Coach Cassandra Rae | SimplyFearless.com » simply fearless friday

Video: letting go of the fear one inch at a time

Cassandra Rae — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:00:20 +0000

Of course my birthday celebration wouldn’t be complete without a little fear and a whole lot of courage! Check out this video where I share all about my experience zip-lining and cave repelling. What was I thinking?!

»Today is Simply Fearless Friday! Let’s face our fears and grow our courage together. Publish your Simply Fearless story on your blog, leave a direct link in a comment below, and I’ll pop on over and leave you some comment love. Don’t ya just love comments on your blog?! «

Put Your Success Front and Center

Cassandra Rae — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:38:53 +0000

In one of our Simply Fearless Brainstorming Sessions we helped Elva reconnect with the passion, optimism, and hope she felt when she first launched her biz. One of the ideas that came up on the call was from my Soul Sister Sandi and she said:

If you have a photo of when you were at your happiest and most optimistic, grab it and look at it several times a day and recommit to the energy of that time. If not, find a photo that evokes the feeling. The purpose is to replay the successful feeling and preplay the success you are creating. Feel all that energy there.

It was amazing how much Elva’s outlook shifted when she realized that she could once again put herself into that excited and hopeful state of heart and mind without any physical proof, which is exactly what she did when she first started her biz. In short, she could create her success from the inside out. Woohoo!

I loved this idea so much that I immediately decided to put a picture of my success front and center in my workspace:

I now keep My Book of Positive Aspects smack dab in the middle of my work space so that I can be reminded at any time:

how cool my life is,
how far I’ve already come, and
how wonderful my future is.

Woohoo!

The Book of Positive Aspects is a tool I learned from the Law of Attraction teachings of Abraham through Esther & Jerry Hicks.

What does your success look & feel like?
What can you put front & center in your workspace to remind you?
♥

»Today is Simply Fearless Friday! Publish your Simply Fearless story on your blog, leave a direct link in a comment below, and I’ll pop on over and leave you some comment love. Let’s face our fears and grow our courage together!«

What should I really do with my life?

Cassandra Rae — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:20:29 +0000

>>Today is Simply Fearless Friday and I am pleased to feature guest blogger Beth Bracaglia, founder of Simply Organized.<<

One of my favorite quotes of all time is:

“The minute you begin to do what you really want to do, it truly becomes a different kind of life”.

I really do believe that I live my life with this quote in mind, each and every day. It’s so important to do what you love, because it really does make work fun – the time goes by quickly every week and it makes life more enjoyable as a whole.

I’ve done many things in my career from being a College Program intern at Walt Disney World and a Presidential Intern for the President of Clemson to post college work in Retail Management, Technical Recruiting, Training & Development and Project Management where I designed and built commercial kitchens. But, none of that work was my true passion – and that was the problem.

I lived each day wondering “what should I really do with my life?” I was fearful to take the big step and start my own business until I realized that life is definitely too short to not do what you really want to do. We only get one chance to make it happen for ourselves. I did so much soul searching, reading, and learning to help me to get to where I am today and I know for sure that without that reflective time to help figure it all out, and the growth that comes along with it, I know I wouldn’t be as strong or where I am today.

I continue to learn each and every day – from my family, friends, clients, and through the amazing people that I meet around town and through the internet. The connections that have been made all throughout my life and my career have helped me get to this truly amazing place. I make a point of:

helping others,
being grateful for all that I have, and
passing it forward.

I really don’t know how to live any other way. So, I guess that is what makes me now, Beth from Simply Organized who is Simply Fearless about moving forward and moving up!

Beth Bracaglia

Beth Bracaglia holds a Bachelors of Science in Management and Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Clemson University and has over (18) years of experience in Human Resources, Training & Development, and Project Management. She has 10+ years of experience in assisting home owners and businesses with professional organizing services. To reach Beth Bracaglia, contact Simply Organized at (410) 480-1191 or beth@simplyorganizedtoday.com. Also, visit the Simply Organized Fan Page at www.facebook.com/simplyorganizedtoday

Simply Fearless Friday: make the world a friendlier place

Cassandra Rae — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:55:51 +0000

I had 45 minutes until my next appointment and I was feeling uninspired at the computer so I decided to go for a photo walk. I grabbed my camera and got in the care. Where should I go? I don’t know, but not far because I only have 30 minutes.

