Category Archives: Relationships

Creating Shots of Joy Workshop

Break Through to Fresh Family ConnectionsA Relationship Building and Restoring Workshop

*Leap over the emotional landmines of dealing with  difficult family members over the holidays.

*Enjoy a fresh start with your challenging loved one.

*Discover new tools for making authentic connections.

If COVID and social distancing has created unwanted separation for you and your loved ones, it’s time to reclaim your relationships. Turn holiday dread into cheer with setting up a shot of joy!

Join Speaker, Author and Professional Life-Coach, Veronica Karaman

Sunday, December 12th

3:00 to 5:30 pm

Imagine Moore Events Center 206 Commerce Ave, Southern Pines, NC

$39 Includes coach training, autographed copy of My Shot of Joy book, refreshments, and instruction notes. Class size limited.  Register today!

For more information or to register, call 757-407-1907, email: veronicakaraman@gmail.com

Mail in:  VKM., Inc.  P.O. Box 4532   Pinehurst, NC 28374                         

“I reconciled with my brother thanks to Shots of Joy!”  Rose, Raleigh

“My son and I have a brand new start.”  Dyane M., Wake Forest

“My relationship with my husband has never been better!”  Carol, Durham

“Come hear my story of reclaiming a lost mother-daughter relationship and the secrets I learned about making heart-to-heart connections through a specific strategy called a shot of joy. I’ll guide you through setting up your shot of joy!

This is an afternoon of hope, strategy, and a fresh start.” Veronica

“You can’t change a person, but you can change the atmosphere!”

 

Taking Flight from Defeat: The Aftermath of my US Open Qualifying Letdown

“I was never afraid to fail or to push my limits because I always came home to love.”  Tiger Woods

These words spoken by Tiger framed my experience today at the Senior Women’s U.S. Open Qualifier. I did not qualify. Two bad holes cost me several shots and a qualifying spot.  It was a hard but glorious day.

First, about hard:  I have been working diligently on my swing changes over the last four months to eliminate an extra move that causes me to be inconsistent.  The proof of making such a change only comes under pressure.  Can you perform the shot under pressure?  Today, the answer is: not yet.  While I hit many great shots, the several errant shots cost me dearly—which is what I have been trying to eliminate.

I played with Jackie Gallagher, at 17 year LPGA tour veteran.  She was much younger than I. While we hit the ball the same distance, which made me proud, she was much more consistent in her swing.  She made the cut while I did not.

On the practice green in the morning, I made just about every putt from every distance. It was remarkable. The greens on the course, however, were very different—slower and the grass not as slick.  I had a few too many 3 putts, something I normally do not have.  So there you have it.

The hardest part was putting a full focus on achieving this goal over the last four months. Because the tournament is in Pinehurst, where I lived for six years, and is going to be on the course where I took Mom to play her first round of golf at 85, it would be especially meaningful for me to go. It would be a “full circle” kind of event. But real in my dream did not turn out to be real in my experience.

Now, for glorious:  I am always seeking to know what it means to live in the Kingdom of God.  This experience was a different kind of expression of the Kingdom, perhaps the most poignant and vivid.  Yesterday, I was not planning on playing a practice round, but connected with my friend, Carole, who is a sister in the Lord and fellow competitor, not to mention wonderful Caddy Club member! We met in a thunderstorm during the Tennessee Women’s Open about 15 years ago.  The entire field was sequestered in the golf shop for three days of off and on thunderstorms.  We became life-long friends in that thunderstorm.

I decided to play nine holes with Carole. When we got in, I saw Meredith, my competition partner who is also a fellow believer.  The timing was right for the three of us to connect and go to dinner.  It was a spontaneous moment. We enjoyed a marvelous Mediterranean meal with great fellowship.  It became obvious to me that just as important as the competition was the experience of true friendship. The exchange was beautiful.

Today on the first tee, I saw Carole standing on the sidelines cheering me on as I teed off. On the course, my playing partner, Jackie and I enjoyed one another’s company immensely.  She, too, is a fellow believer.  Her eleven year old son, Sully, caddied for the first time. My caddy and new friend, Jerry, was spectacular in his outstanding service, encouragement, and friendship. He insisted on treating everybody to lunch afterwards.  His generosity and heart-felt engagement in my game was touching.  His wife, Sally, also joined us.

I share all this to emphasize my initial quote from Tiger Woods.  God wanted me to be surrounded by love in the midst of my defeat. He wanted me to know, again, that defeat is swallowed up in love.  To so dedicate my mind, body, and spirit to a goal which I did not achieve and be immersed in the love of God throughout via true friendship, was a notable experience in the Kingdom—as well as a pronounced descriptive of what the Kingdom of God is all about:  friendships! 

Now for the best part and what you can learn from this, too:  The culmination of my experience took place after lunch which had to do with emotionally processing and completing a competition expeditiously.

