I Change People’s Lives
July 26, 2010
life changing
I decided to create a tongue-in-cheek video this week about changing people’s lives. As I’ve been working with my branding manager on creating my new website, he insists that my tag line be:
Annie Hart – Life Changing
I love it but at the same time I realize that it’s nearly impossible to say that you change people’s lives. In my field, everyone says that they change people’s lives so who is going to believe you if you say you do?
Years ago I used to have this dilemma in a different way. Back before the field of coaching existed, I would try to tell people what I did for a living and I would always run up against a wall. I had no idea what to say.
So I would mumble a bit and then finally mutter under my breath, “Um I change people’s lives.” That would stop the person dead in their tracks and they would say, “Really?? How do you do that?” Then the conversation would be quite animated as they found out about my work.
no small task
Changing people’s lives is no small task. It requires humility, perseverance against all odds, knowing when to listen, knowing when to back off and most important of it, it requires knowing who you can help and who you can’t.
So I do change people’s lives and I’m damned proud to be able to say so. After all these years it finally rolls off my tongue without too much of a glitch.
But I don’t take it lightly either. I’ve come by my skills both due to having had amazing mentors and do to the hard knocks of real life. I’ve learned from my own foibles and failures and from worked and didn’t work with my clients.
But the irony is that although I use the tag line, “Life Changing,” it’s really my life that is changed by doing the work that I do. I am the lucky one, to be privy to the tender, raw and real insides of people’s lives and to have the trust that they place so delicately in my hands.
changing lives
I take care to never tromp on their trust or to act in anything less than integrity.
Changing people’s lives is the most beautiful and the hardest task of all, because you have to be real and true to yourself. You have to live by your principles you can’t just talk about and take the easy way out.
It ain’t easy but it’s life changing to change people’s lives. So here I am after all these years telling the truth for the first time. I am Annie Hart and I change people’s lives.
Look for my new website coming in the next few months!
Think Small – advice from a mouse
July 6, 2010
think small
In the personal growth field, everyone is always touting us to ‘Think Big.’ But thinking big is overrated. Every now and then it’s a good idea to get low to the ground and think small for a bit. Let’s take the example of a little mouse.
A little mouse, what do I mean?
This week my niece sent me a picture of an adorable little mouse and it made me think about the beauty and benefits of the small side of life. In a world that is all about the gigantic proportions of big cars, mountainous buffet dinners and extra-large coffee drinks, thinking from the small side of life can be very beneficial.
Years ago I had a friend visit me from Italy. He had never been to America before and we took him to dinner. Afterwards he ordered coffee which was served in a a mug. As you know coffee in coffee (which is called caffe) is served in a tiny cup.
He took one look at the mug and shouted, “Madonna e’ una piscina,” which translates to, “My God, it’s a swimming pool.” He was absolutely astounded at the size of everything and he spent his entire vacation eating ‘big sandwiches’ and watching big cars drive by. He had a ball with the large side of American life.
While that was a fun experience for him, most of us need just the opposite. We can benefit from un-giganticizing our thinking. I just made up that word by the way!
So let’s take a look at how mouse-like behaviors might truly benefit us:
open up and trust
Mouse Tip #1 – as a small creature you can easily rest in the palm of someone’s hand. In human parlance this means that it’s good to let down your guard, be soft and open your belly to the world. Let all the burdens slip off your shoulders, open up and trust.
It’s good to rest in the palm of the world sometimes.
slow down and rest
Mouse Tip #2 – as a little mouse you can yawn a lot. In human terms this means that when you allow yourself to live like a little creature you can be in tune with your own natural rhythms. You may find you need a rest, a nap or just a short break. Take time to be like this little mouse and tune in.
It’s good to rest and slow down.
creative challenges
Mouse tip #3 – mice are creative above all else. Just watch how they store seeds, nuts and cheese in their little holes. They show us that you can have fun with life and creatively prepare for anything that life may bring you. You don’t need to be on guard about it, instead look forward to the obstacles and challenges that might come your way. It’s good to be prepared to roll creatively with life.
Be creative with life’s challenges and look forward to whatever life has to bring you.
So what do you think? Might it not be time to slow down, take some time to rest in the palm of the world and be prepared for the life to come?
Thanks to my niece Meredith and I hope you’ve enjoyed my little mouse story. I encourage you to think small and enjoy the benefits.