Why don’t I just cross the tracks and walk through that neighborhood of houses?

I could. But, people might think I’m weird for taking photos of their front yards. I like to go to more public places like downtown.

Wait a minute. Am I really going to let fear stop me?

No.

Well maybe.

Okay. If traffic is clear, then I will turn left at the next street, pull over, park in the nearest side yard, and go on my photo walk in this neighborhood.

Traffic is clear. Darn! Okay here I go…

I parked on a very familiar corner. I used to jog in this neighborhood and there are some gorgeous orange flowers across the street with tiger stripes. What a perfect place to start:

I kept walking and could see these huge purpley-blue flowers coming up on the left. Oh no! The owner of the house they belong to is outside talking to a neighbor. Drats. Oh I don’t care. He used to say hi to me every time he saw me jogging by and these flowers are too gorgeous to pass up.

I began taking photos regardless of any potential criticism and then the neighbors were done talking. Crap.

“They’re gorgeous, aren’t they?” he asked while walking over.

I looked up from my camera, “Yes, they are. I have no idea how to care for flowers, but I do love to photo them!”

“They’ve never grown this big and strong before. We used to just have a few little ones each season, but then she was in the hospital and I took over. I water them every other day and they’re doing so well.”

I could tell this man poured more than water on these flowers. He poured his heart into them causing them to blossom and I wondered if she was still in the hospital.

“Hey, if you like to photo flowers, then you’ve gotta see this one in the backyard.” He turned and began walking towards the open gate.

“Okay!” I didn’t even think twice about going into the backyard of a stranger. I simply knew it was safe and I was excited to see the flower. It must be gorgeous if he thinks it’s prettier than the ones out front.

We chatted while I snapped photos and I found out that she transitioned in March. No wonder this man is loving on his flowers so much.

His wife of 38 years (that’s older than me!) was no longer with him physically. I can’t even imagine how to start over after that. But, I do know that neighbors who take photos, who stop and talk, who aren’t afraid to care can help tremendously in the healing process.

I’m so glad that I didn’t allow fear to stop me and that I courageously connected with a new friend. Ralph asked me to print out one of the photos of the big red flower for him and I wonder if it was from her memorial service.

You know, this experience felt like a blast from the past when people who didn’t know each other weren’t afraid to talk to each other. People trusted one another simply because they were neighbors. That is the world I live in. That is the world I am helping to create because community is one of the keys to happiness.

Everyone benefits when you share:
What is one simple thing you can do to make your neighborhood more friendly?

Fear can no longer stop me from sharing my message!

Cassandra Rae — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:24:23 +0000

{Today is Simply Fearless Friday and I am so excited to feature guest blogger Nailah Blades. She is inspiring me to put myself and my message out there regardless of what anyone else says or does. Woohoo!}

My fearless moment came when I decided to look my fear of public speaking square in the eye and say “no more!” Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not shy. I’m definitely what one would classify as a “Chatty Cathy.” I could talk to anyone about seemingly anything for hours on end. Entertain a small group of people? No sweat! But the idea of standing up on a stage and delivering my message to a room full of onlookers left me both terrified and exhilarated – mostly terrified. I was scared I would not have anything interesting to say or that I’d fumble through my speech or – worst of all – people would judge me. All of this kept me from taking the plunge and going after speaking gigs.

I knew that ultimately speaking was where I wanted to go. I’m passionate about reaching out to others and inspiring them to live bold & stimulating lives. I knew that my message is an important one and I didn’t want my uneasiness with public speaking to stand in my way. It was time to take action and stop letting fear dictate my path.

Signing up for Toastmasters was a huge step for me. I had to get over my fear of being judged by strangers and I also had to admit that it was ok to ask for help in something. I noticed my confidence building with each speech I delivered. Thinking of content for new speeches made me incredibly excited. I couldn’t believe I had wasted so much time being nervous about speaking.

