Growing Forward Personal Growth Services

Sitting here this morning I’m aware that there has been a lot more ‘traffic’ on my blog from all across the world and yes outside of Canada.  Whooohooo!!!  I receive emails from individuals who share how my words make a huge difference in their lives.  Some even share their own experiences with me as to what it was like for them growing up in their family systems.  None judge what I’m saying but embrace what it is that I have to offer them.  What I offer is a safe environment for them to allow themselves to open up and be honest with themselves and with someone that they’ve never met before.  If we allow ourselves to really get honest with ourselves and willingly admit that our lives growing up weren’t the greatest, it would create a new space for us to embrace so much more instead of holding on to what used to be our reality.  Reality?  Hmmmm, somewhat of an illusion on my holodeck.

So a recap of what blogging is for me…not anyone else.  I’ve created this forum as a means of my own personal evolution.  My life is clearly about me.  Wow!!!!  Doesn’t that make you all feel better now that you don’t have to take on responsibility for my life?    All joking a side.  I read this incredible article on business.  The title was, “Keeping your nose in your own business.”  Hmmm, I’d say that could apply to my life in general pretty quickly.  I used to have an opinion on what people said, what people wrote, what I saw and the list goes on.  Now, that has changed.  A simple shift in perspective made a huge difference in my life and now my life is amazing.  I tell you without a word of a lie, when I had my nose it other people’s business it was nothing more than a great distraction to avoid looking at my own life.  (I even said this to someone that I was in a program with this past week).  I remember her smiling and saying, “Oh my god…you’re right.”  And it’s not about me being right.  Rather it’s about what came into her awareness.

Dare I be so bold as to share my life experiences?  Yes I do.  And what I know is that this week and everyday of my life as I stay present to the brilliance of my own imperfections, others feel safe in opening up and sharing their experiences so that their lives can become bigger than they ever thought possible.

Letting Go of The Past AND…Growing Forward.

Amy

I realized a few days ago just how exciting it is to truly live my life for me.  I made a decision that would possibly have others talking about me…primarily my family.  All that I did was…Chose to do what truly was going to light me up by the sheer thought of it.  I decided to spend a couple of days with friends.

Although this may not seem like a really big deal, when was the last time that you chose to do what was right for you in-spite of what others were going to say?  Personally, I rarely did that cause I wanted to always do what was right/good/ would keep others happy and I chose to do it all in exchange for my health.  Yes, every time I did something that didn’t feel so good on the inside – I’d get sick.  Sometimes is would be something minor: a cold, sinuses, sore throat maybe a bit of an upset stomach and…NO LONGER.

Since investing in myself in the fall off 2006, I’ve discovered a lot about the impact lying makes on your body.  If anyone had of told me that even 3 or 4 years ago, I would have thought that they were nuts.  What is it?  “The truth will set you free.”  Oh ya, and then there’s one I’m about to make up.

LIES WILL KILL YOU. 

The more you say ‘yes’ while you’re body/gut instinct/intuition says ‘no,’ the quicker you’ll die.  O.K.  I’m not saying that it will happen over night however have you ever heard something like this before?  “Once they found out the truth about what happened, it’s as though it just started eating them up inside.”  I have heard this before and had no idea that it actually made sense.  I’ve also heard others being called, ‘Self serving cows.’  Ouch!  Looks like I just joined something that I’d never be part of.  Oh ya…it feels great to be only doing what feels right for me.  And if that’s self serving, then so be it.

I tried being every one’s door mat.  It didn’t work.  I had back pain, boot marks where I felt like people kicked me, stab woulds where people ’stabbed me in the back,’ and of course the list could go on.  The funny things is while all these things were happening, I was doing what I thought they wanted me to do.  I was ‘trying’ to keep them happy.  And now they’re because I’ve showed up for my own life,  and serving myself (doing only what feels right for me) now they’re really pissed.    “How dare you start enjoying your life your way” – “Who in the hell do you think you are?”   Haven’t met me yet?  Well let me introduce myself.

Hi!   I’m Amy.   And I’ve decided to Live and Experience MY LIFE -MY WAY

If this is something that you’ve never done before, I highly recommend it.  I’ve tried out a lot of new ‘things’ through the years, but this one really works.  It’s amazing and the results are fantastic.  All it requires is, “That you get honest with yourself and others.”  “That you only do what feels right for you in-spite of what stories others’ may make up about you.”  “That you choose you before anyone else.”