While sitting at lunch, surrounded by friends, I felt free to let the tears of “performance letdown” flow.  When you are fully engaged in a competition and experience defeat, you have to express the emotions.  To do so in the presence of love and acceptance is the best place to “let it go.”  I allowed myself to feel the full brunt of the disappointment and defeat.  I always say, “Emotions have to be completed—fully released—in order to go on to the next competition.”  The laughter and banter around the table helped  buoy me up.

Here’s the supernatural aspect of processing a competition:  While I was sitting and waiting for the full results to come in, I received a text from one of my Caddy Club Members #8, asking me how I did. When I told him, he responded with, “Your best days are ahead of you.”  He preceded it with “Flight taking off.” I thought at first he was saying, “You’re taking flight, Veronica.”  I didn’t realize he was talking about his getting on a plane!  But too late! I took it to mean, “I’m taking off—and my best days are ahead of me.”  It was just enough of a perspective shift to get me jolted out of my emotional rift because it made me think FORWARD AND FUTURE in the MIDST of all the feelings of my defeat.

It reminded me of Mary at the tomb of Jesus.  As she was crying, peering into the tomb, she was looking for the live amongst the dead. Jesus was no longer in the tomb!  All of a sudden, He appears to her as the gardener, behind her, and asks her, “Why are you crying? For whom are you looking?”  She was looking for Jesus, thinking that somebody had taken him away.  Then He calls her name, “Mary!”  She recognizes him as Jesus and her entire emotional state changes in an instant!  In order for her to go from crying to rejoicing, she had to have a change of perspective. She had to turn her head from looking in the tomb to looking up and turning around.

That’s what was beginning to happen to me in the text sent to me.  Here was my thought process after my round before the comment in my friend’s text pinged my perspective:  “It is going to take several days to process this. I think I am going to take some time off. This is too hard and I am not seeing the fruit of my hard work.  If I spend some time at the ocean, if I am all teared up, at least people will think I was in the water! Boo hoo hoo!”

When I got into my car, I immediately called my performance coach and long-time friend, Jon, who took my perspective change to an entirely new level and full completion.

Please take note of the steps Jon used me with as a Master Coach.  If any of you have children, or even employees, trust me, this is the most empowering thing you can do for someone engaged in achieving a goal who falls short.

“Jon, I did not qualify.”

“Veronica, I am so proud of you!  You did your very best. You entered the competition—you competed!” 

He affirmed my worth totally separate from my score (1)

He validated and elevated my identity. (2) 

“Veronica, you are a pro golfer.  Do you know what pro golfers do? Pro golfers compete in tournaments.  You love to compete, right?”

I said to myself, “I am a lot of things other than a pro golfer.  I think of myself as a pro golfer somewhere down the list, but okay.”   “Yes, Jon, I do love to compete.”

He immediately directed me forward and literally inserted me into my future, compelling me to TAKE ACTION.”  (3)

“Then go find another tournament to compete in.”

“Well, I signed up for the US Open Qualifier, but that’s the grueling one.  36 holes in one day.  I was only going to play in that to be a preparation for the Senior US Open. Now that I did not make it, I was thinking of withdrawing from that tournament. Should I still compete in it?”

“What do I have to do, put my shoe through the phone?”

I BURST OUT LAUGHING.  At that precise moment, all the disappointment and let down IMMEDIATELY BROKE OFF OF ME.  I have absolutely no disempowering emotions still in me. They are completely gone! Halleluiah!

In speaking the TRUTH IN LOVE to me, in the space of less than 5 minutes, Jon helped me see my performance as NOT AN SINGULAR EVENT, but A CONTINUUM, an expression of WHO I AM and WHAT I LOVE TO DO.  BOOM!  It was SO POWERFUL.  So I guess I am taking flight.  Flapping my wings again for no other reason than I love to compete and I love to win, even if it is over a spirit of defeat. This was not my intention to have this sort of win, but who knows?  Maybe for right now, I need to affirm that I may be more like Tiger Woods than I thought.

It is true:  I am not afraid to fail or to push my limits because today, I came home to love. And in that knowledge, I can rest and be comforted.  Thank you to each of you who have played a part in my journey into competition and into the Kingdom.  This time I learned the Kingdom is about true friendships.

It is well with my soul!                                                                                                                              Until next time, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and into the Hole We Go!”

If you are interested in learning more about love-based performance coaching, please check out my program at:   jointhechampionsway.com.

 

Test Yourself

 

Champions stand out by their ability to hit shots under pressure with ease and calm. How can you see if you are in the champion zone?  There’s only one way.  You have to test yourself.  Not everyone will put himself to the test.

Testing creates pressure.  Pressure reveals where you stand on the champ-o-meter scale.

