Costa Women Blogs

Meditation is simple. But even simple things need to be learned and exercised before they become easy. And a simple thing can seem impossible if we don’t know how to do it. Learning meditation is about learning by doing. It is an experiential knowledge, not theoretical. It involves action of redirecting your focus from thinking to sensing, from following your thoughts to following sensations in your body in the present moment. It can seem impossible at first, but with a bit of willingness and curiosity it will move from difficult to possible; and if you practice a bit more it will become easy and then pleasant. When it is pleasant you don’t need to use discipline, will-power or any struggle to continue. It will become a cherished part of your life, a routine that is not a chore but a ritual. It will enrich and expand your life. You will find in it so wanted peace, quiet mind and unconditional acceptance. Learn meditation.

We, modern people are prisoners of intellectual, thinking mind. Whatever we do has to go through a gate guarded by reason. Scientific research has to be added in parenthesis to every piece of information we get and there must be an assessment of everything we do. One can’t eat a piece of chocolate or a portion of spinach without thinking about their scientifically analyzed qualities wondering if eating it is a sin or a virtue. We want objectivity, objective truth, objective values. But how about the subjective truth; is it a truth at all? Impressions of your senses and feelings; do they have any value, any importance? Do you like this spinach at all? How does this chocolate make you feel? The answer is subjective, the truth about it is subjective, and it’s yours and nobody else’s; it is hidden in your body. It is important to you; it has undeniable value to you. So stop ignoring it, start listening. Spend some time with yourself in a safe, quiet space of meditation. You may be pleasantly surprised by the outcome of it. LEARN MEDITATION.

The entrepreneurs wound often comes from a place of pain or a strong desire to be immersed in something the individual feels so passionate about they just keep going until they get there. Whatever the reason, their journey shows determination to succeed against the odds. As a fan and follower of the expert women listed below, their success stories  inspired me to “do better do more” when I first started out, so I decided to ask what made them do it?  Kathleen Gage:  It was in 1994 when I fully realized working a corporate job was not what I was destined to do. I found limitations and restrictions to my creative spirit.   I could have kept on the way I was, but the more I tried to “fit it” the more difficult it became to show up with passion and enthusiasm. It was not an easy road simply because I made the decision to start my business. There was a lot to learn including what it meant to run my own business, being fully accountable for my choices and having the willingness to do all that I needed to do to grow my business.   Looking back, what I would have done sooner is asked for help and hired a successful mentor. Kathleen Gage helps entrepreneurs make money online. She is a marketing strategist and business consultant who works with consciously aware entrepreneurs who are experts in their field.                                                                                                                                     Karon Thackston: I had been dissatisfied with my job for a long while. Office politics finally got the better of me because I am a straight shooter not a game player. With just a tiny bit of knowledge about websites and the Internet, I decided to start looking into starting my own company.  I had several ideas, but – after thinking through a lot of “what ifs” – I decided to start a copywriting agency. As someone with the natural characteristics of an entrepreneur, I love what I do!  It is a lot of work, but it’s work I really get a kick out of.  Helping small and medium-sized businesses turn their websites around through conversion-oriented copy and content that ranks well with the search engines is a big thrill. As time went on, we branched out and now also offer training as well as consulting services.  It just keeps getting better! Lynne Terry: Let me first say, I had no way of knowing how my life would ultimately turn out. I couldn’t even envision then, what it is today. My initial goals were met a long time ago, and so I continue to make the choice to move forward and improve my life. I remember the day that first light bulb went off in my head, though. I was a young woman in my early twenties. I was married at the time and we had a combined family with four children between us. We struggled financially. My husband and I both did our best to keep the low-paying jobs we had, but those came and went. We did our best. And honestly, I just thought “this is the life I was dealt.” I never really thought outside of what was “my norm” at the time. And then one day, while working at my job, my boss shared *her* story with me. It was quite uncharacteristic. She was usually all business and very professional. But for some reason, that day, she was feeling chatty. I always thought she was an interesting character. She drove a Lexus, wore expensive clothes, was married to a wealthy entrepreneur, worked from home at her own business (where she employed me), but there was something interesting about her. She was very down to earth, and sometimes quirky. I’d see her with jeans and a tee shirt under her fur coat, for example. You could just tell that she wasn’t raised a “silver spoon girl” despite current appearances. When she told me her story, everything about her finally made sense. She talked about being homeless, and hopeless, and told me the chain of events that completely turned her life around. It was that day, and that conversation, that made me realize that *anything* could happen. It took more time yet before I really grasped the concept that I could make anything happen. But that was the pivotal moment. The day my mind became open to ideas, options, and possibilities. It was a couple of years later before I “ditched my life” and went for a big dream. All that time I was working, but I kept going over ideas one after the other. Finally it hit me. Things were just not working out. We were barely making it. My life wasn’t anything worth “saving” anyway. So I asked “What do we have to lose?” And the answer was… “Nothing.” I went over the Worst Case Scenario in detail. And the worst thing I could come up with was that we’d both have to get another job. Low paying jobs like ours were easy enough to replace, lol. And of course, there was the possibility that the Best Case Scenario would come true! My husband thought it was nuts, but he supported me anyway. I sold everything we owned at a local auction house for a whopping $600. I’m talking furniture, clothes, the kids’ toys, dishes, you name it. I quit my job, and we started a hopeless business (hopeless to anyone looking on, shaking their head at me, lol). That business did six figures in it’s first full year. I was determined to prove I could do it. Especially after everyone thinking I had totally lost my mind.  I have often thought back over the years and wondered if Mrs N. ever knew just how much she inspired me. That was the day I stopped settling for “the life I was dealt” and started realizing that anything could happen to anyone – at any time. And as time went on, and I gained more experience, I realized it wasn’t at all about fate or luck… but that even a small town girl with no college education could take an idea – and go big with it! I’ve been on a roll ever since. Trading that $6/hour job for a 6-figure income took a serious leap of faith, a lot of long hours, and tons of persistence. I have no regrets, of course. It was all worth it!   You will notice Kathleen, Karon, and Lynne all had to do one thing to make it happen. They had to make a decision to take action. Without action nothing will happen and nothing can change. Here’s how I help my clients take decisive action? Click to view Do you have a entrepreneurs wound or a story you’d like to share ? leave a comment or get in touch. Thank you for taking the time today here’s to your success Dee x email: info@deecoxon.com Twitter:  @deecoxon

