Every day we find ourselves inundated with email, blogs, texts, status updates, tweets galore and more.  We are more connected yet disconnected than ever.  What kind of quality control do you have over interaction with the people who matter to you most?

Technology can keep us up to date with the latest photos of your vacation or what interesting article you just read, and more mundane things like how bored you are at work or what you ate for breakfast. But how much of that is really filling up your need to share and bond with others? Meeting with a friend over coffee or a glass of wine simply can’t be replaced by a Facebook ‘like’.

All these tools have their pros and cons when it comes to connecting with someone online versus in-person. They are like apples and oranges – and I suppose it’s better to have some fruit than none at all – but hopefully you have enough variety to add up to a tasty fruit salad.

Diana Ross sings, “Reach out and touch somebody’s hand, make this world a better place, if you can.”  At the end of the day we are humans, and humans need to feel ‘touched’ by other humans, not computers.

So make the effort to have a meaningful interaction with someone in your life on a weekly basis, and if you’re not sure who that should be or ‘don’t have the time’  I can help you see which relationships would be a nutritious snack, and which are just a bunch of artificial flavors.

Massive quakes, record rainfall, perilous flooding, topsy-turvy temperatures. There is no doubt that Earth – displaying her power with last week’s volcanic eruption as a kick-off to her special “Day” on April 22nd – is going through something. Whether you think of it as climate change, global warming or that crazy concept Al Gore invented, shifts happen.

If you think of each human as his or her own self-contained world, you could say our North Pole is our mind with its thinking/rational way of doing things, and our South Pole the heart and gut, our more intuitive, creative M.O.

We have always looked to the North Star to lead the way, but what about the Southern Sky? There would be no North without the South! One is not more important than the other. And what if the North is a little tired of doing all the heavy lifting, and is starting to pass the baton to the South?

In honor of Earth Day this week, think of yourself in the process of shifting and changing, just like the planet – be aware, take care, go with the flow and notice what happens. The Earth is crying out for ways to heal, and if you have been living a less than balanced life, so will you. I’m here to help, so think of me like Mother Nature with a super-special compass that can reset the magnetic North and South within you.

Spring has finally sprung! Everywhere you look flowers and trees are blooming up a storm – the colorful symphony of tulips, lilacs, daffodils, cherry blossoms and dogwoods are waking up the city from its cold, long winter slumber, filling us with gorgeous eye-candy and reminding us of the new possibilities that exist within and around us.

It’s such a fleeting moment that only seems to last a week or two, so it’s now or never to take notice and appreciate the beauty and magic while it exists. This is a perfect time to pay attention to the prettiest new little things around you, and to celebrate these glorious gifts of Nature.

Beauty is one of the greatest pleasures in life, and a flower is one of the simplest and most tangible expressions of it. If you can’t soak up all that is staring us in the face right now, then how will you recognize and appreciate the more subtle beauty within and around you throughout the year?

In NYC we tend to rush from here to there, with our noses in our blackberries or thinking about whatever as we walk down the street with our blinders on when what we really need to do in those transitional times throughout the day is to stop and smell the roses, literally and figuratively. Slowing down, taking a few deep breaths and becoming aware of your surroundings – especially when they are so lovely – is a great cure for stress and anxiety. I’m sure that if you just try it, like Mikey, you’ll like it!

Feeling a little curmudgeonly with all this zippidy doo da talk? Give me a buzz and I’ll help get things goin’ your way again…

In the movie Clash of the Titans, Perseus is half-man and half-god, a truly unique being bridging the worlds of Argos (humans) and Mt. Olympus (the gods).  He finds out about the Olympian part of himself as an adult when men are at war with the gods, who were responsible for killing Perseus’ beloved family.

Perseus is then enlisted in this battle, as he is deemed the only one that could give humans a victory precisely because of his special background.  But he refuses to utilize his god-power and the gifts, literally, that his father Zeus gave to him because of how much he despises those who ruled the land so mercilessly, and would never consider himself one of them.

For much of the story, our hero is too proud to use all that he has been given and completely denies half of who he is – until he finally realizes that they are indeed exactly what mankind needed to defeat Hades.  It was essential that Perseus get to the point of self-acceptance and just be, and by doing so, prevented the destruction of humanity!