Being fearless allowed me to identify what was holding me back and figure out a way to nip it in a bud. If I’d decided to stay in my comfort zone I would never have realized how much I actually enjoy speaking. But even worse than that, I would have been depriving the world of my unique message and my unique energy. Being fearless can be terrifying and difficult, but we owe it to ourselves and to everyone around us to take bold, vibrant, fearless steps each and every day.

Nailah Blades

Nailah Blades is a Los Angeles based life purpose and career coach who specializes in the quarter life experience. After waking up one day face to face with her own quarter life crisis, Nailah became determined to help other women unlock their true passions so they may begin living insanely fulfilling and authentically happy lives. Nailah earned her B.A in Communications & Sociology from the University of Southern California and was certified through The Life Purpose Institute. When Nailah isn’t coaching or writing she enjoys reading, wine-tasting and bad reality TV. You can join her free weekly newsletter for advice, tips and inspiration through her website: www.PolkaDotCoaching.com, read her blog: www.PolkaDotCoaching.com/blog or follow her on Twitter: @PolkaDotCoach.

Everyone benefits when you share:
What bold, vibrant and fearless step are you ready to take?

I am quirky & proud of it!

Cassandra Rae — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:33:47 +0000

This week I reconnected with my quirkiness! I was reminded how happy it makes me feel to be my quirky self. I’m not talking about doing wild, crazy, and weird things. I’m talking about having permission to be myself without filtering.

How often do you draft a blog post, website copy, or even an email and you start out writing what you mean and then you edit, edit, edit because you’re afraid of how it might sound or how it will be received? We edit ourselves out all the time in what we say, what we write, and what we do. Even in what we wear!

So this week I’ve been writing it, saying it, and doing it before thinking myself out of it and this morning at the coffee shop I saw this beautifully quirky young girl with a crazy wig on. As soon as I saw her I wanted to take her picture and blog about her. I paused for a moment and realized that I had a choice to make:

I could follow my quirky self and go ask
a complete stranger for a photo

I could listen to the voice of fear that said,
“Don’t do that. That’s stupid. You can’t talk
to a perfect stranger.”

Obviously I followed my quirky self and it felt so good! Luna was happy to have her photo taken and I found out that she made the wig herself for Crazy Hair Day at school. How fun is that?!

I know in my heart that my success is in my quirkiness. Now it’s just a matter of allowing my quirky self more room to play, to laugh, to imagine, to express, and to be quirky. Wahoo!

{Random story about me: one of the very first things that attracted me to my husband is that when we first met he told me I was quirky. I loved that he could see it in me, that he was bold enough to tell me, and it was obvious he liked me for it and not in spite of it. Aw…quirky can be romantic too :~}

Everyone benefits when you share:
What do you need to give yourself permission to be in order to receive the success you desire?

Your Heart Knows the Way

Cassandra Rae — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:56:17 +0000

Earlier this week I began writing this blog post…

I really do want to blog about my trip to the Abraham-Hicks workshop. And yet, I’m finding there isn’t anything I am burning to blog about. In fact, I think I’ve returned from my trip less enthusiastic about the Law of Attraction then before I went. Oh wow! I didn’t realize that until I typed it out just now. No wonder I’m not feeling inspired.

The weird thing is…I still believe in the message and I still want to keep learning and growing in it. In fact, I want to be enthusiastic about it. It’s even more than that. I want to say only positive and pretty things about it and my experience because I want to share with you the power of the message.

Photos from my trip

But, the truth is…it’s not all positive and pretty. In fact, I think a big part of my less-than-enthusiastic attitude right now is because on my way back from the conference I received a message from a Facebook friend warning me that Abraham-Hicks is a scam. I know this person is looking out for my best interest…and it still knocked me out of balance.

Actually I’m surprised at how easy it was for me to pull back. It’s like I was on this journey of opening and expanding awareness and then one email later my head & heart slam shut. Ouch!

At the time, I didn’t know how to end the blog post so instead of publishing it I saved it for later when I wasn’t so entrenched in it. Now that it’s been a few days and I’m in a completely different place. In fact, I’m so grateful for receiving that email warning. Why? Because it showed me what it’s like for me when I get knocked out of my heart and into my head.

