What if curious people understood questions are the answer?
Do you long to wake up excited to get out of bed and be the person you know you can be, but just not sure how to get connected with that life? What if questions are the answers and curiosity is the key?
Martha Stewart contributes her success to an avid curiosity.
Jeff Bezos’ mother believed it was her responsibility to allow deep dives into what her son enjoyed. She may have not always liked his questions, but gave him space to explore with curiosity.
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Walt Disney
Questions are the answers
Curious folks just learned to ask good questions.
Are you known to think outside the box, not afraid to fail, explore new ideas, and have an unquenchable willingness to grow?
“Getting the right question is the key to getting the right answer,” Jeff Bezos.
What if a zesty life is an endless journey of discovery?
How curious are you? Don’t let yourself off the hook. This is YOUR life… you deserve to create it.
Here are a few questions to spark your curiosity….
Are you doing what you truly want to do?
How many promises have you kept to yourself?
If you could clone yourself, which of your characteristics you wouldn’t want to be cloned?
Who do you admire and why?
Is there anyone who inspired your life today?
What are you most proud of?
If happiness was a currency, how rich would you be?
If today was the end of the world, what would you do?
I hope you came up with some of your own questions!
Does creating a life resonate with you?
I’d love to offer a FREE mini coaching session. The mini session is simply a chat with someone who truly believes your best years are ahead.
I experienced a Wellness Awakening in January 2017, after a horrible hysterectomy that haunts me to this day. It was a wake up call. I began researching how to create my own wellness practices.
For three years I explored natural remedies, the power of the mind, and learning how to move my body to stay well. I don’t live in fear of illness because I am proactive with wellness!
Grateful for my personal wellness journey, I went from a total lack of hope in 2017 to empowered freedom that has served me well during the 2020 lockdown.
Have you experienced an awakening during lockdown?
Have you taken inventory on what you hold as essential during this time of isolation? What is on your list? Here are a few of mine….
Hugging loved ones is at the top of my list! Funny, because I’ve never been a touchy-feely type person, at least not in public.
Freedom to go about a “normal” life! Movies, restaurants, coffee shops, trips to the beach, having a party, going to hear live music, etc.
Spreading the truth about wellness! It is essential that I share the freedom of a managed mind, eating well and a body in motion with everyone.
We only control a few things….
The truth is we control very few circumstances. Lockdown has driven this truth home to me.
This article reminded me that the human spirit has the power to overcome the darkest, worst side of humanity. And that people really do have the ability to write their own story, even when freedom is stripped.
A tug of war between what is inside and outside of control
In the article, Sara Israelsen-Hartley describes The Stockdale Paradox. James Stockdale, a Vietnam vet, survived 7.5 years as a prisoner in Hanoi Hilton. “Stockdale’s approach was to come up with a way of actually functioning in the circumstances in which he found himself so he could deal with that day in, day out, for as long as it went on.” Israelsen-Hartley goes on to explain how Stockdale survived using the Stoic philosophy of compartmentalizing what can be controlled and what can not be controlled.
“In the 30 seconds before he landed and was pounced on by more than a dozen waiting Vietnamese soldiers, Stockdale accepted that soon nearly everything would be outside of his control — even his own body.
But his opinions, judgments and attitude, his grief and joy? Those feelings and emotions were entirely within his control.”
There is hope in an Awakening
So, what can you control? Your mind. Your wellness.
I want you to be empowered by this! Your mind is in your control, therefore wellness is within your control. Simply put, you can be proactive instead of reactive.
While freedoms have been surgically removed by a mysterious virus, people all over the globe are awakening to the importance of health and wellbeing.
“Your thoughts and beliefs are the single most important indicator of your state of health.” Dr. Christiane Northrup, M.D. (From her book Goddesses Never Age)
It is science! “Studies by researchers such as Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin show that mindfulness practices rewire the brain, resulting in greater immunity and improved ability to manage stress and emotions.” Dr. Chistiane Northrup, M.D. (Goddess Never Age)
Has the COVID-19 been a wake up call for you?
Self-aware is the first step in self-care. Let self awareness empower you to create an audacious wellness practice!
Instead of waiting for a health crisis, why not live a lifestyle that prevents it in the first place? Awaken to the idea that you can control your state of wellbeing. You have choices. You can decide to be well.
Maybe you have never took time to think about your wellbeing. Time is definitely a commodity that is abundant during lockdown. Lockdown is giving you time to awaken to the idea of audacious wellness!
