hard to give up being the plumber.

It became clear that as much as David wanted things to be different he was unable to change. He thought the changes would be in his business but discovered that the changes needed were within him, and he just couldn’t do it.

David’s story is a great example of wanting and desiring something different, but not being able to make the needed changes. David was getting in his way. When we want something to change it always starts within us. Getting out of our routines, being willing to be uncomfortable, letting go of what is familiar and, in David’s case, letting go of the need to control.

From an intuitive perspective when we decide we want change, the change will happen one way or another. We can be the leader of change, and it will happen more gracefully or if we resist it will still happen but in a less comfortable and forced way. I imagine David’s desired changes will happen by his knee giving out. There are easier ways to create change.

Notice the changes you desire then find what has to happen within you so that it can.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Person or Persona?

July 1, 2014July 3, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Several times this month the difference between who we are as a person and our persona has grabbed my attention. I started writing about this, led a meditation on person vs. persona and have discussed with my clients as well. When who we are a person is aligned with our persona we show then we enjoy our lives and our work. When there is a significant difference between the two, the more unhappy, frustrated and invalidated we seem to be.

I observed we spend most of our time being our persona, the image we show to others. Ideally our persona and who we are as a person within would be the same though that is not the case. It is not our fault. We are raised that way. Do we ask teenagers, “Who are you as a person?” “What do you know about who you are at your core?” Not likely. We ask them, “What do you plan to do?” “What do you want to be?” “What do you plan to study?” “What school are you attending?” All these questions and more focus them on their persona. More significantly we mold their persona based on our pictures about what is a considered a good answer or choice. Everyone is intuitive, so they feel and know what we expect or hope for them. This affects their thoughts about themselves and how they mold their persona. They want to be liked, respected and do what others will validate.

Don’t feel bad. This happened to all of us during our teen years, that sensitive time when we were trying to figure who we are, and everyone wants to know what we plan to do. Wow, I wish we could change this pattern but it is pretty engrained. As an adult, we want to go back and answer that original question. “Who am I?” “What do I know about myself at my core?” We want to know so that whatever we are doing or decide to do in the world (our persona) reflects and creates space to be and express who we are – truly.

This awareness of self comes when we are quiet, can stop thinking, go within and say hello to who we are at our core, not once but often, as a matter of routine. The more time we spend time knowing who we are, our persona slowly changes to align with that awareness. How would things be different if this happened or when this happens?

Take the time to meditate, reflect, get quiet, or whatever way works for you to answer the question, “Who am I – at my core?” Let that awareness and vibration flow into who you are in the world.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Work Hard or Ground

June 26, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

If you are not grounded then chaos reigns. Worse yet success is outside your reach. I was reminded of this working with two new clients this week. When we are grounded we are clear, focused and can think straight. When we are ungrounded we tend to be busy, doing what comes our way, that is simple to do, needs to be done but may not move us any closer to our success.

Two new clients this week are in different industries but in the same place with their businesses. They have been in business for a while, are working hard and making slow progress in their gross revenue. They wanted help, feeling overwhelmed, unfocused and without a plan.

As an intuitive, I look first at their energy. Are they grounded? From which chakra do they work? These two questions tell me a great deal about their business because our businesses are always a reflection of us. Scary but true so the solution begins within us.

Neither of them was grounded. They both operated from their third chakra (a powerful energy center) to work hard, react and respond to whatever comes at them. This is the opposite of being grounded, focused with a plan that determines where we place our energy. Sound familiar?

Both of them are smart, know their business very well but cannot get out of their third chakras (below sternum) and move into the crown (at the top of the centerh). The crown chakra is leadership. Because they work from their third, they do much of the work of their business. For a business to grow the owner has to be able to lead the business (crown chakra) and see the bigger picture, their vision (6th chakra) then communicate that to their staff (5th chakra) for agreement (4th chakra).

Do you find that their story is in some way familiar to you? To be focused, we have to be grounded. Try this today. It only takes a couple of minutes though you can spend longer.

Sit in a quiet and comfortable place (once you learn how to do this you can do it anytime and any place, eyes open or closed)
Close your eyes and relax into your chair.
Take a deep breath, exhale and relax.
Bring your attention onto yourself.
In your mind’s eye imagine where the base of your spine is (1st chakra)
Imagine where the center of the planet is.
Now imagine connecting those two points. You can imagine a tree trunk, a beam of light, a rope, etc. Any imagines that work for you to connect the base of your spine to the center of the planet. This is your grounding.
Take a deep breath and relax into your grounding. Feel grounded. Let go and allow yourself to be grounded.
Let go of whatever you are controlling.
Relax and feel connected to the center of the planet.
Continue to feel yourself grounding for as long as you want but at least a minute until you feel grounded.
Notice your awareness changes.

You can start your day this way. It helps to create focus. Then you can do this several times throughout your day, creating time to stop, ground and get clear again.

Stop and ground when you:

Find you cannot think straight or are having a tough time focusing stop and ground.
Find you are doing random things and not implementing a plan that moves you toward your goals, stop and ground.
Find yourself unsettled by something or someone and want to get your space back.
Have a problem to solve and want to get it right.
Want to regain perspective.
Are feeling stressed or tense.

There are a many reasons to be grounded. Make this part of your routine, and it will change everything.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Meditation

What you don’t know is important

May 9, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

What we are not good at matters most. That may sound counterintuitive, but it is not. In our journey to success, we know what we are good at and the skills we use to push forward enthusiastically. While this is important, it is not the answer.

