Surfing the Waves ... of Emotions

September 17, 2019 

Last week it was my honor and privilege to speak to a Leadership Group and assist them in discovering their unique 4-Letter Personality Type and learn the stress reduction practices we use in the From Stressed to Best™ Program. Thank you, Class of 2020 Leadership Ottawa County – you were engaged, open-minded – and very fun.  You are already leaders. 

You inspired me to go deeper. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s metaphor, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf,” applies to both our behaviors when we are stressed and the waves of emotions that can engulf us in times of stress. 

Our focus in this newsletter is to add a new exercise -- awareness of negative emotions --  and how we can use our “Emotional Intelligence” to move to a better place.   

For readers who may have joined recently, I am including links to the 9 Blogs posted over...

Personal Freedom: Part II 

August 30, 2019

I had an unexpected opportunity 2 weeks ago to participate in an online Masterclass by Marie Diamond, “How to Instantly Apply Feng Shui in Your Life”, offered by MindValley. For the last 25 years Marie has been a Feng Shui Master and coached hundreds of thousands of students worldwide, top public speakers, international best-selling authors, celebrities in the music and movie industry, and top athletes. I can only say, WOW! This class took all the energy work I have been doing to a higher level. I spent 10 days learning from the 8 Videos and applying the lessons of de-cluttering, energy flows and rearranging furniture, pictures, etc., in my entryway, living room, dining room, bedroom, and my office Loft. I was caught up in an energy vortex and totally immersed in flow and change. That is the short version of my story for the unexpected hiatus in my regular Blog schedule. 

More on what I learned to come in future...

Personal Freedom

August 3, 2019  
 

What does the phrase “Personal Freedom” mean to you? 

Let’s ease into this conversation. Here are a few of my favorite insights by world renown authors, spiritual advisers and personal development coaches: 

1. Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist, survivor of the Nazi concentration camps and author of “Man’s Search for Meaning":
   
   “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” 

2. Deepak Chopra, M.D., co-founder of the Chopra Center for Well Being, the founder of the Chopra Foundation, world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and transformation, and author of over 85 books. This quote is from the “Oprah & Deepak Miraculous Relationships 21-Day Meditation, Day 18: I Cherish the Freedom to be Myself” 
   
   “The...

Total Immersion Retreat

July 17, 2019

One month ago, our newsletter “Pause & Reset,” discussed what it means to Reset your Productivity Mindset. Personally, I took a Pause and focused my early July Blog on how laughter is healing energy for the body, mind and spirit. Then I took off for a long weekend. 

With best wishes that you also have taken some time to pause and re-energize, what are the key obstacles and challenges you must overcome to finish the 2^nd half of 2019 strong?   

• Do you feel you are being as productive, influential and successful as you want to be?
• Are you struggling to stay focused? To get ahead? To positively influence your team, customers or family members?
• Have you reached a plateau in your progress and struggle to break through to the next level of joy and achievement?
• Do you miss the pulse and vibrance of growing and contributing at your highest levels?
• Have you discovered your life purpose?

These are a few of the...

Good Vibrations 

July 1, 2019

As Victor Hugo, the famous French poet, novelist, and dramatist said:

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” 

Indeed, laughter is healing energy for the Body, Mind and Spirit. It really is all about Energy – Good Vibrations. 

Since the Beach Boys released “Good Vibrations” in 1966, there have been new scientific research and breakthroughs on exactly why and how laughter is good for:

• your physical health, by relaxing the whole body, triggering the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemical, and strengthening your cardiovascular system.
• your mental health, by helping stop distressing emotions and the hard-wired “fight or fight” reaction and stress behaviors.
• your spiritual health, by increasing your bond/connection with family and friends, releasing egoism and defensiveness, and healing resentments. There is an old Yiddish proverb, “What...

Pause & Reset

June 18, 2019 

For all intents and purposes, 2019 is half over. I am taking time to pause and reflect; How am I progressing on accomplishing my goals for the year? How are you doing on fulfilling your goals for 2019? 

In my opinion and from experience, I believe it is important to Pause before you Reset and move forward with renewed focus and energy to finish the year strong. In this newsletter we will discuss what it means to Reset your Productivity Mindset.   

In the past, a pause would mean taking about 5-10 minutes…. thinking through the 3 major objectives I laid out …. doing a mental checklist of good work here, more work to do there, and, oh cripes… I really got off track on that last one. Then I would refocus and gear-up to launch into the 2^nd half of the year. 

In the last 5 years I have learned a lot about what a comprehensive assessment really entails. I have also learned a lot about myself and...

New Beginnings

June 2, 2019
 

The focus of this week’s newsletter is twofold. First, it is a time for reflection – a time to introduce some poetry and inspiration for new beginnings and change. We are all on a journey. Secondly, it is a time to reflect on our journey together, since this newsletter, "Come Walk Your Path: Invest in Yourself and Grow," launched just over one year ago.

We have come a long way together. Thank you for your companionship and your camaraderie. It has been fun! 

Poetry is a language all its own – because it can speak to our hearts, ignite our imagination and bring new energy and motivation to our life. A good friend whose first passion is poetry brought this poem by John O’Donohue to my attention. I invite you to read “For A New Beginning” out loud because that is how poetry is meant to be felt – engaging our voice, heart, mind and body. 

For A New Beginning 

“In out-of-the way...

Slowing Down Time 

May 20, 2019 

Have you ever had a day or an experience where you just wanted to stop time or slow time – bottle the full experience – and savor the moment, the feelings and people, even the sights and sounds? 

The 2^nd week of May I was looking ahead to a series of small celebrations and I “just happened” to have a session titled “Slow Time”, Session 12 in Declarations, which is the third in a series of courses offered as part of our Certified High Performance Coaching™ Program. In my mind, there are no coincidences. 

I set my intention to be fully present in the celebratory events coming later that week. What did I do to prepare myself to be even more mindful and to Slow Time?”   

First, I started with asking myself questions, which are included in our “Slow It Down” Worksheet for Session #12 in the CHPC Declarations course. For example: 

1. What trigger would I use...

 Bring Your A Game

April 30, 2019
 

After my webinar a couple of weeks ago, several people suggested that one habit, Raise Necessity, could use more explanation. It can seem somewhat amorphous. It is complex. 

As Brendon Burchard explains in “High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way,” (page 130): 

“When you have high necessity, you strongly agree with this statement: ‘I feel a deep emotional drive and commitment to succeeding, and it consistently forces me to work hard, stay disciplined, and push myself.’” 

There are both internal forces, such a commitment to high standards of excellence, as well as external forces, such as a sense of duty and purpose, at play. For myself, two of my early role models played a huge influence in shaping my values. My Dad taught me to always do my very best – in sports and in Life. It was not about winning and money – it was about doing your very...

Try Something New  

 April 15, 2019 

Try something new. This week I learned a lot when I tried something new. 

I did a 1-Hour webinar on "6 Secrets of the World’s Most Successful People", in my makeshift studio in my office, a Loft with an amazing view overlooking Lake Erie. I learned a lot about accepting myself, just as I am. I learned a lot about measuring success – not by the numbers, but rather by my effort of giving it my all. 

While I really want to share more about my new webinar with you, I do not want this Blog to be only about me. Before I get into the  webinar, an overview of my high performance coaching program, let’s talk about Mindset. What is your Mindset for trying something new? What is your Mindset around learning and change and challenges? 

The definitive book on Mindset was written by Carol S. Dweck, PhD., Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, How We Can learn to Fulfill Our Potential, first...