This past weekend I was lucky enough to be involved in a number of activities that caused me to take pause and really appreciate what I was involved in.   On Saturday morning I decided to go for a run in a local trail area not far from my house.  A friend introduced me to these trails a few years ago and I have been blessed to enjoy some wonderful runs and walks in them.   Picture a beautiful waterfall, throw in a quiet, cool sunlit morning and a few critters – this was the background for my run.  As I started out I was glad I had brought my jacket with me as it was still quite cool.  I found myself thinking of nothing much at the beginning of my run but half-way up a very steep hill I begun to realize just how lucky I was to be enjoying my ascent on a beautiful day listening to nature happening all around me.  I finished my run at the site that had inspired me, the beautiful waterfall .   Listening to the soothing sound of the water as it ran down the rocks was so peaceful and intoxicating, I had to remind myself that I had a number of errands to run.

Sunday afternoon presented another opportunity to marvel at how good life is.  After spending the afternoon doing some gardening, it was time for some competition on the soccer pitch.   My two daughters, and my son headed over to the park to play the “beautiful game” (while my husband stayed home recovering from his touch football game the day before).   There was already another family playing on part of the field so my son thought it would be a good idea to ask them to play with us.  Game on, girls versus boys!  What a game it turned out to be.  Although the girls lost 4-3, it was not without a valiant fight.  After the game ended and everybody shook hands, I could not help but think what a wonderful time all of us had.  I could not remember the last time I had ran so hard and laughed so much all in the company of a large group of children.  It brought back elementary school memories when competitions always consisted of the girls going up against the boys.  It never seemed to matter who won but what I do remember was the fun that was had by all.

This month’s example of someone living an inspired life is my friend Donna Marcaccio.  Donna is the Executive Director at Rygiel Supports for Community Living.  Rygiel is a non-profit organization whose mandate is to support individuals in the community who have multiple disabilities, by providing residential and respite services.  Donna works tirelessly to ensure that Rygiel reaches as many people as it can in the community.  Donna lives Rygiel’s mission statement and because of her enthusiasm she is able to motivate others to see the importance of Rygiel’s role in the community.

Make it a great month,

Carolyne

Last week I happened to catch CNN host Anderson Cooper interviewing a Syrian activist known as Danny.  During the few minutes that I was able to watch the compelling discussion, it was very clear what the Danny’s incentive was.  He told Cooper that even though Syrian citizens were being killed by the hundreds daily, they were still willing to carry on the fight for their freedom.  At one point Danny stated that it was either going to be the Syrian people or Syrian President (Assad) who would stand at the end of all the carnage.  He went on to say that Assad would have to kill all the citizens in Homs in order to stand victorious.

Listening to Danny made me realize that accomplishing our goals sometimes requires us to make some very difficult choices.  Danny alongside all the other Syrian activists acknowledges that his stand may lead to death but in his mind the objective is larger than any one person.  Just by sheer determination one has to believe that they will gain freedom.

This led me to reflect on my own goals and how hard I am willing to work to accomplish them.  Being honest with myself, I had to admit that sometimes my effort will not yield the result(s) I am looking for.  Consequently, this month I have decided to really put in the sweat equity towards a specific goal and see what happens on April 30^th.  I will keep you posted.  Good luck with your goals and let me know how you do with them.

This month’s example of people living an inspired life is the citizens of Syria.

Reports estimate that between 8,000 – 11,000 people have been killed since protestors started public demonstrations in January 2011.  Thousands more have been imprisoned and injured.  Yet despite all this, the protestors are unrelenting and they continue the fight for their freedom.  It is clear by their stance that they are willing to give up the ultimate sacrifice in order to realize their dream.

Make it a great month,

Carolyne

Additionally, I believe it takes an attitude of optimism.   It really is a decision what kind of day, month or year we are going to have.  Deciding to see the positives in our lives rather than focusing on the negative will push us closer to achieving our objective.

