Mary Flanagan Gleason's Blog, page 19

Choose Your Words Wisely!

If there is one thing I have learned in the past two years, it is to “embrace the and.”

That is why I have chosen these simple words to be my guide for 2022.

They remind me to remain flexible, agile, open to new possibilities at every turn.

What will be your guiding words for 2022?

Once you’ve selected them, post them and allow them to act as a daily reminder … because words really do matter.

One of my clients chose “Joy to the World” to get outside of his negative view of the world and see how he can make a difference.

Another client has chosen the words “Self-care, appreciation, future-forward,” while still another has selected the phrase “What I do matters.” This latter intention will remind her to make conscious choices every day.

So again, I challenge you to consider what wise words or phrase will guide 2022 for you? 

If you want to brainstorm some ideas, schedule a time, and let’s get you unstuck and choosing your words. 

Mary

Peace on earth…

This is one of my favorite Christmas stories and I want to share it with you.

World War I and the Christmas Truce*

Starting on Christmas Eve, many German and British troops fighting in World War I sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines, and at certain points, the Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.

At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day, some German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. Some Germans lit Christmas trees around their trenches, and there was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer

German Lieutenant Kurt Zehmisch recalled: “How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.”

Some soldiers used this short-lived ceasefire for a more somber task: the retrieval of the bodies of fellow combatants who had fallen within the no-man’s land between the lines.

The so-called Christmas Truce of 1914 came only five months after the outbreak of war in Europe and was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare. It was never repeated—future attempts at holiday ceasefires were quashed by officers’ threats of disciplinary action—but it served as heartening proof, however brief, that beneath the brutal clash of weapons, the soldiers’ essential humanity endured.

During World War I, the soldiers on the Western Front did not expect to celebrate on the battlefield, but even a world war could not destroy the Christmas spirit.

Just for today. Just for a time. Peace on earth.

This is the time to go inward and find the calm and joy; outward to invite others to do the same.

Wishing you peace and kindness, goodwill on earth.

Mary

How do you make use of the darker days?

I am convinced that I am solar-powered. And here I find myself living in the Pacific Northwest, where gray flannel skies rule for far too much of the year.

Yup, I sleep far too long with these dark days. Being a morning person, it can be quite disruptive. Sans the urgency to be outdoors so true of summertime, I take time to reflect on my year giving thanks for my many blessings, planning what to give to others in a fun and meaningful way, and, of course, resting.

And as I look to the next year, here is a little secret I learned that I want to share with you.

Before I begin my planning for the coming year, I review all my successes for the current year, both big and small. It was not my best year in many ways, and yet, I was impressed at the number of positive outcomes there were.

I finally published my book!I cared for my mother in ways I could not if business had been too time-consuming.I found new friends and new support systems.I kept my promise to stay in touch with you and others who have contributed to my life in so many positive ways.

This is just the tip of the iceberg that was 2021 for me.

Before you begin the next calendar year, I hope you will take time to reflect on all that has served you well this year. There is always stuff you didn’t do, things you didn’t finish, but I promise you, there were also those things that served you for the better.

Here’s a little tip for starting this exercise: Kick everyone else’s voices out of your head. This is your moment to shine in your own head and heart. Don’t worry if another person would or would not agree. Include your business and personal successes.

“I drew boundaries with X.”“I spoke my truth in this tough situation.”“I made my financial goals.”“I made a significant leap toward my goals.”“I refrained from losing it with Uncle Ted on Thanksgiving.”

Your truth. Your successes.

Ready, set, begin!

Then, when it is time to set a clear vision for 2022, and you want to get unstuck from past patterns and start with a fresh perspective on what is possible, give me a call and we’ll jump-start your year in an equally positive way.

Mary

People don’t like free

I’ve come to believe that we want free stuff, but we don’t trust free offers.

                “What’s the catch?”

                “No such thing as a free lunch.”

Sometimes, free is free.

It’s a gift. An opportunity to try something new. An invitation to join.

Every other Wednesday @ 10 am PT, I offer a free Pop Up Decisions session. I encourage participants to bring a decision they face and tap into their intuition to make choices with greater confidence.

Only a handful of you are taking advantage of this opportunity.
I fear that you might not see the value in this free session..
One participant said that she found her participation very helpful.

“It confirmed what I knew in my gut was the right thing to do.”

What would you be willing to pay for that kind of peace of mind? Honestly, I think it’s priceless.

The next free, no strings attached, Pop Up Decision session is on Wednesday, December 15. Bring that nagging decision and see if you can’t find a resolution just by showing up! Your decision may be big or small, professional or personal. For example:

Is 2022 the year to make that next career jump?What should I get that hard to please person for a gift?  Which is the best location for me to live?How will I know if this is the right person for me?Should I hire this person??

There is a lot of power when sorting things out loud in a safe place, with others to encourage, support, and even challenge you.

Give it a try. I’d love to see you there. Please put it on your calendar now. After all, what have you got to lose?

The season of giving and receiving is upon us

The season of giving and receiving is upon us.

Are you a gracious giver and receiver? To be truly generous and thankful, we must learn to do both, or it is not true generosity.

For many, this time of giving thanks is a joyous occasion. For others, it is a little too quiet, a little uneasy. For all of us, it is an opportunity to reflect.

What were the unexpected gifts you received, be they wrapped in pretty paper or took you by unwanted surprise? It might have been the gift of a flower from a child or a message from a distant friend. Or that dream car now parked in your driveway!

For me, it is the good intentions that were gratefully received.