Last week I decided to test myself.  I entered a tournament that was bigger than my current state of play. I knew it. I did it anyway. It was an intentional choice. Why?  I wanted to test myself to see where I stood in my training for my big championship down the road.  I could have waited until I was more fully prepared.  I chose a different strategy. I decided to test myself to see what I needed to do to prepare. The pressure in the test would reveal those things to me.

My test revealed four things:  a champion spirit, a champion character, a childhood wound, and a backslidden golf swing–the good, the bad, and the ugly. Because a tournament places a demand on every part of my being, every part of my being revealed itself.  From what was hidden even to myself to what was obvious, I located myself.  Now I know what I need to work on to fully engage for my upcoming championship.

My backslidden golf swing was a result of changing the pacing of my swing.  When I reverted back to a slower pace, my new swing appeared the very next day.  Lesson:  perfect my pacing under pressure. The childhood wound was addressed by an opportunity to give to others the very thing I did not receive myself.  Lesson: impart more of what I gained from that experience to others.  Those lessons go beyond my head. They reach a cellular level.  When your preparations reach a cellular level, you are on the road to championship.

One of the reasons King David was a champion was that he invited testing.  While a king, a warrior, a worshipper, and a man after God’s heart, he wasn’t afraid to be tested.  “Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind, for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth” (Psalm 26:2).

What comes out of you when you are tested?  What does pressure produce in you?  Do you remain the  calm and relaxed person under pressure as you are without the pressure? Who do you become? If you are the same person—hitting your shots under pressure with calm and ease, welcome to the champion zone.  If not, examine what the pressure reveals to you and work on your game along with me.

jointhechampionsway.com

 

 

 

My Story Poem of the Two Women Behind Christmas: Mary and Elizabeth

I share this story in honor of my mother, who passed away December 22, 2017.  She was the most impossible person in my life who died my best friend.  Through my determination to reach her heart before she passed, a learned a few things about reaching hearts and the purposes of God in women’s—relatives’ lives. I hope this message blesses and inspires you, which I wrote in 1990.  It is the story of the two women behind the birth of Christ:  Mary and Elizabeth.

Most people think that Christmas is a time of celebrating Christ’s birth,                                              But Christmas is first the story of two special women here on earth.

This story I am going to share is God’s message to your heart,                                                          So listen up, I’m about to start.

Together let’s go back some 2,000 years                                                                                                  And examine the lives to two spiritual peers.

One’s name was Mary, whom some say was just a teen,                                                                        The other’s, Elizabeth, was too old to be seen.

Now to Mary an angel appeared one night.                                                                                         The divine interruption caused her great fright.

But the angel said, “Cool your jets sweetheart,                                                                                    For to you a vision I’m about to impart.”

You will conceive and give birth to God’s son,                                                                                      For your destiny’s appointment has finally come.

What’s more, your relative Elizabeth is almost due,                                                                            You see she’s pregnant with a very important Jew.

For with God, nothing is impossible you know.                                                                                  He’s able to bring down the proud, and lift up the low—ly.

Mary’s response was one of admirable submission,                                                                        “May it be to me as you have said,” was her admission.

Now the point I want to convey is quite clear,                                                                                        So listen up, this I want you to hear.

All this happened while Mary was preparing for her wedding,                                                          But instead of going to Joseph’s, to Elizabeth’s she was heading.

Just think of Mary giving up prime romance time,                                                                                 To visit her old relative without even a murmur or a whine.

Consider this too, she wasn’t just going across the street,                                                                    It was a hundred mile, five day journey before these two women would meet.

Mary couldn’t call ahead on her cellular phone,                                                                                With no prior notice, Mary left for Liz’s home.

Mind you, to Liz’s Southwest had no discounted route,                                                                   With no Mastercard, Mary certainly had no financial clout.

In simple faith to the angel’s word                                                                                                       Mary responded to what she heard.

The Scripture says out of town she did hurry,                                                                                    Leaving behind her lover without even a worry.

The reason behind her actions is difficult to perceive.                                                                       Why was it important for this young maiden to leave?

Let’s take a deeper look into this story                                                                                                With a little insight we’ll discover some meaning, and some of God’s glory.

Now imagine the total sense of loneliness Mary must have had,                                                       To be the only one in history to conceive without the baby’s dad.

No one in the world could identify with Mary’s feelings,                                                                Except for someone else who could relate to supernatural dealings.

That person was an old woman,                                                                                                            Once barren, now miraculously pregnant with a son.

Yes, Elizabeth could believe Mary’s story at this stage,                                                              Because of her own story of conceiving well past age.

In spending time with Elizabeth, Mary would find comfort,                                                         Whereas hanging around Joseph, she could have been hurt.

In Elizabeth, Mary found understanding and confirmation,                                                            Instead of feeling isolation, she felt elation.

For when Mary and Elizabeth finally greeted,                                                                                      With joy and blessing Mary was treated.

Aunt Liz never said, “Hey, my own morning sickness I’m feeling.                                                            I can’t be concerned with your prenatal healing.”

