1. A Note From Christina
   
2. Events Calendar
3. Article: Turn Crap to Gold
4. Recent Blog Entries
5. More Links & Resources
   
   

Dear %$firstname$%,

Hope you enjoy!

See me on: Find me on:

Christina Merkley,
The SHIFT-IT Coach

April 15, 4-5:30pm Pacific: Intro to Graphic Coaching – Free Webinar: What's all the buzz about? Come see and hear what 'graphics-enhanced' coaching is all about in this FR-EE Webinar. Where this unique, powerful and fun work originated from, how it's applied with groups and individuals, my own SHIFT-IT story as a pioneer in 'graphic coaching' . and how YOU can use visuals to enhance your own consulting, facilitation and/or coaching business. Details to be Announced in a Week!

May 20-22, 2009: The Graphic Coaching Clinic. Ready for a fun, new, effective and client-pleasing coaching tool?!  Join the graphic revolution with my first ever Graphic Coaching Clinic – training other helping professionals in the foundational graphic skills to work visually with your own clients. Uber effective way to work with your clients, and adds fun and enjoyment for you! Powerful differentiator to make you stand out from the crowd. Plus it’s held in gorgeous Victoria, BC (a nurturing professional development experience). Just 3 spots left!  More Info.

(Now Recorded! To Listen to My Audio of This Article, Click Here)

Catchy title eh, nothing like being blunt! Last weekend I attended some live Abraham-Hicks workshops down in L.A.  They are one of my favorite sources for good Law of Attraction and ‘create your own reality’ information. 

Again and again, Abraham hammered home the message of ‘get in the vortex’ and ‘tell a new story’.  And teased people about the stories they opened up with, about whether they were being told from out of the vortex of from within (in all cases it was from out of the vortex and they coached people step by step to get back in).

What’s the Vortex?
The vortex is Abraham’s latest way of explaining the feeling of alignment with our greater selves.  As they have explained many times, the most important relationship of our life is between two parts of ourselves:  our physical self and our non-physical self.  It’s all about the relationship between ‘you’ and ‘you’. 

Abraham is always creating new analogies to explain their concepts.  Previous ways of describing the vortex have been their ‘going downsteam’ analogy and the idea of ‘vibrational escrow’.  That through the process of life … by bumping up against what we don’t want or like … we get clear about what we do want and like.  And in the moment of defining (asking) for what we truly do want, we get it.  Or, at least our non-physical self gets it.  Unfortunately the ‘getting’ is a little more complicated for our physical selves.  

The Role of the Crappy Stuff (Contrast):
Abraham’s term for the crappy stuff that we sometimes bump up against in the process of defining what we want is called ‘contrast’.  It’s this polarity in life – between what you don’t like and what you do – that keeps evolution flowing through you (in fact through all of us and through life in general).  This contrast experience can be pleasant or unpleasant, depending on how we choose to view it and how much resistance we put up against what is unfolding through us.

Basically it works like this: Something happens in life that we don’t feel particularly good about (the crap!)  and in the moment that it happens we also give birth to an awareness about what we would prefer instead.  As soon as we have this awareness, our non-physical self gobbles up our new preference and quickly becomes it.  It has become the desired thing and is having a blast, while our physical world self who encountered the crap is often left behind. 

Here is where our physical selves have an opportunity.  We can keep holding the crap (staring at it, bitching about it, and poking at it), or we can drop the crap and put our focus on the desire that it has launched in us.  In essence, we use the crap to define what we do want, and then we drop it and give our full, undivided attention to the new awareness that the crap has birthed.  Our ability to do this is governed by our discipline to maintain our purity of focus.

A very personal example:
I’m going to give you a very personal example (what else is new eh!).  Many of the questions at last weekend’s workshop were about relationship.  Funny and fascinating because I am going through some relationship pondering myself, so I had ample opportunity to use some of the contrast in my own life to apply Abraham’s methods. 

I have an old boyfriend in L.A.  He’s smart, very handsome, driven, fit, a dedicated father, etc.  I really like him, always have (we used to date back in grad school before he turned around and married the gal after me).  Now that he is divorced he’s back on the dating scene and we went out for dinner when I was in town.  The problem is (as the book title goes) it appears ‘he ain’t that into me’ … (geez, marrying someone else should have given me a clue eh!). 

