How to allow fear to work for you instead of against you. Photo by Stephanie McCabe on Unsplash I think about fear a lot. I mean, at times we all do, right? Lately it's been a very loud companion as I dig deeper into writing my memoir. No matter the situation, whenever it shows up I run the gamut in my relationship with fear. I see it, dread it, fight it, am pissed off at it, run from it, cry with it and am utterly fascinated by it for the never-ending lessons and conversations that derive from it. Recently I listened to Linda Sivertsen's Beautiful Writers Podcast when she and guest co-host, Martha Beck interviewed author Glennon Doyle. They were discussing Glennon's extremely raw bestselling memoir, LOVE WARRIOR, which is sitting next in my Kindle queue. I'm an admirer of all three women and their work. This was a great... Read more →

I recently reconnected with an old friend with whom I'd been out of touch for several years. She's going through a challenging transition which includes selling her home, something she doesn't want to do, but has to. Interestingly, I went through a similar transition at about the same time we'd last spoken. So, the timing of our phone reconnect all of sudden seemed rather divinely directed. I shared something with her that someone said to me during that time that shifted everything for me. And, when I said it, she had a very similar reaction. It got me thinking about how much words, when you hear them at the right time, can shift mindset in an instant. From a place of boy-have-I-been-there, I shared my experience with her. I was laid off in 2008 and was out of steady work for over two years. I was in a daily struggle... Read more →

There's so much there to find. The temp read 101 degrees as I pulled into Ralph’s parking lot. It was a challenge as usual to find a parking spot which was further exasperated by the fact that I was hot and didn’t want to walk a mile to the door. So, again as usual, I trekked up and down the rows of parked cars watching for brake lights indicating someone was pulling out. I turned down the last row, and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a ramp. I have no idea why I had never noticed this any of the numerous times I’d been to this grocery store, but today it felt it had been put there just for me. It led to underground parking and as I drove down the ramp it was like finding a secret passage way. I found a spot right by the... Read more →

Do this one thing and it will change the way you live your life. And, it's simpler than you might think. photo by Isabela Kronemberger I was going to be seeing some people I hadn’t seen in awhile, a couple of them with whom I shared some history. Enough history that I had some angst about seeing them. Enough so that I started rehearsing dialog in my head days before, playing out various scenarios – some good, some not so good – and rummaging in my closet to decide what to wear so that I looked more at ease than I felt. Ever been there? Sometimes it can take over and become another character in the room, the character that plays out the scenarios which stops you from being present with what’s really happening in the moment. Stops you from being you. At a recent women’s retreat I was part... Read more →

There have been some renovations at my home recently and I was awakened early Saturday morning by the vibration of some power tools in the backyard. The foundation was literally humming and it quickly shifted my energy, making me want to get up and get something accomplished. It got me thinking about the impact of vibration on energy, thoughts and consciousness, particularly after the past couple tumultuous weeks. I noticed how ill I felt after days of reading divisive, combative and hateful posts on social media as well watching the increase of frightening actions based on hate and fear. You can feel the divisiveness in your mind, body and spirit. It’s splintering. So much so that I took a break from all media for a few days. After I posted this, I started thinking more about the power of raising our thoughts to raise the world. A few nights later... Read more →

“Oh honey, life is about letting go.” This was the pearl of wisdom a good friend’s mother gave her many years ago after she’d had her first child, when every little thing seemed so weighted and overly important, so much so that she was in a constant state of angst. “Oh honey, life is about letting go,” her wise mother said. This friend and I were recently discussing the process of letting go and how challenging it is at times. We were each other's sounding board for some front burner issues we were both trying to release. I’ve come to the conclusion that letting go is one of the hardest things to do in life, proven by the fact that there are literally thousands of books (328,000 in Amazon alone), articles, seminars and schools of thought on the subject of letting go, available to us hangers-on who at times find... Read more →

Photo by Edu Lauton on Unsplash “I’m a walking dichotomy.” I said this to someone recently, primarily in an attempt at self-deprecating humor for when I was waffling on moving forward with an action I had mixed feelings about. It created a tug-of-war within. But, then I started thinking about the idea of being in a dichotomous state, and what that can mean as a tool rather than a self-deprecation, a deliberate dance rather than a tug-of-war. The truth is we’re all, at times, walking dichotomies. If we weren’t life would be pretty flat, to my estimation anyway. A dichotomy is a universe of two completely contrasting and separate things, a division of two opposite schools of thought. Light and dark. War and peace. Feminine and masculine. Analytics and creativity. What I see is a way to utilize the idea of dichotomy, where we embrace the wisdom of the contrasting... Read more →

When Simone Biles nearly fell off the balance beam, I know I was part of a global collective gasp. It was only a split second, but it could have been enough to trash the rest of her routine (it would have for most of us!). But, what happened next was such the mark of the champion that she is. She shook it off. Sure, maybe she rehashed the moment later, perhaps over and over again. I know I would have. But, my guess is she didn't. Perhaps she reviewed it briefly with her coach, but then the focus turned to her final event the next night. And, again it was so clear that she held no residual regrets, because as we all know, she nailed her spectacular floor routine and won Olympic gold. In fact, all through the Games, there are two things successful competitors and champions have in common.... Read more →

“Make it simple, but significant.” ~ Don Draper I used this quote as the theme for a recent writer’s retreat for one of my beloved clients. It gave us an effective mantra for the weekend, kept us on point and helped to streamline the writing in the most powerful way. “Make it simple, but significant” also got me thinking about how we often make things too complicated, in general. I know I do, to the point where sometimes I actually feel complicated. But, simple is clean. There’s brilliance behind simplicity. And, many of the most significant things in life, when it gets right down to it, are pretty simple. To simplify means to get back to basics, to start with one simple question, idea or statement and then find the significance in that. Significant is memorable. Significant can be priceless and timeless. Significant is a moment in time. So, that’s... Read more →

The blueberries were starting to mold. They were big and beautiful round berries from the Farmer’s Market; although a few of them underneath already had the white fur of mold. But, several of the berries on top were still good, so I rescued them, transferred them to another bowl on the breakfast table, and tossed out the bad ones. Believe it or not, it got me thinking about limiting beliefs and the negative effects they have on possibility, expansion and abundance in our lives. When limiting beliefs pervade our thoughts, they can be very strong and intoxicating because they tap into familiar fears. If they’re not released and tossed away they can infect any new thoughts about possibility and instead create a stagnant field of inaction and paralysis of energy, as well as keeping us stuck in old patterns or stories of lack. Not a fun place to be, particularly... Read more →