I want to offer you a tool that I use on a regular basis.
 
I tend to pull this out when I’m feeling confused or unsure. What recently brought me to do it is that I’m grappling with a big decision where I’m a little unclear, so I’m taking a pause to anchor myself to my commitments and what works for me.
 
I learned this exercise from the brilliant Darla LeDoux. If you missed the podcast episode interview I did with her about living a heart-led life be sure to check it out!
 
 
This practice is SO simple but so powerful. It goes like this:
 
Grab a sheet of paper and split it down the middle.
 
Label one side “I’m available for…” and label the other side, “I’m not available for...”.
 
You can make your lists one of two ways:

1. Brain-dump everything you are available for on one side and then move to the other side and brain-dump everything you are not available for.
OR
2. Bounce from one side to the other and make your way down the list.
 

It can be very powerful to read your list out loud. Seriously. Go to the bathroom mirror and read the list out loud to yourself. Watch this video to where I read mine aloud.
 
 
 
This was my list:
 

I am available for making wholehearted choices--wholehearted yeses and nos.

I am not available for making decisions out of obligation or pressure.

I am available for clear boundaries and firm deadlines.

I am not available for fixed rules that leave no room for my heart or spirit’s guidance.

I am available for honoring my own rhythms and cycles.

I am not available for playing by somebody else’s rules.

I am available for learning growing and expanding

I am not available for getting distracted by the next opportunity or thinking that I need something else before I start.

I am available for supporting people to live a heart-lead life.

I am not available for people who aren’t willing to take committed actions.

I am available for being supported.

I am not available for doing it all alone.

I am available for twists and turns that end up in magical unexpected places.

I am not available for spinning my wheels trying to figure it all out.

I am available for courageous leaps of faith.

I am not available for ignoring my heart.

 
 
I invite you to do this practice. Read it out loud to yourself and really FEEL the power of what you are, or are not, available for.
 
Share with me what shows up for you! Comment below or connect with me on social media. I always love to hear from you.

From the beginning, I held an intention in my heart with every Wildhearted retreat for people to have a real and undeniable experience of who they are at their true nature. I wanted people to experience tapping into the sacred place within themselves that would change everything. More than that, I wanted them to leave with tools that would allow them to return to that place over and over again.
 
As an unexpected side effect to the retreat experience, people have gotten really clear about what they want and give themselves permission to have it. They’ve had a taste of their true nature and they get that they are worthy and deserving. They realize it’s okay to let their heart want what it wants and to let their heart lead. So, they start doing that and, the next thing you know, they are ready to MOVE on a long-held passion or dream!
 
That’s how WildFire was born…it is a product of the natural progression of the wild heart expressed in the world. It is a dream made viable.
 
People leave the retreat with this clarity and desire, BUT what they don’t have is the wherewithal to make it come alive.
 
It takes something to move an idea from conception to birth.
 
If you are just starting out and getting ready to move, there is a LOT of stuff to shed and new stuff to put in place. You have to develop new capacities, build new muscles and put structures in place.
 
 
I am not the same girl that I was when I first had the vision of leading retreats. My capacities have far exceeded what they were then.
But I didn’t do it on my own. 
I did it with support.
Someone who had gone where I wanted to go and was willing to reach back and hold my hand, encourage me, teach me very specific things--and it made all the difference for me.
 
We all need that…someone who can show us the way.
 
That is what WildFire gives you.
 
The purpose of WildFire is to get up under your passion or dream and provide you with:

• mental and emotional shifts

• clarity

• structural foundation

• support

All of which are necessary to bring your dream to life.
 
If you’re holding on to a dream that you are ready to birth into the world…then c’mon, c’mon, let’s play!
 
If not now, then…when? What are you waiting for?

Lately, I’ve been having a lot of conversations about what it means to explore uncharted territory.
 
I just wrapped up the first round of my online course Whole<3’d where we talked about this topic a lot. Anytime we make a commitment to following our heart you can guarantee you have to go into uncharted territory.
 
There’s a lot of conversation around this in WildFire as well. Bringing to life a passion, calling or the longing of your heart is a big, bold move and takes a lot of commitment. It involves entering uncharted territory.
 
There is an enormous amount of trust in life that is required if we want to step out in this way.
 