Here are five simple steps that will help you on your journey to living an inspired life:

1. Know what you are looking for – our roadmap to our life’s journey begins with first deciding for ourselves what we want our life to look like.  At the end of my life I want to know that I lived my life with passion, enjoyed what I did and that I did something that made a difference.  Is all this possible? Absolutely!
2. Do something every day that will get you closer to the life that you want – simply knowing what you want is not enough.  When we are pursuing a dream or goal we have to put action steps in place in order for us to achieve our objective.  We have to be willing to do what it takes no matter how inconvenient it may be or how hard we think it is going to be.
3. Recognize your a-ha moments – we all have these, sometimes we are just not paying attention and they pass us by.  Stilling our minds and really listening to what we want can be a scary venture.  In these days of blackberries, iphones and ear buds hanging out of our head when does one find a quiet moment?  Although difficult, learning to steal a few calm, silent and solitary moments from our extremely noisy lives is the only way we can get in touch with our inner self.  It is amazing what you can hear when you are completely still.
4. Live in the moment – we often mistake this to mean that we live just for today without regard for what is to come tomorrow.   The reality is very different.  Living in the moment simply means that rather than doing five things at the same time, we concentrate on one thing and really relish the moment.  I think this allows us the satisfaction of understanding what is taking place at singular moment in time, one that we can never get back. 
5. Check-in – review your roadmap and ensure you are on the right track.  Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily activities that we forget what direction we are headed in.  Assessing our roadmap on occasion will confirm for us whether we are on track or help us change course when we find that we are headed down the wrong road.   

This month’s example of someone living an inspired life is Conner Long.

Conner Long is a seven year old boy whose brother Cayden (5) has Cerebral palsy.  According to his parents Conner had always felt bad when he was playing and his brother was on the sidelines.  Last year’s Nashville Kids Triathlon saw Conner pull his brother through the swim and the bike portion of the race and then push him for the run.  After the race when speaking to reporters Conner said, “Me and him don’t get to do a lot of stuff together. It felt really connecting.

I was in tears watching this episode on E60.  I think the emotion came from the realization that it does not matter how old or how young we are to know what inspires us.  I hope that you can find inspiration everyday of your life.

Make it a great month,

Carolyne

Additionally, I believe it takes an attitude of optimism.   It really is a decision what kind of day, month or year we are going to have.  Deciding to see the positives in our lives rather than focusing on the negative will push us closer to achieving our objective.

Here are five simple steps that will help you on your journey to living an inspired life:

1. Know what you are looking for – our roadmap to our life’s journey begins with first deciding for ourselves what we want our life to look like.  At the end of my life I want to know that I lived my life with passion, enjoyed what I did and that I did something that made a difference.  Is all this possible? Absolutely!
2. Do something every day that will get you closer to the life that you want – simply knowing what you want is not enough.  When we are pursuing a dream or goal we have to put action steps in place in order for us to achieve our objective.  We have to be willing to do what it takes no matter how inconvenient it may be or how hard we think it is going to be.
3. Recognize your a-ha moments – we all have these, sometimes we are just not paying attention and they pass us by.  Stilling our minds and really listening to what we want can be a scary venture.  In these days of blackberries, iphones and ear buds hanging out of our head when does one find a quiet moment?  Although difficult, learning to steal a few calm, silent and solitary moments from our extremely noisy lives is the only way we can get in touch with our inner self.  It is amazing what you can hear when you are completely still.
4. Live in the moment – we often mistake this to mean that we live just for today without regard for what is to come tomorrow.   The reality is very different.  Living in the moment simply means that rather than doing five things at the same time, we concentrate on one thing and really relish the moment.  I think this allows us the satisfaction of understanding what is taking place at singular moment in time, one that we can never get back.
5. Check-in – review your roadmap and ensure you are on the right track.  Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily activities that we forget what direction we are headed in.  Assessing our roadmap on occasion will confirm for us whether we are on track or help us change course when we find that we are headed down the wrong road. 

