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Happy New Year – with Umph! January 10, 2011

Filed under: coaching,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 3:36 pm
Tags: Enjoy, freedom of creation, gilla läget, Happy New Year, Intention, sjung för fulla muggar, stake

Happy New Year.

That was the status update on facebook that I powered to make after a very long day, and a fun celebration in the evening counting in the new year with a dear old friend and many new.

But really – Happy New Year! [UMPF!] With other words: to read with power, energy and excitement. I can’t wait for 2011 to unfold. How about you?

I had a conversation with the gentleman next to me at the New Years eve dinner table about intention for the year. Or statements. For example: his girlfriends statement was was “Enjoy” in 2010. His was “Gilla läget” – e.g. as a consultant, whatever the clients situation was: like the situation. Mine the last two years has been “Freedom of creation”.

Now: what about 2011? For my neighbor, we talked about singing. As a fun part of the evening’s program they had listed a statement per guest and the names separately, so that you could make guesses and figuring out who is who. My neighbor was “the best piano bar player in the room”. Did you sing too? I asked. “No, who would want to listen to me? I am not schooled enough”. The guy had a great authentic and personal voice – that is what people want to hear. Start singing – show you! [Gosh! It’s so easy to push others!]

So the search for 2011 intention/stake for him was around singing. I was looking for an expression – what is it we say…? Sing with full lungs? Sing with your heart. Sing from the belly? There is something else that is an expression with umpf. It didn’t come to me at the time – but this is what we say in Swedish: Sing for full cups! (sjung for fulla muggar!). How come I didn’t remember that one??? It really means sing with full speed, with all the power you have. No holding back.

What is your intention for 2011? What is your stake that you can hold on to, whatever you do? Really. Share it in the comments! Inspire others.

I like my old intention. If I would add a little umpf to it I would say Freedom of creation – with impact. This year – can’t wait for it to unfold. One day at a time.

Happy New Year dear reader!

Johanna

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Love Shower November 19, 2010

Filed under: coaching,Inspiration,Loving Life — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 11:54 am
Tags: acknowledgement, appreciation, birthday, divorce, feedback, lay off, Love, personal contribution, project evaluation, raise to the top, relationship breakup, SOX, team evaluation, team power shower, Validation, wedding

Have you ever gotten a Love Shower? It is a pretty nice experience. I guess you could give it different names. Appreciation Shower. Acknowledgement Shower. You can do it one-on-one, or in group. Privately or publicly. You can do it in different occasions. Situations I have seen it in are:

During a personal growth workshop
At the end of a group project
At birthdays
During a relationship
At a wedding
By the deathbed
During a funeral

It is like the absolute feel good movie Validation (do you remember – did you see it?) – but more focused and concentrated and times 10. Or times 100.

Imagine sitting in a circle with 10 people who you know to a more or less extent. Your task is to sit quietly and receive while looking into the eyes of the person who speaks. The others task is to one by one express what they love and appreciate about you. The strengths they see. How you have contributed. How you impact them. The gifts you have.

It can be extremely powerful. It can be quite surprising. They can call on things you were absolutely not aware of. They can call on things that are totally contradictory to your own inner critic. (Inner gremlins in life coach terms). It can make a positive mark for life that you can forever lean on.

Imagine standing in a circle of 100 students with whom you have participated in a global international conference. Your task is to write on three different pieces of paper a message to three different people, fold it and walk over and give it to them, so that they can bring with them home to their country as a memorable takeaway.

You can make a friend for life. Maybe someone feels like they have a friend for life.

I can give many more examples. Bottom line: you touch people deeply. You make people feel good. Appreciate themselves more. Be more aware of their strengths and their impact.

What if you, or we, do that more often. What if we by doing that shift a “bottom low” situation to “raise to the top”. Maybe leaving on a high.

Bring this ritual to that set of situations:

Relationship breakup
Divorce
Lay-off

What if you would leave something that could be very sad and heavy, with a high head and warm heart, knowing that this past epoch had many valuable memories, made a difference to someone or something and you were part of it. And it is something you can bring with you and do again.

What if the mandatory SOX procedure in HR for all companies was to have a Team Power Shower annually in addition to the occasion of anyone leaving, for any reason.

I think I just came up with another business idea. I know – it sounds a little flower power and out there. But I live in California after all. And why do we do these things? Because we can. And because it has great impact.

Who are you going to give a loving power shower next?

I would like to end with the expression that Tim Nichols at the Hub Soma (where change to to work) uses in the member distributed emails:

Of everyone who read this, I like you the best.

With love,

Johanna

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Diaper Dude November 18, 2010

Filed under: coaching,Entrepreneur — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 2:49 pm
Tags: 5th Anniversary Dreaming Room, Diaper Dude, Happy Birthday, small business start up, start your business, Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, Vikram Lamba

Today is a special day. A special friend of mine is having his birthday. He is very smart, ambitious, intellectual, generous, considerate, respectful, loving and… humoristic. Maybe I should also say practical.

