Milisa Burns 1/30/13 Milisa Burns 1/30/13

More Than Just A Plum Pudding

For as long as I can remember, my maternal grandmother, Mildred Maclean ("DD" to me), would make the plum pudding for our Christmas dinner. A few years ago, when she was well into her 90s, I took over the role of plum pudding maker.

Milisa Burns 11/29/12 Milisa Burns 11/29/12

Disconnected!

This post is about noticing disconnect and encouraging vulnerability. By "disconnected", I am referring to a situation in which our perception of ourselves is very different from how others see us.

Milisa Burns 10/30/12 Milisa Burns 10/30/12

My Food Story: From A Shameful Secret to A Helpful Tale

This is definitely the hardest blog post I have written since I started two years ago. I have been thinking about it for over a year, debating with myself about whether to share this story with you.

Milisa Burns 9/14/12 Milisa Burns 9/14/12

Take Your Exercise!

As professional women, we tend to be in our heads a lot - analyzing, judging, sorting, drafting, calculating. Lots of left side of the brain stuff. It is quite easy to begin to neglect our bodies when we are so in our heads. However, in doing so, we are really cheating ourselves.

Milisa Burns 7/16/12 Milisa Burns 7/16/12

Is Your Body A Ball and Chain or a Place of Refuge? (Epiphany in the Gatineau Hills)

For part of last summer, like every summer of my life, I spent some time up at our family cottage on Blue Sea Lake, in Quebec's Gatineau Hills, north of Ottawa. Our extended family has been going to this place for seven generations. There are many many things I love about the place and the people there. When I am there, I make a point of getting out on the old railroad track, which has been converted into a fitness trail. I love to run and walk on it. So, on one of these occasions last summer, I was out on the trail with my dog, and I had an epiphany.

Milisa Burns 6/11/12 Milisa Burns 6/11/12

Yes!

It's been almost a year since I began focusing on managing energy not time in many of my posts (see Managing Energy Not Time - Refuelling at the Dog Park, which was the first post). I have really enjoyed having that as an overarching theme, since it is integral to how I live my life and how I approach my coaching practice.

Milisa Burns 3/23/12 Milisa Burns 3/23/12

Something Lost, More Found

My family and I were lucky enough to be able to go to Florida last week for March Break. We had a really lovely holiday; lots of good "family of five" time as well as fun times with grandparents and a great aunt and great uncle. We arrived quite exhausted and left much more relaxed.

Milisa Burns 1/26/12 Milisa Burns 1/26/12

Lessons of a 20-Something Year Old

To start of this year of blogging I thought you might enjoy Michele Wong's inspiring story below. I met Michele last November at a Young Women In Law Charity Gala which was held to raise money for the Belinda Stronach Foundation.

Milisa Burns 12/22/11 Milisa Burns 12/22/11

Happy Holidays, Thank You and Must-Watch Video!

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate Christmas! Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate Hanukkah! And Happy Holidays to everyone! May there be lots of light of all kinds in your lives this season.

Milisa Burns 12/8/11 Milisa Burns 12/8/11

Focus on Focusing and Feel Fantastic!

I am sitting here at home on this wet, grey December Monday morning, feeling a little unfocused. This is ironic, given that I really want to write about mental energy and how focusing mentally can help us manage our mental energy. However, as I write this I realize, maybe this is just what I need!

Milisa Burns 10/20/11 Milisa Burns 10/20/11

Elements and LEAPS in Las Vegas

It's been over two weeks since I returned from the International Coach Federation Conference in Las Vegas and I have had some time to let the ideas and experiences percolate a bit. While I was there I felt like a big sponge, absorbing so much, with joy, I must say.

Milisa Burns 10/3/11 Milisa Burns 10/3/11

Carrying Heavy Loads and Smiling Plastic Smiles in Vegas

I love when my kids' story books make me think. In Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth, a panda bear tells some children the story of two monks, an older one and a younger one, on a journey. At one point they come across a rich and haughty young woman who demands that they carry her across some water so she won't get wet.

Milisa Burns 9/15/11 Milisa Burns 9/15/11

Help - I am on a Roller Coaster!

Since my last post my family and I have been immersed in back to school logistics and excitement. Last week, when the kids went back to school, felt like a roller coaster ride to me, both physically and emotionally. Taking a totally unscientific poll of other parents last week, I can safely say I was not alone!

Milisa Burns 8/25/11 Milisa Burns 8/25/11

Ah, Sweet Slumber - What's Your Favourite Bedtime Routine?

Ah, sweet slumber... sometimes it's so elusive, isn't it? When is the last time you had a really good night's sleep, one where you woke up and felt well rested and energetic? The kind of sleep where the last thing you remember is dropping your head on the pillow. A deep "dreamless" sleep.

Milisa Burns 7/29/11 Milisa Burns 7/29/11

Have You Noticed Your Breathing Lately?

One of the simplest and most profound ways that we can manage our physical energy is to manage our breathing. Breathing is a tool that we always carry in our tool box. I am sure this is not news to you: we hear exhortations to "breathe" everywhere, in yoga, meditation, mindfulness training, relaxation workshops.

Milisa Burns 7/19/11 Milisa Burns 7/19/11

Managing Energy Not Time - Refuelling at the Dog Park

This is my dog, Raska. (She is named after the Ganaraska River and Forest near our cottage). Raska is partly responsible for helping manage my energy, and not my time, and thus helps me be more "sustainable".

Milisa Burns 4/18/11 Milisa Burns 4/18/11

Our Planet Needs Us

When I was a little girl I spent a lot of time playing in the basement of our house. When I wasn’t down there I remember being outside playing in the woods in our backyard, making forts or exploring the ravine or river. On rainy days, the basement held many attractions, including: wooden blocks which I loved to use to make mazes for my gerbil; a rope ladder to climb; my “Puff the Magic Dragon” record which I could never get enough of; and one particularly special book.

Milisa Burns 1/31/11 Milisa Burns 1/31/11

Being the Bamboo – A Story from the 2010 ICF Conference

As I mentioned in two posts ago, I was in Texas in October for an amazing experience at the International Coach Federation annual conference. Here is another story out of that experience.

Milisa Burns 1/17/11 Milisa Burns 1/17/11

It’s Not Our WHOLE Brain That Drives Us Crazy!

Lately I have developed an interest in how our brains work. I am no expert and never will be, but I am an avid student. My interest started with a lecture by David Rock that I attended a couple of years ago.

Milisa Burns 12/6/10 Milisa Burns 12/6/10

PS To My Story “Who is Milisa Burns?”

Just to be crystal clear, by sharing my story in my first post, I am not trying to suggest that to make more room for yourself, you must change what your life looks like on the outside. For instance, I am not here to suggest you change your work.

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