The end of the year is a natural time to sit back and reflect on the past year (or even decade) and to take the lessons from 2009 with us into 2010 to ensure that we grow, prosper and thrive.

Most people don’t give the REFLECTION process the necessary time to receive the POWER, benefit and impact of the process.

Why is Reflection so powerful?

To be a really effective human being, reflection is one of the key processes that you should be regularly engaging in.

The reflection process is

THINK        then        ACT        then        REFLECT   then

THINK        then        ACT        then        REFLECT

And so it repeats.

We live in the modern era that venerates thinking and acting but because we feel so time-starved due to all our ‘doing’ we spend very little time reflecting.  We live in the “do-do-do” world – where we are so busy being busy that we often don’t know what we were so busy being busy about!

But the learning lies only in Reflection like a piece of gold waiting to be discovered in a treasure chest.  It is in reflection that we comprehend what works and what isn’t working in our lives.  It is only through reflection that we can break the negative patterns and cycles that we get into.

Two weeks ago, I did a Possibility Evening on the topic of The Power of Reflection and over 2 hours I waved my wand and took people through the reflection process and wow, it was transformational for many of the people in the room.  Realizations and learning popped like popcorn in the room and the participants discovered the golden nugget lessons that the Universe had given them in 2009.

So if you would like to do the same process….  Get your notebook or dream journal out and get ready to write…

Consider 2009 from the beginning of the year and month-by-month write down the following

• Keywords for key events and experiences in that month
• Lessons learned during that month

Eg.

January

New years in Argentina.  Finished first draft of book. Met Matias the gorgeous Mountain Man. Buenos Aires.   Workshops.  Launched Growing Wings.

Lessons Learned
Being in flow and surrender
Allowing creativity to come out whenever and however it wanted
The power of feminine energy in creation

November

Ballito.  Help Michelle with Art Project.  Great Money Magic Talk. Car Accident.
Birthday. Got Pneumonia. In bed.

Lessons Learned
Slow down
Be kind and gentle to myself and others
Am I doing things out of fear or faith?

Now go back through your whole year and consider the things that you are unhappy about or the things that cause you pain, anxiety or stress.   Write down these events and then write down the blessing that came from this event or the reason why you are grateful that this event actually happened to you.

Eg.
Car Accident
Was a blessing because it made me realise that I am vulnerable and mortal and that I need to be more careful with myself, instead of just rushing through life pretending I’m super woman. It made me slow down.

If you can find the blessing and be grateful for every experience that you perceived negatively in your year, you ‘neutralise’ the effect of that event and you learn the lesson from it.   This means that the Universe does not need to send you the lesson again in another form.

Once you have done this exercise then consider and answer the following questions…

What have been your Key Successes in 2009?

What has not worked in 2009?

What do you want to leave behind in 2009?

What do you want to take into 2010 with you?

Once you have written down the answers to all these questions.  Summarise the key lessons into 2 or 3 points for you to remember in 2010.   Then write these 3 or 4 points onto a card and keep this card in your bag or wallet.

Eg.  Mine for 2010 are

1.    Be Kind and Gentle – to myself, to other and to the Earth.
2.    Keep it simple
3.    Am I doing things out of a feeling of faith or fear?
4.    I am not my work

Spending an hour or two doing this process of reflection will create a very powerful platform for you for 2010.  At the beginning of 2010 I will be posting with tips and tricks on how to make 2010 a phenomenal year!

Would love to hear your comments about what realisations have come out of this process for you… comment below…

1.    It is possible to live your dreams – no matter how wild, strange or unrealistic it initially seems. You can do anything.

2.    You are never given a dream or vision that you can’t achieve – if you can see it in your mind’s eye then you can have it, be it or do it.

3.    The first step is always the hardest, it is that leap of faith and then the net appears and the momentum of living your dreams begins.

4.    Listen to your body and your emotions, they are a clear indication of whether you are on the right path for you or not.  If you are continuously getting sick or feeling negative and down, it is your body’s way of telling you to make changes in your life.

5.    The fear never goes away.  Living an extraordinary life is about conquering the new fears as they come up.

6.    When you get an ANSWER from the Universe – take ACTION.   Actions are most effective when they follow an answer.

7.    Be brave enough to be your Authentic Self – when you express who you are and express your unique brand of genius and your incredible gifts that you have brought to the world, then the world comes up to meet you with opportunity.

8.    That having a few key people around who support your BIG dreams is so important during the times when you are experiencing self doubt.

9.    Take time in your day to connect to spirit – to connect to that which is ALL and EVERYTHING.

10.    The quality of your life is based on the quality of the questions that you ask.  Ask good questions and the universe will ALWAYS provide the answers.

11.    That life is about having fun. It is about learning how to play again and rediscovering the magic, which we all knew and experienced in our childhoods but lost somewhere along the way as we grew up.

12.    Ask daily, “how can I serve today?”

13.    If it is not fun, stop doing it!

14.    Be grateful for everything that you have and for everything that you are creating.

What are some of your lessons that you have learned?

