Each morning before looking at email, calendars, or to-do lists, give yourself some quiet time to consciously create your day.  Decide how you would like for your day to go.  Decide how you would like to feel throughout the day, and what qualities you intend to bring to your day (a sense of humor, an [...]

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This is another profound and powerful exercise.  It starts with envisioning what you really want during the holidays.  Here are the steps:
1.  Fill in the blank for the following statements:

This holiday season, I want to feel _____ more consistently.

I want my overall holiday experience to be _______.

I will know this holiday season is successful when [...]

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We’re doing our part to curb stress and boost enjoyment during the holidays.  In the next couple of weeks, we’ll be posting some of our favorites stress-busting tips.  Here’s the first one.
Tip #1:  Micro-Retreats

This is a simple and powerful exercise to do regularly (daily).  It only takes 5 minutes.

Set an alarm to go off a [...]

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Continuing from the 10 Proven Ways to Sabotage Happiness – Part 1….and what to do instead!  Here are 5 more ways we unknowingly squelch our happiness:

6.  Limiting what you allow yourself to want by what you think is possible. A kissing cousin of #5 (that is, substituting what you really want with what you think [...]

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I recently attended a fabulous Lucid Living retreat in Santa Barbara on “The Secrets of Happiness”.  Happiness has been on my mind a lot this year.  Here is part 1 of what I have learned about the typical ways we sabotage our happiness — and what to do instead.
1.  Believing happiness must be earned. Happiness [...]

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We say we want things all the time: “I want a new pair of sandals”, “I want more business”, or “I want to lose 10 pounds,” but deep down are these our true wants? Our heart’s desires? Gosh, I hope not. There must be something deeper – for me and for [...]

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Business Week had an article recently that chronicled some new research about happiness and midlife women.  As a midlife woman, the results of this research did not make me happy.   According to the studies, midlife women are sadder and sicker than ever before, regardless of whether they work or don’t work, are married or [...]

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I developed a habit early in life.  It seemed to serve me well….until one day it really didn’t.   The habit:  thinking, saying, and believing that “I have to _____”.  Fill in the blank with anything.  Go shopping.  Clean my office. Return phone calls.  Review my P&L.  Brush my teeth.
From the mundane to the important, I [...]

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#1.  Don’t have rules — Rules lock us into fixed and stagnant ways to operating and being.  What at one time was freeing can quickly become a prison.  Instead of rules, create commitments that will support what you want.  For example: rather than having a rule of “No sweets! Ever!” you might have a commitment [...]

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Lately I’ve been noticing how challenging it can be to stay in the present moment.  I’m usually thinking about the future: worrying about it or anticipating it.  This time of year, with all of the shopping or year-end business activity or planning for holiday celebrations/travel/guests/meals/no-school/etc…..my mind begins a familiar chaotic swirl.  I usually don’t realize [...]

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