Since I’ve been doing this, my life has been amazing and so has my health.  I no longer have the health issues that I had for years, I sleep well at night, I smile a lot more,  I have lots of new friends in my life and new ones coming in on a regular basis, people want to be with me for Who I Am…Not who I’m not and this list is a long one as well.  Wow!!!  All this and all I had to do was invest in my own life and not anyone else’s.

Have you ever watched a movie and there was a lamb (or any other animal) or a human being sacrificed?  Did the thoughts of ‘Oh my God how can they do that?’  Don’t be too surprised by this but (I, as well as many people) are being sacrificed everyday.  And we’re doing it at no one else’s hands but our own.  We’re making ourselves sick in hopes of being recognized as, ‘kind and loving or giving.’  Guess what I’ve discovered since I started choosing me first?  I’ve always been those things and now they are there more for others because I allowed them to be in my own life first.

Letting Go of The Past AND…Growing Forward

Amy

These days I get pretty excited when I get up in the morning but it wasn’t always the case.  I remember the days when I dreaded hearing the alarm clock go off knowing that I would have to face another day in a job that I really wasn’t all the fond of was literally making me sick.  Oh it wasn’t the job because I loved the clients however behind the scenes the job was toxic.  Now when I think of toxins, it seems that the last ones that come to mind are the ones that are in the air and the ones that are in our foods.

It very well may be that the most toxic environments are the ones that we live in (family), work in and the ones that we share and talk about with others who will listen and if no one is around, it’s the conversations that we have with ourselves.  We’ve become living cesspools and can’t understand why. We have ill health, our children are sick and we’re so busy looking outside of ourselves that we don’t even bother to stop and look in the mirror.  Could it be that that answer lies within?  I know for myself it does.  And I’ve stopped, allowed myself to take a good hard look at my life (and I mean going back to when I was in my late teens) and there was a jolt in my body that I don’t think that I’ll quite ever forget.  What was the jolt?  It was,

   “Could I actually be responsible for all of those shitty years in my life?”

And so began the journey for something more.  And I’ll be quite honest and frank with you, I looked outside of myself for a while because I didn’t know where else to look.  However when I did come to fully realize that I was responsible for my life in all aspects, I need to take some time and have a good long (and some of it was hard) look at myself.

I think back to a little over 5 years ago and I know that I wasn’t the nicest person you could find.  In fact you probably wouldn’t have even approached me.  Such is not the case now though.  I talk to everyone no matter where I am and it seems that people are also drawn to talk to me.  We all have so much in common but we don’t necessarily let ourselves stop to see the genius of it in our lives.

Over the past couple of days (no wait.  Over the past 2 years), I have met and spoken with so may incredible people that it is just amazing.  My life is so full now where before there was something missing.  Hmmm, well not exactly something rather ’someone.’  That someone was me.  Yes indeed.  I wasn’t showing up for my own life.  No wonder I felt alone so often.  No wonder I was in search for something more.  No wonder…I finally woke up and decided to take charge of my life.  And I look at mySelf now, and I can now see who I am in the world.  Not only that, I can now feel who I am in the world.

I emailed a friend of mine a few days ago and shared with her that I feel as though the world isn’t big enough for me anymore.  Indeed I’m reaching out to the universe and ‘we’ seem to be working quite well together.  So what I’m saying here is, “I used to see myself as small and insignificant.”  Such is not the case now.  And I’m also not saying that I think or feel that I’m better than anyone else.  I just realize that I do make a difference in other peoples’ lives and…I know that I couldn’t make a difference in their lives until I started making a difference in my own life.

Now I don’t even look at the fact that I’ll living my life.  I see so far beyond that and realize that life for me is so much more than ‘just’  for living.  Life is about ‘EXPERIENCING.’  And every day to me is an experience and I experience it fully.  Fully alive and present to myself is the best of me that I have to offer anyone.  By living my life as an experience, I allow others to consider the same thing for themselves. 