Now is the perfect time to create daily wellness practices and strategies to get through the pandemic for however long as it lasts. A life of Awakened Wellness can be yours!
Get Coaching
Self-awareness is investing in thought work that can uncover limiting beliefs concerning wellness.
If a wellness awakening is resonating with you, but your not exactly sure where to start? Click the box below to schedule a FREE MINI SESSION!
I’d love to chat about your Wellness Awakening! Schedule a FREE MINI SESSION to uncover where you are and where you would like to be by clicking the link below!
Here’s to the Wellness Awakening!
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!
Full disclosure, life coaches are not immune to drama. In today’s blog I will share insights from my journal in hopes that it will help you navigate the chaos created when data drama cramps your style.
The struggle is real. At this point, are your thoughts and feelings “large and in charge?”
It dawned on me today that I have fallen into information overload. I can quickly get sucked into my iPhone apps, scrolling through Instagram and Facebook. Before I know it, I’ve spent hours down a rabbit hole searching for truth and researching possible solutions.
YEP, data drama is cramping my style. It is time to take charge of my thoughts and feelings, live for the moment and create a future that motivates me today.
An a-ha moment while doing a thought download.
Thank God for journaling! Thought downloads are extremely important during times of chaos. Journaling clarifies thoughts on paper and indicates where feelings are coming from.
It dawned on me today that data drama is like the toilet paper phenomenon. Investing hours in getting to the facts can be compared to standing in line for toilet paper. It is an attempt to maintain some control over the uncontrollable.
As if anything outside ourselves can be controlled.
The only thing YOU control is YOUR thoughts. What ever you focus your attention on becomes YOUR truth.
How about allowing an alternate scenario equal airtime?
I am not suggesting anyone should burying their head in the sand in ignorance. It is important to be well informed and know what you believe. Just understand, it is natural for your mind to obsess over the worst case scenario.
It takes seventeen seconds for a thought to produce the vibration of a feeling. If you feel tense or angry, take a hot second to to pause. What thought produced the feeling of fear, anger, etc.
“Do you want to feel fear or fierce?” ~Brooke Castillo
Shut off the data drama long enough to give creativity a chance to shine! You are in control of your storyline. Give innovation and curiosity equal airtime. Your unique talent is in desperate need in this moment. It would be a shame if data drama stole your thunder.
Ask yourself:
1. What do I want?
It is easy to know what you don’t want. It takes practice to train your brain to look for what you do want. A more beneficial thought might be, “how do I want to feel?”
Data drama exposed my need for certainty. So, I am choosing to look for thoughts that will serve my need for order. Instead of thinking, “This is a really scary time, feels worse than 2008.” I am choosing to think, “Jeff and I are in a better space mentally to deal with what ever presents itself.” Notice which thought gives me power over the unwelcome feeling of uncertainty.
2. What if this is happening for me, not against me?
Taken from Tony Robbins’ playbook… This is the best question to ask when looking for alternative scenarios. Your mind makes up shit about the circumstances, so you might as well make up some shit that works for you! Resist the worst case scenario. You control the narrative!
3. How can I create and contribute?
Out of the six basic human needs, growth and contribution are the spiritual needs. Using the circumstance as an opportunity to learn, create and serve humanity allows you to connect with your soul! Can you create something that will add value to your community? Are opportunities for growth presenting themselves? What can you do to help your neighbors?
“If you can’t do great things, Mother Teresa used to say, do little things with great love. If you can’t do them with great love, do them with a little love. If you can’t do them with a little love, do them anyway. Love grows when people serve.” John Ortberg
My commitment to solutions
I am dedicated to those who can’t be caged! Let me offer freedom from data drama! During this season I am committed to:
Sharing information & resources
Promoting wellness & immune health
Asking quality questions
Offering to listen
Coaching those who want practical ways to deal with real feelings.
Teaching the tools to manage thoughts
Promoting & supporting my entrepreneurial friends & neighbors
Sending love to this world!
As you can see I have NO time for data drama!
Reach out to me if you need someone to listen. I offer a FREE one hour consultation for first time clients. In that hour, I help you clarify how you really want feel and how to create thoughts to produce that feeling.
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!
Do you have the luck of the Irish on your side this week? I wear green on St. Patty’s day in honor of my Celtic friends and to avoid being pinched!
I looked up the term “luck of the Irish” and learned it was coined during the gold rush years. The most famous and successful miners were Irish. Their success was attributed to sheer luck.