Doing what we are good at alone will not make us successful. Many business owners and professionals forge ahead disregarding what they do not know, where they are inexperienced or simply don’t have the skills needed as the owner. Others do not know what they do not know. This disregard for our weaknesses gets in the way of our success.

Carol

Lunches is a daytime café that is wildly successful according to the owner. Carol says her café is popular and full every lunchtime so it must be successful. This concept of success is not working for her. She feels that she does everything right. In reality, she does a great deal that is right. She has a great location, great food, repeating customers, happy staff, etc. but she is not making enough money. Carol’s area of weakness as a business owner is finances. As long as she is bringing in lots of money every day she thought it would all work out then she realized that was not the case. Carol’s avoidance of financial planning, reporting, and management was killing her business.

Sara

Sara has an accounting firm, three offices, twelve staff and hundreds of clients eager to use the services of her company. She and other CPAs in her firm have a good reputation. Sara says her problem is she cannot service her customers because she is unable to keep competent, reliable, office staff. As we explored this Sara grew to admit that her weakness is hiring, training and mentoring staff. This is something she did not consider before. She was focused on the reputation of her accounting staff primarily. This was killing her business.

Max

Max has a financial planning firm that he bought from a retiring planner. He has a strong group of clients. He is a skilled financial planner but after two years he is ready to throw in the towel. He feels like he does not have a life. He complained that his staff is not competent, and he is not making enough money to make it worth his while. When we looked at the business, he was very confident and initially unwilling to look at his weaknesses. When we finally opened that door, there was an obvious solution. Max is a doer. His company had no systems or procedures for staff to follow. He simply tells each person each day what they need to do. This was inefficient and resulted in poor customer service. He was loosing business. Max had to admit that he was a good financial planner and a terrible manager.

There is a fear behind not knowing which makes us feel vulnerable. That fear is there whether we admit to our weaknesses or not. When we are willing to be clear about both our skills and our weaknesses, ask for help then we can create success. The fear no longer controls us. When we are overly confident, in denial or only focused on our strengths then we will be frustrated, and our business suffers. It is not easy to step back and look from this perspective and yet it is essential to success. Some do this easily, for others it is a struggle.

While, in this blog, I spoke about businesses, the concepts apply to professionals, as well. Finding out what we do not know is important. Asking for help is next. Making changes is the answer to moving your business or career forward and enjoying it more.

Best wishes on your success,

Kay

Business and Professional Coaching

New Culture of Business

April 28, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ 2 Comments

A new culture of business is emerging voicing a new set of values, increased self-awareness and businesses with a new definition of success. I am so relieved by the changes appearing in how businesses run, interact, view their staff, vendors and community. Some of the changes are subtle and others not so subtle. In the end, we are moving to a more moral, value based and healthy way to do business. Not everyone is on board with this, but more and more of us are. “Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead)

Here are some differences I see between the old business paradigm and the new.

Old: Be on top. Beat out the competition. Be better than everyone else. Take out the competition. Get the largest share of the market.

New: Be the best you can be. Do the best we can. Build our brand so that people know how we are different. Attract loyal customers who value our brand. Collaborate with other businesses. Share resources.

Old: Get more sales – at any cost. Over promise if necessary. Get the sale. Get more than the next guy.

New: Create customers. Under promise and over deliver. Not everyone is our customer. Don’t sell. Understand our customer and serve them with unbeatable quality.

Old: Money flows to the top. Hierarchy with command and control management.

New: Collaboration. Everyone valued. Share the success. Everyone seen as contributing to the success.

Old: Environmental concerns are ok, but not if it affects the bottom line. The community is important if it is a customer.

New: Prevent impacts on the environment and be profitable. Be part of the community. Give back. Join the sharing economy.

Old: How much money can we make?

New: Create a business that serves everyone’s life, that people enjoy working in, and that has value whether it sells widgets to solar power.

What changes can you add to this list? This is just the beginning. In what new ways do you or your company operate? Join the conversation.

Not A Problem!

April 26, 2014April 26, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Problems! Problems! Problems! Or No Problem. Which vibration do you feel most often? What happens most in your life, work or business? From an intuitive perspective this is a state of mind.

Some vibrate at the energy of “No Problem”. They see every bump in the road as something to solve, fix, create or change. Others see the opposite. That bump in the road is a problem. It is frustrating. It will ruin everything, and they are sure it will get bigger and are overwhelmed by the sight of it. This may sound like an exaggeration, but it is not.

How we react to what seems like a problem defines our success. When a problem presents itself successful people immediately look for a solution so that it does not affect them or their success. They see a problem as something that can be solved and even enjoy solving it. Their vision of success does not change. Their enthusiasm for success does not lower. They do not stop and do not let the problem distract them or take up much of their time or attention. If anything, they use it as a way of getting better at their success.

Those who take two steps forward and two steps back see a problem as A PROBLEM. They stop. Their energy drops. They start to blame who or what they perceive created the problem. They are distracted from the goals they are trying to achieve and focus their life force energy on the problem. So now they are in the energy of the problem, go deeper into the energy of the problem so it grows affecting them in body, mind and spirit.

Claire is successful with three offices and a growing staff. With growth problems appear and Claire is learning to adjust to her fast growing company. When a problem occurs, she takes it on and resolves it immediately. Claire is a quick decision maker and does not want to be brought down by the energy of the problem. In this way, she stays focused on her vision and places her time and attention on that.

