Today I’ve been sitting in the sweet aftermath of a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and these Michelle Shocked song lyrics keep running through my head: “When I grow up I want to be an old woman…” And, when I’m that old woman, what I want to reflect on the most are my life’s connections, both the fleeting and the lifelong connections that made up the rich, elegant and profound fabric of my being. This takes me back to this recent weekend, which was full of just that – connecting; connecting to dear, old friends, to interesting new friends, and to faraway friends and family. And, on Saturday morning I volunteered at Operation Gratitude which is a wonderful organization that sends care packages to the troops. I went hoping to contribute something in a small way and walked away with an amazing feeling of global connection to the 4,000 men and... Read more →

"A goal is a dream with a deadline." ~ Napoleon Hill Read more →

“Then the time came when the risk it took to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin Read more →

The memory of the original 3 R’s takes me back to grade school, when “Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmatic”, meant the basics in education. The idea was if you nailed the 3 R’s you had a good foundation for learning. And, undeniably, you couldn’t effectively learn other subjects if you couldn’t read or write. Wish it were still so simple today! Now, in an ever-changing era of career re-invention and diversifying industries, the following 3 R’s describe essential qualities you must possess to stay current in your career. § Resilient – bouncing back from a layoff, or watching an industry transform before your very eyes, means you must be ready and willing for the change. Resilience involves building your coping skills, including stress management and a willingness to look at change as opportunity. Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein in their book, The Power of Resilience, call it a “resilient mindset” because... Read more →

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you make look back and realize they were the big things.” –Robert Brault Read more →

"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." John Wayne Read more →

Mercury Retrograde - Why does the thought of Mercury retrograde petrify people in their tracks and at times make us feel like nothing is going right? Things can feel chaotic and confusing. It's likely because they don't understand the meaning of Mercury retrograde and how it can really help our lives, causing us to pause and take stock of upcoming decisions, contractual obligations, new beginnings, etc. According to alphalifetrends.com, "Mercury retrograde provides the opportunity to adjust our thoughts, attitudes and decisions about our issues and adjust our new direction as we move into 2009." It will take place four times in 2009, and the current retrograde starts today and ends on May 30. So take this time to reassess, review and reconnect with where you are. Wait until after May 30 to make any decisions about where you're going. 2. Santa Barbara's Fire Dept - These fearless men and women... Read more →

Very cool profiles of some very cool women: Women of Personality. It's written by Rohit Bhargava. Rohit is a founding member of the 360 Digital Influence group at Ogilvy and author of the award winning new marketing book Personality Not Included, an entertaining and useful guide for companies on how to use their personality to stand out. You can even go on the Women of Personality site and nominate women for the next book. Kudos, Rohit! Read more →

Lead With Compassion Mother Teresa said, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” As the quintessential world mother, Mother Teresa led her vision and life’s work through an open heart, with kindness and compassion. Mothers have been on my mind a lot lately. Two friends recently lost their mothers, while another just found out that she’s going to be an adoptive mother in a mere three weeks after waiting eagerly for years. It sparks the notions of the profound effect ‘mother-ness’ has on our lives. And, with Mother’s Day coming up this week, I got to thinking about how mothers are such natural leaders and managers. Ponder it for a moment. What are/were the innate cashmere qualities in your mom and other great mothers you know? Such qualities would be: Compassionate Empathetic Nurturer Listener One of the principles for being a Cashmere Leader is to... Read more →

With the current economic and marketplace stresses being felt by all of us, ‘happy’ is not an emotion many associate with being at work. Here are a few Cashmere tips to get your happy back on in your daily work life: · Breathe Breaks – schedule 3 to 4 ten minute breathe breaks into your Outlook calendar. Studies have shown that stress causes people to breathe improperly resulting in a lack of oxygen which can lead to low levels of concentration, negative thoughts as well as a myriad of health issues. Keep it simple. - If you have a door, close it; practice some deep belly breathing as in yoga; stretch your limbs; gaze out a window. If you don't have an office, find a room with a door and steal it for a moment! - Get outside and walk around the block or take a moment with nature, breathe... Read more →