Free Your Inner Guru

Have you ever experienced overwhelm while making an important decision? Or that you were more resilient and less reactive when you’re stressed? This week’s episode of Free Your Inner Guru is a powerful conversation with one of the most heart-warming people I know, Barb Fletcher. Barb is a life coach and Heart Math Specialist who loves to help you make sense of your emotions in times of change. I know you will find great value in listening to what she has to share about building healthy emotional resilience by connecting to the power and wisdom of your heart. Barb’s life experience that led her to find a way to develop resilience. (2:30) The difference between healthy resilience and the unsustainable practice of powering through (3:36) How a pattern in your body can inform you about a pattern in your life. (8:23) How Barb uses feedback from your heart rate variance to access your truth and build emotional resilience. (11:24) Why we unlearn the emotional “bounce-ability” we have as children. (14:23)

Welcome to the first episode of the fall season of Free Your Inner Guru! Today we are launching our new brand, and I have a ton to share from an event I attended recently where I heard Simon Sinek – one of my favourite authors and speakers - share his wisdom at a live event in Toronto. Simon Sinek is the author of Start With Why Start With Why is a perennial bestseller that I recommend to each of my clients when they start their journey with me. His work has influenced my life and my work. I walked away with a deeper understanding of why your why is important. Key points in this episode: Introducing the new Free Your Inner Guru brand: What's the meaning behind the new brand? The heart is for love, leadership and the courage it takes to live an open-hearted way. The spiral is for the journey of life - it's not a linear path.  We keep coming back to the same lessons and events with new understanding. Kudos to the designer - Sherpa Creative Simon Sinek and Your WHY (5:15) is who you are at your nat

Resistance is a part of the personal growth process. It’s not just you. Have you ever noticed that just as you are about to take action towards a bigger better result, you are often met with uncanny amounts of resistance? If you caught last week’s episode, I invited you to join me in an experiment designed to bring more joy into your life. You always have a choice: Succumb to it – because it’s just easier that way, or Ignore (aka power through) your resistance, which is not sustainable, or Recognize it for what it is, detach, and consciously move forward. When you are faced with resistance, do you react in frustration, anger, and feel sorry for yourself? Or, do you remind yourself that discomfort is a necessary and natural part of the game. Your resistance has a purpose it’s there to ask you, "How badly do you want it?" When you choose to respond consciously, you remain open to new opportunities. Do you Charge full steam ahead with blinders on? Throw yourself a pity party? Consciously remai

Do you make time for the things that bring you the most joy? Or, do you feel that most of your time is spent battling your to do list? Today I’m going to share a simple series of questions you can use to increase the level of en-joy-ment in your life. If you’d like to create more room for joy in your life, please, take a few minutes to do this exercise. If you’re driving, or in a place where you can’t write your answers, I’ve put the questions in the show notes (below) for you to return to later. Mentioned in this episode: 5 Questions to Create More Joy in Your Life What do you need to be YOU? What are the things YOU LOVE to do? That restore you? What are the things YOU RESENT doing? How can you approach this with more ease? So it’s more natural to you? How can you infuse the things you resent with the energy of what you love? Please let us know how your shift is going by leaving a note in the comments below this post. Support the #FYIGpodcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru™ Tribe at support.

What is the Summer of Yes? Every day you are presented with countless decisions.  What do you say "yes" to? I was introduced to the Summer of Yes by Shaun Proulx.  Shaun hosts The Shaun Proulx Show on  Sirius XM Channel 167, Canada Talks.  Summer of Yes is the theme of his show throughout this summer. According to Shaun, “Summer Of Yes isn't about saying yes to everything, nor is it to appease other people's agendas. It's about you.  Saying yes to possibilities begins with your realigning yourself. To do so, you must leave your comfort zone and jump off the cliff.  Put yourself first and dive into a Summer of Yes.”** Alignment is a guiding principle of living a conscious, fulfilling life. Saying Yes to a bigger life is playful. Yes means taking risks. Yes means being open. Yes means not holding back. Yes means getting out of your comfort zone. In today's episode, you'll find out the one big question to ask yourself when you dive into your Summer of Yes. PS.  Want to get out of your comfort zone so y

How can you create a Plan B that lets you relax, enjoy your summer, and set yourself free? The best thing about summer can be the worst thing for your results. Have you been there? Have you been at the point where even the things you enjoy the most become overwhelming?  At the point where you're wondering how you're going to sustain this? Welcome to my world this week – playing catch-up after a wonderful week in New York City and Niagara on the Lake. Today’s Free Your Inner Guru episode is for you if you find summer disrupts your routines in your life or business.   Who am I kidding – it doesn’t have to be summer for routine and structure to be thrown by the wayside.  It's for you if you are overwhelmed by your To Do List on a regular basis. Constantly playing catch-up is overwhelming. Listen now to hear the story of how one of my clients had a breakthrough when we shifted her priorities by creating a Plan B. Mentioned in this episode: Saint Joan at The Shaw Festival – Niagara-on-the Lake –  Click here