Susan has a vision of the business she wants to create but has been unable to move it forward. Susan does not yet see how much she goes into the energy of a problem in all aspects of her life. When a problem presents itself she reacts by dropping her energy to the level of the problem then stays there awhile. Susan often sees an ordinary life experience as a problem. Susan is not ready to change at this time, so she lives at the energy of a problem in her life, not just in her business. Not surprisingly she is not yet successful though she is very capable. When Susan becomes aware of this pattern in her and steps out of it she will be able to move forward.

There are many reasons why we are one way or another in relation to problems. Partly we learn this from our families or from an experience that is still on our mind or in our space. Some of us vibrate at a high energy level as a spirit so it is natural to have a positive perspective and success moving forward. Others vibrate at a lower energy level, attract and stay with their problems.

How we react to a problem is a matter of choice, free will and becomes a state of mind. If we see our life moving forward and don’t drop our energy when a problem presents itself then we find success personally and professionally. No Problem. If, on the other hand, we view our life as a problem then problems appear, and we lower our vibration to the level of “It’s a problem” with success always in the future.

How we react to problems is a matter of choice. We may be in the habit of falling into the energy of a problem, but we can change that. By being aware and mindful in the moment, we can catch ourselves and come out of the energy of a problem and approach problems in a new way with a different perspective and a higher energy level.

Take a look at how you react to a problem. What happens to your body? Do you get tense? What about your emotions? Do you get angry or frustrated? What about your thinking? Do you start creating thoughts and stories about how this problem is going to get bigger?

Another way of being is to keep your energy high. Feel successful. Keep your vision set on the possibilities and be in enthusiasm. Take ownership of a problem as something you can solve and move on. In this way problems do not last long, don’t stop or distract you from your success.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Hold Your Head High

April 21, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

My grandmother said, “Hold your head high.” I am sure you are familiar with this phrase as well. When my grandmother said it, I did it and felt better. Over the years I’ve had the same experience. When I held my head high and the more I held it high I felt a significant change in my energy level and my feeling of certainty.

Observing Others

Observing others I noticed I could tell those who held their head high and those who did not. I also observed how I reacted to each. I was drawn toward those who showed confidence and did not have a strong impression of those whose head was down. In fact I hardly noticed them. Finally I decided to look intuitively to see what was going on that made such a difference.

Seventh Energy Center

We all have seven major chakras or energy centers. The first is at the base of our spine and the seventh is on the top of the head in the area that is the soft spot for babies. It is this seventh chakra that is activated when we “hold our head high”. When the 7^th chakra is active we feel certain, have ownership of our space and sense of seniority in our life. We appear strong, in charge of our space and own our personal power.

How to hold your head high

The power of the seventh chakra is undeniable. Try it for yourself before you read further. Here is a technique I use with my clients. Start by holding your head high but more than that – stretch your neck. Really lift your head up so that your spine is long and the top back of your head is the top. Notice how differently you feel. Take a deep breath and really hold your head high.

This is not magic though it may feel like that. When we lift our head up, stretch the neck we are straightening the spine and at the same time aligning our energy centers. When our energy centers are aligned along the spine and our energy can flow clearly and smoothly. That alone makes us feel better. So this concept of holding your head high is the alignment of our energy centers with our energy flowing and our crown chakra energize.

Crown Chakra & Strength of Spirit

The crown chakra (seventh) is a powerful energy center that is energized when we hold it in alignment with our spine and energy centers. We feel more empowered. Others perceive us as empowered. Watch others. Notice how you react to someone whose head is down in their shoulders versus someone who is holding their head high.

This is an important concept for those focused on achieving their goals. Some create from their third chakra (below the sternum) with hard work and a great deal of effort. Others use their upper chakras (5^th through 7^th) for success from creativity, clear vision and certainty. This is a lot more fun and validating.

Feel Better in Body, Mind & Spirit

There are more reasons why energizing our crown chakra makes us feel so much better. It is the chakra through which our life force energy flows (chi, prana, etc.) into the body bringing life force energy to the organs. We feel energized.

So hold your head high when you want to feel better, feel certain, to be seen as a leader, to have strength of spirit and to feel in charge of your life.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Start Your Day This Way for Success

April 15, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ 1 Comment

Steve starts his day checking his email. It is easy to be lured into the computer, the latest news, an entertaining story, YouTube video, email, etc. I cannot tell you the number of people who let email direct what they do and focus on each day. Email takes up their time and distracts them from focusing on high values takes that create success. Yikes! It is so easy to be lured into a workday determined by email! The more engrained this habit becomes the less successful a person or business becomes.

To Do List

Frank told me his goal is not to read email or go near his computer until later in the morning or afternoon. His fears about what he might be missing have turned out to be unfounded. Frank has been able to break that addiction. Instead he focuses on his to do list first. Changing that one behavior has made it possible for Frank to focus on changes he needed to make in his business. That is a good step but that is not enough for real success.

Goals, Plans & Strategies

Gail agrees. She starts her day focused on the goals and strategies she wrote for the year. She knows how easy it is get distracted, for others to grab her attention, distract her from her plans, demand that she focus on their issue, etc. so before she begins her day she makes sure that what she has planned, the appointments schedule and her to do list will help her meet her goals. She is determined to have ownership of her time and to make sure that what she does in a day will make a difference in her success. Gail also evaluates if her strategies are producing the results that she wants. That is a good and important approach but it is not enough for real success.

