Experts Blogs

"The Law of Attraction is a metaphysical New Thought belief that 'like attracts like,' that positive and negative thinking bring about positive and negative physical results, respectively." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Attraction What am I attracting into my life? For better or for worse you are attracting what you are right now. Christopher Franklin One of the most difficult truths to face is the mirror of our lives and attitudes as reflected by the people and circumstances that surround us. When we are caught in a cycle of fear, in negative attitudes, and relationships, either at work or in the home, the last...

Years ago and the day before my first visit to the Donna Karan Company to meet Donna and her senior leadership team, I spent a lot of time thinking about and planning what I would wear. At the time I did not own one piece of her line of clothing, although I would have loved to. Instead I would buy designer clothes only when they were on sale, and I did not have a favorite designer.

Simple mindfulness exercise for staying calm & centered. Greetings readers! Work can be hard. We’re all susceptible to stress and anxiety, but there are ways to counteract these things. Mindfulness is a mental state of awareness of all that is around us and inside of us. It is a state of calmness, where the body’s autonomic nervous system is activated. With repeated practice you can activate your own mindfulness at any time. Throughout the day and before you go to sleep take in a series of breaths. Instead of allowing your mind to wander over the day’s concerns and letting stress...

A former client sent me a Holiday e-card with a note that she'd lost her job and with it, her family's health insurance.  In follow up emails she told me that she was part of a lay off last month,  she's been feeling sicker since she's left work and feels lost. She wants to work with me again and thinks it would help as it did before. But she won't do anything that would cost money or wear her down even more physically.   She's too afraid to look for a job. Because she's been reading my posts for years, she suggested I write...

The word “courage” seems to be such a “big” word in our culture since it is frequently associated with sensationalism and tragic circumstances; yet, it simply means, “heart.” On the extreme, courage is associated with the whistle blowers witnessed at WorldCom and Enron. Too me, “simply courage” is best quoted by Robert Louis Stevenson: “Everyday courage has few witnesses. It is no less noble because no drum beats and no crowds shout your name.” How often do you witness every day courage? In 2012, would you be willing to embrace the etymology of the word and claim courage in your life?...

Once in a while I read a poem that makes me stop and reflect on the lost courage I have accumulated in my life. Much of the accumulative suffering is couched in regrets. Regrets represent lost courage, usually layered in blame. Do you have the courage to confront this question: "What percentage of your spirit is filled with regrets?" Linda Ellis' poem "The Dash," moved me to reflection. With our gnat-like attention span we don't take time to reflect and welcome introspection much less "simple courage" behaviors. Simplicity takes talent, intention and advocates! THE DASH I read of a man who...

The insane media coverage of the ten-year anniversary of 9/11 has given me pause. It is a reminder  to build relationships and community, and to value those things in our lives and our work. Despite the overload I feel when I read or watch the news today, I believe it's important for us to remember. And even more important, to be inspired to be the best of ourselves. I remember walking through the Manhattan streets that day, watching paper fall and swirl around in a light wind. The streets were almost empty by 7pm, but small groups were clustered together...

There isn't a super hero "out there" who can save you from your situation, fix your problems, or take away your fears. You have to tap into your own super hero; to identify the fears that are holding you back and to make a decision to reclaim the power you have yielded. I recently spoke at a leadership conference for women who work in the consulting industry. About 5 minutes before I was due to begin speaking, a woman attending the event asked if I ever got nervous. "Often," I replied, "Particularly about five minutes before I'm about to take the...

Courageous leaders recognize defining moments and apply courage at work. This conscious action is vital to their success. By developing the following behaviors in yourself, you?ll be better able to call upon your courage when needed. 1. Constantly affirm your strength and determinationRealize that no one expects you to be perfect. They do, however, expect you to do your best. Take time for daily reflection so you can evaluate your resources and how you can best use them. When you know how your strengths can benefit your organization, you'll be able to do what you believe is right and see...

A wise friend once shared with me her secret to a successful and happy life . . . "Forget the back-story" - Leslie Ayers, The Job Search Guru Part of "Accepting what is," the first step in practicing Unfear, is to let go of assigning blame. When we get caught up in the back-story, in assigning blame, we arrest forward movement. Assigning blame is a diversionary tactic. It is avoidance, a fear reaction which imprisons us in the past. When we focus on assigning blame we create ego conflicts and a toxic work environment. Accepting what is requires focusing on...

A key component to moving into a strength focus begins with the first of 4 UNFEAR practices that I share in my book. Accept what is real. Unless and until we accept the circumstances of a given situation, we are reacting from fear and through fear based behaviors.  Forward movement is limited or impossible without first giving acceptance. To operate from a place of strength, it is necessary to first accept our talents, our desires, our natural propensities, our weaknesses, our deficiencies, our circumstances, as well as the demands being placed on us.  If we dwell on what's not working, we...