She never said, “Don’t bother me. I’ve been in five month’s seclusion.                                            Your coming here is just some heavenly delusion.”

She never scolded Mary for no advance notice.                                                                                        No, there was no sign of anything but bliss.

There was John the Baptist in the womb doing stunts.                                                                    What a welcome of Mary’s stay of three months!

God’s bringing together of these two women in Him,                                                                             A more loving plan there couldn’t have been.

At the same time in two individual, but related lives,                                                                        Was a greater sovereign work, God’s so wise.

Strengthening one another prior to the birth of their visions in the Lord,                                            What a joy it must have been, even to God, to see them in such one accord.

God in His infinite grace and wisdom from above                                                                    Entwined a barren old woman and young maiden in divine love.

The story ends with Mary returning home just before Elizabeth is due                                           We can now raise the question, “What does all of this mean to me and you?”

I thought you’d never ask. I’m now going to end this rhyme, but will continue sharing from my heart for a few more moments of time.

Travel with me now some 2,000 years ahead in time, to your town.  Drive down your main street, turn into your driveway. Peer into another meeting of Marys and Elizabeths.

In your life, there are many Marys, that is, young saints of God who are about to give birth to a vision, women who need an Elizabeth.

In your life, there are many Elizabeths, seasoned saints of God, who have experienced a lot of life and a lot of God.  Perhaps, however, you are feeling a little barren, and a little lonely.  You are having trouble realizing that someone else could empathize with your feelings.  You need the encouragement and refreshment of a Mary.

Now I am talking about more than the linking up of two friends.  I’m talking about receiving what you are lacking in your spirit.

The name “Mary” means “incense unto God.”  Mary represents that which is fresh, fragrant, delightful, savory, holy, worshipful, prayerful, new.  The name Elizabeth means “my God has sworn.”  Elizabeth represents that which is steadfast, true, full of promise, unchanging, faithful, and perhaps “old.”

What will it take for the spirit of Mary to link up with the spirit of Elizabeth?  What will it take in your life in those places that need the affirmation of an Elizabeth to link up with the freshness of a Mary?  What will it take in your life to break out of those potentially lonely places to experience the loveliness that God has in store for you? It will take the same thing it took Mary and Elizabeth.  It will take risking relationship.

Both Mary and Elizabeth had to risk relationship in order for each one to receive the fullness that God had intended for them prior to the birthing of their visions.  Consider the stigma placed on both.

When Mary surrendered to the will of God she gave up the last vestige of living for herself.  She risked losing Joseph and any hopes for happiness in marriage.  She laid her reputation in the community on the line when she surrendered to the will of God.  Her very life was at stake, for a woman to be found with child out of wedlock was to be stoned to death under the Law.

Consider Elizabeth.  It was a shameful thing for a woman to be barren.  In Bible times, it was considered to be a punishment from God for a woman to be childless.  Often friends and relatives questioned their piety.  Women often suffered reproach from others, as their family and friends wrongly judged her, thinking, “If she was right with God, He would bless her with children.”

Mary was going to stay with a woman who was looked down upon in society.  She had to overlook the stigma of shame attached to Elizabeth.  Elizabeth had to overlook the possible consequences of Mary’s situation.  She would be welcoming into her home a woman who potentially deserved death.  With so much going against them in the natural, what was it that enabled them to link up with one another to find the fullness of God in their relationship?

The answer is simple.  Both Mary and Elizabeth had submitted their relationships to His Lordship.  They were able to experience the flow of God in their lives because they allowed God to be in control.  As such, they could respond to the spirit, and without fear.  And in doing so, instead of experiencing loneliness and confusion, they both experienced comfort and consolation.  God has a Mary for every Elizabeth, and an Elizabeth for every Mary.

Don’t miss your divine appointment this Christmas season.  God has a Mary or Elizabeth for you!  Open up your eyes and heart to see her….and don’t be afraid to cross the great divide of differences to connect spirit to spirit.  He wants to bless you!

There was someone in my life with whom I felt “the great divide.”  It was my mother.  But it was precisely my mother to whom God was sending me to be my Elizabeth.

The most impossible person in my life was my mother.  I prayed for 25 years, “God don’t take my mother until I know her.”  At 85, when she was given 6 months to live due ot a terminal heart condition, I knew it was my season to get to know Mom.  I tried everything to reach her, but nothing worked until I took Mom out on the golf course.  I taught her how to play golf at 85!  It was amazing!  Mom and I developed a perfect friendship on the golf course.  Our friendship grew.  At 88, I helped her start her own house-cleaning business, and took her on a legacy vacation to Nova Scotia.  At 89, she started public speaking.  At 90, I entered her into her first golf tournament, the Grandma Open, which I created just for her!  At 91, she died my best friend.  Together, and through the grace of God, we turned 6 months into 7 years—and created a whole new legacy for us in her latter days.  If God can do it for us, He can do it for you!!

