[Tracy Cash]

Hello, Everyone. I’m sorry I missed the first live call. I live in Utah and am returning from the NC Leadership course. I’ve been attracted to EBI’s offerings as I look for a structure and guidelines for sharing these connection experiences with others.

Spending time alone in nature is the best facilitator for me. I’ve come away from hikes, bike rides, rock climbing, time on the water, etc. with creativity, insight, new solutions to problems, and a sense of calmness and confidence that I don’t find in many other activities.

I’ve also noticed that I don’t go to those same depths when I’m with others, or when others are attempting to facilitate these experiences for me. I’ve realized that I really need the lack of distraction and expectation to go where I need to go within myself and come back shifted.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’ve skimmed them and found myself in some of them. I’m noticing that I don’t want to get too much into my head right now, so reading at length and sharing a ton is not what I’ll be doing. I’ll be on every call that I can make it to. See you there.

[Tracy Cash]

I’m enjoying reading everyone’s comments. Sheri, I can relate to the avoidance. When thinking about each part being an individual with it’s own light and dark shadow, and having many parts, I feel heavy and overwhelmed about the idea of exploring each to understand them. It also feel really vulnerable to have those conversations – even with my coach. There is a lot of emotion and I don’t stay with it very long. I’m sure I will in time as I see the value. I can also understand expecting the Child to have a particular view and finding a different one. I’ve notice a less loaded package there for myself than I anticipated.

Tamara! Amazing new parts that you discovered! As Michael listed some examples, I realized that some of my email and other titles speak to parts within me like the Nature Lover and Mountain Spirit. I hope to find others as fun as you Tree Spirit and Native Elder. It reminds me of Shamanic and other work that I did years ago and miss. This course is a way to try to get back to some of those connections.

Lisa, I too have missed joining the class. I’ve been there all weeks but one, but not on time. I have been working at the start time and rushing home to join ASAP. I’m happy that I’m not working the next two sessions and can join in the check in with everyone.

[Tracy Cash]

I’m catching up from the last two classes and reviewed the first 20 minutes or so of session 3. I appreciated more discussion about baseline. I think about baseline as homeostasis, but I’m not sure this is an accurate perception. Homeostasis is whatever our normal pattern is, whether it’s beneficial or harmful. We move away from homeostasis for periods and always drift back, but we can change our homeostasis to a new setting. My question about baseline is, if it’s like or the same as homeostasis, then are we looking to change baseline when we are working toward a goal? And, as leaders, are we then supporting a change to a new setting or level of homeostasis when we are supporting a goal?

Sadly, I have had lots of disruptions and distractions that have kept me from practicing any of these tools regularly. I do take moments to tune into baseline and Vision Council (mine and others), and then those moments pass. I’m working with a coach some on the 7 Stairs and partswork.

When Looking at my notes, and the comments of others, I think about Programming from the perspective of Jack Canfield’s work and the law of attraction. I like the idea of paying attention to the feeling, images and words that go along with, and inform, the intention itself. I’d like to work with this more. I also like that the discussion question asks how partswork is involved with intention. So much to work with!

I’m clear after reviewing a bit about concentric rings, that my baseline has been quite disrupted over the past couple of weeks after a family member landed in the hospital with a new serious diagnosis and then traveling for several days for a vacation. I took space during that vacation in Ouray, CO to tune into baseline and check in with Vision Council. When I’ve attempted to converse with VC and “wander” with VC, I find that I’m not sure what to say. I’ve started with Michael’s questions of “How am I doing (in this area or that)” but then notice that I don’t really want to got to those places (work, relationship, etc.). I spend so much time thinking about and dreaming into those areas, that I don’t trust anything that might come from VC (that it’s not coming from VC). So, there’s the doubt. As I write and consider that part of the video I just watched, maybe these areas are facing great change. Michael said that where there is great change, there is big doubt. More to ponder….

[Tracy Cash]

I’d like to introduce myself since I missed the first 30 minutes of our first session. I’m Tracy Cash and live in SLC, UT. I’m a Social Worker, Reiki Master Teacher, and new STOTT Pilates instructor. I’ve been wanting to integrate my training and passions into some new offerings.

I’ve been an entrepreneur teaching Reiki (with a blend of my SW training) for over 10 years now while still working part-time as a medical social worker. I also have an interest in fitness/health/nutrition. I’d like to combine the SW, spirituality, and physical wellness into holistic fitness classes, self-discovery outings with hiking/biking/climbing, and retreats. I’ve facilitated a few coaching sessions that incorporated some of what I want to do, but have felt a need for some direction.

