Category: Gratitude

PANDEMIC PASTTIME

Well, here we are, mid-May, and the world seems to be settling into two camps. Those who are taking precautions seriously by maintaining social distance and wearing a mask (for the protection of others) and those who are flouting all that is logical just to grab a beer (or something equally inane).

I sincerely hope you all are healthy and happy. I know there is an end to all this but I feel it will be sometime before we can move about safely and I caution you all to heed the advice of public health officials. Until such time as we can resume a somewhat normal routine, I challenge you to make the most of this time – which leads me to my post.

Since early April, I’ve been making the most of my locked down time.

  1. I celebrated my birthday. It wasn’t much but it was a nice day made special by a dear friend who sent me an adorable little cake from NothingBundtCake! Sweet, tasty, and adorable!
  2. I did my annual exercise of taking stock of my life. Each year, I ask myself if I am better off now that 12 months past. So far, the answer has always been yes. This year, part of that is due to some educational opportunities to which I have availed myself. While my wallet is a bit chafed, my brain and CV are totally digging it!
  3. I just wrapped up a course from MIT Sloan School of Management on Organizational Design for Digital Transformation and can highly recommend it. It is directly aligned to the type of corporate work I do and was a great chance to learn, reinforce existing knowledge, and network with a global cohort.
  4. I’ve been paying special attention to how my friends, family, and myself are feeling each day. While some of us have experienced little to no change in lifestyle during this pandemic, others have been really shaken up. A simple question of “how are you?” can be invaluable. The better follow-up question is “how can I help you?” can give others the space to express their feelings which can be healthy.

What about you? How are you making the most of this time we have at home? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear what you are doing to stay sane, care for yourself and others, and cope with quarantine.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and thanks for stopping by!

THE WORLD CAN BE HARSH & WE NEED MORE ‘CANDLES’

The world sucks – but only sometimes. Sometimes it is all pony rides and party hats; lately not enough. Like everything, it is a balance – forever wobbling between good, bad, and indifferent.

I’ve written about balance before, as it pertains to travel, and the need to stay positive as you wait in the TSA line, while you get stranded on the tarmac for several hours, or during an argument in three languages (two of which you don’t speak) after getting mugged.

Positivity (is that really a word?) is a big deal to me. It makes a grey day better and a failure easier to take. It can help put world events into perspective, although that’s getting harder to do. To set you up for the weekend, I am going to give you something to help cultivate your positivity. I know it is challenging in the wake of Charleston, Barcelona, Manchester, London, Turkey, etc. but let’s soldier on, shall we?

Before I get to this little bit o’ wisdom, I have to go on record and state that I have not always been a sunshine-y person. Being positive and finding the good in things are muscles I’ve developed over years of ‘taking it on the chin’.  I had the good fortune to grow up privileged with opportunity and love, but I still had a chip on my shoulder. After a few epiphanic moments in my life, and some resonating wisdom of my grandmother (I miss her every day), I can honestly say that I am happy all the time and positive about 94% of the time. This is a great place to be and I highly recommend it. That is not to say I don’t have days where everyone annoys the hell out me or where I don’t wonder why I even bother putting on eyeliner. It just means that in the grand scheme of things, my life is better when I keep it on the sunny side.

Please note that happiness does NOT come from a large bank account or swanky digs. It can’t be found on a Facebook page or in a reality show. Happiness comes from:

  • Exercising the choice to find the good in a negative situation.
  • Working your bum off in pursuit of your goals and ignoring the naysayers.
  • Finding your tribe (your tribe can even be you and a cat).
  • Believing in yourself and cultivating your personality through travel, self-education, volunteerism, or just reading a good book.

You can be happy, you can be positive, and you can overcome what weighs you down. Okay, here is the little nugget of awesomeness for today. Ready?

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle and the life of that candle will not be shortened.”
                                                                                                                                                 – Buddha

Beautiful, isn’t it? A simple and profound statement. Go out into the world this week and be that candle for as many people as you can find. We need more happiness and we need more light, even in the time of a pandemic

If you are ready to gain clarity of purpose around your goal and begin your coaching transformation, contact us today!

A COFFEE BREAK TO EXPRESS MY THANKS

This week has been hectic. Business travel and lots of last minute projects (all due today) make for a tiring schedule. All of that points to the need for more coffee! Before I refill my cup, let me express my sincere thanks for your visit to Clarity Coaching Collective!

Knowing that you made a choice to click a link or subscribe to my blog feed thoroughly humbles and delights me leaving me with a big grin on my face.

Image result for smiling coffee

Aren’t they cute? Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!