Have you ever had one of those moments where you thought you couldn’t take it any longer? Where you’ve just had enough? Received devastating news or suffered a debilitating injury? Most of us have. We’ve survived. Sometimes only by a heart string.
 
Imagine, then the 12 boys and their 25 year old coach visiting a tourist spot in a cave in Thailand when suddenly, the rain became so intense that they couldn’t leave. In fact they were forced to move further and further into the depths of the cold dark cave. The rains didn’t stop. The waters rose.
 
For 18 days they were stranded. With no food or water.
 
Here’s what they did have. A young coach who knew how to quiet the mind.  He taught the boys how to meditate. 

READ MORE HERE. page 360

Savor Every Moment
 
Ahh! At last. It’s summer. And it looks like it will be a nice long one for us. I love the sun, and to me there’s nothing better than soaking up its rays while enjoying a good meal and being entertained. It nurtures the soul. So here’s the question. Where’s a great spot to eat outdoors? 
 
I got together with Hollis Hewins the other day and asked her.  I also asked my FB friends. Here’s what we’ve come up with.
 
Travel & Leisure with Hollis Hewins
 
Holly is about to have a whole lotta freedom on her hands. After spending 30 years in the banking industry (currently as Underwriting Team Leader for Investment Real Estate at Key Bank), she’s ready to take off and explore what else is out there. Travel & Leisure may sound like a magazine but it’s about to be her new reality. That includes dining!

READ MORE HERE

The new Leadership Roundtable
 
I love leading groups in discussion. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I was raised in an Italian family and you had to raise your voice to be heard. And I’m not one to raise my voice over the crowd unless I’m singing. Or maybe because I think before I talk, and by the time I’m ready, the topic has changed. Consequently, I’ve become an expert listener and quite the facilitator. I spot quiet ones and give them a platform to talk on; identify a talker and help them get to the point; and see possible collaborations and make the connection. 
 
So when my client, Kim Browne told me about her Lean-In group, I listened. Then I read about it in a recent NYT Business article, ‘Lean In’: Five Years Later. I guess I’m a little late. But the concept is familiar. The creation of ‘Lean In’ circles offers the platform for groups of women to meet on a regular basis to discuss and share leadership tips.  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/business/lean-in-five-years-later.html
 
Kim Browne is a phenomenal business woman who leads with grace, intellect and experience.

READ MORE HERE

Breaking through all barriers to Create!
 
 
Women inspire. They lead with grace, dignity and courage. These fine women channeled their life experience through art. No limitation was large enough. Open your mind, read, and be inspired to create!
 
 
Marian Anderson 
African-American Opera Singer (1902 -1993)
 
Beautiful. Magnetic. This is, after all, the opera!  Marian broke all barriers with her contralto voice, singing in a low range filled with sincerity and drama. Many female opera singers are soprano, with the beautiful high pitched siren of a gifted angel. Hers was that of a soulful spirit, soaring beneath the clouds.
 
Regardless of her talent, many doors were closed to Ms Anderson until her voice broke through the very doors of The Metropolitan Opera. In 1955, she was the first African-American to perform on its prominent stage.
 
Racial prejudice in the 30’s became an obstacle too difficult to maneuver in the US, however. She found a home in Europe where her voice was revered, touring to enthusiastic crowds wherever she went. 

Read more HERE

A Meditation on Love

We all want it. We all need it. No. It’s not chocolate. It is L.O.V.E. love. But sometimes it just doesn’t feel real. It doesn’t feel accessible.  So here’s an exercise you can do to activate love in your heart.
 
 
Step 1
The Breath
 
Get into a comfortable position and close your eyes. Take a nice deep breath in and a long exhale out. Bring your awareness to your chest. As you inhale, feel the sensation of your chest expanding in all directions. The sides, the back, and the front. Upon your next inhale, open the front of your chest, rolling your shoulders back and dropping them upon your exhale. Now allow your breath to come back to normal, and focus on the very center of your chest. Breathe into this space as your chest naturally rises and falls.
 
