inspirational

I just returned from the land of Walt Disney where I watched the fireworks over Epcot from my hotel balcony each night. Inside the Marriott World Center Resort, there were fireworks of a different kind going off.

Speakers from around the globe came together for the NSA annual conference and the results were explosive! Here are some key concepts I gleaned from a few of the speakers --- I hope that you will find some sparks of inspiration here as well.

1. Lenora Billings Harris encouraged... When someone says "You were great!" ask them "Please tell me why. What resonated for you?" If you're speaking or serving the world with your gifts and talents, it helps you to know where people truly connect with you and your message.

2. Chris Clarke-Epstein suggested... Always carry a journal. You'll get brilliant ideas in random places and it's important to capture them in an idea notebook or creativity journal.

3. Gary Rifkin shared... There are 6 steps to being excellent on stage. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Practice. Practice. Practice. If you do these, it will give you freedom to be authentic when you show up.

4. Nido Qubein inspired... Invest 1/3 of your life in earning, 1/3 of your life in learning and 1/3 of your life in serving. Brilliant wisdom from a wildly successful businessman. 

5. Stephen Tweed reminded... "What gets measured gets managed. What gets rewarded gets repeated." Makes me want to pull out Michael Gerber's E-Myth and brush up on my information systems!

I've just updated the Speaking page on my website and look forward to more opportunities to share my message of inspiration with the world!

I've just completed a year long program with the amazing Andrea Lee, one of the most well-known and well-respected coaches in the world!   

Andrea led us through The Thomas Leonard Success Strategies Program which was a wonderful compilation of the brilliance of Thomas Leonard, considered by many to be the Father of Modern Coaching.

I won't recount the 12 strategies here - you can see them on the program's website - but I will highlight a few of the tidbits from our summary call today.

These are some of Andrea's bits of wisdom and some thought provoking questions to ponder (not always her exact words, my interpretation of what I heard!):

"When we say good-bye, it invites space for big hellos!"

"Be the boss of technology, don't let it be the boss of you" 

"Repeat what works."

"What do you believe to the core?" 

"How can you cut through the info-crap?" 

"Traverse the edge. It keeps you awake!"

"Juice the orange." (my personal favorite!)

"What risks are you willing to take?"

"What can you claim and make it your own?"

"Why do you have your governor on?"

Thank you, Andrea, for sharing these gems and for being such an important leader, a kind and compassionate person and light in the world! I am a better coach and smarter business woman for knowing you! ~ E.

H.E.A.L. Series - Over 60 Conscious Leaders - Taking the Evolutionary Leap with Dan Hanneman on Spiritual Rockstar Radio!

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We are experiencing a HUGE SHIFT in our consciousness and it seems most everyone is feeling the new energy that is being birthed.  Like any birthing process, we will be able to move through it much easier and naturally when we discover the best path for us to allow it to happen.

I am honored and excited to be part of this FREE online series that will provide instructions on how to embody the new energy with more grace, ease, & joy.

Over 60 conscious leaders (including Dr. Bernie Siegel, Marcia Wieder, Guy Finley, Robert Scheinfeld, Christian Pankhurst, Anita Pathik Law, Christine Kloser, and many others) are gathering to provide you with perspectives on opening to what is emerging.  It is all part of the H.E.A.L. (Highly Evolved Actualized Living) Series that is happening between March 23rd - May 27th, 2010.

You can join this extraordinary FREE series and it's interactive online community by going to http://spiritualrockstar.com/healseries.  

Be sure to listen in on Monday, May 24th at 10 am EST when I will be interviewed by the host, Dan Hanneman "The BlockBuster"!! We'll be talking about making the shift from Tired to Inspired!

I took a big risk yesterday and it paid off.

I was the keynote speaker at the Business & Professional Women of Tallahassee 2nd annual conference.

Speaking wasn't the risky part. Thanks to my involvement in Toastmasters, I'm not afraid to speak publicly anymore.

