Tips + Tools + Life Lessons
Share Your Enthusiasm
A Strategy for Joy Video! Hurrah! I’m celebrating my darling friend Michelle’s book* launch by giving you on the skinny on Enthusiasm. Dig in and take on the challenge in the comments below! As adults, we tend to shy on the side of underwhelm. It’s not cool to be excited about the Steve Martin concert…
Read MoreHow to Have Faith in Yourself After Failure
How do you keep faith in yourself and your dreams? What do you do when shit hits the fan? When your well laid plans explode in your face? When you don’t hit the mark, make your goal, meet your deadline or manifest your desire? What do you do when you feel like you are failing?…
Read MoreSelf Care vs Self Comfort: What do you really need?
When “self-care” turns into nights spent curled on the couch with cupcakes watching entire seasons of old shows, you may be walking a fine line. When the delicious solo glass of wine on the porch turns into the bottle and late night ex-texting, you’ve thrown your care under the bus. When rewarding yourself with a shopping trip becomes the only way to lift your spirits, your pampering is becoming dangerous.
When caring for yourself turns into distracting or numbing or avoiding, it’s time to pause. It’s time to check in with yourself — what are you really craving in those moments?
Read More9 Unusual Ways to Practice Gratitude
While watching Brené Brown on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday this weekend, I was reminded of the remarkable link between joy and gratitude.
In her book The Gifts of Imperfection she writes, “Without exception, every person I interviewed who described living a joyful life or who described themselves as joyful, actively practiced gratitude and attributed their joyfulness to their gratitude practice. And both joy and gratitude were described as spiritual practices that were bound to a belief in human interconnectedness and a power greater than us.”
Read MoreWe Are Never Done and That's a Beautiful Thing
I used to find myself dreamily thinking about being “done” with some project or period in my life and then — finally, finally — having space and time for all the other things I wanted to be doing.
Sometimes it wasn’t dreamy thinking, it was urgent.
Desperate, even.
Read MoreA Rush of Excitement and Exhaustion
As I wrap up my own personal planning for 2013 (using the calls and worksheets from The Holiday Council of course!) I feel a mix of excitement and exhaustion.
Excitement because I’m in a new home complete with an orange tree, a deep bathtub, and my own office/guest room. I’m in a new city that the Big Man and I chose simply because we wanted the lifestyle that it represented to us — one of community, slower paced living, gorgeous weather, access to the hills and the ocean, appreciation of local food/wine/businesses, and family-focused. I have a new piece of my business that needs my dedication as I dive into the work of a live retreat and a years worth of coaching for Elevate Mastermind.
Read MoreHoliday Wishes for You
Here is my wish for you this holiday season, my dear one.
Stop trying to make things look good and concentrate instead on letting things feel good.
There is no need to wrap the perfect present, cook the perfect turkey, send the most adorable Holiday card. There is no need to beat yourself up when something didn’t go as planned, when your family embarrasses you, when you don’t respond to your work emails, when you don’t get through everything on your list to clean/fix/beautify.
Read MoreShould I feel Guilty about Loving my Life?
Every once and awhile, I feel fleetingly guilty for loving my life. I’ve overheard enough mutters about “Molly getting everything she wants” and “it comes so easily for her” and “but it always works out for you…” that I’m slightly self-conscious about how others view my world. But then I realize I’m being crazy and shake off the weird caring-what-others-think vibe, because I know the truth. I don’t get everything I want. Not everything comes easily to me. It definitely doesn’t always work out for me.
Read MoreOne Thing at a Time: Stop Starting, Start Finishing
Is one thing at a time possible? The Big Man and I always have a million things on our various lists. We have a huge chalkboard in our living room that says, “All the Things” for shared personal life items and both keep extensive work and life lists of our own. Bucket lists, business task lists, chore lists, weekend trip lists, recipes to try lists… Couple our listing addiction with my own natural Activator strength, and I have dozens of projects going on at any one time.
Read MoreFinding Your Life Balance Between Badass and Compassion
When I’m being kind to myself, I’m finding the balance between accepting what is present in my life AND respecting myself by using my talents and purpose at the highest level. My kindness is both a bear hug and a smack on the butt…
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