Vision of Success

Charles starts his day reminding himself of his vision of success. Where does he want to be in 3-5 years? Then he makes sure that everything he does that day, in present time, will move him toward his vision. Charles is cautious not to get side tracked by the newest brightest shiniest object or idea. He knows what he wants to create and reminds himself of that before he starts the day. He sets his energy to a vibration that will bring him to that vision knowing that change is important. That is a great approach but it is not enough.

Setting Your Space & Energy

Claire starts her day by connecting with herself. She wants to make sure that whatever she does, however she communicates and the energy level she brings to her day is aligned to who she is at her core. Claire wants to create success based on who she is and what she values. She begins each day with meditation, quietly going within, clearing her thinking, releasing the energy in her space so that she feels like herself, can see clearly where she is going, setting her energy to the level that feels right to her and regains her perspective. Claire knows that the intensity of her work affects her space, her thinking and perspective so she wants to start each day from a clear space.

Start Your Day This Way

Each of these professionals or business owners has a handle on one aspect of creating success. If you were to begin in reverse order of how they are presented here you have a formula for success.

Start your day with meditation to get back to who you are at your core.
Take time to reflect on your vision of success and live that all day.
Review your goals, plans and strategies to achieve your vision. Adjust as needed.
Make a to do list that is limited to high value tasks that help you achieve your goals. Prioritize. Focus.
Finally, break your addiction to email and computer. Stop letting them control your attention. Focus on email as a tool you can use during your workday to meet specific goals.

Having control of our energy, our space and where we place our attention is important to our success. Begin to incorporate these steps and notice the difference this will make.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Gut Feelings, Intuition & Decisions

April 12, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Can you trust gut feelings? How is that different from intuition? These are questions that I often get asked. There is a big difference, which is important to note. Intuition and gut feelings are similar in that they are each one of the several intuitive abilities that all of us have. Some of us are more finely attuned to these abilities than others. It is helpful and important to develop these abilities and to use them consciously in our daily life. I know there are those of you who are not convinced though how many times have you said, “I knew that would happen!” Or “I should have listened to myself.”

Energy Centers

There are seven major chakras or energy centers in the body with many minor chakras. Each chakra or energy center has a particular function and ability. For example, the famous gut feeling comes from feeling something with our second chakra located just below the naval.

Gut Feelings

Gut feelings are the body’s way of saying how something feels to you. It might feel good or not so good. That does not mean that it is or is not good. It is just a feeling. I would never suggest that you make a decision purely from your gut feelings though in combination with other information it is a valuable barometer.

It Doesn’t Feel Right

One of the important ways to use your gut feelings is if something does NOT feel right. I would never go ahead with something that does not feel right. It is often best to stop, gather more information, look behind closed doors, check to see what is not yet visible or known or if not important then simply walk away. If it involves a decision then find out more before you decide on something that your gut feeling says does not feel right.

Knowing for Certain

While we are not going to discuss all seven energy centers in this blog I would like to mention a couple of others that are used most often.

There are times when we just KNOW. We don’t know how we know but we are certain. There is no doubt and we are at a loss to say how we know. This ability to know comes from the crown chakra at the top of the head. It is where our higher awareness is. It is not logical. It is an intuitive ability to know. Decisions are best made from this high knowingness.

Telling the Truth from a Lie

Finally, clear seeing is ability we experience all the time but may not recognize it as an intuitive ability. Unfortunately we also do not always act on what we see. Clear seeing comes from the sixth chakra in the middle of the forehead, the third eye. It is our ability to read someone or something. We pick up on people. No matter what they are saying we can see what they truly mean or where they are coming from. This is a very reliable form of intuition because it is not emotional. It is seeing clearly. It becomes challenging when we see something clearly but cannot explain logically how we know this information. As a kid I always wondered why so many people lied.

Open Intuition

The next step is to listen to our intuition. It can be loud. “Don’t go there!” or it can be subtle, “This does not feel right.” Intuition is your very first thought or first feeling. It can be fleeting. Within seconds of your intuition your brain kicks in full force to make sense of or be logical about or give an explanation of whatever situation you find yourself it. Far to often we follow our analyzer and ignore our intuition always with a less desirable outcome. “I wish I had listened to myself.” “I knew that would happen.”

Listen

If nothing else start to listen to your intuition – that very first thought or feeling. It lasts a second before it is replaced by logic. Once you start to listen then it is not replaced and you spend more time connected to your intuition, opening it and becoming more aware of your intuitive perspective. In the ideal world we would use both sides of our brain, using both our logical self and our intuitive self. Until that happens people most often use half their mind and it is unfortunately the logical one, which is not always right. We all know this from life experiences. What is logical is not always the right answer.

Start today and listen. Become aware of your intuition and how to use it.

Best wishes, Kay

Sacrificing Your Business

April 9, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Frank has a strong vision of the business he is creating yet everyday he does things that sabotage his success. I met with Frank for the second time yesterday. Our first conversation was about his business – mostly the facts. The meeting yesterday was to assess the state of his business and create a business development plan for the year.

Frank was full of bravado that I knew masked a deep fear so I delved. He kept saying he was moving forward, making changes, etc. I could see his uncertainty and fear behind this. He was not going to be successful without being honest with himself. His wife, partner and bookkeeper told him they need $30,000 per month to survive, pay bills and put food on the table. They have been generating $15,000/mo. since the beginning of the year. They are at risk of loosing this business and Frank was hiding.

