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Funny... You don't look Asian...

How I came to be Lori Shin...



On some of my business stationery, I have the Kanji symbol shown above, as a design element. I remember going to an interview, and having the principals of the company I interviewed for look at me in a very odd way when I walked in. They said something to the effect that they thought I was Asian, because of my "logo" on my resume. The Kanji symbol is pronounced Shin. I adopted the symbol, because of my name. More on how that name came to be for me...



The symbol above is the Hebrew letter Shin. You can find the letter Shin on the mezuzah, a parchment housed in a decorative case, and affixed to the front doorframe of Jewish homes. On the parchment is a prayer in Hebrew that begins "Listen, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One." Shin is also the twenty-first letter in many sematic traditions. In Hebrew, Shin stands for the word Shaddai, a name for God.



In most cases, Shin is the translation for God or Spirit.

In 2004, I was transitioning, of sorts. My marriage was ending, I was working as a market researcher, and I was conducting high level interviews with decision makers on very expensive medical products, like CT Scan machines. Sometimes I wasn't able to talk to the person assigned to me, and my supervisor at the time asked me what name I would like to leave for a call back. She knew my martial situation, and what came through me was my last name to be left was Shin. I didn't ponder or ruminate about the name. I also knew it held a very strong vibration, and it humbled me to accept a name that would have me be reminded every day how I might live as a woman of spirit. I felt so grateful this energy came through me, and I felt both the acceptance and the fear that I could never live up to the task.

Those intense feelings marked the separation of not accepting my humanity along with my divinity. The journey to heal the split has been intense, and I still do the work. It's a daily practice, and I will work throughout my life, to accept the totality of who I am. As I learn more, through the the trainings I have been involved with, I've also committed to work with others as a catalyst for people to see their own brilliance. I've had many amazing teachers to guide me through this journey. I've learned from absolutely everyone, from spiritual leaders to everyday people.

I am reminded of Michael Beckwith (one of the featured people in the movie The Secret) and his words.

"God does not call the qualified; God qualifies the called."

I felt I was called, and still feel the call. I trust. It doesn't mean it doesn't scare me like hell. I just trust that through my practice, I will be guided, unencumbered by ego. I surrender my will. These days, it's an easy choice.

And I walk this path with spirit, with a lot of joy, humor, and awe.

Why Good People Do Bad Things

When we fully express and embody the totality of who we are, we heal and stand in our wholeness. When the expression of who we are gets denied or suppressed... well, read this book and see Why Good People Do Bad Things.



Being of Service

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Maria Robinson

In this present moment, I'm typing away at a keyboard, looking at an illuminated electronic screen, and digesting the past three days, and the journey I'm on. As integrative coaches and coaches in training with the Ford Institute of Integrative Coaching, we've had three days of gatherings, brainstorming, collective visioning, and this is a powerful, potent group of people who council together. We are from all over the world, from South Africa to Lebanon, to Florida, and everywhere in between. The collective assembly are here, gathering, to give a voice to their thread of the community fabric we weave, to be of service and to make a difference in the world. Some know they want to link into a collective vision, some have projects they already are passionate about, and we all talk out loud about keeping the energetic momentum going, with honesty and integrity. I am humbled and honored to walk this path with so many committed souls.


As I awoke from a very fitful night's sleep, my mind rested in the soft place of service, and I was compelled to scan my own personal history, and bring the question out into the open. What drives my desire to be of service.

It didn't take long to honor the roots of this dialog I was having with myself.


My maternal grandparents, Selma and Herman Bass were catalysts of sorts for my intention to make a difference. Although they believed in the Zionist movement of having a home to all Jews (focusing on Israel), I couldn't call their actions pure Zionist actions. They did believe that Jews should be free to practice their faith in a place of safety. They did take action on a consistent basis, to raise money for Jews to immigrate to the United States. This was at a time, during the Second World War, where it wasn't safe for all to practice their beliefs. I don't have any idea of how many people my grandparents helped, but if even one person was saved by my grandfather and grandmother raising funds for a person to immigrate, that's huge.

Selma and Herman left Europe with my mother and my aunt when it was a clear and present danger to stay in Europe and fall victim to impending oppression. They came to the United States, and settled in Cleveland, Ohio. In Luxembourg, my grandfather owned a furniture factory (beautiful pieces of the furniture are still in the family; a few pieces came to the U.S.). In Europe, my grandparents lived a good, somewhat privileged life.

They started over with their two teenage daughters, rebuilding and recreating a new life in America. And my grandparents chose to be of service to others.

When I was growing up, my grandmother always volunteered for things she believed in. She served in the Jewish community in many ways. My mother and my aunt also volunteered their time and talents to many causes, from political ideals, to serving on arts commissions. It's no wonder that I have followed this path to service.

I volunteer in my dance community, offering anything from support to other dancers, to picking up dance camp participants from the airport (people come from all over the world to study the 5Rhythms practice with Melissa Michaels, a first-generation student of Gabrielle Roth's).

