I love my Vacuum Cleaner!

This morning found me doing something a little odd. 

Before my shower, before putting on pants even, I was vacuuming. 

My bed. 

Why?  Because I have a dog, as you may have heard.  A black dog.  Who sheds.  A lot.  

But that's not new, I've had a dog for a long time and my bed has been as furry as Jon Bon Jovi's chest for years now.

What is new is that I got a new vacuum cleaner last night.  I am so excited about this new vacuum that even before I opened my eyes I was thinking about all the things I could try it on.

My new friend has been a long time coming. 

About a year ago my old vacuum lost one of it's wheels.  It still worked in a hobbly annoying kind of way so I kept using it and started dropping hints that a new vacuum cleaner would be nice.  To myself, to my mom, to my sweetie. 

While I was away in March, it lost another wheel, 2 out of 4, which solved the hobbling problem but began a new set of issues, floor scratching, poor suction and general vacuum malaise. 

Thus the purchase of Animal, my new super powerful and adaptable vacuum cleaner. 

My friends think I'm a little crazy, they don't understand why I am SO excited about my new Animal.

I'm excited because vacuuming can be downright magical.

It's kind of like clutter clearing.  Clutter clearing can be a chore, or it can be a life transforming process. 

Vacuuming can be a chore or it can be the fastest way to transform the energy of your space. 

I learned this trick from my Space Clearing friends, Karen Kingston and Tracey Stanton and I've never looked at vacuuming the same way since. 

The rush for a new vacuum became critical in the last couple of weeks because I've started to see clients in my home office which means that my house needs to be clean, not only on a physical level - black dog, lots of fur, everywhere, all the time - but on an energetic level too.

Before and after each client, I give my office a quick vacuum. 

Before, to set the space for the clients session, and after, to clear the space for the next activity. 

That's a lot of vacuuming, but it's a joy, especially now that I have a new buddy to help me out.

You can do this too! 

• If you have some friends coming over, vacuum for your friends. 
• If you want to have friends coming over vacuum with the intention of having friends over. 
• If you've had a fight, vacuum up the harsh words.
• If you were sick and now you're feeling better, vacuum up the energetic kleenex and sniffles.

I'm serious, go try it!  And if you hate vacuuming no matter how magical it can be and you would rather someone else clean your home, just set the intention before they come. 

Happy Vacuuming!  And if you would be so kind to pass this along to one or two of your dear friends, me and my new vacuum cleaner will do a little jig, in our underwear.  ;)

Love,

Cecilia

ox

p.s. If you're reading this and you're not on my list, you should really get yourself on it!  I send out a fun and useful email just about every week.  Just pop on over here to get on!  All the cool kids are doing it!

Tulips Love Ice Cubes, Do You?

I just got back from a month in California and didn't give you a heads up because I thought I could meditate and blog at the same time. 

It turns out it's hard to write when your eyes are closed, imagine that!  ;)

I'm back and delighted that the snow is gone (for this week) and our springtime friends are making an appearance for the first time this year. 

Hello crocuses! 

Hello not as fat (but still pretty fat) squirrels! 

Hello guys wearing shorts when it's too cold out!

Last Sunday me, my sweets and Bella went for a long family walk, and halfway through I couldn't resist two bunches of red tulips I found on Roncesvalles for only $6.   Six dollars!

The bargain distracted me from the fact that it would be a long time before they saw water again. 

It took an hour and a half to get home, and then I'm embarrassed to say that I got sucked into email for another hour or so before I remembered that I had new babies to take care of. 

When I finally turned my attention to the tulips, they were sadder than a clown who missed the caravan out of town.  So limp, so lifeless, so so sad... 

I did what I could, trimming the ends, peeling off the most lackluster leaves and putting them one by one into fresh cold water with tulip food mixed in. 

You've never seen a more depressing flower arrangement.  The centerpiece for a called off wedding. 

In a final act of desperation, I grabbed a tray of stale ice cubes and dumped the lot in.

The tulips hung their heads all the way down to the table, ashamed of their new mother and for trusting the farmer with their bulbs.  All that work, growing and getting ready to bloom, for this?

Before I went to bed the tulips had lifted their heads just enough to memorize my features for their post on the "People Who Hurt Flowers" website. 

It wasn't looking good. 

Imagine my surprise when I walked into the kitchen the next morning to find a beautiful healthy bunch of tulips, with strong green leaves, stretching and growing to meet the sun like a group of runners at the starting line. 

What happened?  What was the secret to their success? 

Of course they needed water and food, but the last ingredient, the one that really worked...

Ice cubes!

Tulips adore ice cubes. 

Perhaps it reminds them of the cold ground of early spring.  

It's only tulips who love ice cubes, a rose would feel very hurt and misunderstood if you threw a bunch of ice cubes into her vase.  The rose says, warm water please.

I have to admit that coming back from California left me feeling a bit like those forgotten tulips.  Limp, tired, dull.  While I was away I felt strong and capable, with moments of extreme discomfort, but always fed, always supported, always connected. 