We talk about what it would take to turn this around. Sales was his answer. Who does sales for the business? He does. How much time does he spend doing sales? Not enough. Where does he spend his time? Responding to what comes up.

These answers are not uncommon. Frank is getting in the way of the success of his business. He is scared so he does those things during the day that make him feel good and valued. He is very good at solving customer problems. They love him so given the choice of helping someone who loves him versus making sales calls he choses the former. He is working within his comfort zone, what feels good and is validating. I understand why he does this though when we want to create a change it means getting out of our comfort zone, doing something new that will make a real difference and create the change that is needed.

He defended his need to serve his customers. I challenged him asking if sacrificing his business was worth making his customers happy at this critical juncture. We created a plan to do both. The plan included daily sales efforts which he avoids and will find any reason to do otherwise as well as time to work with customers. Both times of the day are important and cannot replace each other.

At the end of the consultation Frank thanked me for making him get out of his bravado, hiding and helping him face the reality of the weaknesses in his business. Now he feels he is ready to address them to move his company into profitability. His next step was to complete the business development plan for 2014 that we started. This will help him stay focused on the high value tasks and not hide dong what he makes him comfortable and that he enjoys doing.

Frank is not unlike most business owners. If any of this rings true for you then it is time to get out of your comfort zone. Take the steps that are uncomfortable but will make a real difference.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

It’s Not What We Do

March 23, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Our perspective on why we do what we do matters. Feeling like it’s a job, a profession or a business lacks awareness and understanding of our true nature. Everything we do, every decision we make is part of our calling, purpose or path. When we step back, take a deep breath, get out of our routine, we open to understanding the why behind what we do. This simple yet profound shift makes a huge difference on how we view ourselves, our work and our life. Take a deep breath and release.

I often hear from people the eternal question, “What am I meant to do?” asking as if the answer was some how out there if they could only find it. Their first solution is to change what they are doing, do something different, etc. That is never the answer.

Life is not about what we do – our occupation. It is about what we are bringing of who we are into the world, what we value and what is important to us. Our purpose, if you will, is to be who we are in the world, our lives and in our work. To do this takes inner awareness not seeking something outside ourselves. So if you find you are busy doing but feel there is more then go within.

Becoming conscious of ourselves and why we do what we do whether it is sorting widgets, manufacturing cosmetics or being a race car driver is the answer we are seeking. When we are self-aware of what part of ourselves we are being in this moment there is great enjoyment. When we unconsciously go through our day, in our routine we are not conscious and lack inspiration. It is not about our future. It is how we are being in this moment, present time.

Our life is working for us when all of who we are is reflected in what we do personally and professionally. This means being consistent across all aspects of our lives and showing integrity in each and every way. Integrity means intuitively to be your true self. Inspired success comes from this consistency. When we are not aware, consistent and congruent then we have more problems than we care to have, are frustrated, perhaps in pain and experience more failure than we need.

Take the time to meditate. Get quiet. Go within to have inner awareness of who you are at your core and let that energy flow into your life and your work.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Meditation

Take the Time to Make Time

March 4, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ 1 Comment

There is no topic less interesting than time management and yet I was recently part of a discussion on this. Most of us hate the idea of time management and others seem to manage their time with no effort. What if I said there is no such thing as time? That time is simply a construct we create to organize our thinking. There is science behind this concept but that is not the point of this blog.

Choices

On a practical level one person in the conversation did not understand why people have a problem with time management. To him it is just about making the right choices each day. For him it is simple. For others they just know they do not have enough time. Still others have the time but time flies without accomplishing what they intended. I am sure there are other scenarios as well.

Intuitive Perspective

From an intuitive perspective each of us are programmed in our concepts about time. Our thoughts are often unconscious and so they become a habit. We react in the same way in relationship to time, each and every time. During the discussion the organizer polled us on various questions related to time management. Everyone answered and they summarized the poll. Intuitively I saw that we would answer those questions the same no matter when we were asked, last week, last year, next year, etc. We are each programmed to think and react to time in a particular way.

Claire

Working with my client, Claire, I saw she was overwhelmed with the idea of no time or not having enough time. Granted it is a busy season for her but I noticed that her body was tense. Her energy was tight. She seemed stressed. She was not behind in her plans for the day because it was early morning and it had not started. I asked her about her schedule for the day. It was grounded and clear. She had a well thought out plan for her day. I asked about her priorities and what she needed to get done. Claire was clear and knew exactly and in what order she needed to do certain tasks. So why the tension? This question caught her off guard. She was not aware of how stressed she felt then realized that when she thinks about her schedule and her work she reacts in this way in her body. It is automatic and without thought.

This is true for most of us. When we consider time management, prioritizing our work, creating a schedule and a plan to get things done we have an automatic and unconscious way of being. What is that for you? Is it the way that you want to be? Is it causing you not to achieve your goals or in the way you desire?

Multi-Tasking Distorts Time

I admit I am one of those people who can get tense if I am not paying attention. As a teenager and young adult I was taught that multi-tasking was a sign of being very capable so I learned to do many things at once, to have my attention divided. That way of being is very stressful on the body because it requires that you are never present with one thing.

A New Approach

Later I learned that being this way I was busy but not accomplishing my goals so I changed my approach. Now I focus intently on the most important task first to its completion then on to the next. This is a very effective approach for me. I also noticed that though my actions changed my thinking about time and how I felt in my body did not. I still felt like I was multi-tasking and not having enough time. I needed to change this as well.

