emotions Archives - Life Coaching by Christine Gipple

Fall into Connection – with YOURSELF! Two Upcoming Classes

Fall is my favorite season ever – I LOVE this time of year! Even though Fall is what has kept me in Jersey, Winter makes me want to leave. But, we’re not there just yet…

I took a few pictures of the fall foliage today, so I’m sharing here. No filter. Just my phone. I breathe easier just looking at these!

Fall invites us to slow down and pay attention to our inner nudges. It invites us to listen to those quiet whispers before they turn to screams.

If you have a self-reflection or self-connection practice, you know what I mean. When we slow down enough, we can actually hear what matters to us.

So, I thought I’d also share a couple intimate online events that I’ll be doing in the next few weeks – both of which foster deeper self-connection. ♥

The first event is happening THIS Friday, October 28th, (2022) from 1pm-3:30pm ET. A small group of us (around 15-20 people max) will play connecting games to support us in saying what we mean. We’ll also show you how to get to the heart of what matters, and how to avoid circular conversations that can send us over our edge. You can learn more and register for the GROK party event here.

Past participants have found these parties extremely connecting and they keep coming back for more!

Which brings me to the second event – The “After GROK party”, taking place on Thursday, Nov 10th (2022) from 11am-12pm ET Some of you have asked, “what comes next?” after attending the initial GROK party, and this is it! You can learn more and register for the After Grok Party here.
The After Grok Party is likely to be a smaller, more intimate group.
(**Note**To attend the After Grok Party, please make sure you’ve either attended a GROK party before, or that you have a working knowledge of nonviolent communication before registering for the event.)
In both events, you’ll be supported in a safe environment to receive/give empathy and to experience connection and fun!
The Zoom link will be provided once you register.

You’ll want to have GROK cards available for our call. While not mandatory, having the physical cards creates more ease in following along. If you need cards and you’re local to me, please email me (I have some on hand). Otherwise, this link will connect you directly with Claire Schwartz who will get them shipped out to you!

Action Challenge:

Drop me a line and share what’s ONE thing you’re eager to let go of in 2022, and what’s ONE thing you’re excited to bring in for 2023? These can be people, things, beliefs, habits, routines, etc. It’s YOUR choice. Sometimes the act of writing them down or sharing them with someone assists in making them happen, so do share!

By Christine Gipple|2022-10-26T00:09:32-04:00October 25th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

3 Tips to Keep Your Boundaries in Check

Setting Boundaries can be uncomfortable. But not setting them can create havoc.

Hold onto your Boundaries because 2022 is Yang Tiger Water Energy!

My friend, Karen Alber Carrasco, wrote this great article and I had to share it! It’s called, 2022 Tiger Wave: Surfing with the Yang Water Tiger. What struck me was the importance of keeping our boundaries in place, especially after the past two years of up-leveling our lives as we created, and re-created, ourselves to be in alignment with our values.

The past two years were ruled by the metal element, and metal represents details, the fine print, analysis of what is working, and what isn’t. Think of really getting inside the box and critiquing every detail. That requires metal energy.

This year’s element is water. And with water, things can become dark and murky, confusing, or uncertain. Think about decisions you made when you weren’t clear, when your choices weren’t an absolute yes. I imagine those particular choices might have brought about an unwanted result. Yes?

That’s why being clear on our boundaries becomes critical. The thing is, a lot of us may not even know what our boundaries are, let alone being able to hold them in place.