You see, through this experience I’ve learned that there are two types of knowing: one in your mind and one in your heart. These two knowings don’t always match up. Right now I’m in a space of my mind catching up to my heart. There are moments when I’m confused, but here’s what I do know…

When I read Abraham’s message it speaks directly to my heart. I feel how it aligns with my Soul. I know in my heart that it’s right for me. I don’t need any proof to believe and I don’t feel the need to prove my belief to anyone else.

Yeah, there are also times when my mind just doesn’t get it. When I feel this strong desire to justify, prove, and defend my process. When I wonder if I’m on the “wrong” path.

But, all of this – the entire process – is all about showing me when I’m in alignment with my Calling, my Soul, and my path. I get to feel my way through it. In retrospect, I see why that email warning felt so yucky. It wasn’t aligned with my knowing.

This morning I went to the coffee shop with The Vortex and read for 45 minutes. I reconnected with Abraham’s message and my own heart knowing. Now I feel impervious to the email warning I received. I see it as the way my Facebook friend honored where she was at in her process – she needed to warn me to stay in alignment with her path. And at the end of the day, it honored me too because now I know more about where I’m at and where I’m headed. It probably isn’t where she wants me to go, but that’s okay.

This is my journey and my heart knows the way.

Everyone benefits when you share:
What does your heart know?

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Today is Simply Fearless Friday! Publish your Simply Fearless story on your blog, leave a direct link in a comment below, and I’ll pop on over and leave you some comment love. Let’s face our fears and grow our courage together!

3 Simple Ways to Feel Better Now

Cassandra Rae — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:12:20 +0000

Lately I’ve been waking up in the morning without the same zest for life that I usually have. It’s very curious. Something is missing and I don’t know what it is.

Here’s what I do know. I know that the lack of happiness means that I’m not fully aligned with my Soul. You see, my Soul has everything I want and it’s my job to align with my Soul so that I can receive my desires. Yeah, easier said than done. But, it’s well worth every ounce of effort because when I am aligned with my Soul that’s when I am in flow with life. That’s when I am joyously present. That’s when people and opportunities show up in perfect timing. That’s when I am in sync with my creative juices. And that’s where I want to be.

Photography soothes my Soul

So today, right now, I wrap myself in loving compassion understanding that this empty feeling is only temporary and that at its core it is a gift to me. How else would I know I’m out of alignment?

I also give myself permission to make taking care of me my top priority today. Yes, I have a ginormous list of things I’d like to accomplish. But, if I plow my way through my to-do list while ignoring how I feel, I know that I will (1) drain my energy, and (2) not receive the results I want. Plus, giving a little to myself now always leads to having more later.

Does all of this freak me out? Heck yes! But, I already feel a little bit better just by writing about it and sharing it with you. Now before I move into the rest of my day, I’m going to invest in 10 minutes of silence. I’m simply going to sit, relax, and open up to receive any guidance from my Soul.

Everyone benefits when you share:
What do you do when you feel empty?

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Today is Simply Fearless Friday! What simple act of courage have you taken this week? Share your Simply Fearless Friday story on your blog. Then come back here and leave a link directly to your blog post so that we can go check it out. Let’s face our fears and grow our courage together! If you participate, then I promise to leave a comment on your Simply Fearless Friday blog posts and you know how cool comments are :~)

What do you do when doubt comes up for you?

Cassandra Rae — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:36:13 +0000

Over the past few weeks a lot of doubt has surfaced for me. There’s been moments when I wonder what I’m doing and why. I’ve questioned my Calling, my business, and even my motivations.

It hasn’t been fun. And for the most part, I’ve been pushing against the feelings not wanting to feel them. Until yesterday when I met with my coach.

She asked me a question and the thin veil that was holding the emotions back was instantly swept aside by a river of tears. This time I simply let them flow. I felt them come up and instead of trying to hide them, hold them back, or cover them up I just let them follow their own course.