 This month’s example of someone living an inspired life is Conner Long.

Conner Long is a seven year old boy whose brother Cayden (5) has Cerebral palsy.  According to his parents Conner had always felt bad when he was playing and his brother was on the sidelines.  Last year’s Nashville Kids Triathlon saw Conner pull his brother through the swim and the bike portion of the race and then push him for the run.  After the race when speaking to reporters Conner said, “Me and him don’t get to do a lot of stuff together. It felt really connecting.

I was in tears watching this episode on E60.  I think the emotion came from the realization that it does not matter how old or how young we are to know what inspires us.  I hope that you can find inspiration everyday of your life.

 Make it a great month,

Carolyne

The theme for this year’s blog is finding inspiration in our own life.  It is funny how it often appears as though other people’s lives are more interesting, more adventurous, more meaningful, more … we sometimes translate this to mean that our lives have somehow fallen short.  Our lives are far richer and fuller than we know, we simply need to take a deeper look.  I am often reminded of Britney Spears a few short years ago.  For a young lady who was the envy of many, there was obviously something significant missing from her life that led her to self-destruct. 

My challenge for this year to all of us (myself included) is to find our own recipe for success.  Mine is going to include a dash of passion, a pinch of motivation, a splash of patience and a heavy dose of persistence.  I have set some audacious goals for myself this year and I intend to achieve them.  Along the way I am sure to find that there are other ingredients that will be needed for my recipe for success, I will take each lesson on with the knowledge that every step forward takes me closer to my goal. 

I encourage you to aim high, because goals that are easily achieved will only limit your potential.  On the other hand setting more challenging objectives will always move us forward even, even if we fail to   achieve them.  Yes there will be obstacles along the way but it is important to remember that these are merely lessons in disguise.  When the message has been learned you will be amazed at the outcome.

Choose to live this year without regret!  Dig deep into your imagination and let your mind lead you on a journey of self-discovery.  Learn who you really are and what you want to accomplish and then don’t hesitate, just get started.  I look forward to hearing from you and how your journey is going.  I will certainly keep you updated with my conquests.

This month’s example of someone who is living an inspired life is Jennifer Hudson.  From the girl who lost on American Idle, to losing her family to a crazed gunman, Hudson has chosen to fight on.  She is the new face of Weight Watchers after successfully dropping over 80 pounds.  Her acting debut in Dream Girls won her an Academy award at the age of 26 and by the time she was 28 she had captured a Grammy.   The manner in which she has dealt with the murder of her mother, brother and nephew in October 2008 has been for me the most telling sign of her courage and resilience.  She refused to quit and is giving back to her community in Chicago, assisting children during Christmas.  She has mentioned that she uses the memories of her family to keep moving forward.  Jennifer Hudson reminds us that even when we face catastrophic obstacles, we should never give up, as a result she is living the life of her dreams.

Make it a great month,

Carolyne

The Tip For Owning Your Power This Month Celebrating Your Uniqueness

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr. Seuss

It is hard to believe that this is going to be the last blog of the year.  As I stated at the beginning of the year, my vision for the information shared through the blogs was that it would in some way enhance your life.  The final blog for this year is celebrating who we are.

I recently spent an afternoon at a girl’s conference with some incredible young women who were the epitome of celebrating their unique characteristics.  At the beginning of the session we asked each of the girls to write down three positive attributes about themselves.  It was surprising how many times the girls would qualify an attribute by downplaying it.  Eventually my partner in the workshop stopped the girls and told them not to qualify their talent.  She told them that if they knew they possessed a talent, they did not need to compare themselves to anyone else. 

I find this to be true in my own life, sometimes trying to live up to an expectation placed on my by outside influences.  Why we do this to ourselves is a mystery.  Success should be determined by our own dreams and goals not by what the media tells us we should be driving, wearing or what we should look like.  Rather than buying into some trendy notion of what accomplishment looks like, I choose to make my own map and follow it where ever it leads me.  At least then I am truly responsible for the outcome.

