You already know our appearance and grooming impacts others perception of our Leadership and Executive Presence qualities.

But sometimes, being well-groomed isn’t enough to exude confidence. Especially when you are feeling diffident inside or you’re going through a patch of low self-esteem.

The right crystal or gemstone can support you at work to demonstrate that you have the goods and are worthy of being considered for a Leadership role.

I’ve touched upon many crystals for different purposes in my post Tap into the Magic of Crystals and even suggested a gem bath in my post on wearing jewellery while bathing.

In this post, I’m focusing on 5 crystals & gemstones that enhance our inner qualities and support us when we need them most.

They will help you at work but first, let me put in a few caveats here.

Firstly, you do need to possess the qualities that demonstrate Executive Presence and Leadership potential.

If you aren’t sure if you have what it takes, please work through Karmic Ally Coaching’s Executive Presence Checklist.

It isn’t uncommon for me to suggest a particular gem or crystal during a coaching call. Either to support them for a difficult meeting or to supplement a chakra exercise .

Sometimes I recommend crystals along with other techniques to boost their confidence and manage stress over the coaching call.

That’s how Wise Guides support their Heroine or Hero during their journey to success with special magic.

Secondly, when we talk about using stones to boost our confidence and demonstrate presence, we aren’t by any stretch of imagination recommending that you wear every ring, earring, bracelet or necklace to work.

Remember how Melanie Griffith was perceived in Working Girl when she wore the wrong attire and was a walking bling horse?

What happened when she got her hair styled, changed her wardrobe and started using fashionable understated jewellery?

It’s always good to have 1 statement jewellery piece.

For example, a strand of pearls that gets you noticed but not enough to distract people from what you are trying to say.

Thirdly, in order to get the most out of this tool, you need to have 3 elements in place.

Need – There’s a difference between a need and a want. The latter is something nice to have while to have a need is a burning desire to have the outcome.

Emotion – You must feel the need intensely to activate your ability to receive the power of the crystal or gemstone.

Think of the times when you’ve gone on a diet and actually lost weight. What was going on in your mind – the need to lose weight & the emotions involved. Wasn’t your success linked to these 2 elements?

Knowledge – knowing which crystal is important to help you achieve your goal is as important as understanding the qualities of the crystal and how to use it.

With my caveats out of the way, here are my 5 favourite confidence building crystals that work like a dream.

To get the most out of them, they need to either touching your skin or have a hole in the mount to enable light to pass through so your body can absorb the energy of the crystal.

If wearing a piece of jewelry is not possible for you at work, then keep the stone in your pocket and touch it from time to time.

Hessonite Garnet to stay grounded

The Hessonite Garnet is historically important in India because of its place in Vedic Astrological tradition. It is one of the 9 planetary gemstones along with ruby, diamond, pearl, red coral, blue sapphire, cat’s eye, yellow sapphire and emerald.

Hessonite is associated with the planet Rahu. This important planet that has the capability of affecting and making an impact on the life of an individual.

In truth, Rahu is not a planet but the north node of the moon. But because of its ability to impact human life, it is accorded the status of a planet in Vedic Astrology.

The scriptures recommend Hessonite Garnet or Gomedh as it is called in Sanskrit as this planet’s stone.

Wearing this stone helps protect the person from the malefic influences of Rahu and also help them tap into the beneficial powers of this planet.

Wearing this gemstone can bring success, longevity, good health (especially for cataracts) wealth, prosperity and recognition to the wearer.

For a professional who wants to show up as confident exuding executive presence, Hessonite is a good ally.

It protects the mind from fear and negativity while providing clarity of vision and effective articulate communication.

These are qualities of a professional with Executive Presence and a good leader!

If self-confidence is a problem for you, then in addition to studying my course Self-Confidence in Eight Steps, wearing a Hessonite Garnet on your person is a good supplement.

The Hessonite is also a Root Chakra stone and helps the user to formulate goals and strategies to achieve success in one’s job or business.

Citrine for luck and wealth

Citrine is one of my favorite crystals when it comes to wealth and good luck. A Solar Plexus Crystal, it is also called a Wisdom Stone and helps give the wearer confidence during meetings and interviews.

Other benefits of Citrine include aiding the circulatory system, cleaning the blood and protecting the body from urinary, kidney and digestive diseases. These ailments are often found in stressed out professionals or those of us who are sensitive to our environment.

It helps professionals with low self-esteem accept constructive criticism and how to act on it.

So if you are going in for a meeting with the boss, especially an annual appraisal, this stone will help you take in information, analyse situations and then work in the right direction.

Working towards a deadline or facing a difficult situation? Keep a citrine in your pocket. Hold it until you feel poised and back in control.