When there is a birthday, or an important occasion happy or sad, he always remembers to deliver an appropriate message. When his best friend had become dad for the first time, he sent a very generous gift: diaper supply for a full year. (That is the story at least what I heard). What he didn’t expect was that up to this date today, whenever a diaper needs to be changed, they think of him.

All marketing is good marketing… no?

I came to think of this story when I read the Toilet Paper Entrepreneurs blog post this morning: Short Entrepreneur Stories: Why Did You Decide To Start Your Business?

Who would imagine creating a movement out of diapers? Check #35 in the blog post or check this Diaper Dude Website out.

I also like what the grandpa of Linda (#5) had said “You go through life planning for the future. Then, one day you realize you’re living your future and there’s no sense in planning any more”. What ever you are planning for – Diaper Dude business, or something else – how about making that shift today? Really. What are you waiting for? What if it was easy?

I have 3 more things to say relating to this:

1) What if you are the one wearing the diapers!? Meaning – you have gotten the gift of starting all over. Draw on your resources, do what you need to do, to find a way to identify and create what really moves you and have a good impact on your environment.

2) Special Opportunity: Spark Your Fire and Fuel the Dream – spend Dec 9-11 in Carlsbad and ignite a lifetime of entrepreneurship with Michael E. Gerber. If you want to attend this, and don’t know how – contact me, and let’s talk.

3) Happy Birthday original “Diaper Dude”, Mr Creator and Deal Maker Vikram Lamba! I know that you have sparked more than one movement so far!

Now to you dear reader: Which movement are you about to create? Or join? Or create value added to?

I am just saying… enjoy the process!

Johanna

Maybe I should add – starting from scratch and creating from nothing can be a huge challenge. I am not undermining that. However – the perspective of “What if it was easy?” can definitely open up to a whole lot of ideas, opportunities and short cuts to making it happen. Just give that perspective a try.

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On a Secret Mission Sent from God… November 13, 2010

Filed under: coaching,Health,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 10:24 am
Tags: Dr Dan, Dr Phil, healing heart, Love, rusty wells, secret mission, Urban Flow

The last nugget from the rocking-out-of-this-world yoga class with Rusty Wells earlier this week was when we were laying on the right side after Savasana (dead mans pose) at the end of the class, instructed to reach high up with our left arm and easily pull down something precious that we for any reason earlier in life had removed from our heart, and bring it back down and put it back in place.

This something precious could be love for someone who had hurt us, or made us insecure or unsure… Maybe this special someone is truly sent on a secret mission from God – (s)he just don’t know it yet, and maybe just need some extra love.

Read this slowly again. And maybe also follow the instructions – reach for something way up, and bring it back to your heart. Think of someone in your life who this would apply to. How could you reach out to him or her, and maybe extend some special care. A touch of love. Let them know they matter.

I know – it can be difficult. But imagine the impact. Imagine the impact of this yoga class let alone. The room was PACKED. It wouldn’t surprise me if we were 150 people in the room. Everyone had given himself or herself the gift of being there – with the result of feeling filled with energy, love and gratitude. Feeling alive and renewed in every cell after a challenging class. Imagine the ripple effect when each and one of them went home and acted on that message. Even if they didn’t, even if they just took the message to heart and found piece with themselves – that will show and rub off.

Coincident or not – I had had a conversation with a friend the day before who shared when he had come home from work after a bad day being in a very bad mood, and his girlfriend had approached him with a big hug expressing how “courageous” she thought he was. Immediately he felt better, and then asked “where did you get that from”? With a guilty expression she had said “Dr. Phil” – and he felt totally cheated. With a smile. Cause it worked!

Rusty Wells ended the class with an invitation to a workshop at the studio tomorrow Sunday November 14 on Bhakti and Transformational Heart-Based Healing, led by Dr Dan. According to Rusty, “better than Dr. Phil”. 😉

Spreading the L<3VE,

Johanna

Are we maybe all on a secret mission sent from God?

And by the way – when we talk about God, it is always God of our own understanding. What ever that is. Even my dear dad, who resigned from church in Sweden, would have had a tear in his eye and resonate with this.

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I AM = AMAZING October 16, 2010

Filed under: coaching,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 8:43 am

“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”
— Peter Straub (Shadowland)

Tom Shadyac, Film Director and inspired High School Students

That quote was referred to in the last answer Hollywood director Tom Shadyac gave the group of high school students who asked “If there is one advise for life that you would give, what would it be?” Do not listen to your surrounding saying you can’t be this or you can’t be that. Ask yourselves: What do you love to do? What do you want to do? What is the theme of your life? Make sure they line up.

