I have found lately that HOPE is palpable.

What is it? Why is it such a strong force?

How does it show up in our lives?

I can only speak to my realizations and those of some of my clients and friends but really… I picked up the newspaper today and I saw hope.

The kid who turned away from school and later became a rapper teacher is now helping millions of kids rap-learn subjects that were previously unreachable, and they are loving it!

Saturday, The New York Times August 24, 2024. “His Alter Ego Is Excited About Education”

I see movies like “Inside Out” and “Inside Out 2” that help explain to even our youngest citizens what in the world goes on in our emotional lives and a few ways to get it under control. Yahoo!

Sunday, The New York Times, August 11, 2024 “How Pixar Helped Change Therapy”

I see and hear people shifting their consciousness from desperation and divisiveness born out of fear to hope and a belief in the possibility that comes with naming what is good in all of us and working together to fix what isn’t.

Because of hope.

No matter what the personal belief system is, hope allows us all to find something good and true.

I hate to belabor the COVID experience but mine interested me because it was like having a dark cloud hanging over me for a while.

It seems like a dark cloud has been hanging over our society for a while.

What I noticed when it began to lift was that I hadn’t known just how gloomy it was. It was like having a gray filter in front of my eyes and then suddenly it cleared. I could see the sun.

It felt that way today as I listened to people speaking, read the newspaper, and saw a different bounce in people’s steps.

A new energy seems to be taking hold in people’s interest and participation in our country.

Hope.

I’m glad the fog is lifting enough to see some sunlight. Hope is a great energizer.

If you want to explore how to accelerate your hope let’s talk! Click here to schedule a call!

What happens when we add the idea of tenderness into our daily lives, our random conversations, our moments of huffing and puffing over something that may or may not be worthy of huffing and puffing?

I was speaking with a client the other day who gave me permission to share our conversation. She was recounting an experience of becoming angry because she noticed a large number of invasive species trees and shared that she found herself agitated and speaking emotionally about it while a passenger on a drive. Actually, getting quite worked up.  

Well, long story short, the anger was at the people who planted the trees and the frustration that the trees were doing harm to other vegetation. 

The idea of tenderness came up because employing the concept helped settle the emotions down and brought a realization around how bad it felt to get so worked up.

Often when emotions get high and are negative in some way, it feels terrible, but we are so busy emoting we miss that we are creating our own suffering.

We had fun with this conversation because the idea of tenderness also led to the idea of compassion. Those poor trees- they were simply planted and didn’t deserve all that negativity. 

Who knows? Maybe they actually were the perfect plant to be living in that area. Some years from now, given global warming, they may bring something absolutely necessary to the changing ecosystem.

The people who were being maligned because they planted them… they are actually not part of the car ride equation. But… self-compassion is part of the equation; tenderness to self… especially when it becomes clear that the only person suffering is the person feeling all the negative emotions and, in this case, possibly the driver.

We took it further.  What is the difference between expressing irritation, anger, rage out into the world and expressing neutrality, kindness, compassion, or tenderness?

Do we want to feed the negativity and blame, that has become pervasive in large expressions of frustration and anger in our society, or do we want to grow ease, care, compassion?

What if we all tried a little tenderness?

Click here for a different kind of car ride – enjoy!

It’s official! The equinox has helped us cross the threshold into Spring. 

Let’s send up new shoots. Get rid of the old dried-up leaves and twigs. Open a fresh eye on the world. Let the still small voice that knows there is something emerging get a bit louder.

All of us feel a bit dug under sometimes. The world has been a chaotic place at times and then a turn of the head or a new fresh day brings order, new hope or even a monumental change in point of view.

It’s time to clear out, refresh, take a look at what isn’t feeling right and tweak it until it does. 

I’ve been struck by the resilience I’ve been witnessing in all parts of the world. We are amazing. Every one of us. 

Recently I made a major move, healed from a serious illness, and continued stepping forward on the journey…  being present and ready for what’s next. 

I believe all of us are making our way. We step over rocks, climb bigger mountains, and take our next steps. If we are paying attention, we create meaning.  

Times of seasonal transition are perfect to take a fresh look. Yesterday I cleared a bunch of dead plants away and cut back the ones that could be saved.  Suddenly there was possibility of new life. I love to see that shift and recognize that we are the shift. We just have to pay attention. 

That’s when I take a fresh look at what is happening in my life, what is happening around me, where I’m putting my focus and why.

We are multifaceted beings, so underlying the activities we are doing are the thoughts and feelings we have about them. 