Real Change

Meditation is a great tool for creating change. I knew my thoughts and reactions were unconscious, automatic ways of being. In meditation each morning I take the time to stop, get quiet and go within. From there I notice my thinking and change it. I become aware of how I am holding energy in my body and relax, release until the tension is gone. Next I decide how I want to be and feel in my body, in my work and in my life this day. The idea of present time (this day) is powerful. How do I want to feel and be right now then feeling that way in my body and changing my thinking to support how I want to be? Some days it is easier to do than others but I stay quiet until I can make these changes because if I do not then nothing changes.

Next Step

What is your relationship to time and time management? What do you want to change? Changing our time management skills happens on several levels so just deciding to change is not enough. Real change happens in body, mind and spirit. So create a time management plan to change your thinking (mind) about time then take the time to meditate to create change in body and spirit. Making these changes in some miraculous way creates time. This is not logical but it is very intuitive. So take the time to make time.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Be Careful What You Choose

January 4, 2014January 4, 2014 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

I just have to ask, “What do you choose?” Every day I watch business owners and professionals make really great choices and others make the worst choice possible but they do not see it. Of course, they do not see it. Who would deliberately make a really bad choice yet it happens all the time. So today I ask you to look deeper at what is behind choice for you.

Making choices is the most powerful creative act we perform each day. The choices we make create our reality (spiritually and physically)and yet we often do this with so little regard. What do you choose to have in your life? The energy behind our choices is important in understanding the experiences we are creating. Do we make choices from fear, resistance, anger, etc.? Wow! It will manifest from there. On the other hand do we make choices from enthusiasm, compassion, love, excitement, validation? If so, it will manifest in that way.

We make choices all day long. Some are automatic responses made without a second thought. We might also chose based on the collective consciousness – go with the flow. Finally, you could choose from your inner awareness of the choices before you and make your highest choice which is not always the easy one.

Making choices to control something never turns out well because we know we do not have control – ever. We can make choices that set forth how we want to be in relation to someone or somethingbut controlling it is never a reality.

I work with business owners and professionals every day. Some take responsibility for their choices, understand what is behind them and learn about the impact of the choices they make. Others do not want to know, to be conscious of themselves or take responsibility for the result of the choices they make everyday. They just decide and move on. How well someone understands themselves and what drives their choices is reflected in their personal and professional success. No one to blame.

There is much to be learned by understanding ourselves and what is driving one choice or another, hopefully before we make it. The choice itself does not matter nearly as much as the thoughts, pictures, concepts, emotions and energy that is behind it. Why do you want to make that choice? What is behind it emotionally, conceptually, etc.? You have heard, “Be careful what you pray for” or “Be careful what you believe”. I would say even before that “Be careful what you choose”.

Your first choice here is whether to be aware of what is behind your choices. This is an important choice. What is behind this particular choice for you? To know yourself or not to know yourself. The greatest step we can take to achieve our vision is to stop acting and reacting to everyone and everything but to choose how to be. This is a choice to be conscious and aware of what we choose in each moment. This means to be present, conscious and aware of self.

If something is not as you would like it to be – do not judge it. Take a moment and remember the choice you made that brought you here. If you do not have something perhaps it is because you have not yet chosen to have itor you inadvertently chose not to have it. For example, saying that you want something then thinking that it cannot happen is a choice not to have it.

Let’s assume you are someone who understands that the choices you make create you experiences. Let’s assume that you are willing to see and know what is behind your choices (fear, grief, anger, envy, control, love, enthusiasm, creativity, etc.). Once you know thatanswer then make the highest and grandest choice even if it is at first uncomfortable.

All the choices we make come from the body, mind and spirit. The best choices use all three. From who you are as a spirit come your highest choices, your grandest vision of who you are and chose to be. What is more common is for the body to want one thing, the mind to think another way and for you to know intuitively your highest choice. What do you choose? When we are aligned in body, mind and spirit our choices create results that will amaze.

Take time to stop and be aware of what is behind the choice you are making in each moment. Make your highest and grandest choice then see what happens.

Best wishes on your success,

Kay

Same old, same old or something new

December 26, 2013December 28, 2013 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

A new year and the same old routine creates nothing new. We can be so set in our ways and stuck in our own way of thinking that we lock out the possibility of real change. Sure we will make some changes in the New Year. We always do – at least for a few months.

Every January my gym is suddenly packed with people and there is no place to park. I do not stress about this because I know the numbers will go down each day and by the beginning of March everything will be back to normal.

Real change is not easy. It takes focus and determination. From an intuitive perspective it means creating a change in your energy first. Our routines and habits cause our energy to spin in a particular way and at a specific vibration. It stays this way day in and day out with occasional changes to high and low points.

How our energy is set (vibrates) creates precisely what we have in our lives at this time. What we have may be great or we may be done with it. In either case being conscious and aware of how we are being is important to creating success – personally and professionally.

This is a good time to stop, get quiet, go within and reflect on where we have been, where we are now and our vision for where we are going next. I use the word next because we are constantly growing in our understanding of ourselves and so we finish one thing then imagine the next.

Stuart, the Architect

I was working with a new client this week, Stuart, a successful architect. He was dismayed with his current work routine, feeling that everything depended too much on him. He could not see a way out. When I asked him what his vision was for his business in 3 – 5 years he had no idea.

This is a great story to illustrate the importance of having a clear vision. Without it life continues on the same. Stuart’s task was to take the time to meditate, to get out of his current thinking about things and open to his vision for where he wants to be. Once that is in place then every action he takes and decision he makes can move in that direction. In addition his energy will change from the current spin pattern and vibration to a new level that will allow and create change.

