Volume 4, Issue 4 | Apr. 7, 2008
www.shift-it-coach.com | [email protected]

Welcome to your April SHIFT-IT e-Zine.

1. A Note From Christina
   
2. Events Calendar
3. Manifestation Mastermind Starts This Sunday!
4. Feature Article: Daily Practice Tips
5. Recent Blog Entries
6. More Links & Resources
   
   

Dear %$firstname$%,

For those of you who are interested in Graphic Facilitation and Graphic Recording... I did a quick interview on the subject on Judy Nelson’s radio show last month, you can listen or download it from my articles and audio page.

April is an uber-busy month... as you receive this issue of the e-Zine, I’m flying down the west coast to L.A.

I’ll be attending a rare group event of Elias (another channel along the lines of the Abraham material), be launching my new Manifestation Mastermind (I’ll be facilitating the first two sessions from the road), conducting other coaching and training calls from a friend’s sunny Manhattan Beach patio, and then making my way over to Palm Desert to attend a coaching group that I’m a member of (I’m in a year-long platinum-level program with a great business coach... just 7 other entrepreneurs in it and this is our first in-person gathering – I’m really looking forward to it!). Then its back home for several private SHIFT-IT retreats and a private graphics training. Whew!

Last month, one of the SHIFT-IT Tele-group members (Hi Margaret from Denmark!), spent some of her private coaching time with me picking my brain about my ‘daily practice’... having me explain the kinds of things I do on a regular basis to integrate the SHIFT-IT and Law of Attraction principles into my everyday life for the results I am getting. I thought it would make a good article for the e-Zine so here it is. Share some simple things you can do to keep yourself aligned, tapped in and using LOA for you (not against you).

Enjoy! See you next month,

Christina Merkley,
The SHIFT-IT Coach

NEXT LOA GATHERING: Not this month, but it’ll be back in May.

April 6 – June 22: (Sundays, 10-11:30am PST) MERKLEY’S MANIFESTATION MASTERMIND: Don’t miss out, it starts this Sunday! This is an advanced support group, for folks who have already been through a SHIFT-IT Process and/or already have some understanding of Law of Attraction principles. Conducted via conference call and webinar technology – so no travel necessary and all calls recorded. Learn the inner and outer tools for developing or enhancing your creative-based lifestyle. More Info.

May 21-22: MEETING GRAPHICS 101 WORKSHOP (level 1): Introductory graphic recording and graphic facilitation skills for facilitators, consultants, trainers, coaches, managers and other process leaders and assistants. Foundational basics for the beginner. No art skills necessary. More Info Sold Out! (8 spots left for November 5-6 offering).

May 23-24: THE GRAPHIC BOOTCAMP (level 2): More advanced instruction and experiential practice. Offered right after MG 101 for those traveling from afar. Tons of at-the-wall drills. Demos. Template construction. Recording and facilitation practice. Advance icon library. Plus business and sales instruction- how to effectively market the benefits of working visually to create an internal or external practice. More Info Sold Out! (9 spots left for November 7-8 offering).

June 19-21: SHIFT-IT INTENSIVE Spring is in the air – and so is my annual in-person SHIFT-IT Intensive in beautiful Victoria, B.C. This is the only face-to-face group coaching I offer each year. I’ll guide you step-by-step through my innovative SHIFT-IT Graphic Coaching Process ® over 2.5 days (immersion format) – so no procrastination, no avoidance … just concentrated, in-depth time to consider your life, your future and what you really, really want from here. You emerge with clarity, alignment, and excitement with a succinct vision and plan tucked under your arm as you leave – plus bonded with new, like-minded friends who are SHIFTing their work and life for the better too!   More Info. 8 spots left.

Ongoing: Private Mentoring and In-house Trainings: One-to-one graphic recording and graphic facilitation training for yourself or for your company/group. Come to me or I come to you. More Info.

Via webinar technology and a private Facebook group, we share stories, encouragement, resources and all the great things that occur in a Mastermind style group. Be with your ‘tribe’ and have a supportive place to come each week, over 90 days. The inner work of LOA is paired with seminars on real world tactics and techniques as well – a marriage of both the meta-physical and practical techniques I have used to manifest my own SHIFT and success. Especially suited for those who want to build or enhance their own creative-based lifestyles. Previous SHIFT-IT or LOA experience required.

Click Here For All the Juicy Details

One of my SHIFT IT clients, Margaret from Denmark, asked me during one of her coaching calls to explain what my daily practice is like. She wanted to know what a regular day was like for me and what I do to live the SHIFT-IT and Law of Attraction principles that I teach and preach.

First off, I had to explain that I don’t have a regular day per se. That my schedule tends to morph according to what I have going on that week. Sometimes I have a workshop that I’m leading, or a private retreat or training that someone is coming in for. Or, many calls, interviews or sessions that I need to do by phone, Skype or webinar. So it changes all the time – and being a fan of variety I like it that way (keeps life interesting).

Clumping My Days:
I do tend to clump my days though. My coaching and other calls are usually conducted on Tuesdays or Thursdays. I save Mondays and Wednesdays for writing and working on my business (not in it). And Fridays and Saturdays are for specialty trainings and retreats (but only once or twice a month … otherwise I take a nice long weekend … interrupted maybe by a tele-seminar on Sunday morning).

