Category Archives: Body Mind Vibrance coach

Do You Want to Play Big or Small?

Posted on June 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

by Amy Barnes, MBA MA LMHC
Until recently I didn’t realize that I had a choice. Then I realized how small I had been playing. I could make lots of excuses about why I was playing small, not working up to my full potential or using all my gifts and talents in most areas of my life. The unpleasant truth was that I had chosen to show up being less than I could be.

I could make lots of excuses. I could blame my childhood or the fact that I felt it would take too much of time and energy or that I would have to be different than who I am or others wouldn’t like me or I just didn’t believe in myself.

I think the truth was closer to I have been doing the same thing for a long time and had fallen into a rut. Not necessarily an unpleasant rut. I like my coworkers. I thoroughly enjoy working with the vast majority of my clients.

I’ve been doing this for almost 15 years and it’s time I gave myself a promotion. As a body centered coach and therapist I’ve learned more tricks, more tools more ways of working with people to get them from where they are to where they want to be much more quickly and easier. I need to appreciate my own growth and new skills. I need to listen to myself and trust my gut to know it’s time to do things differently. It’s time for me to spend more time in my own Zone of Genius.

Just as I support and empower my clients to be the best they can be I also need to do that for myself. So in the coming months you’ll see changes in my website and changes in how I go about doing business so I can reach more people in a way that is best for both myself and my clients.

I encourage you to play big, not stay small and I’ll do the same for me. In the meantime contact me if you feel I can support you in going from where you are now to where you want to be in all areas of life – both work and play.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Until next time,

Amy

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Appreciation, Body Centered Coach, Body Mind Vibrance coach, Empower, Life Coach, Trust your gut, Uncategorized, Zone of Genius

Tagged , , , ,

Redefining Success One Moment at a Time

Posted on May 5, 2010 | Leave a comment

What’s your marker of success?  How will you know when you are successful?  Will you have 40 million in investments, a second home in Florida or Tuscany, CEO of your own Multi million dollar company or happily married or retired from a job you dread?

What if you could be happy now?

 I now choose to measure my success by the sense of peace and joy I feel each day, in the moment.  Yes in this very moment.  For this moment is the only moment we are guaranteed.  Time spent fretting about past events or worrying about future events only keeps us from enjoying and being present in this moment.

 Take a deep breath and notice how you feel in this moment, tension in your body, anger sadness, fear or joy or a sense of peace.  By the way are you breathing or holding your breath?  We only exist in this moment – no longer are we in the past and the future has not yet happened.

 I choose to be fully alive and thoroughly embrace this moment.  Yes I would choose to have millions in the bank or be happily married or spending the afternoon at a villa in Tuscany.  Yet we know that neither money nor a relationship is a guarantee of happiness. 

 Last weekend in Santa Barbara, I gathered with Kathlyn Hendricks and several of my Hendricks buddies – other Hendricks coaches from the Hendricks Institute to play and learn in an Advanced Leadership Training Program.  The experience left me feeling expansive and joyful. 

 Learning to be present in the moment sounds so simple yet for most of us it is quite difficult.  In the moment I may feel angry or sad or scared yet, being in the moment allows those feeling to pass through me and to return to a sense of peace and joy. Mastering these skills is an advanced move.  As a coach I am ready to assist those who are ready to learn these and other tools to transform your life and allow you to love the life you are living now!

 Until next time,

 Amy Barnes,  Life Coach for Body, Mind, Spirit and Relationships.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Aliveness, Amy Barnes, Body Mind Vibrance coach, Coaching, Hendricks, Life Coach, success, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , ,

Learning to Trust your Gut

Posted on September 18, 2009 | Leave a comment

As a coach, one of the hardest things I ask my clients to do is to be in the moment, to notice and observe without judgment the feelings in their body at this very moment. Learning to listen to our bodies gives us the information we need to “trust our gut” instead of relying on information outside of us to make decisions.