I’m interested in how Outdoor Education and Wilderness Therapy can help with my goals, but it hasn’t felt right to pursue either of these now. I came across EBI’s certification program and felt it would provide the direction and structure for guiding clients that I was looking for. However, I’ve just completed a personal fitness training certificate and the STOTT Pilates instructor training. I also just got married! It’s been a busy year and I’m not yet ready to pay for another certification program. My brain and calendar also need a different focus for awhile. I was excited to see this course pop up as more affordable in both time and money for me right now.

It was fun listening to everyone’s introductions on the recording. I have something in common with several of you. I look forward to getting to know each of you as we move forward. I hope to have my camera working in the next week or two.

[Tracy Cash]

I’m feeling inspired as I read everyone’s comments. I didn’t notice email notifications of your posts this time, so I was surprised to find so many. I really enjoyed the exercises from the last session. I started my timeline in the present and included specific events. As I continued farther into the past, I began to recognize that “lakes” can happen within each area of life rather than as a stopping point in general. Each relationship has been a lake, each course or certification/education program, each job, each home, etc. I liked hearing about and practicing the “pull” in a different way than I’ve used it in past. I’ve been working with that some this week in small ways as I’ve been contemplating decisions. I spent some inspired time identifying parts after having an expanded conversation about what they are/can be. I like the idea that Vision is “right now.” It’s all happening right now, it’s in process, rather than being something that I’m always moving toward.

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed that the things I was really interested in at a young age are now things that I’m stepping into. I see this as an element of Vision. It has always been meant to be. It’s also what excites me and inspires me. I typically find it difficult to articulate and articulate succinctly. The vision I’ve held for so long involves personally connecting with Nature and Soul regularly and living with meaning, purpose and joy and the things that do that for me. Professionally, it’s a wellness center that includes tools and experiences for empowerment, inspiration and growth. Living happy and healthy to do, be and have what we want in life. I feel like I’m still moving in that direction with a variety of experiences that life has to offer.

[Tracy Cash]

Tamara, I can relate to much of what you said. And you told your story well. After “taking it to the bottom of the stairs,” I’m just left with a bunch of statements and some of them don’t make sense.

Ash, I love your awareness too of how things changed for you and how you’re coming back to reconnect with the original passion.

I’ll have to take more time with what I received. I’m super tired and I somehow missed a large portion of the past two weeks. I can’t believe we call in again tomorrow! It was nice, however, to see how I am currently aligned with vision when so often I feel so far away from it. So much of my daily routine is in alignment and it just seems normal or mundane to me. That’s encouraging. An attitude or belief for me to change is to believe in myself fully. It seems that I may be holding a past-tense view of myself when I have gained so much more awareness, consciousness and skills since I started my work. It’s very challenging for me to hold onto myself, stay connected with my truth, in my most vulnerable relationships. This is a behavior to change that will help me stand strong in the face of disbelievers and critics as I move forward. I’m encouraged to “speak my vision” as I talk to people about my work. It has been challenging to know what words to use, but I’m aware that it’s the values and the things I’m passionate about that I’m to now speak. That’s a change in my “marketing” strategy. And I’m guided to meditate more. Of course, this makes sense.

[Tracy Cash]

I love several things you said, Taylor. I’m excited to hear you say that you have an energy management routine. While not a new concept for me, I was introduced to the term in class a couple of weeks ago. It’s so important and I’m always working to find a good balance to keep me alert, energized and focused on the things I value most. I also love the idea that in meditation, you soul tells you what to do to be aligned and you follow that. I may try this in more conscious and deliberate way. Again, different language is helping me see this in a new way. I too am excited to reconnect with nature without heading to the mountains or a park. I used to sit outside regularly. I remember connecting with the wind and the tree in my front yard during a healing process at the time. I miss that and look forward to implementing the morning sit spot practice for this.

For me, Soul-Directed for me is listening to, acknowledging and following the inner voice. There is an element of trust here that is crucial and one of the most difficult for myself and my clients. I’m excited to practice new ways of doing this.

I’m going to have to think more about Nature-Connected. I’ve always been a Nature Girl, but it’s also easy for me to get swept away by daily responsibilities. I stay connected through observing the sky and mountains, temperature, scent of the air, amount of sunlight, etc. everyday, but there is more here for me that I can implement to gain more fulfillment. I’m excited to dive into these practices.

[Tracy Cash]

I really loved the suggestion that I can use the 8 Indicators to assess where my clients are in the process. As I listened to the description of each, I recognized some of them in the clients who have completed training programs with me. It’s a great barometer. I was simultaneously thinking about where I am and which areas I want to enhance. I loved the suggestion that the expectation for improvement can be just a few points on the scale rather than as close to the highest mark as possible. That was a good reminder for me. I’ve started mulling over how this might be used in my work. Of course, a before and after snapshot can be useful. Perhaps more useful than my pre- and post- class questionnaires. I prefer clients to see their own changes, and this visual one is very impactful. I can see myself creating versions of this based on the work I’m doing. I may play around with it that way.