What was 2017 about for you? Which successes will become the building blocks for purpose next year? Which heartbreaks will fuel you forward for growth?

This has been an intense year for me and most people I know. The successes and heartbreaks mixed into powerful calls to become our most courageous, purposeful selves.

Personally, I had the greatest joy getting pregnant after 2 years of trying, only to miscarry a month later and experience the deepest pain I've ever known. As a global community, we've suffered major natural disasters, political upheaval, and mass uncertainty about human rights – AND we saw the world's largest women's march, many of us (like me) woke up and started calling senators, and thousands of people spoke their truth with #MeToo, finally bringing mass abuse to light.

We got fierce and strong and powerfully on purpose this year!

A few days ago, I wrote about my annual new year's ritual (click here if you didn't see it) and doing it highlighted a few lessons that I want to share:

1. We need each other. We can't do this alone. 
I used to think it was weak to ask for help. I used to think that I was a “better” woman/human/coach/businessperson if I did everything myself. Unfortunately, it made me hard, bitter, and always a bit removed from true connection. But when I went through my miscarriage, I needed love and I needed help. One of trauma's great gifts is connection. So I did something I've never done: I let others in. I reached out to all of my friends and asked for support. I shared the truth with clients and let them hold me. I asked people I didn't know if I could use their home to get away by myself, I leaned into this community and others and allowed myself to be held. With all of this support, I not only healed, but I became softer – and in doing so, I actually became stronger.

Support was so important to me that I've been creating new support systems ever since: a MasterMind to support me and another MasterMind to support clients in their businesses, a Sisterhood of local women for deep connection, and I hired 2 new coaches for 2018.

We were never meant to do this life alone. Especially as women. For thousands of years, women gathered in circle to birth each other's babies, feed each other's children, and to hold one another through pain. That need to connect with other women is in our DNA. I'm doubling down on my women's circles for 2018 – and I'd love it if you join me in this promise to yourself.

2. The dark brings the light.
What looks like chaos, feels like heartbreak, and threatens your sense of fairness can make you infuriatingly mad – and can lead to immensely powerful change. I used to avoid, hide or run away from any darkness. I didn't want anyone to know that I too suffered from depression. I thought something was wrong with me for having anger, jealousy, resentment, and fear. I put a happy, perfect mask over very real pain because I just wanted light.

Well, if my life of 2 miscarriages, domestic abuse, divorce, gunpoint robbery, and more has taught me anything – it's that darkness brings the light. Every challenge is an opportunity to RISE to the occasion with courage. When you live on purpose:

• You use pain for purpose.
• You allow darkness to crack open the light.
• You get fierce and you get busy to make change happen.

Rather than hide or numb your pain, lean into it with love and compassion. Feel the shame, guilt, sadness, anger, and regret – feel it all, and then let that intense feeling signal to you how important your purpose is. Everything is part of your story. It would be a boring story if there was no pain, no failure, no challenge. The challenges make us resilient and strong and courageous. The challenges make us heroes. 

This year has made me more dedicated than ever to empower every woman to reclaim her power, speak her voice and live her true purpose. If you're down with this mission, join me and let's create a fierce, f'ing fabulous revolution!

3. We are needed NOW
In a world with so much need, you have no more time to waste in a job you hate or a life that depletes you. If you have writing talent but you're too afraid to start your blog, how are you serving the world or making yourself happy by holding back? If you've wanted to be in a leadership position, but you've been afraid to go for it because you may be rejected, what message are you sending to your kids and neighbors about courage and power? As my favorite quote by Marianne Williamson says:

“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? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

What energizes you? What excites you? What dreams are buried deep in your heart? Do that. Even if you're afraid.

You are here for purpose. Your unique strengths, your unique talents, your voice, your passion is needed. Every moment of your life – the good and the “bad” – has given you wisdom, strength, joy and courage to share with others. And here's the thing – we have no more time to waste! The world needs you living your purpose now. Your children need your light, your community needs your love, and people need your purpose.

I realized this year that I've been holding back a bit. I want to be a beacon of change for women's rights, but I haven't been doing as many FB Lives, webinars, podcasts or blogs – because I'm afraid of rejection. But my purpose is bigger than me; just as your purpose is bigger than you. Someone needs me now, just as someone needs you. So in 2018, I'm leaning into the fear with compassion, and transmuting it to love and purpose for the world. We'll do it together.

We need to Activate our Power. We need to Activate our Joy. We need to Activate our Purpose. 

And we can't do it alone.

So if you are ready to create a path to clarity and courage in 2018… an Activation Session may be for you. 

Activation Sessions are powerful 90 minute sessions between just you and me where we go deep into your heart and soul for the answers that will lead to your happiest life. Together we get clear on your truth, together we uncover obstacles and decide how to move past them, and together, we design a path forward and ignite your best life.

During an Activation Session, I will lovingly ask probing, clarifying questions to help you clarify what you really, really, really want in 2018. We will uncover the deeper patterns and fears that hold you back so that you can overcome or remove them. I will guide you on how to follow your truth and we will identify a course of action to move forward.