3 Tips to Keep Your Boundaries In Check:

First, Have a self-honoring practice or ritual in place – this is for you and only you. Whether it’s meditating, writing, exercising, knitting, taking a hot bath once a week, etc. Find what connects you to you.
- When you take the time to self-connect, your choices will be in alignment with what feels true and right for you, in each moment.
Second, before making a choice – any choice – check in with yourself and ask yourself these questions:
- What do I want?
- What do I need?
- How do I feel?
- What do I think?
- Because when we are coming from a place of knowing how we feel, and what we need, we are more likely to have our needs met, which allows us to make clear requests of someone else. Its when we haven’t taken the time to figure out what we want and need that things get murky.
- And this year’s Yang Tiger Water energy will be powerful and passionate, and has the potential to uproot us if we’re not firmly planted in our own boundary foundation.
Third, and this might be hard to hear, but I’m going to invite you to embrace being ‘selfish.’ I know selfish gets a bad wrap because of old programming of what not to be. However, when we put everyone else’s needs before our own, we swing to the other side of the pendulum to self-less, and end up feeling obligated and resentful. This reminds me of Marshall Rosenberg’s poem, The Hungry Duck, where the intention is strive to give from a place of willingness, vs. obligation.

As the first month of 2022 is almost behind us, and this new water energy is upon us, I encourage you to pay attention to your needs, your wants, your desires, and make sure you feet are planted firmly in your own personal boundaries.

Have a question or comment? Reach out to me here.

You can find upcoming events here. There are only a few spots left for the Feb 5th Grok Party, where we play games with Grok Cards to connect more deeply to our own emotions and needs. And, registration for my group boundary coaching program will be opening soon. 🙂

Wishing you clarity and courage to choose YOU!

Love,
Chris

If you know of someone that would appreciate this newsletter, please share it with them. 🙂

By Christine Gipple|2022-01-28T13:52:12-05:00January 28th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

When you don’t recognize yourself, it’s time for a [RESET]

Today, I had a brief, but intense conversation with someone, after which I found myself blurring around a wooded path like Jason Bourne on amphetamines. I’d crossed my own line, again.

After replaying the conversation in my head, I thought, “Who WAS that?”, and I was referring to myself. I made a request that immediately left me with regret, and in retrospect I knew if the same was asked of me, if I’d had the same information this person had at the time of my request, I may have responded with confusion too.

If communication feels confusing (or infuriating!) during this Mercury retrograde, I’m right there with you. Perhaps life feels like it’s unraveling, turning you upside down and you can’t seem to get a grip, or maybe you’ve left your house without your keys or something critical you needed, or you blew through a red light or turned the wrong way down a street you’re on every day. During this retrograde, take the time to slow down, give yourself the gift of breathing. Mercury is the planet that rules communication and when it’s retrograde, you can expect the unexpected.

I’ve made a whirlwind of choices and decisions this past month that left me second guessing, doubting myself, and not paying attention to my own needs, boundaries, and desires. I’ve been in reaction mode, and ignoring my intuition, not making conscious choices.

Today was my final catapult back to me, and to trusting myself. The retrograde is a time for reflection, and it brings up stuff to be healed. I don’t need to be an astrologer to know when it’s in retrograde – my body and my emotional state reminds me, if I’m paying attention. And I realized I haven’t been paying attention.

I’ve been spreading myself thin, running from one activity to another, not handling priorities that needed to be handled, and have been reactive to emotions that have been overflowing in me. Though my sun sign is a Capricorn, my rising sign is Scorpio and, somehow, I know that’s adding some intensity to what’s already here.

When you notice you’re on auto-pilot, you’re showing up in ways you don’t even recognize, you’re hearing words escape your mouth that you immediately regret, be gentle with yourself.

The real “gifts” of a retrograde, any retrograde are to remind us to slow down. So, give yourself a little extra compassion. Know that you can reset. You can always reset.

Every moment is another opportunity to connect within.

I’m going to take my own advice.

I’m pressing the big fat PAUSE button.

By Christine Gipple|2018-12-15T19:38:00-05:00November 20th, 2018|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Retrogrades, Relationships & Resetting Priorities

Are the retrogrades messing with your relationships? Do you feel like you and your partner might actually be on different planets?

Considering six, yes, SIX planets are in retrograde right now, it’s a good time to press pause on the panic button.

So what exactly is happening?