But choosing to share an aspect of my life that was dark and hard and filled with grief and anguish was a HUGE risk for me. I shared intimate details of my divorce story with the audience for the first time in such a public way.

I told them about my first husband leaving me and our marriage. I shared my shock and confusion as I left our home, my good stable job and relocated to a new city and basically cried on my mountain top for months on end.

I explained that it was a time in my life where I was barely existing and some days it took all I could just to leave the house and go buy bread at the grocery story because I knew I should have some kind of human interaction.

But what happened during that traumatic period in my life is that I got reconnected to myself. I connected with my authentic being, I connected with my spiritual self and I connected with community. As I got "plugged in" again, I got inspired and started to rebuild my life and what a wonderful life it is now, years later.

I was blown away with how well the audience received my message. All day long during the conference, women were approaching me saying "you told my story" or "I've been in a similar place" or "I'm going through that RIGHT NOW and thank you for giving me hope!" I received e-mails and phone calls last night from people thanking me for sharing my vulnerable side.

And this morning, as I sit here writing this, I have an incredible sense of FREEDOM! Telling our stories is so powerful. I think when we know our worth and our value that is when we are truly powerful.

And sharing our authentic, real, vulnerable selves is how we connect with others. I'm grateful that I was able to connect with so many of the women and men who attended the BPW Conference.

I invite you to consider:

1. In what ways are you craving connection with yourself, Spirit and others?

2. How can you be more authentic (even vulnerable) in your interactions with others?

3. What story do YOU have to tell?

 P.S. If you want to read the Tallahassee Democrat article about my speech and the conference, click here. Thanks to Dave Hodges for capturing the essence of my message so beautifully!

Happy (almost!) New Year!
Take the next three days to get ready for a fabulous 2010!

PS For readers in the Tallahassee area, it's not too late to sign up for the 2010...Begin Again New Year's Day Retreat! Hope you will join us!

Is your list of “shoulds” so long you never have time to consider the “coulds” like rest and renewal?

Who but YOU can give you the permission you need to take care of yourself?

So many women give, give, give ... and they give some more! They give it all away to other people...then there's nothing left for themselves at the end of the day.

Is that you?

Why do you do this? What's the benefit?

Seriously.

Burn out? Exhaustion? Feeling temporarily satisfied for helping others but ultimately sacrificing yourself in the process?

Stop the madness!

Stop right now and make yourself a permission slip.

I Give Myself Permission to  ________________________

(be instead of do, take the day off, slow down, quit my job, pursue my dreams, start my new business, leave my unsupportive relationship, let go of limiting beliefs, take myself on a retreat).

How does that feel?

Post your permission slip somewhere where you can see it regularly.

And actually follow through and HONOR your permission slip to yourself - it's a commitment to your health and well-being and happiness.

Experience the freedom, power and control that comes with choosing something that makes you feel good, something that nurtures you.

Don’t wait. Choose to feel good now. Choose to take care of yourself now. There will never be a better time.

Deep down, we all relate to Susan Boyle.

We are her.

We all have aspects of ourselves that we are unsure of. We're either geeky or shy or awkward or scared. We get tongue tied and fearful and we shy away from the spotlight.

And most of us, like Susan, have at least one (and often many) gifts and talents to share with the world.

But we play small.

It's easier. It's more familiar. And we don't have to risk anything. What if we fail?

But Susan got up in front of those British judges because of a promise she made to her dying mother that she would share her gift of song.

And her life will be forever changed.

And so will we.

Where are you playing small in your life?

In April 1999, my life changed forever. After a long search, I finally found my birthmother. I called her within hours of receiving her name and number. Much to my relief, the first words out of her mouth once she understood that I was her daughter were "I'd hoped and prayed this day would come and that you would find me!"

Having time one on one to connect and hang out together is something that most other families take for granted. But for us, it's a luxury. In all the years that we've known each other, we've never gone away just the two of us. One challenge that most adopted people have while building a relationship with biological relatives is the lack of shared history or lack of shared experiences. I was determined that Kathy and I would create a memorable experience to mark our ten years of being reconnected.