 ”Is life an experience for you?”  Or are you moving through your world in a way that is habituated without really any thought or consideration for/of the choices that you make everyday?  If this is the case, you may want to pause for a moment and really take a look at your life and consider whether you like it just the way it is, or are you looking for more.  And if you’re looking for more…Great.  No time like the present.  Have you ever thought that you’d like to work for yourself but wasn’t sure what that really meant?  Give me a call.  Have you ever thought that you’re tired of not feeling truly fantastic (whether it be your health or your life)?  Give me a call.  Did you ever think about going to Hawaii or taking some kind or ‘outrageous’ trip?  Then really, give me a call.  And if your life is great, then GREAT!

The funny thing is, I thought that my life was pretty damn good before and it was.  However, now I’ve just upped the anty and I love it.  And not only is my life changing, everyone who comes in contact with me is experiencing changes in their life.

My life is in Full Bloom.  I even have the pictures to show you…but you’ll have to go to facebook to see them.    (So look for Amy McNaughton and check out my pictures of my life in full bloom…or my pictures of Hawaii – cause that’s another thing that I created for myself).

If you want to make a difference in people’s lives, first you must start with your own.

Letting Go of the Past AND…Growing Forward.

Amy

As I sit here this morning, I clearly know that my life has really changed.  The fear of saying things that may shock others just doesn’t seem to be something that I’m as concerned about.  And it’s not that I don’t care I just know that, that is what it takes for change to happen in our lives. 

A week ago I had the opportunity to be amongst some really incredible people who also happened to offer some kind of ‘alternative’ healing process.  From astrologers to Reiki Masters, to Massage Therapist to Naturopaths.  Quite a variety all there to offer something different.

I’m mindful that the words alternative or organic brings something different to the table that individuals see as ‘better.’  I’m not saying that they’re good/bad/right or wrong, I’m simply sharing what came into my awareness.  And the word ‘better’ is only a perspective/perception and doesn’t necessarily constitute ‘fact.’

I was very happy to have a friend of mine with me who was like a kid in a candy shop.  I loved it as she went out exploring all the things which I’ve come to know as part of my everyday life.  However, for her they were new.  She asked me what I thought about ‘colonics.’  I cringed as I shared my view on it.  It’s an assault on the body.  Last night I watched a movie and someone had their mouth wired shut to loose weight.  Women are having their breast (and sometimes both) removed because of a fear that they may get breast cancer.  Some others exercise to the point where their bodies ache and they feel ill.  All these things in the name of health.

I’m baffled by our willingness to assault our bodies in the name of health.  And people look at me like I’m nuts sometimes because of the things that come out of my mouth.  I’ve simply found a different way of getting to the root cause of health issues.  And this is what really surprises me.  It would seem that the fear of getting honest with ourselves and everyone around us is greater than our fear of aggressive procedures on our bodies.  Ya, and I’m looked at like I’m nuts.  Thank-you!  And if what I say or share is insanity then go ahead and call me crazy because I’ve tried everything else and what I’ve discovered is something that truly works without the assault.  AND…if assaulting your body works for you, great!  However for me it doesn’t.

I’m not judging anyone.  I’m just looking at what I’ve learned and sharing with others that there’s another way of getting healthy.  And it doesn’t require digestive enzymes, colon cleanses or supplements of any kind.  However what it does require is a willingness to get honest and that’s what I’m discovering some individuals aren’t always willing to do.  We’re making ourselves sick in the name of keeping others happy.  When in fact, we don’t need anyone outside of us to assault our bodies – we’re doing quite well on our own. 

There are people in my life that have tons of health issues and I’ll never be able to help them because ‘that ball’ is in their court.  However if at any point that changes then they know were to find me.  But until then, I have individuals approaching me that have a willingness to get on with their health and their lives.  Those are the individuals that I’m here for right now.  

The more I engage with others, the less I have patience for individuals who revel in telling the story of what it’s like for them to be sick.  Great, and can you see the genius behind why you’re still sick?  When I share that their is an intelligence behind our health issues, I normally get an inquisitive look.  “How can cancer be intelligent? – How can breast cancer be intelligent?”  Well I’m sure that most of us would agree that the body is intelligent, right?  Well pay attention to where the health issues manifest.  IN YOUR BODY.  Pretty intelligent if you ask me?

So if you’re interested in taking the long and difficult road, great!  That may very well be the road that is right for you right now.  And if you’d like to get down to the root of your health issues without the difficulties, great!  That I can facilitate with your willingness to be honest to yourself first and foremost.