Are you celebrating the birthday of your country? A country is much more than its politics and government. A country is defined by its people. This week – July 1st - was Canada’s 150th birthday, and now Americans are celebrating Independence Day. It’s never been more clear to me, as I watched Canada’s 150th celebration, that the world needs powerful authentic leadership NOW. Will Canada rise to the occasion and become a leader on the world stage?  I hope so. As I watched the Canada 150 celebrations over the weekend, foot in cast, resting up for our trip this week to New York City, I realized that my country finally has an identity and is about to come of age. That's what we're talking about in this episode of Free Your Inner Guru - what it takes to be an authentic leader and how each and every one of us has a role to play. Mentioned in this Episode: Blog article – Why Terry Fox’s Legacy Represents the Best of Canada at 150 Jessica Tracy, Take Pride: Why the Deadliest Sin Holds the Secret to Human Success -

Have you ever felt burned out because you’ve been powering through? Just do it. Feel the fear and do it anyways. Pretty much every marketing message in the self help industry We live in a culture that glorifies forcing ourselves through perceived physical and mental limitations.  There are times when it makes sense to dig deep and get stuff done.  Focused, purposeful action is necessary to create winning results. But the one thing just about every marketing message in the self help industry misses is that powering through is not a sustainable long term strategy. Having a lot of energy to get things done can serve you well. But there are times when powering through is no good for you. Believe me when I say I know first hand - I got caught in a powering through pattern last week. There is a difference between powering through and being productive. In today’s Free Your Inner Guru episode we’re going to explore why - despite the common belief that it’s heroic to power through all the time - it’s almost never

  Your Inner Voice is always there, ready speak – even when you're not ready - or are unable - to hear it. You may doubt yourself and look outward for answers, but your Inner Voice is the only authority you will ever need. If you’re on a personal growth and consciousness-raising journey, at one point or another you will learn to discern the wisdom of your Inner Voice from all the outer influences in your life. We get lessons in day-to-day life.  Sometimes we are given more dramatic, and life-changing examples of how important it is to listen to the wisdom of our Inner Voice.  The number one thing you can do to be self-defined and self-governed is to learn to tune in to its frequency. Your Inner Voice is always there. It’s always ready to speak – even when we are not ready to hear it, or able to listen. One of the first things to understand if you want to access the wisdom of your Inner Voice is the difference between your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. In today’s podcast, I share what I do to gain clarit

Kelly Greer is the owner of Nutrigal and a registered dietician who knows that women get results when they look after their mind, body and spirit. A special message for the men in our audience: Guys, this 40 minute conversation is for you, too! You have women in your life and listening to this podcast will help you understand what the heck is going on with your mother, sister, daughter, wife, partner, employees. If it’s difficult for women to get accurate information about the changes in her own body, I can’t imagine what kind of information you’re getting! Kelly’s Story: In her early forties, things in Kelly’s body started to go awry. Even though her blood test results were normal, she experienced physical pain and was unable to sleep.   It wasn’t until she sought out holistic practices that Kelly learned how to balance her hormones. At the time, it was very difficult to obtain information on women’s health. Kelly’s experience was the catalyst for her decision to dedicate her dietician practice to women so t

Are you distracted by worry? This episode of Free Your Inner Guru is for you if you’re stressed out, caught up in your head or having trouble staying present for yourself and the people around you. When you show up distracted,  you're not really present.  Consequently, you miss all kinds of opportunities from the superficial to the serious. You'll miss opportunities to do business and to achieve your goals, but you also miss opportunities to notice what's going on with the people around you. We are all vulnerable to worry and the distractions of the day, but the level of distraction is reaching epidemic proportions.  Don't wait until something dramatic happens to take notice.  There are people in your midst who need you to be present. There are things you can do to offset the distraction so you can be more grounded.  In this week's episode, I share four strategies to stay grounded that work well for me. Mentioned in this Episode: Prior FYIG episode - What Fearless Girl Tells Us About Fear Headspace website an

Do you struggle to get things done because you're trying to achieve perfection? You may be spinning your wheels because you've fallen into a Perfection Trap. In today’s episode, you’ll find 2 stories that illustrate how the Perfection Trap affects each of us. Both stories – and their lessons - come from an experience I had that forced me out of my comfort zone in the pursuit of creative self expression. The year was 2004. On a hunch that can only be described as divine inspiration, I drove for two days from Toronto, Ontario to Kingston, New Brunswick to attend my first workshop of any kind, led by the Canadian photography icon, Freeman Patterson. When I arrived, I was surprised to discover I was one of the youngest in the group, and the newest to photography.  I was still grappling with the technical side of my creative passion, trying to understand how to get the best results out of my tools and put it together well enough to create the images I had in my head. Little did I know, the biggest lessons of t