When planning your next big festivity, consider the following:

- and where we knew there would be a lot to see and do. We created memories on this trip, with lots of photos to commemorate our time together!

 3. Give Gifts. Go symbolic or sentimental or both. Although we didn't discuss it, we both wanted to give each other some kind of gift to celebrate our anniversary together. Kathy presented me with a gorgeous gold bracelet which I haven't taken off since I saw her a week ago! But what makes it even more special is that she bought the identical bracelet for herself so that we can both wear it and feel connected. (awwww!)  After racking my brain for weeks about what was an appropriate gift, I decided to bring my journal from 1999 and read to her my thoughts and feelings about finding her for the first time when I was 29 years old. It was moving for both of us to revisit that time and remember how powerful and life altering the experience was for both of us. We went through plenty of tissues that night!

There is much to celebrate in life - the daily things of health and family and music and doing good work in the world. And then there are special events - birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, milestones - that deserve a little extra pomp and circumstance.

Today, April 13th, is our actual "anniversary". It's the day I first learned her name and first heard her voice and knew that, without a doubt, we'd have the rest of our lives to get to know one another. So Happy Anniversary, Kathy! I'm so grateful to have you in my life and I'm so grateful to you for giving me life!

What will YOU do for your next grand celebration? Please share your ideas with me!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to appear on Tallahassee area ABC 27 News at Sunrise. What a blast! I thought I'd be TIRED getting up at 4:30 a.m. but I was so INSPIRED to be able to share my message (albeit brief!) with the Tallahassee community in the wee hours of the morning. You can watch the interview here.

I was invited to interview because I'm the featured speaker at the upcoming Florida Public Relations Association Capital Chapter meeting on Thursday, March 19th. The topic is Shift from Tired to Inspired: Five Simple Strategies to Rev Up Your Business and Your Life! If you live near Tallahassee, you don't need to be a marketing or public relations professional to benefit from knowing this fabulous group of people! Click here for details and to register. Hope to see you on Thursday!

I watched TV on and off throughout the day in between clients. Everyone I coached had a sense of optimism, excitement and possibility. We all shed a few tears. It feels like a turning point for so many Americans.

Today, history was made.

Today, we believe that almost anything is possible.

Today, this country has come together to celebrate change.

If we can elect the first black man as President of the United States despite the challenging history we've had, it's a day to be hopeful.

"Yes we can!" was Obama's slogan during his campaign. He has charged us all to step up and make a difference. I've thought about that a lot today.

Here's what I can (and plan) to do this year:

1. Donate more of my time to worthy causes.

2. Donate more of my money to people and organizations that need it.

3. Make an effort to get to know more of my neighbors.

4. Offer my coaching skills in ways to benefit more people at a variety of price points.

5. Educate myself about my local, state and national politics and speak up about issues that matter to me.

What can you do this year?

1. Write a Future Vision Letter to yourself and date it January 1, 2010. Pretend it’s one year from now and you’re feeling delighted and joyful about your successes.  The goal of this exercise is to help you identify your objectives for the coming year, so consider including the following:

-    what your ideal days look like

-    who you're spending time with

-    what adventures are you having

-    your personal/professional life balance

Focus on how you are feeling during this exercise. Are you joyful? Free? Peaceful? Revved up? Get into the flow and see what shows up.

2. Create a Vision Board for the New Year. One of my favorite activities, this is a powerful way to ring in the New Year. Gather stacks of magazines, poster board, glue sticks and scissors and you've got the makings of a fun afternoon or evening! Take time choosing images that call to you - whether for their direct or indirect meaning - and words or phrases that inspire and uplift you. Piece everything together in a brilliant collage that can serve as your roadmap for the coming year. (PS If you live near Tally and you read this in time, you can still join me on retreat on Jan 1st. Click here for details!)

