Empower Your 2024!
On January 11, 2024, the women of the Women’s Network Portugal gathered at the Magnolia Hotel in the Algarve to start the New Year with intention and empowered with knowledge, information, and community.
Spearheaded by Kamila Sitwell and Sharon Farrell, the session included three speakers. Claire Marie Boggiano and Jo James and Alicia M. Rodriguez.
This page contains a transcript, audio summary, and video of the session presented by Alicia M. Rodriguez for the benefit of those who missed the event; for those who attended, I also added a bit more and a free gift at the end for everyone.
A Transformative Session
Join Alicia M. Rodriguez, writer, storyteller, and catalyst, for an engaging session to jumpstart your 2024. Alicia shares a holistic approach, fueling your plans with the right mindset, clear vision, and wholehearted purpose, instilling courage and confidence to face fears. You'll leave with actionable practices supporting your dream creation, empowered for the year ahead. Alicia delves into mindset, vision, and purpose, equipping you with tools to confront doubts. Return with enriched practices for a fulfilled life.
Practices:
Heart: Discover the profound relationship between fear and courage, allowing fear to articulate its message and guide you towards newfound bravery.
Heart – Allow Fear to Speak so Courage Can Answer
Mind: Navigate the balance between a creative and reactive stance, empowering you to choose whether to run towards or away from challenges.
Mind – Creative vs Reactive Stance – Run towards your vision or away from fear
Body: Embrace an embodied purpose akin to a silk thread, weaving intention into every fiber of your being for a harmonious connection between mind and body.
Body – Embodied Purpose – The Silk Thread – Ground yourself while connected to your vision.
Soul: Explore the profound concept of significance over success, emphasizing how meaning drives purpose and how cultivating a deeper sense of purpose can lead to fulfillment beyond conventional success.
Soul – Significance over Success – Resonance vs Dissonance and How Meaning Drives Purpose
Who is Alicia?
Alicia is a writer, storyteller, slow-living evangelist, and catalyst for personal growth. She works with executive women, visionary leaders, and social and creative entrepreneurs who have become disconnected from their purpose or exhausted by the stress of their work.
She is known for developing human beings, especially women, to their fullest creative expression so that they can make a difference in the world in a way that holds purpose and meaning for them. Clients come to Portugal to work with her on Becoming Limitless Immersive Experiences to answer the significant questions in their lives and turn those answers into daring, life-changing actions.
She brings her life experience to her work – a daughter of Colombian immigrants, a woman business leader, living in six countries and traveling to four continents, 20 years as a C-level executive coach, days in boardrooms with leaders, and nights in rainforests with shamans. She is an intuitive asker of daring questions—an invitation to deep understanding.
Alicia will publish her memoir, The Shaman’s Wife, in the Fall of 2024.
Links:
Website: https://aliciamrodriguez.com/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciamrodriguez/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msaliciamrodriguez/
Substack: https://aliciamrodriguez.substack.com/
Medium Blog: https://aliciamrodriguez.medium.com/
Link Tree https://linktr.ee/aliciamrodriguez
8 Minute Video Recap
This video captures some of what happened in our session through photos and video. An edited transcript is below.
Listen up.
If you don’t want to read the transcript, listen to this 13-minute summary of the event.
Transcript
I would say that this session is akin to the prequel of a movie. With the information and practices I share with you, you will be best equipped to move forward with the goal setting and achieving strategies shared by the previous presenters, Claire-Marie Boggiano and Jo James.
I have a few fundamental beliefs. Two of them apply today. I believe that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. And I believe everything is energy, thoughts, words, actions, dreams, everything. Anyone who understands the flow of energy will master their life.
But first, a story.
After college I went into the hospitality industry. I became a meeting planner at a computer company in Massachusetts. After five years of being under-compensated and literally working myself into the hospital, I resigned to open my meeting planning and special events business.
At the time I had two mentors. Maryanne and Al. At an industry event I told Maryanne that I had decided to start my business. “That’s wonderful!” she said. “You are respected in the industry, have the contacts and will undoubtedly succeed. Let me know how I can support you.”
Later, I ran into Al and told him the same news. He replied, “You’re leaving DG?” “Yes,” I said. “You’re starting your own business?” “Yes, I plan to work with corporate clients to produce their conferences, meetings and events,” I responded. Al paused then asked, “What if you fail?”
Shocked at the question, something inside arose and I answered without really thinking, “Al, it never occurred to me that I would fail. After all, why would I start a business thinking I would fail?” (Note: I tripled my income that first year in business!)
When you take a risk be aware that others will project their fear on you. And fear is energy.
Therein lie two approaches to life. One based on fear and one based on love.
Transcript
HEART - FEAR AND COURAGE - I
We have two fundamental choices in life. We can choose from fear, or we can choose from love.
Fear is not a bad thing. Fear is a call to pay attention to something. It’s how we survive. It’s a wake-up call. Sometimes, it is intuition, sometimes more tangible. But fear doesn’t have to be an obstacle to overcome, or it shouldn’t make you stop from reaching for your dreams or goals. It’s simply to pay attention.
The best way to meet fear is with curiosity and courage. To get curious about why it’s speaking to you, what you need to pay attention to.
I have a saying: Allow fear to speak so courage can answer. #aliciaisms Remember that the root of courage is Coeur or heart.
We all experience negative self-talk. It’s our perfectionism, our doubt, and our culture that sends messages that you’re not good enough, smart enough, creative enough, or whatever. When we listen to those messages, whether they come from the external world or our internal dialogue, we empower fear. But rather than shut it down, allow fear its space.