Tigers Eye for calm and protection

I’ll be honest – I love Tigers Eye, a protective stone. It helps to keep us calm, balancing and clearing emotions so we can maintain a peaceful disposition.

It also promotes wealth and money.

Did you know Roman Soldiers used to wear Tiger’s Stone engraved with symbols for protection during battle.

The Tigers Eye can help us at work by

• Focusing our mind
• Bringing insights into complex situations
• Ground and centre our energy and
• Protect us from negative energies

Pearl for luck and money

Pearls are associated with the Moon and are considered to have the powers of love, money, luck and protection.

I find pearls to be good for showing elegance at work provided it is a set of earrings or a strand of pearls.

Technically speaking, a pearl is neither a crystal nor a gemstone since it isn’t a mineral but an organic matter.

Yet they are considered for metaphysical purposes because they help attune the wearer to the cycles that life takes by calming and centering them.

They are invaluable for those of us who hate Mondays and the perfect jewelry to tap into the power of the Moon on its day.

Pearls help us to enhance our qualities of truth, integrity and loyalty.

Because of its feminine energy, it’s more common for women to wear pearls. In Vedic Astrology, men too wear a pearl ring on their right hand pinkie.

Clear Quartz the Master Healer

I’ve saved the best for last – the all-rounder crystal Clear Quartz.

A revered stone in metaphysical work, clear quartz is also known as the ‘Master Healer’ crystal. It is used to help clear blockages, stimulate the immune system, aid concentration and enhance memory.

It deepens the meditative state and helps balance the body and in particular the Third Eye, Crown and Soul Star Chakras.

Use it in the form of tumbled stones in your pocket or as a pendant in its long natural pointed form, you will definitely see the benefits.

I remember a former colleague of mine who brought in a major franchising company in the healthcare sector keeping fist size pointed clear quartz in each of his pockets.

He claimed it helped him to articulate better at meetings and remember everything he had to say to recruit franchisees.

Considering how successful he was in his project, I will not doubt his claims.

There’s evidence of using clear quartz crystal stones for programming. They are used in everyday gadgets such as computers, radios and cell phones because they are able to store and retrieve information!

I prefer having this crystal near me at all times for its ability to protect the aura from energy vampires, general negativity in the environment and electromagnetic frequencies from equipment that we use for work.

Final words on crystals and gems for Executive Presence

Tapping into the power of a crystal or gem for support when we are lacking in confidence works. You need to have faith in the ability of this tool to give you the booster that you need.

It is not a panacea for not showing up in your best form or doing the work.

The mind and body work together. The best gift you can give yourself is to practice balancing both with chakra exercises so you present yourself as a Leader who can be relied upon.

Learning to listen to your intuition will direct you to choose the right tool for the right situation.

Which gemstone or crystal do you use when you need to show up with confidence?

PS. These gemstones and crystals will supplement your efforts to build up your self-confidence to exude Executive Presence.

Do you have the 15 habits that characterize Executive Presence? Get my checklist and find out!

Download Karmic Ally Coaching’s Executive Presence Checklist and mini-course here.

Anger management was bound to be discussed on social media after Will Smith’s slap was seen and heard around the world.

After Academy Award winner Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock during the Oscars Sunday night in response to a joke about Smith’s wife, a worldwide discussion has started. It’s all about how to manage anger before it escalates to violence.

Anger is defined as “an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage,” according to Dr. Charles Spielberger, a psychologist who specializes in the study of anger.

It reminded me of the road rage incident that inspired this post years ago and the need to raise our threshold level. It becomes relevant if you’re trying to demonstrate Gravitas and composure is an issue for you.

This guy needs anger management training- like yesterday

I witnessed an amazing anger scene yesterday afternoon while driving home. There I was driving peacefully when the vehicles in front of me slowed down to a crawl thanks to a truck which was blocking the way.

A short while later, I saw an angry young man in a red tee shirt charging towards the truck.

Before I knew it, he had managed to climb up the wheel and was engaged in a fist cuff fight with the truck driver. That too while hanging precariously from the door of the truck!

The man’s anger had made him blind to the immediate consequences of his action.

No thought that this was a busy arterial road where cars were driving by fast. What if the truck driver got it into his head to drive off? He could fall down and get injured. Perhaps fatally?

I don’t know what happened next as I drove on but I did see a policeman walking in that direction. So I’m guessing the angry man would have found a place to cool his heels.

Anger in itself is neither good nor bad.  It depends upon the type of anger.

If the anger leads to constructive actions, then it serves a purpose but if anger is destructive, then it has to be managed.

A powerful tip to raise your threshold level

There are many ways to manage anger but the best ones are those that help to raise our threshold to anger.

One technique is to use the color blue to help raise our resilience to anger.

