In the Christian tradition, this week is known as ‘Holy Week’ where on what is now called ‘Palm Sunday’, Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on the back of a donkey with many of the people flanking the streets, placing palm branches on the path before him.  Events through the week culminated in the crucifixion and the resurrection, the latter now commonly celebrated as “Easter”.

While there are many sects within the Christian tradition with each having their own ‘take’ on the teachings of Jesus, I believe there is one teaching upon which all might agree.  That is his entreaty; “Teach only love”.

What does that mean for us as women who are spiritual leaders?

•    I think it means that when we are tired; “weak and heavy laden” that we turn to the Source of Love to “place our yoke” in order to feel that Love and experience peace within ourselves.  To be comforted in the way that only that Love can comfort.

•    I think it means that Love starts with us; that we cannot give it if we do not experience it ourselves.  What do you do to cultivate Love?  Do you have a daily practice where you can get quiet and access that part of you that knows Love?  Are you able to foster a state of awareness of that Love during your waking hours as you go about the experience of living?

•    I think it means that we use that awareness in order to know just how often we do not come from love, for to teach it, we have to be it.  And when the awareness we cultivate shows us that we are not coming from love; we learn to be easy on ourselves.  So often we are quick to judge and berate ourselves because after all, “we should know better”!

•    I think it means also honoring the ‘simple’ acts of kindness, such as when we let the person who is trying to ‘cut us off’, get into the stream of traffic.  When we check in on a neighbor we know is ill.  When we respond to a request for help.  When we pick up trash someone else has carelessly dropped.  And a thousand other acts of kindness.

•    I think it means being present with Love as we listen, really listen to those who are engaged with us in communication.  Our lives move so quickly, and, as we know, there are many distractions.  These facts often contribute to our not being fully there for the other when they require our respect and our presence.

•    I think it means, not only giving Love to others, but also to ourselves.  It is now almost trite to say that we cannot Love others if we do not Love ourselves, and that is filled with truth.  We speak often in our articles about ‘self care’ which is one of the ways we honor Loving ourselves.  How long has it been since you have taken the time to care for yourself in the ways that help you be a conduit for Love?

Jesus taught and lived the meaning of Love throughout his ministry.  To me, the ultimate act of Love was his victory over death.  Now are we free to Love as he Loved and to renew ourselves in that Love as we celebrate with all of our Christian friends, the meaning of Easter!

Love and Blessings!

Ruth

Ruth Reiner, Co-founder and President of The International Association of Women Spiritual Leaders is an ordained Interfaith Minister, Spiritual Counselor, Certified Life Coach, and successful business woman.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, PUBLICATION, OR ON YOUR WEB-SITE? You may, as long as you commit to leaving the entire article intact, do not alter it in any way, and include the following: “THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN SPIRITUAL LEADERS” was founded to support spiritual women in living abundantly while serving their unique missions. We invite you to download – as a gift to you- THE 5 SECRETS TO CREATING ABUNDANCE THROUGH YOUR CALLING.
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March 20th generally marks the point when the days and nights are of equal length. In the Northern hemisphere it marks the beginning of Spring and in the Southern Hemisphere it marks the beginning of Autumn. There are many holidays from different cultures that surround this astronomical phenomena: Easter, the Christian observance of the resurrection of Jesus; the Baha’i New Year, Nowruz (the Iranian New Year), Higan, a Japanese festival which celebrates the spiritual move from the world of suffering to the world of enlightenment -a time to remember the dead; and, of course, the Wicca and other earth-based and indigenous religions celebrate it as well.
What you may notice when looking at these festivals and observances is that many of them represent new beginnings and new life.  This is a time of year that many people use to prepare gardens for new growth and clean out homes for a fresh start.
So it makes sense to think that this is a great time to take stock of where you are in your life and in your business or ministry. It is important to clean out what isn’t working or needed anymore so that you can prepare for new growth. Here is a list of areas to review, and revise if necessary:
Goals
Re-evaluate and prioritize your goals – get rid of the ones that are no longer serving you. It’s OK to change your mind!
Health
Are you eating well? Up your fruits and vegetables and clean out any processed food
How’s your exercise routine? Do you even have one? It not, determine what you can start to do daily to get your body moving.
Finances
Review expenditures – do you have money going out towards things you don’t need or use?

Spiritual Growth
Are you keeping a daily spiritual practice? This could be as simple as mediating or journaling for 15 minutes each morning.
My favorite is to say “May you be safe. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease.” every morning as soon as I wake up and before I get out of bed. I then follow it by visualizing my day and all the things I have planned going smoothly.
Relationships
Are you taking time out to connect with friends and loved ones?

Home
Clear the clutter! Make sure everything has a place and everything is in its place. When you bring home a new item, get rid of two items that you own. Simplify!
These are just a few things you can review and take stock of to ensure that you are providing a fertile  bed for your ministry and business. While this time of year is a great time to reassess these areas of your life, the key will be to continue these little practices and re-evaluate again in a few months. AS things get cleared away that are not serving you, your business, ministry, friendships, finances and health will blossom!