Now, before you get all feeling sorry for me (and I pull out my violin and really milk this) let me show you how this contrast (crap!) can be used for good. How the so-called bad stuff can be harvested for the so-called good stuff.  While I am using a relationship example, please note that ANY kind of situation can be inserted into this transmutation process. 

3 StepTransmutation Process:
First off, in following Abraham’s guidance, I can use this situation to define what it is telling me about what I do want. In short, I can use the negative to define the positive. 

Let me just preface this by saying there are many, many, many positive and wonderful things about this particular man. Tons! I could spend my time doing the Positive Aspects process and listing them out (and I do!)  However there are a few little things that I am tired of having in my experience (with him and in the whole dating department).  So I can use this crap to help me get clear about what I really do prefer, and continue to refine and hone my creations.

Step One: List out the stuff you don’t like.

Step Two: Flip those things to define what you do prefer. 

Now, I know I am ‘beating the negative drum’ by even having a column one – but sometimes that is all we have access to.  It can be a good starting place to list out the stuff that bugs you about whatever situation you are working with.  Then ‘FLIP IT’ to figure out what you do want (and what your non-physical self is already enjoying!). 

Step Three: Ignore the crap and focus on the gold! Tell and new story and get into the vortex!

Now that I’ve got column two defined, my total job now is to take my focus off of column one and put it solely and exclusively on column two.  With clients I’ll get them to put a big ‘X’ through the first column and/or cut that column off and shred it.  You really want to put it out of your focus and consciousness and instead turn it to the gold that that it has birthed. 

Column two is the gold.  It is what I really want (or my closest sense of it to date).  Now my work is to become very familiar with what it feels like to have those things (in essence to become like my non-physical self who already has it).  And, if I do my focusing properly, I will feel good in the now (this is a reward in and of itself) and, because I am now being (vibrating) that new energy, I will attract the essence of what I truly want in some form or other (i.e. either through this great guy or some other great form).   

Become a Vibrational Match:
So, how does one become a vibrational match to the second column?  By thinking about it, writing about it, finding the feeling place of it, getting those feeling coursing through your system.  By telling the new story of someone who has and is living this.

Abraham has gifted us with many processes to help us do this (that is what my Manifestation Mastermind is about … learning and applying their principles and processes).  If you are resonating with what I am writing about, do yourself a favor and get Jerry and Esther Hick’s  Ask and It Is Given.  Half of this book has the over-arching Law of Attraction concepts and the other half has the practical, hands on processes that you can do to SHIFT your vibe.

Click on the book to learn more

All of these processes help me focus on the good feeling column 2 stuff – they are like mental training wheels.  Its not just the thinking that does the trick (although the words are a starting place) but it’s the underlying FEELING that is really key.  I’ve got to actually feel and make familiar those column two things in order to bring them into my physical world life.  Its not ‘get them and I will feel better’.  Its ‘feel better and I will get them’.  The inner work must be done before the outer world will shift. 

I hope some of that make sense!  It will for those of you who are already into Abraham’s work and/or have been through my SHIFT-IT programs.  If all of this Law of Attraction material is brand new for you … a good starting place are the links above and the Ask And It Is Given Book.  Happy vibrating!  And, I’ll be sure to keep you posted on my column two manifestations!

© 2009 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:

• Helen Fisher, Ted Talk on Romantic Relationship Research
• Abraham-Hicks Has Just Released 2 New Video Clips
• March's Visual Positive Aspects
• TRIGGERED? COULD BE AN 'ORPHAN' CALLIN' OUT!

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

Have something you want to ask me? Curious about SHIFT-IT, graphic coaching, Law of Attraction, etc ???

FYI, I’ve added a new option to the website .. an ‘Ask Christina’ section. 

Ask me your most pressing SHIFT-IT questions.  Most popular and interesting questions … and my answers (hopefully as interesting!) will be posted on the blog.

Ask a Question Here

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!

More Info