Chris Sopa International, Inc.
 Life Coaching Header Image

Empowered You!

March 2011

Chris Sopa International


Workshop
 
 chakras
"What is a Chakra?" 
  

Date:   May 12th

Location:

Chesapeake Bay Country Club, North East, MD

For more information and registration:

 

A & M Tent Events

410-620-1221

[email protected]

 

Coaching Offer!!!
 
 Coaching block
Are you ready to transform yourself in 2011 and have the changes stick this time? 
_________________
Are you looking to break old patterns that are acting as obstacles to your success?
________________
Are you looking to find out how to use your intuition to help you make lasting decisions?
________________
From February through April ONLY, Chris Sopa International is offering a discounted coaching package to help you get your new year started on the right foot!

Personal Coaching: $1,250.00

 

CorporateCoaching:
$2,250.00

 

Coaching includes 12 sessions, workbook, unlimited access to Chris and guaranteed transformation!!!
________________
Mention this newsletter to receive the pricing listed here!!!
__________________

All major credit cards accepted!

________________
Payment plan options available!
Contest Winner! 
 
 Prestwick House
Jason Scott - Prestwick House Publishing!!!
 
Thank you to everyone who entered!!!
Book Recommendations 
 4 Agreements

The Four Agreements

by

Don Miguel Ruiz

_________________

Subcon book

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

by

Joseph Murphy, PhD 

 
Athena Award Nomination 
 Athena

 

CONGRATULATIONS Chris on being nominated for the Athena International Women's Leadership Award!!!

 

Award Luncheon:  March 23rd 

 

For more information, visit www.cecilchamber.org

Why Me?

 

"When you can't pray, God listens to your heart."

There are times in every person's life when they feel they have lost all hope.  You know what I'm talking about...you've been there.  When everything around you seems to be going wrong and you don't think you can handle one more thing and BAM one more thing appears to push you over the edge?  Your hopelessness can be caused by many things, all of which we can call "losses."  Someone you love suddenly dies, you lose your job, a friend betrays you, someone you love with all of your heart all of a sudden doesn't want to be with you anymore, you have been diagnosed with a chronic illness, you don't have enough money to pay your bills, etc.  The list can go on and on.  Any one of these things can push over your edge.  When you have reached this state, you can't seem to function, think clearly or even render enough energy TO hold out hope.  You can't even seem to bring yourself to pray.  You figure, "why bother?" 

We all have our lot in life.  Mine is to teach and heal.  I have noticed that God seems to put situations in my own life to figure out (most of the time I am kicking and screaming as I go through them!) so I can then teach others what I have learned.  I believe for all of us that is the case.  We learn about life mostly by watching how other people live theirs.  We are all "silent teachers," so to speak. 

I could never quite understand how a person could be so upset that they would want to just "throw in the towel"...until recently.  I've experienced grief before.  So have you.  We grieve not just when a person we love passes away, we grieve when we lose ANYTHING in our life; a relationship, a job, a habit, money, a material possession, etc.   Sometimes the grief is so strong it overcomes you.  You cry uncontrollably, you physically cannot catch your breath, your heart physically hurts from being "broken," and you simply see no way out, solutions seem to evade your every thought, no matter how positive you have been in the past.  Not a pretty place to be and quite scary, I might add.  You find yourself saying to God, "I am done!  Please take me home!" 

The Grieving Process

The grieving process is the same, no matter what type of loss you are experiencing.  The first stage is Denial.  Denial is a defense; a normal way of coping with horrible, unexpected or sudden bad news where you pretend like it is not real and live your life from a "fantasy" point of view for a bit.  The whole time knowing deep down something in your life has drastically changed.

Anger then takes over.  The question of "why me?" turns to "why not him/her?"  We rage at God, family, friends, co-workers...anyone who seems to NOT be experiencing the pain that you are at the moment.  Many people get stuck in this stage and turn their lives over to playing a victim role.  Constantly blaming their life situation on others and never quite learning to take back control of their own lives.

Bargaining is when anger is released and the person's fears are articulated.  They make bargains with God, most of the time unrealistic ones out of desperation, promising to do something if their situation is taken from them once and for all.  These promises are usually never kept.

Depression is the most hopeless phase.  Having faith feels like it is an impossible task.  You become clearly aware that the huge changes taking place in your life are going nowhere fast.  You can no longer deny that they are there and can no longer be angry at anyone for causing them.  You simply want to be alone, sleep, have no contact with the outside world and just cry. 

Acceptance is when depression and anger finally disappear.  I like to call this phase "surrender." You enter a period of quiet, reflective resignation of your situation and a sense of peaceful expectancy comes over you. You stop fighting your situation and just let it be.  Faith re-emerges and although you may not know HOW your situation will be resolved, you KNOW it will be resolved eventually...somehow.