An additional application to the Mary/Elizabeth story:

Christmas is a time when families get together, and so often there is great joy, and so often there is great pain.  Celebration and loneliness.  Joy and bitterness.  Love and estrangement.  I believe that God wants to do a work in families this Christmas—to bring a leap of hope in the womb of your family this Christmas.  I believe God wants to build bridges, carve out destinies, fashion fresh hope, grant understanding, have you unwrap gifts of encouragement and faith.  How will it happen?  By taking the same steps Mary and Elizabeth did:

  1. They responded to the inner voice of the Spirit.  What is God prompting you to do?
  2. Mary traveled the distance to see Elizabeth.  Sometimes it is stressful to put forth the effort to travel and pay the price to make the trip—but do it!
  3. They both looked beyond social stigmas.  Okay, your Aunt Betty may be losing her memory and tell how when she grew up she only had one pair of shoes, so why do you need another pair—but there is a treasure of God in her for you if you will look beyond the things that separate you to the things that bring you together.
  4. They shared something  in common:  They were both pregnant.  Share what you have in common that brings you together, and gets you looking forward.
  5. God was accomplishing His divine will through relatives.  Many times we do not believe in a divine purpose with our families—we may believe in demonic purpose!  God wants us to believe in something good—and to receive His good.  Open your heart to the new thing God wants to do.
  6. Their visit had limits.  After three months Mary returned home.  Know your limits on your trip.  Don’t stay longer than what drains you of your energy and spirit.  Many people say three days is a good amount of time to spend with relatives.  Don’t feel guilty for not feeling able to stay longer.   Creating a lasing memory is more important than how long the visit lasts.
  7. Be courageous.  Both Mary and Elizabeth took relational risks to connect.  Take your risk in the Lord.  Guard your heart and go!

If you want a more detailed coach training on how to get a relationship turnaround or special connection with a loved one this Christmas, please visit:

shotsofjoy.com

I will show you how to send out a shot of joy!

Blessings,

Veronica Karaman

Author, The Mary-Elizabeth Story

Founder, True Champion Coaching

On the Road to Championship: This Little Light of Mine…I’m Goina’ Let It Shine

May 16, 2017

small trophy

In just twenty-four days I will be playing in a Qualifying tournament for the Women’s U.S. Open.  Most likely, I will be the oldest one in the field, and the player with the least amount of play time to prepare.  However, the Holy Spirit led me to enter, so I am connected to a secret power from on high!  He is my confidence.  At the same time, I MUST prepare to the extent I am able, as I have entered a quest to play in a national championship.  “What is the best way for me to train and be ready with the limited amount of time I have?”  I ask myself this question on a daily basis.

When you are entering a championship, you cannot think incrementally. You have to think, “How can I best run my race to WIN?”  That doesn’t necessarily mean score, but process.  In other words, “How can I fully engage my heart in the process of preparing for the championship—and leave the results to God for the outcome?”  It’s about the training, calling myself up higher, and becoming something and someone I would not have reached had I not entered the championship.

I know that it will be a grueling day of 36 holes of golf from the longest tees on the course.  The heat will be high here in Florida.  One of the ways I can prepare is to put myself in the atmosphere of high heat now.  I decided going to hot yoga classes would be a great way to work on my endurance, make heat my friend, maximize my time, and get some great work in on flexibility, endurance, stamina, strength, balance, and an increased range of motion. There is nothing better.

I found a place only five minutes from where I am staying here in Florida.  To my pleasant surprise, the instructor is not only a master teacher, but nurse.  That means that she is grounded in the knowledge of physiology as well as movement. We struck up an instant friendship as I told her my aim.  I also told her my move in my swing that needed fixed.

She surprised me in the last class when she said, “Veronica, we’ve been thinking about you.  Here’s where I think your problem is with your swing from a muscular standpoint.  Your deltoids and upper back on your right side is weak and needs opened up.  Please know we see you, now know you, and will help you.”  Wow!  After putting us through a grueling but doable exercise routine, I felt my entire frame re-adjusted.  I even felt different walking down the fairway yesterday with my shoulders more opened, facing upwards and backwards, as opposed to forward—and strong.  I felt like a champion walking down the fairway!  She truly did let her light shine towards me with all her personal attention and knowledge. I was so appreciative of her expertise, as her approach was not weird and spooky, but practically grounded in the wisdom of sound physiology and movement.

I wondered when I would get a chance to shine my light in return.  It came this morning as I told her about the results of her training in my body and swing.  We spoke about the importance of alignment. I told her that is my approach in my performance and life coaching practice.  “I have a specific process that puts people into alignment spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically.  It doesn’t matter their goal is.  The process of whole person alignment always leads to breakthrough.  The system puts people into transformation naturally—and most often in an accelerated fashion with extraordinary results.”