As the emotion was flowing through me, I described how I felt and shared the thoughts running through my mind without judging and filtering them. With my coach’s support I reconnected with a part of me that feels undeserving of the time, energy, and money to follow my Calling and develop my business. She feels like she must prove herself, her worth, and why it’s okay for her to be alive. Yup, she’s even trying to justify her own existence.

You know, this process was heart wrenching and I certainly didn’t want to go through it. But, now that I have, I feel so much better and lighter. Simply by acknowledging her and how she felt, I’ve already begun to move past the doubt and confusion. In fact, I went on to lead one of my best group coaching sessions ever.

I’m so grateful for reconnecting with this part of me because I know that in order to move towards the success I desire I must embrace, accept, and love her. If I don’t, then there will always be a part of me trying to prove myself to my current and future clients. Yeah, that doesn’t serve anyone.

In fact, trying to prove yourself keeps you disconnected and unavailable to experience the beauty of the moment. It’s so much more powerful to simply show up, just as you are, and share your wisdom, talents, and experience. When you do, everyone benefits.

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Today is Simply Fearless Friday! Blog about one thing you’ve done this past week that’s stretched your comfort zone and then come back here to share the link directly to your blog post. Facing your fears is an absolute must when you are building the business of your dreams. But, you do not have to go it alone. Share the link directly to your blog post in a comment below and I promise to swing on by, check it out, and leave you a comment. Let’s be Simply Fearless together!

From Fear to Fun

Coach Bahieh — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:02:20 +0000

This is our first Simply Fearless Friday guest post by Coach Bahieh of Spread the Joy. We met via Twitter and she is fearless! Check her out…

As I spoke to our favourite Coach Cassandra Rae on the phone a couple days – on a surprise and totally out-of-the-blue phonecall – I was reminded once again of how fun and energizing fearlessness can be !!

Mind you, fearlessness is no stranger to me. It’s just that it keeps amazing me over and over with its many faces.

A late-night phonecall

I could for instance tell you the story leading to that phonecall to Coach Cassandra. You see, I was up late that night and checking her website where I found out she had been feeling a bit down. It took me only an instant to realize that her phone number was displayed right there and it would be so much fun to just give her a call to check on her!

So I gathered my late-night courage and dialed the number to call someone I’d only been communicating via twitter untill now! You can imagine there was some fear there. Not enough to stop me though! And in the end the phonecall was totally worth it and empowering. Let’s see who I’ll be calling next…

I could also tell you the story of how I started my training in life coaching back in february 2009…

And a trip to California

Back in february 2009 I was going through an extremely challenging and transformative time. In december of 2008 I had decided to pack my stuff and take a break from the nasty European winter to go enjoy the warm rays of the California sun.

Having recently finished an 8 year training in psychology I had looked for a job for months on end with little result. To tell you the truth I wasn’t even sure I wanted a job in psychology anymore. My health, my personal life and my sanity were also very shaky.

I was deeply confused and in California to find something that would give me Meaning and Aliveness again!

What happened is I finally decided to trust my intuition and gave myself permission to make as many mistakes as it took to get where I wanted. Luckily it didn’t take long (though it actually felt veeeeeeeeeeeery long) till I found a fabulous life coach and with it, a recommendation for a great life coaching training.

Here my friend, is where fearlessness comes in !

After what seemed like another eternity I decided to gather up my courage and sign up for the training. It felt like the biggest leap of faith ever … and that’s because I somehow knew something big was going to happen for me. It seemed like I was finally getting somewhere. Whew.

Fast forward to the night before the training started. I hardly slept. I was up for hours, nervous and tense, fighting my demons and loosing my sanity even more than I already had. Nothing helped. I just lay there exhausted and shaky waiting for sleep to come.

With the distance of hindsight I can say all the confusion and insomnia was totally worth it. I was just committed to push through and get what I had signed up for. Not once did I regret my decision to pursue the training.

And stepping into my own fearlessness made it so powerful and liberating !

And the story goes on

What I discovered and keep discovering through these stories of fearlessness is that it has so many faces. Fearlessness can be fun ! It can be energizing ! It can be powerful ! Or liberating ! Even life changing.

Each fearless act reveals a bit more of the fantastic woman that you already are. There is truly no better gift you can give yourself than doing one fearless act a day !

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