The Single Greatest Change You Can Make
July 5, 2010
ready for change
Ready for a leap in self development? Ok here it is. Make a list of your top ten worst traits. That’s right, stop and do that right now.
Now sit that list right in front of you. You should feel a cringe inside your gut like, “Oh jeez I wish that wasn’t me.” If you feel that, then you’ve got the right list.
If you feel like, “Oh that’s not so bad,” then you faked yourself out the first time and you need to write it over. This time write the REAL list. The one you don’t want anybody to know about.
Now that you’ve got the real list let’s begin. With the list straight in front of you picture yourself at 80 years old. Imagine all those traits on the list as getting stronger, firmer, less yielding and more set in stone, like granite. Ok really picture yourself at 80 with those traits having hardened into being who you are today.
EEEEKKK!
If you feel that eeek! then we’re on the right track. This means that those traits are exactly who you never want to become right? If you want to amp up this exercise, go back and list the top five worst traits of someone whom you judge a lot.
Again add them to your set-in-stone 80-year old personality and you’ve got all the makings for a big change coming on right now! Ready?
time for change
All you have to do is to take seriously the fact that if we are not pushing ourselves to change then we’re not changing.
I have watched every one of my older relatives, friends, colleagues become less kind, less loving and more unyielding as they’ve aged. It’s a shocking conclusion about life that no one ever tells us about and and I’m not sure why not.
Our negative traits are like weeds that grow and take over if we don’t pull them out.
I watched my favorite aunt become nasty and brittle in her old age, a former boyfriend who instead of became self-centered and inward and I notice myself that if I’m not careful I wake up in the mornings like a grumpy old lady.
EEEK AGAIN!
We must run away from these traits and constantly keep that negative image of our 80 year-old selves right in front of us. Is this negative conditioning? Yes it is. But in this case, if we don’t keep an image of what we don’t want right in front of us, we will slide downhill right towards it.
I’m not sure why but it seems a fact of human destiny, that if we don’t change on purpose, we tend to deteriorate in body, mind and spirit as we age. We’re not just getting older, we’re getting more crochety! But we don’t have to.
The negative image in this case is really a positive way of heading towards what we really want. Because the cool thing is that when work against our default nature, we actually reveal our real and beautiful selves.
The diamond is right underneath the crud. So get digging.
Don’t be afraid to dig out your absolute worst traits and keep them in mind everyday as you go about your life. With each nasty part of yourself that you undo, you shed just a little more light on the world.
Mine for today was to wake up out of grumpy and into gratitude. Ah, what a beautiful day and how blessed my life is. How about you?
Video: Make A Difference
June 14, 2010
Video – Perfectly Imperfect
May 11, 2010
A Change For Your Brain – The Story of the Glowing Orb
May 5, 2010
Take a moment to think of a problem.
Nothing too large, not the biggest issue of your life, just something that just bugs you and won’t go away. Take a minute now to think of that…..
Got it??
Now focus on this beautiful glowing orb and ask yourself, “What does this beautiful orb have to do with my problem?”
Don’t try to make sense of this. Just take the first thought that comes. Take a moment now….
Got it??
Now take a moment to think about what you really want instead? What do you really want, other than this problem? Take a moment now to think about what you want…..
Now focus on this image:
Got it?
Now ask yourself, “What have I been doing to get in the way of resolving this problem?”
Focus on this image:
Got it??
Now for the last question. Ask yourself - “What answer can pop into mind out of nowhere that can help me resolve this problem?”
Before you look at the last imagine, take a nice deep breath and really let go. Let go of it all and open your mind as if there was a trap door in your head.
Before you look at the image, know that you may not get an answer right away. It may take anywhere from 24-48 hours for something to bubble up. So just ask the question, let go and breathe. Then look at the image.
Ready???? Go!
That’s it. Now just forget about everything I’ve said – this story, your problem and anything else you thought about. Forget about it all and go back to whatever you were doing before you read this blog post.
But before you go – just be aware of any glowing orbs that come into your awareness in the next 24-48 hours. Just be aware and report to me any results.
I’d love to hear from you! You can email me at: annie@anniehart.com.
Hope you’ve enjoyed the little glowing orb story – a nice change for your brain!
Video: You Want More
May 4, 2010
Video: Cut the Crap, Dare to Be Yourself
April 20, 2010
Video: As If By Magic
April 12, 2010
Video: About Change
March 21, 2010
Connect With Annie Hart
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