“Does your soul have a message for you today?” That was the question the meditation teacher asked during session. It turns out my soul did. It often does, when I’m paying attention. Usually, the messages are so simple I almost miss them. Or I judge them. Or second guess them. That morning, I decided to just shut up and receive what was given to me. By my soul. Yep. I wasn’t judging it, or questioning whether it really was my soul guiding me, nor was I second guessing it, “Are you sure that’s all?” or “What am I supposed to do with that?” It was pretty simple. I got quiet. Inhale. Exhale. Body against the chair. Sink in. Inhale. Exhale. When thoughts came that started to take me somewhere else, I floated back to my breath. Inhale. Exhale. Then, I asked the question of my soul. “Do you have a... Read more →

"I'll have what she's having." ~ When Harry Met Sally I often marvel at my successful friends. I'm blessed to be surrounded by people who are riding at or near the top of their game, continually reinventing themselves and expanding their capacities for the big lives they're meant to live. And, as a person who is continuing to unfold and evolve herself in midlife, watching them brings on a myriad of thoughts and emotions and actions. For one thing, it can be intoxicating! And, riveting. And, thought-provoking. And, inspiring. And sometimes I think, maybe if I emulate a few of the things they're doing then that might possibly work for me too. Maybe they know something I don't and should. "I'll have what she's having." Ever been there? Where someone you admire is on a certain track and you wonder somewhere in your always-seeking brain, if you should be on... Read more →

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash “Where are the cars parked?” I asked the valet attendant. “Behind the restaurant, inside a garage,” he said. “So it’s secure? I have my computer in here,” I said. “Yes,” he said and nodded. For whatever reason, I felt safe enough to take his word for it. To trust. Two hours later, you guessed it, when the same driver brought my car back around, the passenger window had been shattered and the one thing taken out of my car was the leather bag containing my MacBook Pro, which had been placed in the dark bag on the black floor, in a locked car inside their secured garage. To say I was suspicious was an understatement. And, believe me, I didn’t like feeling that way. I believe in people. I trust in people. I’d like to say I was clear-minded, pummeling questions at the driver... Read more →

Then, Meet Them Here... Photo by Aleksandra Mazur on Unsplash I love the little moments, the game-changers that shift things, changing everything from that moment on. This was one of them. I was doing a Creative Jam Session with a client recently, a woman who is brilliant at what she does. I mean crazy brilliant. We were brainstorming on creative ideas to get her business going in a new way. “She intimidates me,” she said, talking about a high-profile woman for whom she’d done some coaching. I understood. The woman had some really impressive creds, was a genius at what she did and was running a large event where she was required to speak, which is where my client was coaching her. She floated quickly through the comment, “She intimidates me.” It got me thinking about the idea of intimidation and more apropos to our discussion, the meaning and weight... Read more →

Photo by Emma Frances Logan on Unsplash I took a Sunday drive this week.Through my mind. I was bouncing around from thing to thing, flitting between writing and movies and articles and chapters and musings and organizing. It created a feeling of unsettle. “I’m meandering,” I said to Gracie, who is ever present by my side. She looked at me mid-purr. "So what else is new," her look said. (at first I wrote 'what else is knew?" which made me laugh because there's true there too). I do meander. Aimlessly at times, so that I can almost get dizzy from the spinning. Breathe. Meander is fun to say, it's kind of a whimsical word. It basically means to “follow a winding course,” and is often used when referred to streams or bodies of water, “the stream meandered across the valley.” People meander through a conversation, which can be interesting and... Read more →

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash “I had an Epiphany!” We’ve all felt that inspiring moment of realization at one time or another, the powerful insight that was going to change everything. It’s a great feeling, right? Today is the Day of Epiphany. I know that because as I glanced at the calendar to schedule my week of writing I saw “Epiphany” written on today, the day I was planning to publish a post. So, I had a little epiphany that I’d write about epiphany! I didn’t wake up receiving 12 drummers drumming from my true love, but I woke up thinking about how much I love those sparks of inspiration, those rushes of insight that bring clarity. The Day of Epiphany in Christian tradition signifies the 12th day of Christmas and ancient traditions culminated the season with a lavish Feast of Epiphany. It’s come to be known as “12th... Read more →

Here's a fresh take on what can be a debilitating force. Photo by Becca Matimba on Unsplash By Cindy Yantis "Focused attention yields the best results." - Melinda Hughes Melinda is my personal trainer and the owner of The Strength Shoppe, a high-intensity training (HIT) facility in Pasadena, California. And, this quote, from their website, exemplifies what most I've learned from training with her. HIT is a slow burn, really intense, focused workout where with each weightlifting exercise you exhaust an isolated muscle or group of muscles to a slow count of ten. It's also called Super Slow, Slow Cadence, Power of 10, or Resistance Training. It takes such focused concentration to get through a set of the slow ten. The tendency is to put all of your body behind trying to lift the weight. That's when Melinda says to direct your brain to focus on the specific body part... Read more →

A Life Lesson I Learned From My Smartphone Photo by Alejandro Garrido Navarro on Unsplash I was on the phone with my sister discussing an upcoming call about cryptocurrencies. She asked if I was going to tune in. I felt my breath quicken and my stomach churn, and it hit me. “I don’t have the personal bandwidth to take anything else into my brain right now,” I said. My next call was to make a doctor’s appointment when up popped a message on my phone: “You’re almost out of storage.” Twenty minutes later Outlook sent me an email: “Your mailbox is nearly full.” And, I had to laugh out loud. No kidding! Seriously, all three things happened within 45 minutes. Okay, okay I get it! I have no more bandwidth and am almost out of storage. The truth is I have a lot going on and that morning I realized... Read more →

Because sometimes, procrastination isn't procrastination. Procrastination has gotten a bad rap. And, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the badness of it, and to browbeat ourselves over it. I get it. I’m an experienced perpetrator, judge and jury when it comes to the subject of procrastination, often handing down my own verdict: Bad Writer! As I’ve mentioned here I’ve been working on a memoir. And, for a while it was simply pouring out of me. Until it wasn’t. It’s like the river of ideas just stopped flowing. I fell into what most people would call the abyss of procrastination, which kind of fascinated me, to be honest. I'd start by beating myself up, then by trying to pep myself up and then just giving up. It was a cycle that went on for days. Then I realized, I was talking about the story with everyone I know, flushing out... Read more →

Comparison, competition and perfection - the trifecta for failure. And what to do about them. Photo by Andrew Worley on Unsplash All three of these beauties – Comparison, Competition and Perfection - present themselves to me often, in varying degrees, one at a time, or when things are really fun they show up at my door as the three Witches of Eastwick, taking up residence in my castle, car, computer, office, dialogue and of course the mind, wreaking havoc, getting wild and basically controlling everything. This is the way the Trifecta works. Each of them has their own bag of tools and spells designed to accomplish one thing: to keep us in place, safe from harm (getting hurt, rejected or dismissed). Their nutrients are fear, shame, disappointment, disillusionment, frustration and regret. And as long as we serve up these goodies our unwelcome guests are never going to leave the party... Read more →