What were the gifts you gave that brought you joy? Maybe it was a donation to a favorite charity or sharing your grandmother’s tea set with the next generation. Or something as simple as lending your ear to a friend in need of a safe place to talk.

As I reflect over this year, I am grateful for your support, belief in what I do, and responses to my emails and blog posts that moved you.

Thank you for receiving what I offer in the highest order of light and love.

May this season of giving and receiving be filled with joy, gratitude, and heartfelt reflection.

Mary

The Secret to Building Cohesive Remote Teams: Empathy

The Predictive Index recently posted their 2021 report on CEO benchmarking, and they talk about what it means to shift to remote teams.

The number one result was working well as a team.

“51% of CEOs cited “working well remotely” as a top hurdle.
Companies may be committed to remote work, but that doesn’t mean
the shift has been easy…It was the most popular
response by a wide margin.”

My work has shown that the number one relationship builder is empathy. Empathy can be especially difficult for teams driven by benchmarks and timelines. It isn’t easy to introduce because it is not measurable by its very nature.

Yet, when team members are not visible on a consistent basis, it is easy to forget what else might be happening for someone who might be easily motivated to perform with a little understanding or insight.

A little bit of empathy goes a very long way toward creating productive teams.

You will go a long way to build productive remote teams if you can understand how empathy works and increase your intuitive relationship skills.

If you or your team would benefit from greater long-distance relationship building for greater productivity, performance, and profitability, schedule a time with me to see how we might work together.

Your greater success is my ultimate success.

Mary

What are you hiding? It’s time to Out Yourself!

It’s time to proudly acknowledge that something about you that makes you truly you.

For me, it was outing my intuition and psychic medium talents. Many people didn’t quite know what to do with that, but that’s okay. The ones that did show up almost immediately, and life has gotten oh so much better.

For you, it might be your strong desire to be on stage or allow more of that thing that brings you joy into your life. Or that thing you are downplaying about yourself at work when it’s really time for you to shine.

It’s there for a reason: to be nurtured and grow into something that makes you more truly you.

One of my clients could not understand why she wasn’t receiving promotions. Through our work together, she came to realize that the next-level job wasn’t what she wanted. What she did want felt out of reach, and so she was willing to settle. She was able to see all the false barriers she created in the name of keeping herself comfortable and safe (and a side helping of “what would others think.”)

Now my client spends her required forty hours at work and spends her evenings and weekends pursuing her passions and building a new career path.

Fulfilling your life’s dreams isn’t about being safe and comfortable.

A dream worth pursuing should both excite and scare you!

ExScare yourself silly!

Enter the new year with a new outlook of what’s possible. I have many modalities that allow you to discover your true vision, eliminate barriers, and begin living a more fulfilling life.

Let’s get started with a free consultation .

Mary

Hate what you do? Bored with your job?

I hear this a lot. But I also hear great resistance when I suggest that one work with their passions.

“I don’t want what I love to become a job.”

Wow! What a way to stay stuck!

I have heard this same sentiment from far too many of my clients.

Let me try this another way:

“I must stay stuck doing something I don’t enjoy with the majority of my week to enjoy something I only get to do sometimes. Alas, poor me.”

Believing you can’t make a living at it is another barrier that may or may not be true.

These are just a few of the many barriers we construct in our minds to stay comfortable (even if unhappy) rather than accept the challenges to become our greatest selves.

Do you really want to be stuck in boredom, feeling unfulfilled, with a false sense of success? Read my paper, Five Ways to Get Unstuck. The first tip, of course, is to make the bold decision that you’d rather be happy in your daily work.

One more tip: You’re not too old, too broke, too stuck to make incremental changes toward your preferred reality.

Getting unstuck is a specialty of mine. Let’s talk.

Yes, but is it true?

How many of us carry damaging stories around we believe to be true?

The correct answer is all of us.

My latest reminder was with my 89-year-old mother who stopped taking my calls because early this summer I insisted she move to assisted living.

It was very upsetting since she lives so far away and getting in touch was not easy. Finally, I had the opportunity to fly home and visit with her. She was so happy to see me she could hardly contain herself.

Mom’s truth had her equally upset. “You stopped calling me, so have your brothers and all my friends.”

That’s when the light bulb went off. A quick check of her very old cell phone and I was able to determine the ringer no longer worked.

The relief I felt was palpable. And yes, I was moved to tears.

The relief she felt was immense! And mom could see that no one had abandoned her.

I offer this to you to invite you to check out the stories that play in your mind be they recent events or the ones you’ve been carrying around with you for most of your life.

What might it mean for your self-esteem, your sanity, your ability to move forward if you could get a new perspective? Hypnotherapy is one of the best tools for taking a more objective look at those stories and finding new understanding.

If you would like to challenge your stories, please reach out for a complimentary discovery call. I’d love to help.

Mary

Congratulations on your promotion! Now what!?!

Every time I got a promotion, I felt the confidence for all of five minutes before the next level of anxiety set in. The stakes were higher, and even more, people would look to me to make good decisions.

“What if I fail?”

Can you relate?

Some people call it imposter syndrome – that feeling like they made a mistake, and soon everyone will know that I can’t do this job.

Now is the perfect time to tap into your intuition.

Why?

…Because your intuition will guide you in ways that are unique to you and always for your greatest good.

Before you can count on it, though, you need to learn how it shows up for you, how to call on it, and how to interpret it.

Then you can lead with greater confidence and clarity.

Don’t let anxiety hold you back. Let me help you keep moving forward. Click here to schedule your complimentary one-hour consultation.