Letting Go of The Past AND…Growing Forward.

Amy

Over the past year or so there’s no doubt in my mind that people who have known me all of my life now see a different person.  Even people who have known me just over the past year notice a change, however they like the change.  The nice, malleable Amy has left the building. 

Here’s a definition of malleable:

So for all of the years that I was ‘malleable’ everyone loved me.  Why?  Quite simple.  Everyone came first in my life and I always came last.  It’s so much nicer for everyone else when you keep them happy, say what they want to hear, do what they want you to do, pretend that your life is always sunshine and when theirs isn’t…be the kind ear to listen to them.  Hell, what’s not to love?  But my question is what are the stakes involved.

A friend of mine asked (not all that long ago), how do you manage to always stay present to yourself and others?  My answer was quite simple and still is the same.  “For me it’s a matter of life or death.”  There is my answer.  If I lie to myself or anyone else, I take the risk of manifesting a health issue of some sort.  As I remain present to myself, I’ll be healthy.  As simple as it seems, take a look around you and pay attention to how many people in your life are sick?

I was engaging in conversation with a client the other day and she made the comment that if she was healthy, others around her couldn’t handle it.  What an interesting thing to come out and say.  Well I know that as she stays present to herself, her health issues will disappear and the people in her life will still will be alive in-spite of her speaking her truth to them.

I’ve had many people during the past year disappear from my life.  However, I have been attracting new people to me and they are absolutely wonderful.  And – it isn’t that the people in my life before aren’t wonderful, it’s just that I’ve grown and I must move on for the sake of my own evolution.  I shared with a friend of mine a few weeks ago and mentioned it to another this evening…”The best way for me to support or encourage someone, is to stay present to myself and only do the things in my life which are truly meaningful to me.”

So if a friend of mine is putting on an art show or speaking to a group of individuals and I don’t really want to take part (for whatever reason), the best way to give my honest support is to not go.  And that is being a true and honest friend.  I can’t imagine sitting there and wishing I were at home in my comfy pj’s with a cup of tea and honestly say that I was there to support or encourage someone now could I?

So does being honest with people cause them pain?  Quite possibly and…they’ll get over it a lot quicker rather than have them find out later that you lied.  A lie has teeth and will come back and bite you in the ass every time.    And you might as well plan on getting over yourself right now if you say that you’re lying for someones own good.  The reality would translate into something like this.  I didn’t want to tell them cause I was scared shitless how they were going to react.  Don’t kid yourself that your doing it for their own good.  You’re doing it for your own good. 

I know personally for all of the times in my life that people lied to me ‘for my own good,’ really pissed me off cause it wasn’t for my own good.  I would have preferred to know the truth from the start.  It’s a game I feel that we play because of our own fear.  So we make up stories about what others will think or feel or react.  Well the best way to find out what they’ll think, feel or how they’ll react, is simply by telling the truth and/or asking them.

Letting Go of The Past AND…Growing Forward

Amy

A few days ago I was faced with something that very well could have been a missed opportunity for myself and a great friend of mine.  Let me share. 

The way I move through my world, I know that I create opportunities in my life to learn from them.  Sometimes it seems that the answer may clearly be a ‘no,’ and other times I believe that the opportunity is presented to see what else I can create when faced with ‘the obvious’ outcome that would end up for me as a, ‘missed opportunity.’  What I discovered for myself on Friday was, “Where there’s a maybe, there’s a yes.”  

The obvious was presented to me on Friday when a package didn’t arrive which a I really wanted for Sunday.  (Notice that I said ‘wanted’ – no needed).  So what could I possibly do when I didn’t have the information to create what was in that delivery?  Well, I discovered that my whole body was telling me that there was a yes to be had.  At first I sat and let this feeling rumble through my body.  How was I to create something when the information was clearly not of my own creation.  The information belonged to someone else.  But wait a minute.  Where there’s a will, there’s a yes.  And here’s the thing.  I needed to be willing to push myself and work for what I wanted or it wasn’t going to happen.  

So in-spite of a friend of mine preparing to meet with a group of women within a 30 minute time frame, I called her.  In-spite of the fact that she didn’t pick up her business line, I emailed her.  In-spite of the fact that I wasn’t getting a hold of her, I sent an email to her partner.  Then, I sat and waited.  I remember looking at my computer screen willing it to have a message sent to me.  And nothing happened.  As the minutes ticked by I could feel my body pulsing.  There was this huge excitement that I had found a way around the obvious ‘no’ that I was presented with.  Now what?  I found a way and what was I going to allow myself to do to create the yes. 

