Your Winter- Cycles of Growth Require Rest as Much as Action

Even as we approach the vibrant summer months, and the days grow long and bright here in California, I’ve been thinking about winter. I grew up in France which has long, gray, snowy months sometimes starting as early as October. Now that I live in Los Angeles and bask in the sunshine nearly every day, I sometimes get pangs of nostalgia for those cold, meditative days of being snuggled up inside and watching the bare tree branches wave against the sky. I snap out of those pretty quickly and run outside and smell flowers or chase butterflies. Even if it’s January. Yes, the weather here is dreamalicious.

But I think there is something to seasons. They’re a perfect metaphor for human life- not least of which is our ambitions. Some of the self-help world is pushing to “achieve”, climb, “conquer” and “master” the self. We definitely need to find the fire to get where we want to go. And we need to overcome the inertia that can come from fear. But Mother Nature is far wiser than the ego. Read the Rest of This Article »

How To Silence Your Inner Critic

Inner Critic?  Are you there?  I can’t hear you?  Must be a bad connection…  CLICK!

I never read movie reviews. Sometimes this means I make mistakes and see things like “Just Go With It”. (I know, I know.) Still, I like to make up my own mind and not have someone tell me whether or not something is worthy of my time. Also, it’s easy to avoid reading movie reviews. I just turn the page or click on another tab. But it’s not as easy to navigate away from the Inner Critic. That’s the part of ourselves that’s made up of all the negative message we got from our teachers, parents, peers and other authority figures we met growing up. The Inner Critic has a direct line into our heart because it was made by many of the people we cared about most. But the good news is, when this oversized, outdated bully dials us up, we can learn to hang up the phone. Read the Rest of This Article »

Wheeze, Clunk! Is Your Inner Dashboard Blinking?

I was driving yesterday, happily minding my own business and practicing my new skill of not texting while behind the wheel. (I’m doing very well, thank you for asking.) Suddenly, some light started blinking. It looked like a genie in an oil canister to me. I am a girl, so I am thinking; I need to change the oil in my car. As I was driving towards the gas station, I started thinking, hey- when does my dashboard blink to tell me I need something. Water. Sleep. Play? What are my indicators that I am running out of some essential component to thrive? Read the Rest of This Article »

How to Say YES to NO

I can’t help you move this weekend- I’m writing a book. (548 words)

There’s a novel brewing inside you that you are dying to get on paper, but where’s the time?  Maybe you’ve been waiting to take that cooking class because, let’s face it, you’ve just about exhausted every way of doctoring up mac ‘n cheese.  Or maybe you just need a day of relaxation because you’ve pushed yourself to the limit but, alas, no time.  Where is your time going, anyway? Let’s see…work…eat…sleep…help John move…walk Karen’s dog…take Chris to the airport….wait!  With all this time for other people, where’s the YOU time?

You’re a good friend.  You’re Mr. Reliable or Miss Always-There.  We get it. But when you’re the one who needs a favor from you, you don’t have the time. So something’s got to give if you want to live a meaningful life. Learning to say NO to others might be the route to saying a bigger YES to yourself. Read the Rest of This Article »

Instant Confidence: Just Add Water

You rock.  When was the last time you told yourself that and meant it?  If you can’t remember or (worse!) you don’t agree, then it’s time for a major confidence boost.  A lack of confidence affects everything from your productivity to your relationships to how you look and feel.  So today, don’t go out and buy that fancy moisturizer. Spend the time instead moisturizing your self-esteem then watch that happy glow return and more importantly, last. Read the Rest of This Article »