 3. Decide on a theme for your year. They say between 60-80% of New Years' resolutions are broken within the first two weeks of the New Year. Those aren't such good odds, eh? So I say, skip the resolutions and create a theme for your year instead!  Some ideas...

1. Sabbath - Wayne Muller writes a beautiful book about the importance of rest, retreat and renewal. He brings in stories from all different spiritual paths and points out that all religious institutions sanction and support rest as a natural part of the life cycle. Mirroring nature, which is about the only thing that is perfect, and alternating cycles of activity and rest is critical to the survival of any living being. If you work too much or are on the "go" all the time, I urge you to read this book!

2. Success Intelligence - I saw Robert Holden speak at the Hay House Conference in Tampa this fall and I fell in love. Yes, he is quite charming, but I fell in love with his work... the notion that we need to define success for ourselves clearly so that it can help direct the other decisions we make in our lives. I am still working through this one chapter by chapter and enjoying journaling to questions like "What are your wisest thoughts about success? What is your wisdom trying to teach you? And if God had one thought for you today, what would it be?"

3. Love Your Self, Live Your Spirit - Sonia Choquette cracks me up! Her humorous stories remind me of the power of connecting with our intuition which is available to us always. Here's my story of connecting with my intuition: When I sat in her audience recently, I knew that she gave her products away during her sessions. I set a clear intention at the beginning of the event that I would love to receive her newest book as a gift. Sure enough, her spirit "heard" my spirit's request and when she called "this is for the lady in the green!" I jumped up with a knowing grin and gratefully accepted her gift!

4. Home with God - When Eric's Dad got sick with cancer earlier this year, this book practically jumped off my shelf begging to be read. Neale Donald Walsch's dialog with God in this extraordinary book helped me to look at death and dying in a whole new light. It was comforting, uplifting and above all, empowering. The message is one of deep, abiding love. Anyone facing the death of a loved one - or who has concerns about your own mortality - should read this book.

5. Waiting for Daisy - the subtitle is "A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Romantic Night and One Woman's Quest to Become a Mother." That pretty well describes Peggy Orenstein's journey in a nutshell. Another friend struggling with fertility challenges (who is now blissfully pregnant with twins!) recommended I read this book this summer.  I even read parts of it out loud to my husband who nodded his head saying "yes, honey, you do that. yes, honey, you do that too!" It made me not feel so crazy and it made me feel connected to other women who have been on this road before me. Anyone who has a deep desire to create a family and has had to follow the road less traveled in the pursuit of the dream will really connect with this book.

So those are my picks for 2008. What are yours? Please comment...

The wildly successful author of the Harry Potter book series delivers her 2008 commencement address "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination."

Click here to watch the video or read the transcript. Funny, poignant, inspiring! Well worth your time!

Eileen is my friend who I call "the fun time girl" because she's the life of the party! We found just about everything worth giggling about during her wedding weekend! (Here she is getting ready being tended to by Jennifer, her maid of honor, and Mista, a fellow bridesmaid.)

I've determined that there are 4 key ingredients to make any gathering - a wedding, birthday party, holiday gathering or simply dinner with neighbors - a smashing success!

1. Family and Friends - it may be stating the obvious but the best celebrations in life involve the people we love the most. Weddings in particular are a wonderfully special time where all aspects of your life (from childhood to now!) can collide for a brief few hours. Eileen and Lars had people from all over the country (and 3 from overseas!) fly in for the weekend. It requires energy and effort on everyone's part but the end result is often priceless!

2. Ambiance - finding the right location and setting the mood for your gathering makes all the difference in the world. Eileen knew that she wanted to get married at the beach. Even though the weather didn't cooperate for the bridal party to take photos on the sand, just being near the ocean with the salty air and the breeze put everyone in the spirit!