Many successful business leaders have learned to trust their gut.  As Donald Trump said, “Leaders are people who can discern the inevitable and act accordingly. When people talk about business acumen, discernment is a big part of it. It’s a bit like gut instinct, but a little more developed.”  Gay Hendricks in his book The Corporate Mystic talks about the importance of leaders learning to trust their gut.

Most of us have been taught to disregard what our bodies tell us. Some of us have even been taught the opposite. That we should never listen to what our bodies tell us but only make decisions based on hard core evidence. Would you like to be more comfortable making decisions? Learning to trust you gut is one of the best tools you have for making reliable decisions.

Just try it for a moment. Start with the more obvious. Do you have a headache? Is you stomach growling because lunch is long overdue? Now, what else are you noticing? Are you holding tension anywhere? Does any part of you feel heavy of constricted or open or expansive? Many of us hold tension in our upper back and neck for instance.

Once we learn to listen to our bodies we can gain all sorts of information. Our bodies receive information even before our brains receive the information. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a neurosurgeon, wrote My Stroke of Insight. In her book, she describes how our bodies actually produce chemical reactions which allow us to feel different emotions such as anger, sadness and fear in different parts of our bodies.
Learning to Trust My Gut

Your next question may be so if I listen to my body what do I do with that information.  Great question.   We’ll talk about that another day.

Until next time,

Amy Barnes, Life Coach

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Amy Barnes, Body Mind Vibrance coach, Coaching, Hendricks, Indiana, Indianapolis, Leadership, Life Coach, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Who Are You Not to be Brilliant, Talented and Fabulous?

Posted on September 16, 2009 | Leave a comment

The IPS (Indianapolis Public Schools)  Center for Inquiry was named a blue ribbon school.  One 13 year old student was quoted as being lucky to go here because she loves learning and loves to go to school unlike many of her friends.   What a turn around and what good news for a school district that many had given up on.  I’m pleased for the students who go there for IPS and for Indianapolis.  Most of all I’m pleased that I get to open the newspaper and see good news. 

Many of us feel stuck in the bad news.  We feel fearful about  the economy and the proposed health plan.  We fear we won’t be in good health or have enough money for retirement.  We fear that our relationships won’t go well or that we won’t be good enough parents.  We feel overwhelmed. 

Life coaching is like searching for good news.  We’re hardwired for fear, for not feeling adequate enough.  Often we loose track of our own best strengths and abilities.  As a life coach again and again I see bright talented people who some how sometime ago stopped believing in themselves.  I believe each of you already has inside of you what it takes to be successful and to live the life you want. 

I want to support you in trusting yourself to make decisions and follow through that allow you to feel confident and successful.  As Marianne Williamson said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually who are you not to be?”

Until next time,

Amy Barnes

Life Coach for Leadership and Transformation

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Amy Barnes, Appreciation, Body Mind Vibrance coach, Coaching, Empower, Fear, Indiana, Indianapolis, Leadership, Life Coach, Self Confidence, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , ,

You are a Powerful Consumer

Posted on September 7, 2009 | Leave a comment

Many years ago while studying Economics and Statistics I wrote a thesis on the economic impact of the college I was attending on the local economy – then known as an input output study.    If I spend $1.00 at my favorite store,  a certain percentage of that will be respent in the local economy for salaries, supplies, local taxes etc.  If the business is locally owned more money is generally respent in the local economy that if the business is not locally owned.  Simple concept.

I found a new website: The 30/50 Project.  You can have an impact on how much of your money stays local and how much of your money goes elsewhere.  The 30/50 projects asks what three independent locally owned businesses would you miss the most if they disappeared.

I love to eat and generally choose to eat at one of Indianapolis’ many wonderful Ethnic restaurants.  For instance, have you eaten at any one of YATS three Indianapolis locations – great inexpensive Cajun food!  Have you shopped for fruit and vegetables at the city market or one of the many local Farmer’s Markets around the City?

With each $1.00 you spend you are choosing to support or not support Indiana’s Local Economy.  Did you know you were so powerful?

