The Power of a Single Thought

Dominique Hogan (Burstin With Broadway)

Pictures by Glen Sherk 

After my mum died, I was feeling like I would never be able to find my way through the deep dark fog. So, when the call came saying I was now at the top of the wait list to join a Broadway show tunes choir, I figured I’d better take the opportunity. The group met at a local church, (oddly enough, the one my mum took me to for Sunday school as a kid), and the accompanist was my former piano teacher from my teenage years. Any of my doubts were quickly soothed with the clarity of my mum’s message of support, this is where you need to be now! 

What I came to understand by being connected to this choir is the magnitude of how a single thought can blossom. The strength in creating a vision for yourself and for others to follow is an amazing gift to the world. Dominique, the artistic director & founder, of Burstin With Broadway, has learned how to put magnificent form to her single thought. She is a unique, talented, powerful and introverted leader who has an exemplary talent to bring forward the music from each and every one of us. 

Dominique began this group with a single thought, that others might like Broadway songs as much as she does, and that singing should be something that is available to everyone and anyone with the passion to sing. Having 2 young kids, she was not able to find the forum for the music she desired in Vancouver. Rather than put away her dreams, she decided to simply create a forum for it to unfold. She placed an ad in the local paper, had 8 people show up for the first rehearsal and now 8 years later, the choir has blossomed to 120 people, with a 100 people on the wait list (which is now cut-off unless you are a male tenor or bass). 

She continues to demonstrate how powerful a single thought can become in a way I have never had the honour to experience in any other group. We are truly greater than the sum of our parts. How grateful I am to now be able to call myself a member of Burstin With Broadway Choir.

Destination Broadway Concert Kay Meek May 26th, 2012 

What thoughts have you got rumbling around in your mind that will be a gift to the world once they meet the light of day?

Life Coaching with Ruth
http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/
e: randermatt09@gmail.com
t: LifeCoachRuth

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When Things Don’t Work Out As Planned

Loosey & her polished pearlies

It's amazing how focused we become on how things are to take place and miss the opportunities that lay behind releasing the current details. 

I had blocked out a day to take my furry friend Loosey out to Tsawwassen to a doggie dental specialist who does teeth cleaning without any sedation. Fortunately this is an event that we do only once a year, so blocking off a day, and having to pay out usually at least $200 for the service, the day becomes a rather costly event, not to mention, the fact that it eats up most of a day after driving, and then waiting for the appt to be done which can be up to a 2.5 hours.   

Loosey who is now an 70 pound dog is not a big fan of this process. The woman, who has now done Loosey’s teeth 3 times, has made it clear that Loosey is not her easiest customer.  After the cleaning when I return to pick Loosey up, the air is filled with Loosey’s floating fur, and the woman performing the procedure looks like she has put on a blond fur coat.  The doggie dental specialist had her assistant call twice to confirm the appt, so when I got the call at 7:00 pm the night before the planned appt, to say that the doggie dental specialist would not be willing to perform the cleaning on Loosey, I was not impressed. 

After some huffing and puffing, and refocusing on the real objective, I got my partner involved and between us, we were able to clean Loosey’s teeth ... saving myself a bucket of cash and loads of time, I am now grateful that things didn’t turn out as planned.

Where do you find yourself holding onto details, that could be released and allow yourself to open to new opportunities that will serve you better?!

Life Coaching with Ruth
http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/
e: randermatt09@gmail.com
t: LifeCoachRuth

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Time Endures and Opens Doorways

I have gathered to write periodically over the last decade with a group of women. In this time, we have discovered that time endures and opens doorways that we never imagined possible. When a couple of our dear ones had to go on ahead without us, we discovered with the gift of time and endearing friendship we could  find our way through life’s trials, and tribulations. We have written under Dael’s tender and insightful tutelage where we have opened, to parts of ourselves through our writing and precious support of companions on the path. 