Right now, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn & Pluto are in retrograde. In a retrograde, things come up for review, processing, digesting and completing. It’s a time for tying up loose ends and details, and not necessarily a time to start a slew of new projects. You’re invited to complete those incompletions once and for all. When one planet is in retrograde, we can feel off, rushed, like things are more out of control than we’d like, but when six are in retrograde, it’s even more important to pause.

Even if you don’t believe in astrology, it may be hard for you to ignore some of the events that have been transpiring for the past few months. Things might feel more amped up or intensified than usual.

Personally, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to feel productive, clear, to stay on task with projects, or to have any type of communication with my partner that doesn’t end with us walking away frustrated and frazzled, and feeling unheard.

Here’s a little scoop on each of the planets and how they might be affecting you:

Mercury Retrograde – (6/26 to 8/19/18) Since Mercury is the ruler of communication, it’s definitely a great time to double check details. Have a spare key in your wallet, fill your gas tank, check your oil and fluids in your car, make sure you have a few bucks cash on you, etc. Just the other day, I walked out of the house without my keys, left the house with $1 in my wallet, and got to a show without tickets I already purchased, and it was “cash only” at the door. (Thankfully, I had a spare key in my wallet, and the girl at the desk knew and trusted me when I told her I purchased tickets, and she let me in.)
Mars Retrograde (6/26 to 8/27/18) When Mars is direct, we typically can communicate more clearly, take direct decisive action and more fully trust ourselves. But when in retrograde, we can doubt, not trust our instincts, and internalize emotions and events, feeling more pressure. Be gentle with yourself if you need more rest than usual, if you need more time to think about things and process what’s happening around you. Good self-care is critical right now. Here’s a little more on the Mars Retrograde.
Jupiter Retrograde – (3/9 to 7/10/18) Consider this to be the Yin/Yang for change. Change can be scary, especially when we don’t see it coming, yet, change is often the very thing we need to get us to our next level. Since everything is energy, and energy is always changing, it makes sense to surrender a bit and go with the flow. With Jupiter in intense Scorpio, you may experience your own upleveling so just observe what’s here for you, change what you can, and let go of what you cannot. There’s no rule that says change has to be painful.
Pluto Retrograde – (4/22 to 9/30/18) Pluto is all about looking at what needs to be healed, what’s lurking beneath what’s really going on, and what needs to be transformed. Pluto is the peeling back of our subconscious layers. Since retrogrades are a review of the past events, when Pluto is in retrograde, we’re invited to look at all those subconscious behaviors, shadow beliefs, choices, and patterns that are calling us to change. You may feel challenged beyond your comfort zone. That’s ok. It’s a time of review. So, Review, Re-Evaluate and if needed, Re-direct your energy and focus.
Saturn Retrograde – (4/18 to 9/6/18) As a Cappy (Capricorn), this is my ruling planet. Saturn is all about perseverance, tenacity and growth, and setting things right on the karmic path. What we put out is what we get back, so this lesson is amplified during a retrograde. We’re given the opportunity to really set things right if we’ve been off course.
Neptune Retrograde (6/19 to 9/26/18) Emotions may seem to be too intense for you right now. Neptune is one of the rulers of Pisces, a water sign that can be emotionally charged. During a retrograde, and especially if this happens to be your ruling planet or your rising sign, you may feel a bit more pressure to dive into the uncomfortable waters of the unknown. Trust. Stay with it. There’s growth here. If you feel the urge to run from this intensity, understand what’s here for you is an invitation to go a little deeper to resolve what’s been hidden. It’s also an excellent time to call on your creativity and intuition which may feel heightened. Trust your gut by going within and making the changes you need to make.

