Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. ~ Jimi Hendrix

If you have been receiving PGGs for a while, worked with me individually or come to one of my group sessions, you know that I talk a lot about love. But the love that I talk about is not some airy-fairy, namby-pamby, hippie-dippy notion or one that has been misused, watered-down, misunderstood, or simply lost its meaning with lip service.

Real love is the real deal. As Mahatma Gandhi says “Love is the strongest force the world possesses, and yet it is the humblest imaginable.”  Fifty years ago we witnessed an era where our civil rights leaders and all those who were part of that struggle dug deep and called upon this force within themselves to withstand the immense opposition and cruelty they experienced on a daily basis in order to transform society as it existed at the time.

More recently we could not have had a more immediate, direct and tangible example of this phenomenon when one single woman, Antoinette Tuff, used it to save the lives of over 800 people, most of them children, from a lone, heavily loaded mentally ill gunman in Decatur, Georgia.  If you do not know the story, or haven’t seen this extraordinary woman talk about what happened, you must learn about her. (Google the numerous stories, or watch this interview and listen to the entire 911 call).

As humans we are all built from the same stuff.  Love doesn’t know race, sexual orientation or religion – if you are human you can love.  If you are human you respond to love.  As Antoinette and Michael Stipe say, Everybody Hurts sometimes. Everyone needs connection and affection.  Compassion and empathy are palpable and are the best antidotes to fear and pain.

If you’ve seen me speak, you know I am always mentioning the fact that the root of the word for courage is Latin for ‘heart’.  Which means that true bravery is about connecting to that part of yourself, knowing its innate power, and having faith in a force greater and wiser than yourself (or beyond your ego/brain).

So the next time you find yourself in a challenging situation or being attacked in some form, whether it be mental, emotional, or yes, sometimes even physical, instead of using violence to counteract violence, why not call upon the most powerful weapon at your disposal: L.O.V.E. 

Need a little help harnessing the heft of your heart? Give me a buzz and I will show you how to give it a good work-out, because at the end of the day love like is a muscle – the more you use it, the stronger it will become – and who knows what miracles will occur in your life or the lives of others because of it!

(*Today’s PGG was originally posted on August 28, 2013)

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

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By now you probably know I announced the birth my very first book earlier this month, and I wanted to thank everyone who has purchased a copy, offered congratulations and attended the launch!

As mentioned, I’ll be promoting this baby for a while, so today I wanted to once again remind you to like, share, tweet, google plus, holla and smoke signal the word about  Personal Growth Gab (PGG) Volume One: Thought-provoking, inspirational, entertaining essays to keep you connected with yourself and make sense of this journey called Life so that all your peeps can find out about and benefit from it, too! 

And remember, once you check it out I would love to get your feedback, so please let me know what you think by sending me an email , posting on the PGG Facebook Page , tweeting about it and/or writing an Amazon Review. 

Thank you for being a part of this – it’s a huge step in my own personal growth! 🙂 Kristina

P.S. I’m so grateful to all of you who shared this last week! Here are some of the Facebook posts/feedback I was honored to have received:

… Kristina Leonardi is one extraordinary writer! From her calming voice and beautiful perspective to her ability to connect the dots and provoke “ah-ha!” moments, her words will change you for the better. I know without a doubt that the essays in this book will positively impact you, so check it out and give yourself a great gift!

Ambition, empathy, wisdom and the drive to make things happen: that’s my friend Kristina Leonardi and it’s easy to understand why she is such a successful coach and motivational speaker! So excited to celebrate the launch of her new book!!!

I am so proud of my friend, Kristina Leonardi, for writing a book called Personal Growth Gab. I highly recommend it-and not just because she’s my friend. It’s already helped me lots with topics such as self-love, patience, change, and self-expression. You reading this book can definitely help make the world a better place by taking the step of “creating peace in your piece of the pie” as Kristina says!

Kristina is a amazing person and mentor. If you have ever been to one of her talks or actually met her face to face you would totally understand how inspirational and supportive she can be. If you haven’t met her you can experience what I am talking about, she has just released a new book… You should read it!  

My high school friend, Kristina Leonardi, started an organization years ago to help women of different backgrounds learn about each other, themselves, and unlock their passion and true calling. She went on to be a life coach, speaker, and blogger. She has compiled her essays in a new book designed to “help make your life the most fulfilled it can be” and “to create peace in your piece of the pie.” So proud of her and everything she has offered women over the years. Here is her new book!

My friend, Kristina Leonardi, has written a book of insightful essays (injected with fun and humor) to help guide, inspire, and make sense of life’s daily challenges and milestones alike. If you need a mood booster or helping hand, check it out!

Hi Kristina, love your book. [M] gave it to me for a b-day gift and I enjoy reading it as a morning meditation before the chaos begins. Wishing you continued success with it.

Hi Kristina…I am reading your book – have about an hour this morning to myself before the craziness of life begins and I just read “Labor Pains” – I honestly have to tell you it has got me thinking !! I feel like at this point in my life I am just going through the motions with no direction – no goal for myself. Get up go to work / spend time with family and friends / pay bills / cook / clean etc. I really need to figure out what I should be focusing on – believe I am happy but I think if I focus my energy on one thing to improve myself or my life – I may find even more happiness. I am really enjoying it!!

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ANNOUNCEMENT & INFO   

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If you are receiving this email (or subscribed to this blog) you’ve being finding a PGG in your inbox every week for a while now, and have stuck with me this far as I’ve discovered my voice and put my thoughts and observations out there in a creative way. My intention has always been to provide a unique perspective about life and bring some reflection, hope and meaning to your day. Thank you for reading them!