I may be “lucky enough” to have a small percentage of Irish ancestry, but I don’t attribute luck to success, or feel unlucky with lack of success. Of course I will always welcome luck! My heart flutters at the idea of luck choosing me, but I understand my role in the husbandry of my future.
“You’ve got to do your own growing no matter how tall your father was.” Irish proverb
So let’s play with creation. How do you create a life you want, with or without the magic of luck?
A managed mind creates opportunities for luck.
Information continually bombards us on a daily basis. Our brilliant minds funnel the information to avoid overload. “They” call it confirmation bias.
Here is a simple example how my mind funneled information: I want to retire Miss Dixie, my truck. She served me well as an antique dealer, hauling a trailer of goodies for years. Now that I have a new “hat” I long to drive something sporty and definitely not owned by the masses. I made the decision that an off-white Mini Cooper Countryman would be fun. Literally the moment I chose that car I saw them everywhere! Weird, until then I hardly noticed them.
How does confirmation bias affect our opportunities? An unattended mind will offer only what is programed in a belief system. Do you believe in lack, you will see lack everywhere. Do you believe in abundance, you will see abundance everywhere. In other words, your mind will present evidence to only what you believe. It might be time for a pivot!
The good news is that you get to choose your thoughts and create from any belief system you cultivate. In fact, a managed mind can create opportunities.
Give your creative juices room to breathe! I believe inspiration comes when your mind is at rest. Occasionally unplugging from information overload allows ideas to flow and the mind to dream. Daily journalling has helped me to get crystal clear on what I want and choose thoughts that serve the life I want to create.
Success leaves clues.
I first learned the concept of success leaving clues from Tony Robbins. He teaches that instead of reinventing the wheel, look to the ones who paved the way. There are teachers everywhere!
Sure, life is a great classroom. I’ve learned many lessons from the school of hard knocks. Now that I’m entering my 50’s I’m getting wiser. I prefer to invest time and money into podcasts, books and seminars to learn from other people’s hard knocks.
A word about hard knocks: don’t let them surprise you or derail your dream. I love what Elizabeth Gilbert shares about enduring disappointment in her book Big Magic. It’s part of the job of any creative. She quotes Mark Manson, “the secret to finding your purpose in life is to answer this question in total honesty: Whats your favorite flavor of shit sandwich?” Because if you love something enough then you don’t mind eating the shit sandwich that comes with it. Fail forward my friend!
Everything is figure-outable.
I can’t stop talking about Marie Forleo’s book Everything is Figure-outable. If you train your mind to believe that one statement, there is NOTHING you can’t do!
“Almost everything needed to make your dream a reality requires new skills, experiences, and understanding. You must do things you’ve never done before.” Marie Forleo.
Create your own luck by training your mind and being a student of success. In doing so you’ll be an inspiration and possibly attract the luck of the Irish!
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!
Is your goal to live a life of creative abundance? Do you want to take creative control of your life? I believe it’s worth taking the leap!
I admire people who ooze creativity. It always appears to be effortless, natural, like they just ARE creative. I’m learning that is not exactly the case.
In Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic,she refers to ideas and creativity as mystics that come to you and offer the idea. It is your job to say yes or no to the idea, understanding there will be a few “shit sandwiches” on the menu. In fact, according to Gilbert the reason we don’t move creatively ahead is always and only fear.
“Creative living is living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than fear.” ~Liz
A poet that Gilbert became intrigued with, once told a literature student, “Do you have the courage? Do you have the courage to bring forth this work? The treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say YES!”
Do YOU invest for abundance?
I wholeheartedly support Elizabeth Gilbert’s theory that creativity is an energy that chooses us to co-create with. Cuz it’s the TRUTH! It is a gift from God.
I’ve been mulling over a familiar Bible story in the book of Mathew. As the story goes, a boss man (my words not the Bible’s) went out of town and left his servants in charge. He gave “talents” to each according to their ability. The first servant he gave five talents to invest, to the second servant he gave two talents to invest and to the third servant he gave one talent to invest. When the boss returned he found the first two servants had double their talents. The third servant buried his talents because he feared loosing the one talent he had.
Impressed, the boss commended the first two servants with, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in my happiness!” The boss reprimanded the third servant with, “You wicked, lazy servant… you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.”
The good and faithful servants will be given more talents to work with, while the third servant will be passed over next time the talents are divvied out.
A verse on abundance: Mathew 25: 29
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have abundance.