“Now you got the Budda thing going on,” she said.  I knew she was referring to the process of transforming lives. However, now I needed to let my light shine. “Well, actually it’s not Budda.  It’s Jesus Christ.”  “It’s all the same thing,” she replied.  “Jesus is not Budda.  Budda didn’t die on a cross for my sins.”  “It’s all energy,” she responded.  “I believe that ultimate reality is not an energy force or a philosophy.  It’s a person—the person of Jesus Christ.  He is the way, the truth, and the life.”  She continued from her vantage point:  “I can see the light in your eyes. There are a lot of people here with that light.”  “That light is the light of Jesus Christ,” I said, looking at her with love in my eyes.

At that point, she had to attend to another student.  I walked out of the studio glad to have released my voice of spiritual leadership, having engaged my culture.   I believe true Christianity is not just a matter of praying your prayers and having intimacy with God.  It is a matter of both intimacy and letting my light shine as I intentionally and openly engage with the culture.  I know there are a lot of believers who would separate themselves from what they would consider to be darkness.  Light is light.  I never allow the system of the world to influence me negatively.  I am committed to influencing my culture. Why?  Because of WHO I AM.  I am the light of the world!  That is WHO Jesus calls us to be.  I do not shine my light out of duty or responsibility.  I share it out of IDENTITY.

When you know who you are, you are FREE to speak, to change any atmosphere you are in, because you OWN the spiritual atmosphere if you are a believer and have the Holy Spirit in you.

The Son of Man came eating and drinking with others, and they say, ‘Behold, a                    glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’  Yet wisdom is                    justified by what she does (her deeds) and by her children.”  (Matthew 11:19)

Don’t isolate yourself from darkness in the culture. Penetrate it with your light.  Know who you are. The Kingdom of God is within you.  You take it everywhere you go, from the first tee to the exercise mat to the boardroom to the grocery store.

“This little light of mine…I’m goina’ let it shine…”  I am hopeful, should God anoint me on that day, I will let it shine all the way to the U.S. Open.

If not, I am now strong, free, and ready to slay some giants because of an intentional pursuit to call myself up higher.

Join me.  The air is rare up here.

 

8 Keys to a Fresh Start

Teddy and pink hat

Sometimes what you think is a beginning is actually an ending.

I discovered this truth when I packed up all my earthly belongings last December, put them in storage, and jumped in my car to “move” from North Carolina to Virginia Beach to find my new beginning. I had been through a season of immeasurable loss and needed to “find my new.”

Knowing that the only way I was going to find it was by TAKING ACTION, I grabbed onto my spirit, released courage, and headed back to familiar territory to establish what I thought would be a new sense of family.  Mentally, I had to give myself permission to explore, to give myself some time to see if moving back to where I had once lived would be my solution for family, not having any of my own.  If it worked out, great.  If not, I would at least know, as this was where my long term friends were.

It was an excruciatingly hard year, amazingly freeing, but not in the way I thought.  The people I thought who would be family to me were no longer in the picture.  I had to come to terms with my past, truly lay it to rest, along with any notion of “what was” to “still be.”  I discovered some deep truths about a new beginning, especially one that God builds:

  1. You can’t start a new beginning with old energy.  Going back to where I lived before was old.  Familiar and new cannot be sipped out of the same cup.  New is new.  My spirit was crying out for something brand new.  If you want new, don’t go back to old.
  2. You are a product of your culture.  We are not products of our own being.  We are products of our environment.  I needed an environment of vitality, and the city I had grown to love, no longer provided that vitality.  If I wanted a new culture, I had to go where new culture existed for me.
  3. Until you get delivered from foundational lies, you are not free to enter into new life. Period. I had to face and extinguish the foundational lie that my life was meant to be lived alone.  While I have tasted great glory in my life, I have also tasted great suffering, most of it self-induced.  God brought a great pastor into my life, who in one divine sovereign setup, helped me to discover the lie that has sabotaged most of my life, a false identity put on my by a sin of omission by my parents.  I was never nurtured emotionally—and so I took on a lie—a false identity that my life was meant to be lived in an emotional isolation.  Until you deal with your fundamental life-lie, you will not get to your new.  As soon as that lie was broken off of me, I immediately recaptured my sense of true identity.  My life has not been the same since as I now feel whole.
  4. Don’t take so long to listen to your gut.  I wish I had a mentor in “gut training.”  It took me way too long to realize what my gut IS my best mentor.  To listen to it, trust it, and act on it is an act of self-love.
  5. When you are in “your new,” your whole being will know it.  Having just moved back to North Carolina about a week ago, my entire being was filled with the oxygen of life.  I could breathe again.  There is an emerging sense of exploring the new, not the old, and fresh hope, but this time with confidence of good things ahead.  It’s still been a leap of faith with much to fall into place, but there is no feeling like KNOWING you are in the right place.  My gut and every other atom of my being says so.  All this to say, all aspects of our being help us to make decisions.  While some are great logical thinkers, others rely on discernment.  Whatever your mode of decision-making is, all parts of our being speak to us.  If you want to get to your new, wake up and listen to each part of your speaking being.
  6. Accept total responsibility for creating your new, especially new relationships.  I often say to people, “We don’t have the power to fix, but we do have the power to create something brand new right in the middle of our mess.”  Renowned life-coach, Tim Storey, says, “A comeback is not a go back.”  In other words, we have to move forward into our new—and not go back to fix things to get to our new.  Take some time to reflect on what you don’t want—and that will open up your mind to consider the opposite—what you do want.  While I made some great new relationships which I will still take with me, I developed some deep confidence in my ability to form new relationships and open up my heart to life again.
  7. God is not in the improvement business.  When He does “new,” He bulldozers down the old to build a whole new foundation from the inside out.  When I allowed Him to “gut me,” I was utterly amazed at what happened afterwards:  after the past comes the future.  After the old comes the new.  After death is resurrection.  After winter comes spring.  Some loved ones I had totally relinquished are coming back into my life in a brand new way.  When all the old energy of strife, control, and bitterness were dissolved in my own heart, God is bringing about a fresh start.  Wow.
  8. Put yourself in the middle of the equation of life.  As a life-coach, I help a lot of people get new jobs, process their grief, resolve their interpersonal conflicts, set and achieve new goals, and expand their confidence.  One day I said to myself, “What about me?”  I help all these people and now it is my turn for my own life!  This led to my asking myself a lot of new questions I have never entertained.  More about that in an upcoming reflection. But for now, I have been on an eight year journey to get to my new.  Now I am here!  In the last two weeks, I have moved, lost 15 pounds, working on publishing a book I wrote, and expanding my influence.  All systems are go!  Praise the Lord!

What I thought was a new beginning in Virginia was really an ending.  I am now so grateful I went through the process of ending because now I am IN my new beginning. I don’t have to think it up, confess it up, imagine it up.  I did the work and I walked it up with God.  He brought me to it, and He is going to do the same for you!

If you deeply desire to make a shift in your life and make 2016 a banner year, a time for conquest, please reach out to me.  Let’s find a time to talk.  Remember, hoping, wishing, and even just praying, doesn’t change anything.  What is it costing you to stay where you are at?  Only taking action, inspired imperfect action will make the difference.  

More Family Joy

Teddy and pink hat

Join the 100 Shots of Joy Campaign: Elevating family relationships over the holidays                     I am looking for 100 families who want a transformation this season!

 It’s early November am I am already hearing Christmas music playing on the radio!  No doubt the merchandisers are already laser focused on making the holidays successful, but how about you? For many, the holidays are a wonderful time of year and for many it is a stressful, painful, and a time of separation. Whether you have a good relationship with your family, or need to leap over some landmines, could your family use more joy over the holidays?  Could you use more joy this time of year? Would you like to reach the heart of your family or that estranged  loved one in a new way?

Christmas is relational gift.  This is an opportunity to reconcile, reclaim, and rejoice in the heartbeat of your family.  It’s a time to not only open gifts, but turn closed hearts into open hearts towards one another in a new way. I will show you how!

In Breakthrough to More Family Joy Over the Holidays, I will share with you:

  1. My story to give you fresh hope.  You will hear my amazing story of redeeming a lost relationship with my mother.  Together we turned Mom’s 6 month death sentence into 7 fruitful years. What began with “the impossible divide,” characterized by bitterness and emotional separation ended with Mom dying as my best friend at Christmas time.
  2. One Simple Strategy you can immediately implement that can usher in a brand new start or fresh atmosphere in your family dynamics.
  3. The 3 Dynamics of Creating Joy. You don’t have the power to fix someone, but you do have tremendous power to create authentic connections and change atmospheres.  The key to transforming any relationship lies in your conversations.

My goal is to transform at least 100 families this Christmas season by infusing fresh joy into the family atmosphere and creating fresh heart-filled connections.  If you would like to experience more joy in your life this Christmas season, please join me for the upcoming free webinar and be one of my 100 Shots of Joy Families!

“I reconciled with my brother thanks to Shots of Joy!”  Rose, Raleigh                                                    “My son and I have a brand new start.”  Dyane M., Wake Forest                                                            “My relationship with my husband has never been better!”  Carol, Durham 

 “You can’t change a person, but you can change the atmosphere!” 

Veronica Karamanis the founder of True Champion Coaching.  An author, speaker, and spiritual mentor, she is a transformational life coach who specializes in applying principles of peak performance to help others achieve results beyond their expectations in record time.  She is a graduate of Duke University and Regent University, and received her certification as a professional life-coach through Life-Forming Leadership, Inc.  Veronica’s background as a professional golfer brings a unique perspective to achieving personal and professional goals. She currently resides in Virginia Beach.