Freedom from Fear

In Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' book, "The Wheel of Life," there is a quote I have never forgotten written by a child dying of cancer:

"When we have done all of the work we were sent to Earth to do, we are allowed to shed our body, which imprisons our soul like a cocoon encloses the future butterfly.  And when the time is right, we can let go of it and we will be free of pain, free of fears and worries - free as a very beautiful butterfly, returning home to God."

You don't have to die to be free.  Freedom from pain is a choice.  It is not an easy choice to make.  Sometimes we like to hold on to the pain because for some odd reason, it is comfortable, especially if you have had a lot of pain and losses in your life.  You seem to have learned how to function in pain and chaos and know no other way to be.  Even though it hurts like hell, you know what you have to do.  You know how to get the attention you need.  The pain gives you excuses to not deal with other things in your life that are glaring you in the face.  That which is familiar and comfortable is the most predictable and easiest for us to handle; versus a situation that is new and one where you are walking into "the unknown."

Our soul is imprisoned when we are alive not just by our physical bodies but by the fears we hold in our hearts.  Fears paralyze you.  They make your mind race with uncontrollable speed.  They grab hold of you mentally, spiritually, and physically until you feel as if you cannot breathe. 

Fear only exists in the past and the future; when we are re-living a past event or worrying about a possible future outcome.  In this moment right now, there is nothing to fear.  You are alive, functioning and ok!  The heaviness in your heart returns when you return to the past or future event in your mind.  You create your reality by the thoughts you continually hold in your mind.  Your mind does not know the difference between when is real and what is not.  It assumes what you are thinking about the most, the picture that crosses your mind the most, is what you want and what is happening to you.  You pull the energies of the past event or possible future event to the present time when you are obsessively thinking about it and it feels as real as if it is happening right at this moment.

"Sometimes divine revelation simply means adjusting your brain to hear what your heart already knows."

Why is this happening?

Everything we experience in life happens for a reason...no matter how bad.  I have noticed that almost every single time there is a seemingly endless hurricane whipping through my life that is when the divine finger of God has touched down.  That much chaos cannot be created by me alone!  There is a divine plan and purpose to every situation, every thing, and every person in your life.  Nothing happens "by chance."  After every hurricane comes a rainbow.  Sometimes that thought is enough to get you through the mess in your life;  knowing you are not alone, EVER, and that your life is changing on a much deeper level for the good.

Release

My Dad always taught me that whenever you are faced with a situation in your life you do not like you have 3 choices:  change it, leave it or accept it.  Sometimes just making a choice relieves some of the pain.  Either way, you need to learn the divine art of "release."

Our emotions are contained in a vessel within us, so to speak.  When the vessel gets too full, due to old feelings we are holding onto that we just won't let go of, there is no room in our vessel for new, beautiful feelings to enter.  We must learn to release those things in our lives that no longer serve a purpose for our higher good.  Release can take many forms.  It doesn't matter what form you choose, as long as the end result is that you feel better.

         Laugh

         Cry

         Help someone else get what they want or feel better

         Be grateful for what you DO have in your life - start a gratitude journal

         Prayer/Meditation

         Ask for help

         Sleep

         Read positive material that relates to your situation

         Talk about it to a friend to get feedback, not to dwell on it.

         Take a hot bath or shower or swim -  visualize your worries being "washed away"

         Move your body!  Do some sort of physical activity

         Breathe (take several deep breaths pushing your bellybutton out instead of raising  your chest - this is diaphragmatic breathing)

         Be in nature - nature is an automatic balancer

         Spend time with an animal - animals only know unconditional love

 

This list can go on and on.  The important thing is to know what it is to do that makes you feel better.  We all have our favorite things.  The better you feel the higher you are vibrating and the higher you are vibrating, the closer you are to God.  We are never alone.  Even in our most desperate moments when there seems to be no one physically around, you can feel the arms of a deceased loved one or an angel wrapped around you like a warm blanket, filling your heart with hope, love and the knowing that all will be ok.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

"There's a Hole in My Sidewalk"

Chapter One

I walk down a street and there's a big hole. I don't see it and fall into it. It's dark and hopeless and it takes me a long time to find my way out. It's not my fault!

Chapter Two

I walk down the same street. There's a big hole and I can see it, but I still fall in. It's dark and hopeless and it takes me a long time to get out. It's still not my fault.

Chapter Three

I walk down a street. There's a big hole. I can see it, but I still fall in. It's become a habit. But I keep my eyes open and get out immediately. It is my fault.

 

Chapter Four

I walk down a street. There's a big hole. And I walk around it.

Chapter Five

I walk down a different street.

 

 

 Love and Light, 

Speaking Headshot
 
Chris

About Us

Our vision at CSI is to empower you through inspiration and education to tap into your hidden talents, spirit, and undeveloped potential to soar in every area of your life. From our speaking engagements, coaching, international journeys blog and wellness information to our products and publications we hope we can offer you a glimpse into what can be possible to help you on your journey of continued success.

 

Please visit us on the web at www.chrissopa.com!

Find us on Facebook    Visit our Facebook page as well!!!