3. Planning with Intention - Eileen comes from a large Irish Catholic family from New Jersey - Lars comes from a small Baptist family from Georgia. Definitely two different worlds! So they combined elements of the two to make for a rich experience for all. For example, during their ceremony, two of the readings were from their favorite performers - Alan Jackson and Jon Bon Jovi!

4. Sacred Elements - there were many holy and divinely inspired moments during the weekend. Exchanging vows is usually a very sacred ritual and their Celtic hand tying ceremony was touching and beautiful. Another sacred moment came when Eileen's three nieces did a dance routine they'd learned in school. Perhaps it wasn't a "traditional" sacred moment but anything that inspires delight, bring joys or move people to tears is considered sacred in my book.

My favorite part of the whole weekend was when Dexie's Midnight Runners (remember them?!) blasted "Come On Eileen!" and the place went wild! Eileen's brothers hoisted her up on their shoulders, everyone rushed to the dance floor to boogie and there was my friend for 17 years ~ Bean~ beaming in the middle of the crowd of friends and family as she kicked up her heels with her new husband.

It doesn't get much more sacred and precious than that!

This is the e-mail message I received from TUT today.

"Kindness always wins, Elizabeth.

Always, always, always.

-- The Universe"

I really needed to hear that. In the past two weeks, I've noticed myself getting angry and agitated a lot - mostly at other people. I'm not easily upset so I've been looking for the gift in these situations. What am I to learn from these experiences?

"Do I know the whole story?" 

Eric and I received poor customer service a few weeks ago when renting a condo down at the beach. I got really angry that the employee was rude to us, that they messed up our reservation, etc. But after taking time to reflect as I walked the beach (always a great place to contemplate life!) I realized that I didn't know the whole story.

Maybe that employee had a horrible morning and was late to work. Maybe someone important to her had hurt her or was sick or had died. Maybe she felt trapped in a job she didn't enjoy. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

By considering all the possible options, I was able to realize that her treatment of us wasn't because we had done something wrong but was a symptom of something happening in her life. Something I wasn't aware of. Something that had nothing to do with me/us.

Making this discovery allowed me to have more compassion for her. I had initially filled out the guest comment survey and wanted her manager to know of my dissatisfaction. But I decided not to mail it afterall. That would only service my ego and give it the illusion of being powerful and "right". Instead, my authentic self, my spirit self just wants to send that employee my good thoughts and compassion and hope that she was just having a bad day.

Acting with kindness and releasing that anger and negativity feels very freeing. I am once again reminded that stepping back, asking "Do I know the whole story?" and not making assumptions or judgements is a very loving, authentic and powerful place from which to live your life.

Where have you had a similar experience in your life?

Yoga has been such a gift in my life since I moved to Florida last summer. I had done yoga on and off over the years but with no real "practice" to speak of. Now I attend classes twice a week at Namaste in Tallahassee - Mondays with Kathy and Geralyn and Thursdays with Charlene - and feel dynamite as a result!

If you are seeking:

- Clarity of mind

- Connection to Source

- A strong and fit body (relieve tension, improve flexibility, strengthen your core)

- Community of like minded people

then I highly recommend yoga - no matter where you live or what you do or who you are. It's important to find a style that works for you and a teacher that you can trust. I like the non-competitive style of classes at Namaste... my teachers emphasize over and over again "do what's right for you!"

Yesterday Kathy and Geralyn taught us the three A's and as I've been contemplating them for 24 hours, I realize that the three A's can be applied in all areas of your life - not just in yoga class!

1. Awareness - Notice how you're feeling. Notice your body. Notice your environment. Simply pay attention and listen for messages.

2. Acceptance - Don't judge yourself! Stop worrying about "do I look funny?" or "he's doing it better than I am" or "I'm not good enough". Start acknowledging that you're perfect exactly as you are and with what you're doing.

3. Adjustment - Move toward what feels good. Making subtle changes can give you great rewards. And sometimes, stopping what you're doing and trying something completely different is  the answer. Experiment and see what fits for you.