We are only a few weeks away from the beginning of a new year.  My prayer for you is that you have learned the lessons that have crossed your path this year no matter how difficult they may have been, that you have learned a little bit more about yourself and appreciate you for who you are.  Finally, I wish that you have celebrated yourself throughout the year and that you are proud of your accomplishments over the past year.

In 2012 I challenge you to dream bigger, have a stronger resolve and be true to your beliefs for it is the only way to live the life of your choice.  As for myself, I look forward to new challenges in the New Year, and I vow to do my best to live my best life.  Celebrate what differentiates you from others because it is in discovering your differences that you can make an impact in the world. 

Make it a great month,

Carolyne   

The Tip For Owning Your Power This Month Self-Reflection

Welcome to the first Monday in November!  Wow, I can hardly believe that we are into the last two months of the year.  Back in January when I begun writing the Own Your Power series, my hope was to furnish you with information that would help you live up to your potential.  Well, I am now asking you to take a look back over the last ten months and see how you have done. 

While preparing for this month’s blog, I came upon an article that I think is helpful to anyone who wishes to move ahead in their life by using self-reflection as a measuring tool.  I hope you enjoy the article, I know I am certainly going to use it in my own journey to ensure that I am taking the necessary steps to achieve my goals. 

Enjoy the article and as always, let me know how you are making out with it.

Make it a great month,

Carolyne

Life Coaching Tips – The Art of Self-Reflection – 5 Exercises to Get Clear on your Direction in Life

Publication date: Dec 27, 2008  | author/source: Brought to you by Coaches Plus 

What is it you want to do with your life? How do you think you’re going to make it happen? If you’re not sure, then self-reflection is in order.

Even if you have an idea where you want to go, you may want to consider doing self-reflection exercises to ensure that you remain on the path toward success. When you are on the right path, you can also find peace in your life.

Here are 5 self-reflection exercises that you can use to put things into perspective. These exercises can help you to get clear, relax, and work towards peace in your life:

1.      Compose affirmations. Write a list of at least 50 affirmations. These affirmations should embrace what you want to achieve and what you want to become in your life.

Write them in present tense and be sure to use the word “I” throughout the list. For example, “I am always good at my job.”It is important to focus on the things that are occurring now that will lead to your future success.

 You may hear words in your head such as, “But you messed this up the other day” or “You weren’t as productive a few days ago.” If you are hearing things like this, then banish those negative thoughts. It can take some time to get used to positive thinking, but it’ll be time well-spent.

Repeating your affirmations aloud will enable you confirm your positive thoughts.

2.      Tap into your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind is where your self-image is stored. All of your attitudes, experiences, beliefs, and values are here. Your subconscious mind is the core of who you are and it’s a very powerful force.

If you go inward and reflect upon what’s inside this storehouse within the mind, you can gain a better sense of self-awareness. Some may call this meditation. Regardless of what you call it, this process helps you to attain a higher level of consciousness.

Better self-awareness can provide you with many answers about yourself and your true beliefs.

3.      Visualize creatively. This is a fun way to self-reflect! Make yourself a box to show your hopes and dreams. Or you can create a vision board. Place pictures and words that represent you and your thoughts into your box or on your board. The more details you include, the better it works!

Imagination is the key and the sky is the limit!

4.      Ask yourself questions. Ask yourself questions about yourself. Write down your questions and your answers. Ask yourself questions about the present and the future and provide yourself with positive answers. You can be creative with your questions because only you know what’s inside of you.

Be sure to structure your questions to include details about your hopes and dreams.

5.      Write and reflect. Purchase a journal and write in that journal every single day. Each day, first write down something positive that occurred that day. Next, write down a question for yourself. Don’t answer that question then and there. Reflect on that question and write your answer the next day as a part of your journal entry.