Here are a few questions to get the ball rolling:

• What do the (activities) mean to us? 
• What importance do they hold in our lives? 
• What are the benefits or the drawbacks? 
• Are they essential or can they be removed?

Sometimes it is good to sort out where we are putting our attention. Sometimes what’s important is to stop a moment and breathe.

Take stock of all that is happening; what you are feeling emotionally and physically; what you are thinking… and see if there is a need for a different point of view or a different course of action with whatever is in the forefront of your days.

Often, a change in focus opens up a completely different feeling about what comes next. 

Spring is the ideal time to take the next step to accelerate YOUR next step.

Choose the inspired life you want to live.

Click here for a guided imagery to take a moment of pause to imagine your next steps. 

So many people have experienced change over the past year – myself included. From scary medical procedures to moving cities. So how do we all remain resilient in the midst of major upheaval whether it is personal, familial, governmental, or cultural?

For me, and what I teach all my clients – coaching, psychotherapy, and corporate – is that when we begin to feel like a leaf in the wind, we are sunk. That’s not the good part, the meaty part. That is the human condition. So, what to do about it? Here’s a tip that is part of my QPT® (Quantum Presence Technique) process and is a quick way to get centered.

1. Breathe and put your attention on your feet.

That’s what I do, and that’s what I teach because it’s impossible to handle any stress, big or small, if you are not present in your body. Putting your attention on your feet and breathing is a shortcut to getting back to home base- You, your own body.

Emotion follows thought.

Have you ever noticed that when you have a seed, just a little seed of information that is or could be true, suddenly the brain is off and running with a story about it? Depending on your inclination that could be scary or wonderful. Either way, it is just a story.

It is not true because it has not happened. You notice I didn’t say “happened yet”. That’s because there is no yet under these circumstances. We actually have no idea what is going to happen.

When we are present in our bodies, we are not being run wild by our thoughts and the emotions that follow our storyline. We can actually make a clear choice about who we are and what we want to choose to feel and do in the moment.

2. Make an Inspired Choice

What makes an inspired choice? The first is step is # 1 above. When you are experiencing presence, full embodiment, you are connected mind, body, spirit, and heart. You realize that you are safe in this moment and that you have come into your body fully with your attention and your breath. You may have a sense of solidity, of feeling grounded, connected to the earth. It comes from having made the decision to be still and notice that gravity is holding you steady. Your intention is all you need to experience the pause that allows you to make choices from your true self, unimpaired by extraneous thoughts.

From this position you can activate the ‘you’ ‘you know is there. The ‘you’ that is not a leaf in the wind. The ‘you’ that you can depend on. It is the same ‘you’ that you’ve depended on when making important decisions, helping someone in crises. All aspects of you working together to take your next step. That is how an inspired choice is made.

Try it. Let me know what happens. Is there more to this? Of course, but this is a great place to start.

For a bit more guidance, click the video below:

It’s Thanksgiving. Yes, a time on the calendar we can depend on. A time that reminds us that we are still here living our lives, even if everything feels topsy turvy, stressful or downright scary at times. We are all looking for some peace, a bit of joy, a way to feel into this new normal while folks are waiting to get back to normal.

It’s hard to say what back to normal will look like but what we can say is how amazingly resilient we humans are. Imagine being able to find simple things, people, products, even time, to be grateful for. Gratitude is the way forward. I was blown away when I restarted my gratitude mornings how much each day became lighter. How positive I could be in the face of frightening or disappointing news. How centered I could become by simply recognizing the beauty of a flower, a kind gesture, a great meal, a dear friend.

Here are some tips to find the spark of gratitude in your life:

1. 1. Wake up and say “I am grateful for my new day” a sentence filled with possibility.
   2. If you are in a relationship, notice that person’s presence as a gift in your life. It’s easy to notice the annoyances but what do they bring to your life?
   3. Notice where you are putting your attention. If there is a situation that is bothersome, or troubling find the good in it and find a way to take action to change the rest. (One step at a time if it’s a big one)
   4. Declare your intention for having a great day.
   5. Thank someone in your life or in your day, for something.
   6. Give! Tell someone you care, give a compliment, send flowers, be love and you will feel grateful you made someone else’s day.
   7. Make a list of 3 things you are grateful for each morning and notice the bounty you may have missed.
   8. Thank a good friend or special family member for being in your life.

Happiest Thanksgiving to all.  May you spend it in a way that brings you peace and joy.

With love,

Liz