Did You Know Personal Courage Cannot Exist Without Fear?
The Latin root of "courage" is cor, which mean "heart". So, at the centre of personal courage is the heart. To be personally courageous means, by definition, that we are fearful but act anyway from our heart. This type of courage does not exist without fear. This is how I experience personal courage.
Savouring - A Very Pleasant and Effective Tool for Success!
Savouring is a positive psychology "happiness intervention", meaning that finding ways to savour the joys in life has been shown to lead to increased happiness and well-being. And studies have also shown that increased happiness and well-being lead to more success in life - and not the other way around as many of us assume.
Waves That Can Overwhelm Us and Knock Us Down
That wave slap experience has stayed with me over the years in a visceral way. Lately, I have been noticing that my experience feels akin to what can happen to us when life comes at us in a wave - of emotions or thoughts or circumstances - and hits us unexpectedly. It's that same terrible feeling of overwhelm and of powerlessness.
The Sweet Fruits of Transformation – A Story
I want to tell you the story of Vanessa, an imaginary woman who is a combination of many of the women I have talked to and worked with over the years, and me. I want to sketch out for you her “before and after” coaching story – so you can see the benefits of transformation. The fruits of transformation can be very sweet indeed!
Fun is Not a Luxury
In my conversations with other women over the years, I have heard over and over about their yearning for Fun. But they often hold themselves back from creating fun in their lives - they see it as a luxury. I too am guilty of this. But Fun is not a luxury. It is not selfish. It is an essential ingredient in our lives. And we need to Make Room For It.
Practices for A Successful Career Transition For Women Lawyers
These are all practices I use myself and recommend to my clients, whether in a transition or not, frankly, in most cases. They are tried and true. I am not a career coach per se - my expertise is in supporting professional women to be connected deeply to themselves, self-confident, and purposeful, so the practices reflect that perspective. They will be supportive to you in then being able to have the clarity and confidence to access the skills and support you need to make your career transition successfully.
Are You Resisting the YES You Feel?
Have you ever felt a huge YES for something with every fibre of your being, which is quickly followed by all the reasons why it should be a NO? I have a story about one experience I had with this. Not surprisingly, the story is related to my work in learning about Feminine Power, which has been a big focus for me of late. A few summers ago, I was just completing the first 7-week online course in Feminine Power.
It Happened At Spadina and Dupont
It happened at Spadina and Dupont on my morning walk two springs ago. I had an insight that would profoundly affect how I live my life... But before I get to that, let me backtrack to a few years earlier. Again, I was outside, on a run this time. I was using the workout up clear my head, feeling like the wind blowing by me was literally blowing the messy toxic debris and clutter out of my mind as I ran.
Why I Love Our Street Party
We heard about the party because neighbours were selling tickets to a raffle to be held at the party. We were curious, so on the day of, walked up and checked it out. We loved the community feel to it.
Harnessing of "The Upside of Stress" by Kelly McGonigal
Whenever I feel compelled to talk a lot about something I have just learned, I realize that it is an important idea.
Come Out of Your Box And Find Work-Life Synergy
Come out of your box and find work-life synergy (and the joy, freedom and sense of purpose that come with that)! Many years ago when I was a young lawyer, eager to learn, I had a conversation with a senior partner at my firm. He told me that part of his success had to do with the fact that he was able to put things in boxes and focus on one box at a time – he had a work box, a family box, a house box, a friend box, etc.
9 Tips to Prevent Burnout – Voices of Experience
Nine terrific, and it turned out, very generous and experienced women, joined me as I hosted the lunch and workshop: Three Common Mistakes Professional Women Make that Keep Them Feeling Exhausted and Overwhelmed. The group’s discussion became especially engaged around the subject of burnout.
More Joy – From Natasha Bedingfield’s Song “Unwritten”
I am not on top of pop culture – I rely on my family to keep me up to date, so I only really noticed this song: Unwritten, by Natasha Bedingfield (2004), in November when it was played as part of the Feminine Power Mastery course I am taking. I loved the song as soon as I heard a part of it.
Finding Joy, Despite XYZ Stresses
Did you see this article by Gillian Livingston in the Globe and Mail last weekend about the study on stress: Survey Says: We’re Stressed (and not loving it)? So many of us are stressed way beyond our comfort zone. Some stress is good, but too much and unrelenting stress is bad, in a myriad of ways.
Meeting A Woman On A Mission: Arianna Huffington
Two weeks ago, I shook hands with Arianna Huffington. I don’t get very excited about Hollywood stars, but meeting Arianna Huffington was another story. Meeting her really did get me excited, especially after hearing what she had to say to the crowd at The Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto two weeks ago.
Want to Move from Dread to Enjoyment? Be Inspired by this Story
Is there a part of your work, your home or your community life that you dread on a regular basis? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to shift out of the dread to something more positive… dare we even say, to shift from dread to enjoyment?
Acts of Kindness Elevate Us - Inspiration From Paris
When was the last time you felt that open, warm or glowing feeling in your chest when you witnessed an act of kindness? I had the privilege of enjoying and savouring that sensation of elevation a number of times on a recent trip.
Becoming Your Own Best Friend ("OBF")
At one time or another, many of us feel stuck in a rut, wanting to grow into our bigger, better selves, but not knowing how. This can feel lonely, and scary too, since growing means changing, and changing tends to feel scary more often than not.
Appreciating the Power of Gratitude for Greater Happiness (Part 1)
Did you know that practicing gratitude regularly is one of the most powerful ways to boost your well-being, especially your happiness? Contrary to what you might think, happiness fuels success, not the other way around.
A Growth Mindset: Why We All Need One
Do you ever feel so tired and frustrated that you are just in survival mode, getting from one day to the next, or even one hour to the next?
- anger
- authenticity
- boundaries
- brain
- change
- coaching
- collaboration
- confidence
- courage
- emotions
- energetic
- energy
- feminine power
- giving
- gratitude
- growth mindset
- happiness
- humility
- international womens day
- intuition
- leadership
- perfectionism
- potential
- pride
- receiving
- reflection
- relationships
- replenish
- resistance
- savouring
- self-compassion
- self-doubt
- selfishness
- silence
- social change
- success
- vulnerability
- wisdom
- workplace
- yearning