Action Challenge:

Two steps to prepare yourself physically and emotionally during the retrograde

Take 20 minute power naps to reset yourself as you need to. I can hear you saying, “But I don’t have 20 minutes….”, so I challenge you…Instead of surfing social media for 20 minutes, or eating when you’re not hungry, or starting a “conversation” with your partner when you’re already tired or spent, excuse yourself. Set your phone timer for 20 minutes and nap. I guarantee you’ll feel a new perspective when you re-engage. Just notice if you start to spiral, if you’re not breathing, or if you feel particularly uneasy with the changes happening around you. If so, nap, nap, nap. Every day. 20 minutes. And let me know what shifts you notice.
Take Action with any or all of these. Put an extra spare key in your wallet. Allow plenty of time for travel. Double and triple check details before clicking “send”. Have back up directions printed before going on the road to a new destination. Make sure you have at least $5 to $10 in your wallet of cash before leaving your house. Charge your phone or devices before leaving the house. Purchase a charger for your car and keep it there. Press the mental pause button before replying to a heated conversation. Let go of something you’ve been holding onto (a grudge, a personal belonging, an issue that’s causing you anguish, a belief that’s not serving).

Leave a comment below or email me telling me what you did, and what happened as a result. 🙂

Like this article, and want more like it? Follow me here.

Until next time, Press Pause on the panic button. Breathe. And trust. You’re right where you need to be.

x’s and o’s

Chris

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Want to learn more about this particular retrograde cycle? You can do that here and here.

By Christine Gipple|2018-07-01T21:53:59-04:00July 1st, 2018|Uncategorized|0 Comments

How fiberglass curtains and salsa reminded me to choose peace

Last night my daughter had a sleepover. As parents, we believe in giving children choice, permission, and freedom. We trust that with our guidance and their intuition, they’ll make wise choices that’ll give them the best learning experiences.

So when I went into the living room after the girls were all set in her room for the night, what I found surprised me.

On the wooden ledge of the futon, there was a soaking wet Handi-Wipe filled with Salsa rolled up in a ball. As I started moving pillows and blankets, I noticed a huge wet spot under one of the blankets where salsa was cleaned up, along with a few straggler chips.

I was annoyed. She knows better. Wood ledges – water drenches wood and warps it. She knows this. Food was left out in the kitchen.

As I reminded her of these things, after walking in her room with the Handi-Wipe evidenced full of salsa, she cowered, apologized. She’d tried to clean it up the best she could. She felt bad. Still, I reminded her of what I knew she was already told – water ruins wood and it’s important to clean up messes – when they happen.

Her dad stood by and listened and I saw something in his eyes that I was missing. “She tried”, he said. And she did. She’s 10.

I immediately was catapulted back to my Fairview kitchen and was 10 years old. I’d been in school all day and couldn’t wait to get home to remove my intensely itchy white uniform shirt. I didn’t know what was wrong, but all day it was burning and itching against my skin. As I stood by the washing machine in our kitchen – scratching, red, and in tears – my older brother walked in and asked me what was wrong. As I shared my day and told him about my shirt, I shared how I’d washed my shirts with our living room curtains the day before.

The living room curtains were made of fiberglass.

Ouch.

I’ll never forget his reaction – it was like, “Duh! You don’t wash fiberglass curtains with anything!

What did I know? I was 10. I just needed clean shirts for school. Why not multi-task? Yes, even at 10, I was like this.

Last night, I saw myself in my daughter’s actions. She was given the freedom to choose and she did what she thought was best. She’d cleaned up the spilled salsa and just forgot to move the rag and the wet blanket.

I was reminded of how little she is. I was reminded how delicate each learning experience can be. And how our experiences can often imprint on us for years to come.

I stopped to snuggle her, share the curtain story, and assure her I know she did her best – because she did. I hesitated because she had a friend sleeping over – but this is what we do – talk and snuggle it out.

So the next time your child does something that triggers you, I invite you to remember how little they are, and how often they’re coming from their best place of experience as they know it. They look to us for guidance on how to handle situations.

We’re not perfect. But we can create perfect relationships for us and our families, through empathy and seeing things through another set of eyes.

We just have to be willing to see.

How about you? Is there a place you need to soften? A place where you and your family could benefit from seeing something a little differently?

I’d love to hear your experiences! Share your comments below and if you liked this article, please share it!

xo

By Christine Gipple|2017-04-22T19:37:35-04:00June 18th, 2016|Lifestyle, Parenting|0 Comments