Now you may not be a revenge-seeking character in a remake of the sweeping tale of a kitschy 80’s sort-of Greek mythology movie, but you do have a few things within you that are the keys to making you who you are and what you are meant to do! Once you discover and accept that, then the sky is the limit for you to soar, and by doing so, we will all benefit.

If you are not sure what your gifts might be, give me buzz and I can help you uncover them!

New Testament or Old, Facebook Fan of Moses or Jesus, you don’t have to be a religious person to extract some nuggets of truth that can be found in either.  As someone who founded an organization with the trademarked tagline “Recognizing Our Unity; Celebrating Our Diversity,” I’m always one to see the things we share in common that are in places we often think are so different, especially if you look at it through the right lens with the right attitude.

This is a time of year when we are reminded of some good ‘ole fashion foundations of personal growth:  trust (in oneself, others and in something bigger than oneself), faith, perseverance, forgiveness, liberation, rebirth.  Without their official branding, The Ten Commandments and Golden Rule can offer you some guidelines for a happy and fulfilling life, if you just think of them as good advice from a friend or coach.  Or even a McDonald’s commercial.

Be open to wisdom and inspiration no matter what form they take, and like wearing those 3D glasses at the movie theater, learn to view things from many perspectives.

This is one of my personal specialties – I can look at the same thing that you do and see something completely different, turn it upside down, or how it might be more or less significant than you think it is. I can connect all the dots between things that might seem totally unrelated and help you understand whatever epic journey your are on– so give me a buzz and I’ll be with you along the way!

Whether you’re a man or woman, girl or boy, 15 or 50, we all have some girl power in us.  We just need to take the time to discover, embrace and honor it no matter what your gender, age or sexual orientation.  All that really means is adding a little bit of yin to your yang.

I was just featured on Women Rising where I talked about this, but due to space limitations, my first answer was edited down. (You can read some of it on my recent eblast, too)  It had to do with women having permission in some ways to be a little more human, to live life a bit more fully and explore all facets of what that means without too much judgment – whereas a man might have a harder time in many respects exploring his feminine side regardless of his sexuality.

But I’ve noticed lately that a lot of women have been denying themselves certain advantages that generally come with a female form…we spend so much time and energy fitting into a ‘man’s world’ and masculine way of operating that we forget the gifts that being ‘feminine’ bring – and I’m not talking about being able to pose in a Victoria’s Secret catalog.

If, like with many of my clients (gals AND guys), you not only need some help balancing out your work and life, but also your Marilyn with your Michael, please be sure to get in touch with me and I’ll show you how to use the best of both!

A rabbit’s foot, four-leaf clover or that certain pair of underwear – we all have things in our life that we consider good luck charms. Objects that we hold near and dear to serve the purpose of bringing us a little special magic in whatever scenario we need it.

But what about your inner charms, the things that make you YOU, those little quirks, sayings and even physical characteristics that come together in a combination uniquely yours?  That is where your true luck lies, and by using them and trusting where they take you, doors that were previously closed can start to miraculously open.

We spend more time and energy than we realize trying to fit in and conform to certain standards of acceptance. Whether it be in our work, family, relationships, appearance or lifestyle, most people bury to varying degrees the very substance that will make them the most appreciated and successful.  So if things aren’t going your way right now, why not ‘let your freak flag fly’ and see what happens?

If you’re not sure what little treasures you possess or how to use them in the world, give me a holler and I will help you uncover those special gems that will lead to your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

Yesterday was International Women’s Day and March is Women’s History Month. As the founder of a nonprofit women’s organization called The Women’s Mosaic®, you might have guessed what today’s topic was going to be, right?

I was recently asked in an interview what it means to me to be a woman, and my response was  “As an American woman in the 21st century, it means that more than ever, I have the freedom to express myself to be who I am. I have a myriad of choices to create a life that is the most authentic and fulfilled for me, and therefore I can more readily contribute to making the world a better place for everyone.”

If I was a woman in a developing country, in certain cultures or from our recent past, it means that the empowerment of my life is essential, if not the absolute, key to making my particular culture or society better.  Especially in this context, living an authentic life and expressing our highest potential means that we serve as role models for the women who do not yet have the full freedoms and rights that we often take for granted, and that we honor those who came before us and sacrificed so much to get us here.  We must not waste the precious opportunity we have been given.