I couldn’t more than agree. I am in awe after having been to the SF Premier and pre-screening of Tom Shadyac’s latest award winning documentary “I AM”, presented by the Compathos Foundation at the Hub SoMa last night.

This movie brings up very important questions right now: What is wrong with our world? What will we do about it?

Dalai Lama’s direct answer to the question was: “Critical thinking followed by action. Figure out where your talents will make a change. Focus on that talent that makes your heart sing, because then other people will follow.”

People think “I am within” – but that is not what is happening. What you think, who you are, what you put out there – your whole being, impacts the rest of the world. It’s scientific. “We are not separate. Nothing is separate. There are no separation fundamentally.” Institute of Noetic Sciences

And that my dear friends is becoming more and more obvious. Even at the most subtle levels. Are you feeling it? Are you seeing it?

Mark your calendars for February 2010. As Tom added to a comment in the Q&A afterwards about the need of more humor in the communication of these questions: “Absolutely, we need to walk lightly. The humor hits the gut and we feel it. We get it.” That is true for this movie. Go see it.

Starla Sireno, Founder Fearless Women Entrepreneur Network, Tom Shadyac, Hollywood Blockbuster Film Director, Johanna Nilsson, Founder Herringbone

Film savy person said: “I didn’t like any of your other films but this one. I liked this one.”

My comment would be “I haven’t seen any of your other films – but I LOVED this one!”

Tom Shadyac said “This is different. This is my story.”

And what my (Johanna’s) calling is, is to bring fourth your story. I am sure it is equally powerful, in so many ways.

Johanna Nilsson
Herringbone – Get heard

*Herringbone is a San Francisco/Stockholm based company that provides coaching and social media consulting for clients who want to make their voices heard and create a profound impact in this world. The long-term vision for the company includes a social media based platform that will enable and capture historical journeys of change worldwide.

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Strong + Independent = Intimidating ? October 15, 2010

Filed under: coaching,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 9:22 am
Tags: Ainbusk Singers, älska mig, Björn Andersson, complementary personalities, initmidating, love me, playing small, strong and independent gals

OK – I realize that I have a few loose ends hanging now from previous posts, stay tuned – I will follow up on those too. If I could, I would write full time, given the amount of content processing in my head… So to the subject of today:

At the last two events I have been to, I have heard the similar message coming out of the blue – and yesterday I got curious to hear what other people would say, so I posted the following on twitter and facebook:

Guy friend stated that guys are intimidated by gals who are strong and independent. Would you agree?

8 tweets and 14 comments later – this is what I got:

Yes: 3 (2 twitter/1 facebook)

No: 1 (1 twitter)

Only weak guys: 4 (1 twitter/3 facebook)

Depends: 1 (facebook)

The answer “depends” stated something worth thinking about for many “strong and independent” gals:

It depends what you are strong against and who you are independent from. Relationships are about a kind of complementarity and sometimes you need to help the other see where you would like him to fit in your life. But for that, you need to make room first 🙂

Now, my comment to that is: room might actually be made – but it also needs to be communicated in a way so that it is understood and felt prioritized.

I can give you a clear example from my very first relationship back in the days. I was then, probably like now ;O, involved in a dozen of different things – there was school, dance, the competitive choir, the student association project 1, the student association project 2…, my family, grandma, the personal development course, friends, and ALL other time was free available and unscheduled for me and my boyfriend. In my mind. He didn’t quite see that.

Hopefully I have learnt my lesson, but the fact that someone who barely knows me now points out just that, makes me wonder. OR it is just a very common phenomenon.

To go back to the original question – I do believe that some guys may be intimidated by perceived strong and independent gals. Also looks. And in those cases I think a big mistake is done. I know that we have all strong and weak sides. What if we perfectly complement each other!? What if we all cherish, love and appreciate our – and others – strong sides, while being aware and allow for exploring, strengthening, playing with the weak…

I don’t know about you all – but I am starting to get tired to play small in many situations. And the more I speak to people, listen to people, coach people, and see the gems that are there inside… gotta bring it out guys and gals. Focus on the good stuff. In all occasions. Each and one of us have a gift. Complementing someone else.

So Eva – you asked the question what I think. That’s it.

I’d like to share this song with you all. Read or sing it also as a message from and to yourselves. It’s called “Love me”, music written by Benny Andersson from ABBA – the next version below has the English subtitles – I just couldn’t resist this one. For a few reasons… till the end.

Here is the song with English subtitles.

And… this is the last input I got on facebook – thanks Lior – let’s join the song! 🙂 What is there to be afraid of anyway?

Peace out ;),

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I met Yoda! October 1, 2010

Filed under: coaching,Entrepreneur,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 4:43 pm
Tags: caoching, dreaming room, johanna nilson, Michael E Gerber, yoda

Help you I can, yes. -- Yoda

I met Yoda! At which Starbucks is that possible, if not the one in Presidio Park by Lucas Film Institute.