I am not a Bible scholar. I simply love that Jesus encourages people to invest their talents. He fully understands the fear and risks involved, as well as the abundance rewarded to the courageous.
It appears that the story is about a dude with a lot of money, entrusting his wealth to his servants. I view this familiar parable as an example of our benevolent creator continually entrusting gifts and talents to humanity, taking delight in what is created with the gifts.
When we are willing to invest, share and ship our talents, the talents multiple. I wholeheartedly believe in abundance. It is up to all of us to get curious about what we have to offer, develop our talents and be willing to share them.
Sign me up for abundance!
I am pursuing a creative life. Abundance is directly related to my willingness to invest in my gifts. I hope the gifts I share inspire and encourage you as well, but most importantly are a gift back to my creator.
The creative life isn’t effortless. A meaningful, creative life that gives back requires courage. The courageous receive abundance.
Fear is lazy. I refuse to bury my talents or play small and will have the courage to continue to grow, and to keep moving towards becoming the best version of myself, feeling the vibration of fear, knowing it will pass.
Are you curious?
I invite you to get curious about your talents. Have you given into fear and succumbed to living a small life? Or are you looking for ideas to invest your talents?
As Jack Gilbert put it, “The treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say YES!”
I would love to connect with all you badass women who are ready to take creative control of your life! Let’s shake up this world with our abundant talents!!!!
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!
I am a life coach who works with women who are ready to take creative control of their lives.
Future Focused
I’d like to share with you a concept that has revolutionized the lens from which women can choose to create their life.
Have you ever wondered why your life seems to be on repeat? Why you can’t seem to achieve anything more than what you already have? I can relate.
That was my life until I learned about a concept called future focus.
Think of your life as a horizontal straight line. At the beginning of the line mark 0 representing the day you were born. At the end of the line mark 100, the age you hope to live to. The women I coach are facing the midpoint of 50, or so.
At 50 you can either see all the life you lived, and make decisions based on past experience. Or you can look at all the life ahead of you and create from vast possibilities.
So, are you creating with a future focus or are you repeating the past?
My A-ha moment
My a-ha moment was when I discovered I was basing my future success on the failures. I have a box full of business cards from the risks I’ve taken. Regretfully, my identity became associated with failure. Now I see that I can’t create a different life with that limiting belief. I now look at my failures and see all the times I got back up and that failing will not kill me. I am free to create a dream life from future possibilities.
Are you ready to embrace your future self without the limitations of past proof? Reach out to me if you are ready to take creative control of your life.
~Tiffany Eckhardt
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!
Failure is not taught in school. Yet, all the successful people I’ve studied this year have harnessed the power of failing forward.
Recognize YOUR script on failure.
Can YOU agree?
Life is 50/50 good & bad.
Nothing worth having in life is handed to you.
There is a lot you can learn from failure if you are curious.
Failure can be good or bad. You decide.
2. What is failure?
Failure is simply YOUR unmet expectations. No one can define failure for you.
2. How do you view failure?
Do you view it as something that happens to you from outside sources?
Do you view yourself as the failure, somehow broken and not capable?
Either approach to failure will not serve you! YOUR approach to failure becomes a familiar story in your mind that will block any attempt to pursue greatness. You are the captain of your own destiny.
For my recent Fail Friday Facebook Live, I shared Pema Chödrön’s book Fail. Fail Again. Fail Better. Her wisdom can help flip the script on the olé familiar story.
View failures as portals of discovery, a chance to get creative and to learn something new.
Be willing to feel a wide range of feelings when things don’t go the way you want them to. {Rage, upset, sadness, loneliness}.
Notice what you do in this space. Do you blame others? Do you call yourself a failure?
Get curious about your failure thoughts
Don’t believe all the stories that play on repeat in your mind, simply get curious about them. Take time to ask yourself questions.
What is your inner dialog saying?
How does the story impact your feelings?
What actions do you take when you feel that way?
What results are you getting from that space? How is that working for you?
OK… enough talk about failure. Let’s Kick 2020 into gear by celebrating the 2019 successes.
Success is defined as something that works out the way you expected it to. Focus on your 2019 successes and toot your own horn!
Your homework, take a hot second to think good thoughts about yourself. Trust me it is fun!
1. Make a list of ten successes you are proud of from 2019.
Did you loose weight?
Did you read the books you wanted to read?
Did you travel?
Did you buy that thing you’ve always wanted?
Did you learn a language?
Did you repair a relationship?
Did you start a business?
Did you reach a financial goal?
Did you get that raise?