As for daily practices, these are the things I regularly build into my day ... they have become habits that support my lifestyle:

Record My Dreams:
Each morning when I wake up I record my dreams from the night before. I learned about dream interpretation from Gayle Delaney and really like her ‘dream interview’ method. As a grad student in San Francisco back in the ‘90s, I was lucky enough to do some research for Gayle for one of her books, and study with her --- and her techniques for understanding yourself thru your dreams has stuck with me.

http://www.shift-it-coach.com/newsletter/shift-it-newsletter-apr08_clip_image004.jpgBest to write them down when they are fresh in your mind. You can interpret them later when you have some time and are in that kind of reflective mood.

Create My Day:
While still in bed, I do another simple process to direct my energy in helpful ways. It's called ‘Create Your Day’ and I got this one from Ramtha (who I wrote about a few issues back). It’s a ‘pre-paving’ exercise. Which means that you write down very specifically how you want your day to go and how you want to be in it. Takes just a few minutes but its pretty miraculous how it shifts your energy (which is what I need cause I tend to wake up grumpy and this practice makes me re-focus my mood quickly … so I’m creating from an upbeat vibe as opposed to a grumpy vibe).

Segment Intending:
Now, I’m not 100% on this one, I forget to do it at times … it’s something called ‘segment intending’ which I learned from Abraham-Hicks. It’s basically a continuation of the Create Your Day exercise … but it’s about creating specific segments of my day as I enter them.

Our day happens in segments … the wake up segment, the dress and get ready segment, the get to your desk segment, all the different appointments and events that occur are segments. Soooo, the idea is, before each segment to take a few moments and get clear about what you want to happen before you go do it. Like setting a mini-intention. Sometimes life happens so fast it’s hard to get an intention in beforehand, but when you can, it is again miraculous how smooth things can go as a result. Your brain, the field, the universe (whatever you want to call it) likes to receive and follow directions. So with segment intending, you direct it!

Exercise and Good Food:
Things come up that occasionally interfere with this (like my recent boxing match with the Mexican parasite), however, for the most part I engage in regular, daily exercise and eat good, basic food. For me, my body seems to require regular protein to keep me balanced, stable and feeling good (fish, chicken, eggs, cottage cheese and protein shakes when I need something on the go). I follow Bill Phillip’s Body for Life and Eating for Life materials. It took several years, but I now have a lifestyle where these basics come first, then I build the rest of my schedule around them. That way they get done, and I’m working off of a strong physical and energetic foundation.

Holosync Meditation Technology:
Ok, I’ll admit it, I’m a lazy meditator – I have a very hard time sticking to a regular meditation practice and an even harder time sitting in lotus position for long periods of time (my legs just don’t work that way, never have --- despite the cute graphic below!). I intellectually know the benefits of doing meditation (increased self-awareness, moving through emotional limitations, better ability to see how I am creating my world and course correct) but have a really hard time doing it in the traditional way.

Sooooooo, those are the things that I do each day to help keep me aligned and in good vibes – my daily practices if you will. I couple these with other practices as I need them (like reviewing my vision map, doing SHIFT-IT templates (particularly the FLIP IT, Flip It Good map) and shifting my energy via Law of Attraction methods (positive aspects, focus wheels, gratitude dance, virtual reality and scriptwriting). Keeping yourself and your vibe up is a discipline. It’s a way of living. Not hard to do but definitely does require ongoing and consistent application. The more you do it the easier it gets ... you get Law of Attraction working on your side. And getting in that flow is a wonderful thing!

© 2008 Christina L. Merkley

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it:

Christina Merkley, "The SHIFT-IT Coach" and creator of the SHIFT-IT Method® is a Visioning and Strategic Planning Expert specializing in Graphic Facilitation and Law of Attraction techniques. Based in charming Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she works deeply with individuals, partners and groups in defining and getting what they really, really want. For more information visit: www.shift-it-coach.com

Looking for more rich, SHIFT-IT content? Check out my blog for recent ramblings, resources and general interest features:

• Heritage Branch In-House Training on Graphic Facilitation & Recording
• Internet Business Makeover Contest
• NAWW Telesummit - Create Your Very Own Passionate Writing Life
• Internet Radio Interview on Graphic Facilitation / Recording
• Kidney Awareness Month & Int'l Women's Day
• Your Journey to a Creative-Based Lifestyle
• Christina's March Ezine Note
• Announcing: Merkley's Manifestation Mastermind
• Join Me On Facebook!

Besides the Blog, there are plenty of articles to read in the Ezine Archives. Browse past issues here.

Click Here to Read SHIFT-IT Blog

Ready to bust out of your status quo? Want to take things up to your next level? Curious how to really apply those Law of Attraction principles you have been hearing about for REAL effect?

Let's work together - by phone or in- person (in my charming Victoria BC studio). I'll get you to see and understand how you are currently creating your reality and bust you through the barriers, self sabotage and limiting beliefs that keep you stuck and locked in your status quo. Through our powerful work together you will systematically attract what you really want (better work, improved relationships, healthier body, enhanced prosperity - whatever it is that you want and need to shift for the better!). See testimonials from my many satisfied clients.

Info on Coaching Options

Can't travel to me? Want to experiment with the SHIFT- IT work on your own? Now Graphic Coaching tools right at your fingertips. Conduct your own SHIFT-IT Graphic Coaching Retreat® - from the privacy of your own home. Your life isn't a dress rehearsal. In fact, its happening right NOW. Is it going the way you want it to? Do you know what you next want? Are you sure you can do it? Get organized and confident with the step-by-step SHIFT-IT Graphic Coaching system.

In this innovative kit, I walk you through your past, present and desired future, so you can plot out your directions and strategies. You also pinpoint and flip the negative beliefs, assumptions and mindsets that stand in your way - to stop sabotaging yourself and your dreams. SHIFT-IT has already helped hundreds live life by design, not by accident. Learn how it can help you too!

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