You Time

It's the first day of February 2010. And I am convicted with scheduled time for me this month that will be filled with long walks in the winter landscape and reading about money. I look forward to enjoying pain free walking after my recent hip surgery and learning about money so that I will be wiser in my handling of my increased revenues. What are you planning with YOU TIME for this month? We'll check in at on 2/28 and see how well you treated yourself.

Surfing the waves of change

I have come a long way. Recently there have been surprises and changes appearing in my life that are big and scary on one level. I have learned that the flip side of big and scary is an enormous opportunity to apply trust and creativity. Here's a quote from Mark Twain that helps guide me at times like right now. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Go forth and live your best life.

over a year

Doesn't seem possible that it has been over a year since I posted to this blog! So here we are in 2010. Whew....Many people comment that time goes too quickly. I often respond that I am pleased that time flies. I remember as a kid that the hands on the clock seemed weighted down with molasses. Time dragged for me. As an adult and as a more aware person, I am happy filling up my days with the magic moments of taking the time and interest in appreciating all my gifts and all my abundance. As a kid I didn't see or appreciate the beauty of nature, the blessings of convenience and plenty, or the richness of life experience. For me it is true that life is best lived in each moment, and in doing so, time slips by easily and I like it like that.

Planning Ahead

We're heading toward the end of 2008 and I'm beginning to set up goals for myself for 2009. I'm feeling excited, empowered, optimistic,and enthusiastic. Business wise I look to great leaps forward in attracting interesting and lucrative speaking engagements.Personally I look forward to continued growth and discovery. Globally I plan to participate in the arenas that matter most to me. I feel energized and happy to be where I am. What is your outlook for the coming year?

Oh Happy Day

I have been celebrating our election result with sincere gratitude for the monumental point in history that I am witnessing. My neighborhood had one African American family in our suburb in the 1960's. I remember seeing the Civil Rights marches on our black and white TVand in the Life magazine on our living room coffee table. I am passionate about respect, diversity and connection. There is a soulful, deep core value for shared reality that has been answered with Barack and Michelle Obama becoming our next President and First Lady. I will host an Inauguration Day party at my home and the premise is to invite my friends for conversation and discovery. How can we proceed with this opportunity to negotiate and invent our next steps as a society? This is a wonderful time to learn more about how to listen to each other and come up with ways to help everyone get what they need.

Practicing Patience

I had a light bulb moment this weekend. A good friend told me about her experience practicing patience. I realized that she is learning how to be patient. This is a skill that was taught to me many years ago and I forget that patience is something everyone learns differently and at different times of their lives. I love being surprised by my assumptions. It keeps my humble and challenged.

So, I asked my friend what she is doing to learn patience. She is a commuter and spends many hours driving her car. In a recent traffic jam, my friend said she followed some steps from a magazine article she had read. She noticed what was going on in her body(stomach tightening, pounding head, tight throat), took deep breaths, told herself there was nothing she could do to change the situation she was in, and focused on a relaxing image of being at a campfire in the woods sharing a fun filled weekend with friends. And then her experience of being stuck in traffic became something else. She turned off the adrenaline from stress.

What is your experience with learning and using patience in your everyday life?

Change

Change is in the air in this particular election. And change is a topic we can address in our lives yet again. I really love the freedom, challenge and opportunity for creativity and learning that change brings. Maybe there is some discomfort, awkwardness, and confusion that is included in the change package, and overall I see these as small prices for the possibility of forward movement and personal growth and discovery.
Take a look at what might be a change that you can make in the short term and the long term that would stretch you. For me, in the short term, I have connected with an opportunity to get matching funds for my contributions to Kiva, which is an organization that funds small donations for entrepreneurs around the globe.(www.kiva.org). For the long term I am learning how to make Mind Movies that will propel me forward with the projects I have.(www.mindmovies.com)
I would love to hear what changes are in the air for you!