Last Wednesday, having a bite to eat with Shauna Harper and Susan Kelly Easton, both former chapter directors with Enterprising Moms (now a part of Entrepreneurial Moms International), one of the things we discussed was how some of the card decks that I carry in my store are becoming a part of the mainstream corporate world. The card decks and affirmation work I am talking about is the work of Louise Hay. She was a pioneer in using affirmations for not only the improvement of self esteem, but also for healing the body, and in more recently, with her fight with cancer. I pointed out to them that her work has been around since at least the eighties, and really peaked in the nineties.  While, I know that her work has been around that long, but the use of these tools would have seemed “not corporate” not too long ago, and may I say, a little “woo woo.”   Using oracle decks, for more than just divination has now long been established as a reasonable use of a deck.  The decks feature great art, the write ups in the booklets or books included are quite informative, and the use of these in team building is very light and great way to break the ice in a non-threatening way, by highlighting the power of words as affirmations.  It started with Louise Hay’s work, and goes on with others now.

Why?

Because with some of the refinements of more recent times, affirmations work. In fact, Shauna developed affirmation magnets with her company Colour The Universe Inc., and learned a whole lot about attraction, channeling her creativity into the ability to  make a product and make good money doing it. Susan Kelly Easton still runs her business Competitive Edge Career Services, and now has been scooped up by Fortis BC locally as a regional human resources manager. Still, what we are talking about are ordinary people who are and have used affirmations in both connecting to people who can build their businesses, and themselves.

In my work, affirmations, or your self talk in a positive way, has been helping me transition my knowledge and experience of healing and magick into building this business. There are a lot of things I can do, but the truth is, if I have a low confidence day in my business, I not only have fewer customers, I also have a harder time undoing it. I know full well when I do a reiki session with someone, there is a healing result. (I feel it and they usually tell me.) I know how to use the money manifestation box in the store to get work done, but I can do money magick till the cows come home and undo all of it with a lack of confidence, which can create inertia, which is a physics term for inaction.

I once talked to a card reader years ago who set up an office with no business plan. She followed what her intuition told her. (For what it is worth, she had a plan, but it was in her mind. She also introduced me to feng shui and what its general teachings are, and I actually use it still.) And that works if you have experience and skills. Truth is that most of us are good at doing the services, but there is a whole new level involved in running it as a business. There was a tried and true method of ‘going pro’. But, as time has gone for me, and other aspects of the business are challenging me in ways that I need to grow.  So, while I do my manifestation work with my spell candles, I get cracking on learning more about business, and what I can do to make this work. I can serve you better if I can learn to bridge the so called divide. What I am finding though is that the divide is not that big, and manifesting a dream takes planning, skill, experience and knowledge. (Thanks ladies for inspiring me with your work on Enterprising Moms Network.)

People perform better when they are valued and validated. Human Resources people like Susan know that. And both of them know that clarity makes visability and change happen. So, are you of the belief that there is no connection between mundane and spiritual ideas, or is it just psychology in action? Because at the time Louise Hay was doing her practial work with affirmations, there was not yet a lot of experience to back up the idea that belief affects performance, except maybe in something like sports. And if real change is what you want, you may need to start with what you tell yourself. Today Louise Hay’s cards are being used in “team building” and other corporate offices to set a stage for developing a positive work environment, but in the terms I use, team building is creating an positive group egrore or group energy field and that raises their collective vibrations, which attracts business and customers. So, are we finally seeing the wisdom in acknowledging that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, even in our worklives? Finally? Great. So shifting in 2012 should be that much easier.

Nameste.