Blue is cooling and relaxing in nature. A calming color, it is considered well for reducing anger.

Blue is also associated with the throat chakra, which deals with willpower and communication.  The color blue can be used for throat problems, asthma, stress, and migraine.

This week, why not try using the colour blue and see how it affects your mood and anger levels?

I recommend 3 easy ways to test whether blue works for you without anybody even knowing it!

• Try wearing clothes which are predominantly blue –say a blue shirt, blue tie, blue scarf, blue dress and even blue accessories. You don’t have to go completely blue – just an item of clothing or accessory.

• If you feel angry and are practicing breathing methods to calm yourself, enhance your chosen method by visualizing blue colored scenes or objects– a blue sky, a blue ocean, a blue flower while practicing your calming technique.

• Use a blue colored bulb in your lamp. When you want to relax, sit in a room which is otherwise completely dark and switch on your blue light lamp.  You will notice a difference in the relaxation level achieved.

Using colors to manage anger may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

But wouldn’t it be fun to test the color blue for anger management? It might just work for you!

Written By: Vatsala Shukla

Blue Flower by Jon Sullivan

This post was originally published in April 2013 and has been updated.

Ever met with a friend, acquaintance or complete stranger at a get together or spoken to someone on the telephone and felt completely exhausted or drained out?

Maybe you have even gotten into a bad mood and snappy?

Guess what, you have been exposed to an emotional vampire who managed to get through your auric shield!

On the surface, it could have been that you were suffering from fatigue or not in a very receptive frame of mind. On the other hand, it could also have happened when you were perfectly alright.

It could be that your energies were affected by outside forces which invaded your space due to a weakness in your own energy system. You could have avoided it. Or at least contained to prevent a sense of energy drain out if you had a robust stress management routine in place.

Stress management and a strong aura are 2 sides of the same coin

Successful stress management requires that we live as balanced a life as we can, which means eat well, sleep well, exercise well and a whole host of other wells to keep you in balance.

The same applies when we speak of auras, our shield to protecting our energies. A strong aura can also help us to cope better with the stress in our lives. With a strong and vibrant aura, negative, draining and unbalanced energies are deflected. Think of it as an invisible boundary between yourself, others and the environment.

The aura benefits from positive health practices. In other words, proper diet, exercise and fresh air strengthen our auric field while lack of exercise, sleep, indulging in excessive or under eating, inordinate consumption of tobacco and alcohol all weaken the auric field.

10 activities that strengthen the aura and build stress resilience

From a stress management perspective, the steps to take would include:

• Physical exercise, which also produces endorphins and a sense of well-being

• Get as much fresh air as is possible. Try to step out of the office during lunch time for a short walk or just go outside the office for a few minutes

• Eat less food but more frequently

• Make sure the diet contains green vegetables and fruits

• Sunlight – the vitamins in the sun rays are good for activating your pituitary gland

• Meditate – it helps to balance your mind and rid it of mental clutter

• Chanting or listening to music – no hard and fast rules here, do whichever one works for you. Keep in mind that the music should soothe you, not further aggravate you

• Lighting incense sticks or using aroma oils – the best would be sage, lavender, gardenia or lemon grass

• Breath properly – Practice pranayam, which is essentially nostril breathing

• Do things in moderation

Additional Resources from The Karmic Ally Coaching Blog

I originally wrote this post way back in September 2011 when my blog was barely 3 months old! I’ve added this section to compile a few select resources that provide guidance on the 3 doable areas outlined above. There are lots of other posts that can help with aura strengthening and stress management. You’re invited to check them out as well.  

Meditation as a tool for Stress management

Let the Sunshine In

De-stressing with music

Emotional Vampire
Stress Management with Chakra Balancing Exercises

I’m curious, have you ever dealt with emotional vampires? How do you take charge of the situation to prevent yourself from getting exhausted or experience an unknown mood change? 

Written by: Vatsala Shukla

During the Aura session of one of my Creative Visualization Programs, we had a discussion on negative vibrations that some people emit which can bring down our vibration level and affect our ability to attract good abundance into our lives.

One participant spoke about a dear friend whose phone calls meant discussing issues that left the listener drained and low while the friend felt much better- a clear case of low and negative energy being transferred.

Avoiding the friend was not an option although the participant had started to limit the calls. The Group worked on solutions which were effective and today I am going to share one that had consensus and does not require a belief in Law of Attraction or Creative Visualization.

It is a simple way to find and exude happiness around you – The Power of Appreciation.

Focusing on the small things that make Life beautiful

In simple words, practice appreciating all that is good in your life and all that is going well. Appreciate your family, your friends, your job and anything that you know makes your life better because there are many that do not have what you do.