I’ve sent out more than 131 original essays over the past five years (oh yes, there were more but they were re-runs!) and because I’ve received such positive feedback about how they help motivate, inspire and make you think, I thought why not put them together in a beautiful book for you to access at any time?

It took a while to get it all together but I’m proud to announce it’s finally here!  I’ll be promoting this baby in multiple ways these next couple weeks (well, forever), but for now I just wanted to let you know you can get a copy of Personal Growth Gab (PGG) Volume One: Thought-provoking, inspirational, entertaining essays to keep you connected with yourself and make sense of this journey called Life in your hot little hands today!

I sincerely hope you enjoy the book – please let me know what you think by sending me an email, posting on Facebook, tweeting about it, and/or writing an Amazon Review.

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Personal Growth Gab (PGG) Volume One: Thought-provoking, inspirational and entertaining essays to keep you connected with yourself and make sense of this journey called Life

“If you are seeking how to get centered in who you are and what you want, read this book!”

“Brimming with insight, compassion, and humor, this collection of essays offers encouragement to anyone seeking to grow in harmony with their true nature, and to discover a genuine path toward positive change in the world, starting with themselves.”  

“A great way to go to bed on a positive note and wake up with a refreshing message. Definitely one I’m keeping on my night stand!”

“Each essay is punchy and profound.”

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Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly ~ Unknown

One of my current clients has done a tremendous amount of work in a very short time: She has had major revelations in noticing past patterns, stripped away unhealthy relationships and is beginning to tap into who she really is, not who she became to please everyone else.  It takes an immense amount of effort to do this.

For the caterpillar, transformation literally means disintegrating its old form to become ‘goop’ while protected in the cocoon prior to emerging as a butterfly.  You can imagine the energy required to do so, and it can’t be very comfortable being formless and not able to see much, if it can see at all – it’s not easy being goop! 

Conscious or not of its eventual destiny, the old self, having served its purpose, is dying a type of death and a natural grieving process occurs. In consoling my client about letting go of her past, I mentioned how Cher had a hard time because intellectually she had grasped what was happening, but she became very upset when she realized the voice of her child was changing;  her daughter was now becoming a son. And although the person that she gave birth to was very much still there, she was losing Chastity in order to welcome Chaz.

Chaz Bono, and anyone who is transgender, has to deal with perhaps the most extreme of identity issues.  The amount of courage it takes to make such a transition, especially in the public eye, is truly inspiring. Not only did Chaz have to know and be comfortable enough with himself to make such a seemingly drastic decision, but he also had the poise and confidence to articulate so graciously and effectively how and why he needed to do what he did, demonstrating a profound lesson for us all in ultimate self-awareness and love.  

Chaz’s story is an important and powerful one because no matter how we identify ourselves, we all go through various forms of transformation throughout our lives -some more internal, others more external -in order to evolve into the best and fullest versions of our own humanity. His experience teaches us to be true to ourselves, accept and honor all of who we are, and trust that those who sincerely care for us will do so as well, even if it does take some time to adjust. Chaz is more content in his new body and his new life than he has ever been; the more of us who get to that place, the better off we all are.

Whether you want to find your voice, be more comfortable in your body, or express more of your Sal or Sally, I can be a mirror and guide for you in the process, peeling back the layers and providing a cocoon of support and space for you to go from goop to glorious, like a Butterfly!

(*Today’s PGG was originally posted on May 17, 2011)

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We all have areas of life that we tend to neglect more than others, allowing things to build up over time.

Like Mother Nature’s need to release her pent up pressure through a variety of earth and weather based events, our unbalanced energy has to go somewhere. And when not addressed it gets buried within us as fat or addictions, crushing debt, unhelathy relationships, dead-end jobs, physical or mental illness or a general malaise until one day the walls come a tumblin’ down – because if you don’t take care of it, the Universe eventually will.

As the saying goes, we often need to have a breakdown before we can have a breakthrough – it’s just life showing you where change is required. What emotions have been repressed that need to be released with a good cry or a sweaty workout? Is your mind about to crack (hopefully not like Charlie Sheen’s did, which on the surface appears entertaining but is no joking matter)? Is a relationship, career, job search or financial situation beyond repair or in need of a big ole tune-up? Is your body giving you a hard time?

Change is one thing that is certain in life, and it is most definitely in the air at the moment. Embracing it and going with the flow makes dealing with change easier and less stressful, so heed the wisdom from a certain 70’s hit TV series, when Peter was going through puberty and the Brady kids sang,very groovily I might add, “ When it’s time to change, then it’s time to change/ Don’t fight the tide, come along for the ride.” It means that “…you’ve got to re-arrange who you are into what you’re gonna be.” (Try getting that song out of your head now…Sha na na na na).

Change is always good if we respond to it in the right way– by accepting our state of affairs and our responsibility in its creation, and by facing the fears about what actions are necessary to confront it, all the while knowing that we will be better, stronger, and wiser for having done so.  And, we need to deal with the reality of the situation as it is, not as we would like it to be.

Not sure where the seismic activity or cresting river is in your life? Like Luke Skywalker or Jamiroquai, you can always use the force, or just give me a buzz and I’ll provide some rescue, relief and/or recovery to help you avoid a full-on meltdown and instead enjoy the ride!

(*Today’s PGG was originally posted on March 15, 2011)

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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.

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