I volunteer at etown, a variety/music show that's taped for play on NPR stations. Yes, volunteering can be of service and fun! And I'm gaining clarity on my role with the Collective Heart, the branch of the Ford Institute that is making a difference by building a green school in Uganda, envisioning a transformational approach with education, and we as a collective have only just begun.

Whether you are linked in with a volunteer organization, or want to contribute, doing your part can make a difference. It feels good to give, and in that giving, you will receive. That's how circulation works!

Come join us in creating a world with limitless possibilities. www.thecollectiveheart.org

My Everyday Prayer

Gracious Spirit

• Allow all my actions to be motivated by love.
• Allow me to be detached from all outcomes, and allow the Universe to surprise and delight me.
• Allow gratitude to permeate every cell of my physical being, to spill over into my thoughts and deeds; grateful for even the painful experiences as they open the door to great teachings and wisdom, and the pleasurable experiences, as I relish and savor each delicious offering with curiosity and awe.
• Open me up to more giving from my heart, and more receiving with my heart, as this is the way energy and abundance circulates.
• Allow me to recognize I am always held in the unified field of love and abundance, where all possibility exists.
  
• Let me suspend all judgment in all matters, including myself.
• Allow silence into my life, as well as breath.
• Inspire me to choose consciously; as I choose for myself, I also choose for the larger community.

Let me be used, O Beloved Spirit, to be sourced and resourced, to be filled, and emptied, and filled again, as I journey passionately in this life.

When Life Isn’t Fair… How are You Going to Respond?

Right now, things are topsy-turvy in our world. Globally, financial institutions seem like people diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. One day up, the next day tanking. People are following suit, reactive to the outer world. There's been a lot of denial, poor choices, and a blatant lack of responsibility.

I’m not saying this as a victim, but life isn’t fair. So what can I do to respond, stay grounded and maintain my bearing, when the compass isn’t reading the directions of North, South, East, and West in the usual way?

As an observer, how is it that I can have a great credit score, have never had any late payments with any bills, never have filed for bankruptcy, have equity in my home and work for myself, and still be turned down for refinancing, while people who have been late for payments and trashed their credit over and over be offered greater financial options and lower mortgage payments on their property that might have been foreclosed on.

I do everything in my power to be responsible in my choices and actions.



Yes, life isn’t fair. Yet, how I respond is the only guide to live by. And being 100% responsible is the guiding compass that points me in the direction of where I desire to go. I have to stop reflecting what is going on with others, and really steer the course of my own ship, and stay the course.

I may not like how thing are, but if I stay attached to the belief that they should be different, I am not only asking, I am begging for my own dose of suffering, resentment, and righteousness. I become a victim. I will insist on blaming someone else for situations and circumstances in my life, and I ultimately will be giving my power away.

I don’t consciously surrender my personal power to others these days. I used to, but being a victim isn’t very empowering. Coach training and being coached allows me to take actions that will propel me toward what I want, instead of focusing on what I don't want.

I do surrender my positions to my spiritual practice, with the sincere acceptance to see situations and circumstances in a way I can learn and grow from. I have never been disappointed in that simple act of letting go of the thoughts, beliefs, and positions that don’t serve me, and to ask for that willingness for acceptance to permeate through every cell of my being. I have always been supported by the spiritual source I come from, and eventually will return to. If certain thoughts don’t serve my higher self, they don’t serve the greater good. Then I will be contributing to the global toxicity, instead of allowing a greater good to flow through me, and open me up to new possibilities.

With that action of willingness, acceptance, and surrender, I really can serve the world, with authenticity and humility. That's a response that could ignite a quiet revolution! Try it!

When the news isn't good

No, the news isn't good. Last month, a record of new people filed for unemployment compensation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the news that nearly 600, 000 people lost their jobs in January 2009 alone.

No doubt, this isn't news for most people. It hits people directly, with who they know, how they spend their money, and aims straight to the core of their ability to be safe and secure in how they will survive.

On February 5th, the small technology and research company I work with as a graphic designer made a difficult decision to restructure into a not-for-profit venture. It was a choice that wasn't easy for the founders of the company to make, but in order for their product to penetrate through to their primary markets of speech language pathologists, research institutions, and universities in a profound way, the company had to move swiftly.

By the end of February 2009, two-thirds of the people I worked with will be laid off. Some people were gone that very Thursday afternoon on February 5th. My hours have been reduced, but I'm still working to do what I know how to aid in the company restructure. 

I've come to know and care about these amazing, professional people, and have respect for each and every one of them. I know any employer would be fortunate to have any of these people involved in their company. Each person has a story of their life. I honor those stories. I don't think many of the people I work with are "stuck" in their stories, though. This is a group of people who seem healthy in how they process their feelings and emotions, and then they take action to move in the direction they want their lives to go.

For me, I have to filter how much news I receive from the media these days. I'm not in denial, and I don't know many people who haven't been affected by the economy. Yet a steady diet of bad news can paralyze opportunity, dreams, and intentions. I want to mobilize and take action. I know that focusing on what I want is more productive than focusing on what I don't want, or even what I fear. It's time to build that place of fearlessness within.

I've started building my social network stronger, because support will make the difference in how I respond to life. Join my network here with Linked In.