I’ve noticed two distinct ways in which people tend to look at life:
 
For some, life is viewed through a fixed mindset.
“I can do this. I can’t do that.”
“I get what I get.”
“I have to play the hand I’ve been dealt.”
And if you’re looking at life from this perspective there will be limits to what is possible for you.
 
Then there are those who view life with a growth mindset.
“I can take what I’ve been given and use it as a jumping off point.”
Possibility is endless when there is a willingness to engage and learn.
 
Ultimately, we have to believe that life is taking care of us.
Things are happening for us, not to us.

In my live launch of WildFire I mentioned I’ll be working with a real “fire-starter,” Tiffany Bednar. I want to share with you a bit about our journey together over the past year and what led us to collaborate in this new endeavor.
 
Making a choice to consciously expand my marketing efforts was BIG in my business. It felt like a very bold move and even a risk. But I was very clear that it was the next move for me in terms of becoming more visible and expanding my audience.
 
Just the other day, in a conversation with some colleagues of mine, I was sharing some of the marketing I’ve been doing and it really had me be present to the ground I’ve covered in the past year with Tiffany.
 
In that conversation, I suddenly became very aware of how I’ve learned to think like a marketer and expand my vision.
 
I’ve found it’s less about strategy and specific actions (although that’s a big part of it) and it’s really about thinking in a big-picture way and putting all these dots together to create something beyond what I had originally thought possible.
 
A year ago I couldn’t have thought of the ideas I think of now. The inspiration that strikes me, and the ease with which I can visualize and bring those ideas to life, is all new territory and has all come about in the last year of working with Tiffany.

It’s really been a game changer for my business.
 
Now I want you to hear from her. REALLY listen as she shares her story of transformation and the powerful conviction she has in standing for women in business. Open your heart to these passionate and powerful words from Tiffany Bednar.  

Learn more about Sacred Freedom at: www.SacredFreedomMarketing.com

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A visualization practice to support you in quieting the movement of the mind and finding the underlying stillness that is always there and available to you. You will finish this restorative practice feeling grounded, centered and at peace.

Today I am honored to share an interview I did with Darla LeDoux of Aligned Entrepreneurs about my journey into living a Wholehearted life, and how I bring that into my business and daily life. 

Darla is an inspiring entrepreneur who's mission is to support leaders in selling and delivering transformation, allowing them to use their natural, RICH (Right-brained, Intuitive, Connected and Heart-centered) skills. Her series, RICH Revolution speaks to this mission and I was lucky enough to be one of the leaders she interviewed. We discussed how I deliver transformation at my retreats, but also how you can live a life in alignment with your truth.

I am so excited to share the entire conversation with you, you can watch, listen, or read it here:

https://alignedentrepreneurs.com/ep-28-let-your-wild-heart-lead-with-ashlie-woods

 Give yourself permission to shine, share the gifts that only YOU can share, dare to live the life of your dreams.

Tap into your infinite power to create. This practice will invite you to take in the world around you and as you do, notice where your attention is being pulled. In our lives, each thing takes a small demand on our awareness, which, once tapped into, will allow us to let go of attachments and leave us feeling centered and invigorated. This practice is ideally done while standing.

A trusted mentor once said to me …

“Notice what it feels like in your body when you tell the truth”

Tuning in to my body for guidance seemed like a radical idea. But it turned out to be the first step in my profound, personal transformation. And, the more I began to practice it, the more ready and willing I could feel the answers within my body.

Everything changed the moment I began trusting the wisdom within me.

I began truly listening to my heart and trusting where it desired to lead me.

This experience is what inspired me to create Whole<3’d: an online course designed to help you tune into what your heart is telling you so you can live the life that is calling you.

Find the courage to tell the truth and watch your life transform. Join me on the adventure to Whole<3’d living.

Not every day is a frolic through the lush green grass on a beautiful day.
Somedays it’s a swim in salt water during a storm while wearing steel boots.
 
AND you have tools for the storm. You don’t have to keep choking on the salt water.
 
A wholehearted life is a commitment to clarity and listening to your heart.
Not forcing a perfect life vision and bulldozing your way there.
 
I want to share with you a reminder that you have access to tools each and every day whether you have lush green grass, or salt water slapping your face. Take a moment now to STOP and go grab your calendar or notepad. 
 
Get settled. Take a deep breath.
 