Susan, To Lead or Not to Lead

Susan is client who has a fast growing financial planning business. Things have gone well for her up to this point. She has been both a financial planner and a business owner though more of her time is spent managing her business. This past year we worked to create a new organizational plan that would support the growth of her business, adding new financial planners, a lead CPA and Office Manager. The goal is for Susan to step out of the day-to-day running of the business and move more into a leadership role guiding the values, vision and future of her company. Susan is set in her ways. She does not like managing the day-to-day operations but it is familiar to her and she has done it for a long time. Being the leader is a new role, unfamiliar and uncomfortable. To be a leader means to change her energy from the lower chakras (busy doing) to the upper, setting the tone, owning the crown chakra (leadership).

Susan is at a crossroads. She is resisting creating a business development plan, a financial plan, a marketing plan, etc. All the tasks of the leader in a business must do. It is her choice. Her business is growing but will not sustain without a strong leader. We will see if she can make this change in her space for the New Year.

Your Vision

What is your vision of 2014? How does your energy have to change? Getting out of routines, habits and becoming more self-aware are the starting points for real change. It is often the case that we cannot see where we are stuck. Working with a coach is a great way to have someone on your side who can show you what you cannot see. To work with a coach you must be willing to receive honest communication then be willing to change. It may not always be easy but it will be enormously helpful in achieving your vision of success.

What is your choice for the New Year? Same old, same old or something new?

Best wishes on your success in 2014,

Kay

Coaching for Business Owners and Professionals

Why Do You Think That Way?

December 16, 2013December 3, 2013 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

Knowing that thoughts are creative means to be careful what you think. This past month I did a series on thinking. It included being aware of where we get lost in thought, stuck in our thinking, create negative thoughts and other possibilities. In essence I noticed that we take little control of our thinking and, in fact, are not be aware this is happening.

Why do we dwell on thoughts that invalidate our goals and our vision for ourselves? This happens all the time. We just go with it. Whatever we dwell on manifests. That may not be logical but it is very intuitive. Notice for yourself what do you dwell on. Do these thoughts support your vision of success? If so, I am going to guess that you are succeeding. Do you dwell on thoughts that bring you down, focus on what is not happening or reasons why it is not happening? I am going to guess that you are frustrated in not achieving your goals. Without deciding which came first the chicken or the egg simply change your thinking and see what happens.

This is not as easy as it sounds because we are set in our ways, have little control of our thinking and worse yet we believe our thinking as if it was right and true. There is a great deal of research that shows how our thinking can be dead wrong. Yikes!

I was giving a talk this week to a group of business owners and thoughts about their business. One young woman stated emphatically that she was going to have to work 24/7 to be successful in her real estate business. regrettably there would be no time for husband and family. I asked her, “Why do you think that way?” She looked surprised. I asked her if she really wanted to create her career in that way, working 24/7 and not having a family. I suggested that she could change her thinking after all it was only her thinking and not necessarily true. Could she imagine being successful and having a husband and family?

A physician told me that she was concerned this time of year because people don’t go to the doctor during holidays. I asked her why she thought that way. She also looked surprised as I suggested another way of thinking. How about thinking that people decide to go to the doctor during the holidays because things are slower, they have time off or it is easier to take time off. Surprised she agreed this is a possibility as well. Which way would you direct your thinking?

We have free will and free thinking so why not create thoughts that support your vision of success in your personal and professional life. How might things be different if we did not dwell on thoughts that negated this vision. Take control of your thinking. Catch yourself and change your thinking in ways that support your success.

Best wishes, Kay

http://www.insightintuitiveconsulting.com

Fear, Failure & Success

December 4, 2013 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

A common fear is failure. Others don’t fear it at all and, in fact, embrace the challenges the possibility of failure presents. These are two entirely different ways of being. Success can be the result of both reactions depending on how you approach it.

I conducted a meditation with business owners and professionals on the fear of failure. Now keep in mind it was not about actually failing just the fear of it. From an intuitive perspective, thoughts and energy are creative so the fear of failure creates ….. failure. We have to get out of fear or manage our fear if we want to be successful.

Meditation is a good tool for becoming aware of the fears that we hold. From the quiet of meditation we can release the energy of fear from our space. This works because the fear of failure is not logical and cannot be processed in that way. Fear is an energy that we can let go of when we are aware of it.

When Fear Is A Good Thing

Fear is important to have in cases of illness, injury, threat, etc. Fear creates a series of physiological reactions designed to make sure that we survive. When we are in fear all our energy goes to the first chakra at the base of the spine. Logic is set aside and replaced by automatic reactions. This is all good when we are in danger.

Fear of failure does not pose a threat to our life so having our body react in survival and our logic compromised is not helpful. It can cause us to act and react in ways that do not support our success.

Working with business owners and professionals I see this all the time. Most of my clients are self-aware and freely talk about their fears knowing they are not in danger but know that fear is in their way. Where these fears originate is a long story but for most of us fear begins at a young age. When we are not aware of the nature of fear we can let it control us.

Fear of Failure

The most common fears I hear are fear of failure, not being good enough and fear of finances. Some of my most successful clients express these fears often. If we are sensitive to fear it will be re-stimulated easily and often in our space. Suddenly we are in fear but we are not in danger. We can sit in the energy of fear or we can become aware that something just re-stimulated a memory, experience, emotion, stuck picture, etc. When we realize this we can take charge of our space and come out of fear. Each time we take a step out of fear we release another layer of energy. On the other hand when we sit in fear we add a layer of energy. Which do you choose?