Well, I had one phone number left to call. If that’s the only thing standing between me and a possible ‘missed’ opportunity then I did the only thing I knew how.  It was time to turn the no into a yes and I made the call.  What took place after that was by no means easy and  the end result was no missed opportunity and I ended up creating other opportunities for myself in the progress.

How easy would it have been for me to just ‘allow’ a no to happen.  And trust me, it was an obvious no  because the package didn’t arrive.  And at the end of the day, I celebrated who I am in the world today because I know that I can make anything happen if I choose to.  And I know that maybe somewhere out there, there’s a no that’s a no but how do I know that until I create an opportunity for myself to change things around?

I know that things have changed for me.  I was more accepting before of what was being presented to me.  In this scenario, I would have accepted the obvious and been disappointed but gee what else was there for me to do?  Well I know now that when presented with what could possibly be a no or disappointment, I have an opportunity to change it.  And, what am I willing to do or what will I allow myself to do, to create a different outcome.  Life/business doesn’t have to be difficult and it’s not always easy and guess what – Sometimes you even have to work for it. 

It would have been so easy to just accept the fact that the package didn’t arrive on time and call it a day and that clearly isn’t an option for me anymore.  “Oh well, too bad.  – Well it wasn’t meant to be.”  Well…I beg to differ.  I created the perfect opportunity for myself to go the limit…and…on my holodeck of life, is their any limit?  I’d say no because otherwise I’m limiting myself. 

How willing are you ‘not’ to accept the life that has been so called handed to you?  For years going through life I would have thought that I had no other option because it was just the way things were.  Well bull pucky to that.  I just wasn’t ready to see what I could create for myself.  Wasn’t ready…or…wasn’t willing?  Hmmm, I wonder what it was?  And what I know now is that it doesn’t matter.  I can’t (and wouldn’t anyways) go back to the past to beat myself up but I can stay present in the here and the now and choose ways of creating a meaningful life.

So when handed with missed opportunities, maybe it’s best to allow yourself not to be so accepting.  Be bold, be outrageous, dare to be seen and frigging well dare to create things for yourself while others are only contemplating change.  I’m tired of being polite and waiting to be asked if I’d like a second helping.  Thank-you very much…and…I’m still not done with the first helping.  The first helping would be helping myself create for myself.  You see, if you wait to be asked, it just may not happen.

No one asked me on Friday, “Gee Amy, what do you think…if anything – could be done to change the outcome that has been presented to you?”  No, I just did it. 

Life doesn’t have to be hard and it isn’t always easy AND…sometimes you just may have to work for it.

What are you willing to do to create the life/business/family environment/health whatever, that you desire?  Or, are you just going to accept what you’ve been handed and wait for someone to offer you a second serving/helping or are you going to boldly reach across and not apologize for getting/creating what you truly want in life?

Letting Go of The Past AND…Growing Forward

Amy

I spent the weekend with alternative minded people and absolutely loved it.  Open minded to a lot of different ways of moving through the world and different information.  I also had the opportunity to take a look at my own life to see how I still feel about this stuff in my own life.  And I was surprised at what I discovered, or was I?

Reflecting on the journey that I’ve been on over the past couple of years, I realized that I was knee deep in all kinds of stuff and lapping it all up like a kitten.  However as my journey continued, information presented itself and my own experiences also came into play for consideration and I know that for myself there’s a lot more out there and a lot of these ‘things’ hold little or no interest for me anymore.

In the alternative world, I would be called a ‘light worker’ or a ‘healer.’  Pretty nice when you think of it but also very externally referenced at the same time.  The ‘er’ makes a statement that I ‘do’ something to you which enables you to heal.  I think not.  Let me share my own personal experiences of my own life and discoveries.

When I was younger (much younger   ), I loved the ‘idea‘ of having my own business one day.  I loved the ‘idea’ of being completely healthy.  I loved the ‘idea‘ of creating a great life for myself.  Well loving the idea of something is not going to create it for yourself. 

