I like to think of myself as being pretty darn good at focusing my energy on what I want versus what I don’t. I mean, I teach people to focus on what they want. In mid-July I was being interviewed and toward the end of it I was asked what I felt the problems were in my profession. I almost started into it then “Bam”, pattern interrupt, I realized I could get all caught-up in that story and the energy of “what’s wrong”. Being transparent, I decided to change the question to what I’d love to see and proceeded to talk about my vision and passion for my profession. I proceeded to talk about the … [Read more...]
Lack
5 Solutions for Chronic Stress
Last week we looked at short term “eu” stress and long term “dis” stress and how it impacts our body. This week, I’m going to share with you my top 5 stress-busting solutions. 1) Respect your body. This comes from listening within. What that means is to listen to the feedback through your senses. Close your eyes and do a “check-in”. What are you feeling? Exhausted, needing a stretch, or perhaps some time grounding yourself in nature? Ultimately, you know. The key is quieting the active mind chatter in order to tune in to you. Respecting your body also includes mastery of being the “observer … [Read more...]
The Impact of Short and Long Term Stress
Yes it's the "S" word again. How can you move bad stress and change it into good stress? By changing your perspective. Coined by Hans Selye, bad stress is often known as "Di-stress" as in distress while positive stress is known as "Eu-stress". There are both short and long term consequences and while we may engage in some things that may be good for us, if overdone, they can move from eustress into distress. Short term stress pops up as an event, crisis, or threat. Even with unexpected change; a job, relationship, or health; our body is programmed to default react in a protective way. We … [Read more...]
5 Energy Fixes
In last week's post we looked at mental, physical, and emotional drains. This week's blog is dedicated to changing these drains to gains by making minor adjustments in our routines. Each adjustment over time promotes a positive effect in our bodies. Trap 1: Overbooking and overfilling our schedules. A solution is to block "space" into the day. Hold this space dearly and know that when saying 'No' to others, you are saying and committing a 'Yes' to you. Use this time to catch up, reset, take a 10 minute walk, snooze or meditate. Even doing 10 minutes of deep breathing exercises re frames our … [Read more...]
5 Five Energy Drains – Do You Have Them?
Do you feel trapped by exhaustion and extreme fatigue? How about stress? Stress is one of the most common problems we’re experiencing as a society and it’s taking a toll on our health, the repair of our body, and it’s also impacting our relationships. A few days here and there are not tough to bounce back from but when a night becomes weeks, months, or even years there is a cost to pay. This week’s blog considers the "traps" to look for while next week’s blog will give you some tips on what to do about it. Trap 1: Over committing and overbooking our schedules. Who says you need to have … [Read more...]
Fear is not real
While the movie After Earth did not do well at the box office, I found it entertaining. There was a line said by Will Smith’s character when he was with his son while facing numerous, life threatening situations. Smith's character said, "Fear is not real. It is the product of thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice." You've probably heard the acronyms for F.E.A.R.: False Evidence Appearing Real and two alternate options: Face Everything And Rise or Forget Everything And Run. This line worked for me to help me distinguish between danger and … [Read more...]
Who do you pretend to be?
This post is all about authenticity! A question posed to me a few years back was "Who do you pretend to be?" I know it may sound perplexing at first, but I gave it some thought and realized there are a number of personas I use in my life. There are different masks from my various roles. The family and friend role, the doctor, speaker, educator role, and on it goes. You get the idea. So when asked "Who do I pretend to be?", I examined where I was aligned and in harmony with who I really am and where I wasn't. What I found was astounding! My beliefs about the role I played were sometimes at … [Read more...]
The Clock is Ticking…
I remember saying at an experiential retreat back in the late 1980's, "I want to be totally used up before I die." My motivation then as it is now is to use my time fully, productively and to look back and enjoy what I have experienced and how I've been able to contribute. What I am learning now, is that there's a cost. I've written about this before – how we all require time to regroup, rejuvenate, and refresh. Pacing ourselves is a major key to accomplishing more in life. It's important that we build quiet time into our schedule to be present and enjoy the moment. After all, no one can run … [Read more...]
Raw Chocolate Mousse
Extremely rich! Very simple and flexible in what you want to do with it when made. I have put down what I do with alternatives in parentheses. It keeps well for # days in the fridge. Goes with well, for us chocolate lovers … Everything! I use organic for every item. Do what you can… You need a food processer. Pop into processors with blade the following: 2 ripe avocados (about 2 cups) skin off, pit removed. Just over ½ cup maple syrup 2 Tablespoons raw coconut sugar (alt is raw other sugar) 2 Teaspoons vanilla 1 Teaspoon balsamic vinegar (yes you read this right & it makes THE … [Read more...]
Women and Success: Part 2
Please read last week's blog before continuing to this one. One of the challenges heard so often when I coach groups of professional and executive women, is the guilt felt by working moms. They worry about what they are missing with their children when at work, and feel guilty when home about what they are missing in work. It's a no-win. You create guilt in either direction. There is no "right" way and many options. What is important is that you take responsibility for what you want to create. If your priority is to be with your children, then find the creative solution to do this. Either … [Read more...]