As you can see, self-reflection truly is an art. It involves tapping your inner being and using that to work out what it is you really want. In time, your reflections will enable you to achieve the peace and serenity you deserve.  

Brought to you by www.coachesplus.com

The Tip For Owning Your Power This Month is Forgiveness

He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.  Thomas Fuller  

Forgiveness is something that we seem to struggle with.  We often hold onto the negative energy associated with a grudge failing to understand that the emotional toil affects us more than the person we are upset with. Learning how to let go of the hurts that we encounter in our lives is the focus of this month’s article.

The reality is that it is difficult to forgive others when we think they have slighted us.  In our minds we believe that the individual has gone out of their way to make sure we suffer betrayal, shame and frustration and possibly many other feelings.  In an attempt to project the pain that we are feeling we become bitter and bear ill will towards the offender.  What we fail to realize is that our intended target may not even be aware that we are upset with them.  Secondly, by holding onto destructive emotions we are allowing ourselves to be victimized over and over again every time we think about the incident.  We find ourselves trapped and the only way out is to learn how to forgive.

There is scientific proof that forgiveness has an effect on our health from lower heart rates to lower blood pressure and stress relief.  Additionally, our moods are better when we are not focused on what someone else had done to us, we feel like we are in control of our own happiness.  Learning how to forgive will allow us to live a more positive and fulfilling life.

I wish you a month filled with forgiveness.

Make it a great month,

Carolyne

Tip For Owning Your Power This Month Resilience

This morning my family and I watched the 10^th anniversary commemoration of 9/11.  The one thing that stood out for me was the resiliency of all those that were affected.  From the emergency services men and women, to the survivors of the twin towers and Pentagon catastrophes and finally to the family members left behind, there was a strength demonstrated by all that was awe inspiring.

In the years since the disaster, America has stood up and refused to allow the events of 9/11 shake their nation.  The outcome of that dark day ten years ago has given way to a strength demonstrated by people all around the world exemplifying the incredible human spirit.  The stories of some of the survivors reminded me that no matter how dark the day seems, there is always another day.  This quote by a twin tower survivor drove the point home for me, “… any day you wake up and you don’t have a plane coming through your window that is a good day.” (author unknown).

We each face obstacles in our lives and there are times when they may seem insurmountable.  What we have to remember is that we are capable of overcoming these hurdles.  It may require us to dig deep and be resilient but I know that it is in our spirit to triumph.

Make it a great month,

Carolyne

Tip For Owning Your Power This Month is Imagination

Our mind has the incredible power to take us on incredible journeys, we simply have to allow ourselves to go along for the ride.  With positive affirmations and self-confidence, we can overcome obstacles and discover our greatness, alternatively self- doubt and excuses will limit our mind’s potential.  This month’s tip is directed at using our imagination, dispelling our excuses and reaching for our goals.

As I was making dinner last night, I had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Wayne DYER discussing his book Excuses Begone.  Having read the book myself, I knew that the fundamental message in the book is that we all have control of our minds and with that we have all the power we need to change anything about ourselves that we do not like.  The theme is not a complicated one to understand, putting into practice is where the work begins.

I think the ability to imagine what our success should look, smell or feel like is a gift that we often take for granted.  Truly understanding what this means requires us to put faith not only in our dreams but also demands us to change and discard our self-doubt long enough to enjoy positive results.  When we make excuses, we deny ourselves the opportunity to grow, and by not growing we can never fully realize our potential.

This month I challenge you to imagine yourself being successful by your own definition.  Once you have a clear picture of what that is, take the excuses out of the equation and go for it!  Whether you are successful at attaining your goal is not the true measure of success.  Experiencing the journey is a better indicator of what one has gained. 

“Trust that little voice in your head that says ‘Wouldn’t it be interesting if…’; And then do it.”  - Duane Michals 

Make it a great month,

Carolyne