Kathy’s Aware of Fear

Kathy owns a steel manufacturing company and is growing each month. Her greatest fear is failure despite all evidence to the contrary. Without going into her story suffice to say that she vividly remembers her dad’s fear of failure and how uncomfortable it made her feel. As she becomes aware of her own fear she steps back from it and resets her space to certainty as a women. She finds that her fear passes (releases) and she moves on.

Not resisting fear or failure is important to our success. Placing our attention and vision on what we are creating is a way of getting out of fear. Sitting in fear is not productive and, in fact, creates many physiological reactions that are harmful to our body, mind and spirit. So Fear Not!

Frank’s Fear

When we are in fear of failure it is easy to create stories in our mind that are not based in fact. Frank was in fear that his company was failing simply because he was waiting to hear on a bid he submitted. He did not hear back for so long that he created a story in his mind that he did not get the bid, went into fear and failure then called me. I asked why he was in fear? Why was he in failure? His bid had not been turned down. I suggested he use meditation to get out of fear and failure, to refocus his attention on being awarded the bid and being successful. Frank has free will so he can choose to focus on whatever vision he wants so why not chose to imagine success? Frank did this meditation for three days and felt better. Shortly afterwards he got a call that his bid was accepted. Success! Not a mystery. Not a coincidence. Frank changed his energy from fear of failure to visualizing success and so it manifested.

Notice if you are one of those who embrace the possibility of failure as a challenge to take a step up. Or are you more inclined to go into fear first? You can still embrace the challenge to take a step up. Fear Not.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Goal Not Happening

December 2, 2013November 24, 2013 ~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

What goal is still not being achieved? What part of your vision is not manifesting? This is frustrating when we are achieving goals and manifesting our vision in all areas except here. If there was a logical solution you would have found it by now so let’s take an intuitive approach. What is it within you that’s in the way? Knowing that thoughts are creative, as are emotions, find out what you believe.

Karen, Attorney at Law

One of my clients is an attorney with a fast growing practice. Karen decided to change from having a law practice to having a law business. We worked together to make this shift. This means she is more than an attorney. She is a business owner. With the enthusiasm of this change Karen brought in many new clients and was in heaven. After the glow (high energy) of this change wore off Karen started to hit a wall. She was not meeting her financial targets and began to doubt herself.

On the face of it, she was doing all the right things so what happened? Karen is self-aware so she knew to look within. Karen found that at her core she believed that she could not run a business that she was just an attorney. There are lots of reasons for this limited belief but more importantly Karen found it was her own thinking that was putting on the brakes. Armed with this awareness she became determined to release the limiting thoughts and hold her vision to create a successful law business. And she is.

Sarah, Realtor

Sarah is a realtor. She is young and would like a family but sincerely believes that if she wants to be successful in her career it will take all her time, hard work and attention. This means she will have to put off her vision for being married. When she told this to me I asked her why she was creating her reality this way. It was precisely what she did not want to happen but believed it firmly. I asked Sarah if she could imagine being a successful realtor, having a relationship and being married. Sarah looked surprised. She had spent so much of her time struggling with her own thinking that said either/or that she did not even consider the possibility of having both. When Sarah realized it was her own thinking in her way it changed everything for her.

Max, Bakery owner

Max owns a bakery. He works 24/7 or so it feels that way. When Max called me he was at his wit’s end and about to give up his store. I asked him the same question. Why are you creating your business this way? Can you imagine another way? With that Max came up with a list of reasons: can’t find good help, can’t trust others to do it as well as he can, can’t afford to hire enough people, etc. His list was long. Knowing that thoughts are creative I asked Max why he chose to hold these thoughts as the basis for his business. These beliefs will destroy his business. Max never considered that he was the cause of his unhappiness and was not familiar with the notion that thoughts are creative.

Max was willing to try anything to save his business. He agreed to learn meditation as a way to become self-aware, clear his thinking and create a new vision of success that more aligned to what he valued. Max was able to imagine his bakery running successfully with the help of staff and soon after fired a handful of people who share his vision. His business is thriving without him being there 24/7.

What About You?

What part of your vision is not manifesting? What goals seem to elude you? Now become aware of your thoughts creating this. Clear your thinking. Imagine your vision and goals manifesting. Allow things to change and your vision to manifest.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

How are your thoughts in your way?

Intuition in Life & Success

Whatever you imagine is being created!

Self Awareness

How we are being, determines our success.

Leadership – A Journey in Self-Awareness

Self-Worth & Business Success

Anger and Success

Lost A Client to His Passion

Don’t think. Meditate.

Be Bigger. Be Successful Today.

The energy level of success. Are you there?

Failure Is Easy

What Do You Avoid?

Lost in Anger or Any Other Emotion

Competition for better or worse

This Moment Creates

Change Will Happen – Gracefully or Not So Gracefully

Person or Persona?

Work Hard or Ground

What you don’t know is important

New Culture of Business

Not A Problem!

Hold Your Head High

Start Your Day This Way for Success

Gut Feelings, Intuition & Decisions

Sacrificing Your Business

It’s Not What We Do

Take the Time to Make Time

Be Careful What You Choose

Same old, same old or something new

Why Do You Think That Way?

Fear, Failure & Success

Goal Not Happening

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