This is the piece Dael crafted after our day of writing together, and I wanted to share it with you in the hopes of opening your hearts to the enduring possibilities of friendship on this path we walk:

In the little house by the river
The women return
Five women six years later
  come to share their living
The night’s wind brought them here
The day’s bright sun is on the water
    and shines bright through the windows

Inside the house
They speak of changing
Of trying to hold onto a thing and that they can’t
They speak of the bones of story
Of exteriors
Of inhabited interiors by those who no longer walk here
They speak of being big with the heroic
And the heart breaking departures of grandmothers
They speak of undefended tiny girls and those troubled who would keep them
Outsiders
They speak of women upside down in trees
They speak with tears and open hearts
They speak of sweetness and grace that arrive here
Hands held all round the table
We are a circle

After lunch
In the midst of bird songs
They write
The sound of their pens moving like leaves on trees rustling
Five women six years later
Delivered by the wind of night
Write
Their stories perched on the edges of branches
Like birds readying for flight

With love
 Dael Adams Segal
The Writing Tables
 thehourstories@telus.net


Life Coaching with Ruth
http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/
e: randermatt09@gmail.com
t: LifeCoachRuth
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Conversation Starter

I started this blog in November of 2009, to cause you to consider ... 'try on' some new thoughts that may positively impact the trajectory of your life. In honour of this being my 100th posting, I found the synchronicity of what a catalyst my boots were at the beach today as a conversation starter, too sweet to keep to myself.

me & my boots at the beach

As Loosey and I walked in the liquid sunshine, on a day that really only a duck and a dog would want to brave, I found myself in new conversations because of my boots. One woman who flew down the street on her bike hollering, “Hey love your boots, did they have them in yellow”? She truly caused me to consider the joy of being out on a rainy day with my dog while my feet were dry! Although our interaction was seemingly simple, it was a gentle reminder of how we all walk this earth together and how the casual effortless words we share can be just the timely support required to cause us to consider.

Life Coaching with Ruth
http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/
e: randermatt09@gmail.com
t: LifeCoachRuth

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My inconclusive travel plans 2012

this smile came via an email, enjoy

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.

I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work.

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.

I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.

One of my favourite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!

I may have been in Continent, and I don't remember what country I was in. It's an age thing.

Life is too short for negative drama and petty things. 

So laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly.

Happy Travels!

Life Coaching with Ruth
http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/
e: randermatt09@gmail.com
t: LifeCoachRuth

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Family Traditions

In our house growing up, Easter was all about chocolate. Not just the taste good activity, but rather, the lavish extravaganza of chocolate bunnies covering the entire ping pong table. As my dad was a Swiss trained Chocolatier, making Easter chocolate bunnies was in his blood (it didn’t dawn on me until after he died, why brown was his favourite colour). He made making chocolate bunnies look sooooooo easy.

I decided I would give it a whirl, and introduce my 5 yr old nephew to the art of chocolate. This would be my first attempt since my dad had died, so I scoured the internet, read what I could to fill in the gaps of my chocolate knowledge, ensured I bought excellent quality chocolate, and we were on our way.

I was so fixated on ‘getting it right’, and being consumed with my memories of easter bunnies from my childhood that I overlooked that I was creating a family tradition with my nephew ... I let him, touch, taste and leave the process whenever he was so inclined ... unlike the strict attention I was to adhere to as a child. So, as I went to open the mold and release the bunny, I said to my nephew, “this is a very complex process, don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t work!” As I removed the clips, my heart dropped, I had a headless bunny on my hands. My nephew gave me a great big smile as he thought this was the coolest thing. I got it was not about the outcome of the process but rather our time together!

The nice thing about failure with chocolate is that it still tastes good :) Where have you failed to see the sweetness in your failures!!!

Life Coaching with Ruth

http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/

e: randermatt09@gmail.com

t: LifeCoachRuth

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Making Me Accountable To My Goals

There is nothing like the accountability of a group to get me to achieve my goals. I have signed myself up for a 168 kms cycling race this year in July ... which in training terms, means I need to be moving my legs NOW. But then, for anyone who has seen the copious liquid sunshine in Vancouver lately knows that it is not the inspiring weather that one needs to get out and cycle.