Neale Donald Walsch's Home with God ~ In a Life That Never Ends literally sprouted legs and packed itself in my suitcase a few weeks ago for a weekend trip. Eric & I have been dealing with grief and loss the past few months with the death of a friend, the serious illness of a close family member and the transition from leaving our beloved Asheville to our new home in beautiful Tallahassee. It's all left me searching for answers to questions I didn't realize I had.

One of my best friends has been bugging me to read this book for two years now. I am finally ready to receive it. One of the primary messages I have received from this book is that if we can learn to accept death and not fear it, then we can fully embrace life.

I have done a lot of underlining and dog-earing this book but the "100 Word Formula for All of Life" is worthy of sharing here.

Hope is the doorway to belief, belief is the doorway to knowing, knowing is the doorway to creation, and creation is the doorway to experience.

Experience is the doorway to expression, expression is the doorway to becoming, becoming is the activity of all life and the only function of God.

What you hope, you will eventually believe, what you believe, you will eventually know, what you know, you will eventually create, what you create, you will eventually experience, what you experience, you will eventually express, what you express, you will eventually become.

This is the formula for all of life. It is as simple as that.

Thoughts? Comments? Was this as powerful for you as it was for me when I first read it? You can read more about Neale Donald Walsch and his work here.

I've talked with several clients in the past few weeks about this notion of self care and I'm amazed at how many of us resist this idea. We are programmed to take care of others, put others' needs and concerns before our own, give, give, give until it hurts and then give some more.

What's the end result usually? We end up wearing cranky pants! We become tired, overworked, overwhelmed, under appreciated, resentful, unhealthy, cranky, crabby and noone wants to hang out with us and then we don't even want to hang out with ourselves anymore because we are miserable.

That is not a fun way to live and if you recognize elements of this in your own life, I encourage you to stop now and take a hard look. You can make some changes right now that will benefit you for the short-term and the long-term! 

Claiming Elizabeth's Year of Extreme Self Care reminds me that I deserve to treat myself with love and attention.  What are the benefits? 

- I am balanced, happy and whole

- I feel solid and confident about my life and who I am

- I am able to be fully present for the people in my life (family, friends, clients, colleagues) who need me

- I'm more fun to be around because I am enjoying life

- I'm more productive in every area of my life

- I'm a more insightful coach, a more loving wife, a patient and caring friend, an enthusiastic networker who enjoys meeting new people

What if you claimed this year as YOUR year of Extreme Self Care? How could that change your life?

How about you? Do you have a problem relaxing?

The crazy thing is, I thought I was doing a good job of being relaxed. I've been eating healthy and going for walks and spending time with my husband and friends.

But I think it's more than that. It's bigger than that. I think I need to be looking at the bigger picture of my life.

I think this is probably going to be my theme for 2008. Or at least a sub-theme!

I just started teaching the January Jumpstart Program this week and in the first module, I'm asking participants to tease out their goals for the year which will utimately lead them to their "theme for the year".

As I was pondering the homework I gave the class the other day, I realized that I need to remind people to look at not only what do I want to accomplish this year? ("the norm" for goal setting) but also

What do I want to EXPERIENCE this year?

How do I want to FEEL?

How do I want my life to be DIFFERENT and more ____________________(joyful, playful, loving, creative, dazzling, peaceful, etc) than it currently is?

I think if we focus more on the desire of BE-ing and less on the DO-ing that it eliminates stress and expectation and we have more freedom and passion to pursue our goals and dreams!  

I think I'll go relax now...

Check out Damaris Pierce's website to see my inspired artwork (yep, that's mine right there on the home page as soon as you open it!) or visit www.iamthankful.com to learn more about Damaris' project to encourage people everywhere to express their gratitude. It's some really cool stuff that she's up to and I, for one, am honored to participate.

During this season of giving, perhaps you can express your gratitude in a postcard and send it in to Damaris' Worldwide Gratitude Project. Pretty cool, eh? :-)

P.S. This would be a great activity to do with children during the holiday season...