There is a posture of defense and resistance in me. It had been formed when I was a child and a young person. The purpose of this posture is to keep me safe, to protect me both physically and intellectually...

Lovely seeing Ali’s smiling face and positive message over the weekend, also letters on humanity just days after my Costa Women blog – two qualities sorely lacking in these troubled times (sorry to sound negative). After working as business development manager at Brixton Online, south London, I founded EaRA (Electric Avenue Residents’ Association) and community group POOL: Positive Outlook On Life, interchanging with Positive Outcomes On Line depending on our project partners at the time. Either way, our motto was the same: positive media = the ripple effect Good to see Ali achieve both. Pic: EaRA postcards of Stockwell Skate Park, distributed free around Brixton Market, 1999. Where the postage stamp should be, it says STAMP OUT NEGATIVITY! Follow on Twitter @dovechris1

Vineyards in Verzenay… Barbara Franken Photography Finally we were driving along the outskirts of Reims towards the village of Verzenay, seeing the horizon filled with vineyards and we knew we were almost there. It had been a long but beautiful day driving, the sun shining strongly, turning the heads of the sunflowers that filled both sides of the motorway.  Now all we could see were rows and rows of vineyards in this special part of the world that is famous for making champagne. We had arrived at no 6 Rue Venve Pommery, Verzenay… at the Champagne establishment of Emmanuel Pithois. Champagne Emmanuel Pithois, Verzenay… Barbara Franken Photography A lovely french lady, Catherine was waiting outside to greet us, guiding us through her gates and into the parking at the back of their home. She had a lovely smile and manner and spoke wonderful English and kissed us a lot. We grabbed out bags and followed her into her home, passing delicious aromas that hung in the air as we climbed the stairs to be shown our grand bedroom… fit for a king and queen. She asked us if it was possible to meet her downstairs in 15 mins to begin the tour of her husbands champagne cellars before we began the tasting, followed by a meal that she had prepared for us. Nothing but the best bottle of Champagne they produce… Barbara Franken Photography We were welcomed into a beautiful sitting and dining room, that was ours to use for our stay. The decorations were just wonderful, I heard later it was Catherine’s passion and part of her enjoyment running their family bed and breakfast/champagne business. We sat down, quite weary and hungry, so the display of freshly baked savoury pastries were a delight and went down a treat with the bottle of champagne that kept being poured. Cheers… Sante… We chatted nicely for about an hour before Catherine said the dinner was ready to be served. A Delicious dinner at La Maison Des Vignes… Barbara Franken Photography We enjoyed a starter of goats cheese and figs on homemade olive bread with a glass of sweet champagne followed by a delightful plate of salmon and sauteered vegetables and a bottle of red wine, a refreshing lemon sorbet as a palette cleanser and finishing with fruit ice-cream cocktail with a champagne liquor… my mouth is watering again as I remember this evening… but boy were we tired, a little tipsy… and ready for bed. A welcome bouquet of flowers… Barbara Franken Photography A room fit for a King and Queen… Barbara Franken Photography It was a delightful evening and we had a good night sleep… sleeping a little later on our day off, going down for breakfast for 9.30am. Breakfast was another wonderful experience here, I do love it when someone goes all out with their passion, you can feel it in the air and in the food… and Catherine’s food was no exception. French Breakfast… Barbara Franken Photography Such nice displays… Barbara Franken Photography We decided to go into Reims and take a look at this royal city that we’d heard so much about. Apparently many french royalty were crowned in the Notre-Dame Cathedral, following Hugh Capet who was crowned King of France in 987 and began the tradition of serving the local wine, a pale pinkish Pinot noir at the coronation banquets which helped grow the reputation of the regions wine and later Champagne. History of Champagne, wikipedia. Notre-Dame Cathedral, Reims… Barbara Franken Photography The Cathedral was quite stunning from the outside, they had begun the restoration on the outside as it was looking a little dark and with the clouds descending upon the city it felt as if we had arrived in a dark part of the world. We stepped inside to take a peek and saw the magnificent stained glass windows at one end of the Cathedral… I personally love Chargall’s dreamy artwork and found his window quite breathtaking and brought a spirit of lightness to the heaviness I always feel in places like this. Chargall’s