All I wanted this past birthday was to spend time with my very special friend Angie. She’s the great-aunt (but we just use the very fitting moniker of Great Angie) of one of my oldest and dearest friends, Michele.

Michele and I go way back. We met because our alphabetically assigned lockers were next to each other in middle school, and we’ve been experiencing the ups and downs of this journey called life together ever since, even though our lives have taken very different paths. She is the yang to my yin, the Roy to my Siegfried, and yes those were both costumes we dressed up as for Halloween years back … but I digress.

When I first met Angie about seven years ago at a family member’s wake, we hit it off right away, talking like we’d known each other for years. We “spoke the same language” and just “got” each other. We’ve had several in-person interactions since, and we keep in touch with cards and the occasional phone call.

At one point early on, when I was lamenting about something that I can’t quite recall now, she admonished me not to be worried by much or bothered by most people because I was in the “major leagues.” I just remember it was a big aha lightbulb moment and pivotal perspective for me that also became a special bond between us: We are on the same team.

I never knew my maternal grandfather and could count on two hands the number of times I visited my paternal grandparents. My maternal grandmother was around until I was an adult, but she was not that warm and didn’t share much of herself. (Years later, I realized this was likely because she was chronically depressed…) Both my parents passed young and I barely have any extended family. So Angie certainly fills a void for me in having any elders to relate to and connect with.

But she’s way more than that.

On May 1st (my aforementioned grandmother’s birthday, as fate would have it), Angie will turn 100 years old.

Angie lives by herself and has no real health issues except for recent declining eyesight. Before that, she walked to church every day and taught catechism for decades. She is sharper than most people I know and still has a feisty spirit that I imagine must have been intimidating when she was a younger woman. She’s been through and seen a lot in her near century on this planet. Her brother, whom she worked for and adored, was famous, or should I say, infamous, in his day. On my most recent visit with her last Saturday, the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination, she retold us of the time she met the handsome President and how beautiful Jackie was at the inaugural ball!

When asked what her secret is, she says it’s not about the number but about how young you are in spirit. And also, a big key is to be interested in others: “In order to be interesting you have to be interested in other people.” Which totally explains how she is so hip and able to talk not only to me and Michele, but also to Michele’s 13-year-old daughter, Fiona, without skipping a beat!

But to me her greatest “secret” and special sauce is her profound faith; her unrelenting belief in and connection to something bigger than herself, which she calls God, and I call the Universe. To me that is what has given her the fuel and fortitude to be so wise and vital at the 99+ inning of her game. I can only hope to be as amazing and inspiring in the second half of mine.

Looking to improve your game at any level? Gimme a buzz and we’ll get you up to speed and in the right uniform so you can make the most of your times at bat and win the World Series of Life!

Whenever the fourth Thursday in November rolls around, we are meant to reflect on all the blessings in our lives. Traditionally, that would imply appreciating all that is good or positive, everything that brings us joy and happiness, or that we could not live without.

While that is certainly warranted, why not also be grateful for the funky, not-so-positive, annoying and pain-in-the-you-know- where stuff — the people, things and situations that challenge us, push our buttons or make us feel uncomfortable.

As the saying goes, “There are no problems, only opportunities.” Our crises and difficulties are chances for us to test our mettle, see what we’re made of, and become stronger and wiser for it. They are occasions for us to make course corrections, adjust, fine-tune and put ourselves back in balance or on track — or perhaps a different, better track.

If life went smoothly all the time, you wouldn’t have to dig deep, really look at ourselves, search within for answers, or find new, creative ways of doing things. Innovation is problem-solving at its most basic level (just watch those Dyson commercials), so where would we be without all the problems we’ve had?

Whether you’re unemployed, having a health crisis, or having trouble in your personal or professional relationships, take a step back and see what is the Universe trying to show/teach you. Remember, those carbon atoms wouldn’t become diamonds without extreme high pressure and heat.

So this year, be thankful not only for the bird that you are about to eat (or Tofurky if that is more your style), but for all those “turkeys” in your life — the folks and circumstances that gave you stress and grief but also compelled you to overcome those obstacles and become the person you are today.

Need a little help seeing how the cr*p in your life is really cool? Give me a buzz and we’ll figure out what should be basted and tasted, and what is simply a little fat that needs to be trimmed….

If you are like me, my clients, family, friends and the rest of the world, you’ve been through some stuff the past six months (well more like the past two years, oh heck, since the Fall of 2008!) that has tested, stretched, stressed and made you confront some not-so-pleasant realities about yourself, your life and the people in it.