Did you learn a new craft?
Only YOU can determine what can be on that list.
I firmly believe in the power of creating the life you want.
What ever is on your list add the sentence “I created this.” Friend, I promise you did something out of the ordinary to achieve that result.
I lost twenty pounds and can wear that dress. I created this.”
2. Now imagine what you want to report on December 31, 2020.
Take time to imagine yourself on December 31,2020. Can you imagine how you will feel when you make your list of 2020 accomplishments at the end of next year? On the last day of 2020 what do you feel most proud of? What actions did you take? What results are you celebrating?
From this space, make your future list NOW. Blow YOUR own mind in 2020! Become the person of your dreams!
I am a product of the product.
I spent nearly 50 years believing I was a failure, like there was something fundamentally wrong with me. I finally took hold of my thought life and am curious about my beliefs. I am proud of the person I am becoming.
I did the homework, and was blown away by my list of accomplishments in 2019. Yes, I had unmet expectations. I am not a failure. Failure doesn’t happen to me. I decide what it means in my life. I am free to recognize my own script and flip it!
Creating my 2019 list inspired me to create a list for 2020. I’m excited to create the 2020 Tiff! This is going to be the best decade of my life!
Let me help you create the life you want in 2020! I will help you identify exactly where you are, where you want to go and the obstacles that will be in the way. We’ll make a plan to hurdle any failure and celebrate all successes!
I am offering coaching packages for 2020. Purchase a three month package before January 1, 2020 to receive a free copy of Pema Chödrön’s book Fail. Fail Again. Fail Better.
Happy New Year!
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing YES in the sky!
What if curious people hold the secret to a successful life?
Just curious, do you believe it’s possible to create the life of your dreams? Could curiosity be the secret?
Travel has taught me to be curious. I love to wander the streets of cities we visit. I always wonder what is around the corner. Could there be something amazing to discover the next street over? Jeff and I have been lost more than once. Curiosity led Michele, Jeff and I to Paolo Sandulli’s art castle in Praiano, Italy. I’d say that was a successful day!
Martha Stewart contributes her success to an avid curiosity.
Jeff Bezos’ childhood was marked by curious chaos. Bezos’ mother believed it was her responsibility to allow deep dives into what he enjoyed. She may have not always liked his questions, but gave him space to explore with curiosity.
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Walt Disney
Curious people are known to think outside the box, not afraid to fail, explore new ideas, and have an unquenchable willingness to grow.
See why I am drawn to curious friends? They are kindred spirits who create their lives.
Questions are the answers
What if curious folks just learned to ask good questions? What if questions are the answers?
“Getting the right question is the key to getting the right answer,” Jeff Bezos.
Curious people tend to be innovative, not content with the status quo. They are willing to question how they show up in their valued relationships, how their thought life effects their emotional balance and how to contribute with influence and purpose.
What if a zesty life is an endless journey of discovery?
How curious are you about YOUR life?
I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of questioning my thoughts. The right questions exposed strategic and obstructive thoughts. Every thought creates a feeling. Feelings influence our behavior, which gives us our results.
Questions led to discovering what I really want in every area of my life.
Let’s get curious about the thoughts that are creating YOUR life in three important areas.
Ask yourself…
1. Am I self aware?
What is my current thought? {Right now… as I read this.}
How do I feel about that thought?
Do I like that thought?
What if I thought a different thought?
Do my thoughts contribute to my wellness? Why or why not?
2. How do I want to show up with my family and friends?
How am I doing?
What thoughts do I tend to think about my loved ones?
Are my thoughts correct, and strengthening my relationships?
Can I think different thoughts?
3. Am I doing work I love?
How do I define a successful life?
Do I like my definition?
Why do I even want to be that version of success?
You get the idea… what questions would you ask yourself if you were curious? Can you imagine a better life if you asked more questions? Do you believe you have the power to change your life by changing your thoughts, creating feelings that serve you and taking action from the place of pure curiosity? Your best life could be just around the corner. 😉
Curious, do you need help?
Don’t let yourself off the hook. This is YOUR life… you deserve to create it. Do you need to enlist help from someone who will objectively listen to your line of thinking?
I’d love to offer my services to you. Are you curious how I can help YOU solve the issues in your life? A coaching session will help you explore your thoughts with curiosity. There is a system to unlocking the results you want in your life. The first session is FREE!
Do you believe it’s possible to create the life of your dreams?
Here’s to a cultivating curiosity!
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing YES in the sky!