This article was written by Patricia Selmo, an Interfaith seminarian, certified life coach, spiritual healer, teacher and guide. She is the co-founder of the International Association of Women Spiritual Leaders: www.iawsl.com.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you commit to leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and include the following byline: The International Association of Women Spiritual Leaders was founded to support spiritual women in living abundantly while serving their unique missions. We invite you to download-as our GIFT to you-the 5 Secrets to Creating Abundance Through Your Calling. You will also be registered to receive our weekly newsletter full of information and tips for supporting you in your calling. Just click here: www.iawsl.com

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A few weeks ago, I wrote an article entitled, “5 Actions for the Woman Spiritual Leader to Ensure Financial Success”.  I will explore action #1 in this article:

Be Crystal Clear About What Your Mission Is.

Just what does this mean to those of us starting out on the spiritual path, those of us in the throes of starting a practice, and those of us who are in jobs or places in life where we know “there is something more”? 

As women, we have assumed many roles in our lifetimes, and likely will have more in the future.  I propose that because we have been good at doing a myriad of “things” and fulfilling those roles to the best of our abilities, our thinking around what it is that we want to do in the world can get muddied.  It’s that “Jill of all trades, master of none” concept that I believe many women wrestle with.

We often have so many interests and have had experience and success in a number of fields that it is easy to fall into the trap of wanting to serve the needs of a broad mix of people. 

As a result we can become “scattered” and “fuzzy” about what it is that we want to do…  our mission.  The end result often is that we fail at getting the message across to the people we want to serve.

Several weeks ago, Patricia Selmo wrote an article entitled, “6 Reasons Why You Should Know Your Life Purpose.“  Identifying your life purpose is a good place to start if you don’t know how that may impact your identifying what your mission in the world is.

(Some spiritual traditions believe that we have only one true purpose, and at the risk of lengthening this article, I will refrain from going deeper with this subject.  That is for another article!)

If you are just starting out, in the planning stages of your service delivery, or are scratching your head as to how to get more clients or build your practice, it is advisable to seek help with drilling down to what your mission will be or is. 

The internet is alive with information.  Coaching programs abound.  The Small Business Administration offers assistance, to name a few.

Your mission should not only be clear to you, but to the people you serve or will serve in the future.  Your people will be the ones benefitting from your mission… all that it is that you deliver, and how it will transform them. 

That sounds like a “tall order”… ‘transform’ them… but isn’t that what happens whenever we engage in an exchange of some kind?  It could be as simple as that latte that you make or stop for in the morning that seems to help you wake up, or that you take pleasure in… ‘transformation’; or as complex as the changes that take place in the life of your client and those around him or her as a result of your work together… ‘transformation’.

Transformation, ideally, is at the core of your mission.  How is it that what you do, or want to do, will transform the lives of the people you serve, or want to serve?

My suggestion would be to take some time apart with a notebook, and envision what some of the transformations of the clients you serve, or hope to serve, may look like.  You may be amazed at how this exercise will assist you in getting clarity around your mission!
Love and Blessings,

Ruth

Ruth Reiner is an ordained minister in the interfaith tradition, certified spiritual counselor and certified life coach; registered nurse.  She is a successful entrepreneur, and has helped others launch their visions.  Her expertise is borne of the transformations that have occurred in the lives of the people she has served.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, PUBLICATION, OR ON YOUR WEB-SITE? You may, as long as you commit to leaving the entire article intact, do not alter it in any way, and include the following: “THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN SPIRITUAL LEADERS” was founded to support spiritual women in living abundantly while serving their unique missions. We invite you to download – as a gift to you- THE 5 SECRETS TO CREATING ABUNDANCE THROUGH YOUR CALLING.
You will also be registered to receive our weekly newsletter full of tips and information for supporting you in your mission or quest.

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Do you have way too much email in your inbox? Are the bills piling up on the kitchen counter? Do you need to take your kids to soccer practice and piano lessons? Do you need to cook dinner, clean the house and mow the lawn? Oh, and yes, while of these things need to happen, do you also still need to do your work, your ministry in this world?

As women spiritual leaders we have many responsibilities and many hats that we wear. If we are not careful, we may not do any of these roles well. How can you make sure that you get done what must get done and still stay sane?

Well, first of all, it’s extremely important to know your values and your mission or purpose.
The first thing you should be sure to get clear on is your Mission statement – this is what will drive your actions in your spiritual business. Mission statements often contain the following:

•    Purpose of your ministry or business
•    Who you serve – your customers, target market, etc.
•    What you offer them – your products and services and the transformation they bring to the people you serve

The next thing you need to get clear on is your values. These are the things that are the most important to you in life. They could be things like Beauty, Family, Accomplishment, etc. These are what will drive your actions in your personal life. Hopefully, the mission and values are congruent and don’t contradict one another. If they do, then one is not authentically representing who you are.