This meant lots of changes, whether forced upon you from the outside – i.e., having no choice but to move; getting laid off from your job; dealing with a divorce, breakup, or loss of a loved one – or internally, i.e., you were so sick of yourself or your situation that you had to do something, not the least of which was to change your perspective, or finally accept the reality of how things are, rather than how you imagined or wished them to be.

The more challenges you have and the more you resist, the worse things get. This has been a time of “go with the flow,” so whatever you’ve been through, know that it is exactly what you needed to make you stronger and get you to where you need to be next.

A lot of my work is about teaching you to trust yourself, have faith in the process and possess the patience to let life unfold as it should – even with those bumps in the road and unexpected twists and turns along the way. As long as you are intimate, honest and honoring with and of yourself while consistently being in action (which is sometimes non-action), whether internal or external, have confidence that things will shake out the way they are supposed to, in time and on time, in whatever form the Universe deems is best for you.

It all starts with knowing and owning who you are, where you’re at, what you truly want, and realizing you have the power to be the fullest, deepest expression of yourself if only you make it your responsibility and yours alone. It means we have to grow up.

One of the tools I gave these ninth-graders – which I referred to it as a superpower- was to be grateful whenever things get a little rough. Like those magic words “Open Sesame!,” by simply focusing on something you can be thankful for, all of a sudden the pressure is lifted and a metaphorical door or window opens to let in a cool breeze, provide an answer to that riddle, or reveal a hidden treasure.

So no matter what you’ve been through recently, make sure you see the gift in the gristle, which is GROWTH. Give it up with a great big letting go of the past, and exhale heartfelt gratitude for whatever life handed to you, having gotten through it, and embrace all the good you’ve gained and have yet to experience as a result.

Need to survey the lay of the land as the dust settles to sort out who’s who and what’s what? Give me a buzz and I’ll help you thank that unexpected messy house guest who disrupted your home, but in the end left it better off than it was when he got there.

A good friend would often quote a Yiddish sayingto me: Mensch tracht, Gott lacht. Man plans, God laughs.

The renowned Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh offers another perspective: “People sacrifice the present for the future. But life is possible only in the present.”

In this era of instant everything and a world of answers literally at our fingertips, one of the hardest things for us to do is live in that space where we don’t know what will happen next. With the unemployment rate at record highs [2010], more and more people are learning the hard way how to experience life in this manner.

People in career transition, artists and freelancers have to operate without knowing where their next paycheck will be coming from. People in new relationships are at often at sea in uncharted emotional waters. Whenever we put ourselves in unfamiliar social territory or a take a trip to a place we’ve never been, we journey into the unknown — which is why it’s so important to travel; it’s one of the most natural ways to be in the present.

An easy way to add anxiety and stress in your life is to allow yourself to be overwhelmed by all the things you think you need to accomplish in the near or not-so-near future. The reality is that you can’t possibly know what tomorrow will bring, so you may as well trust that the right decision or action today will lead you where you need to go, even if you don’t know where you’re ultimately going.

So when your life is a big question mark or an empty slate, or if you find yourself in terra incognita, I can help you fill in the blanks and navigate your way through, or simply show you how to be okay with where you right now. Give me a buzz and I will be the lighthouse in the fog, the compass in your pocket, to help guide you to your most authentic destination, in time and on time!

The American poet and educator Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said “Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.”

A marathon like the famous one in NYC is a fantastic metaphor for life and how to accomplish what you want. It begins with a commitment, after which you must prepare and discipline yourself with dedication and enthusiasm. You must travel lean – lighten your load of physical, mental and/or emotional baggage along the way. There will be moments where you feel you can’t go on, but someone, even a complete stranger, will say or do something that will spur and cheer you on. You must have faith in yourself and know there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel.

I have a client who, after being laid off from his corporate job, realized he wanted to have his own business to be more in control his future. With a deep belief in himself and a lot of trial and error, blood, sweat and tears, a year and a half later he is now a top national producer. He keeps his eye on the prize, paces himself, and with stamina and persistence is able to get the job done (and continued group coaching to stay on track, stay balanced and gain support!).

Even with the uncertainty that owning a business brings, he is infinitely happier than when he was working 9-5 with a steady paycheck. Because he knew what he wanted, made the internal decision, and took the necessary external steps, he now reaps the immediate and tangible results of his efforts.

Whether a tortoise or a hare, slow and steady generally wins the race, no matter how long it takes. As long as you start and finish it there is satisfaction because the journey is just as significant, if not more so, than the goal. The important thing is not to compare yourself to others – because we are all at different places in this marathon called life; you need to know your personal best in whatever area you are focusing on.

No one can run that race for you, but whether beginner or pro, give me a buzz and I’ll be a super-coach to get you to the finish line via the most direct and satisfying route, guiding, cheering and providing some motivational Gatorade every step of the way!