As a coach I work with many entrepreneurs and couplepreneurs  (couples who are also entrepreneurs).  Need a list of locally owned businesses try the Indiana Business Directory?   Looking for a new place for lunch?  Try:  Best Indianapolis Restaurants or check out Smaller Indiana for more info on Indiana businesses.

Help keep Indiana’s economy strong.  Support locally owned independent businesses.

By the way what are your three locally owned independent Indianapolis businesses?

Amy
Life Coach

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Amy Barnes, Body Mind Vibrance coach, Coaching, Empower, Indiana, Indianapolis, Life Coach, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Day Two of My Self Taught Guide to Blogging

Posted on September 2, 2009 | Leave a comment

September is my self proclaimed, self taught guide to be a better blogger in a month. I just finished reading The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging and feel totally inspired.

I hadn’t realized how lame and out of date my blogging style was. With over 112 million blogs and counting (according to Huffington Post) why would anyone read my blog? A blog needs to create “BUZZ” and “STICKINESS.”

As a life coach, I assist clients to feel empowered, to be heard, to know and value themselves. I encourage clients to connect with their own mind, body and spirit, to trust their gut and then to speak boldly in their own unique voices.

This feels much like the ingredients needed for a successful blog. To be yourself, speak in your own voice, engage your readers at all levels their mind, body and spirit, and most importantly to both value and speak from your own unique point of view.

WOW! So much to learn – excited!

On to Day three of 30 days to being a better blogger.
Amy

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Amy Barnes, Body Mind Vibrance coach, Coaching, Creativity, Indiana, Indianapolis, Life Coach, Transformation, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

What Are You Committed To?

Posted on September 1, 2009 | 1 Comment

What am I committed to?

For the month of September, I have made two commitments to myself.  The first is to exercise 5 out of seven days per week which would have me exercising 21 days per week.  For me that is usually, walking or hiking, yoga, bike riding or an intensive day of gardening and grass mowing.  I choose to take better care of my body.  Exercising represents action steps that I can take to fulfill my commitment to myself.  I have said what I would do so I will clearly know each day whether or not I have exercised. 

 The second commitment I have made to myself is to blog five out of seven days during the month of September and to learn more about blogging.  That again would be at least 21 posts during the month of September. 

 These goals are measurable.  They have specific action steps.  They meet the criteria of being specific and saying what I will do by when.  I have also made these goals public which is something I have rarely done.  I will be obvious to others whether or not I have kept my commitments to myself. 

 At the end of September, I can recommit to these same goals or I can change my mind.  Either way I will have learned something about myself.   Can I keep a commitment to myself?  When is it easiest or most difficult? 

Would you be willing to make a commitment to do something for yourself that takes you in the direction you want to go?  As a coach I support individuals, like you, in taking action steps that move them in the direction they want to go. 

What could you do during September that would make you feel better about yourself once you accomplished it?  What would be an easy action step that would help make that happen? 

 Let me know what you decide.

 Amy

PS. Individuals who make committments to themselves and keep them generally feel better about themselves.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Amy Barnes, Body Mind Vibrance coach, Coaching, Creativity, Empower, Indiana, Leadership, Life Coach, Self Confidence, self esteem, Transformation, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Seize the Moment

Posted on August 31, 2009 | Leave a comment

Have you ever worried about the past or worried about something that has not yet happened?  Yet this moment is the only moment you have to take action, to do something different.  Maybe you have heard the term mindfulness.  Mindfulness is simply being attentive to what is happening in the moment.

In this moment I am typing.  My lower back feel a little sore.  In this moment you are reading this post.   You may feel tired or joyful or frustrated or anxious.  You may notice a tension in your shoulders or feel a fear around how can you keep your job or land a new client or regret something you did yesterday.

How you choose to act in this moment defines you as will all the other moments in your life.  At this very moment you have an infinite variety of choices available for you to choose from.  Will you sleep, write a report, and tell someone special you love them or play solitaire on the computer.