Next, whenever an action item, invitation, request or decision comes your way, you will now analyze it against your Mission and your values. If it doesn’t fit in with these, that is, if it isn’t a definite “YES”!! in your mind and congruent with your values and your purpose, then it needs to be a “NO!”. And you should do just that – “Say, no!”

Also, go through any commitments you currently have and clear out the ones that don’t match your Mission or Values. This will leave room for the things that are truly important for you and what you are here to do to actually get done. And, now they will not only get done, but they will get done well, because you have room for them.

At the end of each day, jot down your accomplishments. Make special note where you might have been led astray and taken on things that are not in alignment with your mission or values. Don’t be harsh on yourself. Just note that these are things you will need to let go of.

Make this a daily habit, and I guarantee that within one month you will be much clearer and focused on the things that are important to you and your life’s work.

This article was written by Patricia Selmo, an Interfaith seminarian, certified life coach, spiritual healer, teacher and guide. She is the co-founder of the International Association of Women Spiritual Leaders: www.iawsl.com.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you commit to leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and include the following byline: The International Association of Women Spiritual Leaders was founded to support spiritual women in living abundantly while serving their unique missions. We invite you to download-as our GIFT to you-the 5 Secrets to Creating Abundance Through Your Calling. You will also be registered to receive our weekly newsletter full of information and tips for supporting you in your calling. Just click here: www.iawsl.com

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Two weeks ago, I posted the article; “5 Actions for the Woman Spiritual Leader to Ensure Financial Success”.  In the introduction, I addressed some of the issues women who are doing “spiritual work” seem to have around money.  Here are some excerpts from that article:

“How many times have you stopped short of telling a client what you thought your services were worth?  How often have you given your services away because it was considered to be the ‘spiritual’ thing to do?  We who deal with services that are considered to be spiritual in nature, it seems to me, have mind-sets to deal with; those of the people we serve, and … our own!  When we begin to deal with our own ideas, misconceptions, and beliefs around what our services are worth, we will then be able to better deal with those of the people we serve.”

Being women, we usually think about and handle money differently than men do.  Men seem to have an easier time asking for what they think they’re worth.  This likely is driven by a man’s need to provide and to ‘accumulate’.  Women, on the other hand, have a need for security, their family, their home, and their community.  Historically, women also have not been the ‘breadwinners’.

How much we have seen this change in the last few decades!  While women are still not compensated at the rate that men in the same positions are, in many instances they have become the ‘breadwinner’; the main, or often, only source of income.

We women who are spiritual leaders doing “spiritual work”, it seems to me, have a double whammy to deal with.  I think we would agree that as women our mindsets around money are different from the mindsets from men.  And secondly, we have to deal with the mindsets we have brought to our work.

While much of this mindset has been borne of our culture’s view that anything of a ‘spiritual nature’ should not have monetary value (never the twain shall meet!! – Heaven forbid!) as women we have not been encouraged to change our own individual values around the services we provide.

In order to begin to build an awareness around any issues you may have around money and the services you provide, I invite you to take a notebook and respond to the following:

1.    Identify your own mindset around money and what money means to you

View your “monetary history”.  Take a look at your check register, credit card statements, investment records, and spending habits.  It would also be helpful to look at records of your reimbursements from individual clients, work-shops, and other sources of income.  What does this data have to do with your mind-set around money?

2.    Write down some phrases, edicts, shoulds, etc. that you may remember from your childhood around the subject of money

We all have grown up with probably hundreds of those that now form the hodge-podge of the way we view money and how we value what we do.  And so much of it is unconscious.  And what is “unconscious” will begin to surface once you have set your intent around making it so, and commit to being aware.  You may be surprised by what emerges…

3.     Try to recall situations where you have been involved in conversations around money, and your emotional reactions to what was being discussed

This is also a good exercise to do in the present.  Other people’s remarks, an article that you may read, or something you may view or listen to in the media, may trigger emotions in you that you may not have been aware of.  It is helpful to have a small note book in your purse or small recorder to document your reactions.

4.    Identify areas in your life where you would like to have more confidence

Building confidence in yourself and what you do is one of the key ingredients to becoming more financially successful.  Write those down, and don’t be bashful… no-one is looking over your shoulder, and, after all, this is your life!

5.    Seek support

It is not easy to roll back years of brain washing, acculturation, habit, and mindsets by yourself.  Women, by nature, love relating.  Find that group, person, program, or community that will best serve your needs.

To your financial success!

Ruth

Ruth Reiner, President and Co-Founder of the International Association of Women Spiritual Leaders is an ordained Interfaith Minister, Spiritual Counselor, Certified Life Coach, and successful business woman.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, PUBLICATION, OR ON YOUR WEB-SITE? You may, as long as you commit to leaving the entire article intact, do not alter it in any way, and include the following: “THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN SPIRITUAL LEADERS” was founded to support spiritual women in living abundantly while serving their unique missions. We invite you to download – as a gift to you- THE 5 SECRETS TO CREATING ABUNDANCE THROUGH YOUR CALLING.
You will also be registered to receive our weekly newsletter full of tips and information for supporting you in your mission or quest.

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