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Finding Peace in Crazy Times

I don’t think that anyone reading this will disagree with the idea that these are crazy times. As I read articles and scroll through my social feeds, I am witnessing a filtering of sorts. Some people are numb with fear. Others are searching for a deeper meaning in events as they are transpiring. And some continue to feel the whole coronavirus pandemic idea is being overblown. It’s clear that each of us has our way of dealing with uncertainty, but I think the most important goal right now is to stay out of fear.

A few months ago, the phrase “no fear” popped into my head as I was driving.  My mind played with it as I drove, and by the time I got home, I realized that no fear is an acronym that tells us what we should do when we experience fear.  I recorded a six-minute video for those who prefer to receive their information that way, but I will synopsize for those who prefer to read. I apologize that this is not my best writing! Honestly, this concept is more natural to speak than to write.

No Fear

N = A new perspective. Perspective is a beautiful thing. A change happens when you are willing and open to seeing and understanding fear from a different viewpoint.

O = Opportunity. This downtime period presents us all with a moment to take a breath, help someone less fortunate, and pull together as a group to rise above a current situation. I know so many people who have been saying they wish they had more family time. Use the time as wisely as you are able.

F = Freedom. […]

By |March 28th, 2020|Blog|
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Breathe …

The other day as I was reading through my newsfeed, I realized I was holding my breath. I honestly believe I held it for nearly a record-breaking amount of time because when I finally took a breath, I gasped it in, and my heart was pounding hard in my chest. That moment got me thinking. You see, the previous day, I received an email from a friend of mine who is a doctor of lymphology in Atlanta. He suggested we could lessen the power of the word “corona” by spelling and thinking of the virus as “Kor-own-a.” I began doing just that because I know from experience the power that words can carry. But as I began to think about the word “corona,” I had an aha moment that I want to share with you. I’ll synopsize it here, but the video I’m attaching explains it more in-depth.

What I realized was that the name “corona” is our clue to how we should react to what is going on around us. The word itself speaks to courage! Let me explain.

A Determined Heart

“Cor” is the Latin root of the word courage, which means heart. The original meaning was to speak one’s mind by telling all of one’s heart. Currently, it is most often associated with heroic or brave deeds. Let’s face it, right now, we need to live from a heart space and dig into our courage as the world goes crazy all around us. That’s the first piece of the clue.

The second piece is in “own.” Own means to admit to acknowledging feeling a certain way, such as I own the fact that I […]

By |March 19th, 2020|Blog|
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Our Kids, Our Legacy

I had no idea what I was in for when I sat down with a group of high school kids last week.

As the four of us huddled with a question for each hanging between us, one beautiful dark-haired, blue-eyed girl with an energy of eager sincerity shared that the most significant decision she had had to make in the last six months was to decide whether she would live with her mother or her father. Another brown-eyed lovely with the demeanor of a “mean girl” proudly revealed that if we were to make a movie about her life, it would be a drama. She spoke of an abusive boyfriend, one she was still in love with, and underlying family drama that she despised. A thin young man who by all appearances, struggles with heartbreaking anxiety admitted through clenched teeth that he dreamed of being a comedian. The other, a big guy who proudly declared his Russian-born roots, confidently revealed that he was terrified of public speaking. His biggest decision was whether to be the best man at his brother’s wedding where over three-hundred people would be in attendance.

No One To Count On But Me

You might be thinking that all teenagers are full of angst and worry and dramas and that this is nothing new. But as the young girl forced to choose between her parents spoke, she punctuated her statement with her admission that hit me right in the gut. She said, “I realized I have no one to count on but me, so I made the best choice for myself.” Ouch. She is fifteen years old.

I was not […]

By |January 31st, 2020|Blog|
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Feelings vs. Facts: In Search of the Truth

Back in the 1980s, I had the opportunity to take a sales job. My job would be to focus on gaining new business. It sounded challenging and fun, so I agreed and showed up to work excited for a new opportunity. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that I was going to have to get comfortable with cold calling. I probably spent more time in front of the mirror whispering, “You can do this,” than I did doing the work. I was great at getting appointments, but I usually ended up listening to the stories of my prospective clients’ lives and then leaving without saying much about what I was selling. During that period, I made a lot of friends, but I didn’t make much money. My sales manager, who had gone out on a limb to hire me, was supportive, but I finally admitted that I didn’t feel I was going to be any good at sales.  She didn’t even hesitate before saying, “Feelings are not facts.”

Well, my prediction was correct—I never did amount to much of a salesperson, but those four words had a huge impact on my life. Feelings are not facts. The truth is that feelings are emotions that come and go depending on our circumstances, how we’re feeling physically, and so much more.

So, what does this have to do with you? This week I had an interesting conversation with one of my clients. During our exchange, she admitted that she felt broken. Her words got me thinking.