Yesterday was one of those days, the heavens had opened ... even my dog Loosey was unimpressed when we were out for a mid day walk. As the afternoon wore on, I got less and less likely to drag myself out into the weather. As I phone my cycling coach 35 minutes prior to the clinic’s start time, I recalled why I committed to a hill clinic, to get me out on uninspiring nights exactly like this. Darnelle assured me, “it’s on!” Aah, now I truly had to live up to my own declared goals!

I went, I got up most of the hills, to my great delight, and we managed to dodge the raindrops for a couple of hours. I was thankful that I had the accountability of the group to drag me off the couch and onto my bike ... amazing how my perspective had changed, as I rode home I noticed that even some of the cherry blossoms had come to life in the last few days ... we were all better off for the fresh air!

Life Coaching with Ruth

http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/

e: randermatt09@gmail.com

t: LifeCoachRuth

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Facing One of My Greatest Fears!

No stranger to the dentist chair, having had braces twice, gum surgery three times, multiple mercury fillings and too many crowns for a kid who studiously brushed and flossed, I went through one of my greatest fears today. I had dental work done without any freezing. I have come to live in complete terror of going to the dentist in the last decade as it typically takes two days for my body to recover from the assault.

A few years ago a friend referred me to the amazing dentist Dr Abbas Tejani in Kerrisdale. He is gentle, kind, adept, but mostly he is truly focused on what I need in order to have my dental work go smoothly, efficiently, and effectively. When I went in today, I tentatively brought up the idea of doing my crown & superficial fillings without any freezing. I shared with him that it typically takes me a couple of days to recover from any dental work and I had read that likely my dental-hangover issues were more with the medication for freezing than the dental work itself.

He looked at me, and said, “I can do whatever you need Ruth, are you sure this is what you want?” I wavered, being the chicken liver I am, with an incredibly low pain tolerance, and I said, “I think so”. He perceptively said, “We can do it any way you want, but it could be painful”. I grimaced, and I was about to cave, when he said, “Let’s proceed without any freezing, and you tell me if you feel any intolerable discomfort, and I will use some freezing to complete the work”.

I searched for many years to find a dentist with the capacities of Dr Tejani & his kind and thorough assistant Sharon. They totally supported me in the crossing over the threshold of one of my greatest fears, and now having only invested 1 hour of my day for dental work, rather than spending two days recovering from the trip to the dentist as I have done in the past decade, I am delighted to go about my day.

I am grateful I had the courage to put voice to my concerns, and I am ever so grateful that Dr Tijani and his team were able to support me on my dental journey.

Where is it that you need to ask for and receive support?

Life Coaching with Ruth
http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/
e: randermatt09@gmail.com
t: LifeCoachRuth

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Smartie Pants

On the break from choir the other night, I did what I often do, I cruised the craft tables in the lobby looking at the handmade craft items that the ladies of the senior's centre put out for sale. There in a basket where these adorable little pants that hollered ‘touch me, feel me’ and as I got closer I could see that these swatches of material were sewn into pants that were filled with Smarties and thus ... “Smartie Pants”.

It made me think of being a smart alec as a teenager, when my mum used to chant to me, “smarty held a party, and no one came”! I consider how these elderly ladies, who on a whim, made these little Smartie Pants and how each week my choir friends and I flock to their craft tables to score their weekly bargain priced creations and it reminded how essential it is to be in touch with my smarts in a genuine way.

Thanks for following your whim craft ladies, I look forward to the next catalyst you provide as I cruise the craft tables :)

Life Coaching with Ruth

http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/

/e: randermatt09@gmail.com

t: LifeCoachRuth

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Is Your Life Passing You By?