So, I've been on a hunt for the human equivalent of ice cubes, for the secret ingredient to help me spring and grow.

I started by trying the usual.  Singing, jogging, meditating, working, tea with friends, etc...  But it didn't help.  I felt OK, but I didn't feel that jolt of inspiration.  I didn't feel Alive with a capital A! 

Those things must be the food and water.  Expected, needed, but not enough.

What is the ice?

Ice is different.  Ice is unexpected.  Ice is bold.

I've been sitting with it for a week, trying this, trying that and this is what I've figure out.

Ice is Will. 

Ice is opening your eyes in the morning and deciding to wake up. 

Ice is writing through the discomfort. 

Ice is finally doing the thing you've been procrastinating for months. 

Ice is deciding to open, even though it would be so much easier to close.

Ice is not something that happens to you, although it might feel like it at times. 

Ice is you saying "Bring it on!" and then opening your arms to receive it. 

You may have to remind yourself that you invited the ice in.

You invited the ice because you want to grow, you need  to grow, and you're not content to flounder limp and lifeless in a vase of tepid water.

Ice is not the every day. 

Ice is a statement, a choice. 

It may feel harsh or scary in the moment, like the first dive into a cold spring lake, but after a moment it just feels like LIFE!  And just like that cold spring lake, you're never going to get in if you inch your way in, you have to jump.

Remember, tulips LOVE ice cubes. 

The ice is something that you LOVE but that scares the shit out of you.  What scares you might be something soft and vulnerable, sharp and cool, or muddy and wet.

I'm a tulip, I need ice.  I love ice!

Today's ice was finally finishing this blog post and sending it out to you.

What about you?  I'm curious, what's your ice?  Let me know in the comments below, and if you have a human friend in need of a jolt of inspiration I'd love for you to pass this along.

Love,

Cecilia

ox

p.s. If you're reading this and you're not on my list, you should really get yourself on it!  I send out a fun and useful email just about every week.  Just pop on over here to get on!  All the cool kids are doing it!

Do you feel... Weird?

A few weeks ago I was hanging out with my sweetie in the kitchen and said

"I feel..."

and he said

"Let me guess? ...You feel... Weird?".

First came uproarious laughter, then a pause. 

Hmm...  Is it possible that I feel weird a lot? 

It's true.  I'm often saying "I feel weird" or "I feel funny", so it's not surprising that he could finish my sentence but what does it mean?

When I looked at it more closely I realized that I feel weird when I don't feel 100% like myself.  Not like Cecilia Moorcroft, but that feeling in my heart and being that feels like ME, the real me, the bigger me, the me that doesn't feel... weird.

Thus began the hunt for more ME in my life.  When did I feel weird?  When did I feel not weird?  When did I feel AMAZING?

I call it the Weird Barometer, Weirdometer (? Thanks Gaby!), and is it ever helpful.

If I feel weird, then it means that something is off and most likely what's off is that I'm not in alignment with what's true for me. 

I told you a couple of weeks ago, that what's true for me is this feeling in my heart, the heart wings feeling. 

The fact is, not everything I do makes me feel that way. 

I recently said yes to something that I probably should have said no to and boy did my heart wings kick up a fuss.  They got all ruffled and went straight to sulking, wings crossed in a huff. 

Yuck, that didn't feel good. So, I went back and said that I had changed my mind.  I said no. 

It was hard.  It was uncomfortable, but as soon as I did my heart wings sighed in relief and went to work grooming themselves so they could stretch out again. 

Since the "I feel...let me guess?...you feel weird" day I actually feel weird a lot less, in fact more often than not I have the heart with wings feeling and I have to say, it's a much sweeter place to live. 

It's easier to say no to things that I have a feeling will bring on the weird and yes to the things that will make my heart wings hula hoop to Dance Mix '92.  

Thank goodness for the people who know me best, thank goodness for my sweetie. 

The fact is I was saying "I feel weird" so much that it felt normal to say it and more importantly it felt normal to feel it.  I don't want it to be normal that I feel weird, I want it to be normal to feel like ME!

Am I the only one?

Do you ever feel weird, off or funny?

What does it feel like, when you feel like YOU?

What helps you to feel less weird and more like yourself?

I'd love to hear about it in the comments below and you know what?  It would definitely make me feel more like ME if you did.  Not that you should do it for me, you should do it for you and then send it to your friend who is always complaining that she feels... weird.

Love,

Cecilia

ox

p.s. B-School registration closes TODAY, Monday March 4th at 3pm.  If you want to feel more YOU in your business and life you should totally check it out, you won't regret it.  I made sure that I felt 100% me when I wrote this love letter to B-School and came up with my love-filled affiliate bonus.  There are only two spots left and it would make my heart wings sing to have you join The YAY team and take the leap into your own arms. 

p.p.s. If you're reading this and you're not on my list, you should really get yourself on it!  I send out a fun and useful email just about every week.  Just pop on over here to get on!  All the cool kids are doing it!