So if you're ready to live BIG in 2018…
If you're ready to finally feel alive, on fire, and on purpose…
If you're ready to ignite a flame to fuel you forward…

Then click here to claim one of the Activation Sessions now.

However you spend tonight – in ritual, at a party, in quiet, or in love, I'm wishing you a beautiful, powerful, healthy, fierce, loving, abundant 2018!

XO,
Carin

Clear out the chaos to make space for clarity

Hi friend,

Cozy up and let's talk New Year's resolutions. I never make them because more than 90% of resolutions fail.

Rather, I go through a ritual that sets my desires and makes space in my life for action.

My clients love this ritual, so I'm excited to share it with you below.

To change your life, you need to be super purpose-full.

What's working for you? What isn't? What do you want? What might hold you back? And how might you overcome those obstacles?

Amazing things can happen in one year – but you have to be intentional with your time, your energy, your money, your love, and your life to manifest them.

Intention makes the difference between life running you or you running life.
Intention is OWNING your POWER.
Intention sets you on PURPOSE.
Intention will make you HAPPIER.

So below is my annual New Year's ritual in the hopes that it brings you the same clarity, peace, hope, and energy it brings me and my clients. 

Carve out 30 minutes for this exercise when you can have quiet time to reflect. Take this space for just you. Begin your quiet time taking 3 deep belly breaths – inhaling through your nostrils to a count of 5 and then exhaling slowly out of your mouth to 5. Let your body relax.

1. LOVE: With your eyes closed, reflect on all that was really good in 2017. Begin with January, then February and March, etc. Then open your eyes and write down every moment of joy, good health, accolade, tenderness, and inspiration. Feel genuine gratitude in your heart and goodness in your smile and body as you write down each experience.
2. LESSONS: Now close your eyes again, and think about the lessons you have learned this year. These lessons may have occurred through trial, trauma, or triumph. The cause isn’t as important to this exercise as the lesson itself. Write these down in your journal. Remember to have gratitude for the lesson so that you remember it going forward.
3. LEAVE: Then, on a separate piece of paper, write every old pattern that held you back in 2017. The ones you are READY TO LEAVE BEHIND. For instance, I realize that I've been holding on to some old grudges this year and it's taken energy that would have been better spent on you, my clients, my community, my family, my life. So good riddance to those grudges. That victim mentality is not helping me any more. Now take the paper outside and light a match to it! Yep, good riddance!

4. LIGHT: Now, in your journal, write your intentions and desires for 2018. Don't write a typical “resolution” like, “lose weight,” or, “leave my job.” That focuses on the negative of what you don't want, and doesn't ground your brain in what you desire. Rather, be clear and specific about what you really, really, really, really desire – and why. For instance – to be so healthy that you can run easily with your children, to love your work so much that you feel alive and excited when you wake up, or to know your purpose so that you feel like you're making a difference and leaving a legacy.

SEE IT. Visualize what you want, even act it out.
FEEL IT. Feel the joy, love, or peace in every cell as if it's already happening.
BELIEVE IT. Make a mantra of it in the present, like, “I'm a Vice President” or “I love my book tour!”
GET SUPPORT FOR IT. We can't do anything alone. We weren't meant to. So who can help you? Who has achieved what you want? Who can coach and guide you? Reach out to them now.
ACT ON IT. Agree to one small step this weekend, knowing that every step toward the right dream matters.

If you are ready to activate your desires and create a path to clarity and courage in 2018…

I am opening up 5 spots in January for PRIVATE, 1:1 Activation Sessions!

Activation Sessions are powerful 90 minute sessions between just you and me where we go deep into your heart and soul for the answers that will lead to your happiest life. Together, we uncover self-created blocks, discover how to move past them, and design a path forward. Together, we ignite your best life.

These powerful Activation Sessions are for women who are tired of being stuck, who are ready to clarify their desires, who deeply desire to create a path to purpose, and crave the courage to move forward.

Here's what we do in an Activation Session:

• You fill out a form in advance to share your desires for our activation session and to share any important history that will inform me of your previous patterns.
• At the onset, we will get quiet, centered, and grounded so that we can hear your heart's true desires.
• I will lovingly ask probing, clarifying questions to help you clarify what you really, really, really want in 2018.
• We will uncover the deeper patterns and fears that hold you back so that you can overcome or remove them.
• I will reflect and mirror what I hear in your soul's longings and very human needs.
• I will lovingly, yet firmly, guide you to follow your truth.
• We will identify a course of action to realize your desires.

And… As a New Year's Gift to you, I'm offering Activation Sessions for 40% off through December 31, 2017, at 11:59 pm!

So, if you are ready to ignite your year with a powerful jumpstart and customized plan, then click here to claim one of the Activation Sessions at 40% off.

Here's to a wonderful 2018 for us all!
XO,
Carin

PS – I'm only opening up space for 5 women to do Activation Sessions at 40% off in January, so if this resonates with you, click here to claim your spot!