It seems that we spend a lot of time waiting for the ‘right time or opportunity’. I watch my 5 year old nephew who is waiting to be the appropriate height so he can go on certain rides at Disneyland ... and as I smile in his quest for height, I recall how many things I dreamt of only to believe that those opportunities would ‘always be available’. Now with some life experience (and seemingly missed opportunities) and a little bit of wisdom gathered along the way, I understand that there are ‘expiry dates to certain opportunities’ and that life can pass by if I wait too long.

Consider that there are certain things that you can only do/say/be on this very day of your life! A wise saying I read from an anonymous writer was “this is the youngest you are ever going to be, what are you waiting for!”

Life Coaching with Ruth
http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/
e: randermatt09@gmail.com
t: LifeCoachRuth

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The Moment of Readiness

The blog post & photo today is provided by Jo McCarthy.

I sip my tea, humbled by the tiny spider nearby creating a beautiful, strong and inspiring web, a web filled with messages and lessons. The spider now sits, resting in the heart of its creation. I sit, inspired and in awe. I feel an aliveness through every cell of my body. The magic of the mystery. The possibility within the unfathomable

I look up and notice that, during that time while I have been ‘getting started’, this little bright yellow-brown spider, has created something beautiful. He creates something so much larger than himself, he spins something that one would never suspect possible from his delicate and diminutive form. It simply creates, naturally and organically, with the same degree of attention and care, no matter where it is. Maybe through that building and re-building, each time perhaps in different settings and circumstances, it becomes ever more adept at its craft.

At the same time, however, I realize that reaching that moment of readiness for the ‘creation’ to commence is not something to be ‘forced’ or ‘pushed’, just as there are moments during weaving the web that the spider pauses, apparently awaiting the invitation of movement to arise. I come to settle with the appreciation that it's only when I listen and allow myself to be present with what is, and a gentleness to arrive that a pathway reveals itself almost effortlessly. How a day, an hour, a minute can change everything… when we’re open to listening.

Jo McCarthy (Lawyer, Holistic Bodyworker, Liver of Life)


Life Coaching with Ruth
http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/
e: randermatt09@gmail.com
t: LifeCoachRuth

If this blog inspires you and you would like to be notified when new entries are made, go to subscribe via email box on the right column of this blog. If you have thoughts you would like to share regarding this posting, please make a comment below.

Tapping My Comfort Zone

I never signed up for tap dance classes with the intent to ‘take-over’ Broadway. Trust me; Broadway is by no means under any threat by my newly acquired marginal tap dance skills. My initial intent was to have some fun, and stretch beyond my comfort zone. If I'd had any idea how big a stretch I was saying yes to, I may very well have reconsidered my choice.

Last week at class, I was not having fun. As I looked in the mirror, what I was asking my body to do and what I was seeing reflected back at me were two different things. I was feeling completely humiliated, and I was on the verge of tears. How could I allow myself to even consider that with absolutely no dance background that I could learn tap dancing steps as a 50-something ... ha, who was I fooling.

At one point, I stopped to catch my breath, or else I would have totally melted down in front of all these other “Broadway threats”. It took getting to this place of near breakdown to collect myself. As I did this, I was able to watch the others in the full length mirrors, and much to my surprise, I could see that many of them were finding some of the tap steps challenging.

I made a point of chatting with my 20-something instructor, who makes it all look so easy, and she was able to acknowledge, “Hey Ruth, this stuff is hard, stick with it, you are doing better than you think”. Somehow her simple support was enough to help me return to class, where although I still feel like I am attempting crossword puzzles with my feet, I understand that the easiest thing would be to quit and then I would still be living in my comfort zone and my entire objective had been to stretch into new realms one step at a time.

Where do you need to focus on your tenacity in order to achieve your goals?

Life Coaching with Ruth
http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/
e: randermatt09@gmail.com
t: LifeCoachRuth

If this blog inspires you and you would like to be notified when new entries are made, go to subscribe via email box on the right column of this blog. If you have thoughts you would like to share regarding this posting, please make a comment below.