Stain-glass window Reims Cathedral… Barbara Franken Photography We began to walk through the streets of Reims, to see the sights, feel the atmosphere and find a nice place to have a little lunch. The buildings were indeed grand and elegant, fit for a king and queen… but the more I walked amongst the buildings and conversed with a variety of people… I began to feel quite intimidated. It had begun to rain so we looked for somewhere to have a nice lunch before returning for a quiet relaxing afternoon. We had hoped for an afternoon in their beautiful garden by the pool, but the rain was here to stay for the day. So a good opportunity to relax in our bedroom and I take myself on an inner journey, breathing consciously in and out. I knew these feelings of intimidation weren’t mine and remembered feeling a similar way in the old city of Valencia the other day. I was beginning to realise these feeling belonged to all the people who were oppressed so long ago by the higher patriarchy and the fear had become trapped in the buildings and in our bodies until this day. Maybe this is why a lot of people, seem at times to be arrogant or lost as we literally take on the past feelings of all our ancestors as our own. We carry the fear around with us, until we realise it isn’t our fear and become aware of how the higher patriarchy today continue to use us, feeding us with mis-information and playing-out their latest mind games through the media and digital electronics to control the mass… and want nothing more than the fear to be our end. How does it make you feel when I mention that 1% of the population controls the rest? My summer holiday was becoming a real reminder for me to question deep within myself just how much I loved myself… because I knew that one can’t truly love Self and remain in fear at the same time. Did I still have ancestral fears lurking so deep within that were now ready to be welcomed home by me… before their ultimate release? Breathing deeply and calmly… in and out… I chose to allow fears that were ready for release to come back to the physical moment, to be embraced for the truth that they are. They were nothing to do with me, I was my own magnificent sovereign self whose essence is pure LOVE… everything that no longer served me could now be released. There was no sign of Catherine or Emmanuel, so as the rain had stopped we went for a walk around the town, but didn’t come across any bars, cafes or restaurants so as it was time for a drink and nibble we decided to get in the car and return to Reims to find a restaurant for an early dinner. Next morning we were up early to take the next leg of our journey to Holland, unfortunately Catherine thought we wanted breakfast at 9.30am again so we were waiting quite a long time before we could eat to our hearts content before heading off. Holland wasn’t so far, a few hours drive from the mountainous regions of Spain and France, descending upon the green flat lands… I knew this country well and became quite excited driving through. Unfortunately the weather was dull and wet (the main reason why we had left Holland all those years ago) but seeing the cyclists, windmills, houses and the lush nature reminded me of the many years I had enjoyed living in Holland. Holland greeted me with an overwhelming feeling of coming home. Dutch Windmill… Barbara Franken Photography… Over the years the energy of Holland has become more and more dense as fear grew amongst the people as they became less certain what the future held. I feel into the energy of the land each time I visit… this time was maybe a fraction better, but life was quickly changing now, old systems and ways no longer worked and were becoming obsolete, leaving people to try and discover what worked for them. I could only hope that more and more people became more aware, like myself and make the choice to love themself totally and expand their imagination beyond and begin creating the life they are passionate about. Holland was no exception and I felt If any country could lead the way to living a peaceful and harmonic life, I would put my bets on Holland. So IAM patience and remain observing in interest. In 2012 I wrote a blog post about how I felt the need for people to begin Choosing Love vs Fear… Blog Post Jan 2012… Now 3 years later it is urgent, we have to release our fears… My book, Me My Magnificent Self… A Journey to Freedom, due for release soon, shares my amazing journey of how I discovered LOVE , TRUST and UNDERSTANDING and was able to release my fears. Part III of my story will share more of my time in Holland and our wonderful stay in England, attending the fairytale wedding of my little sister. Take care and ask yourself, how well are you loving yourself… As we can only truly love ourself if our mind is at peace and we have nothing to worry or fear. Barbara Franken… Master CreatorInspiring New Energy Consciousness.