Please comment on your lessons below…

I am very inspired by this wonderful video clip of Will Smith’s views on Dreams, Goals, his Extraordinary Success and most importantly being UNREALISTIC…  which echoes the teaching that I do in my talks and workshops about setting WIG’s (Wildly Improbable Goals)… Watch Will’s Wisdom

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLN2k0b3g70)

Inspiring stories about ordinary people who have had the courage to follow their dreams.

At times we all need a Fairy Godmother to help us make our dreams come true

Well, what if a modern-day Fairy Godmother wrote a guide book that you could use to turn dreams and goals into reality? It is almost as good as having her with you, in person, waving her wand.

Oshun Books is delighted to be part of spreading the magic by publishing The Fairy Godmother’s Guide to Getting What you Want by Donna McCallum (also known as The Fairy Godmother!)

The Fairy Godmother’s Guide to Getting What you Want is a self-help book with a difference. It does not claim to offer readers a quick fix: “Anyone trying to sell you the ‘secret’ to happiness,” says the author, “is another drug dealer in this world of pop psychology”. Rather, it offers readers who are willing and ready to take responsibility for their lives guidelines to living the life they want.

The premise of the book is based on 3 principles

1. Aligning mind, body and soul so that you may …
2. Discover what it is you really want, and thus …
3. Manifest (make real) your dreams and desires

Methods that have been tried and tested by the author herself and over a thousand “Daring Dreamers” who have benefited from her programs, will provide the reader with practical know-how to help map out goals, find direction and achieve their dreams.

The book is infused with a positive, generous spirit. Journal exercises, case studies and personal anecdotes will inspire and motivate readers on their path towards self-discovery and fulfillment.

The Fairy Godmother’s Guide to Getting What you Want will be in Exclusive Books and C.N.A. Stores around South Africa from Saturday 4 July.  Go and get one!

Everywhere you go you can’t escape the pervasive story about the credit crunch and economic crisis.  If it is not the TV blabbing about economic doom-and-gloom, then it is probably your friend or colleague in the cubicle next to you moaning about money.

My concern as a Fairy Godmother around this ‘recession’ mentality is that stories of economic crisis are disempowering stories, negative stories that increase personal stress, anxiety, fear and decrease your ability to be empowered and manifest and create your dream life.

Here are 5 reasons why you should drop the ‘recession’ mentality.

1.    It is just a Story and Stories Create Your Life

Whatever stories you fill your mind with will quickly become your reality.  Do you really want to be in poverty, misery and have to scrimp and save for the next decade?  No?
Well then STOP filling your head with stories about the economic crisis.  Stop listening to the media and most importantly stop talking to friends about it.  Get responsible and create another EMPOWERING story.

(See previous blog post on How to Create empowering Stories)

2.    There are Two Economies – yours and the Macro-Economy

Yes, the Macro-economy may be experiencing a slow down, however at this time there are still people making millions of dollars and some are making more money than ever before.  The difference between these people and the majority are that they realise that there are TWO economies – YOUR Economy and your country or world economy i.e. the macro-economy.  As an individual there is not much you can do about the world economy but there is a HUGE amount you can do to influence your own personal bank balance.

When the ‘crisis’ began, I realised that I needed to make up an empowering story that would influence my personal economy. My Fairy Godmother story about the current situation is that “in times of crisis people need inspiration, so now is the time for my business to boom.” Guess what?  Business is booming for me!
And because I am aware of this story doing the rounds called ‘economic crisis’, I have started an early bird special on my workshops, where if people book and pay early they get a good discount and those offers are being snapped up. I am now filling up my workshops and am sold out four weeks in advance!  I have created my own booming economy despite the macro conditions.

3.    Look for Opportunities

Warren Buffet has a quote “When everyone is greedy be fearful and when everyone is fearful, be greedy”. People in the marketplace are fearful, so now is the perfect time to capitalize on opportunities that others are too fearful to take.

A friend of mine in New York who runs www.urbandaddy.com is using this time as an opportunity. He has gone on a massive PR campaign and instead of firing, he is hiring.  Why? He chuckled when he told me that he is now able to hire top MBA talent at a fraction of their previous cost.  The result is his business is booming.

The courageous will prosper and thrive. So get courageous, do things differently to the majority.  Will it take something?  Certainly, but the rewards will be huge. Now is the time.

4.    Fear doesn’t create anything

Creation as an energy form is expansive and growing. Fear as an energy type contracts and debilitates.  When you are fearful you don’t take action in your life and live in a constant state of negativity and mediocrity.  The story of ‘economic crisis’ is a fear based story of scarcity, lack and victimhood.   If you really want to live a life of your dreams, where you are turning your goals into reality you will need to conquer the fears around you, so that you can step into the expansive and thriving energy of creation.

picture above from www.gapingvoid.com

5.    Your country needs you

Your country needs you to be an opportunist, an optimist and someone who is creating value and moving the world out of this macro financial state.  The longer people are paralysed by fear and scarcity, the longer it will take the macro world economy to move out of recession.  The longer you remain in the ‘story’ of financial crisis, the longer the world will remain in the same story.   Your country and the world needs you to adopt an empowering story of creation, opportunity, wealth and abundance to shift the current energy. It is all up to you.