Here we are at one of the most “magical” times of year in the Northern Hemisphere. The time in the ancient times that was called “The Harvest Time” or “Samhain” (which means summer’s end in Celtic) In the modern time that we live, it is “Halloween” time which gradually leads us into “Thanksgiving” in the United States.

Based on ancient beliefs, it is the time where all the people gathered their harvest of food and danced around the bon fires up on hills, in celebration and thanksgiving for all that they had reaped that year. The fire was significant because it was thought that the people could burn their miseries from the precious year in the fire to transcend their pain.

They also felt it was the time where the veil between the Earthly Realm and the Spirit Realm was the ‘thinnest’ and that their ‘deceased’ ancestors could come to visit in their ’spirit forms’. So, they baked cakes and sweets and left them out for their ancestors who have passed to the “other side of the veil.” On the last days of the Harvest, they would put the treats outside at their door steps to put the spirits in a good mood, so they would not be mischievous and scare everyone, when they came to visit. That is where the “trick or treat” concept came from.

Just as in the ancient times, it is in modern times, where it is the time of year when the weather begins to change, the nights get darker sooner, and people spend more time inside, because winter is approaching.

This a powerful time to reflect on all that you have reaped this past year, which you can call your Harvest. It is a great time of year to start your real focus on your ‘attitude of gratitude.’ It is also a time to evaluate all that no longer serves you, like certain relationships, attitudes and behaviors. After evaluating them, decide which ones need to be released and let them go.

Yes, change is in the AIR…so it is a great time for SHIFT in your personal and professional life. It is the perfect time to evaluate both aspects of your life.

Here is an exercise in the Spirit of Halloween and the Harvest to create ShIFt Soulyoutions TM in your life:

1. Write down all that you are thankful for that happened in your life this year.

2. Write down all that no longer serves you: attitudes, behaviors, relationships…getting rid of clutter at this time is always good too!

3. Create a fire in a fireplace, fire pit, a grill, or a clay pot outside and on Halloween, burn the list and release it with an “Attitude of Gratitude” in your heart.

Then…watch the “magic” happen in your life! I have recommended this Halloween Ritual to many and I have received reports of miracles happening, as a result.

You will experience great SHIFTS!

Happy Harvest, Halloween and Samhain,

Christina Carpentier

Master ShIFt Coach

Specializing in Career ShIFts

www.shiftcoach.com

I was at a Harvest Festival this weekend where people had booths selling their products and services. I am one who is an observer. I am very keen on noticing the energy of a person and certainly watching how I respond to them. I also am equally observant on how people respond to me.

I was “pulled in” to a booth situation where the person who was “selling” started just rambling off at me and spewing all of her product information on me. She did not ask one thing about me! She just started talking and showing her product in a very FORCEFUL and AUTHORITATIVE way, knowing nothing about who I am and what I do.
When this happened, I was very observant in how I responded. I felt my self getting annoyed and overwhelmed and I felt she was pushing too hard. So, when that happened, I told her I had something to go “see” and that maybe I would come back later. Well, I could not go back. She had annoyed me so much, that I wanted to “stay away” as far as I could.

So, is that selling? Is that serving? Or is it just bad salesmanship (salespersonship, because it was a woman)? I think it more repelling than selling!

All I can say, is it did not work for me. While she had a fascinating product that I was very interested in, her approach and the way she handled me, repelled me from her and her product. She lost a potential sale from me and probably many sales, because when I buy something that I think is great, I spread the word on it.

I am sharing this with you because I feel this type of “selling approach” or “repelling approach” happens all the time. It was an approach that is not about “serving” anyone but the person who is pushing their product. But, does it really serve that person who is pushing? I don’t think it does. The main reason that it is not serving the one doing the pushing is, IF that person lost me, I am certain she lost others. Many sales were lost!

All it would take is a little shIFT in her demeanor and approach. Here are 3 ShIFt Soulyoutions TM or suggestions that I have as a shIFt coach, to help people change the way they sell themselves, their products and/or their services when at an event where they have a booth.

3 ShIFt Soulyoutions TM in Selling yourself, product/or service:

1. Ask a person how they are when they come to your booth. Smile and be sincere. People can feel it when you are not as interested in them, as you are in pushing your product on them.

2. Don’t spew all of your info on them right away. Let them look at your product or service by picking up the product or brochure. Let them show an interest and come to you with questions before you start “spewing” on them.

3. Allow your potential customer to breathe when they are in your booth space. Do not hover over them. Say, “if you have any questions, I would love to share my knowledge or any information you may need. Then allow them to demonstrate their interest and when they do, try not to push too hard. Be gentle with your approach and slow down! If they are interested, they will show they are interested.

I was really drawn to the products the woman was selling, but I could not go back. I am someone who only rewards “professional selling techniques”. I am not one who tolerates poor selling skills.

Selling is really all about serving. Taking enough care to notice, observe and be kind to your “potential” customer.

The golden rule fits very well in this circumstance: “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.”

So, IF you find yourself pushing too hard when you are attempting to sell something, shIFt those techniques, because they will not serve you and they will not serve your customer.

All the best in your shIFts in selling to serving! IF you make these shIFts, chances are you will be much more successful in your career when selling yourself, your products and/or service!

Christina Carpentier

Master ShIFt Coach

Specializing in Career ShIFts

www.shiftcoach.com

I was at a women’s meeting a few days ago. One of the ladies had lost her job and was wondering what to do next. There was a discussion that came up about how she may want to go into business for herself, but that she had an aversion to “selling and marketing.”