If you like to think of yourself as a kind person, are you being kind in this moment?    So many people come into my office and tell me, “Yes I did that but that’s not who I am.”  Yet in that moment whatever you did or did not do is a part of you.  Maybe you don’t like what you did in the past but in this moment you can choose to do something different.

It is impossible to take action at any other time than this moment.  We can plan to take action in the future but only when that moment comes can we choose to do or not do what we had planned.

In each moment you have a choice about who you are and what you choose to do.  Instead of living consciously and making choices, most of us live our lives on some form of automatic pilot unaware of all the choices we have.

Remember that in every moment you have a choice about what you choose to do and how you choose to treat other people.  Your life and who you are is a compilation of all  those moments you have lived so far.

Worth thinking about isn’t it?  How do you choose to spend this moment?

Amy

Copyright 2009

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Amy Barnes, Body Mind Vibrance coach, Coaching, Creativity, Empower, Indiana, Leadership, Life Coach, Transformation, Uncategorized

Tagged , , ,

Sunday Night Choices

Posted on August 30, 2009 | Leave a comment

It’s Sunday night.  My dog Char and I are watching the night come. We’re watching the last few cardinals and gold finches at the feeders, listening to the growing sound of crickets and observing the trees turn into shadows.  Char is impatient as he sits next to me waiting for one more round of Frisbee before bedtime.

Sunday’s to me have always been special family nights.  As a child, my family watched Bonanza, http://www.tv.com/bonanza/show/228/summary.html,   on our one TV set – no computers, cell phones or CD’s.  As I grew older Sunday nights meant hastily finishing procrastinated homework.  Later family meetings with my children to coordinate family schedules with desert and family games characterized Sunday evenings.  Then my kids had less time for family and more time to talk with their friends and finish the homework they had procrastinated on over the weekend.

I have always appreciated the quiet reflection that Sunday evenings bring.  Sundays bring both a time to reflect on the past week and a time to plan for the future week.  Now my children are grown.  At first I disliked the quiet Sunday evenings alone.

Tonight it’s just Char and I, a few birds and some crickets outside to keep us company.  I now skip Sunday night deserts in favor of tilapia and sautéed zucchini.  At this point I find myself thinking of the Robert Frost poem.  “Two roads diverged on a snowy evening and I, I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference”

I feel sad.  My heart is heavy as I compare the loneliness to the wonderful memories of many years of Sunday night as family time.  Am I lonely or alone?

Tonight I have a clear choice.  I can stay sad stuck in the memories of the past and my stories of how life will never be the same.  Or I can intentionally make a different choice.  I can consciously choose to grow, to move forward, to have new experiences, and to create a life I love.  I can choose to continue to expand and be fully alive.  I know which choice I will make.

Which choice are you making?

Amy

PS.  Tomorrow I start Yoga classes.

Copyright 2009

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Amy Barnes, Appreciation, Body Mind Vibrance coach, Coaching, Creativity, Indiana, Life Coach, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Giving Back

Posted on August 29, 2009 | Leave a comment

One of my Father’s favorite quotes was, “To whom much is given much is expected.”  Merely by living in the United States you are part of a society that has and uses most of the world’s resources.    You may currently be unemployed or underemployed or discouraged by your financial status.  Yet it is very likely that you take for granted something that over one sixth of the world’s population do not have access to:  Clean Drinking Water.

What would you and your family do without access to clean drinking water?  Every fifteen seconds a child dies somewhere in the world because of a water related illness.

Three and a half million people a year die from water related illnesses.

I encourage you to take a moment to express appreciation for the water you had to drink or you have used today.

Water is not currently considered a basic human right.   I encourage you to support the right to Clean Drinking Water by signing the United Nations Universal Declaration of

Human Rights Article 31.

Support Article 31.

http://www.article31.org/

Over a billion people on the planet who did not have a clean glass of water to drink today thank you for your support.

Amy

P.S. You can check out ways you can help by visiting  http://water.org/

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Amy Barnes, Appreciation, Body Mind Vibrance coach, Coaching, Creativity, Indiana, Leadership, Transformation, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,