The fact is – I actually had to ask which movie he was in. Yes I know – it’s chocking. I haven’t seen Star Wars. I tried to – a video night in Geneva, with a French voice over. We all fell asleep.

My partner in crime initially and predecessor in my current role when working with Michael E. Gerber on his social media, Cindy Lin, believes that Michael is like Yoda.

I wouldn’t know. But I know Michael, and I am about to meet him next week to participate in his Origination Dreaming Room Facilitator Certification Program. The program I am promoting. The program that provide a place where entrepreneurs and future entrepreneurs come to discover how to make their dreams a reality.

One of his statements are: Create an impact that will blow your clients mind away. #Origination Dreaming Room Facilitators!

If you would do just that – what would you do? What would it take to create that extra impact? I am ready to have my mind blown away.

May the forces be with you (#quote Yoda;),

Johanna

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Laser Focus September 28, 2010

Filed under: coaching,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 9:52 am
Tags: achievement, Berlin Marathon, inspire, Johanna Nilsson, laser focus, life coaching, San Francisco, Sweden, what walks around comes around

What walks around comes around. I love when what you put out there bounce back at you. It sort of hits home in a different way.

Berlin Marathon - Michael (right) is crossing the finish line

In a coaching session today with one of my clients from Sweden, Michael, he shares his experience completing the Berlin Marathon this passed weekend. He was running in a steady pace, with a smile on his face, and as he got into a more heavy passage, one of my tweets (!) came to his mind: “Laser Focus!” A tweet! That one tweet kept his focus on the finish line, which he passed at 4 hours and 16 minutes.

Congratulations Michael! Thanks for the permission to share your story and celebrate your achievement!

Now – I know what I will put my laser focus on today. How about you? What is it that you would love to get done, and believe that you might not be able to? What is it that is urgent and important for you to get out of the way? What is it that is non-urgent but very important that you just haven’t had time to tackle? What if you actually could do it all, if you just gave it a little bit of extra special attention.

One more principle that could help on the way: good for now. It doesn’t need to be perfect. As long as it is good enough – that is what matters.

Go do it – and share it with others. You don’t know what you can inspire them to do. Just the possibility of it makes it worth it.

Celebration, with love,

Johanna

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In To Me See September 12, 2010

Filed under: coaching,Health — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 11:33 pm
Tags: 7 Levels of intimacy, coaching, in to me se, intimacy, the four agreements

I came across a facebook update by Brad who wrote:

Loving revisiting The Four Agreements book by Don Miguel Ruiz…

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions.
4. Always Do Your Best.

One of the 20 following comments was: “I had a junior high teacher say to me…“when you ASSUME you make an ASS out of U and ME…” I never forgot it and I am always very aware. Try the phrase, see if it works for you.”

That is such a good phrase, because it is so true. Another one that I find very telling is the meaning of INTIMACY – IN TO ME SEE. That is the spiritual level rather than physical. One resource on that topic is 7 Levels of Intimacy, by Matthew Kelly. Here is an “easy read” 😉

For a deep, connected, peaceful and loving life,

Johanna

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9/11. A New Beginning. September 11, 2010

Filed under: coaching,Entrepreneur,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 9:17 pm
Tags: 9/11, A new beginning, Ganesh, Happy Birthday, Urban Flow, Urban Flow Yoga

9/11/2001. I was in the air, one hour from landing in New York, when we suddenly turned around due to a message saying, “No airplanes are allowed to enter US air space”. Needless to say, it was turbulent times that followed.

After three days on the Irish west coast I arrive in San Diego via Atlanta. Viveca, the president of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce greets me at the airport and smiles: “Welcome Johanna, people stay here”.

I was supposed to stay four months – maximum nine. Today it is nine years.

This morning at 5:46 – 7:28 a.m., Urban Flow Yoga opened up their doors for a Meditation on Universal Peace in conjunction of 9/11 and Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganesha’s Birthday).

Ganesh is the elephant-headed diety of India, known for his ability to remove obstacles and bring success to new endeavors.

Whenever you have wishes or issues you can express that to Ganesh, with his fan-like ears, he hears everything you are expressing.

Towards the end of the meditation we were guided to meditate on what we wanted more of in our lives. “If something doesn’t work in your life – it may be time to let it go. Make room for new. Ganesh hears you – if it was your birthday today, what would you wish for?”

We sang a Ganesh mantra. Per Himalayan Academy one may always use it before beginning a journey, a new course in school, new career or job, or before entering into any new contract or business so that impediments are removed and your endeavor may be crowned with success.

Urban Flow shared this slightly modern version later today on facebook:

We ended by singing “the most ancient mantra there is” to celebrate this day:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Rusty Wells and Urban Flow – you always bring a smile to my face.

To a new beginning,

Johanna

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