EXERCISE – Fear and Courage
Make two columns. In column 1, write Fear at the top and include those things you fear. What does Fear say? Make a list. Every time you are afraid or in doubt, do this exercise. Perhaps fear says:
I’ll start a business, and it will fail.
I’m pivoting my business, and I’ll lose clients.
I want to work less, but I’ll lose income.
Now, let’s allow courage to answer. What would courage say to those statements? In column 2, at the top, write Courage and listen to Courage’s answers.
I’ll start a business, and it will thrive.
I’ll pivot and bring on the right clients for my new offers.
I’ll work less and hone my offers by aligning with what matters most.
HOW DOES THAT FEEL? WHAT SENSATIONS DO YOU EXPERIENCE?
WHEN FEAR SPEAKS, HOW DOES IT FEEL IN YOUR BODY?
(tense, contracted, stop breathing, small, constricted)
WHEN COURAGE SPEAKS, HOW DOES THAT FEEL IN YOUR BODY?
(open, ease, can breathe, optimistic, possibilities)
Transcript
MIND- REACTIVE VS CREATIVE - II
Just like there are two choices – Fear and Love – there are two stances you can take in your life. A reactive stance where you are reacting to something you fear, or you want to avoid a consequence.
And a creative stance where you are focused on the thing you envision, what you want to create in the world. This stance is based on love, passion and courage. Each one carries an energy.
You are either moving away from what you fear or you are moving toward what you want to create.
EXERCISE MOVING AWAY FROM MOVING TOWARD.
Watch the video above.
Think of a BHAG for 2024. What does fear say to you?
Move toward your goal but focus on fear (running backward) – how did it feel, what were you saying to yourself, sensations in the body, energy?
Move toward what you want to create, focused on your vision - how did it feel, what were you saying to yourself, sensations in the body, energy?
What did the audience observe?
Transcript
BODY - EMBODIED PURPOSE – III
THE SILK THREAD
For these concepts to be sustained, they must be embodied energetically and somatically. You won’t forget. The body is an underutilized source of wisdom. The body never lies.
Remember, everything is energy. I teach leadership presence through energy, not behavior. Behavior comes after energy. Ex, Some people walk into a room, and people notice. Some walk in, and no one notices.
How do you walk into meetings? Rushed, loose. Unsure. Do you have an intention? What is your stance – reactive (avoid) or creative (aspire)?
We will always meet resistance, but we can use our energy to stay grounded and connected to the vision of our future. This is Embodied Purpose – to be both energetically grounded and visionary.
The Silk Thread Exercise
Watch the video above.
WHAT DOES THE AUDIENCE OBSERVE –
IF THERE IS TIME, THEN THE AUDIENCE PAIRS AND DOES SILK THREAD
Do this as a practice when you don’t need it – grocery line, cooking, whenever – so it becomes integrated and intuitive – available immediately when you need it.
Transcript
SOUL - SIGNIFICANCE OVER SUCCESS – IV
SOUL AND HOW WE MAKE MEANING
Conversation with the audience.
Dissonance vs Resonance (for decision making, right action, goals)
The body never lies. It is a source of wisdom. Dissonance is what happens when your body contracts, pulls back or away. You feel worried and doubt. Resonance is what happens when your body opens and relaxes or moves toward something. You feel joy and passion. Move toward resonance and away from dissonance when making decisions or taking action. Listen to your body and intuition.
There will come a time when you will not be able to tolerate dissonance and misalignment with what you came here to do (purpose). The external measures of success will pale in front of the joy of aligning with what is true for you. This goes beyond success to significance.
It takes courage, perseverance and the ability to adapt to the unknown. Your energy flows when you are in that alignment, understanding that nothing is permanent, that you will figure it out and that it’s time for you to be the highest creative expression of your soul. I have radical trust that the universe has your back and will support you in unexpected ways.
Transcript
CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY
1 - Allow Fear to speak so Courage can answer.
2 - Take a Creative Stance focused on your vision, not Reactive focused on fear.
3 - Energy follows attention, so be careful where your attention is. #aliciaisms
4 - Practice the silk thread when you don’t need it so when you do your body automatically grounds and connects.
5 - Choose what resonates and avoid dissonance. Your body will know before your mind does. Listen. Follow your longing. It knows where it’s going.#aliciaisms
Handout on New Year Questions
Reflections on 2023
What was the wisest decision I made?
What were the biggest lessons I learned?
What did I contribute to others?
What was the biggest thing I completed?
What am I most proud of?
What was left incomplete that needs my attention to complete?
What did I discover about myself that surprised me?
What am I most grateful for?
Word, Mantra, and Theme Song for 2024
Pick one word as your focus for 2024
Create a mantra to follow that inspires you during challenging times
Choose a theme song that describes your dreams for 2024
Create Your Vision for 2024
What will I love most about myself?
What will I release that limits me?
What will I amplify that creates more possibilities?
What will I say YES to?
What will I say NO to?
What three people will I reconnect with and why?
What will I do DAILY to take care of myself?
Who are my truthtellers, and how will I stay connected to them?
One more thing…
Name ONE thing that you will commit to do or achieve that would make your year exemplary, joyful, and meaningful.
Let’s Stay in Touch!
Please consider subscribing to my newsletter here, or my Substack, Nothing Is Ordinary or register for updates on my memoir The Shaman’s Wife here (and read the introduction on this page).