For example, when you receive your pay-slip and notice that there is a higher deduction for tax; appreciate the fact that you have the job and are earning an amount that has moved you to a higher tax bracket. It will put a spring in your step whether you believe that it will attract more money and more tax!

Now think about making your environment more conducive to happiness. When was the last time you said something nice to a family member, a friend or a colleague and really meant it? If you cannot remember, then it is time to do some sincere, genuine appreciation. If you cannot think of anything to say; how about a Thank You? It works too, you know.

The other person feels appreciated and may reciprocate with appreciation or may not. So what? You will feel good for doing well without expecting anything back in return.

If the thought of vocalizing appreciation makes you uncomfortable, then use the Gratitude List to assist in reframing your thoughts.

Some of us, including myself do it last thing at night while reviewing the day. It is interesting how an otherwise bad day could have had something good in it. Positivity reigns supreme and a good night’s rest is assured.

Alternatively, start your day by thinking of 3 things that you are grateful for or which you appreciate.

How about appreciating the fact that you will be driving to work in your car rather than using public transport or appreciating that you got up early enough to read the newspaper or sip the morning tea in peace?

Starting your day with appreciation shifts your mindset into positivity and abundance mode which means you are a happier person and attract more happiness through the course of the day.

Besides, whatever may happen during the day, you can handle it since you got off to a good start.

Better still, take the late Wayne Dyer’s advice:

“Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you. Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles around you. This five-minute-a-day regimen of appreciation and gratitude will help you to focus your life in awe.”

Try it for size and remember to come back to this post and share your experience!

Changing a habit or attitude can be daunting at times. How good are you with change management?

Start your journey with The Karmic Ally Coaching Experience  Change Management Quiz by  clicking here or on the image below. It’s on the house!

Written by: Vatsala Shukla

Nice Flower by George Hodan

Crystals can also be used for Manifestation of our desires and as a supportive tool while using the Law of Attraction to bring about changes in our lives. 

My personal favourite is the multipurpose Amethyst. Quite often people whom I meet and establish an immediate rapport with are also intuitively drawn to the Amethyst. Interesting, isn’t it?

Such is the power of this beautiful crystal, which works on more than one Chakra. An intuition enhancing stone, meditating with the Amethyst helps to balance both the Third Eye Chakra as well as the Crown Chakra.

The Amethyst’s vibration helps to calm emotions and is a favoured crystal for aura protection as well as for developing psychic powers.

Those of us who practice the Law of Attraction know that a raised vibration level helps with the manifestation process.

Thinking positive thoughts, repeating positive affirmations and gratitude support our intense desire and conceptualization.

Using crystals supports us by lending us their vibrations and strengthening our auric fields. You may wish to program your crystal to be used during meditation to manifest your desire. Or you may simply choose to carry it on your person in the form of jewelry or in your pocket. I find that works too.

The wonderful Rose Quartz, which I consider to be the Happiness Stone, has the ability to not only restore your positive vibrations, but also to enhance your emotional well-being.

This crystal, with its ability to resonate positive feelings and love is also used for balancing the Heart Chakra and healing. Keep the Rose Quartz within your aura as long as possible and observe the difference that it makes. A simple tumble stone will do the trick if you are not keen on jewelry. 

The Solar Plexus Chakra is the main chakra for Manifestation. The crystals associated with it not only help to balance this energy centre but also help with manifesting our desires. They assist in bringing about major changes in our life since the chakra is related to the Will. A great crystal for this is the Golden Yellow Imperial Topaz. 

Other manifestation crystals include Amber Gemstones, Peridot Gemstones, Zircon Crystals and Tiger’s Eye.

Need to improve your communication skills? Use the Throat Chakra crystals, for example, the Blue Topaz, Lapis Lazuli, Aquamarine or Blue Tourmaline.

 Crystals to strengthen your psychic development

In Psychic Powers a Fringe Benefit of Meditation, I recommended the Purple Amethyst Crystal to enhance your meditation experience and enhancing psychic powers. We are all intuitive. Each one of us has latent gifts which can come to the fore through meditation & intuition development.  

Different crystals will stimulate the development of these specific gifts and there are quite a range of psychic crystals you might choose to use. 

The choice of crystals depends to a large degree on exactly which gifts you wish to develop.

Any of these crystals will benefit you as these are the locations from where many gifts or psychic abilities originate.

Throat Chakra – Aquamarine, Topaz, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise.

Third Eye Chakra – Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Quartz, Star Sapphire.

Crown Chakra – Amethyst, Diamond, Clear Quartz, Amber.

These Chakra crystals also aid you to increase your vibration. 

Do you believe in the magic of crystals? Any favorite crystals?

Do share your stories with us!

Written By: Vatsala Shukla