Was it pretty the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone? Did you find the magic? Or did something else happen? Today on Free Your Inner Guru we’re digging deep into two of our key themes, personal development, and the self-help industry with 5 Myths and Three Antidotes for Your Comfort Zone. My goal is to help you find your sweet spot - where healthy growth and discomfort intersect. I’m guessing you’ve heard one of these statements before: Bigger, better results – or everything you want - lies just outside your comfort zone. If you're not growing, you are dying. You have to become comfortable feeling uncomfortable. The comfort zone has become a cliche.   And just like most other cliches, there are truths at the core of each of these statements.  But did you know that there are at least as many myths floating around as there are truths? Mentioned in this Episode: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown: Phenomenal book that I recommend to everyone.  Deals with topics like courage, vulnerability, leader

Living in alignment feels good.  It's the best kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. Living out of alignment with your highest self feels bad. It's within your power to choose. The last Free Your Inner Guru episode was about the 1st Key to Create Winning Results – designing who you want to become. If you haven’t listened to it, make sure you go back, either now, or after the end of this episode. The big question to ask yourself when it comes to living in alignment with who you choose to become is this: If you were to become that person, what would you have to do on a regular basis? Consciously or unconsciously, you know when you are out of alignment. It shows up in the energy of the emotions  frustration, bitterness, and even anger. These three powerful emotions are referred to as negative emotions, and yes, the experience of them is negative, but they are also incredibly powerful tools for becoming self-aware. If you are feeling persistent frustration, bitterness, or anger, that's a signal to you that somethi

Who you are becoming is at the center of a powerful ripple effect in your life. Do you ever stop and take a moment to figure out who that is? Today's Free Your Inner Guru episode is the first in the four part series - 3 Keys to Create Winning Results and 1 Major Pitfall to Avoid. We all create a ripple effect in our lives.  The catalyst at the center of  your ripple is who you are becoming. Your ripple effect is started by you.  It’s either conscious and intentional – or it’s happening by default.  Either way, it's always happening. This is why you can have 200 people taking the same action or looking for the same result.  You will have 200 different WHYs and 200 different outcomes.  Get clear on your why and who you want to become, and you will  create your best results. Today's episode will help you get clear on who you are becoming and the important role it plays in your life. Mentioned in this episode Simon Sinek - Start With Why:  How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action Support the #FYIGpo

Fearless Girl has a lot to teach us about our relationship with fear. There's a new girl in town and she is stirring things up. It was the day before my milestone birthday.  A text message came in from the original fearless girl in my life.  It was my mother, asking me if we were going to take in the new sculpture known as Fearless Girl.   Another trip to the Financial District where she is located hadn't been in our plans.  But I've learned two things over time with regards to my mother and New York City.  The first is obvious - pay attention to what your mother says.  The second is about the impermanence of things.  The sculpture, like another famous New York landmark, might not be there the next time you go. We set out on a rainy trek to Bowling Green at the base of Broadway, where Fearless Girl and Charging Bull are located.  I did not expect to be affected by what I saw when we arrived.  I was wrong. The faces of the people surrounding Fearless Girl were radiant.  One young girl after another took a c

Seeing Tony Robbins live was a life-changing experience - one I’m grateful to have had. But it didn't inspire me in the usual way.  Instead of leaving me feeling good, I was deeply unsettled. I was initially drawn to personal development and self help to support my success in business just like many entrepreneurs. And, like many of us, that led to a spiritual journey – a quest to be the best version of myself. Little did I know, my quest would lead me to the darkest and most significant challenge of my adult life. The short story is that I was at a self-help / spiritual retreat in 2009 when three participants lost their lives. The long story, if it interests you, is the subject of the documentary Enlighten Us. I shut down my very new coaching practice after that horrific event, and avoided all things spiritual and self help for over five years. A couple of weeks ago, I was reminded how important it is to have big conversations about what healthy self-help looks like by none other than Tony Robbins. If yo

Welcome to Free Your Inner Guru - Podcast Episode #1 ! A very special welcome to you for joining me for this first episode of Free Your Inner Guru.  In today’s inaugural episode, we kick things off with the story behind why I decided to create this podcast and how it got its name. You have a guru inside of you – It’s the source of your voice, power, and inspiration. When you free your inner guru, you won’t have to look outside of yourself for answers any more. Sounds easy, right? Well maybe it's easy for some people.  When it comes to living a life that's guided by your truth and intuition, it's often easier said than done. The focus of this show is to have big, REAL conversations about personal development, entrepreneurship, spirituality and the self help industry because they are all intertwined.  Sometimes I'll be on my own, sharing stories and insights from my experience.  Other episodes will be interviews with people I have met along the way who have their perspective to share. Enjoy this first episo