Call to register for the upcoming More Family Joy Presentation in Pinehurst:

Sunday, December 6                                                                                                                               Longleaf Family Golf Club                                                                                                                           10 Knoll Rd, Southern Pines, NC                                                                                                                  
3 – 5 pm                                                                                                                                                             $25

Call to register:  757-407-1907  or email: veronica@truechampioncoaching.com

To listen to the replay of my recent free webinar and check out resources:  shotsofjoy777.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Second Blossoming Life-Breakthrough Sessions

The-Second-Blossoming_FINAL

Are you stuck? Have you been yearning for a new beginning but don’t know how to get there?Are you wondering how to find your life, your voice, and the fulfilling life you desire?

You are cordially invited to a special life-coach introductory training with Professional life-coach, Veronica Karaman on how to step out of the old and into the new to create a new you and a life you love. It’s your time now!

Two options:          Sunday, July 12 , 3-5:30 pm            Saturday, August 15, 9:30-12:00 pm          Virginia Beach

Discover:  3 Keys for stepping out of the old and into the new                                                 The number one mindset shift in getting unstuck and moving forward                                     How to start loving yourself first!

 You will step into a brand new inner freedom and direction for life as you learn to cultivate your inner garden and enjoy connecting at the heart level with other inspiring women.

“Veronica reminds us who we are as women and connects us to our warrior spirit.” Becky, NC

“Through The Second Blossoming I found the courage to dream again.”  Lynn C., Va. Beach

“Veronica’s coaching gave me great confidence to pursue and find my dream job.”  Kim D.

These sessions are limited to 25 women and will fill up quickly.  Register today to secure your spot. To Register, call 757-407-1907  or email: veronica@truechampioncoaching.com                $40 introductory fee.    Karaman True Champion Coaching,                                                           P.O. Box 65171, Virginia Beach, VA 23467      Directions to follow.

Send yourself a shot of love this Valentine’s Day!

bloom dentis 2

Tomorrow is Valentines Day.  While people are offering  expressions of love to “that special someone,” I notice that there is a dearth of one kind of expression of love in particular. That is, the freedom to love and honor yourself.  In my coaching of mid-life women, I find this strong trend of women who have learned how to master the art of serving, submitting, and surrendering — but have trouble dreaming and achieving and LOVING themselves.  I can tell that a woman has entered her SECOND BLOSSOMING when she has made the decision to put herself first, not in a self-centered way, but in a “I matter, too, way.”  I have helped everyone else in my family blossom, and now it’s time for me!

Problem is, a lot of women don’t know what they truly want.  I was in the dentist chair this week and noticed the above blossom on the screen. “That reminds me of my Second Blossoming program,” I commented to the dental assistant.  Her ears perked up.  What do you mean?” she inquired as her spirit came to full attention.

I explained, “The Second Blossoming is a season of a woman’s life where what she has been doing isn’t working anymore.  A season of her life is completed and she yearns to step out of the old and into the new but doesn’t know how.”  “That’s me!” she exclaimed. My children are out of the home.  I am secure in my job, but I am ready for something new.  I’m yearning to soar into something new and spend this next 20 years of my life fully alive and significant.”  “That’s the Second Blossoming!” I replied.

I then invited her to join a company of women who are also ready to soar but need some flight training–some coaching and encouragement to soar into full bloom.  If that is you, and you are in the Va. Beach area, please join me on:

Saturday, February 28th from 10 am to noon                                     at The Spine Group, 2416 Virginia Beach Blvd., Va. Beach, VA            Contact: veronica@truechampioncoaching.com to Register            Only $25                                                                                                     Send yourself a shot of love today!

 

bloom dentist

You are invited to the Va. Beach Ladies Connection!

Veronica and Dr. J.

Veronica and Dr. J.

Start the year off strong, focused, and with your life on target. Are you ready to step out of the old and into the new? Is it finally time to make a fresh start and pursue new dreams? Would you like to create your life by design and not by default?

Join Dr. J. for this special women’s “shot of empowerment” event with Veronica Karaman, Transformational Life Coach 

Discover and activate the 3 Mindset Shifts to be Fearless and Free

Enjoy the company of other women dedicated to personal growth. Win a chance at a private life-coaching session, a $200 value!

Tuesday, February 3rd    6:30-8:30 pm or Saturday, February 7th   10am-noon  

 You will also hear Veronica’s inspirational story of how she empowered her elderly mother to bust loose from a 6 month death sentence at 85 to blossom for 7 more years! 

Introductory Fee: $25           Make checks payable to: Dr. Tara Johansen

Call The Spine Group to register for the Fearless and FreeLadies Connection                             422-2000                                                                                                                                                Location:  The Spine Group, 2416 Virginia Beach Blvd.   Space Limited. For more info, email Dr. Johansen at  backdoc4u@aol.com