I was in good company this weekend with a truly great friend of mine (Cathy) and there was someone talking about astrology.  Well Cathy shared with me that she found it to be fear based.  I looked at her and said, “really?  I don’t.”  But as I continued to listen I realized what she was saying.  For me, the ‘idea‘ of astrology used to be really neat and I was knee deep into it before.  However that has changed as well.  If I want my life to change, it’s not the positioning of the moon and stars that is going to make it happen.  If I want my health to change, it’s not Venus – mercury or mars that I’ll be looking to or any other planet alignment.  It’s like saying that years ago when my life wasn’t the greatest, well…it had nothing to do with me and the choices that I made in my life, it was just because the planets weren’t in alignment.  Ya right!

Another thing I truly held a huge belief in was numerology.  It’s all in the numbers…or is it?  There are certainly a lot of things that seem to make sense and when you’re on a journey of self discovery and are looking for more.  Personally I wanted something different in my life.  So let me tell you, Astrology and numerology were very different for me.

As I opened my life up to the possibilities that there was more for me ‘out there’ to discover, I also opened my life up to something different.  Allowing myself to see beyond what I already knew and opening myself up to something totally different and something that I would have never considered in my life before.  I created space for a much larger view of the world.  I allowed myself to ‘experience’ something different. 

There are so many different things to consider out there and I always has been, but until you’re ready to change things in your life you won’t notice them.  I know that I didn’t.  There’s a lot of stuff and even  up until Sunday, I still would have considered some of them for me and…no more.  From yoga, to belly dancing or any other form of movement or meditation, for myself I have to fully allow an experience to move through your body and claim it and hold it as my own to actually move through it.  It goes well beyond the power of positive thinking or affirmations.  Even EFT kind of gave me a taste that there’s more beyond what is being offered and I know a lot of people that have gotten a lot of relief and I also know that a lot of these people still have lots of other stuff going on in their lives.  If all of this stuff is so great, then why do they still have health issues.  Why do they drink to numb themselves?  Why do they have health issues?

I met with an incredible woman last week who is a yoga instructor. Open to a different way of thinking, open to viewing things differently and yet still having health issues.  Why?

Because it’s not enough to love the idea of something. 

You have to Name what is or isn’t working in your life/health or whatever.  You have to Claim it for yourself (because it is yours).  You have to Choose what you want in your life whether it’s your health/personal life/ or whatever (because it is yours for the choosing, not the planets aligning).  And finally you have to Change it.  Your life is yours.  It is of your own creation.  What are you creating for yourself?

Over the past year and a half, my life has changed completely.  And I thank myself for that.  Not god, the the planets, not that the numbers were right, not anyone but myself.  I AM the key to my own evolution.  It’s not by someone telling me to think positive or say affirmations or whatever, that will change my life and health.  It’s me. Plain and simple.

If I had of continued believing that someone or something outside of me was responsible for my health and life, well…I’d still be looking for more. 

I met with a client for a CODE Model Coaching™ session a couple of weeks ago.  She had read an article which I wrote and came to see me because she has had health issues for many years.  I have witnessed things which some would call “miraculous” when it comes to clients healing.  However, If you’re not willing to allow yourself to get really honest with yourself and open up, then your chances of being healthy or changing your life just won’t happen.  Name – Claim – Choose – Change.  That is what it takes along with your willingness to be fully authentic not only with others but yourself as well.  If you want to read something that will change your life, read “Fully Alive – Awakening Health, Humor, Compassion and Truth.” ( http://www.wel-systems.com/products/FAindex.htm)  It’s a book written by Louise LeBrun, Woman Extraordinaire in my opinion. (http://louiselebrun.com/)  But here’s the thing.  You can read her book and if you’re not willing to get honest with yourSelf, don’t expect any change.  Your life, you create the change.

You can walk around for years saying that your life was great and always has been.  However if you have health issues, I beg to differ.

If you’re reading this and you have Health Issue, maybe it’s time you looked at your life and/or health differently.  I had health issues from the time if was 6 till I was about 40 and was even on medication.  However I know longer am.  Why?  What has changed for me?  What can change for you?  Give me a call and we can have a great conversation that could possibly change your life and your health.  Don’t you owe it to yourself to see what more there is for you? (http://www.thepowerlieswithin.com/index.htm)

Letting Go of The Past AND…Growing Forward

Amy