ALL women have a mark to leave on the world – what will yours be?

If you’re not sure what kind of history your life as a woman will make, talk to me and I will help you discover what unique gifts, talents and abilities you possess that must be shared with us all!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If you like what I write, you’ll love what I have to say in person!   Click on above links for info about my coaching and speaking services and contact me today.

Join Mailing List
 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE Personal Growth Gab (PGG) Volume One FROM AMAZON

FEELING STUCK IN YOUR CAREER? CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO!  

  Last November I was one of the career experts featured in a panel discussion hosted by The Muse.  Here is the full length video where you can hear my thoughts on career transition, working with a coach, building confidence and handling emotions in the workplace. 

Artists and musicians do it. Actors and writers do it. Designers do it.  Nonprofits and entrepreneurs do it. To some extent, we all do it.  We strive to maintain our authenticity, creativity and vision of who we are and what we want to express in the world while trying to earn a living in it.

Last week I attended a lovely event hosted by In Good Company that highlighted the journey of fashion designer Selia Yang. She reinforced once again that for successful creative types, every decision cannot always be 100% creative – to truly exist and thrive you must understand and often defer to the financial/commercial aspect of life.

These types of especially dedicated lifestyles are the ‘roads less traveled’ for a reason – if it was easy everyone would be doing it!  It’s a path that takes faith, determination, perseverance, and perhaps most of all, courage.

The word courage is made up of the Latin root for ‘heart’.  There is no doubt that to do what you want to do in life, you need lots of heart – in the form of love for yourself, others and your work, and the passion and conviction to forge ahead, even if you don’t know for sure where your next meal will come from. Not due to some great tragedy that has befallen you, but simply because of your integrity and commitment to that ‘creative’ vision and life for yourself.

There’s a reason why they call it show business, and although nonprofits are not for profit, they still need money to do the work they do.  In the past, we relied upon patrons and benefactors, which to some extent we still do. The bottom line is that we need money to exist. How to acheive that balance of being who we are and being able to support ourselves by being that is an eternal quest with no silver bullet answer. At the end of the day. we need to be able to decide as individuals just how much we can compromise ourselves for it.

When choosing to live a life that is most true to who you are, you need to be aware of what things you might have to sacrifice, at least for a while, to make things happen.  But as challenging as the path can be,   there is always a payoff for sticking with it – and we wouldn’t have all the beauty, innovation, entertainment and opportunity in the world if others hadn’t done so!

Still interested?  You may have to redefine what success means to you.  You have to possess certain traits, the right motivation and perspective to know out how these choices will effect other areas of your life  -but you will be more fulfilled having at least tried.  These are the types of decisions that having someone like me to talk to can help you sort it all out, so I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Whether it makes you think of Catholic school nuns, dog training or your struggle with diet and exercise – we are certainly witnessing some of the most disciplined minds and bodies as we watch the Winter Olympics. Any form of excellence requires it, and these amazing athletes show what can happen when you are singularly focused on and dedicated to a particular goal.

For most of my life, I admit I had always associated the word with  limitation: something negative, bad or oppressive.  Over the past several years I began to learn that instead, it is a positive attitude and approach that can actually be quite liberating. When used in the right way, discipline is an extreme act of self-love.

For example, realizing that I needed to stop working 24/7, and make time for activities that are fun, pleasurable and social is something I am now very conscious about.  I even include going to the gym in that category! It has become a discipline of mine that has made my life a lot less stressed and more enjoyable.

As they say, ‘one man’s pleasure is another man’s pain’ – and I say what you may consider a pain for yourself, can often turn into a pleasure once you discipline yourself in that area and reap the benefits!

Discipline means that you care so deeply about yourself that you want to improve or create balance wherever you need it.  No matter what goals you are working towards, you are doing something about it every day to make yourself the best you can be.

But sometimes we can’t do it alone.  Like those Olympic athletes, who are able to stay on that razor-edge track with the help of their coaches, think of me as one of them, guiding and supporting you to a personal Gold Medal in whatever area of life you choose!