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Inspirations of Hope
March 2009
"Faith is the invisible security in a world of visible chaos."   Chris Sopa
 coaching photo
I hope everyone is having a great beginning of 2009.  This year is a year of completion and change
and many of you are feeling the effects of that already.  In this month's issue, I decided to focus on
faith, something many clients and friends seem to be struggling with at the moment.  I hope the
message this month leaves you inspired and able to move forward with a little more life force in your step.
Enjoy!

Faith 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   Have faith that you will never be given anything you cannot handle.
   Faith in yourself.  That you can handle anything that comes your way.
   Faith in your contract.  That although you may not remember the reasons for it now, you chose certain experiences in your life for a reason.
   Faith in other people.  That they are here to teach you lessons as they fulfill their own contract.
   Faith in the process.  That each step has a lesson and each thing that happens in your life happens for a reason.
 
 
Faith
Where has it gone? 

As I read the newspaper and watch the news, it is obvious that our world is changing rapidly.  Not only is the world we live in changing, but our lives are changing rapidly as well and without warning.  Many of my friends and colleagues are losing loved ones, relationships are ending, jobs are being lost and time in general seems to be moving faster and faster. 
 
I can't help but notice clients who speak only of the "state of the economy,"  the lack of work, the dwindiling 401K's, etc., etc.  Many are focusing on lack because they have lost their sense of faith, hope and security in a system that is no longer working.
 
In times such as these, it is more important than ever to remember what you stand for, what you believe in and what is important to you in your life.  Those who have coached with me know that I am a stickler for defining what you want and your priorities.  We tend to let life push us around instead of directing it toward our desires and wants.  We let things such as fear, anger, resentment and uncertainty of an outcome stop us.  All of these things are an illusion we hold in our minds. 
 
Faith is what we fall back on in times such as these.  Our faith is made up of what we believe in, our values and those things that no matter what are untouchable.  It is the invisible security in a world of visible chaos. We do not get faith from some outside source, but from inside our hearts.  We learn to have faith.  We open our hearts to it and let it in.  We do not need "approval" from others or an authority figure;  we do not need our beliefs to be the same as everyone else's.  All we need is to define them and feel in our hearts that these beliefs make up who we are.  People can mess with your mind, but never your heart.  Always, always trust your heart.
 
Over the following month, pay attention to the answers that come up to the following questions:
 
  • What is important to me?
  • What are my underlying beliefs?
  • What are my core values (the unshakeable ones)?
  • What are my top 3 priorities now in order?
  • If I check the above answers with my heart, what does my heart tell me?
 "We must not allow other people's limited perceptions to define us. "

Virginia Satir

Peru:  September 2009
 
Don NasarioEvery year in the fall, I gather a group and we travel to Peru.  Those that go are usually looking for not an adventure, but a spiritual journey.  Hiking the Inca Trail, visiting the Amazon Jungle rainforest and working with local Shaman are just part of this amazing trip.  You will have one on one time with Shaman, take part in ancient Incan ceremonies and have the opportunity to open yourself up to other ways of thinking and living your life.
 
If you are interested in more information, please contact me soon.  I am only taking 6-8 people this year and 3 slots are gone already.  Please contact me at:
 
[email protected] (Subject: Peru)
302-521-3115
 
Photo:  Me and Shaman Don Nasario
 
The "Real" Seven Wonders of the World


 
Machu Picchu1.  To touch
2.  To taste
3.  To see
4.  To hear
5.  To feel
6.  To laugh
7.  To love
 
 
                         Photo:  Machu Picchu, Peru (a 7 wonder)
Corporate/Personal Coaching

 
Most companies in this ecomony are realizing that the way they did business and made money in the past is no longer working.  One of the things they are realizing is that it is not more training or development that their people need.  It is not that they need to lay more people off.  It is that they need to re-adjust their thinking, their plan and their attitudes toward this new economy.  We need companies who are innovative, creative and willing to take risks.  Companies who have the courage to do things differently than they have ever done them before.
 
At Chris Sopa International, we work with your people on their interpersonal skills, creativity, attitude and confidence.  We have found that employees who feel as if they are making a difference in the company they work for are far more excited to come to work every day.  Company culture starts at the top.  Infusing a sense of ownership with your employees by making them a part of the decisions toward change is key.   A new focus on company and individual goals, a refreshed new attitude and new work behavior patterns is what makes all of the difference to survive in this new economy.
 
Please feel free to visit our website and explore the options CSI has to offer.  We are all in this together.  Together we can make a difference!
 
Topic Options:
  • Leading Yourself and Others
  • Success In Sales
  • Customer Loyalty
  • Making the Most of Your Time
  • Team Leadership 
  • Management Success
  • Strategic Planning and Goal Setting
  • Annual Goals Review (Departmental and Company-wide)
Visit us at:  www.chrissopa.com
(see "Coaching")
Company Spotlight:   Inner Journey Coaching - "The journey forward begins inward!" ™

 
Elaine 
I wanted to introduce you all this month to an amazing woman who is definitely on a journey upwards.
Elaine Kemski, founder of Inner Journey Coaching is not only one of my dear friends, but the most brilliant and amazing women I have ever met.  She is gifted in the field of coaching and counseling, has a business brillance I do not see often in the corporate world and just her presence changes a room.
 
Elaine's mission is to give women the gift they so richly deserve:  their authentic selves back! Not to mention to create a unique community that encourages women to explore their deeper gifts and purpose.  
 
You can experience Elaine through her captivating keynote addresses, personal one on one coaching, journey groups, workshops and her monthly newsletter which you can sign up for online (see link below).  Look next month for the date of a journey group I will be holding with Elaine called "It's All About Me: The Empowered Women's Pledge" in the Delaware area.
 
Please check out Elaine at her website:  www.innerjourneycoaching.com
You'll love what you see!
 
Photo:  Elaine Kempsi
 
Thank you for taking the time to be inspired by us this month.
 
Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you:
  • Keynote Addresses
  • Corporate or Personal Coaching
  • International Journeys
  • Wellness Products and Services
  • Workshops or Seminars

Contact us at:

Chris Sopa International, Inc.
302-521-3115
 
invite