Your heart chakra is beginning to be activated. It is located in the very center of your chest. It is the center of loving compassion. This is where we hold all of our loving memories and all of our heartaches. When we fall in love, we may feel butterflies in our stomach, but we also feel an ease in our breath and an inner peace within our heart.
 
By healing the pain you may be holding in your heart and focusing on the love that is stored there, you will be able to not only feel love within you, but attract love to you.

To read more please follow this link to the full article and go to page 156 to complete the exercise

Get ready to kiss 2017 good-bye and welcome 2018 with open arms! The trick to this questionnaire is to answer it quickly and honestly.  What first comes to mind is often the best.
 
As you reflect on the past year, you’ll gain wisdom to guide you in the new year. Are you ready? Here goes!
 
 
The Year in Review
 
1. What is your fondest memory?
Breathe into your heart center & close your eyes as you allow these memories to flood your mind. Most likely there are more than one. Then choose the memory that brings the broadest smile to your face.
 
2. What was your greatest achievement?
This may have been a goal that was on your list. It may have to do with your career, your family and friends, or yourself. You may have run your first 5K race, graduated from school, made it to the team, or signed on a new client. Or, you may have finally taken those braces off, or gotten engaged, or watched your child walk across a stage.
 
3. What was your most difficult challenge?
Whether at work, at home or school something stands out. What was this challenge and how did you manage it? How did it affect your life?

To read more click on this link and go to page 52. Make your new year stand out!

​It’s that time of year. Of joy & good cheer. It’s simply wonderful! Except for one thing. It stresses you out.
 
With all the shopping, decorating, and partying, how on earth is a beautiful, smart, fabulous woman (or man) like you to do? 
 
Take a deep breath in and a long exhale out. The following list of tips and ideas will offer you relief and direction during the holiday season. So relax, take notes if you’d like, cozy up with a hot or sparkling beverage, and enjoy!
 
Tip #1
Look & Feel Great
When you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you guessed it, you look good! Now you know it begins with your mindset. So we’ll begin there.
 
Daily Affirmation
Start the day with a positive attitude. Whether it’s after you brush your teeth or your hair, look in the mirror and say, “I feel great! Today is going to be a wonderful day.”  Take a deep breath in and believe it as you exhale!
 
Makeup & Clothes
Take a look in your wardrobe and pull out that special outfit you’ve been holding onto for a special occasion. That day is today!
 
Let yourself sparkle with a glittery brooch and dangling earrings. You can do the same with makeup. A little glimmer is good for glamour. Brighten those lips with shiny gloss, and paint those nails red!
 
Exercise
Your body is going to look great with plenty of exercise. Start the day with a few stretches to wake it up. Go for a walk before, during, and after work. Go to the gym. Don’t belong to one yet? Consider joining. Try them all out first and pick the one that suits you. What’s most important is to get moving.
 
Yoga
I’m a firm believer in this form of exercise. It not only trains your body, but your mind. There are a variety of styles. As you lengthen, you strengthen.

​To read more follow this link and go to page 140

Giving the Gift of Bling & knowing their Healing Elements

They are beautiful. They are radiant. They are powerful. We love to wear them!  And they serve us quietly behind the scenes in our everyday lives. If you’re wearing a watch right now, it is most likely operating in part by use of a crystal. Surgical instruments are partly composed of crystals; and automobiles have built within them - crystals. They are shining all around us in many forms. And they all come from our earth. They are Mother Earth’s natural rocks of power!
 
In a recent Wall Street Journal article about De Beers, the diamond mining and retail giant that hallmarked the tradition of engagement rings, I was struck by their apparent lack of knowledge and appreciation of other gems and crystals. I could be wrong. The CFO was in a quandary about attracting Millennials.
 
Is it possible to influence a generation who values a walk on the beach wearing beaded crystals and leather bracelets to purchase diamonds?  I think so. I personally love them all! Diamonds, gems, crystals, cut glass. Anything that sparkles. Here are some tips as you explore your aisles of bling. 

​To read more click on this link and go to page 206