I have heard this type of conversation many times over the past several months. It seems that people who either want to shIFt their careers or are forced into a drastic career change,  by losing their job, get stuck. They are “knee deep in shift” TM when they think about doing something differently in their careers, that would require that they would have to “sell or market” themselves, their products or services.

Here are 3 career changing tips when it comes to overcoming blocks in “selling or marketing” anything.

1. IF you shIFt from a place of being blocked or fearful to a place of “I have something neat that I would like to share with the world…” then you will have a more empowered energy and based on the “law of attraction”, you will be attracting more or what you want vs. what you don’t want.

2. Look at shIFting and coming from your heART when thinking about “selling” or “sharing” you, your prodcuct or service. Think about WHO can I help or serve with my heART? I have the word ART emphasized within the HEART word, because we all have an ART we were born with. A gift that when we use this ART with our HEART, people will be drawn to us to experience our gift that we were born to bring to the world.  

3. Many need to shIFt their perspective when it comes to collecting the money for sharing their ART with HEART. They feel guilty for charging money for their products or services that they have to share (sell). IF you shIFt your perspective on money by just looking at it as an ENERGY exchange, receiving the money may be easier. You could view the money as a gift of ENERGY in return, for sharing your ART with HEART and having the brilliance, wisdom and courage to do that. Someone appreciates you for doing that, so they are giving you their energy in the form of money to say… “I like what you are sharing (selling) and I appreciate it.”

The way you think, definitely can impact your action or inaction in any career changing efforts. IF you shIFt and try on these ideas, you may experience some wonderful flow of money come to you after you share or sell with heART.

May your heART be blessed on your career changing journey.

Christina Carpentier

Master ShIFt Coach

Specializing in Career ShIFts

www.shiftcoach.com  

“No one else can tell you what your life’s work is, but it’s important that  you find it. There is a part of you that knows. Affirm that part!”
                                                       ~ Willis Harman

When we struggle in our careers or hate our jobs it is usually because our soul is unsettled with what we are doing in our work. I call this time the “Revolution into the evolution of you…in your career.”TM

So, when you are starting to ask yourself the question: What is my life’s work? That is a time for acknowledging and recognizing that your soul is awakening you to understand that it is time to make a change in your career. I have been there, so I remember well, this “soul awakening” that I am referring to. It can be very painful.

So, what is YOUR life’s work? Do you know? Lots of people say they cannot figure it out.

So, I will coach you with some questions that may help you figure it out, in order to guide you to make shIFts in your career change, sooner rather than later?

1. What activities do you do or particpate in that make your soul sing?

2. What would you love to do, where you would be jazzed getting up in the morning every single day and be willing to even do it for free, because you have such joy in your heart when you do it?

3. What do people tell you that you are really good at?

4. What comes naturally to you, when you do it, that it feels more like playing than working?

5. What are hobbies that you like doing or that you wish you had more time to do?

The answers to these questions are a start on your path to figuring out your life’s work. They are also what I call ShIFt Soulyoutions TM. Like the quote above says…AFFIRM THAT PART within you.

That is the first step to making a career change that fulfills your soul.

So, what IF you starting doing some of those things? What IF you could shIFt from a place of misery to a place of joy by changing your career by following your soul’s guidance to creating your life’s work?

IF you do what you love, the money will follow. It may take some time, some planning and some effort, but it will all be worth it, IF you shIFt from pain to joy, as you make your career change.

Take action, affirm your life’s work! That will create a huge gIFt in your shIFt. It is your birthright!

Blessings in your shIFts,

Christina Carpentier

Master ShIFt Coach

Specializing in Career ShIFts

www.shiftcoach.com

Many people have this fantasy that when they do a “career change” and leave their career as an employee, that they can go off and start their own business, as a “new career.” But the big road block tends to happen, when they absolutely have huge issues with what they think as the Bad “S” word… SELLING. Then they soon get “knee deep in shIFt” in their career and business, because they do not want to have to “sell” anything.

We all have had some bad experiences with people who, maybe, were trying to sell us products or services and that we do not want to “be like” in the selling process. Some people think that all sales people are all like THOSE SALES PEOPLE. C’mon that is a huge generalization, isn’t it?

It is critically important to understand, that IF you are going to be successful in your career change or shift into owning your own business, as an entrepreneur, that you are going to have to sell yourself, sell your products or your services at some point. That is the ONLY way to make your business thrive.

So, you are going to have to get OVER this “selling” issue.

One way I have coached entrepreneurs in overcoming their issues with ”selling”, is to SHIFT from that “S” word to 2 possible others…”Sharing and Serving”. Instead of selling, you can reframe your perspective to  “sharing your passion” of something that you can do to serve humanity in some way, that ONLY YOU can do! Try that on for awhile and see IF you can create a shIFt with that perspective!

Lastly, do your best not to compare yourself with others and instead of having “judgment” about THOSE PEOPLE who turned you off of “selling” try to be thankful to them for being great examples of how you do not want to “sell”. Whether it was their intention or not, they still “served” you by teaching you that lesson!

Enjoy sharing and serving! Let’s see if that can cause a big change in your career shift.

Blessings on your shIFt,

Christina Carpentier

Master ShIFt Coach

Specializing in Career ShIFts

www.shiftcoach.com