As you sit here at the beginning of your week I want you to tap into three things that are important to you or that you value.
This could be being present with your family, prayer or meditation, taking care of your body, connecting with friends, playing with a new business idea….  Or maybe it’s love, peace, joy, strength, courage….
 
Whatever pops up just let it be and write it down in your calendar or notepad.
 
Now I want you to visualize yourself in those moments. Maybe you are at the gym or carving out times in your day to pray or meditate. Perhaps you need time to decompress between work and home to get present for the evening. I want you to since into 5 actions this week that would support your values and place them on your calendar. These actions should feel aligned with your values that you created.
 
Now, put them in your week. I want them to feel light and supportive.
 
As you take this on, you do have tools by simply being part of the Wildhearted community.
If you are new to meditation and it calls to you, you can commit to joining theSacred Circle Meditation Group from Wildhearted. I promise you, we all started somewhere, so just let it be. If you feel pulled to guided meditations join us on Insight Timer. However your meditation looks, it is perfectly fine.
 
Journaling is a powerful tool for gratitude and reflection. Maybe you are new to journaling so we have created prompts for you within our community blog.
 
Dance is another great way to work the body AND to shake off the day! It’s a great way to create presence and children love it too! Visit the Spotify profile to access a few fun dance lists and MOVE THAT BODY.    
 
If you crave connection with individuals committed to a joyful, wholehearted life, our Facebook page, Instagram page, YouTube and Twitter are all places we come together to circle up in uplifting conversations. Feel supported to play in any of these groups! 
 
If you want to dive into a dedicated community of people putting both feet in for a wholehearted life, perhaps the Wholehearted online course is meant for you.
 
Wherever you are, let it be. Tell your heart “I hear you, I love you”
 
 

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I hope you took a moment to watch the short training video on the micro-moves spreadsheet and that you spent a little time prioritizing the items on your list. If you didn’t, please pause now and watch the training. It’s super valuable.

It’s helpful to see what needs to happen first. It can be a relief to acknowledge things I think I need to do and realize “that can wait”. This enables me to focus on the most important actions needed to move forward.

I invite you to look at the top 3 actions you can take to get you closer to the result you’re after.

Assess your upcoming week. Where do you have time and space to work on this? Be realistic and intentional about what actions you can take this week.

For example, if you know you have a big chunk of time on Wednesday afternoon, and you work well in the afternoons, schedule something then. Personally, I work really well in the mornings, after my morning routine and meditation when I am clear-headed and energetic. It’s a great time for me to work on tasks that require a lot of mental focus.

Look at your list of micro-moves. Look at your week. Choose 3 action items/micro-moves you can commit to doing this week. Circle them, put them in your calendar, scheduling with others and yourself as needed.

Be sure that you’re tied into the intention behind those moves. Most importantly, how are you going to feel when you get that thing done? Infuse each tiny action step with clear intention and high energy.

For me, one of my actions might be: reconcile my accounts. The intention: clarity. How I’ll feel when it’s done is: like a badass.

I hope this has been useful. I would love to hear from you. Feel free to share in the comments, or connect with me on social media... what are the 3 actions you’re taking, what’s the intention behind them, and how are you going to feel when those are done? I would love to celebrate with you!

The next step in this weeks session is to work backwards... imagine standing in the future, having achieved your goal.... What do you have?

As I shared with you last week, I wanted to get clear on my business finances and be aware of my profits and losses. I was looking to produce that result and I knew I’d feel like a badass once I achieved it.

I ask myself... what needs to happen, for that to happen? Then, I write those things down.

Here’s a handy micro-moves spreadsheet I made for you.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. I know that’s a crazy analogy, but you get the point.

Big goals like launching a business, redesigning a website or planning a family vacation can feel overwhelming and daunting. It helps to break them down into smaller steps. Brainstorm and write down all the steps you can think of.

For me to become completely clear about my business finances, there is a long list of things that need to happen.

What steps do I need to take to get to financial clarity? I need to know what my expenses and projected income are. I need to reconcile my accounts. What kind of budgeting software can I use? What training and support do I need? All this and more would go on my list of micro-moves for me to get to the end result of what I’m really after.

That’s your work for this week. Use the spreadsheet. Brain dump. If you get stuck and don’t know what other steps to write down, be creative. Some of the steps could be to do a little research, ask an expert or find a mentor.

So, fill out your spreadsheet and I’ll see you next week!

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